Crafts updates

Yesterday afternoon my oldest granddaughter A. had her 1st tennis meet.  I forgot to get out the camera to get a picture though.  I was trying to get out of the sun a bit so that I wouldn't get a sunburn.  I burn so easily & I had forgotten to grab some sunscreen.

I had originally intended to just take my grandson T.'s socks to work on while watching her play, but I was 3 rows from being finished with Chart B of my newest Sangria shawl that I am making for N.  So I took it along.  I didn't need to add any beads on the rows that I was doing, so didn't need to worry about tubes of beads, crochet hooks, etc.  And I got about 2 1/2 rows done.  So just had about 1/2 a row to finish it up when I got home.

I had seen a new pattern for a crocheted bag that I just really wanted to get started - it tucks in on itself so that you an carry it in your purse to have when you need a bag.  It seems that it should be kind of small, so will be just for those small purchases or it can be used to carry knitting in as long as it is something that doesn't have small items necessary that can fall out the holes.

I really shouldn't have started the crochet project - I have several other projects in the works that I should get done.  Especially the other 4 pairs of socks for the grandkids for Christmas, 1 pair for my mil that I want to make, the shawl that I started last year for my daughter D. that I had to put aside because of my hand issues, the sweater for my son that has been hibernating for a while.  I also was recently invited to a wedding shower, but it feel last weekend while I had my grandson for the weekend.  So I still want to make a gift for them, but had decided to make something for their kitchen & have now been told what their kitchen colors are, so need to get started on that.

Yesterday I attempted to go to the courthouse to try to get my dh's name taken off of my son's 2 vehicles.  I had gone last week to get the forms that I needed.  Then I needed to get some information & signatures from both my son & my dh.  Which I got.  But I had forgotten to look at the list where I had made notes of what all pieces of information I would need to take with me.  To back up a bit, back in May, the state of Kansas took their tag information computers down & installed new servers from my understanding - it's all supposed to streamline the process, keep the information all in less places, etc.  But it has slowed things way down!  There have been lines ever since!  You used to be able to go in at almost any time of the day except near the end of the month & just breeze in & out.  Now I was in line for 45 minutes yesterday - the line was longer than I have ever seen it & that is when I realized I had forgotten that it was the end of the month & so things would be even worse!  Then as I get to the head of the line a horrible thought came to me - I didn't have the registrations for the 2 vehicles!  So I decided to leave & try again next week.  The woman behind me tried to talk me into waiting some more to see if they would accept it without, but I told her no, I knew I had to have it & to count herself lucky, she had just moved up a spot!  After getting home, I looked at the list & realized I also hadn't had the insurance cards either!  So at first I thought I would try Monday , but Monday is a holiday - Labor Day, so Tuesday.  But then my dh brought up the point that Tuesday may be busier again because if some of those with tags expiring today don't get in, then they may be there Tuesday.  So now the plan is to go Wednesday & to try to make myself get up & around early enough that even if a line forms, that it will be a short line.  Yesterday the line just kept getting longer!  It was snaking around the entire area & about to turn back on itself by the time I left.  I did wonder, since it was almost 2 pm when I left, what they would do at 4:30 if the line was still there, because they have a sign that say they do no title work after 4:30.


Have fun & Happy Crafting until the next time!

Misc. Tuesday Ramblings, but no pictures

Last night I was working on my Earthen Ruins version of Sangria and realized I had forgotten to do one of the two repeats of several rows of Chart A.  So, I decided that the two version won't be identical except for the color.  I will instead add one repeat of Chart B, then on Chart D I will go ahead and work rows 155 through 164 instead of stopping at 154.  The Ruby version, I followed exactly the way the designer said she did her version of it & I had a bit of yarn left at the end, so I think I should be able to do those 10 rows.  I might add a lifeline just in case, so that if I find myself running out of yarn before I finish with the border, then I could rip it back to the lifeline and do the border from there.

