Farewell, Old Friend...

Last night my favorite coffee cup left this realm to enter that great kiln in the sky. He did not pass peacefully, but violently. Waiting until I picked him up, full of hot java, to come apart at the handle. The heat of the coffee bouncing off my chest, stomach, and legs was not enough to numb my pain at the loss.

Farewell, Old Friend...I'd say you'd be missed, but after breaking AND burning me? Yeah, don't let the door hit you in the arse on the way out, okay?

In crafty-related news, I cast on a new pair of socks for myself Saturday night. Life has been throwing curve balls of the rotten vegetable and fruit variety my way lately, and I've found myself sinking deeper and deeper into the self-pity pool. I figured a new pair of handknit socks would perk me right up, and it certainly is working like a charm! The yarn is very busy...it's Bernat Sox Multi in Crazy Hot...so I had a little difficulty deciding on a pattern. Then I stumbled across RPM, which was published on Knitty in summer of 2006. TA-DA!!! PERFECTION!!!! So late Saturday night I cast on. I've just finished the cuff of sock #2 this morning, so I'm hoping that by Thursday (at the latest!) I'll have a new comfy, soft, pamper-me pair of socks to wear. WIN!!

I've also almost finished with the test-knit of my first design of the year. Only a little overstitching with my trusty Singer is left now, to secure the blanket to the backing. It. Is. Gorgeous. I'm hoping to finish it up this week, and get the write-up for my Etsy store done, as well. Stay tuned for it, I'm really proud of how it turned out!

Polsterung

I've gone and done it, this time! I've managed to wear my body down to the point that I came down with pneumonia. I've never had it before, and let me tell you it is SO NOT FUN! During my sick time my hubby has been a gem. He's gone in late to work to keep me from taking our youngest to the school bus in the mornings. He's made sure I've had food, drinks, medicines, humidifiers, tissues, blankets, etc., all gathered around me in a little circle of love when he left for work. He's done the grocery shopping. The cleaning. The laundry. The cooking. Cared for our youngest. Waited on me hand and foot. All while he, himself, is in pain.

You see, my hubby is awaiting foot surgery on BOTH feet. He has herniated arches that fat deposits are seeping through, leaving the bottom of his feet looking and feeling like he has marbles under his skin. He has one large nodule on his left foot, but his right foot has 6 or 7 of the nasty little bludgers. The surgery can't be performed, however, until said nodules quit growing. Leaving my darling husband in a constant state of pain. His doctor has given him a strong anti-inflammatory prescription, but there is nothing that will help with the pain. Oh, and did I mention that my hubby is also on his feet for his entire 13 hour shifts at work, often walking over 10 miles during that shift? Yeah, poor guy, huh?

So, I got to thinking this morning about how wonderful he's been to me while I've been down for the count. I wanted to do something for him to try to take care of him, though I knew that I was impaired physically by my illness. Then I remembered the one lonely sock at the bottom of my project bag that I designed for him over a month ago. A thick, cushy, worsted weight pair of socks...ribbed for optimum fit and comfort. In the colors of his choice. As is usual when knitting socks I flew through the construction of the pattern and the first sock, then shoved newer, brighter projects to the front burner. EUREKA! What better way to show him that he's appreciated than by putting HIM first? So around 10:45 this morning I grabbed my supplies and set to work...and around 30 minutes ago I finished weaving in the ends. I may still be down and out, but by golly gee my hubby is going to have soft comfort for his tootsies when he gets home tonight!

Oh...and dear hubby? When you read this, like I know you will...I love you. Thank you for taking care of me, and for showing me (yet again!) that marrying you all those years ago was a very wise decision, indeed.

Omigosh, will it ever SLOW DOWN?

I feel like I'm in a blender right now! My days have been, since school started back, at least 17 hours long. I fall into bed and immediately slip into a coma then I'm back up and at 'em in what feels like 2 minutes. Today was supposed to be a lie-in day for me, but the hubby woke up and hour and a half late for work, causing a nuclear melt-down in the getting ready process. As soon as my feet hit the floor I was dashing about getting his coffee, making sure he had cash/wallet/keys/etc., and trying to calm him. Now he's at work, and I'm wide awake. Sheesh, the things we do for the men we love, eh?

