Knitting update, hair cut & weekend with C

As I am typing this, we have the Muppets Take Manhattan DVD in the player.  C. is watching several movies this weekend as we are having our time together!  I think the kids like to come just because it makes them feel special to visit by themselves, but also because they can do pretty much as their please.  As she put it earlier - when she is here, she doesn't have to even act her age, she can watch cartoons or whatever!

I had dough on rising to make pizza for dinner.  It is now cool enough to actually use the oven again.  I have some pepperoni and some Italian Sausage to put on it.

I finished Chart C of my Earthen Ruins Sangria shawl this past Monday.  I am now about 1/3 the way into Chart D.  I also did some knitting on a pair of socks for the oldest granddaughter.  I will get some more knitting done on those on Monday and then again on Friday.  Monday is about a 2 hour tennis meet for the oldest granddaughter and then Friday is an all day tournament.  So probably will take 2 projects with me, just in case I finish 1 pair.

This past Wednesday I had a hair appointment at the local beauty school & I am sure regretting it right now!  For the 1st time ever, I had a man as a hairdresser and he messed up royally!

 I asked for this:

 I got this:











And it has way short spots as well as way longer spots.  This really upsets me since not only did the owner of the beauty school check it over himself, but next weekend is my 35th high school reunion!  I am making sure I take my vitamins each day so that if anything can help it grow just enough to maybe add a bit of curl to the ends or something, that I can.  In the meantime, I feel like just staying in my house & going no where!  Even hoping no one calls for a job interview until it has a chance to not look like it's a man's haircut.

Have fun & Happy Crafting until the next time!

Socks done!

 Yesterday morning I headed to Main St. in Hutchinson to find a parking space to watch my 12 year old granddaughter march in the band towards the fairgrounds.  I never did find her, but I got some pictures of local bands - I saw the Haven band which is about 10 miles from us, I saw El Dorado, Eureka, Reno Valley Middle School (part of Nickerson), Anthony & another that I can't remember the name of & don't think I had ever seen before, as well at Hutchinson's HMS Middle Schools bands.  So I got some pictures of Haven, Reno Valley & Hutchinson.  I also started taking pictures of Anthony & it wasn't until their bus got close that I realized it wasn't a local band!  I never knew their colors were also blue & gold!  I never did see my granddaughter though!

While I was there, I pulled out my mp3 player & started listening to a book.  After I finally figured out how to find them on the memory card, etc.  Then I grabbed my grandson's socks that I was nearly done with & started knitting while waiting for the bands to start.  after several rounds I realized that I had evidently started a round - several rounds back & my needle had slipped out of the stitches, so I needed to tink back several rounds to have enough yarn for those stitches.  Then I decided to try them on to see how many more rounds I needed to do so that they would have a long enough leg - I decided to go for 60 rounds after starting the leg patterning.  So bound off on the 61st round.  Those are on the blockers still, but I did manage to get a picture this morning of the finished socks (except I still need to weave in 2 ends of yarn).

After the bands played, I went around the corner to the yarn store & instead of just getting 2 or 4 skeins of yarn - I picked up 8 - they had new colors in stock & it was double punches for my $15 off my next purchase card - so now I have $15 worth of yarn coming & I have a nearly full card too.

I really need to get started on another pair for the grandkids for Christmas, but all I want to do so far is to take a nap!

About 10 years ago I didn't have cable TV (still don't) so missed watching the reality TV series Amish in the City.  I would still love to watch that if I could find a place to either find the videos or to download them, but so far, I have not.  I did find that I could get the entire 1st season (or is it only season) of the National Geographic Hutterite show that recently aired.  So I watched several episodes of that last night.  I also found that I could get the new Breaking Amish show, so got the 1st 2 episodes of that downloaded.  I love learning about people & even though I grew up knowing several Amish families & worked with Amish people, there is still so much I don't know about them!

Have fun & Happy Crafting until the next time!

Forbidden crochet!

