Knitting Meet up

Tonight is my knitting meet up. I sure hope that more than 3 people show up. I didn't make last month's meeting as Mom was in town but the month before, which was the first meeting, there were only three of us there. Mind you, I had a great time. How can one not? Knitting, eating, knitting and eating with other people who are doing the same thing? I just wish we could do this more than once a month! I do enjoy my solitary knitting and feel I can get more done, make mistakes in private, while trying not to get chocolate on my projects. I get off work at 4:30pm (about 7 minutes) and the meeting doesn't start until 7:00pm. I have to drive all the way home just to come back near where I work. But that's okay...I'll be knitting later!

My boss was lamenting the fact that her drive home is getting increasingly longer due to road work. I told her that it's too bad she can't drive and knit. Not that she knits, but she could take it up. I told her that I knit at lights and if traffic is at a standstill. It makes my commute pleasurable. I even get miffed if I actually make it through a light without having to stop first...I didn't have an opportunity to knit at that light! Getting a tad harder to do this on my drive home as it is pretty dark when I leave.

Last night I started a toe-up sock using the magic loop method to bring to the knitting meet up. Last time I was with the gals I told them about the technique and neither of them had tried it. I wanted to show them. My toe didn't quite turn out as I wanted. Couldn't get the figure 8 to work like it did the last time I used it. I had to brush up on my short rowed heel technique as well. I tell you, after a couple of months of quick knit projects on size 17-35 needles, it feels as though I'm knitting with pins using these size 2's!

Well, time to go home!

Ticked off and have to vent!

Just heard from a friend, J, that the kid who assaulted our kids (J's two boys and my eldest son) has now enlisted the help of another kid to threaten them as they were walking home from school today. This kid, G, threw a brick at our kids a few weeks ago as they were walking home from school, hitting one of them. The school district then had this kid sent to another school for what we thought was the rest of the school year. Today he and another boy (much larger than my son, who at 5'7, 225 lbs at 12 years old is BIG!) were waiting for our kids after school and threatened the kids as they walked home. This has to stop. This kid's parents, from what I've been told, are just as bad as he is and don't think there is anything wrong with his behavior. They're raising a little sociopath! I've got to speak to the school police tomorrow, after I find out this little creep's last name (as I'm too mad to remember it right now).

Now to change the subject and calm down a little...

I have Bunco tomorrow night. Am I prepared? Ha! Me? Prepared? I haven't bought my secret sister's gift yet. Perhaps I'll swing by the store on the way home and grab something quick. I'll probably have to go tomorrow after work as I've got too many things to do tonight. Even worse! Well, it's not like I haven't done it before.

BTW, I haven't found my camera yet. I tore the house up, my car up, my desk at work up...still nothing.

What a pain...

In the back, that is. I stayed home from work today because B has hurt his back and can't function. He couldn't even make it to the bathroom without help. We went to the doctor and were there for 2 hours. He needs an MRI, which I already knew. I hope they can approve the referral in the next day or two. I'll go back to work tomorrow and if he is able to go for the MRI, I'll still be able to take him. I just hope he'll be okay here by himself.

I'm a bit freaked out right now, however. I can't find my new digital camera. I used it at work last week Thursday or Friday and I don't know where it is now. I called the office this morning when I realized I didn't have it and J told me it wasn't near my desk. I'm just hoping that if I did leave it at work, that I locked it up in my desk. I just got the damn thing this summer! Argh! I'm so mad at myself. We'll see tomorrow when I go back to work.

I need to be banned from watching infomercials! I called G today and told her that while I was home this morning (as B slept) I started watching the infomercial for Michael Thurmond's 6-week diet program. I watch him on Extreme Makeover and I hope I'm ready this time. J and I have tried a few diets together since we started working together. She does really well on the Atkins program. The most success I've had was on South Beach but as soon as I fell off the wagon, the pounds didn't creep on...they re-appear overnight as if by magic. Anyway, I bought the program and can't wait to start.

