I know, I haven't been around. Most of you probably assume I fell off the face of the earth. Or just decided to stop blogging. Which isn't (really) true. I've been on Ravelry. Really, I just haven't been in the mood to knit much lately. The only thing I've been working on is the Nermal socks. Which I love, but still...not motivated. It's really just more something to pass the time until I find another book to read. I did buy some yarn. If you come here for the yarn/knitty type stuff, this is pretty much the end of it. Well, no, that's kind of a lie. There is one more thing that's sort of related to the knitting stuff. Plenty of people have already seen and know what I'm talking about. Still, for those of you who don't you'll see in just a second. Really, it's probably already visible so why am I still talking? Yep, I got another tattoo! It's beautiful. Or I think it is. My artist did a wonderful job on it too. He wanted to shade it so I didn't walk around looking half finished, you know? Which I think is great. The only problem is it sort of looks done already. And I'm tempted to keep it grayscale. Though I'd really love to add some color. Of the 5 tattoos I have now, only one has any color.
The tattoo has gotten a lot of love so far. Honestly, I expect people to forget me. Don't ask why, it's just the way I think. But I had one of the other artists approach me in the mall to see how the tattoo looked. Maybe I'm not as forgettable as I thought? My artist, Nik at Bombs Away for those interested, will probably have a hard time forgetting me. When I think he does, I just mention the knitting. hehe No, actually, we finally got to hang out with him and his girl in a non-work environment this past week. It was a lot of fun to get out of the house. Sometimes I forget that I'm 23, not 32. Anyways, we got to see Rancid live! Even though we had to leave early, it was AWESOME! I only got to see Tim Armstrong's hat really, but it was a nice hat. Getting to be a little free, and wild was a blast. Plus, we got to chill with some really awesome people.
In other news, Heather has graduated from preschool! Do you believe it? Of course you do. haha Still, I look at her, and I remember thinking she was soooo tiny. Now she is growing and I can't stop her. She is so much like me in so many ways. I know it's just a matter of time before I turn around and she's graduating high school. *sigh* Ugh. I have so much more that I need to squeeze in here. Pictures, stories. Wow. I really ought to update more. So here is a quick run-down of the rest of the stuff along with another one of those nice little picture mosaics.
Kyran got stuck in a chair.
Mr. Shad added a Mr. to his Shad tat :)
As well as getting an MJ tattoo
I've been spinning...a little
Got some more pasties in but they were promptly broken
Heard from an ex, which is awkward
Mr. Shad is in MD for the weekend picking up his dad's motorcycle
A little note on that last bit. I don't know if he realizes it. Maybe he does...probably he doesn't though. He's not really as aware as I am. Anyways...the 26th was the one year anniversary of his father's passing. On Father's Day, my husband called my father. It made me want to cry for him. Mr. Shad isn't very emotional, but doesn't he still have to be hurting a little? I'm sort of wondering if this trip is more symbolic than it seems. Or maybe it's coincidence and I am (as usual) reading more into it.
Thank you, everyone, for all of your kind words. I haven't yet had time to update all of you on my husband's return. That I haven't makes me feel awful, because I am convinced that it was the positive thoughts and energy which guided him home to me so safely, and so soon. Midnight after my last post, I received a call from Mr. Shad. In my half-awake/half-asleep state, I hardly remembered what he had said. Only that I was sure he had called and that he'd said "Kuwait". Also, that he was coming home. What I thought I remembered, also, was that he meant to be arriving on Sunday. Again, my dream addled brain heard this, so my recollection wasn't to be trusted. Still, I awoke at 6:30 the next morning (Saturday) to make sure my MIL didn't leave. Just in case.
After a whirlwind of cleaning, sleeplessness, and much confusion...my guy is home again. He came in Sunday at about 2 in the morning. While it has been wonderful, it has also been stressful, awkward, and we are still settling. There hasn't been much knitting to speak of, and what has been happening knit-wise (hehe knit-wise) has all been mostly boring. Things like plain ribbed socks, or miles of stockinette on the Somewhat Cowl. There was a bit of stash acquisition and I even won a contest. Though, I have to admit those things happened right before (I think) Mr. Shad's return.
We look forward to the return of our "normal" lives.
Christmas was lovely. But that is not all that has transpired. No sir, no. I have a new WIP, as well as a FO. My fourth anniversary has passed by, and there was a night out with some friends. Lots and lots of presents as well. :)
Where shall I start? How about we start with that night out. Thursday, Tyler's girlfriend came back from Iraq (yes, I know, all the goods ones are taken and suchwhat). To celebrate we went out to the bar. Someone was kind enough to watch my children for me on a school night. :P It was funny to get out on a weeknight. The celebration was really rather small, four people including myself. Still, it was a blast. The next morning I took the boys out to Cracker Barrel for some breakfast. I was very tired, so we went back to the house and napped after that. lol
Saturday, my parents arrived. Saturday was also my fourth anniversary. It's hard to believe, some days, that it has been so long. We've worked through so many troubles, and I find myself loving him more every day. The deployment had me really afraid, doubting our relationship even...those just proved to be unfounded fears. Things are actually a bit better between us now, which is wonderful. I do not regret saying "I do", or any of the decisions we have made. For each has led us to where we are now. This is a nice place, though, of course, I'd rather have him here with me right now. Alright, enough of that, I'll have you all crying again. My parents and I went out to Target to finish up our Christmas shopping. It was amazing that the place wasn't packed. Everyone was probably at Wal-Mart. We got dinner and shopped in about two hours. That's a record I believe.