I did it again!  Started another craft item when I shouldn't have even been considering starting anything new right now.  I have several items that need to be done in time for Christmas - still need 4-5 pairs of socks, 2 shawls to finish, really would like to finish a sweater that has been on the needles for a while as well.  But last year I had misunderstood J. when she mentioned that she wanted something lacy.  So I made her a shawl since that was the types of things I had been working on lately for the most part.  What she meant was a tablecloth for her table.  So I got started looking for patterns.  I wanted to make sure it was something that didn't contain motifs since I absolutely hate to put together motifs.  It also needed to be a rectangle for her table.  So my first choice was this one, but the thread alone, at least according to the totals given, would be close to $200.  And that was not something I could even consider given that I am unemployed at the moment.  Now, to be accurate, since it is also a bedspread, it might not need quite that much thread for her table, but it also might take a lot of figuring to get it small enough for her table since it is on the smaller side.  And I don't think pineapples would be easy to refigure all of that, so I might spend nearly as much time doing that as I would just crocheting a different one.  So I looked some more.  I found a few more that I thought would look good - this one - and I did consider it for quite a while.  But then knowing that they are a Christian family, I liked this one when I saw it.

So about the time I saw the pattern, I had also seen that Hobby Lobby had the jumbo balls of Aunt Lydia's Classic 10 crochet thread for just $16.99 a ball & they have a whopping 2,730 yards per ball!  The last pattern uses just over 1,700 yards!  And I checked - Hobby Lobby had a 40% off coupon online, so I got the jumbo ball of thread for just $11.01!  A big difference from the nearly $200 for my first choice!  One of the differences is that my first choice uses #30 thread instead of #10.  And for anyone who doesn't know - #30 thread is smaller than #10, a finer thread.  And I don't believe they ever sell it in jumbo sized balls.  It pretty much comes in balls that are always the same size.  So if a pattern says you need 68 balls at $2.89 (current pricing) per ball, then most likely that is what you are going to need.  Now I love her enough to have paid that, but my budget doesn't love either of us enough for me to pay that!

So now, I am going to have to slap my hand if I even try to pick this up & work on it until my Christmas knitting is finished!  Especially since, if I do find a job, my time will get even smaller for being able to get my Christmas knitting done in time!

I also have promised another person I know, also named J. that after Christmas, I will make her some kitchen towels that she can hang on her stove, fridge or wherever she has something she can hang them.  Her kitchen is in a John Deere theme, so I told her to try to find some towels and have them sent to me by mail, then I will get the yarn to make the toppers on them and when they are finished, I will just give them to her mother to either add to a package if she is sending one already or she can pick them up from her when she is in the area.

This past Friday the Kansas State Fair started in Hutchinson.  Being on a tight budget, I am avoiding it with all I have in me, but tomorrow my 12 year old granddaughter A. will be marching in the HMS 7 band, which starts at 9:30.  So I need to be downtown about 8-8:30 am to be sure I can get a parking space.  I might also take advantage, while I am down there, of the double punches that will be happening this week at my LYS. Yarn - the parking lot that is near where my son used to have his gym is right behind the LYS!  So I could pick up some more sock yarn for the grandkids and get double punches towards getting some money off a future purchase!  And I believe they have an open knit session on Tuesday mornings, so maybe I will hang around for that for a bit.  I have never gone before.


Have fun & Happy Crafting until the next time!

Tuck Away Tote finished, Another new project added

I finished the Tuck Away Tote yesterday!  Not only do I think that my plan to make the 2 pocket/bottom pieces first next time & attach them to each other while I start the sides, but I also think when I do, that I will make sure the extra piece will be in the inside then the bag is in use.  I turned mine inside out today & I think I like that better.  I showed it to my oldest daughter D. and she said except for the fact that the grandkids undies would show through, it would make a great bag for them to use on weekend visits without taking up a lot of space otherwise as well, so maybe we have an idea for another gift.

