1/14/09

Things are returning to somewhat normal, slowly. Chelsea seems to be grieving. She sat out on the deck, in the rain, quite a bit yesterday. This is not her norm, she is a pris who doesn't like her feet wet. She is also taking over all of Chad's favorite spots. Mack is Mack, he has always, and continues to just roll with the punches. He is made of velcro, but other than that...

Nervous energy works wonders. I have prepped all 13 blocks of the Baltimore Halloween quilt. I got the kit early last week. It is so cute. Lots of ghosts, black cats and spiders. So all I have to do is stitch. I have gotten one and one half of the borders of the Charming Leaves quilt done, so only 1 and 1/2 to go. I want to finish those before I start stitching on Baltimore Halloween.

I am working on book 4 of the year. I was so pleased with reading 59 books last year. Then I read someones blog and they had read 203!!! How do you read 203 books in a year unless they are kiddie books??? I seem like such an amateur!!!

I finished my Sitcom Chic sweater, I'll take some pictures (haven't really felt like taking pictures this last week) once it is blocked. No other knitting to report.

Books so far this year.

A Pedigree to Die for and Underdog, by Laurien Berenson, this is a series of Dog Show murders mysteries. They are really cute. And the dogs don't get hurt, they help solve the mysteries. Good light fluffy mystery. I read book 3 on the beach last summer, not realizing it was a series. Now I have gone back and read books 1 and 2. There are something like 14 in the series so far. I will keep reading. Not sure I will do all 14, they will probably get very repetitive. I usually find that in these series books this year.

Then I read The Man from Oakdale. This is based on the soap opera, As the World Turns. It is very cartoonish. I didn't expect anything deep, but the books makes the soap look quite deep and serious!!!

Now I am reading Cat and Mouse by James Patterson. This is good. Took a while to get into it, but I am fully engrossed now!!! It is an Alex Cross book. It is an old one, I read it when it first came out in like '96, but don't remember it!!! Maybe I should keep my books are recycle them through my reading list. I could save a lot of money that way!!! ;-)

I have been on a light and fluffy reading binge. I am planning to read some more serious stuff, but life has been too serious recently. I will get there. I am thinking of reading a biography of each of the presidents. This will be a several year project, since they seem to be long!!! I have also bought the 2 book series, The President's House. It is how the White House has evolved since it was conceived by George Washington. It is two books, like 700 pages each. So see, there is some serious reading in my future.

I have also been walking pretty consistantly so far this year. Eating has been pretty good.

I promise pictures next time.

Chat later
Susan

6/26/08

When I stopped workin "outside the home" thought I would have all the time in the world to knit and quilt and read and just enjoy life. I had NO IDEA, just how busy I would be. Looking after my parent's (whose house is on the market, so requires a lot of cleaning), feeding them since we aren't allowing them to cook in the clean house. Fetching and toting my nephews, one playing baseball all-stars and one on a swim team. With 5 practices a week and 2 swim meets a week, this takes a lot of fetching and toting and the baseball games haven't even started yet!!!

Occasionally, I do get to sit and stitch. I will have some pictures soon. The Noro socks are done and the Lacy Little Top is finished. I am working on my ripple afghan right now because it is easy to pick up and drop quickly.

I am getting some reading done sitting at practices. I finally finished The Host. It was good, but my least favorite of Stephanie Meyers books so far. Her new vampire book is due in August. Hopefully that will get back to her really good stuff. I am now reading Septimus Heap: Physik
this is the third in a series similar to Harry Potter. Easy reading, great for sitting by the pool.

We have really started training for the September bike ride. The smoke from the dismal swamp fires is slowing us down. I don't think we should be out exerting ourselves in visible smoke. Plus it is supposed to be 99 degrees today!!! ;-( Walking and prepping for the half marathon is slow. I have a muscle problem that is causing pain if I go over 5 miles. I have stetching, strengthening exercises to work on that, but don't know whether I will be able to do the walk or not. Time will tell.

Well off to finish preps for the stitching weekend at my house this weekend. Oh, I forgot to mention that I have 14 people coming to my house all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday to stitch and bitch. It will be loads of fun, but this house cleaning thing is for the birds!!!

Puppies are all fine. They don't get to see me enough, though

Chat later
Susan

5/27/08

I really haven't dropped off the face of the earth, even though it seems that way.

We have cleaned out my parent's house, had a yard sale and put the house on the market. Two pack rats really shouldn't live together for almost 60 years. We found some real treasures, but some real junk too. They even kept broken stuff too!!! My sister is adding an in-laws suite to her house, so they are going there. They just aren't able to look after this large a house and yard anymore. So now the house is on the market, we just have to hope it doesn't take forever to sell.

I also spent a week on the Outer Banks. Great stitching time. Not much sunning time, it again rained at least half the time I was there and it was chilly. But I did get a lot of applique done.

The center blocks of Dear Jane are done. These are the blocks that haven't been pictured before. Now I have the borders and all the sashing. I still have the 169 blocks to square-up so I can sash them. Not fun!!!

I haven't been knitting a whole lot recently. The only thing I have done is turn the heel on my travel socks. I have been working on them since January. Just the cuff left to go.

