Hoppy Holidays!

While gearing up for the Holidays I knit up a little Santa Bunny hat. Iliad has been a good sport wearing it to Hands On Knitting Center and to school with me. He's been a hit everywhere he goes.
More bunny news: We have baby bunnies this morning! I had just started wondering if Max was sterile. Then Inkling kindled. They appear to be dark colors. Inkling is being very protective so I haven't dug in to see them too well yet. Two didn't make it through the birthing process. I think there may be 4 or so wiggling in the nest. I'll check in a little while.
Here they are. At least 5 little faces...

Cool Overcast Sunday

Just got back from a walk with Paul. It's beautiful out, though a bit cloudy. Perfect weather for a walk. The snow in the mountains is gorgeous and it's nice to have some moisture in the air. Haven't done much this weekend. We did have friends over Friday. It motivated the family to help straighten and vacuum. It was nice to start the weekend with a semi-clean house. It puts a more pleasant twist on the whole thing.
Went knitting at Yarn Deli Saturday. The ladies are all getting ready to go to Stitches West this coming weekend. I wanted to go but think I should go down to the Big 3 in San Diego with the family instead. So maybe next year( I think it was the same thing last year. Stitches and The Big 3 are on the same weekend.) This year we are trying to unload some cars and find wheels for Alex's Model T. You should check out his blog, Fix the T. He's trying to get it rebuilt to drive cross country to New York next year.
Went on a date with my husband. I can't even remember when we last went out together. We've been raising kids the entire time we have been together and have not given the time we need to to maintain our relationship. The kids are definitely old enough now to take care of themselves for long periods of time. And we need to take the time to repair our relationship due to the lack of communication we have been in the habit of. We had a pretty pleasant date. It's nice to take the evening off from the usual responsibilities. We took that walk together this morning too. I am hopeful.
May be heading to Laguna to help my daughter with her sewing machine. It's cool she is designing clothing. That was my favorite thing to do when I was young. I wanted to be a fashion designer growing up. She avoided doing anything I like while she was growing up. It's nice to have a common interest now.

Hot Buttered Rum, Yum!

What a fun day. Zipping around my my BFF Leigh Ann. Investigating zippers at Hancock's Fabric, lunch at Hello Sushi, knitting at the Yarn Deli, and more investigation at Joann's, home again for more knitting, then making hot buttered rums. I am feeling satisfied. Yummmmmm. Now I am glowing(sweating). These things really warm you up. Perfect for a rainy day in Southern California. Well, we all agree they would be pretty good up in the Adirondacks in the snow as well.

Merlin is Depressed

Good old Merlin is very clingy these days. He's the gold one. Every time I sit down here he comes onto my lap. It's good I like to knit since it keeps me still long enough for him to stay a while. We took him to the vet for a check-up fearing the worst. He had a crusty feeling chin that made us think of serious nasties. Good news he has a couple of infections and common acne...Oh, and he's depressed. Does he look depressed to you? Perhaps I am insensitive, but it strikes me as funny that the vet would mention our cat's depression. How would you even tell if a cat is depressed? Now that I think of it, of course he's depressed. He's old. He doesn't feel well. He likes to snuggle. I guess I'd be depressed too. Of course I might not be if I could nap all day and be fed and petted whenever I asked. That sounds like a pretty good deal to me.
On the knitting front, I finally finished two pairs of socks.
The "Owl" Socks for my brother for Christmas. Adirondack Leaves Socks from the Zokni socks pattern

OMG 40 degrees?

My husband tells me it was 40 degrees here last night. I am sitting here with a sweatshirt and blanket and my computer warming my lap.
Everyone is still snug in their beds while I check my e-mail and watch the kitten try to abscond with a ball of yarn with two half socks attached. He's got some nerve...

Fall Cooking Weather

We are just too warm and dry around here. I suppose there will be a time when I feel whiney about it being too cool soon enough, but right now I just want it to be cooler. It was supposed to rain this weekend. It was cloudy and cool, but we never got any rain. It still felt like Fall and I felt like cooking. I haven't felt inspired to cook much lately. It was fun. It's supposed to be much warmer again tomorrow.
Wednesday was Yarn Deli's 2nd Anniversary. They had a great sale. I wish I had decided already what I want to make for the holidays so I could have bought the yarn on sale. I still got a few skeins for other things. I have been spending lots of time on Ravelry trying to find the inspiration to get started for holiday gifts.
Finished my Wollmeise Sonne Crusoe socks last week and I LOVE them. I am almost finished with my third string bag. I may finish tonight if I get off the computer. I started some socks with colors that remind me of my dad this week. I am designing for my brother for Christmas. Owl socks. I am adapting Ruthieknits Owl Hat to make a design on a pair of socks

Mid-September...

