Wednesday, February 28, 2007

I can't think of a good title ~ Again!

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes and great comments. You all know I love them, since I told you what I am a couple of posts ago. hehe


Yikes! I've been so busy! I think I should have been born an heiress so I can live a life of leisure. LOL

I finished another UFO!

Marji sent me the gorgeous yarn and pattern ages ago, and I started right away, but I got side tracked by startitis. Well, I've been seeing all of these wonderful scarves that are knitted the long way, so I finally did it! I love it. The pictures just don't show you how great the yarn is. Really, it is the most luxurious yarn I've ever used. Hopefully by Friday I'll have the stats for it up on my other blog.

I know the pic of it on SP is blurry, but it shows how long the scarf is. SP is at least 6 feet tall, maybe even taller, since we haven't measured in a while!

Well, I also finished some fetching mitts. I love 'em! They match my St. Patrick's Day Hat. I'll probably wear them a few times, and of course on March 17, then give them to LD. If they aren't too big for her. She really likes them.

They were so quick to knit. I started them Saturday and finished them before the weekend was over, but I wove the ends in today. I just wish I had more time to knit. I used to, and I thought when my kids got bigger I'd be less busy. LOL. Yeah, right! Less busy. Good one, huh?

Like the scarf, I hope to get the stats up before too long!

I love knitting (duh!) but knitting with others is different. The knitting part is great, but I never knew how much I miss talking to grown ups! Sunday, at my Hubby's basketball game I gave knitting lessons. :D I can't wait til next Sunday to see how she's doing and knit with her some more. We also had our little knit group this morning. Carrie was spinning on her spindle, and she makes it look so easy! She and I have been talking about a fiber fest. I am planning and saving up! I want to go. It'll be so fun!!!!

I've got to find some time to do some things I want to do, like read blogs. I thought Monday would be free for that kind of stuff, but the kids had a snow day. We goofed off all day long, and I didn't go on the computer at all. Tuesdays and Thursdays I'm at the neighbors, helping out with their files, so today would be good, if it weren't for the house work. See, like I said, I need a maid to do that so I can do fun things.

Hope you have lots of time for knitting and fun stuff! Knit On!

p.s. I put the stats up for the mitts and the scarf up on my other blog. :D

Friday, February 23, 2007

SkaterPunk

February 24, 1990


My Baby is 17!
I'm not really sure how that happened. His b-day is actually tomorrow, but we'll be busy.
Look at those pics! Man, he has changed!!



My best friend's sister had her baby early this morning. On the new baby girl's grandpa's birthday. She really couldn't have helped being born on someone in the family's birthday if she had to be born in February. Most of the days this month are full. :)

Well, I'd cry just from the emotions of the years passing, but the heater fix-it guy just left with almost 180.00 of my dollars. We have heat again. At least it was only 180. Right? Could have been worse! Why does it go out at night, after the plumbing/heating guys are closed?? It got down to 54 degrees in here. That really is not too bad. I was afraid we'd freeze, but if it were 54 outside, I'd be having a party and running around with no coat.

Have a great weekend, y'all! We have b-day parties, and basketball games with knitting lessons thrown in! And a new baby and mommy to go visit. Yay!

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Surprise knitting: Soap Socks

Oh, wait, that's no surprise!
Well, I haven't been getting much knitting done. I did dye some wool. Mmmm. Love the dyeing. If you click to make the pic bigger you can see the colors better, and my little stitch marker on the soap sock in progress.
That's what I've been knitting: Soap Socks. Surprise! Hehe. I have one soap left. Then, I need to go to the store and get more soap. I think there are 13 on my shop, and one in progress. The greenish soap sock all by itself in the top pic, and on the top of the pile of the bottom pic is for Rhoda. That one's the only one not for sale. :)
I have been knitting on my scarf from Marji, and on my blue sofa throw for the family. I have plans to start lots of things, too. Those things aren't even WIPs anymore, they are definitely UFOs.
I have been so busy! I miss reading everyone's blogs all day long. hehe. And the Knitter's Review and Get Stitchy! I've been going to the neighbors' business and doing some data entry in their computer a couple hours, a couple times a week. Who would think that would make me lose so much computer time? Urgh! Oh well, at least it gets me out of the house for a couple hours while the kids are at school.
My paragraphs are still all weird! I guess every other one will always just be a different color.
Thanks for all of the comments on my last post. I think I may be a commentslut. Oooohhhh!!! Can you believe that I typed that?
On Sundays Hubby plays basketball with a bunch of other old guys, and we go watch. Of course, I sit there knitting and visiting with the other wives. Well, one lady asked me to teach her to knit this weekend! Yay! I think I love to teach knitting as much as I love to knit. So, Sunday it's knitting lesson time.
Well, the little girl and I need to go to the school again and get the boys from their club meeting! Time sure does fly! Gotta Run! Keep Knitting!!

