WooooooHooooooo!

I just got an email from my sister-in-law, Lauren. She and Richard are expecting baby #2 about the end of October! I finally have a good reason to knit a baby blanket! I didn't find out about their first baby, Thomas, until he was a month or two old. And of course I wasn't knitting then.

My neice, Taylor Grace, has informed her Aunt Lauren that this baby is going to be a girl. No if's, and's or but's. I hope that she's right. Lauren says she's been really sick this time around. I hope that she doesn't have as hard a time as I did. Rehydration by way of IV in the ER is no fun...and neither is not being able to eat much more than McDonald's cheeseburgers with no pickles. That gets really boring.

This is just the kind of news that I needed after last week at Gran's house.

I'm off to find the perfect baby blanket pattern!
Tammy

*puzzled look*

I think I've got some of the tricks of that darned Rainbow Denise Bag figured out, but there are still some things that just have me puzzled as all get out. I figured out the Worked/Attached I-Cord on the top of the bag, but trying to get it round the handles is a whole other story. I'll bring it to Friday Night Knitting and see if someone can help me figure it out.

So while I'm waiting, I guess that I'll get started on something else. I do have my "emergency" scarf that I can work on, but I hate to finish it so soon. It's not like I don't have 40 skeins of yarn that I can pick from to start something new. *grins*

I need to get something together to take with me to Midland. Yep, I have to go again so I can get the things I want from Gran's house. I am really dreading that 12 hour each way trip. The only good things about going to Midland are Bob's Better Burger and Taco Villa....and the Rexall drugstore soda fountain. I don't think there's anything better than a fountain Coke with a shot or two of vanilla syrup.

I'm thinking about trying to knit a sweater. I may be getting in over my head with that one.

Yea! It's Knitting NIght!

Finally! What the hell took Friday so long to get here? Even though I'm really achy and kind of want to stay home and curl up in bed, I am so ready to go hang out with my knitting girlfriends. Rhiannon isn't feeling great, either, but her Granny is supposed to meet us at Malaysia Cafe to pick her up. I'm still shocked that she called to see if Rhiannon was free for the weekend.

I'm taking the two purses that I have started. One, I need help on working with the waste yarn and the other, well...it's pretty much the same bag, different yarn. My I-Cord bind-off needs a lot of work.

I'll be on my own when knitting is over tonight. Rhiannon is going to be with my mother and Henry is shooting the opera and some goofy VIP party afterward. So it's going to be me, some grape kool aid and the remote control....and my knitting, can't forget that.

Well...she did it.

I found out last night that my mother had put Gran's house on the market and had already gotten a contract on it for $165K. If everything works out, they want to take possession of the house in 4 weeks. That means that Henry and I are going to have to go to Midland and help Mom and Ron load a rental truck to bring home the things that we want to keep.

It really caught me off-guard. Mom had said that she was going to keep the house and move out there when she retired. She decided that the upkeep was just too expensive when you count the insurance, electric and all of the other little things. She's going to have some lady who does estate sales come and sell all of Gran's things. It just breaks my heart. It's really hit me that she's gone and never coming back. Yeah, I know...she's been gone since September, but there has always been that itty bitty iota of hope that if I were to dial her phone number she would answer and tell me that she had missed talking to me and that she loved me.

I don't know if I will every get over the loss of my grandmother. Damn, I mean, it's been 20 years since Grandpa died and I still cry for him. I would give anything to have them back, to hear Grandpa sing Goodnight, Irene...to have a one-sided conversation with Gran on the phone when she couldn't really hear me.

I'm going to sit and knit and try to take my mind off of things.

Why??

Why do I torture myself with those damned little fair isle bags? I started working on the big skull & crossedbones bag and I think I just need to find cable needles with a shorter cable. A 29" cable is just too damned long. It dumbfounds me that the chick who wrote the pattern actually said she used 32" cables! I don't see how.

So I'm gonna frog the whole damned thing and find me some size 13 circulars with a shorter cable.

I hate that frog. Where's my frog blender when I need it?

AAAARRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

No, it's not Talk Like A Pirate Day...that's not until later this year. But it is Pirate related. I started the mini skull and crossedbones bag a couple of nights ago. It's my first attempt at doing Fair Isle work. I am now convinced that whomever invented Fair Isle knitting is a complete and total SADIST!

I worked on it for about 7 hours and I finally gave up and went to bed. I felt like hammered poop today, so no knitting for me. I slept most of the day and this was after going to bed early at 10. I've been running fever, ranging from a low grade of 98 (my norm is about 96) to a high of 101. I ache head to toe in just about every joint, especially my hands and feet.

