My Faux Sense of Perception

Oh my gosh! I didn't realize that it has been almost two months since my last post. Wow, how time flies when things are going on. It is really funny how I thought that once both of the boys were in school, I would have more time to do the things that I want to do. It seems as though the more they are out of the house, the more I have to do. Though, much of this is self induced and it drives Hubby crazy.

The fact that I am busy is not what drives Hubby crazy so much, but the fact I keep adding more and more for myself to do. I won't bore you with the details because let's face it, we are all busy. My day may seem like a walk in the park to some, while to others it may seem as though I shouldn't be able to keep my head afloat. It's all about perspective or should I say perception? And let's face it, this is just my perspective of the situation. Is it right or wrong. I don't think it is. Everyone sees things the way they see it.

The good thing about all of this stuff going on is that it really has given me a chance to work on my time management skills. Something I have always lacked. It has also forced me to be a bit more organized. I like to think that I have always been organized, but lets face it, I could always get better.

Even though I have been busier than ever, I still have found some time to knit and have even dabbled with some crochet. Finished photos will come relatively soon (the key word being relative).

Here is one of the projects I had been working on during my little hiatus:

They were designed for The Three Irish Girls Sock Yarnista Club. The yarn was a pure joy to knit with! If you like the pattern, you can find it here.

As for all of the projects I have that need to be finished before Christmas. I think I have a hold on that. I have most of them completed. I think I have only three or four left. I don't know if I am going to finish before Christmas, but hopefully I will not add any other things to the list of things for me to do.

That was then

How many times has this happened to you? Someone finds out you knit and the next words out of their mouth is...

..."Will you make me..."
..."I want you to knit me..."

I find this happens quite often. Some of the time, I tell people if I have time I will make them whatever it is they are asking. And more often I tell people I don't have the time, but if they want me to teach them to knit, I would be more than happy.

Unfortunately most of the time it is family members who expect knitted items whenever they see something they like and know I can make it.

About six months or so ago my mom told me to make asked me to make her a mobius. At the time I told her I didn't have the time and I would make it when I can. Well that was then.

I finally had time to make the mobius for her.

I will probably give it to her for her birthday next month (if I don't forget I have it and get her something else).

I am really curious though, do a lot of people ask you to knit or make things for them when they find out you knit/craft. And if they do, how do you handle it?

One is more than enough

It's still not here. Fall that is. For a couple of days after my last post, I honestly thought that it was working. The weather started cooling and I actually put on long sleeves in the morning while I was walking the kiddos to school.

It is now a couple of days into "Fall" and I am still wearing shorts and tank tops, with no need for knit caps or socks...yet.

This is a pic of one of the things I had worked on over the summer. It is China Doll from Interweave Crochet Spring 2008.

It is actually finished but I don't have a pic of me in it. So that is all you get.

Oh, I almost forgot. I was at the dentist with Big Monkey a couple of weeks ago and as usual, I was knitting in the room while he was having work done. The dentist who was working on Big Monkey is relatively new to us since he has only been with the practice for a few months noticed that I was knitting and asked what I was knitting. I told him it was a sock, to which he replied, "For a set or are you making just one?"

What I wanted to say was, "Usually when I wear socks I like to wear one on each foot, just like my shoes. Doesn't everyone?" Though I didn't dare because for all I know my sarcasm wouldn't have been taken to so kindly and then I would have pissed off the person who was working on my son.

If I Make it....

...fall and winter will come.

At least that is what I am hoping. The weather over here has been in the high 80s and 90s. I am so over the heat and can not wait until we get fall weather. Not So Cal fall/winter weather either, I want it so I can wear my hat without busting a sweat by the time I get to my front door. The chances of that happening are pretty slim, so I guess I will just wait until snowboarding season.

Inspiration

Inspiration (in-spe-ra-shen) n. 1. stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level. b. The condition of being so stimulated. 2. One that inspires. 3. Something that is inspired.

Inspire (in-spir) v. 1. To fill with noble or reverent emotion; exalt. 2. To stimulate to creativity or action. 3. To elicit or create in another.

Lack of the above is why I have been out for so long. I have still been knitting and have even done a bit of crochet while I have been gone. Though I have had the lack of inspiration to blog about it for a couple of reasons. One being that some of the things that have been made I have to keep a lid on for now. The other is because I have to keep a lid on things. I have no less than six FO's that I would love to share but can't. That's right six, maybe even ten.

The summer has been super busy with the kids. This past spring was the first season that Big Monkey played kid pitched baseball. I was the team mom, which kept me busy scorekeeping during the games. It was a fantastic season! Their team won their division championships. During the same time he decided that he wanted to also play flag football. That is in addition to all of the activities that Little Monkey, Hubby, and I are involved in. I think at one point in the last few months we counted ten games within one week.

There were times when I wanted to blog, but because of the lack of craft content didn't. I'm hoping with the kids going back to school next week, I will be able to be a little more dedicated to blogging. That's right both of the kids are going back to school. For the first time ever both of my kids will be at the same school. Little Monkey will be there for half day and Big Monkey for full day. I can't wait, though I am a bit sad at the same time. Where did the time go? It seems like it was yesterday that they were brought home from the hospital.

With the kids going back to school, I'm hoping there will be a bit more time for some of this:

and maybe just maybe, I'll be a little more inspired.

I do, I do...

...still exist, that is. I never have the intentions of staying away from this here blog for so long. I know you've heard that from me probably a gazillion times if not more from me, but it is true. I really don't like to stay away for that long, but life as it is has other things in store for me.