Monday, February 19, 2007

Funny?


Well, I promised a funny story, but it's just funny weird, not funny "haha".


So, there was a square dance for all the girl scouts. The dance was at a school in the next little town over. Our school is pretty small. There are only about 40 kids per grade, 20 kids per class, give or take. The school they were at is also small but goes into a big high school. Our high school kids probably went to kindergarten with almost every kid in their graduating class.


While they were in the hall they saw a locker with a sign that said "This locker belongs to Arleta". Most people would be like "cool", but this isn't like seeing a name like Lisa, or Sue, or Julie. (My best-friend, and my sister's names). Arleta isn't very common, especially in Michigan!
I want to know who named their kid that! I know it's weird, but I keep trying to think of someone I might know who could find out for me. LOL. Makes me sound a little psycho, but I swear I'm not! If the parents of the other Arleta are my age, I probably knew them, or knew of them in school if they lived in this county.
When I named SP, there were no other Jordan's that I knew of. Now, I hear it all of the time! There were only really old guys named Malcolm when I named MM, but it's becoming popular again. I really thought absolutely for sure though, that Arleta would stay "our" name. It's also my mother's name.
If y'all didn't think I was crazy before ...... LOL
I went to the baby shower, and gave my bestfriend's sister the things I made for her. Everyone was like "You made all of that?" See me blush? LOL. I also gave a couple of soap socks wrapped in a garterlac cloth for a prize for one of the games. Those were a big hit! The shower turned out great. All the cute pink and purple clothes. It had better really be a girl!
The kids are home from school today for midwinter break. MM has knocked me off the high scores of Guitar Hero II, darn kid!
I thought, I'll have a chance to read some blogs, but bloglines is down! I guess I'll read them off the sidebar of my blog. I've been reading (lurking!) every chance I get, but I love to leave comments. I hope all the people I comment to don't go "AR again! She's a comment-addict." Yes, I am. I love to get comments, too. Thanks for all of the ones you've left for me.
I sold a couple of soaps at my etsy shop! Thanks to the buyers, too!! :)
bloglines is working fine now! Yay!

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Soap Socks!


I'm slowly listing my soap socks on the shop. I have 12 done, and 2 are on there so far.

Funny story coming up as soon as I have time to do a real post!

edit: I have 12 soaps up! Yay! I still have to fool around with the pics of bracelets and get them on there, too. :)

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

DPN Holders, Socks, and Soapsocks

(Yeah, I still can't think of good titles. LOL)

Thank you all so much for the nice comments for SP. He is hating that splint. It rubs his leg, but I keep reminding him it's almost over! Yay! He doesn't wear it when he's sitting around or sleeping, either. If I usually email you, I'm getting there. I'm so far behind in the things I want to do! Especially Blog Reading!

Well, I have been busy trying to take some good photos of my soaps so I can finally put them on my etsy shop. I forgot to say that the soaps have the gentle scent of aloe. It smells good. Fresh. Everyone in real life has liked the scent so far, anyways! LOL.

Speaking of Etsy Shops, look what I got! I got some awesome DPN Holders. They have frog beads to guard against frogging. Thank you Sherry, they are so great! They have to guard these socks, because I have left them neglected for I don't know how long. They might get finished for the UFO along, or they might get frogged. We'll just have to wait and see. I haven't decided yet.

I also finished LD's Broadripple socks. They looked so huge on the needles, but they fit just right, and she loves them! They are really stretchy, too, so hopefully she won't grow right out of them. I know she won't, because I can get them on my big, ol' feet, so I bet she'll wear these out before they're too small. I've got the stats up on to my other blog. They even almost match! I love knitting socks.



I don't know where the time goes! I sit down here at the computer, hoping to do some posting, and go read some blogs, and I never seem to get much done! Not as much as I hope to, anyways. Where does the time go?
Here are a couple more pics of socks, and some finished soap socks, too.
I've gotta run and get something done before I go get those kids!!
Hope everyone's knitting and loving it. I hope I'll find some time to go catch up on blogs soon!!

