What? The Olympics are Over?

   
                            

This is a pattern that someone graciously posted on Ravelry.  It is a pretty good replica of the the hat worn by Lindsay Vonn (see below).  The rings are a little "squarish", but I like it all the same.  My young adult children all think it's pretty great and it looks like I'll be making more of them.

So, are you guys as sick of winter as I am?  We got a teasing of sunshine and a 73 degree day, the next day was in the 40's and raining.  Weird weather, totally weird. 

My 16 year old daughter came home from school with not one, but TWO projects the other day.  One in Biology, the other in Math.  Both are due on Monday.  I survived endless projects with my three older children, somehow I just don't seem to be able to muster up the stamina for a double barrel shot of projects just now.  Someone (ahem) is yelling for help on a project as I speak.  As much as I hate to leave such good company, duty calls.............

A Very Happy Birthday!

 

Monday was my birthday............having all four of my children together at my house rarely happens now that three of them are in college and live out on their own.  The best present of all was having them all here with me. 

 

Two triple chocolate cakes!  These won't help me lose those few pounds that appeared over the winter.  Obviously everybody knows that my weakness is chocolate, but hey, I love wine too, where's my Merlot?

My son's girlfriend brought beautiful roses too. 

It was a great birthday.

I've been knitting a little,  something Olympic actually.  I'll save that for the next post.

Yucky Weather and Finished Objects

Our weather has been HORRIBLE DEPRESSING UGLY less than comfortable all winter.  The temperature has steadily remained 15-30 degrees below normal.  Along with the abnormally cold temperatures we have also had ice, snow, sleet, and rain............everything but sunshine!  Yep, I'm definitely whining.  We are usually enjoying sun and temps in the low 60's this time of year.  One good thing comes out of bad weather though............finished objects!

I got the pattern for the makeup bag (largest one on the bottom) from Ravelry.  Once again, it's a free pattern that the designer graciously shared with everyone and I thank her.  It's called Sundance Makeup Bag.  I liked it so much that I also made a case for my little Blackberry Pearl cell phone and a credit card case to match.  I've made a ton of these things in the last couple of weeks, my daughters all like them too.  I also finished the gray Cable Luxe sweater and a hat like Lindsay Vonn wore in an interview.  The off white one with "USA" and the Olympic Rings on it.  Pictures coming soon.........

Useful Finished Object, Yay!

I have this weird thing going on with my fingers called Ranaud's Syndrome/Disease.  When I get cold or touch something cold my fingers go totally white with no blood circulation whatsoever.  That makes riding my horse in the winter almost impossible.  I tried using the hand warmer packs like hunters use in my gloves, but of course I can't get the warmth from the pack down in the fingers of the gloves where I need it and they did no good.  I would be able to get the hand warmer pack down in the finger end of a mitten though, so I set about making a pair of thick wool mittens.  Riding in mittens isn't ideal for holding the reins, but it beats not getting to ride.

                                      

                                        

After a pattern search on Ravelry I settled on a mitten pattern from World War II.  It's as basic as it gets.  Long warm cuff, dense, thick, perfect to fit my need.  I made them out of Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool.  They are knit on a size 3 needle, so the fabric is nice and dense.  Hopefully the heat from the hand warmer packs will not escape.  Can't wait to try them out!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!  Christmas was wonderful at my house, all four of my children and their boyfriends/girlfriends spent the day with me.  My son gave me a new camera, yay!  My old camera only worked when it decided to.  Well, it worked, but the pictures were fuzzy more often than not.  Maybe I will be a better blogger now that I can take pictures whenever I want.  This picture was taken at night in a pitch dark room with only the lights on the tree on.  I can't believe my new little camera was able to do this!

Here's wishing everyone a VERY HAPPY New Year filled with LOVE, JOY, FAMILY, and FRIENDS.  If you are celebrating tonight, be safe.

New Friends, Birthdays, Family,.......All Things Good

So much activity since my last post!  I have a wonderful new friend all the way up in New York, my mother celebrated her 88th birthday, my cousin flew in from Kentucky to help us celebrate, and there is actual knitting to report.

I met my new friend through Ravelry when she contacted me about a new yarn shop that was opening in my little town. I hadn't even heard about it, but sure enough when I went to investigate, there it was!  Wow, it took someone from New York to tell me I now have a LYS!  Thank you Claudia!  She came to Charlotte with her husband on a business trip.  We met at the new yarn shop and had a wonderful time.  A few days later we went on a "road trip" to Seagrove which is a neat little rural town where there are 100's of pottery shops. It was a GREAT day!!!  I hated to see Claudia go back to New York, hopefully we'll have another "road trip" some day.  Now is when I should insert a picture of Claudia and me..................As usual, I didn't have my camera.  I'm so stupid, absent minded, disappointed that I didn't even get a picture of the two of us.

My mother turned 88 Sunday, Happy Birthday Maw Maw!!

                                                Relatives came to celebrate....................

And I know it's hard to believe, but I have proof of actual knitting..................

Even something finished a while ago and now ready to be mailed out to a friend

                   Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!                   

Getting back to normal after the critter invasion

The road I live on at dusk.  (click to enlarge)

While my sister was visiting we took an evening walk and couldn't help but stop for a shot or two of the changing leaves.  So peaceful.......................God is good.

Thank goodness this guy is now happily roaming on a nature preserve instead of shitting all over destroying my garage.  As I was doing my final cleaning of the aftermath he left I discovered that not only did he poop all over my new window blinds, he left teeth marks in almost every slat! The little varmit is lucky that I've mellowed in my old age, or he might have been toast possum stew!  The smell is finally starting to abate and hopefully there won't be any more possums to take up residence in my garage.  What a nightmare!  (Click on the picture to check out the claws on my little friend) YIKES!  Oh, by the way, I saw yarn on a website that had oppossum hair spun in it.  To each his own, but if you ever had to deal with one of these guys and the smell they leave behind, the thought of knitting with their hair is totally disgusting.  Exactly how does one come to have possum hair anyway?

I've completed several small projects here and there.  One is a pair of helmet earmuffs.  These are going to feel so good while riding my horse this winter.  You can get the pattern here:  http://brineydeepdesigns.blogspot.com/2008/10/free-pattern-bike-helmet-earmuffs.html
A big thank you to the designer, she did a great job and filled a need for a lot of people.

Pictures of my sweater in progress coming soon.