Sunday, my mother-in-law, and her mother (grandma-in-law?) got in. Also, my dad was running around the house fixing things left and right. It's his way. He really isn't able to sit still. I believe we made cookies. Or something to that effect. On Christmas Eve day, my mother and I went to see Sweeney Todd!! It was fantastic! Visually stunning! Johnny was amazing, as always, he even had a rather good singing voice. Oh, it's also excessively gory, just so you know. After the crazies were tucked into their beds, we set to wrapping gifts. Santa brought quite a haul! Christmas morning was a blast, I got a fantabulous dress that my dear Mr. Shad picked out himself. It's perfect!! There will be pictures of that soon, you bet. Oh, and there was a teary moment when my MIL opened her present from my hubby. He had gone out of his way to reserve/buy a black and tan Cocker Spaniel puppy for her, from a very nice breeder in VA (who, btw, is a quilter). Her reaction was priceless.
Now, onto the knitting! I know that is what you've been waiting for. First, thank you to Ms Lesley D for the knitastic birthday/Christmas gifts!! They are awesome! Some lovely handknit mitts, and a cute t-shirt. It says "Will Knit for Tattoos", ain't that the truth?! As for my own knitting, I have a FO to share. It took me all of maybe two days. Gee, I forgot how instantly gratifying a bulky weight hat on large needles can be! It's a worsted weight, double stranded and knit on size 13 needles. The hat is a gift for a Firefly fan/friend of mine, Joel. Yes, he's been mentioned on here before. I told him we demand a picture of him wearing the hat after he receives it. For now, you'll have to deal with me. The WIP is my favorite. It's been MONTHS since the Amazonas disaster mishap. And I still intend to restart and knit those socks. I am wary now, though. There are other things to knit, right? Well, here we have it folks! More Wollmeise (Gewitterhimmel, a lovely semi-solid blue), and a lovely toe-up sock from Yarnissima. La Digitessa is racing along. I started her on/about Friday night, and I am past the heel and zooming up the leg. This one gave me a bit of trouble in the beginning, soooo many charts (at least 6 different ones)!! She is worth it though, I've hardly been able to put her down. Ever since seeing this sock on Flickr, I knew I had to have it. Bellissima!!
Here, random video of Nolan enjoying his Christmas gifts.
I really don't know why I'm posting right now. Everything is a little fuzzy. There are hundreds of things I should be doing. The Lady is sitting in my living room, I'm working on that Cerelia from Spincerely still. Gotta pay bills. Fold laundry. Bake cookies. Finish a gift. *sigh* I haven't read blogs in ages (sorry guys!).Obviously, I posted that hat pattern. Glad that went over so well, I hope to see a few people knitting it on Ravelry. :)
Anyways, that's not what this post is about. Since my husband left, I haven't really had time to miss him. Right up until December. December is my favorite month. Yes, it's my birth month, but it's more than that. I love the Christmas season. There are fudge, cookies, lights, Christmas music and specials...it's a loving and warm time of the year. My husband and I met in November of 2003, we married three days before Christmas. Of that same year. Yep. I know. There were times we thought we wouldn't make it, and I wasn't really sure I'd miss him that much when he was gone. Sure, I'd hate being alone. But miss him so badly? Nah. Saturday will be our fourth anniversary, and I miss him more than ever right now. The littlest things will make me tear up. Over the weekend I got my order from The Loopy Ewe and discovered I'd made it! I was a Loopy Groupie!! Now, I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but Sheri is doing a thing supporting Random Acts of Kindness this month. Go check out her blog if you haven't heard of it yet. Anyways, a few weeks ago Sheri emailed me to let me know that someone had donated a $25 Loopy credit as a RAK, and asked Sheri to find someone. Sheri had chosen me! That made me cry, I come from a small place, and live in a town where everyone is pretty much the same (all Marines and Marine wives). For most people here, your husband being deployed doesn't make you special at all. Civilians don't usually grasp the concept, and until you experience deployment...it's difficult to relate. He's far away from us, we can't call him, I can't ask him to come home, and war is scary.
Right now, we are financially sound. We don't have a lot of money, but we have enough to pay our bills. However, I don't have that many friends in my area. People here are difficult to rely on. And, of course, I try to choose my friends carefully. Mostly, I am depending on the kindness of knitters to help get me through all of this. Even though they cannot be here with me, just having someone to talk to helps. Thank you to all of you who are there for me during this difficult time. Even when I disappear for a bit, I'm still knitting, and still thinking about all of you. *hugs* Where would I be without knitters?
Wow. Where do I begin?! Normally, I'd say "at the beginning", but I am not even sure where that is. Let us work backwards then, shall we?
Crap. I just somehow managed to delete my entire post about Thanksgiving. And I didn't really feel like writing this in the first place. So just...enjoy the mosiac.
I'll give you some details about my Mouse encounter and the Harlot's Unoriginal Hat (which I revamped ever so slightly to work with a worsted weight yarn instead of bulky). Oh, and of course, as always, lots of pictures.
Whilst in Georgia with my family, I visited with Mouse! Not even sure I mentioned I'd be doing that on here. If you don't already read her blog, she is totally awesome. We talk pretty regularly and I am convinced we share a brain. lol Really, it's a little scary sometimes. Our first attempt to get together was thwarted by a freak illness! The little Ky bug got a horrible fever the day before I was to meet up with Mouse. We just rescheduled though. So, I went to the House of Mouse (sorry, I had to) and we hung out. She showed me all her super amazing soaps, and scented oils, and jewelry...and I think I almost died. She gave me some super cute stitch markers that I apparently forgot to *gasp* photograph! A Converse sneaker and a little devil ducky! SQUEE! Then we went to a yarn shop, oh, it was so much fun. Too bad the Crazies were shopping as well. And wanted all of the expensive stuff. I might have walked out with some things. Malabrigo may have hopped into my basket. Possibly. I can't be sure. It hopped onto the needles so fast that I am still not sure. That whole bottom row on the pictures is Malabrigo pics.