This coming Saturday is the annual reunion for Sherman Junior High, which is the school I attended for grades 7-9.  It is an all years reunion & I can't remember how many years they have been having it, but I went to it in 2009 & 2010, I believe it was.  Then 2011 I wasn't feeling well, so I skipped it.  My son went with me to the 2 years that I did go & I believe he will be going with me this Saturday as well, but I am also hoping I can get my dh to go with me too.  He works with several of the people that would be attending, so even though he didn't go to school here in Kansas, it's not like he wouldn't know anybody.  He might actually know more people to talk to than I would.  I was so very shy when going to school that I barely knew anyone except by sight.  I was really good with remembering names & faces.  Just not with talking to them.

My dh worked a couple of 16 hour days last week and today is his 2nd this week.  I don't know if he will be working overtime tomorrow again or not since I really haven't seen him to find out.  It's great for the budget considering that I still haven't found a job and my unemployment is about to run out.  Then I guess, according to the government's standards, I will no longer be unemployed!

Today it got a little warm again, but still was only in the low 90's.  Quite a change over a month ago.  But they are forecasting 90's pretty much all week, I believe.  We did get about 4" of rain this past weekend, which was great, but created a bit of humidity.

We had the 14 year old grandson over for a weekend visit this past Friday to Sunday.  He really wanted to go to the movie theater, but I told him I just can do that right now with my unemployment running out.  So instead we rented a couple of movies from Redbox for $2.05 total - had a coupon code to get 50¢ off 2 rentals.  Then he went through some of my movies and we watched Airplane, Airplane II, Naked Gun.  Forgot to look to see if Naked Gun 2 1/2 was on Netflix Instant Play or not.  He was loving all the spoofs in these movies.

I've been a little bit irritated today.  I know some of it is because I must have slept wrong a couple nights ago and my neck has been stiff for two days.  But 2 weeks ago, I had requested to join a sock knit-along that I had seen mentioned several times of a blog I have just started following.  Thought maybe it would give me some new ideas or something with my sock knitting.  Anyway, I applied to join - which included a section where I had to tell why I wanted to join.  Then I got an email saying that I had to reply back within 7 days telling about myself so they could see if they would want to add me.  Which I immediately sent back, even though I felt it was overkill since I had already told them about myself when I applied.  Nothing.  Today I get a denial email!  I had been denied for not sending back the info that I did send back.  So I replied to the personal email of one of the people who are moderators of the group that I had sent the info & attached the info I had sent with the date showing on it of when I sent it.  I just got back a reply that she couldn't do anything & that I would have to reapply & go through it all over again.  And it's not even that I mind that, but her message back to me just came across as rude.  So I replied back that I might have to reapply, but how would I know that the same thing wouldn't happen again & that the problem wasn't on my end, it was on theirs, but that I thought they needed to be aware of the problem.  A bit later - I did go in to request to join again - tried sending my info as part of the telling why I wanted to join & telling them it was my 2nd time of doing so, but there is a 200 character limit, so it wouldn't let me.  So then, I got the response that I had to reply with the info about myself - which I sent both to the email that came from & the personal email of the person I had been emailing with earlier.  So far, all I have gotten back is a 2nd reply from her about my original email saying that the problem was theirs.  I do think when I supplied the proof that I had done as requested, that I should have just been added, not told that I just had to request to join again.  I am an owner of several yahoo groups, so I know they could do this.  She said if I have any suggestions on what to do, if they haven't tried them, then they would be happy to try them.  Well, the first thing I am thinking about suggesting, is that if you know you have this problem - why are you doing overkill with 2 responses being required about the person!  Second, maybe instead of having it all the way at the end like you really don't want anyone to email you personally, just put your email at the beginning of your message requesting this additional info & say outright that you aren't getting responses that are sent to the moderators email, so to email the reply directly, instead of saying if you don't hear anything after a week?  Yes, I should have probably sent a message after a week, but they could have been more pro-active by letting me & others know to begin with that there definitely is a problem.  All this makes me wonder if I even want to be a part of the group & mostly it's because I feel I got a rude response from the moderator to begin with - no apologies for the problem or anything - just saying you will have to reapply, there is nothing I can do!  Well, if you weren't so quick to delete the requests, maybe there would have been something you could do!  I had done everything they requested, except sending a private email 7 days later when I didn't hear anything.