I guess it doesn't help that the kiddos are signed up for a million and one activities. Each time they ask to sign up for something else, I initially tell them no, but then end up changing my mind and letting them, which means that I have that much more on my plate. Though I am not complaining or anything like that. Afterall, this is what I signed up for and I wouldn't change it for anything.

Remember when I made these last year?

I finally put the pattern together and now have the pattern available for you.

The pattern is called Twist and Shout and is made from the toe up, but don't worry if toe-ups are not your style. The pattern can easily be adapted to be worked from the top down. The pattern includes the written stitch pattern as well as a chart. They're made on US 3/3.25, so they knit up pretty quickly.

If you are so inclined, give Twist and Shout a try. I think you'll like them.

To purchase Twist and Shout, click on the button.

Finally...

...I have some knitting content to post. The last couple of weeks have been so crazy. I had been sick with a very bad sinus infection for at least a week before I decided to go to the doctors. When I did I was given some antibiotics and a few days later I was better.

I probably should have gone to the doctors much sooner than I did, it's just that things were so busy over here I hardly had the time. Big Monkey is playing baseball as well as football right now and so between games and practices and all of the other stuff, I didn't have time to take better care of myself.

Funny thing is, if I would have taken better care of myself, things probably wouldn't have gotten to the point they did. It's a vicious cycle, I tell ya.

Anyway, because I was so sick and busy at the same time, I did not have much knitting content to post about. And I'm pretty sure you didn't want to hear about all of the interesting things that happen to come from me while I am ill (if you know what I mean).

The important part is I am better now and hopefully will be better focused and consistent on things (this blog included). I was able to go for my first jog since this whole thing hit me yesterday and I felt pretty good.

So for now I will leave you with this.

Warm Hands

About two weeks ago Big Monkey had his first baseball game of the season. This is his first year of Pinto, which means that this is the first time the kids are playing a little more closely to the rules of baseball. Last year all the kids that were playing would bat each inning regardless of outs and there was no official score for the game.

Now that he has moved up to the next level, we are required to have an official scorekeeper for each of the games. Seeing that hiring a scorekeeper for our home games would add a couple of hundred dollars to the team bill, I agreed to do the job. What I did not realize at the time was how cold those night games would be. I mean, I knew that it would be cold, but I didn't think that my hands would be that cold. At the end of the evening I could barely hold my pencil it was so cold.

The next day I decided that I would cast on for these:

They are a heavily modified version of the fingerless mitts from IK's Fall 2005 issue. Click on the pictures for more details. They are so comfy and fit perfectly. The best part, I finished them just in time for his second night game. Now I am able to stay a little warmer during the games and able to hold my pencil without it being all funky.

Granny Square Baby Blankie

I never realized how quickly I would finish the Granny Square Baby Blankie until I was actually done. I mean, I had read somewhere that crocheting was faster than knitting, but I took that with a grain of salt. Afterall, everyone does their crafting at different paces. And for all I knew the person who wrote that crocheting was faster than knitting could have been a super speedy crocheter and just a so-so knitter.

Anywhoo, I finished the entire blanket in less that a week, edging and all. The only thing I didn't realize, or should I say forgot, was the fact that crochet uses up so much more yarn. Not bad if you want to destash.

Enough of the rambling. Here is what the finished blanket looks like.

I really enjoyed the quickness and almost instant gratification of crochet and even have a couple of things in the queue that are for crochet. But the next few things I make are going to be with needles and yarn.

Houston, we have some Granny Squares

I first learned how to crochet many years ago when my age was still in the single digits. Though I don't know if you can exactly call what I was doing crochet, unless you consider a chain of stitches a mile and a half long crochet.

I have always loved the look of the granny square but for some reason, I could not figure out how to do one. It wasn't for the lack of trying either. I just had some type of mental block which prohibited my hands from completing one.

About a month ago I was talking with one of my girlfriends, a crocheter, about how much I wanted to make a granny square and the difficulties I was having. During the conversation she said the granny square is all about counting. At that moment something clicked. Last night I finally decided to give it another try.

I'm thinking it is going to become a blanket for my best friend's baby, she is due in the next couple of months.

Look what I found

When I first learned to knit, I did what I think many people did. Made scarves. I think I made about six scarves and a blanket before I really dove into knitting and made my first pair of socks which were knit flat and seamed up the back.

Back then it didn't even dawn on me to take a picture of the socks or of any of my finished work for that matter. Heck, at the time it never even occurred to me to use the internet as a tool to learn more about knitting. And blog...what the heck was that?

Now don't get the impression that I have been knitting for decades or anything like that, I have only been knitting for about five years, seriously knitting for maybe four. When I first learned how to knit it never dawned on me that this here internet would be such an integral part of my knitting. Back then all I would use the computer for was email and the occasional shopping. My how times have changed.

Why am I being so nostalgic? Well this weekend as I was helping the kids clean their toy room I came across one of the first scarves I made.

I don't think I made it for myself as the scarf is much shorter than my arm span. Since it was in the toy room, I'm thinking I made it for Big Monkey.

tap...tap...anyone here?

Wow, I never had any intentions of being away for so long. Things had been quite busy and interesting after my last post. Next thing I know it's been over a month. During that month, I finished a pair of socks for my Grandmother, which I forgot to take pictures of before giving them to her...typical me.

Other than the socks, not a whole lot of knitting had been going on here as the kids were home from school on winter break for three weeks and they have just returned yesterday. So, I am hoping that I can resume to things as normal.

I did however manage to dye some yarn.

It's being worked into some socks for my friend Camille.