You may (or may not) have noticed that the Unoriginal Hat is what I decided to use my Malabrigo for. Actually, it was what I picked the yarn out for. Except...the hat is written for bulky weight, and this is a worsted weight. After toying with the idea of leaving it in the skein and using the skein as a scarf (I wore it like that almost the entire time I was at Mouse's), no, I decided I must actually knit with the famed yarn. After swatching, and doing some maths I CO using size 9 needles. Then...about 5 rows into the pattern, I realized that the cables weren't looking at ALL the way I wanted them to. Nope, nope. So I did what any crazy good knitter would do. I re-charted the cable. That's what you would do, right? Right?! lol Even though I had to do a lot of tinking (yeah...at first I just re-charted in my head, then I realized I might actually need to write it down), I love the finished product. Here is the low-down:
Pattern: Unoriginal Hat by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Loro Barranquero Needles: Size 9US/5.5mm Gauge: 16sts over 4" in cable pattern Notes: There are a lot of these, bear with me.
I loved this hat. I might do it again with the proper yarn weight. Anyways, I decided originally to add in a few purl stitches and add an extra repeat of the cable.
16sts x 5 reps = 80
So I CO the 80sts and got to work. Then I realized that the one cable wasn't opening up as wide as it did in The Harlot's hat, which is what I had wanted. That was really my favorite part. Tink back, twist a stitch here, one there, ah, much better. Knit a few rows...and now the other cable isn't looking quite the way I'd like. *sigh* At this point I decide to print out some graph paper and chart what is going on in my head. It's very late at this point. I had just gotten back from Mouse's, then hand wound the yarn (singles can be tricky, they don't like ball-winders), and I had dinner of course. By the time I re-chart the pattern, it's far past 1AM. Off to bed I go, but I have a plan now and that hat will be gettin it, oh yeah. As you can see, the chart worked beautifully. If you would like...I can write down the chart row by row...or maybe I'll find a scanner and scan it in. Really, all I did was add in 4 extra rows, and 2 extra stitches.
When I got home there was plenty of mail. To include two skeins of STR, the new Raven Clan...like I was going to be able to resist it. They are Rook-y and Corbie. I am really happy with Rook-y, which is good, because I had been eyeing it for awhile.
Sorry about basically disappearing for the last week. Or so. I am totally spacing right now. My brain isn't working to full capacity. So this will be another picture-full post with few words.
Lately, I haven't been reading many blogs. Sorry about that folks! I'll be more energetic soon, I think. Anyways, I intend to join a gym soon, that should give me a bit more energy.
Ravelry has become a HUGE part of my life. I'm on it almost all of the time. My friends Kyle and Emily finally got back into town. Remind me to get pics with them soon. Made Nolan's Halloween costume this weekend, it's kinda weak and homemade looking. Still, he's cute, so it works. My parents came over, and my dad made chili!! It's one of my favorite dishes. Started (and am almost finished with) Pedicure Socks for my BFF, as a belated Birthday present. Crocheted a bookmark for a Read-Along I started on Ravelry, separated the sleeves for Tree Jacket, and started a hat out of the yarn I frogged. You know, the Mad Color Weave sock?
So, Mr. Shad ended up not leaving until yesterday morning. First the boat broke, then his plane. It was nice to spend all day Saturday with him. Especially since Friday night was kind of rotten. I will admit, I'm scared. Not just because he is going to be in a warzone, but also because I have no control over this situation and we have never been apart for more than a month or two. You guys will all be part of my support network. There are people here for me to rely on, but I have found the knit-blogging community to be FABULOUS at providing comfort and cheer in bleak times.
There will be a list of things to look forward to. But I am going to put that on my LiveJournal (link later), so that I can update it and look at it whenever I want without overloading all of your bloglines. The most important ones are a visit from Lesley! And SAFF! Both in October, and I am so excited! Lesley and I have been blog buddies forever. I ought to make a list of blog folks I wanna meet. :)
The Mad Amazonas Weave sock is done, and I am feeling a case of SSS. Maybe because I kitchenered it on Saturday in the midst of all of that stuff with Mr. Shad, so I never CO for the second one. Which I normally do right away. Also, the heel flap and cuff are a bit short for my liking, making the whole sock overall a bit short I think. It should fit better after a bit of blocking, as that always seems to relax the yarn a bit.
On Sunday, I needed a quick soothing knit, something to just get done. Somehow the feeling of all of the anxiety with Mr. Shad's departure and all of my lingering UFOs was making me feel despondent. A chunky, quick knit was needed to soothe my soul. So, I snagged my Twinkle book, the Thick & Quick from Mom's knitting experiment, and my largest DPNs. The Flying Gloves would work beautifully. There were a few problems though. The needles I had (Size 15US) were too small! I swatched and knit a sample glove following the pattern (which was knit flat). Since it was such a fast knit (about 45 mins), I frogged the glove and started again in the round. I would provide my info, but am worried about infringing on copyrights, because really it's not that hard and if I told you I'd basically have to give you the whole pattern. The whole glove is only a total of about...14 rounds I think. The ones from the book around 12.