I missed going to the stash swap, dammit. I was really looking forward to it. So Friday at Panera, I'll bring said Sadistic bit of knitting with me and let the rest of you get a good giggle. I may even join you in the good giggle.

Tammy

What a great weekend!

This whole weekend has just been wonderful! Friday we celebrated Henry's 50th birthday by going out for Peking Duck. It was so good! I had a really hard time trying to sleep, so I just stayed up all night and then went to Saturday Knitting at Panera.

This was my first Saturday Knitting and I have to admit that it was pretty neat. People came and went. It was truly a great girl's day! When it came down to it Gwen, Ingrid and I were the last three there, so we decided that we needed to go to Michael's and Hobby Lobby. Gwen gave me her Michael's coupon and I ended up with a new pair of Knit Lites! So now I've got a pair of 8's, a pair of 9's and a pair of 10.5's. Five more sizes to go! If I keep coming up with coupons to use, I should be able to round out my set in the next month or so.

There are a couple of bags that I would *LOVE* to make! This Mini Skull & Crossedbones bag is too cute! There's also a bigger one on that site that is too cute! And I cannot forget the Pirate Queen's Booty Bag!

It's about to be knit city around here!

One Skein Down....One To Go!

I started a cabled scarf from the Lion Brand site a couple of months ago. I think I started the darned thing about 8 times before I really got going good. Then, the unthinkable happened. Christmas Day, I skipped a row. I ended up cabling on the wrong side. Carol worked on it and got it fixed, then I screwed up again. The Frog came to visit as I ripped out the whole damned thing.

So I started again a week ago. I'm through the first skein of pretty Grass Green Wool-Ease Thick & Quick. Now I've got to find the best way to join in the new skein. I think I've figured out the Russian Join, but it may be just as easy to slipknot it on at the beginning of a new row and weave it in later.

A Whole Yard!

I started my felted needlecase back in December. I bought 2 beautiful skeins of Brown Sheep Merino in a luscious purple. This has been my in-between project. Well, the tough part is over! Both skeins have been knitted and now comes the felting part. I thought I would never finish knitting on this one! I'll post a picture after I get it felted and put together.

So now I'm going to concentrate on getting that cable scarf finished. Then I'm going to have to come up with another project. I'll ask the KIP Girls Tuesday evening. We're going to converge on a Starbucks and pretty much take it over. Should be fun. I do love my Starbucks caramel lattes and macchiatos. Maybe they'll have a good scone or brownie to go with the caramely goodness.

I think I may go to Hobby Lobby tomorrow and see if they have any of that wonderful .99 clearance yarn left. Rhiannon asked for some new needles tonight. I'll wait until there's another coupon for HL and get her a set of the Susan Bates Crytsallites. She wants a set of the candy-striped needles like I got for Christmas, but they are still just about full price at Joanns.com. You'd think that something that was so overtly Holiday would have gone on clearance by now.

I'm gonna go play with the appearance of this blog. I'm not really digging that pinky colour that's on it. Maybe I'll just go with a basic black. Kind of hard to go wrong with black!

Tammy

I'm Knittin'!!

I always had an interest in learning how to knit, but I never could find anyone to teach me. Gran crocheted, but she didn't knit. Mom said she took a class, made a sweater and decided that she hated knitting...now she just makes a buttload of afghans every winter. So I went to Heritage Hut and bought some needles and yarn and got Mary to teach me the very basics. I went to her knitting sessions for a few weeks, but never really felt like I fit in there. Everyone seemed as if they were wound a little too tightly for me. So I did a search for knitting groups in Wichita and found a group that is perfect for me!

I've been going to Wichita Knit In Public functions since December. What an fantastic group of ladies! If you get stuck or screw up, someone there knows how to fix what you messed up. Gwen and Ingrid are almost always there. So are Carol and Kathy. We're an oddball mix of girls, but we have so much fun together! There are more than 70 members of the meet-up group, but only about 20 or so active members. I've learned more from these ladies than I ever dreamed!

I finished several scarves and I'm working on a felted needlecase right now. It's my in-between project...the one that I pick up when I can't look at whatever it is that I'm working on at the time. I taught myself how to knit cables! I was watching one of the episodes of Knitty Gritty that I had recorded and saw Janet Szabo on there demo'ing squares from her Aran Afghan. Actually seeing the cabling being done made it not so scary. So I found myself an easy pattern and headed off to Michael's for some pretty yarn. It's coming along quite nicely. If I can get it finished in time, I'm going to give it to Mom for her birthday.

Enough for now. I'll post some photos eventually...promise.