My dh came home over the weekend, after spending several hours with at least part of the 4 granddaughters.  He started telling me about it & ended it with a comment about how he had been training the next generation of bosses.  Then he asked me why I was smiling about that!  I remember my sister telling me that she believes the man is the head of the house & I replied to her that I did also, but that I believe I am the neck that turns the head to help him in making good decisions.  So to hear my dh saying that females are the bosses, struck me as funny!

Have fun & Happy Crafting until the next time!

2 Shawls

It is a beautiful day here in central Kansas as I write this!  It has gotten up to 93 degrees, but there is a wonderful breeze from the south that makes it seem cooler.


I am currently working on 2 separate shawl KAL's.  Both are from Bad Cat Designs, but one is the current KAL & the other is last summer's KAL.  As I have previously mentioned, I got started on this summer's KAL - Sangria and realized that the beautiful maroon color that I had chosen was actually almost the same color as a previous shawl that I had given to the intended recipient.  So I needed to change things a bit.  I finished the maroon version & ordered new supplies for the new version.  I bought a neutrals colorway called Earthen Ruins.  Today I finished the last row of Chart A and this is the result to date:

The other shawl is from the Back to the Garden KAL from 2011.  I had started it as a surprise gift for my oldest daughter, but shortly after starting it, I developed issues with my right hand so that for a short while, I couldn't even use my hand.  Then I was gradually able to start using it, but still had pain, so couldn't do much at a time.  Even now a year later, I have to take it easy on this project.  I don't know if it is the size of the yarn to the size of the needle or what, but usually after a couple rows, my hand is aching, so what I am trying to do is to work a couple rows each day so that hopefully I can have it finished in time for Christmas this year.  Today I completed Chart 5B.  I chose to work Chart 5B instead of Chart 5A so that I could move on to the next chart instead of just moving on to the border.  So this is the shawl to date:

I do know that the designer says that there may be a snake or snakes involved in the knitting & that does concern me considering how intensive my fear of snakes are.  I am getting nervous because I could almost swear the area I just finished looks like a snake head emerging.  I know this sounds crazy, but I hate snakes in all forms!  I won't even eat or touch a gummy worm because it reminds me of a snake!  I hate drawings, plastic or stuffed fabric snakes.  I hope I am wrong & that it is just the suggestion that was brought on by the designers comment about it, but if I had of known that to begin with, I do not think I would have started the KAL in the first place.

The family has now scattered around the world again after the family wedding earlier this month in the Seattle area.  Nephew & his family have moved to their new home in Italy.  Sister-in-law & her husband are back in the mission field after about a 1 month break in the states.  Even my son went traveling yesterday!  I knew he would be traveling soon with a young man that he has been coaching for boxing, but didn't know the travel date was yesterday.  A few days ago I was asked if I wanted to go to Wichita yesterday with his gf for an errand that she needed to take care of & I said yes.  We took my van, took care of her errand, then went to do some shopping.  She wanted to get some more socks & a couple polo shirts for my son for work.  She also picked up some socks for the granddaughters.  Evidently they had been missed earlier when getting some school clothes bought.  We had gone to lunch at Cinnamon's Deli,  before going shopping for the shirts.  The made a stop at Hobby Lobby looking to see if there were any new colors in my favorite sock yarns - got enough for 2 pairs of socks.  I. insisted that she had to pay for my birthday!  Told her I would only allow that if she then didn't pay for the gas, but she told me she wouldn't ask me to go with her again, if I didn't allow her to also pay for the gas.  So guess, I will have to use the gas money to buy some yarn to make her something with!