Also, Nolan discovered socks today. I think he likes them as much as I do. Although I don't think he really understands them. ;)
Here Elem, this will make you feel better:
SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 films, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are 239 films on this list. Copy this list, go to your own blog, paste this as a note. Then, put x's next to the films you've seen, add them up.Have fun!
(x) Rocky Horror Picture Show (x) Grease (x) Pirates of the Caribbean (x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest (x) Boondock Saints (x) Fight Club (x) Starsky and Hutch (x) Neverending Story (x) Blazing Saddles ( ) Airplane Total: 9
(x) The Princess Bride ( ) AnchorMan (x) Napoleon Dynamite (x) Labyrinth (x) Saw ( ) Saw II (x) White Noise ( ) White Oleander (x) Anger Management (x) 50 First Dates (x) The Princess Diaries (x) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement Total so far: 18
(x) Scream (x) Scream 2 (x) Scream 3 (x) Scary Movie (x) Scary Movie 2 (x) Scary Movie 3 ( ) Scary Movie 4 (x) American Pie (x) American Pie 2 (x) American Wedding (x) American Pie Band Camp Total so far: 28
(x) Harry Potter 1 (x) Harry Potter 2 (x) Harry Potter 3 (x) Harry Potter 4 ( ) Resident Evil 1 ( ) Resident Evil 2 (x) The Wedding Singer (x) Little Black Book (x) The Village (x) Lilo & Stitch Total so far: 36
(x) Finding Nemo (x) Finding Neverland (x) Signs (x) The Grinch ( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre ( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning ( ) White Chicks (x) Butterfly Effect (x) 13 Going on 30 (x) I, Robot (x) Robots Total so far: 44
(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story ( ) Universal Soldier (x) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events (x) Along Came Polly (x) Deep Impact ( ) KingPin (x) Never Been Kissed (x) Meet The Parents (x) Meet the Fockers (x) Eight Crazy Nights (x) Joe Dirt ( ) KING KONG Total so far: 53
(x) A Cinderella Story (x) The Terminal ( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie ( ) Passport to Paris (x) Dumb & Dumber (x) Dumber & Dumberer (x) Final Destination ( ) Final Destination 2 ( ) Final Destination 3 (x) Halloween ( ) The Ring ( ) The Ring 2 ( ) Surviving X-MAS (x) Flubber Total so far: 60
(x) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (x) Practical Magic (x) Chicago ( ) Ghost Ship (x) From Hell (x) Hellboy (x)Secret Window (x) I Am Sam (x) The Whole Nine Yards (x) The Whole Ten Yards Total so far: 69
(x) The Day After Tomorrow ( ) Child's Play ( ) Seed of Chucky ( ) Bride of Chucky (x) Ten Things I Hate About You (x) Just Married (x) Gothika (x) Nightmare on Elm Street (x) Sixteen Candles (x) Remember the Titans ( ) Coach Carter (x) The Grudge ( ) The Grudge 2 (x) The Mask ( ) Son Of The Mask Total so far: 78
(x) Bad Boys (x) Bad Boys 2 ( ) Joy Ride (x) Lucky Number Sleven (x) Ocean's Eleven (x) Ocean's Twelve (x) Bourne Identity (x) Bourne Supremecy ( ) Lone Star (x) Bedazzled (x) Predator I ( ) Predator II ( ) The Fog (x) Ice Age (x) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (x) Curious George Total so far: 90
(x) Independence Day ( ) Cujo (x) A Bronx Tale (x) Darkness Falls (x) Christine (x) ET (x) Children of the Corn ( ) My Bosses Daughter (x) Maid in Manhattan (x) War of the Worlds (the original and not the crappy remake with Tom Cruise) (x) Rush Hour ( ) Rush Hour 2 Total so far: 99
( ) Best Bet (x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (x) She's All That (x) Calendar Girls (x) Sideways (x) Mars Attacks ( ) Event Horizon (x) Ever After (x) Wizard of Oz (x) Forrest Gump ( ) Big Trouble in Little China (x) The Terminator (x) The Terminator 2 ( ) The Terminator 3 Total so far: 109
(x) X-Men (x) X-2 (x) X-3 (x) Spider-Man (x) Spider-Man 2 (x) Spider-Man 3 ( ) Sky High (x) Jeepers Creepers (x) Jeepers Creepers 2 (x) Catch Me If You Can (x) The Little Mermaid (x) Freaky Friday (x) Reign of Fire (x) The Skulls (x) Cruel Intentions ( ) Cruel Intentions 2 (x) The Hot Chick (x) Shrek (x) Shrek 2 Total so far: 126
(x) Swimfan (x) Miracle on 34th street (x) Old School (x) The Notebook (x) K-Pax ( ) Krippendorf's Tribe (x) A Walk to Remember ( ) Ice Castles ( ) Boogeyman (x) The 40-year-old Virgin Total so far: 133
(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring (x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers (x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King (x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Total so far: 139
(x) Baseketball ( ) Hostel ( ) Waiting for Guffman (x) House of 1000 Corpses ( ) Devils Rejects (x) Elf (x) Highlander (x) Mothman Prophecies (x) American History X ( ) Three Total so Far: 145
(x) The Jacket ( ) Kung Fu Hustle ( ) Shaolin Soccer ( ) Night Watch (x) Monsters Inc. (x) Titanic (x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail (x) Shaun Of the Dead ( ) Willard Total so far: 150
( ) High Tension ( ) Club Dread (x) Hulk ( ) Dawn Of the Dead (x) Hook (x) Chronicles Of Narnia The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (x) 28 days later ( ) Orgazmo ( ) Phantasm ( ) Waterworld Total so far: 154
( ) Kill Bill vol 1 ( ) Kill Bill vol 2 (x) Mortal Kombat ( ) Wolf Creek ( ) Kingdom of Heaven ( ) the Hills Have Eyes ( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman ( ) The Last House on the Left ( ) Re-Animator ( ) Army of Darkness Total so far: 155
(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace ( ) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones ( ) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith (x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope (x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back (x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi ( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage ( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor Total so far: 159
(x) The Matrix ( ) The Matrix Reloaded ( ) The Matrix Revolutions ( ) Animatrix ( ) Evil Dead ( ) Evil Dead 2 ( ) Team America: World Police (x) Red Dragon (x) Silence of the Lambs (x) Hannibal Total: 163
Either I've taken up knitting in my sleep, or the knitting fairies are working overtime here at chez Shad. The second Fancy Silk Sock was finished on Saturday morning. However, I decided there was really no need to go put both socks on for pictures and all, since it's basically like the other picture I took, only with two socks. lol Actually, this weekend didn't have much knitting because my family came into town*. They had to pick up a car for my brother and wanted to say goodbye to Mr. Shad, since he is leaving in a couple of weeks. In my head I've been making a list of things to look forward to while he is gone, it's not really long but any little thing to distract me from how much I'll actually miss him.