I had to drop by my son's last night to pick up the registrations & insurance cards to be able to go to the courthouse today & get my dh's name taken off our son's 2 vehicles.  While I did, since I had just found a 40% off coupon for Hobby Lobby on 1 item, I went ahead and picked up a jumbo ball of Aunt Lydia's Classic 10 crochet thread.  My niece J., had mentioned last year that she wanted something lacy.  I misunderstood her comment & thought she was talking about the shawls that I have been making, so I decided to make the next one for her.  But what she really wanted was a crocheted tablecloth to use for when the family isn't eating at the table.  So I had started looking for patterns for a rectangle tablecloth.  I found one that I loved, but it calls for 68 balls of #30 crochet cotton and at $2.89 a ball, that would be almost $200 just for the materials.  Since it is also able to be used as a bedspread, that might be part of it, but it does give 2 different totals for thread depending on the brand you buy, so even if I bought the 56 balls for the 2nd brand, that is still $162.  I didn't want to chance it & I certainly can't afford to spend that much myself right now with no job.  So I kept looking.  I found one that I think she will like that says it needs 1,750 yards of #10 crochet cotton.  The jumbo ball has over 2,700 yards, so I should be good.  Even if I decide to add a bit to the edging.  And the 40% off coupon brought it down to just $11.01 with tax.  A much better figure for my budget.  And even though I told J. that I needed to get my Christmas knitting done before I could start, yesterday was her birthday, so I pulled out my hook & at least started on the tablecloth.  But now, back to the Christmas knitting!

This weekend I will have my oldest granddaughter A. for the weekend.  She is the one who knits with me.  The last time she was here, she took her knitting home with her because I had mentioned that she needed more practice to really get better.  I hear she made a mistake & we haven't gotten around to getting that corrected.  At least she knows that she made a mistake!  We had also talked about going to Yarn, our LYS (local yarn store).  I thought they had told me that they held an open knitting on Saturdays now.  So I called the other day & found out that either it has changed or I misunderstood.  They do hold a spinning group on Saturdays, but open knit is Tuesday mornings, Tuesday evenings & Wednesday afternoons.  But when I said why I was asking, I was told to bring our knitting on down, that they have people drop by to craft all the time & the coffee is always on.  So will need to see what A. wants to do.  We are definitely trying to keep things to free activities.  Friday Grandpa is supposed to be working about 15 hours, so not supposed to be home until after midnight, which gives us the evening for just us girls!

We had a thunderstorm the night before last come through our area.  I have known that my male Pom has always been afraid of loud noises -fireworks, thunder, etc.  I was really taken by surprise though to hear a noise & looked over and he was trying to drag himself across the floor by his elbows.  He was so scared this time that he started having a seizure!  So I got him, petted him, reassuring him, etc.until he started coming out of it pretty good.  After a bit, he turned his head to look at me & I could tell he was starting to relax.  The female Pom had joined us.  She knew something was wrong and so was trying to comfort him as well.  When he finally wanted free, he was still stumbling a bit, but he has been fine ever since.  This is the 1st time that he has ever had this kind of an issue with his fear!  We used to have a chihuahua that would have seizures and we used to do the same thing for her - just comfort her until it was over.

Went to the courthouse this morning and it only took me about 45 minutes total today - I was the 3rd in line when I got there, which was a good way to start!  It didn't take very long to get to a clerk and $41 later the 2 vehicles are only in my son's name!  I hope that means it's at least 10 months before I have to go down there again!  Maybe by then they will have the issues fixed finally with their system.

Have fun & Happy Crafting until the next time!

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!

Weekend fun!

First off, this is a weekend visit with a granddaughter!  C. & I have been going cheap this weekend by staying home & hanging out in our jammies!  She has been having a movie marathon.  Those $1 dvd's from Wal-mart that I was buying back in about 2004-2006 while I was helping provide childcare for the 3 children after their parents marriage broke up is about the best investment I have made for her.  She loves watching them!  Most of them are cartoons that were from my childhood or even earlier!  Right now, she has a Ernest movie going of a 3 dvd set.  I think I paid about $6 for it last year.  She thinks it's cool that my maternal grandmother's maiden name was Worrell like Ernest's name in the movies.