Have fun & Happy Crafting until the next time!

Catching Up

It's been a couple weeks since I have posted.  In that time, I finished a couple of projects, made a couple of cakes, had my dh leave for a week, etc.  Now to try to catch up!

I believe I had already technically finished Mom's orange socks, but had not gotten the puff paints to put something on the soles to try to help her not fall & break a hip in them.  I really had hopped to find something that would blend in with the color, but wasn't able to, so just went with white & drew the outline of hearts on the soles of the socks before sending them off to her.

August 1st our oldest daughter, D. finished her last class for her accounting degree!  She first started in college in the fall of 1996, but through life's many twists & turns, it has taken her a while to get to this point.  I believe over the course of it all, she acquired an Associate's degree from 1 college & in total attending about 4 different colleges.  She went from originally intending to get a dual degree is Mathematics Education & Music Education to Accounting.  But in the process there were 5 kids & 2 husbands involved as well!  I know she is finally glad to be at this point!  And this means that all 3 of our children have finally gotten their 4 year degrees!

I finished that up about the 5th or 6th of August, then on August 8th I mailed them after my dh left for his niece E.'s wedding in the Seattle, WA area.  I was also sending the wedding afghan that I had crocheted for their wedding gift to them.  He had a good visit, I believe, with his parents, siblings & their families.  Unfortunately, for the 1st time in 35 years, I had to chose to not go due to being required to report exactly who I was applying to each day for jobs with my unemployment.  Our town just isn't big enough to be sure I would be able to find enough jobs to apply to online or through email to allow me to go & then not being sure how the internet would work (have been in places that was supposed to have free internet, but was never able to connect), so didn't want to take a chance!


On August 17th I finished my Ruby Sangria shawl from the Bat Cat Designs KAL that I had been working on.  I have another on the needles as well though since I realized shortly after starting that the person I had intended to give Ruby to had already been given a shawl in almost the exact same color.  Oops!  So am now working on an Ancient Ruins color.

I had been working on another of Bad Cat Designs KAL's when I had issues develop last year with my right hand.  I have now tinked back to correct a dropped stitch that I had evidently marked when I was last knitting on my Back to the Garden shawl, figured out where I was and am trying to make sure I do a couple rows per day so that I can get it finished in time for Christmas.  I had intended to give it to my oldest daughter last year for Christmas, but then couldn't when I had issues being able to work on it.

There have also been several twists & turns in getting a great-niece's 15th birthday party done.  Originally her parents had intended to give her a Quince bash like they did for her sister last year, but it seems she had some trouble making up her mind about what she wanted exactly.  In the end, we had cake & ice cream yesterday for her 15th birthday, but she doesn't actually turn 15 for another week or so.  The original party date had been 9/1, then it was changed to 8/11, finally to 8/18.
 

 The weather has gotten cooler over the last couple of weeks.  We have still had some 90+ degree days, but as I am writing this, it is only 67 degrees.  I looked over at my female dog & realized that she looked like she was trying to find some way to get warm.  So I got out her sweater & now she is cuddled up in her bed going to sleep!  Usually I only have their fur cut twice over the summer & the 2nd time I don't have it cut as short as the 1st time, but this summer with trying to not use the AC, I actually bought a set of clippers & cut them about every week to get them through the hottest parts of the summer.  And the female has actually lost some weight over the summer because she didn't feel as much like eating.

I'm going to get a break for a little bit on a 2 disk rental that my dh got.  It's corny, not my taste in a movie, which he is watching in the living room because the TV that he had in the bedroom went out and with his hearing loss, I have trouble thinking straight with it on.  He is planning to go visit with out grandson for a bit, so guess I will deal with it again this evening.  Maybe after a nap I will feel up to it more myself.  It was so bad that I couldn't even lose myself in my knitting since I couldn't concentrate.

