Knitiot Savant

Merry Christmas

Hope you all have a wonderful and peaceful Christmas!  See you in '08!

Where I Live

Forgot to post this Wednesday so better late than never, eh?  Last week the Rants and Raves section seemed to be filled with people complaining about cats.  Cats on their cars.  Cats in their gardens.  Cats bad.  Cats not bad but really sweet and aren't just mean for thinking bad things about cats?  Most of the comments were pretty silly but this one was my favorite:

"A woman wrote a letter to the editor complaining about a stray cat in her upscale neighborhood.  I'm sure if the cat had known that, it would have looked for a low-income neighborhood."

hahahaha!

And, just so you don't think it's all about cats, I offer this:

"Xmart ought to be able to have its license.  I am tired of going to South Carolina to their sex store.  When could we have one in Augusta?"

This issue needs to be brought before the city council stat!  We're not really a big city without a solid sex store now are we?

Clarity

Thanks for all the kind words about my poor frogged sweater.  Boogie has already asked for a hat from the yarn and I'm pretty sure I'll end up with one as well.

The closer we come to Christmas and the New Year, I find myself in a very reflective mood.  I think all of us do that this time of year, huh?  I've been thinking about my decision to stay home full time.  I've never done any thing in my life that completes me the way motherhood has.  I feel successful and strong...even when things seem tough.  (You parents know what I'm talking about.)

Every once in awhile I think about work.  I left my profession very burned out.  I felt ineffective as a therapist and, quite frankly, I was tired of seeing other people's kids all day long.  I've wondered if I could find the joy of working with those kids again.  Do I still have the patience for it?  The drive the help?  Am I so far removed that I'd feel miserable if I ever went back to my job?  (For those of you who might not know, I was a Speech Language Pathologist for almost 10 years before I quit.)

I was asked to sub in Boogie's room at her MDO program Thursday.  We packed our lunches, gathered out Christmas goodies and headed out.  I was nervous.  Would Boogie be okay with me in her room?  Would I be okay with the other kids in her room? 

It was, without question, the most fun we'd ever had.  I spent 4 hours playing with Boogie and her friends.  We played at being reindeer, read stories, ate too much sugar and happily greeted Santa when he came by for a visit.  Boogie's instructors had some questions concerning the speech/language of some of the kids but they knew that's not I was there for and respected that.  Yet, I found I still had the skills and the passion of my profession.  I offered suggestions.  I spoke to the kids who were hard to understand and helped the teachers find ways to approach the subject with the parents of these kids. 

It was an amazing day and it was nice to know that I've still got it.  Will I go back to work?  Not any time soon but the day provided me with a moment of clarity.  It was just awesome.

It's come undone

KS:  Hey Hon, remember that beautiful sweater Fantine?  How I lurved the pattern and searched for just the most wonderfulest yarn on the planet to make it from?

Big B:  Uh....yeah.  (Clearly not really remembering but wishing to appear he does)

KS:  I think I'm gonna frog it.

Big B:  You don't like the pattern?

KS:  No, the pattern is great.  It's the yarn...and the fact that I look like a linebacker in it.

Big B:  (snorts)  You couldn't look like a linebacker.  It can't be that bad.

KS:  Wanna bet?  (grabs Fantine and slips it on.)

Big B:  (stares at the sweater.)  Hm.  Have you considered...

KS:  Frogging it?  Yeah.  Look at me. 

Big B:  As long as you said it and not me.  (Goes back to his book)

See that ball of yarn next to Fantine?  It just got a whole lot bigger.

Eye Candy Friday

Glad I didn't have my heart set on a career in the culinary arts.  (It's a kit.  Don't get excited.)

Have a great weekend!

Where I Live

Monday we drove to a local tree farm to choose a Christmas tree.  I was really hoping that the weather would be cooler so it would feel, well, Christmasy, but we've been sporting 80+ degree temps this week.  (Wait.  Didn't I move away from Texas?)  In keeping with our modest Christmas this year we chose a modest little tree.  Not too tall, not too short but just right.