I have been renewing my addiction to applique. I took the Charming Leaves class and have been working on it incessantly. In this picture there are seven blocks. I now have 15 of them done. There are 25 in all. Then the dog tooth border. I am loving it. It is such easy, mindless applique. I think I am in an easy, mindless phase of my life. There are too many other things going on to work on a hard project.

After the dogs stayed home with DH for a week, they were programed to get up at 4:30AM. Which is when he gets up. If they didn't eat before he left they were hungry. I am still trying to reprogram them. I like to get up between 6:30 and 7:00AM, NOT 4:30!!! We are making progress. We slept until 6 this morning. But it is nice to be home with them. I can talk to DH on the phone while I am at the beach, but I can't do that with the puppies. I miss them.

I have been having a ball, e-mailing with http://pennysanford.typepad.com/penny_sanford_porcelains_/2008/05/guest-blog-major-mackie-special-forces.html

She has a Westie named Mackie. (She actually has a whole pack of westies she has rescued) I have a Westie named Mackie!!! Her's is Major Mackie, mine is Captain Mackie. It is fun talking about the Westie Special Forces!!!

The exercise update is easy. NONE!!!! I really have got to work on this, but with all the manual labor of cleaning out the house, there hasn't been much energy left for "dedicated" exercise.

We saw two movies this weekend. The new Indiana Jones movie. Good, not nearly as good as the old ones. I would have liked to see more about the stories that surround the crystal skulls, but they are almost secondary to the action. We also saw the new Narnia movie. I didn't really care for that at all. I thought is was very slow, then a lot of fighting. Just couldn't get into it.

I have gotten a fair amount of reading done. Messed up my back, so spent a lot of time not moving much. I read Last Jihad, by Joel Rosenberg. Good political thriller. It is classed as Christian lit, but I didn't see it. I just saw a political thriller. I have ordered the next book in the series, hopefully it is as good as the first one. I also read Swine Not, by Jimmy Buffett. How can Buffett do anything bad. It is hysterical. It is about a family that lives in a NYC hotel with a pet pig. The story is written mostly from the PIG'S perspective. Quick read, well worth the few hours it took. Last night I started The Host by Stephanie Meyer. I loved her young adults series about the teenage vampires. I haven't read enough of this one to get into it yet. But based on her other writing, I will love it. I'll let you know.

Last, but not least, my orchid is in bloom. I started with nine. I have two left alive. "This one is blooming. This is the first one I have ever had bloom under my care.

I will try to not be gone so long next time.

Chat later

Susan

4/25/08

Sorry no pictures yet. Look at the bright side, when I get the camera working again, I will have a lot to show you. Since I don't have a reliable laptop, I have been doing a lot of stitching. Working on Dear Jane, and my new project Charming Leaves. Haven't had knitting needles in my hands in over a week, just applique and sewing.

I finished all seven books of the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson. They are good light reading. I very much enjoyed them. I like his writing style. Very short chapters so you don't have to stop in the middle of a long one. I don't like to stop in the middle. I am now reading the Blue Zone by Andrew Gross. He co-wrote several of Pattersons books. Very good. Heavier then Women's Murder Club, but very good.

I have been walking, trying to get ready for walking the half marathon. I do hope my hips hold out. They don't hurt while I walk, but after they are miserable. Not sure how this is going to work out. I also have to start riding my bike. Nephew and I are doing a 25 or 50 mile bike ride in September. Hopefully my hips will do better on the bike!!!

Laptop is doing better. Adding software slowly. Windows has been reloaded 3 times, as we add software, it dies again. So doing it very slowly this time. Hopefully in a few days I will have the camera back.

Chat later
Susan

4/6/08

Wow, where have I been? I had no idea that it had been so long since I posted. T, you usually remind me to post. Where have you been?

I have been working on Dear Jane. Here are another 21 blocks. I now have 120 of 169 center blocks done. I started it last May. I had hoped to finish the center in a year, then a year for the border. Don't think I will make the first deadline.

I am blogging from the Outer Banks so have been getting a lot of stitching time since it has been raining and cold the whole time I have been here. We got 4 1/2 inches of rain yesterday!!! I have 2 more blocks of Nature's Chorus done and am working on the next block of Expressions of Morris. No pictures, I didn' t think to grab the camera when I was packing. I had taken this picture earlier and uploaded it, that is the only reason I have that one.

Had a quilting weekend last weekend at a LQS. Had a great time. It was wonderful to have one of those that I wasn't in charge. I got to enjoy and shop instead of being the hostess. We hope to have one a quarter. I really got a lot done. That is when I finished 10 of the DJ blocks and started one of the Nature's Chorus blocks.

I finished the Hemlock Ring Throw I was knitting with my personally hand spun yarn. It needs blocking really badly. I hope it looks better after that. Right now it looks like a pile of mess. I started a Cabled Pleated skirt. Hope it is big enough it looks awfully small. I need to get enough knit so I can try it on. It is knit top down so at least I can try it on.