That was mildly depressing. Anyways, I decided to teach my mom to knit while she was visiting, actually I was excited to have the chance. I think everyone should learn to knit, but I'm biased. She was doing pretty well right up until I decided to teach her to purl. After that she must have gotten all confused because she threw it at me and said "I'm done!". lol I saved her progress though. In case she wants to try again. While I was getting yarn for her to practice with (from Michael's) I picked up the new Bernat with Alpaca in it. Interesting. So far it seems decent, though I haven't actually knit with it. What I think I will do is swatch it to see if it would be a good substitute for the Black Forest Naturwolle for the Luna Dress from the Fall IK. It's so pretty, but somehow I doubt I could afford 9 balls of it. I should probably concentrate on my current WIPs though. Shouldn't I? Goddess is about halfway done, I just didn't feel like going through the routine of putting it on waste yarn to try it on again. Did that twice yesterday.
What else? Oh yeah, I was going to start that half-clapotis pattern...but realized that Wollmeise Merino-Lammdochtwolle probably was not the best idea in a pattern where I needed to drop stitches. So I will just do another My So Called Scarf. Really, any soft-spun single ply yarn will felt on itself very easily from being knit, and hates to be tinked. Could you imagine purposely trying to drop stitches without creating a fuzzy mess? What a shame. The colors would have been scrumptious in the half-clap pattern. I'll find something else to use for that pattern.
I baked bread. Didn't I tell you I love freshly baked bread? Seriously, it makes me happy. I'm already down to half a loaf and they were just baked yesterday. If you gave me a choice between the bread and chocolate, I'd pick the bread. It's the best snack ever. And only slightly more healthy.
* I just wanted to note that Mr. Shad really does always look that cranky. He's weird.
Damn it's hot out there. Makes me want to sit in my living room with the air conditioning and a glass of ice water. And knit. So, that's basically what I've been trying to do. Except life keeps interrupting me. This past week was not great. Really, I don't want to think about it. Mostly just a lot of little things. Like the fact that only one couple showed up to Nolan's birthday party yesterday. He still had fun and all, it just hurts to know that I've got lots of fake friends. Mr. Shad is deploying soon and I'm not sure I have many people to count on. Anyways, here are some shots from Nolan's party. Plenty of messy faces.
He ate like three cupcakes, and those things were sugar overload. At about 10:30 or something he woke up on a sugar high, puked, and then played for a bit. It was like watching a little drunk person. lol
Aside from the craziness of life, I've been knitting. While in Maryland last weekend I did finish the Twisted Flowers socks, but forgot to take pictures. I ended up giving them to my brother's girlfriend, she is a little tiny thing and has size 6 feet. Seemed to fit her perfectly. Also, I think I gave her a whole new view of knitting when I showed her my Ravelry queue and projects. Once that was finished I wanted to dive into Eiffel, but uh...forgot the needles. lol Instead I just worked on Mom's top for a bit. And read some comic books that Mr. Shad picked up for me. Did I mention I am a huge Stephen King fan? Especially The Dark Tower series. Specifically, Wizard and Glass. Awhile back, Marvel mentioned they were co-oping with Stephen King to create a comic series based on that book! Woot! Mr. Shad saw them at the comic book store he likes to visit while in Maryland, and bought all of them for me. Oh, and my brand new IK arrived the day before we left, so I perused that as well. Eunny's long awaited (for me anyways) Tangled Yoke Cardigan is in it!! My LYS owner got me all hyped to spin my own yarn for this...we'll see how that goes. Maybe use some of that Alpaca I got for Mother's Day?
On my doorstep when we got home were these LOVELY balls of SWTC Bamboo in Electric Blue. Let me tell you, when I saw this on Kpixie, I had to have it. I was afraid at first, because the swatch pictured on SWTC's website was darker than the yarn pictured at Kpixie. Still, I figured it would be worth the risk, besides, if it really was as bright as it was on the Kpixie site then it would be a perfect match for Goddess. Oh, they really are that gorgeous. Castonitis hit me hard when I opened the box to see the bamboo (my fav fiber!) calling to me, and the pattern...just begging to be swatced for. Grrr! No. I had already swatched Eiffel, plus made a deal with myself to knit an inch a day on Mom's top. Still, it calls to me, sitting in my little bag of yarn in my bedroom. Oh yeah, it's next in my queue for sure!