Just finished watching Trading Spouses and now The Swan is on. Got to go! Have to have something to talk about around the water cooler tomorrow.

Here is a picture of one of the many beanies that I made for my nephews over the summer. I must have made about 12 of these so far. So easy! I can do it in my sleep. In fact, I've made a couple for my eldest son, one in his middle school colors and another in the high school's colors to wear to football games, etc. Maybe next year I'll be more on the ball and can sell a few of them? Nah, I'm never that organized! 

Sunday...damn!

Got up at 9:00 a.m! Can't believe it. I am so not motivated to clean my house today. It's past noon and I'm still in my pajamas. At least I have dinner cooking in the crockpot. I have never tried meatloaf in the crockpot before. Hope it turns out okay. If not, it will just affirm B's belief that nothing good ever came out of a crockpot. He said that all of my crockpot meals tend to taste alike. He even said that it's not "real cooking" because I didn't slave away at the stove/oven all day. Harrumph!

It's overcast and really chilly in Las Vegas today. I love this kind of weather. In fact, I love the Las Vegas weather all the time except for those hellish months of summer plus September. To go from beautiful, perfect Hawaiian weather to an arid Hell-hole took a lot of getting used to but after 13 years of this I'm acclimated.

I want to work more on some scarves and finish a little tie on a shawl that I made a few months ago. I saw on some site that someone added a tie to the front of a shawl so that it won't fall off the shoulders. I'll post a picture when it's done. I know I haven't explained it very well.

Okay, now I know I'm going to have to clean my house...A's 3 friends are coming over. I don't mean I have to clean up before they get here...but I know I'll have to clean up AFTER! Such is life with pre-teen boys. Now, do I have enough snacks to go around?

This is my 4th poncho since I started the KAL group. I knitted it from Light & Lofty on size #35 needles. I made it with 2 rectangles. I really like this shape. It covers where I want it to and isn't too long at the points. I'm addicted to #35 needles for instant gratification. If the finished product works on this size needle, I'll go back and make it with smaller needles now that I know the basic pattern will work for me. 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ponchoKAL/ 

Villa Poncho

I made my version after seeing the poncho here:
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall03/PATTponcho.html

I cheated by knitting mine on size #35 needles in Red Heart Light & Lofty in Wine. It was a quick knit.

Villa Poncho 

Poncho #2

This was another try at crocheting poncho #1. I didn't do plain rounds between increases as I just thought of this after I finished this one. I thought the Fun Fur was a cute addition...but what do I know?

LB Homespun poncho crocheted on a P hook. This was my first attempt at poncho creation. I was trying to emulate the knitted Very Harlot Poncho. You can find the Very Harlot Poncho pattern at: http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2004/08/07/parting_is_such_sweet_sorrow.html
Unfortunately, my poncho was crocheted "on the fly" and I don't have a pattern written down. What I did was crochet a chain large enough to fit over my head and joined it to form a circle. I then decided where the center front and center back would be. I made this poncho entirely in hdc. At the front center points I made 2hdc ch2 2hdc and then hdc to the center back and again made 2hdc ch2 2hdc. I worked the poncho in rounds until it was the length that I wanted. I liked the length over my arms but thought that the center points were too long. I think the next one that I do, I'll do plain rounds in between the increase rounds. Oh well...onward ho!

Another Saturday

I don't know where the day went. I was supposed to be knitting scarves that were commissioned by a co-worker. I have already finished the 3 that she paid for but she asked for 4 more. She'll pay me in 2 weeks, so I guess I have 2 weeks to finish them. I really wanted to have them done so I can knit another poncho for myself. My "fans" at work are just waiting to see what I will wear next. I love the poncho craze and am so glad they're not the same old granny square ones that were around when I was little (in the 70's)...damn, I feel old!

As soon as I'm done here, it's movie night. I'll be watching Van Helsing. So what if the boys don't want to watch with their old mom, I'll have my knitting to keep me company. Let's just hope that I remember the movie is due back at Blockbuster by noon tomorrow. Late fees suck!