Friday, February 09, 2007

Cast Off

We went to the doctor's office Wednesday, and SP is cast-free. He has a removable **air splint just for added support for two weeks, and we don't have to go back there until May! I am so glad. He was really tired of dragging around a cast, and now he can go back to his weekend/afterschool job. **an air splint is a hard u-shaped splint that goes on with velcro and has air pockets for cushion on the inside. It's really weird. He can wear it inside his shoe! I had to ask what it was when they first told us. LOL

I sure don't have much knitting to report. Not like Rhoda who is starting a sweater! I finished and immediately sold a soap on Wednesday morning at knit group, I also gave another one away before taking pictures. LD's first Broadripple-like sock is done. I am at the place where you pick up stitches for the gusset of the second sock. I'm going to go to Grumperina's site, and pick the stitches up the pretty way this time. The top pic is the one with the flash, and the bottom one without. I think!


Monday and Tuesday the kids were home from school, because the temperature with the wind chill was too cold for the buses, and for kids to be standing around waiting for buses. We also had Lake Effect Snow, and blowing and drifting. Yesterday and Wednesday, the sun was out, though! I still can't believe it, but it was! Having those two unexpected days off from school, makes for a strange week. I'm so glad it is Friday!

I've been getting the nicest compliments on my new hat. Even the grumpiest check out lady at the grocery store, the one we never go to, said she liked my hat. I've never heard her say anything nice to any one. I'm going to have to hold on to this one tight, my three kids want to steal it from me!

I guess I really can knit when I get a chance. Last night Hubby saw me making yucky faces at the dishes, so he did them, while I sat and knitted on that sock and finally caught up on some Lime & Violet podcasts. Man, they crack me up! I love that I can listen to podcasts and knit at the same time. I used to knit while waiting for pages to load, but the computer is too fast now. Not that I'm complaining! Heck no, I like the fast!

Thanks so much for all of the nice comments on my hat, and on the knitter girls. hehe While we sat in the DR. office LD got to knit a bit on her sock. That was very exciting for her. Her own knitting was at school. I love that they get to knit at school! Anyways, thank you! I love the nice comments, everybody!

Have a great weekend!!


Monday, February 05, 2007

We're The Knitter Girls!

LOL. That's what LD said this morning. "We're The Knitter Girls". It's finally a snow day! Yay! We've been waiting all winter!

Yesterday, I took LD's knitting to the Hubby's basketball game, with mine. She gets so bored, when she's bored; I'm annoyed. The knitting saved the day. She's been working on a baby doll scarf ever since. Here we are after dinner last night, knitting away! See, knitting is a life saver.

On Friday night, it was the girl scout cookie sale sendoff. There was a pizza party, a movie, crafts; you know, fun stuff. It was so cold, though! As we were dropping LD off, Carrie yells across the parking lot "Wait one second, Arleta!" So I run over there and she had a plate of muffins for us. Wasn't that nice? I took a picture, but it's too pitiful, because Hubby, SP, and I ate some muffins in the car on the way home. LOL. I did save one each for MM, and LD, but I ate the rest! They were really good! Thanks, Carrie! :)



Ok, now Please ignore how pale I am, and just look at the hat. I know it's bad for my skin, but I'm going to go to the tanning salon. I look ill. Plus, there's no sun here! You know when people say "Stick it where the sun don't shine..." They mean Northern Michigan! It was about 10 pm, and I'd had a long day, too. So, ignore the "duh" looks on my face, too. LOL
Here is my Green Hat for the Green Hat Knit-along. I'm posting the stats here at my FO Blog. I have enough yarn to do another hat. I wonder if I have enough to make some matching glovelettes? That would be neat.
I need to get busy on LD's socks, though. I haven't touched them in a few days, and she keeps giving me little hints that she'd like to wear them soon.
We just did LD's 100 day project. For the 100th day of school the kids make something with 100 things. LD put 100 beads in sets of 10 on a string of yarn, in a pattern of course. For some reason she really likes patterns.
Thank you all for the comments about the lost wallet and the rant on parking, and mean kids. I know life's not all sunshine and rainbows, it's so nice to be able to complain about it, and know that there are other people who understand.
I think I'll go put the stats for the hat on my new blog, and report in to the GH KAL finished hat section that I got one hat done. I just might have to do another!
Hope you all have a great day!

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Yay Moms!

The weekend is going much better! I spied this contest at 5 minutes for mom, though and wanted to share. Check out that jewelry. Just gorgeous.