Eiffel is coming along nicely. The lace pattern is very simple and kinda flies by. The yarn...well, I am not so in love with it. The color is awesome, and I love that it can be machine washed. However, it's kinda tough and unforgiving. I don't hate it, but it is certainly not my favorite. Of course, that's why I like to try new and different yarns, it gives me a chance to experience everything. My LYS just got in some nettle, that ought to be interesting! I really only want some because of some movie I used to love as a kid. Baccarat Player is about 4 inches away from completion. Then I can weave in ends (which I have been trying to do as I go along for the front), and *gulp* seam. Linda has already been warned that I am bringing it in for her assistance when I finish it. Generally...I suck at seaming, and I want this to be well done, besides, the yarn is so slippery and fiddly! My number of FOs is really growing, and I am very happy about that. The pair of socks a month thing, and the sweater every two months... well that was shot a long time ago. It's okay, because I am still making things, getting things done and all. Ew...Christmas is coming up soon. Alright, I'm going back to my water and needles.
It started last night actually. I found a bill for the water company, apparently a check was returned. We now owed them Bill + Fee. *sigh* Today is Monday, time to pay Heather's weekly tuition. Withdraw money...only $45 left after taking out said money. Which leaves me with a choice to either pay the tuition or the water bill. Mr. Shad says he'll take care of it, but he needs a pin number. Guess who gets to sift through stacks of unorganized papers to find it? Finally it is all straightened out. Get a phone call from MIL, she says my FIL is back in the hospital for pneumonia, in case I talk to Mr. Shad before she does. I breathe a little calmer and decide I will buy myself a P'zone to make up for the retardedness of the morning.
That was a bad idea. I call in the order while trying to dress boys and get them in the car. This is key. Pick Heather up, almost forget to pay tuition. It's humid and raining. Not my favorite combination. We drive to the Pizza Hut, make a few wrong turns, babies are crying. Get there, they are busy, sure why not. So when the man who "waits" on me is a little...short, I try not to mind it. Heather is plucking a bulletin off the wall and shaking the candy machine. I'm tired. He says he cannot find my order. Did I order from a different one? Did I? They are all in the phone book next to each other...if I don't pay attention because I am multi-tasking, well it's easy to mix things up. When I go to leave Heather throws a hugs fit, screaming for pizza. Now I am tired, hot, and embarrassed. Put the boys in the car and then throw her over my shoulder.
Back in the car. En route to turn around I can see fire trucks racing to a scene. There are huge grey clouds. The kind that you can not only see but taste from miles away. I won't be going back the way I came, that is for sure. Make mental note, and call 411 to get the number for the other Pizza Hut. My order is there, ready an hour ago. Of course I accidentally called the Pizza Hut furthest from my house. Get the P'zone, drive home in the rain on a road that I hate. Mr. Shad calls to tell me that, due to weather, they will not be home tomorrow. I am irate, and I vent. Loudly. Then I tell him to call his mom, he says he will and will call me back. Nearly home, things will be better there, right? Another call from Mr. Shad. FIL's heart rate or blood pressure or something dropped severly. They are going to insert a breathing tube. Now I am insensitive instead of irate. *deep breaths* We get home, the food is cold. I just want to sleep or curl up with a book.
So, I do. Put the kids to bed early, reheat the P'zone, grab a book and read. Then I fall asleep for awhile. I just woke myself up at around 10. A little groggy, but feelin a bit better. Then a third call from Mr. Shad. My FIL is in a coma. They went to put the breathing tube in and he went into cardiac arrest. Things have changed drastically. And all I can think is that I can't handle this. Not right now. Too much. We'll be in Maryland a lot sooner than I had thought.
The only even remotely good thing I can think to say is that I swatched today. For Coachella. And got gauge. Too bad the needles I need are being used.
First, I must confess my name isn't Kitty, or anything even close. It just comes from an affinity for cats. Second, I love to craft, create, and imagine. I can draw a bit, knit a lot, and sew just enough to get by. My world revolves around the loves of my life; my three children.
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I know, I haven't been around. Most of you probably assume I fell off the face of the earth. Or just decided to stop blogging. Which isn't (really) true. I've been on Ravelry. Really, I just haven't been in the mood to knit much lately. The only thing I've been working on is the Nermal socks. Which I love, but still...not motivated. It's really just more something to pass the time until I find another book to read. I did buy some yarn. If you come here for the yarn/knitty type stuff, this is pretty much the end of it. Well, no, that's kind of a lie. There is one more thing that's sort of related to the knitting stuff. Plenty of people have already seen and know what I'm talking about. 
Still, for those of you who don't you'll see in just a second. Really, it's probably already visible so why am I still talking? Yep, I got another tattoo! It's beautiful. Or I think it is. My artist did a wonderful job on it too. He wanted to shade it so I didn't walk around looking half finished, you know? Which I think is great. The only problem is it sort of looks done already. And I'm tempted to keep it grayscale. Though I'd really love to add some color. Of the 5 tattoos I have now, only one has any color. 
me in the mall to see how the tattoo looked. Maybe I'm not as forgettable as I thought? My artist, Nik at Bombs Away for those interested, will probably have a hard time forgetting me. When I think he does, I just mention the knitting. hehe No, actually, we finally got to hang out with him and his girl in a non-work environment this past week. It was a lot of fun to get out of the house. Sometimes I forget that I'm 23, not 32. Anyways, we got to see Rancid live! Even though we had to leave early, it was AWESOME! I only got to see Tim Armstrong's hat really, but it was a nice hat. Getting to be a little free, and wild was a blast. Plus, we got to chill with some really awesome people. 
