Miss you Cuz!

Miss you with all our hearts....I understand why you loved it so much here! It's got you written all over the place! xoxoxooxox

my daughter now loves Austin!

Windmills outside of Palm Springs, CA

Arizona state sign in the nighttime...before the lightening storms hit...that started a fire...

New Mexico state sign, still in the darkness of night..before the big rain hit...

See? I got some knitting done...

Her car went to 90,000 on the road...

Texas state 'sign'...and then the Ice Cream Festival...

Things ARE bigger in Texas...check out the sausage on a stick! Oh, yummy....

My kids still think I went cow-tipping in Michigan as a kid. They don't understand that I was a 'city kid' back then..but then we found this today! (remind me to show you the T-shirt she'd brought back from my son's Graduation trip!)

Popsicle stick races!, too cute. I wanted the job at the end of the 'tubes'..it was only 102* at 6pm! That would make 45 days in Austin of 100*F this year so far (according to the news).

She had applied here, and even though they didn't accept her, she's fallen in deep love with this campus!

Marble art! Way too cute.

Now, who wouldn't want 'sparkly' toes on the campus! Aren't they cute? Or what!

GOT to love a campus that comes with 'cooling stations'. It's a clue, I tell you...a definite clue! And she's going to snow country! (she's now thinking of a PHD so she can stay in school and come down here.)

Motto. True statement. Should have seen the guy with the plastic bone hanging from his shorts last night getting his picture taken with some of the tourists!

Very pretty place to take your picture on your own camera with short arms with your daughter.

We hit the road again tomorrow....we'll update you later on the stuff from tonight.

I think I should have had some sunblock on today.

Mother-Daughter Adventure begins..

Last year in May, it was the Mother-Son Adventure driving from Indy to California. This year, it's the Mother-Daughter Adventure driving from California to New York. Last year I didn't need tissues, son was coming home for the summer, this year...we may need to replant a forest.

The 'proper' new school colors have been knit and packed...

Breakfast was spent with a friend, dinner was spent with a friend the other night, the bon fire has been last Saturday, family on Sunday....all that's left, is to get into the car and drive away.

Think she'll notice if I keep my foot out the door and dig in my heel as she drives?





Next stop....Austin, TX.

Who gave them permission?

Many of you might relate to what we're living with over here this week. You may have been on my end of the emotions already, or you may have been on my children's emotions in your set of life experiences. Either way, I wish to send you hugs. Lots of them. Hugs that will last forever.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm proud of them all. It's fun to see them grown into adults and learn to pay their bills, take their exams, figure out car insurance..etc...learn why Mom and Dad didn't buy them all the fancy labels they wanted in high school, learn the 'budget' word. But....well,...

It's been awhile since my oldest daughter moved to college. That would have been back in the fall of 1999. She and I both struggled with our good-byes. To take the stress off of the emotional toll, I pulled the car over along the roadside, and had her get out next to the UCLA road sign and snapped the picture. To say that she was not 'amused' the first time, would be a gross understatement. However, by the time graduation arrived, she'd learned to embrace Mom's camera-obsession with the idea that the faster she cooperated, the faster it was over with. And I was able to finally get a shot of her like this:

Well, this Thursday, we're loading up the car yet again. Only this time, she's not going up the road a short 41 miles. The packing cube will have already been picked up, and we're taking a major road trip across the country. From Southern California via Austin, TX, then Michigan...finally to Syracuse, NY as she's decided to return to academia and earn her master's degree.

Now, I KNOW that I have 4 kids. I KNOW the other three have moved out, two of them now to Boston. I KNOW she'd moved out already, but then she'd moved home. And while I was helping the others to pack and move and went to visit and cook and leave them with the dishes (oh bad mommy...bad mommy...) she was still the one left at home these past 10 months to spend time with over Bridezillas, The Bachelor, and food Network TV.

So, here we begin on our adventure. To send her off, or is it really to get my head wrapped around the idea that they've all been sent off into adulthood, which I think is a much more accurate description here, we held a few family rituals over the weekend. First was our weekend bagel/doughnut breakfast. Yummy, she's been bringing me a toasted blueberry bagels with blueberry cream cheese as we sit and visit, sometimes accompanied by a charming young man who prefers doughnuts. Well, doughnut holes in particular.

Then it was off to her Dad's house for a family BBQ where we got to meet the middle daughter's new Prince Charming and she cooked for us. Yes, the formerly 'refuse to ever be domesticated' daughter has learned her way around the kitchen quite well. I must say.

By the time we ate, everyone had cooked something (and that's a good thing about adult children, right? I don't have to do it all myself anymore?)

