Knitting Olympics- NOT

Who did I think I was kidding?!?!

I don't even have time to blog properly, much less start yet another project. I'm spread thinner than light butter on a rice cake.

I think I will just check in with the rest of the crew on Ravelry, monitor the "real" Olympics on the web, and dream of getting involved next year.

I met this guy online. Funny, handsome, nice, smart. Enjoying our online email exchanges. Lives in Cali tho. (The nice ones are always the hardest to find ). This V-Day had me too busy to be sad about not having someone. It is cool though, that someone is on the other end of cyberspace that likes me.

Cast on the Brown wool socks. They are going to be really  nice. I think I will embroider a big 'L" for Laura on each one. ( she might think its "L" for left??hmm) Like the L in Laverne and Shirley? Remember, she had that big letter on all her blouses? I loved that show.

Happy Sunday..

This is my dad. John Michael Wilber. He was about 23 when this was taken. I would have been about two years old. He was a second-generation son of Irish Immigrants. He could fix just about anything from diesel engines to stubborn horses. 

He would have been 65 this year, March 18th. He died 6 years ago today, February 9th, from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head.

    

                                

He was hurting. Inside and out. His wife pretty much ran us kids off due to her self -absorbed personality, and I am almost certain contributed to his untimely death.  He left this world without ever meeting his youngest grandson, (my boy Joe), and has missed so many things in his children's lives that he should have been there for.

He was of the Catholic faith, and even with that, he was honored with a proper funeral, in church, with hundreds of mourners, shocked, reeling, overwhelmed, from this. He was forgiven. He went to Heaven. I stand unwaivered in my belief on that.

What I want you, the reader, to take away from this. Nothing. Nada. NOTHING. There is absolutely, irrefutably, NOTHING in this world that could happen to you, or me, or your best friend, or your mom, or some hero, that is worth taking your own life for. PERIOD.

We are here for a reason. No matter what faith you follow. There is a purpose. You just have to find it. You also have to make a choice. God gave you that freedom.

No matter how much you hurt, or how scared you are, or how far you've gone, there is always a way back. You just have to find it.

You just have to find it.

 Dad. See what you lost when you left this sweet world?

Laura's socks are going to be really soft. The wool feels hand-spun. I knitted a swatch while at the laundromat. I'm using a size 6 needle, so if they accidentally get washed (in cold water, I hope) they shouldn't felt down too much. Cast on 60 stitches, 2x2 ribbing, and have made a few rounds.

I'm looking forward to dance class tonight, since I missed it last week. I was looking at the calendar for upcoming MEDGE events, and it looks like there might be a student dance night. OOOh! I'm going to have to get my costume together. I have all the elements. Coins, sparklys, stuff for skirts and I have a really cool belt idea picked out. 

I cut my hair last night. Just the sides. I really like Wynonna Judd's hair and wanted something similar: 

She's a pretty lady. Heard she lost a lot of weight with Alli-  hmmm..

Rambles from Rain

I did some cleaning and re-organizing today. (kinda have to do it a lot due to lack of space).

My brother's fiancee', Laura had mentioned she needed warm, wool Boot Socks. I decided to 

pull this out of my stash and use my Boot Sox pattern (shown below).

                                   

 You can fold down the cuff over your boots, or pull them up over Long Johns to keep warm.

I made the green ones for my sister's Fiance', who is a Farrier (One who shoes horses). He's outside all the time. 

                                  

I like the shades of brown. Not 'plain,' but nice and sturdy looking.

The next photo is a sample of almost 10 balls of Mohair originally purchased at Meir & Frank. My  Grandmother Wanda picked it up during a sale (are they still in business?).    

                                         

Still trying to decide what to do with it. It is very soft, and  might work for a baby blanket, or a light Spring sweater or Shawl.  Although, it has such a history, I couldn't just give it to anyone. I should just stash it for when one of my daughters becomes a mother..?? Or just knit it up and forget about it. There's endless amounts of yarn in the world, right?

                            

I love that tag. I should have asked how long she's had this. It came in a nice waxed cardboard box, with a little gift tag and everything. 

Finally, I'm actually going to knit something for myself.  

Ahhh, Noro! Silk/Wool blend, soft, and a harmonious mixture of my favorite colors! ( I always hit the 'z' when I try to type the 'x'. They should rearrange the keys.) I have pondered and thought, and imagined, and I believe a nice pair of mitts would be awesome! Almost as awesome as Sunflowers, or Microwaves, but not quite. My Awesome-meter (Awesometer?) has things like, "Hubble Telescope", and "Wound healing" at the top.  Mitts, right in the upper third, with Avatar, Lord of the rings, and maybe almost as cool as Blue Jeans.

I like wearing mitts when I drive. I have a good 45 minute commute to work, so it would be nice having something to keep my hands warm.