Thank you, everyone, for all of your kind words. I haven't yet had time to update all of you on my husband's return. That I haven't makes me feel awful, because I am convinced that it was the positive thoughts and energy which guided him home to me so safely, and so soon. Midnight after my last post, I received a call from Mr. Shad. In my half-awake/half-asleep state, I hardly remembered what he had said. Only that I was sure he had called and that he'd said "Kuwait". Also, that he was coming home. What I thought I remembered, also, was that he meant to be arriving on Sunday. Again, my dream addled brain heard this, so my recollection wasn't to be trusted. Still, I awoke at 6:30 the next morning (Saturday) to make sure my MIL didn't leave. Just in case.
again. He came in Sunday at about 2 in the morning. While it has been wonderful, it has also been stressful, awkward, and we are still settling. There hasn't been much knitting to speak of, and what has been happening knit-wise (hehe knit-wise) has all been mostly boring. Things like plain ribbed socks, or miles of stockinette on the Somewhat Cowl. There was a bit of stash acquisition and I even won a contest. Though, I have to admit those things happened right before (I think) Mr. Shad's return.
Christmas was lovely. But that is not all that has transpired. No sir, no. I have a new WIP, as well as a FO. My fourth anniversary has passed by, and there was a night out with some friends. Lots and lots of presents as well. :)
believe, some days, that it has been so long. We've worked through so many troubles, and I find myself loving him more every day. The deployment had me really afraid, doubting our relationship even...those just proved to be unfounded fears. Things are actually a bit better between us now, which is wonderful. I do not regret saying "I do", or any of the decisions we have made. For each has led us to where we are now. This is a nice place, though, of course, I'd rather have him here with me right now. Alright, enough of that, I'll have you all crying again. My parents and I went out to Target to finish up our Christmas shopping. It was amazing that the place wasn't packed. Everyone was probably at Wal-Mart. We got dinner and shopped in about two hours. That's a record I believe.
Now, onto the knitting! I know that is what you've been waiting for. First, thank you to Ms Lesley D for the knitastic birthday/Christmas gifts!! They are awesome! Some lovely handknit mitts, and a cute t-shirt. It says "Will Knit for Tattoos", ain't that the truth?! As for my own knitting, I have a FO to share. It took me all of maybe two days. Gee, I forgot how instantly gratifying a bulky weight hat on large needles can be! It's a worsted weight, double stranded and knit on size 13 needles. The hat is a gift for a Firefly fan/friend of mine, Joel. Yes, he's been mentioned on here before. I told him we demand a picture of him wearing the hat after he receives it. For now, you'll have to deal with me. The WIP is my favorite. It's been MONTHS since the Amazonas 
I really don't know why I'm posting right now. Everything is a little fuzzy. There are hundreds of things I should be doing. The Lady is sitting in my living room, I'm working on that Cerelia from Spincerely still. Gotta pay bills. Fold laundry. Bake cookies. Finish a gift. *sigh* I haven't read blogs in ages (sorry guys!).Obviously, I posted that hat pattern. Glad that went over so well, I hope to see a few people knitting it on Ravelry. :)
anniversary, and I miss him more than ever right now. The littlest things will make me tear up. Over the weekend I got my order from The Loopy Ewe and discovered I'd made it! I was a Loopy Groupie!! Now, I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but Sheri is doing a thing supporting Random Acts of Kindness this month. Go check out her blog if you haven't heard of it yet. Anyways, a few weeks ago Sheri emailed me to let me know that someone had donated a $25 Loopy credit as a RAK, and asked Sheri to find someone. Sheri had chosen me! That made me cry, I come from a small place, and live in a town where everyone is pretty much the same (all Marines and Marine wives). For most people here, your husband being deployed doesn't make you special at all. Civilians don't usually grasp the concept, and until you experience deployment...it's difficult to relate. He's far away from us, we can't call him, I can't ask him to come home, and war is scary.
to pay our bills. However, I don't have that many friends in my area. People here are difficult to rely on. And, of course, I try to choose my friends carefully. Mostly, I am depending on the kindness of knitters to help get me through all of this. Even though they cannot be here with me, just having someone to talk to helps. Thank you to all of you who are there for me during this difficult time. Even when I disappear for a bit, I'm still knitting, and still thinking about all of you. *hugs* Where would I be without knitters?
of bulky). Oh, and of course, as always, lots of pictures.
You may (or may not) have noticed that the Unoriginal Hat is what I decided to use my Malabrigo for. Actually, it was what I picked the yarn out for. Except...the hat is written for bulky weight, and this is a worsted weight. After toying with the idea of leaving it in the skein and using the skein as a scarf (I wore it like that almost the entire time I was at Mouse's), no, I decided I must actually knit with the famed yarn. After swatching, and doing some maths I CO using size 9 needles. Then...about 5 rows into the pattern, I realized that the cables weren't looking at ALL the way I wanted them to. Nope, nope. So I did what any 
Pattern: Unoriginal Hat by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Sorry about basically disappearing for the last week. Or so. I am totally spacing right now. My brain isn't working to full capacity. So this will be another picture-full post with few words.
