the dam broke

I guess I knit a lot this weekend. Maybe Thursday night was productive, but I knit a ton at mom and dad's on Saturday. Billy made everyone watch Finding Nemo twice (I got to hear it six times in the car this weekend). So, I knitted, and I knitted, and I knitted. I've started the armhole shaping and am about 20 or so rows from the neckline shaping.

I hope to have it blocking tomorow night so I can get it out in the mail this weekend.

Mom really liked it. As a matter of fact, she had to show it off to my grandparents.

I had a great time in Vermont. It's always fun to see my parents with B and vice versa. I had a good time hanging with my sisters, too. Although, I really need to stop overindulging on the booze front. As Hubby stated, I'm 34 not 21 anymore.

slow flow

An hour bus ride and two hours tv time (although, I can't knit fast and stare at a half-naked Sawyer) and I only got 30 rows done.

At this rate, I'll need two more knitting days (6 hours) to get to the armhole shaping, one more day to get the knitting done and who knows how long for the finishing. Picking up and knitting armholes as well as the neckline.

Mom better love this sweater. I have to wear a band-aid on my right middle finger because the cotton stitches on the needles are giving me a serious callous.

I so want to knit another one of these in a different yarn for myself. I'm even thinking of making it more camisole-like with narrower shoulders (just wide enough to cover my bra straps).

what a waste of time

I spent all my free moments checking Herrschners to see if they've posted anything good in the weekly sale, and nothing. Unless you want Heilo and Faulk in gray. Otherwise, just acrylics and novelties. Blecchh.

cabling begins

I met my goal for yesterday. I've started the cabling on the front. 140 more rows to go, give or take.

Let me tell you, I'm really looking forward to starting something else. I know, I've only been working on this for three weeks, but with this weather, I'm seriously wanting some felted mittens and a bucket hat. Not to mention, I miss my Jaywalkers.

On the toddler sartorial front, Billy was not hard to dress today. I just asked if he wanted to wear his spider-man t-shirt. Considering he had a spider-man band-aid plastered across his forehead (over a mostly healed, really little scratch), I thought it would be a no brainer. For once, Mommy was right. And he didn't even balk at the black and red sweatpants which made him look coordinated. And red socks (what can I say, he likes Billy Joel). But, we got the right shoes on the first shot!

Yep, all too easy. Ask me how it went when I removed the unnecessary band-aid.

Beau Brummel at 2

So, all weekend Billy asked to wear his red sweatpants. Unfortunately, they were in the wash and I had to tell him no. Which meant it was an ordeal to find a pair of pants he wanted to wear. He gets this pants optional thing from his father. So, Sunday we do the laundry and the red pants are available yesterday morning.

You know what's coming, don't you?

Yesterday and today, I ask him if he wants to wear his red pants. And of course, he responds in his best whiny tone: No red pants!

He wore a kelly green Rolling Stones t-shirt with a pair of dark green pants and red stripey socks. I can't wait until he's potty trained and physically able to dress himself. I know we'll still have discussions over what is weather appropriate and I will try my best to keep him from looking homeless, but this is really too much. Everyday it's do you want this shirt, which pants, which socks. We even debate which pair of sneakers he's going to wear (after I remind him he can't wear sandals it's too cold and he can't wear boots because he's got gym, I'll let him wear boots tomorrow as they've re-scheduled the field trip to the farm, but he'll want to wear sneakers tomorrow).

He's a teenage girl trapped in a two-year old boy's body!

I haven't been knitting much. Mom's birthday is in two days and I'm only one and a half repeats through the lace border. I'm going to be so late again this year. I should feel guilty. She is my mom. Carried me in her womb, nearly died with the placenta previa thing, raised me and put me through private college, but she's chronically late for my birthday (you'd think you'd remember the date you had another person surgically removed from your body, but she's a procrastinator). It's gotten to the point where I was relieved she was late for Hubby's birthday this year. It means she doesn't love him more than me!

Anyway, last night I cuddled with the Molly and feel asleep watching the Giants pummel Drew Bledsoe. Maybe tonight I'll get the lace finished and into the body of the sweater.

Quick recap of my non-Rhinebeck weekend:

Finishing go with the flow's back: good with a Spanish white

Sangria and Tapas at Cervantes of Spain: Excellente

Children of Eden: not so much, performances were great but I didn't really like the book or music
Dentist with B: pretty good, he's got an appointment for his first cleaning in May (my dentist really needs to work more Saturdays)

Casting on the front of go with the flow: okay, wow that's a lot of counting, though

Napping on the couch with Molly: the bestest cuddler in the world is my doggie, as long as you can get past the snoring

Dinner with the in-laws last night: good. We had Hubby's traditional birthday request of lamb and apple crisp

no Rhinebeck for me

I have a dentist appointment tomorrow and I've spent the last two weekends away from my kid, so no Rhinebeck for me.