Tammy
"Impeachment...not just for blowjobs anymore."

Where'd It Go?

My stitching mojo has just quite simply vanished. Every time I have picked up a needle in the last few months, it has been a complete disaster! I either screw it up so bad that I have to frog out hours of work or I just can't seem to put the needle to the fabric and make it work.

So I've declared that stitching season is over for me this year. I'm going to learn a new craft. I'm going to learn how to knit!! I don't care if it harelips the president. I'm going to get me some knitting needles and some pretty yarn and see if the ladies down at Heritage Hut can teach this poor uncoordinated soul how to knit something simple like a scarf. Doesn't have to be anything fancy, just a scarf. Then once I figure that out, we'll work on something harder...like maybe a hat to go with a scarf.

Someone in the Crafty Bitch group on myspace recommended a book called Stitch & Bitch. Said she learned how to knit by reading that one. I figure if I get a good book and take lessons, then I've got all my bases covered. Shoot, I'd buy freakin' dvd's if I thought that would help! I'm ready to be a crafty bitch again. I miss my inner crafting bitch. If she's still sunning herself on the beach in Tahiti, I'm ready for her to get herself back to Kansas where she belongs!

So for now, it's see ya later cross stitch....hello knitting!

News That You Never Want To Hear

My grandmother's nurse, Mary, called me this evening. Gran had a stroke on my birthday and just has not recovered from it like they thought she would. It affected her entire right side and her speech. Today Dr Rhodie said it was time to call in hospice for Gran...that she more than qualified.

She has a DNR on file and if she should have another TIA or stroke and need to be revived they are going to let her go. It's so selfish of me to want her to stay alive. I know that logically. But deep down inside me is the little girl who had a phenomenal grandmother who would get down on the floor with her and play jacks or shoot marbles. My gran is the most loving person I have ever met. She has loved me unconditionally since day 1...and the feeling has always been mutual. She and Grandpa were the two that I could always count on to tell me that I had done a good job and not follow it with a backhanded remark telling me that it was good but it could have been better.

I don't love her because she has bought me nice things or spent money on me. I love her because she's been the one stable thing in my life for 40 years. I love her because of the songs she used to sing to me when I was little and because of the stories that she used to tell me about things when she was growing up. I love her because she always wanted to hold my hand when we went places, even when I was well into my 20's. I love her for all of the kisses and hugs that she gave me and for all of the tender words that were whispered when I was sick. I love her for so many reasons...reasons too many to be listed here.

Gran, I love you unconditionally...forever. I love you to the moon and back and more than all of the stars in the night sky. I'll always be your grandbaby, no matter how old or big I get to be.

I love you, Gran.

I'm finally stitching again!

After a very long dry spell, I've finally started stitching again. Granted, it's an obligation piece but it's still got me stitching! It's a bell pull called "Bunny 'n Ewe". At least it's not a subject that I dislike. I've always loved little sheep and these are particularly cute in that they are black-faced sheep like the ones I raised when I was in grade school.

We're trying to get Rhiannon ready for 3rd grade. Yikes! When did she get to be that old? Oh yeah, I forgot...her birthday is 4 days after mine. *silly grin* I keep threatening to put the heaviest rock I can find on her noggin to keep her from growing up any more. She thinks her old mum is just goofy and going round the bend! Fine with me as long as she still loves me and lets me call her "Baby Girl."

We've got Henry's son here for 5 day visit. It was supposed to be a 4 day but his grandmother decided that she wanted to stay in Wichita an extra day. Anyone want one surly 15 yr old? I'll even make sure that he's bathed recently.

The 4-0

I am officially 40 now. I don't know why I thought I would feel any different, but I suppose everyone (or at least some of us) have that unrealistic expectation. Henry took me out Saturday night to Kobe Steakhouse with our friends, Jessie and Anita. He totally faked me out on what he got me for my birthday. I've had a small buckwheat hull pillow that has been my cuddle pillow for 3 years now. I've taken it with me to the hospital every time that I've had to go...except when they made me radio active. He found a full size buckwheat hull pillow! I was so excited! He also found a neat antique postcard from Odessa, too. Then came the real prezzie: Margaret Cho tickets for her November show! WoooooHoooooo! We missed her the last time she came to town. What a honey!

My friend, Merrie, is taking us to dinner tomorrow night. She said anywhere I want to go, so I'm thinking that we'll go to Abuelo's. Henry wants us to go to Garozzo's. I may relent and say do Italian. Garozzo's does the most decadent bisteca marsala that I have EVER had. Kind of funny that the best steak in town is at an Italian joint.