Most of us around the southern Willamette valley are MORE than ready for the rain to stop. At work yesterday,  El Sol peeked his sunny head out for a couple of hours and my two best friends and I dropped what we were doing, skittered outside and sat on a south-facing bench and soaked up some Vitamin D like a couple of California girls back from Alaska.

I haven't laughed really hard in a while like we did Friday. My ribs and stomach muscles (yes, I do have them.  Somewhere.) are sore. Really sore. That proves I have them. HA. I wish I could tell you what we were laughing about, but gotta keep this blog rated G. or at least, PG-13. Just know that it is possible to lose control of your bladder when you laugh that hard. 

Spring term:  Geometry and Computer Science 120  at Lane Community College. I always liked Geometry. 3-D math. What I didn't like, was the proofs. Ugh. 

Has anyone watched the sitcom, "Community"? I don't have TV, but my friends watch it and I saw an episode on Hulu.com. I laughed my arse off! (probably because I'm going to community college). Chevy Chase is in it. He's funnier now than I remember him from Caddyshack and the 'Vacation" movies. Otherwise, I stay the heck away from television.

On a final note, I found a little video on youtube that defies description. This woman has the most beautiful voice. I felt the way I did the first time I heard Charlotte Church. Enya. Enigma. Lisa Gerrard. Bagpipes. All goosebumps and spellbound.  You HAVE to hear her!

Just go to youtube and search  'yasmeen song', sit back and hold on to your chair. Then, visit her website. You will not regret it!

                                    

My Grandmother Wanda, in her new February Lady sweater. I finally got one with her in it! She has the most awesome granddaughter!  Love You, gramma!

Some Things I've made but didn't get posted til now

This is my oldest daughter, Sadie. These photos are a couple of years old, but that's okay. I made this wrap for my grandmother for Christmas. I used "Baby Monkey" yarn that was so very soft! The dark blue is an Acrylic worsted, and the light blue is "Angel" from Jo-Ann's. The stripey combination was sort of me just knitting off the cuff. No pattern, no real idea what was going to happen until it was finished. We had a good time modeling the photos too.

This is my youngest daughter, Emily. She is wearing "Cotton Candy" mitts I made for her about the same time as the Blue Wrap. I used Caron Super Soft (which it really is!) and some discount fuzzy yarn with pink, peach and yellow bumps. I think I used 6 dpns, and just made it up as I went along. There is just a bound-off stitch or two for the thumb hole, then cast on after a few rows. I like making things without patterns, just to see what happens. It keeps my creative spirit busy.

These socks were finished early 2009 for my mom's best friend, Kathy. She retired and  I wanted her to have some nice, wooly early morning socks. I forgot to take pics when they were finished, but they were just plain 'ol socks. I like to make them with a 2x2 rib, all the way down the leg so there's lots of room (slouchy) If they get washed, they will still be nice over a pair of cotton socks.

This last week has been pretty much just work, homework, and keeping up with family drama. I haven't added even one row since last Sunday on mom's sweater. Sigh. Oh well, I'm just glad all is well.

Sundays

Three of the family dogs and I went for a walk/hike this morning. There are some pretty steep hills out back of the ranch, and good exercise to help me with my resolutions.

This one is Babydog. She's a cowdog that thinks she's a stick dog too. We were playing fetch and she just didn't want to share. Had a good laugh at the antics. I should bring a video next time.

 

On the way home (through the clay mud) I spied some tracks that weren't dog's. I think they are racoon. I'm not a track expert, but there are quite a few of those animals running around at night.

I managed a few more rows on the Cable sweater at the laundromat, but not enough to show off. More of the same from the last post. What with Pre-Calculus taking most of my intermittent time, I will be lucky to get the sweater handed to Mother unassembled, much less finished.

I had some really good ideas about making some fun quick items that should sell well at the spring craft sales. I only will have time to go to one, so I better do well. What with the economy and all- we'll see.

I like Sundays. Especially since I don't have to be at the hospital anymore during them. My middle daughter goes to church, which is right across the street from us, but as much as I like the people, I'm not into the 'congregating" thing. And my experiences and reading of the Bible has led me to believe that I don't have to be in a church to worry about my afterlife. I won't expound on religion anymore than that because I respect everyone's beliefs as they should mine. I supppose this is a bit of a rant, though, because I do feel pressured to come to church sometimes, and I sang in the church choir for Christmas. (they needed as many as would volunteer- I figured I could share that much of myself at least). Heck I dunno. I think being outside, or whatever I'm doing, feeling happy and content with the world, would keep Jesus happy too. (Or whatever spiritual body you choose).

I'm off to finish my Sunday with Math problems. I like math. Not sure if it likes me back yet..

Yeah. I know. I noticed it a little too late. Had to rip out like 15 rows. Oh well. I have to go study Algebra.