I am up to the 5th book in the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson. These are really quick reads with short chapters. I am enjoying them. I had hoped to sit in the porch swing while at the beach and finishing the series of 7. The weather is not cooperating. It is supposed to be 54 and windy today. Not really porch swing weather. So not nearly so much reading getting done.

Exercise is also suffering because of the weather. I don't do rain!!! And I don't have a treadmill here. Weather needs to improve so I can train. Not sure what I am going to do if it rains the day of the half marathon!!!

Soapbox time: I am pissed with Paypal. I have had an account since 2002. They are now requiring that I get verified. Problem is, my husband also has an account with them. Our checking account is tied to his Paypal account, so they won't let me tie to the same account. We only have the one account, so I can't have a Paypal account. Seems pretty crappy. Why doesn't my 6 years of being a good customer mean anything? I get through life without Walmart, so I guess I can do without Paypal, but so many vendors will only deal with Paypal!!! ;-(

Well off to the showers, so I can get to stitching and reading and housecleaning. Not much of that last one, I assure you.

No puppy pictures, they are home with husband-unit. They miss me though. I know that.

Chat later
Susan

3/18/08

Sorry for my absence, my Father had the flu and ended up in the hospital. Of course, this was while my sister and her family were on vacation, so I have been very busy. It has taken 2 weeks to get him back on his feet. But he seems to be much better, so I can get back to my life a little.

I finished my toe up socks I was working on sitting at the hospital. My toes were so cold that I put them on with the tails still hanging. (No pictures since they are currently in the washing machine). I started this pair with the new Noro sock yarn. The colors are gorgeous, but I am concerned that I have broken the thinner places twice already, and I am a very loose knitter. Not sure how they are going to hold up. I am using WendyKnits generic toe up pattern with a 3by1 rib on the foot and cuff. I had decided I like the ribbing on the top and the bottom of the foot. With the 3-1 rib it isn't enough pattern to bother the bottom of my foot and it makes the sock snugger. This yarn is getting softer as I work with it, but these will never qualify as world's softest socks.


I finished the Rosalin Fair Isle Hoodie. I haven't worn it, but it fits great. It still needs to be blocked, but it has gotten too warm to wear it, so it is ready for next year. It is a great knit. Pattern is well written and best of all, it is free!!









This is my Ribbi Pulli. I finished it with a turtleneck. I didn't like the thick t-neck wearing it, so I ripped it out and reknit it with a hood. I haven't worn it since I finished. One, it is too warm and two, it needs blocking. Do you see a blocking theme here??? ;-)

I have also been working on the Hemlock Ring Throw. I took a picture of it, but Blogger won't let me upload it for some reason. It doesn't look like much balled up on the needles anyway. I am knitting it with yarn I spun. It is the first thing I have ever knit with MY handspun. It is uneven but it is fun to use my own yarn. Hopefully once it is finished and blocked it will look ok. Even if it isn't great, it in all mine!!!


Here are the next 14 blocks of Dear Jane. I think this gets me to 99 of 169. I will have been working on it for a year in May, so that is pretty good.

Haven't done any applique, just the little bit for the DJ blocks. Need to get back to that, now that things have settled down a little.

Went two weeks without walking or exercising at all. That is no way to train for a half marathon. I got back to walking yesterday, now I have to reestablish that habit.

I got a lot of reading done at the hospital. That is easier, along with sock knitting, than most other things you can do at a hospital. I started A New Earth, Oprah's book club selection, I doubt I will ever finish it. I have read about a 1/3rd of it. It hasn't "said" anything to me yet, and it is HARD READING. If I am getting something out of it, I can deal with hard. But hard, just because Oprah said so, isn't cutting it.

I finished "Losing It", Valerie Bertinelli's book. It was a fun read. It is like reading something aobut someone you know. After watching her on TV all these years, it is like she is someone you know. She has had a tougher life than I realized. The paparazzi wasn't around when she was coming along, so we just didn't know.

I also read Eclipse. That is the third book in the young adult series by Stephenie Meyer, about vampires and werewolves that live amongst us. I have always had a thing about vampires, so this is right up my alley. Easy reading, and quite enjoyable. I pass them along to my nephews when I finish.

I am reading the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson. I am on Second Chance. I had read the first one before, but reread it before I started the series. I like the tv series. Hopefully it will be back since the writer's strike is over. There are currently 7 books so there is lots of material.

We have also watched the first 3 seasons of Lost on DVD. I had never gotten into the show. It was good to fill in during all the re-runs. They are enjoyable, but I think I like them better being able to watch on DVD instead of in weekly installments. I had Tivo'd the 4th season so far, so now we are working on those. By the time we catch up, new shows will be back on and we will have something to watch while I knit/applique/crochet/etc.



Have to include some puppy pictures. Here is Chad. It is hard to get a good picture of a black dog that likes to sit in a navy blue chair.












Here is Chelsea. She is usually still upstairs in bed when I take puppy pictures, so I snapped this one in the afternoon.














Then there is Mr Comfortable!!! Macklin has no problem getting in a "good spot"!!!

Happy St Patrick's Day late!!!