I've been fairly decent about keeping the blog updated with my book reviews as I finish reading, thanks entirely to Goodreads' blogger interface. It makes it a one-click update and, let's face it, that is really handy! Speaking of which, if you have a Goodreads account make sure and friend me! Along the crafty lines, however? Yeah, I get a major fail on that one. So let's get you up to date!

I've managed to finish very few projects this summer. See the title of this post for the explanation. I've created a next pattern in my Hogwarts House fingerless mitt collection, R is for Ravenclaw. The mitts have been test knit, but I've yet to write out the pattern. Perhaps some rainy day...



My first portable project that I took with me to my youngest's nightly football practices is finished. I knit a pair of Bellatrix socks in Hufflepuff yarn, which was absolutely delightful! The socks aren't too bad, either ;)

I'm also working on a secret project. Well, secret from the hubby, anyways. Remember that quilt I was making for my youngest's bed? Well, my hubby adores it. He's been dropping hints for month about how he'd love to have one of his own. Cue the proverbial light bulb over the head. I'm making him his very own quilt for Christmas. It's been a problematic project. I can only work on it when 1. He's at work; and 2. I've got free time at home. See the problem? Because of that I picked out a super simple pattern, Victoriana Quilters' Easy Beginner's Rail Fence. Today, since I'm up anyways, I actually get to start sewing the 6 1/2" squares together to form the 12" squares!

Well, that's about it for me! Time is of the essence, and I hear the coffee pot and the sewing machine both calling for me!!

Last week in crafts...

Well, you all already saw that I finished my Anastasia socks.

I also managed to get quite a bit of work done on my quilt!

I got the nine-patch squares attached to the center strip, the center strip that connects the square halves together sewn, cut & pressed, AND got 6 squares completely assembled. I'm hoping to find time this week to, at the very least, finish assembling the squares. The dream would be for me to also get the squares connected into strips, but I don't know if that can happen or not.

I finished the sweater that I was working on, and found a little time to play around and take my first stab at making some note cards!

Not too bad for a first try, huh? Okay, I'm off for now. I've got a TON to get done around this house before this afternoon, and I've yet to figure out how to blog and clean at the same time.

Have a great Monday!

I Love Socks!

I do, I really do. There is just nothing like the feel of warm, woolen, handknit socks. Even better is when you make them for yourself!

I finished my Anastasia socks this morning, and am going to be sporting them while toting mounds of laundry to and fro today.

Be jealous!

Last week in crafts...

I accomplished quite a bit, for no more time than I had to actually work on things.

First I finished the first of my Anastasia socks. I'm using Premier Yarns Serenity Sock Weight in

Purple Spice. It's a lovely yarn to work with; it doesn't split and slides easily on my needles. I'll be making baby booties for a friend of mine who had a beautiful baby girl on November 30th with the leftovers, which I'm finding is great motivation to ward off SSS (Second Sock Syndrome).

I spent the majority of my crafting time over the past week quilting. I have 35 squares left to finish on Bradley's twin-size quilt for his bedroom redo. I managed to get 140 nine patch squares cut, stripped, sewn together, and pressed. I've still got to square them up, which I hope to get to later today.

My current on-going project is "Scrappy". This is an affectionately

named rectangular granny square afghan that I'm working all my bits of leftover worsted weight yarn into. It seems that the majority of my yarn basket is taken up by these little, tiny balls of yarn that just really aren't enough to do anything with, so as I run into them I'll be adding them to Scrappy until he is as big as I like. Then, if I have any let, I'll start on Scrappy II!

Last, but not least, was cast on yesterday. I cast on and got to about the 60% mark on a Presto Chango baby sweater. I'm using Caron Simply Soft Heather in Truffle Heather for it, and it is coming out gorgeous! I've got the right front and sleeve left to finish of the main body, and also have to do the front flap and sew the buttons on. The best part? I've only got about 4 hours in this sweater, and will have less than 8 in it when it's complete! I LOVE projects like that, how about you?

Okay, that sums up what I got done last week. This week? Well, my goals are to

1. cast on Anastasia sock #2 and get to the halfway point on it
2. finish Presto Chango
3. get all of the remaining 35 squares assembled, squared up, and pressed for Bradley's quilt.

Now I just have to keep the Real Life Monster from rearing it's ugly head and keeping me from my fiber!