We made pasta for dinner Friday with meatballs.  Saturday morning she decided to have rice for breakfast after Grandpa had asked to have some rice put in the rice cooker for him.  I swear that man goes through more rice than anyone I know!  Anyway, I only put in ingredients to make 2 cups in the 3 cup cooker so that it wouldn't be so messy while cooking.  But after 2 bowls of rice for C., there wasn't much left for Grandpa when he decided to come back from the library or somewhere.  So I put on more.  After a while, he came in telling me that I had blown the GFCI with using the rice cooker & the crockpot because the lights weren't on on either.  But the crockpot doesn't have a light on it.  So I reset it (for whatever reason, when we built the house, he put the reset in the nearby bedroom!  Not the kitchen.), but that didn't fix it.  I think the rice cooker went.  Not a terrible thing, we only paid $10 for it several years ago at Walgreen's.  But I had another I had picked up, so was able to locate that in the cabinet & get his 2nd batch of rice cooked.  For lunch, we had burritos & then decided on Sloppy Joes for supper last night.  This morning she wanted waffles for breakfast & I think we will have leftovers for a late lunch before time to take her home later today.  Then I will had the oldest granddaughter in 2 weeks for the weekend.  This was to have been her weekend, but she wanted to go to a friend's house for the night Friday & so traded with her sister.

Yesterday was my dh's 1 sister's 39th wedding anniversary.  She & her dh do not live in the USA, so we don't see them often at all.  I know the last time I saw them was in 2002 at their 1 son's wedding.  I know my dh saw her at least a few years after that when all 3 siblings were organized, I think, into a visit for their mother's birthday by her much younger sister.  My dh will be seeing his sister again in about 3 weeks.  Their youngest daughter will be getting married in the Seattle, WA area on August 12th & so he is flying out for that.  This will be the 1st time in 35 years that I haven't gone to something like this, but I am at that stage of unemployment that I have to submit a sheet showing who all I have applied to over the course of the week in order to receive my unemployment benefits for that week.  And the benefits have been cut by 1/3.  So it just isn't in the cards for me to go.  So I have made an afghan for a wedding gift - undecided if I should mail it ahead so that I know it doesn't get forgotten or let him take it with him.  Mailing ahead also might help with the current trend of charging for checked bags & even at times carry-on bags.  He will get gone a week, so he could use that space for his own clothes.  But if I send it with him, then he could use the space when he returns for t-shirts or some such for the grandkids.  Decisions, decisions!

I am the oldest of 4 children - the other 3 are actually my half siblings since we don't have the same father.  My natural father passed away when I was a baby & their dad raised me from when I was 2.  My sister is about 4 ½ years younger than me & then we have 2 brothers.  Today is the 47th birthday of my oldest brother.  Due to circumstances, I have no real way to contact him today to tell him Happy Birthday, but when I spoke with him last on June 30th, I had told him that I would wish him a Happy Birthday then in case I couldn't contact him on his birthday.  I knew he had quit his last trucking job & so might not have a phone available to him today.  So I have written on his Facebook wall at the very least.  If he ever figures out how to view it, he might see it.  Even though I am the oldest, I am the only one who is really computer literate as well!

Today is the day we are casting on for BadCat Designs newest KAL (knit-a-long) - Sangria!  The first charts & instructions are posted to the yahoogroups site for it & I just need to pull out my needles to get started.  I am using a yarn from Sheepy Time Knits called Ruby Slippers Sparkle with ruby beads & the champagne 6/0 beads on the border for contrast.  If you are a knitter & interested in doing a KAL, check out the details on her blog.

I am thrilled today to see that I have another follower!  It is always a pleasure to see who is enjoying something you are doing.  So welcome!

Have fun & Happy Crafting until the next time!