I've been stashing like a fiend (eBay, I stayed away so long and now I'm rabid), so no Rhinebeck for me.

Van is going into the shop, some idiot hit it last week when it was parked on the street, so no Rhinebeck for me.

My knit buds at work aren't in the knit blogosphere and my blog buddies aren't real life travel with buddies, so no Rhinebeck for me.

I'm antisocial, and my sinuses are killing me today (I think I've been grinding my teeth so maybe it's not my sinuses), so I'd rather sleep in tomorrow anyway.

Don't think I'm having a pity party down here. I'd love to go up and shmooze and meet all the fabulous people who'll be there and I'll be envious of all the purchases I see next week when y'all get back. But, tonight Hubby and I are having a nice Spanish dinner in town and going to see our local club do Children of Eden. A musical I've not seen. Then tomorrow it's the dentist and hanging with the fam. I've missed Miss Molly. I brought work home last night so I didn't get my puppy cuddles. And the B and I haven't had much time together, so it's all good.

all things orange, but not today

I don't know if you know this, but my boy Billy has loved all things orange most of his 2 and 2/3 years. He likes orange shirts and cups. Orange jackets and toys. Orange lollipops put him in paroxysms of joy. I bought him a pair of orange Halloween socks and they were the greatest thing since sliced bread. Just looking at them caused giggles. When we're getting ready for dinner, I ask what he wants. Often, he'll answer orange. When I ask about what slippers he wants to wear or what shoes, he'll say orange. Nevermind that he has neither in orange. He loves my orange hoodie and colors with orange the most. He's enamored of pumpkins (counting them as we drive around town) and looks for orange mums on doorsteps.

So, this week at daycare, the color of the week is orange. And the letter of the week is "P".

Usually on Friday the kids are instructed to wear the color of the week and bring in something that starts with the letter for show and tell. Since they have a field trip tomorrow, today is the color and letter day.

Ah, I thought. The Pumpkin sweatshirt M-i-L bought him would be perfect. Last weekend when he was at her house he wore it almost constantly. It's a bright orange hoodie with a jacko'lantern face embroidered on it in gold and black.

He wanted nothing to do with it. He screamed and threw it across the room. He wouldn't even let me write his name in it. The kid was hysterical.

He wouldn't wear anything orange. Not his tie dyed orange shirts that he wore all summer, not his orange Punxsatawney Phil t-shirt, not his orange and blue shirt with the fire truck, not his orange Sponge Bob Squarepants shirt. Not even his orange socks.

He went to school in a gray sweatshirt and blue pants. We did get him to bring his little penguin so he has something for show and tell.

Now, why wouldn't it do that an hour ago?

Here, let me rationalize that for you

I was lying in bed last night, not able to sleep. See, I was a might bit cranky about it taking me two hours to get home yesterday. Left the office just after four, got in the driveway at 6, and was five minutes late to pick up the B. Why, oh why, can't people drive in the rain?

So, even though the medds are working, I was feeling irritable and mighty awake at 11 pm. As my mind wandered, I kept trying to turn it from work and onto happier thoughts. Like fiber. Which made me think of my ever increasing stash of yarn (and fabric, oh the sewing plans I have). I feel a bit guilty about the uptick in fiber flow these last few weeks. What with 12 balls of Phildar preface, 10 balls of Rowan Plaid (in seagull, to be a nice smooshy sweater for F-i-L's birthday), 10 unexpected balls of cork and that's just last week's eBay. I also have Twilley's Denim for B's birthday sweater, 18 balls of Elsebeth Lavold Silky wool and Silky Tweed, Elite Classic Silk (in raspberry), and Jaeger Trinity in Clay.

As the guilt built up, and the shame at hoarding so much lovely fiber, it dawned on me that I may not always be able to indulge myself like this. Someday, we'll have less expendable income (like if we ever have child 2, or when B goes off to colloge, or when one of us retires). Since yarn doesn't go bad, I'll have what I've bought in the last few years for as long as I keep it.

That means that even when I can't buy more yarn, I can still knit. And we all know, knitting is like breathing and the thought of not having anything to knit chills me to the bones.

So, I may be stashing, but it's not hoarding and it's not compulsive. No, in truth. It's responsible retirement planning. Yep, I'm re-christening my stash. It's now the Yarn01K.

In other news, the hour and a half bus ride enabled me to get nearly another repeat done. Fewer than 20 rows to go for the back to be done. I'd post a pic, but Blogger's being unhelpful!

no bloglines = productive day

It's amazing how much gets done when I don't have bloglines to let me know when people have updated.

pass the liquor

I've got another full repeat done, and I've started the armhole shaping. That's progress.

Of course, I also had a mini anxiety attack last night when I realized the cables on the left of the diamonds don't cross properly.

I absolutely am not ripping back the entire piece and I cannot drop down to fix it (it's cotton and is very unforgiving).