Chat later
Susan

The Rosalin Fair Isle Hoodie is coming along nicely. I am working on the shoulders then I just have to knit the hood. This pattern is well written and knits up smoothly. Even if you have never done Fair Isle, this is a good project.

My Ribby Pulli that I finished a couple of weeks ago, with a turtleneck, I have decided to frog the turtleneck and knit the hood. I don't like the worsted weight T-neck on my body. So guess that one isn't really finished, OR does it count at TWO finished projects since I finished it twice???



We finished Basketball season with my nephews this week. I also finished my mindless project. This is a scarf knit in the round out of the Skacel 1776 sock yarn. Now I need another completely mindless project since baseball season starts April 1st. Any suggestions?


Training is coming fairly well for the Rock n Roll Half Marathon (walking it), but I had to slow down this week. My hips were hurting a lot. So I have slowed down to a more leisurely pace, that has helped a lot, BUT, I can't finish within the 4 hour time limit at my current speed, so hopefully I can speed back up soon.

My nephew wants to do a 25 mile bike ride in September after the walk in August!!! So as soon as he gets out of school, I will be training for that too!!! I won't be able to walk most days. But I should be in good shape!!!

I got two Dear Jane blocks done this week, but didn't get a picture of them yet. I will put them in once I have a few more done.

No applique this week.

I went to the Mid Atlantic Quilt show last week. I was VERY unimpressed. There were not nearly as many quilts and only a handful were hand done. Most were art quilts, which really aren't my cup of tea. Even the vendors were a disappointment. There wasn't anything new. Every thing is just a "retread" of a couple of years ago. Booths had patterns that I know are 8 years old. I already have those. I go to a show to get new stuff!!! Anyway, I may never go back, which is bad since it is one of the largest shows on the East Coast and I only live 25 minutes from the venue, but why pay $12 to get in to see old stuff and quilts I am not crazy about? I would love to hear what others thought. Was it just me??

Saturday I went to Nags Head to the musical theater to see an Elvis impersonator. It was fun. Took my parents and my aunt and uncle. We had a really good day, except... Daddy came down with the flu on Monday, so now I am sure we will all have it. He had the flu shot, but it doesnt' seem to have helped. With each sneeze, cough, or twinge, I am sure I am next. Wish me luck.


Boys are snoozing in their chair. The sleep all night, each breakfast and go get in their chair. What a life?













And when it rains, Macklin really likes to dig in the mud, notice the "white" paws. That is what I call "terrior toes", he also has "terrior nose", but it is hard to see in this picture.

Chat later
Susan

2/13/08

Two more blocks of Nature's Chorus done!!! That is 26 of 49. I am over half way. So, of course, I have gone back to knitting.

Started the Rosalin Fair Isle Hoodie. Not much to show, still working on the turned up hem.

No progress on Expressions of Morris or Dear Jane, will get back to those one day.

Have had a good week training for the Half Marathon. It seems to be taking a lot of time out of my week, but I need to get in the habit of exercising more, so hopefully this will help. By the time the race comes up the end of August, I hope it is such a habit that I can't break it.

Still reading Murder in the Heartland. Hopefully I will finish it one year!!! It really is good, just not devoting any time to it.

Chat later

Susan

2/5/08

Two more blocks of Natures Chorus are done. That means 24 of 49 are done. These blocks really do go fast. I am enjoying making progress on this quilt. Haven't worked on Expressions of Morris or Dear Jane at all this week.

The only knitting I have done is while riding in the car, at Barnes & Noble, and to get the heel turned, since I like to do that while not in public. I like public knitting to be completely mindless and heel turning requires a little counting.

Reading is still plodding along with Murder in the Heartland. It is a really good book, I just haven't made the time to sit and read except for the few minutes each night when I get in bed. Some nights that will only be a page before I call asleep.

I did commit myself to the Rock n Roll Half Marathon held August 31st. There are 4 of us that are planning to WALK it. Hopefully it will help all of us stay motivated to do our exercise!!! I bumped up the treadmill time starting yesterday. With this commitment made, I can't afford to slack off. The hard time will be if I spend as much time at Nags Head this summer. I find it harder to workout while on vacation. No slacking this year!!!

Not much else to report. It has been a quiet catching up kind of week. I also have to get the tax info together so we can get those done. This will be the last year of the business, so next year taxes will be SO MUCH EASIER. I can go back to doing them myself.

No cute dog pictures this week. They are just sleeping like lazy lumps!!!

Chat later

Susan

1/31/08

We had a great weekend at the Outer Banks. It was COLD!!! But we were inside anyway so that really didn't matter. We were fairly productive, sometimes we aren't.

I finished my Ribbi Cardi. The blue is Mission Falls, the green is Ellen Cooper. Love both yarns. We will see how the turtleneck does with the mohair in it once I wear it.






I finished my Panda Scarf. It is SO CUTE. It is a kit from Morehouse Farms. It is a quick, fun knit. I was asked who I was knitting it for. I have but one answer, ME!!!

This is one of the bird blocks from Expressions of Morris. It still needs a little bit of embroidery, but is substantially finished. I appliqued most of the weekend. It was fun for a change. This is block 3 of this quilt finished.