I think I'm going to try to wake up early enough to go to lunch with Vanessa. It's been a really long time since she and I have just hung out. I need to start going over again...and I really need to start stitching again. I've been a horrible slacker in the stitching department. I've got Christmas Elf Fairy almost done and Enchanted Mermaid has been languishing in my WIP bin for months now.

Well, we're kidless tonight, so maybe I'll go back to bed and nibble on Henry. He was so happy that Rhiannon was at Merrie's tonight...and for good reason. *wink, wink, nudge, nudge* So maybe this will be "Ding Ding! Round Two!"

What a doll!

My sister-in-law, Lauren, sent me the link to my little nephew Thomas's first portrait sitting. He has the same expression on his face that my Daddy used to get. Isn't he precious?

I just have to smile...

I decided to take one last peek at my email tonight and I am so glad that I did! My sister in law, Lauren, sent me the link to my little nephew's photos that were taken at Penney's. In the first picture, well, it just made me smile. The expression on his face was so much like the one my Daddy used to get when he knew I was up to something. I can still hear him say in a low voice, "TJ, what are you to?" He always knew when I was up to something...probably because I was always up to something. *grins*

I've just been missing my Daddy lately. He's been gone 15 years this month and not a day goes by that I don't think of him and the way that the tanned skin crinkled around his blue eyes when he smiled. I think about his beard that he always grew in the winter to keep his jaw warm. It was shattered in an oil well accident and it was always achy when the weather was cold.

My Daddy was just a country boy who loved his family. Sometimes he made bad decisions, but he was still my Daddy...no matter what he did. Even when mother wouldn't let him see me, I knew that he loved me. He sent my christmas presents to my grandmother's house because he knew that she would make sure that I got them. He loved me because I was his first born, the first one in the family to graduate from high school and the first one to go to college. He was always so proud of me. I wish he were still here to see his first grandchild. I know he would have just been over the moon for Rhiannon. She tends to have that effect on just about everyone she meets.

Daddy, wherever you are, you've got some incredibly beautiful grandchildren....and you've got four children who miss you very much.

A Very Odd Kind of Day

I haven't written here in a quite a while. Things have been a little chaotic in the house and truthfully, I wasn't sure that I was going to still be married after all was said and done. We're working on it and things have gone pretty smooth for the last couple of weeks.

Today was a tough day for me and Henry. He lost his father 4 years ago and I lost mine 15 years ago. My grandfather has been gone for 20 years already. He misses being able to talk to his dad. I miss having someone I can run to when the world gets too big and mean for me to deal with. My grandpa was always my protector. He loved me no matter how badly I screwed up. And believe me, I had some real doozies between high school and the age of 20. He bailed me out of a lot of messes but he never once criticized me for marching to the beat of my own drummer. He knew that I wasn't like his other grandchildren. He knew that I was going to be the odd girl out. And boy, was he ever right! I hate it that they aren't around to see my little girl, Rhiannon. They both would have loved her so much just because she was mine. She would have been Daddy's first grandbaby. With her big blue eyes and her pretty red hair, I think she probably could have talked either of them into anything...just like her mother used to do.

I miss you, Grandpa and Daddy. Not just today, but every single day that I have been without you.

Mini bit of stitching

Okay, it's not much, but I started one of those tiny freebies that comes with the British stitching magzines that I love so very much. It's a cute little hedgehog named Edwina. It's a hedgehog...what's not to like? *grins* I do so love those little Country Companion hedgehogs. I wish that the charts were more available in the States.

I certainly can't afford to have them sent from the UK as often as I would like. I'm trying to get a job doing customer service work from home. At least I could be in a comfortable chair that way and I wouldn't have to get pretty for anyone other myself.

Still Not Stitching...

I had really hoped to get back to stitching by now. Maybe this week, since Rhiannon's gone, I might actually get the urge to stitch. I've got everything for Girly Gothic set up. I'm finding the chart for The Night to be a little on the daunting side. It's HUGE!!!!!! I've never had a chart that big before and I'm not sure how to tackle it. I hate to go and pay for small, more workable copies when I've already spent more than $20 on the original chart itself. I know that the oversized chart is one way for the designer to protect against bootlegging, but holy cow! Think about the people who are buying this monstrosity and attempting to stitch from it!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

I have had serious stitching block for the last month. Vanessa thinks I just need to start a new piece. Now I'm not sure which one to start! I have fabric and floss for Girly Gothic QS. Maybe that would be the one to start. Of course, I also have everything BUT the PTB's for The Night. I have that incredible blue Italian linen just waiting to be stitched upon.