So, I'm going to follow step two of Steph's tutorial on fixing mis-crossed cables. After, I finish knitting the back, I'll go back and try to embroider the appropriate crossing action.

mucho progress

I did much knitting yesterday. Not so much the rest of the weekend, but lots in the car yesterday and watching football at home. I napped in the car Friday on the way down the shore and there was too much celebrating of the hubby's birthday while down the shore for much knitting to be done. I did do a couple of rows sitting on the beach Saturday and tried to knit a bit on the boardwalk Sunday, but it was just too chilly for that. So, car ride home and watching TV, I got one and a half more repeats done. When I finish this one and the next one, it might be long enough to do the arm hole bind offs.

Sorry mom, I'm going to be late again this year.

a sure sign of a problem

You get an e-mail from eBay telling you that you won 10 balls of yarn you don't remember bidding on. It's cork and I got a good price, but whoa, baby, I need to slow down!

There's a reason I've not been updating on stashquisitions. I've lost track!

obstruction

My go with the flow cables have been obstructed by my failed attempts to knit from a chart while on the bus. At the top there, it should look like we're heading into a figure 8. So not happening. I think I missed something on the left hand side. I'll be figuring it out, dropping down, and fixing it at lunch.

Here is my sister's wedding cake, for those who asked to see more pics. Pretty cool, huh?

Hair today, gone tomorrow

I had lots of hair yesterday. It was driving me nuts. I'd been growing it out for the last year because I wanted long hair for the wedding. Wedding over, hair gone. Hubby thinks it's a little short, but I love it. The hairdresser yesterday complimented me on my home dye job (so did the hairdresser on Saturday, but it means more in Manhattan, you know?).
I'm a bit further than this now, after a knitting lunch. This was four rows of the 32-row cable chart. Le sigh. This is going to take forever.

the bride wore handknits

She did wear the stockings. Unfortunately, my mom had pre-laced them a bit tightly so we didn't get them up over her knees. You can just see the garter peaking out from under her crinoline.

It was the most fantabulous wedding ever. I highly recommend theme weddings. The pirate ship cake, the talk like a pirate vows, the guys and guests in costume (the groom and groomsmen did not wear shoes, which isn't so much piratical as it is so totally my new brother-in-law). Everyone loved it.

In other news, I also knit this. It's a mini sweater egg cozy from the weekend knits book. We're making them for one of our lunch time knitters. She leaves us to go back to Germany this weekend. We're going to hang them on a line with itty bitty clothespins.

On the way to VT, I started my Mom's birthday sweater. I don't think I'll ever finish. I know it's sleeveless, but knit on size 3s? It's go with the flow from Fiona Ellis's inspired Cable Knits. I'm knitting it in Rowan 4Ply cotton.

zigging to zag

I'm still into these socks. Not much knitting done on them last night. I made some progress on the way home, but had to rip out a couple of rows becuase I missed a double decrease and I found out you can't drop back to fix that. Then, I didn't get to touch them after I got home. I made dinner, put Billy to bed, did dishes and the recyclables, and did work for two hours. Blech. But, I have to leave early today and I can do it without eating into the few vacation/sick hours I have left for the year.

Tonight, I've got to pick up scrips and other essentials (cosmetics, lotion, cereal). I'm taking Billy out for dinner. After he's in bed, I've got to clean up the bathroom and do a little more tidying. {M-i-L and F-i-L are coming over tomorrow to watch B while I pick up my bridesmaid's dress (did I mention Hubby's going to the Yankee playoffs and won't be home all week).} If it's not bed time when I finish the tidying I have to finish the second garter. The bride might want to be able to have it Saturday.

Stitching lunch today, so I should have some appreciable progress on the socks.

SOCTOBERFEST!!!!

I'm so excited. I did cast-on for my Jaywalkers yesterday. Don't they look neat?

I'm very much enjoying them. The pattern is very similar to some of the other chevrons I've done. It's easily memorized, but not as boring as knitting around and around and around.

I hope to be able to wear them for Halloween.

This is going to be a CRAZY week chez Netter.

Hubby's not going to be home at all after work all week. Tonight, we'll have dinner together then he has a church meeting. Tomorrow and Wednesday he's going to Yankee playoffs (lucky dog). Thursday he has a work reception (for their NY office). Friday we get in the car to go to VT for the big weeding! So, I have lots to do on top of single parenting. Errands, packing, laundry, I have to pick up my dress, follow-up with my psychopharmacologist, not to mention garter to finish, card to buy. Aaagh! I'm not feeling stressed. Just a bit amped up!

I finished (all but washing, blocking and weaving ends) two red scarves this weekend. I did the second Melody as a basketweave. I'll try to get some pics ammidst all the craizness. Later this month, after I finish Mom's birthday sweater, I'll start on some of the other stashed red scarf stuff (I'm thinking a bias-knit scarf from some Mr Joe Sangria).