This is Tulip Treat from Nature's Chorus. This quilt has been in the works for at least 6 years. Maybe I will finish it one day!!! I think this is block 21 of 49. Of course there is a border, too.

Not much on the reading or exercise front. But I did lose 2 lbs over the weekend, not sure how unless it was shivering!!!! ;-)

I was BAD on the yarn and fabric purchase front!!! TWO, not ONE background (at 10 yards a piece) for Ladies of the Sea, plus yarn for another sweater, and another pair of socks, plus some more patterns and shawl pins. I did need the shawl pins though. And they aren't fiber!!

Of course, we have to have the cute puppy picture. I called the dogs to give them a bath. They had been needing it but it had been so cold I didn't want to. So we had a warm day, so I tortured them. The two boys jumped in the tub. I had to go get the girl. I washed both boys at the same time. It worked fine until they were ready to get out. I dried one of them slightly, the other one took off like a shot, DRIPPING WET!!! What a mess. But at least they are all clean.

Chat later

Susan

1/7/08

Well today is the first day of my hard core, get back to REGULAR exercise instead of this hit or miss mode I have been in. Of course, am I walking or running??? NO, I am blogging!!! ;-) I have got to quit procrastinating and get with it.

Had a great Birthday dinner with my family. Thanks everyone who sent their best wishes.

I got five more blocks made for Dear Jane yesterday. That gets me to 85 of the 169 blocks, so I am officially over half done on the center blocks, not the border, but a whole 1/2 block!!! They really are fun to work on. Most of them you can do in way less than an hour. Some seem to take forever. Didn't this lady know what a pain inset seams are?!?!

Prepped 6 applique blocks for Nature's Chorus, so now I just have to work on them. No progress on the William Morris quilt.

I have the body and one sleeve done up to the join on Autumn Rose. I really want to get that done to wear at the quilting retreat the end of the month, but it is one of those projects you can only work on so long at a time.

Got the Doctor Bag blocked, now I just have to put it together. It is from the book Knit 2 Together. I read the "put together" instructions yesterday. I think we may do this "my way" intead of "their way" What a pain those instructions are!!!

I am test knitting Annie Modesitt's upcoming pattern, ASSUMING I can find some yarn in my stash to do it with. I am going to try to be good with this no buying thing this year. The stash is really ridiculous. This requires a worsted and sport weight that work together. This will be fun once I figure out this yarn thing.

Fiber Cut-Back Report
No fiber purchases this week. That means I am earning dollars to spend, but not spending (see 12/31/07 post).

Reading Glenn Beck's book An Inconvenient Book. Whether you agree with him or not, it is funny. He deals with the issues of the world and how he would fix them. Everything from marriage to global warming!! My first book of the year. I want to read more this year.

If someone figures out how to get more time in a day, week, month, please let me know. I want to quilt more, knit more, read more, and exercise more in 2008. Where do I think this time is coming from???

Well off to exercise!! I have procrastinated as long as I can
Chat later
Susan

12/31/07 Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

It is time for the look back at the past year and look forward to the new one!!

I have set the comments to moderated since the spammers have found me!!! ;-( So if you comment and it doesn't show up immediately, that is why. I hate that I have to do that, but don't want all the junk that is showing up. I made it a year without any spam, now it is a daily thing.

I have spent the last two days UNdecorating for Christmas. I have it all done, except the vacuuming and floor cleaning, but it was pouring down rain yesterday, and with 3 dogs, a doggie door, and rain, that would have been wasted effort yesterday. Maybe today. My calf muscles are so sore I can hardly walk. Must be from standing on my toes undecorating (since I am vertically challenged).

Anyway, report on 2007!!

Family is all ending the year in reasonably good shape. As my Father says "He is in good shape, for the shape he is in!!"

WEIGHTLOSS/EXERCISE: Need to get back on the wagon for eating and exercise. I have been very slack since Thanksgiving. I seem to think this is a "free" time of year!!! Luckily, I haven't gained any weight. I am at the point after my gastric bypass surgery, that most people start to gain some of their weight back. I don't want to be "most people", so have to really get to work. No more excuses.

FIBER DIET: I started the year on a Fiber Diet (no yarn or fabric). I did well for about 6 months, then all hell broke loose and I made up for lost time. I am going to try this again this year, but with some changes. I am going to try to award myself with $1 per day, for everyday I DON'T by fiber. I may spend this accumulated funding on fiber. That way I can still spend, but it is limited. Let's see how this works. I have really reached SABLE (stash beyond life expectancy) for both fabric and yarn.

QUILTING: Haven't done as much quilting in 2007. I did:
Piece two quicky quilt tops
Hand appliqued 2 1/2 blocks of the Expressions of Morris quilt
Made 80-blocks for Dear Jane.
Guess that really isn't bad. For 2008, I am going to continue on Morris and DJ, also am resurrecting Nature's Chorus and work on that. There is also a Ship quilt over on Quakertown Quilts, that is calling my name!!!! We will see, see earlier comment about Fiber Diet, but a pattern isn't fiber, right??? See I am already justifying my purchases!! All in ONE post.