My son E. has started taking flying lessons recently.  He is all excited, especially since he works in the airplane industry now that he has graduated with his Mechanical engineering degree.  So he calls me & tells me about his progress after each new event.  He would love it if I could bring myself to fly with him at some point in the future, but I really don't think that will happen.  I am terrified of heights, but I do manage at times to go on commercial airlines.  I just can't even consider the idea of going in a small plane!  When I am on a commercial airline I sit in the aisle seat, avert my eyes from the window, try to distract myself with reading, knitting or crocheting - except for take off & landing usually.  Those times are usually done with my eyes squeezed shut as tight as I can, holding my breath & clutching the seat in front of me so tightly that I am sure the person sitting in it thinks I am trying to snatch it out from under them!

I have to say, I do a little better than I did on my 1st flight when my maternal grandmother had made sure to tell me about, if I never see you again......  I had a 3 month old baby & it was my 1st time flying!  We had gotten a special on our tickets that if we drove to Kansas City & flew United, then we could get our tickets for 1/2 price.  The seats that were available were 1st class going & coach on the return trip.  So we had the best leg room going - 1st row, right side of the plane and when the baby started crying, the flight attendant offered to take her with her while she offered drinks!  Gave me a chance to get myself together & I think helped calm D. down since she had to be picking up on my nerves.

Well, I think I will see about getting a bit of knitting done on the 2 shawls I am working on at the moment.  I did get several rounds done of the legs of a pair of socks yesterday during the party, so I am doing good on those.


Have fun & Happy Crafting until the next time!

Bond Knitting Machines

This post is just to have a reference on the Bond Knitting Machines.  I have not been able to locate a chart that gives the history of this brand of machine & I had a question in my mind about them.  So thought why not just make a post of my blog where I can list those that I either know of or learn about.  So if you know of versions that I don't list here that were created by Bond, email me with the details or post a comment, so that I can edit this post to make it as complete as possible.  I will even post pictures of them as I find those to be able to post.

Bond Elite - I believe this was about a 7mm machine & it had a ribber that could be added.

Bond Classic -

Bond Incredible Sweater Machine - this is an 8mm machine that came out originally in the 1980's I believe.  I bought my version at this time by mail order.  This came with the carriage that was gray in color & had the wire in the front.  It had clear keyplates numbered 1-4.  This machine came with 100 needles on the bed, with joins every 15 needles.

Bond Ultimate Sweater Machine - not sure when this version first appeared, but it is still being sold today at places like Hobby Lobby, JoAnn's Fabrics & possibly Michael's.  There may be other locations that would carry this machine.  This is also an 8mm machine.  It had had 2 versions of a purple carriage - 1 was slightly smaller than the other & the clear keyplates from the Bond ISM would not fit into the smaller version.  There was also the introduction of the "wings" being added to the carriage to help hold the knitted fabric back against the machine bed that made it easier for some at least, than the Bond ISM carriage with the wire.  Some of the "wings" worked better than others - so am thinking the ones that didn't work as well were also the ones on the carriage that was slightly smaller in size.  This machine came with 100 needles on the bed, with joins every 15 needles.

Bond Fashion Knitter - this machine was created, I believe, for Wal-mart to sell.  It is a scaled down version of the Bond USM that came with a non-skid piece so that it could just be set on the table without having to be clamped down to work with it.  This machine had the purple "winged" carriage & an intarsia plate that was adjustable from size 1-4.  This machine came with 50 needles on the bed, with joins every 15 needles.

All of the Bond beds, with maybe the exception of the Bond Elite can be connected to make a larger bed for things such as afghan or blankets.  There are expansions kits available to expand the bed, but a lot of knitters just seem to find another complete machine & then join the 2 machines together to form the larger bed.

If you can add any more information to this, please comment or email me!  I would greatly appreciate it!

Have fun & Happy Crafting until the next time!