Friday, February 02, 2007

Warning: Cranky Post Ahead

Well, first I want to say to everyone thank you for your nice comments. I'll be sending emails soon.
Ericajo that yarn is Sugar & Cream from Lily. It was the weirdest thing the way it pooled like that. Just some variegated cotton. I love pooling. :)
But Ericajo's question made me finally get off my butt and start another blog! Arleta's Motley Wool FO's. It'll just be pics with the stats on yarn, needles, all that stuff. I'll save the juicy life bits (which I am going to p & m about in a minute) for here.
Gaiagal, that sounds like a weird combo, but I'll try just about anything, if the thought of it doesn't make me gag. I just won't tell the family what's in it, until after they eat it!
Ok, if you want a happy post, like I usually have, sorry you aren't going to find it here. One reason my posts are usually happy is because I sit down, and as I'm typing I feel so much better that I edit out stuff. It just doesn't fit any more. Well, today isn't turning out so great, it started bad, but I'm hoping it'll get better!!
I borrowed this from Bezzie, (she likes snow! How weird is that?)
It's the six weird things meme with a twist
Six Things That Piss Me Off
  1. The parking lots at my kids' schools. People are morons and don't know how to drive or follow rules. The elementary one was so bad that the principal stands out there directing traffic and that has made it even worse! If your kid can't jump out of the car, go to a parking spot and park the car. Don't leave it in the middle of the driveway! Kids with casts or crutches shouldn't have to tromp through snow to get into the school!
  2. People who make my Little Diva cry! I shouldn't be angry at a second grader, but this one girl gave her a best friend necklace, then took it back the next day, and gave it to someone else. I kept my cool and made LD feel better, but I felt like crying, too. Why are kids so mean?
  3. Smart people who act like they are stupid. Enough said on that one.
  4. People who act like they know everything! (I don't even know everything!) People who won't admit they are wrong. It's hard, but even I can do it.
  5. Rude people. Man, use some tact!
  6. Loosing a big bunch of money, and all the credit cards, and id. Ugh. I feel sick. Hubby lost his wallet yesterday, and it had all of our cash, which we need for food and bills. It had our credit card, a work credit card, and the debit card that is for our health care. His driver's license. Everything. I personally know some people who would be like "$400? Go to the bank and get more money out. No big deal." Yeah, big deal to us! We're poor. That's just a fact of life. I stay home, and it makes us rich in love, but money is tight around here. Plus, Hubby woke me up at 4 a.m. looking for his wallet, and I'm tired. Tired and worried and cranky are never a good combo!

I just have to say this weekend better not go like this! It had better be nice. (not the weather, I know that's going to be crappy). The vibes better be nice! If you pray, pray we find that stupid wallet before I go crazy and have to spend my entire life knitting hats after I rip out all of my hair!

I found the wallet! Thanks to who the heck ever said the prayer or magic words or what the heck ever worked! I swear it was sitting right where Hubby and I already looked. I was done looking but as I was getting a biscuit to eat with my lunch ... There it was. I am so totally relieved. Thanks for the good vibes, all!!

Thursday, February 01, 2007

February Alongs

I feel very boring lately. Not bored .... boring. Hope that's not true, but I need some sunshine and it's supposed to get into the single digits, or below zero for the next week! Urgh! It all makes me want to hibernate.

Well, it is the first of February, and I have a February KAL that I joined. I started the Topi. I started it over and over and finally got it! It's about 4" in diameter right now.

Here are some pics. That is my Swamp Thing Yarn that I dyed for the January DAL. hehe Of course there is another SoapSock sitting there, too. I've been having one of them OTN all of the time. I swear, I'm going to put them on my shop as soon as I get a minute!








The other thing for this month is the UFO 2007 Along, that I'm part of. I am working on LD's Broadripple Socks that I started in October or November. Yes, I am too lazy to go see when.

The spot where I picked up stitches for the gusset is awful! It's a mess, but LD likes it and wants it done. I should go back and redo it, but I don't know if I will. It's left over yarn, and if I just get my rear in gear, they'll be done and that's all she really wants anyway. Then, maybe I should finish the last Jaywalker sock that I started even before these socks.


Dinner's in the slow cooker, and the smell is driving me crazy! It smells so good. A roast with onions, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Mmmmm.


Well, time to go figure out if I want to rip out that gusset and redo (like I should), or maybe I'll just knit on that hat for a while.


Thanks for all of the nice comments from my last few posts. If I have your email, I've probably sent you a thanks or some kind of reply, if not, then thank you! :)