KNITTING/CROCHETING: Have spent a lot of time in this category!!!
2007 Statitics:
Completed:
10 Sweaters
8 Pairs of Socks
1 Scarf
2 Skirts
4 Shawls
1 Pair of gloves
7 projects remaining unfinished!!! Need to get this number down, but that are still all active!!

TRAVEL: I averaged at least one trip per month all year. It was great. I may stay home a little more this year. Who knows!?!?! My puppies like me home. They turn into velcro when I am gone as much as I have been gone this year.

READING: Didn't track the number of books I read, maybe I will do that for 2008. But I read a fair amount.
Hope everyone had a good a year as I did.

Happy 2008!!!
Chat later
Susan

11/1/07

Happy November Everyone!!! Another month behind us. Shopping days before Christmas dwindling FAST!!! I haven't even made a list yet!!!

Here is 2/3rd's of Modern Quilt Wrap from KnittingDaily.com. Knit in KidSilk Haze. If that isn't addictive, nothing is. I am using 10 colors, the pattern only calls for 9. I changed the colors and there were 10 I liked, so went with it.

I messed up my back last week. Happens periodically, but not often thankfully. Anyway, haven't been doing anything around the house, so I have been working on Dear Jane. Here are another 22 blocks. I have 81.5 made now. There are 169 in the body of the quilt and then something like 40 in the border.

Was doing very well getting back on track with my exercising, but the back issue put a stop to that. Haven't done anything since last Thursday!!! Now I have to start over again. I hope Monday to restart AGAIN!!!

I am reading The Jane Austen Book Club. Book is good, not sure how it is going to translate into a movie, but we'll see.

Chat Later

Susan

10/22/07

NOTE: Sorry the pictures are screwed up. I tried to edit and get them right and the more I work the more screwed up they get!!! So I quit. You can tell a sweater from a sock, just PRETEND they are in the right place.

I am finally back. I feel like life may be calming down a little. Until the next stupid thing happens at my house. They never seem to end.

Just got back from a great week at Kill Devil Hills, NC. Weather was great. A little cool with a breeze, plenty of sunshine (but we need rain, badly). Spent a lot of time in the swing on the front porch. It is my favorite reading and knitting spot. Can hang there for hours!!! Read 3 books. Jack Cafferty's "It's Getting Ugly Out There". Funny review of the country's political situation. If you have ever watched him on CNN, this book is written exactly the way he talks. I really enjoyed it. Don't agree with everything he said, but he doesn't hold anything back. "Jonathan's Story" this is a side story to what is going on in the soap, Guiding Light. Light, escapist reading. Ok, not great. And finally, and the best of all. "Drunk, Divorced & Covered in Cat Hair". Whether you are married, divorce, single, a knitter, non-knitter or what, this book is hysterical. She has a blog CrazyAuntPurl that I have been reading for over a year. Her book is great. Makes you think about what is going on in your own life.

I got two blocks almost done on my Impressions of Morris quilt. Once I get the embroidery done, I'll post some pictures. This is making me want to applique again.

I finally got the dreaded bathroom mirror picture of Fifi posted. My DH flew off to Hawaii this morning so he wasn't available to act as photographer. I really love the pattern and the Calmer yarn I used. Am actively looking for another project to use Calmer. I added sleeves to this pattern. It is written to have cap sleeves only.

I finished my Tofutsie socks. They are a simple 3-1 rib top down sock. Love they why the knitted fabric feels, but the yarn is very splitty while knitting.

Mother and Daddy are both doing well at the moment. Mother went to the boy's ballgame on Saturday, the only one she has been to all season. She also drove the first time since surgery bagan this week. That also went well. Thanks to everyone who has posted comments and sent me e-mails wishing them well.

I have decided to not renew my subscription to Socks That Rock and Sundara's clubs. They have just gotten way too expensive. I will just order some yarn when I want to instead of getting is shipped automatically. Still love both yarns, just not willing to pay the price they are asking.

I have started the Modern Quilt Wrap from knittingdaily.com. It is fun to work on. It weighs NOTHING. I am used the KidSilk Haze the pattern calls for, but changed the colors. I'll post a picture a little later.

Today was the first day of the "back on track" exercise program. With all the surgeries and associated dr appts, I haven't been doing very well. I have to get it done first thing in the morning or it doesn't happen. Since my parent's think if they can't have the first dr appt in the morning it ruins the whole day, it messes up my exercising quite a bit, but starting today, I AM DOING BETTER.

Now for a few cute, puppies picture, just because.

Chad likes to sleep under the kitchen table. Not sure why, but that is his favorite spot.

Chelsea is peeking around the corner between the den and the kitchin. She is ready to attack if anyone trys to get the Milkbone behind her. She doesn't eat them, just guards them. One of the boy's will get it a little later and eat it. She will growl and show her teeth, but let them walk up and pick it up.

Mack says he is just cute and that is all that he has to do. He can raise all the cain he wants, because , by golly, I AM CUTE. If you have any questions about he views on life, they all revolve around being CUTE.

Chat later

Susan

10/1/07

How do the die hard bloggers make time to blog everyday. I haven't even managed to get a post done in over a month. I missed September completely!!!!