So, Mr. Shad ended up not leaving until yesterday morning. First the boat broke, then his plane. It was nice to spend all day Saturday with him. Especially since Friday night was kind of rotten. I will admit, I'm scared. Not just because he is going to be in a warzone, but also because I have no control over this situation and we have never been apart for more than a month or two. You guys will all be part of my support network. There are people here for me to rely on, but I have found the knit-blogging community to be FABULOUS at providing comfort and cheer in bleak times.
feeling of all of the anxiety with Mr. Shad's departure and all of my lingering UFOs was making me feel despondent. A chunky, quick knit was needed to soothe my soul. So, I snagged my Twinkle book, the Thick & Quick from Mom's knitting experiment, and my largest DPNs. The Flying Gloves would work beautifully. There were a few problems though. The needles I had (Size 15US) were too small! I swatched and knit a sample glove following the pattern (which was knit flat). Since it was such a fast knit (about 45 mins), I frogged the glove and started again in the round. I would provide my info, but am worried about infringing on copyrights, because really it's not that hard and if I told you I'd basically have to give you the whole pattern. The whole glove is only a total of about...14 rounds I think. The ones from the book around 12.
Either I've taken up knitting in my sleep, or the knitting fairies are working overtime here at chez Shad. The second Fancy Silk Sock was finished on Saturday morning. However, I decided there was really no need to go put both socks on for pictures and all, since it's basically like the other picture I took, only with two socks. lol Actually, this weekend didn't have much knitting because my family came into town*. They had to pick up a car for my brother and wanted to say goodbye to Mr. Shad, since he is leaving in a couple of weeks. In my head I've been making a list of things to look forward to while he is gone, it's not really long but any little thing to distract me from how much I'll actually miss him.
visiting, actually I was excited to have the chance. I think everyone should learn to knit, but I'm biased. She was doing pretty well right up until I decided to teach her to purl. After that she must have gotten all confused because she threw it at me and said "I'm done!". lol I saved her progress though. In case she wants to try again. While I was getting yarn for her to practice with (from Michael's) I picked up the new Bernat with Alpaca in it. Interesting. So far it seems decent, though I haven't actually knit with it. What I think I will do is swatch it to see if it would be a good substitute for the Black Forest Naturwolle for the Luna Dress from the Fall IK. It's so pretty, but somehow I doubt I could afford 9 balls of it. I should probably concentrate on my current WIPs though. Shouldn't I? Goddess is about halfway done, I just didn't feel like going through the routine of putting it on waste yarn to try it on again. Did that twice yesterday.
realized that Wollmeise Merino-Lammdochtwolle probably was not the best idea in a pattern where I needed to drop stitches. So I will just do another My So Called Scarf. Really, any soft-spun single ply yarn will felt on itself very easily from being knit, and hates to be tinked. Could you imagine purposely trying to drop stitches without creating a fuzzy mess? What a shame. The colors would have been scrumptious in the half-clap pattern. I'll find something else to use for that pattern. 
Damn it's hot out there. Makes me want to sit in my living room with the air conditioning and a glass of ice water. And knit. So, that's basically what I've been trying to do. Except life keeps interrupting me. This past week was not great. Really, I don't want to think about it. Mostly just a lot of little things. Like the fact that only one couple showed up to Nolan's birthday party yesterday. He still had fun and all, it just hurts to know that I've got lots of fake friends. Mr. Shad is deploying soon and I'm not sure I have many people to count on. Anyways, here are some shots from Nolan's party. Plenty of messy faces.
feet. Seemed to fit her perfectly. Also, I think I gave her a whole new view of knitting when I showed her my Ravelry queue and projects. Once that was finished I wanted to dive into Eiffel, but uh...forgot the needles. lol Instead I just worked on Mom's top for a bit. And read some comic books that Mr. Shad picked up for me. Did I mention I am a huge Stephen King fan? Especially The Dark Tower series. Specifically, Wizard and Glass. Awhile back, Marvel mentioned they were co-oping with Stephen King to create a comic series based on that book! Woot! Mr. Shad saw them at the comic book store he likes to visit while in Maryland, and bought all of them for me. Oh, and my brand new IK arrived the day before we left, so I perused that as well. Eunny's long awaited (for me anyways) Tangled Yoke Cardigan is in it!! My LYS owner got me all hyped to spin my own yarn for this...we'll see how that goes. Maybe use some of that Alpaca I got for Mother's Day?
Blue. Let me tell you, when I saw this on Kpixie, I had to have it. I was afraid at first, because the swatch pictured on SWTC's website was darker than the yarn pictured at Kpixie. Still, I figured it would be worth the risk, besides, if it really was as bright as it was on the Kpixie site then it would be a perfect match for Goddess. Oh, they really are that gorgeous. Castonitis hit me hard when I opened the box to see the bamboo (my fav fiber!) calling to me, and the pattern...just begging to be swatced for. Grrr! No. I had already swatched Eiffel, plus made a deal with myself to knit an inch a day on Mom's top. Still, it calls to me, sitting in my little bag of yarn in my bedroom. Oh yeah, it's next in my queue for sure!
away from completion. Then I can weave in ends (which I have been trying to do as I go along for the front), and *gulp* seam. Linda has already been warned that I am bringing it in for her assistance when I finish it. Generally...I suck at seaming, and I want this to be well done, besides, the yarn is so slippery and fiddly! My number of FOs is really growing, and I am very happy about that. The pair of socks a month thing, and the sweater every two months... well that was shot a long time ago. It's okay, because I am still making things, getting things done and all. Ew...Christmas is coming up soon. Alright, I'm going back to my water and needles.