We chose a Leyland Cypress.  This isn't the type of live tree we usually choose but they don't shed much and they have a very strong piney smell.  (The whole not shedding is very appealing 'cause our critters like to eat the tree.)  Leylands are sometimes referred to as Southern Christmas trees because they grow so well down here.

The tree Boogie is in love with is not the tree we chose but she insisted on having her picture taken with the trees she liked; and she liked them all.  I stopped shooting after about 10 pics.

We decorated the tree last night.  I never realized how many ornaments we have!  Really!  Big B and I both agree that we need fewer ornaments but more lights.

It's funny.  For a modest Christmas I've been feeling a little overwhelmed.  I have a wreath to make, cookies for a ballet party Saturday and gift wrapping for a birthday party as well as Boogie's gifts.  Well, while I grab a cup of coffee and try to take a moment for myself I'll leave you with a rant from "Rants & Raves".  I just want to assure you that I did not make this up.

" A RANT ABOUT the young children who thought it would be funny to place lunch meat and Vaseline on my vehicle while parked in the Target parking lot.  I still can't get the Vaseline off."

Um, Saturdays can be a little slow down here. 

Knitting Content

The weekend brought Book Club, ballet lessons, bookshelves that we happily filled with all our books, Christmas decorations unpacked but not up, and one finished object.  Believe me.  I am as shocked as you that I actually finished something...especially this sweater.  This thing has been lying around in pieces for MONTHS!  Here's the scoop:

Pattern:  'Salsa' by Knitting at Knoon
Needles:  Size 5 circular and size 5 DPN
Yarn:  Little Lehigh Pebbles in "It's a Boy"  (Kraemer Yarns)
Modifications:  None. (The pattern calls for i-cord ties.  I made them but hadn't sewn them on at the time I took this picture.)
What I Learned:  I learned how to attach a ruffle and that I absolutely, positively detest sewing seams.  At one point I considered throwing this sucker under my serger.  Yeah.  I was willing to let a sewing machine with a KNIFE stitch this bad boy up. 

Thoughts:  First, Boogie adores this sweater.  I cast off during her ballet lesson and, when she came out, she wanted to wear it to the car. 
I really love this pattern.  It was a cinch to knit.  The ruffles look great though I would like to steam them a bit more.  And even though I hated every second of sewing it up, seeing it on Boogie made it worthwhile.  Shit.  Who am I kidding?  I still hated the sewing...I was just glad it was over.

P.S.  Yes, she is wearing pink rainboots.  They have kitty heads on them.  No.  It was not raining.

Ooops.  One more thing.  I updated here before I hit Ravelry!  See!  I didn't stray!

Eye Candy Friday*

These are my pajamas and they make me very, very happy.

*Bet you thought you'd see a finished sweater today. 

Dancing on a floor of marbles

Yesterday my Big B was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.  We were, and still are, a little shell-shocked.  We have so many changes to make, so many challenges ahead.  But, in over 20 years of marriage to this wonderful man, I've learned that he's brave and strong and that we make one hell of a team.  So f*ck you diabetes.  We're coming after your sorry ass. 

On a less angry note, any advice, recipe sites, anything would be wonderful. 

Ruffly

I started this sweater in January!!  I blocked while we were in the middle of selling our house then carried the pieces in my knitting bag as we drove from Texas to Georgia.  The pieces lived in a plastic bag until a few days ago when I became disgusted by all the UFOs littering my home.  This is how the sweater looked Friday morning.  I have to do the ruffle on the left side and make the i-cord and this sucker is done!!

If you read my blog last year you might remember that I did a Knitted Christmas.  I knit every gift I gave.  This year, we're doing a Charity Christmas.  Each gift is a donation to a charity.  We have so much in our lives that we wanted to share what we have.  I hope it becomes a tradition with our whole family.   Of course I'm confident Boogie will be visited by Santa but I feel sure he'll respect our modest Christmas and will act accordingly. 

Now, I'm planning for next year.  Next year all my gifts will be sewn.  I might mix it up because I know my Mom loves socks but the majority of the gifts will handmade.  Just like the Knitted Christmas I plan on getting an early start.  Yeah, I'm crazy but I won't be crazy and stressed out next Christmas!