My mother's surgery went very well. The second mastectomy is Weds of this week. Hopefully this one will go as well. My father as gastritus so can't eat hardly anything. Old age is just hell!!!

I just got back from 12 days at Kill Devil Hills, NC. It was great. Weather was cool and breezy. I read several books, appliqued and knitted. It was heaven. I was ready to come back home and see DH and puppies. But will be going back soon.

I have gotten a ton of sock yarn recently. I have pictures.

This one is Tsock Tsarina the kit is the bottom one, the top bag is a free gift!!!! Love the unique sock designs they have.
















The one to the left is Zen Garden. One the right is WoolGirl. This is Woolgirls first shipment. That club is great. Not only is the yarn AWESOME, but the pattern is good. The extras were wonderful too. We got a "sock journal" note book, chocolate mint lipgloss, and a stitch marker. Can't wait for the next shipment.















Left is Spunky Eclectic. Love her stuff!! And of course the one on the right is Socks That Rock!! Need I say more about that one?















So now I have some serious sock knitting to do. Hopefully there will be some time sitting in the waiting room for my Mother tomorrow.

I finished reading "Critical" while I was sitting in the porch swing at the beach. It is very good. medical mystery. Good read, although it does have a lot of medical mumbo jumbo in to. I read "Twilight" (by Stephenie Meyer), this is the book they say is the new Harry Potter. It was very good. A teenage girl moves to a new town to find that the high school has a family of vampires!!! I have always had a thing about vampires!! So it fits right in. I started Jack Cafferty's "It's Getting Ugly Out There". It is written exactly like he talks on his show on CNN. Haven't finished it yet, but am enjoying it. I have ordered the other two books in the series with Twilight. I think they will be my next read.

I appliqued the center square of a new quilt. Impressions of Morris. I would have finished it but decided I wanted to change some of the fabrics, so needed to stop and go through the stash, that was, of course, at home.

I knit Mix and Match shawl. It was fun. Just Knit 3 rows, purl one. I used 5 different yarns and changed yarns every 2-4 rows. It was good and mindless.

I am working on FiFi, from French Girl Patterns. I had it ready to bind off the bottom, tried it on. I had miss-counted. The cable that is supposed to go down the center was over one boob!!! ;-( So I frogged it all and started over. I am almost finished with the body again!!! I am putting longer sleeves on mine, not sure how long yet, depends on how much yarn I have.

Have been a lazy bum for the last month. I really have got to get back on a real routine with the exercise. This hit or miss thing isn't working. Running once a week doesn't cut it!! Once this next surgery is done. I have to do better. I can turn the focus back to me instead of my parents, I hope.

Chat later
Susan

7/26/07

Tour de France KAL Update
Here is my one armed Kauni Cardigan, with the injury to the "knitting finger" my hope now is to finish the second sleeve by Sunday. I think finishing work will have to wait until after the Tour. At least I can say it was done drugfree.






Have I mentioned that Macklin likes to be comfortable when he sleeps?

Reading

Still plodding along with Harry Potter. I have been devoting all my time to knitting. Want to finish it before someone tells me what happened though. On someone's blog I read the ultimate in love. Her husband is READING her Harry Potter while she knits!!!! My husband is wonderful, but I know better than to even ASK for this one!!!

Exercise has also been suffering with the push for the Green Jersey. Monday I have to redouble my efforts. Can't get completely out of the habit.

Chat later

Susan

7/23/07

I know I say this almost every post, but where does the time go???

I have been watching the Tour de France. I think this is the best year I have ever watched. When Lance was riding, you knew he was going to win, it was just a matter of which day he wanted the lead. This year there are 10 possibles and you never know who is large and in charge that day until the very end. There hasn't been a bad stage yet.

My Tour de France KAL project, Kauni Cardigan is coming well. The body is done, I have one sleeve 3/4 done. The pattern is a translated pattern, so you need to know what you are doing to knit a sweater from it, but the patterning on the sweater is very easy to memorize and you can work on it and talk, or watch the Tour. Now for the bad news. I tried to shorten my left index finger with a knife yesterday. My sister had gotten 100 ears of corn. I was helping her wash and cut off the bad spots. I mistook my finger for an ear of corn. We debated stitches, but she grabbed the steri strips and closed it up. Last time the boys got a cut she did that then took them to the emergency room. At the emergency room they left her work in place. So I decided we weren't spending hours in the emergency room. Today it is VERY SORE, but doesn't seem to be bleeding anymore. BUT, this sweater is two-handed, two-color. I can run two colors in my left hand, but don't knit English well enough to run two in my right. So I think knitting is done for a couple of days!!! ;-( There is no way I can finish my project by the time to Tour is over and not knit for a couple of days. I only have until Sunday. Just a reminder, this sweater is in fingering weight yarn!!!