Tick Tock, Tick Tock. Time is passing. Mid September already. I've been trying to ignore that Fall is approaching. School seems to start right in the middle of summer now. Fall doesn't mean much here in Southern California anymore.
Last week I finished the Bamboo Rib socks I designed this Spring. Today I finished the Rivendell socks I started while driving cross country coming home from summer vacation. I've been getting dental work done. Working hard at school. Driving my daughter to her play rehearsals. All those other family chores. This week I was down with a fever. Hope I'm done with it. I have too much to do to stay home this week.

A Sweet Surprise

This morning I was awakened by my husband and daughter putting a kitten on the bed. It's a very sweet kitten. It somehow managed to ride in the engine compartment of a truck from Lake Elsinore to Colton and then spent the night wandering around the Union Pacific yard. I think it has a home. Our other two cats aren't thrilled, but it is very reasonable so I think it'll work out. Cute isn't it?
I finished my Aqua Granny Square socks.

Appointments, appointments, appointments...

Trying to get caught up on all the appointments I've put off during the school year. It is definitely challenging.
I did make some progress on my Aqua Grannies.
Dyed my Maple Leaf socks. Eh, not that great. The green was too glowing and the spots of color I added to the ' leaves ' bled, so I tried to tone it down. The brown made them splotchy so I had to over-dye with a little more brown. Now they are dull. Oh well, it's all an adventure.

Quiet Weekend

Didn't accomplish much other than finishing my Maple Leaf socks. The weather is pleasant out. It was nice to just rest up.

Ready, Set, SUMMER!!!

Yippee!!! I am out of school. Made a stop at the District Office, signed out at school, got a chest x-ray, cleaned the microwave, scrubbed the shower, knit two heels for my Maple Leaf socks, went shopping, found dresses for my daughter to wear tomorrow night when she and my son dance at their studio's showcase performance. Now I have dinner on. It feels great to be free(so to speak.)

More New Starts

Once again it's been a long week. State testing for my students is next week. Lots of last minute review and checking progress. I volunteered for a program they put on to motivate students Thursday night, too bad hardly anyone came. I haven't had much time to knit. I started three pairs of socks last weekend. They are my own designs. They aren't very far along. Hope I can finish them soon.
Here are two of them.
April Showers Socks
Granny Square Socks

Spring Has Sprung!

How are these for Springy? Just need to put the finishing triangles on and knit the heel, foot and toe...
It's so nice to be on vacation. I spent a couple hours at Yarn Deli, fixing my Sidewinder socks so I can rush to the finish(after I finish my son's flame socks.)

Pi Day Cometh

Okay, I haven't worked on much else this week because I have been getting ready for Pi Day tomorrow... you know 3.14. I knit a Pi Togue using the pattern by Lisa Stockebrand on the Yahoo KnittingPi group. I have another one about half done. Unfortunately I need some sleep before tomorrow or I would finish it tonight and give my first one as a prize for the most Pi saavy student tomorrow. Don't think that will happen.
We are having all kinds of contests tomorrow. I have some other hats for winners to wear. A glittery top hat with the Pi symbol and a tiara with Pi Queen on it. I have a couple of banners for them to wear, as well as several ribbons for winners. Everyone has created a Pi poster, complete with an example using a Pi formula, We are competing in equation solving involving Pi. We are having a song and dance/poetry competition. We are having a Pi couture contest. Students have been practicing memorizing Pi all week. One student says he's memorized it to 60 digits. Tomorrow will tell. I went a little off topic by also holding a culinary pie contest. That seems to be the one they all want to compete in. I think my other winners will get to be judges of this contest. If everyone brings a homemade pie who said they were we'll have about 40 pies!

Wish me luck. It will be a busy day!

Still getting well

Spent 3 hours at Urgent Care yesterday to take care of the sinus infection that took over from my head cold virus of last week. My doctor was a neighbor I hadn't met yet. Very nice guy. I love doctors who take the time to explain their treatment reasoning.
The shot I got and the sinus medicine kept me up all night. I would have thought I'd have finished more with all the hours I spent knitting. I guess I just picked things that are slow going. I finished a Dream Swatch and have done a fair amount on one of my son's flame socks. Finally. I was afraid to start the intarsia part of the sock. I am pretty happy with it, but have decided I need to do a little color work on the flames. The orange and red are varigated yarns. I am not as happy as I thought I'd be when I picked them out, at least for this project. I think I am going to try to hand paint the edges of the orange and red parts of the flame just for accent. I still have a way to go before I am ready for that step.My Noro Aurora Dream Swatch
Here are my Noro Rainbow Peasant socks. Just one more heel to go...