Harry Potter arrived Saturday at 6:10PM. I didn't even get to start until last night. I am on page 75. I fell asleep on the book, woke up at 3AM. So since I can't knit, guess I can read!!! I want to get it read before someone tells me what happens, but I want to savor it too. I don't think I would get as much pleasure from it if I read it all in one day. I finished the Diana Chronicles before HP. It is the least complimentary book about her I have read, but it also had more info I hadn't seen before. It is a new book, so there is 10 years of history rewrite there too. I am kind of stuck in the middle of Summerhouse by Jude Devereaux. Just can't seem to get into the story. Maybe too many Jude Devereaux books in a row. I haven't given up completely.

Had a great trip to the Beach. Weather was great. I still have revelations about my new weight that are fun. You would think a year at normal weight I would have had them all. We climbed Jockey's Ridge. Two years ago, I stayed at the cottage. I knew there was no way I could climb it. Last year, my sister stayed with me and I made it up with only one break to stop and pant. This year I was in the front of the pack, saying "Are you coming?" My 11 yo athletic nephew wanted to race down the hill. He said "Ready, Set, Go" we took off. He realized I was going to win, so he rolled down the hill, so he didn't loss!!!!! ;-) Guess my exercising really is paying off!!! Now I just have to get back in the habit at home.

No picture, sorry. I have to be retrained, it has been too long since I used the conversion software and my camera won't take a picture small enough to upload directly!!! ;-( You don't want to see my mangled finger anyway!!! ;-)

Chat later
Susan

7/11/07

Want to get a quick and pictureless post in before I headed off to the Outer Banks, NC again.

I have been knitting away on the Kauni cardigan. It is going well. I have the pattern memorized almost immediately. It is giving me a great chance to practice my two hand two color knitting. I am almost up the the armhole steek. This is my Tour de France KAL project. I am going for the Green Jersey so I need to finish it during the tour. I am sure I will do very little knitting while at the beach. My nephews are going and they keep us VERY busy.

Haven't finished any books or done any quilting, but I have been getting my running in like a "good girl".

I'll give you a full report when I get back from the beach. Hopefully we won't have as much rain as they are predicting. We need rain at home not at the beach. Home is so dry the grass crunches.

Chat later
Susan

7/4/07

Happy 4th to everyone!!!

First let me introduce the rest of the family.

This is Chad. He is the male half of the littermates. He really likes to nap on the hearth.

This is Chelsea. She is the female portion of the litter mates. She is the "bitch". Not just in the dog sense of the word. She thinks she is the alpha dog, but she forgot to tell Mack!!

The is Mack in his favorite sleeping position. That is the back of the chair, between the cushion and the back. He thinks this is heaven.

Another shot of Chad sleeping on the hearth.

I have been on a finishing binge so I don't have so many UFO's when the Tour de France KAL starts. These have been on the needles since March!!! They are Smokin' Socks from KnitSpot.com. Using Lorna's Laces Lagoon. Loved the pattern, it is a mock cable so you get the look of cables with no cable needle.

This is a bad picture of the Split Neck T from Knitting Plain and Simple.

This is the back and front of the Prosperous Plum Tank knit in Candy Apple Red Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. It fits great. I hope it doesn't stretch.

Have been running on the treadmill. That is going very well. Much easier on the knees and the treadmill helps me pace myself. I want to run too fast when I am outside. So this was a good purchase.

I am now reading three books, I am getting as bad about books as I am about projects. I have Summerhouse by Jude Devoureax, the JFK book by Vincent Bugliosi (this is good, but just too big to handle and read), and the new Diana Chronicles. Not sure who wrote that at the moment.

Another of my obsessions that has gotten out of control is I have 400 blogs in my bloglines account. That is not a typo, it is FOUR HUNDRED!!! Thank goodness for Bloglines.

I have 2 more pictures I couldn't get into this post, so I will do another one to try to get those two uploaded. Hopefully they will work with just the two.

Chat Later

Susan

6/28/07

Hot enough for everyone? This over 100 heat index is just too much. Thank goodness the A/C is working.

I chose my Tour de France KAL (http://tdfkal.blogspot.com/) project. I am going to do the Kauni Cardigan. (http://www.ruths.dk/kauni%20regnbue%20engelsk.pdf). This is a stretch, but it does have yellow and green in the yarn so it meets the requirements for the KAL. I am going for the green jersey which means I want to finish the sweater during the Tour. It isn't as hard as it looks. The yarn is striped and you use 2 skeins starting at different places and it does all the color changing by itself. It is a fairly simple pattern so it should be doable. Of course, how long I spent on the OBX will have and impact on whether it gets finished or not.

I have been catching up on the Lime n Violet podcasts. They are a hoot. If you have an iPod, or even if you just listen on your computer. They are well worth the listen. One of my very favorite knitting podcasts. My very favorite is Brenda Dayne of Cast On. Even Lime n Violet call her St Brenda!!!

Got three skeins of sock yarn this week. One from Red Bird Knits, it is a kit for a mitered square cuff sock, my new Socks that Rock sock kit, it is gorgeous as usual. And my Spunky Eclectic yarn, it is also awesome.

Other than that, not much has happened since yesterday. I did spend 30 minutes running/walking on the treadmill. So glad I don't have to go out in this heat. Besides it is easier to run on the treadmill because it paces me. I try to run too fast when I am outside and then I run out of steam.

Chat later.
Susan