Almost a week ago

I am so falling down on the job. I haven't posted for almost a week.
I made a Valentine headband. I actually finished on Valentine's day. I have more yarn to post. I have dyed the mohair for the Quilt scarf. Just need to get the pictures up. I am taking the day off. I am sick and doing pretty much nothing but blowing my nose a lot.

Cool Weekend

First the yarn run, then the Yarny Not-Superbowl Party at Yarn Deli. Lots of knitting and friends. I finished the Heart Fake Isle hat. Too bad it came out child sized. I still don't have a new cool project to wear for Valentine's day. Wish I was still young and firm enough to wear sexy undies. I'd make some of them..., well maybe.
Here are pics of the finished hat.

A day without kids...mostly

They came home this evening, somewhat tired. Merlin had a rough day. It must be tough being a cat.My daughter spent the night with a friend and both sons went to help my other daughter move. It was strange not having kids in the house when we got up this morning. I took a hot bath and think I even took a few deep breaths. Hubby and I went to visit friends(who weren't home) and went to lunch. I messed around with beads. I was trying to fix my key chain that had lost it's bottom bead. I couldn't find my beading wire though. I have a bracelet laid out to make as soon as I find the wire too. Yesterday I worked on the Brown Koolhaas cap, but I got off pattern halfway through one row. Looked through yarn for some to make a Fake Isle hat with and balled up some undyed KnitPicks superwash sock yarn. I've decided to make a few pairs of socks and then dye them. Finished the gusset on my son's flame socks. Spent some time on my autumn Stag Bag panel.

OhMyGosh My Laptop may finally be fixed!!!

Just picked it up today. We finally sent it back to Apple to get an overhaul. Apple(for a fee) seems to have replaced almost everything in my laptop and reloaded all the operating software. I am busily adding all my most important links. Perhaps I'll get as far as some pictures tonight. It's like a long lost friend returning. You'd think that maybe I'd have more time to knit without my computer taking up my time, but sadly no. Being able to load evidence of my progress on projects is the real motivator. Still, I do have a couple of things to show you. I finished some Angora Bobble socks, a Koolhaas cap, an ice cream/sorbet cozy and am farther along on the flaming socks.



Today is DH/MXL's(maybe I should just use his name?) birthday. Baking a pink cake(he likes cherry and strawberry) and making big steaks and sauteed mushrooms for dinner. I think he'll like them. He's now as old as I am. Okay I'm still 6 months ahead. Off to finish cooking so that I can play with my computer again in a little while...see ya.

DH and Weekend accomplishments

It appears that my laptop will have to go back to Apple to get fixed. Hopefully it won't be months before I get it back. DH has been wonderful dealing with the repair guys.

DH (or MXL as I have decided to call him now)complained about me calling him "DH" on my blog. It seems the guys who communicate with him online and check here to see what our family is up to do not understand DH to mean "Dear Husband". They instead believe it means "Dick Head". I was led to believe I am thought heartless to call him that after he has just given me the most thoughtful gift he has ever given me for Christmas this year. What do you think honey? Will "Most Excellent Lover"(MXL) save face for you with your friends? or is it me who needs to save face?

MXL with some help from DS(Dear Son, or do I have to find another code name for him too?) worked on closing in our carport some more this weekend. We almost have a pair of doors for one side of one bay to add to the wall he built on one side. It's looking good! Can't wait for the cars to finally have some protection other than the car covers.

Finished my daughter's Christmas present this week.
Here's the Winter White KoolhaasI have finally fixed the mistakes on my son's flaming socks. I started the first heel.
The bobble socks are farther along too. I could have finished them in the amount of time I spent on my son's socks, but there are a couple of stitches that look wrong to me. Since I adapted as I went along I want to get some help on fixing the stitches before I finish the socks.
The year of socks KAL I joined is doing a plain ribbed sock as their January project. I had started on them using Noro Kureyon sock yarn. I wanted to use magic loop on one needle. I cast them on, but must have started knitting in the wrong direction. I took them back off the needles. All the other socks I am working on have ribs. Can I count them? Unless I finish my son's socks on the #1 needles I really don't have the needles to knit the Noro socks.