We caught up on family news, we 'chewed the fat' so to say, we teased, we hugged and then we had the younger Prince make some Rice Krispy Treats for his oldest sister. Where we've all discovered, apparently it's much more fun to cook with your hands, than it is to eat most of the things he makes. At least that's his theory. But then, he's 6. And he's allowed to have such thoughts.

By the end of the day, oldest brother had made his trek across the country safe and sound and was now at his new address in the northeast. Baby daughter was with her co-workers at an event for work...and the rest of us were all together at least in spirit.

So what did I do when I came home? Well, it did dawn on me, that she is moving to snow country, and maybe it might be a good time to get her 2 scarves and a hat finished that she's going to need and asked me to make a couple of years ago. (told you my to-do list was really long) So, I dug out the first scarf yarn, and got to work.

Here's where I left it when I went to bed late last night. I'll show you the oh - so - simple pattern when it's all finished.

This morning it dawned on me, that since they're now all officially moving out into the adult world, I guess it was time to clear out the 'baby bikes' that had been outgrown for quite some time. They lasted at the curb about 7 minutes before someone came by asking if they could have them. WHOOSH! just like that, and they were snapped up and gone!

And I thought the kids had grown up oh so fast! But just tell me, who gave them permission to grow up this fast? In the blink of an eye..... I'm off to help her pack some more boxes. I hope she's got tissues available. We're going to need them all over again, like it's 1999.

Yarn Bee's "I Love this Cotton!" "I Love this Yarn!"

To answer a couple of questions and to correct some information, I want to talk a little bit about the newest yarn in my life. (and a wee bit of a rant..you've been warned) and then I'll show the new things.

I feel it's respectful to give the manufacturers the courtesy of posting correct information if you are adding their information into a data base. I know I like to have my information correctly given. (Just like children like to have their names pronounced and spelled correctly.) Reason? I've spent the past few days trying to get this yarn (and the "I Love this Yarn! Sport weight") posted into Ravelry. The first posting I made, I realized quickly had incorrect information. So I went back to correct the information. Now, today, I find that they changed it back to even more incorrect information.

Now, to most people, it might not seem like such a big deal. However, knowing how yarns come and go, and maybe some day it won't be around, I have been trying to post as accurate information as I can so you as the knitter can make your own decisions when you knit up one of my patterns. To the point, that I've been weighting out my finished projects to help figure out how much yarn in grams and possible lengths that I've used. I want to be as helpful as possible so you can decide if what you have on hand will be enough for the project. For example, the Americana yarn I had a couple of weeks ago was a multi and only 4oz skein. I wanted to make my Simply Striped Dishcloth to go with the towel. I KNEW I didn't have enough for the original pattern(5oz for towel, dishcloth and Tribble), but was hoping I'd have enough to get close to the amounts I'd need. By weighing out what I had left over after the towel, I could modify the dishcloth pattern and get it almost the same size and be happy with it. Make sense?

I think affordable yarn is great. Not every project/need should use really expensive yarns. I like all kinds of yarns in all kinds of price ranges. I also believe there is a place for lots of flavors/prices/fibers to fit in with each other. As much as I loved the silk/merino wool that I used to knit scarves for Mom and her sisters, I wouldn't use that for washing dishes, or baby blankets. I remember the days with four little ones and 22 loads of laundry a week. There's no way I would have wanted to hand wash blankets every time my son needed a diaper change. That kid had the skinniest legs in town which meant it wasn't just his diapers that got changed. Whatever I was wearing got a lot of washing as well. oy!


So, the correct information, and to answer the questions I've received since posting the other day is this:

Name of yarn: I Love this Cotton!
Brand of yarn: Yarn Bee
Retail Store that sells it: Hobby Lobby (http://www.hobbylobby.com/)
online store for Hobby Lobby: Crafts, Etc! ( http://www.craftsetc.com/ ) and no it's not available at this point there, but I'm hoping it will be soon.

Label Information of the solid colors: 3.5 oz/100 g, 100% cotton, 180yards/165 meters, (US)8/5mm/ (UK) 6 knitting needles, 18 sts/23 rows=10cm/4".
(US)I-9/5.5 mm/(UK)size 5 crochet hook/13 sc/14 row=10cm/4" in crochet.
Labeled a '4' medium weight yarn. Machine washable.
copyright 2008 Hobby Lobby Stores, www.hobbylobby.com
Made in Turkey.

I paid $2.99 for each skein.

Name of yarn: I Love this Yarn! Sport weight
Name of Brand: Yarn Bee
Retail store that sells it: Hobby Lobby ( http://www.hobbylobby.com/)
online store for Hobby Lobby: Crafts, Etc! (http://www.craftsetc.com/) and no, the sport weight isn't available online, yet. But I'm hoping it will be soon!

They also sell this in multi colored skeins, but since I didn't pick any up I can't give you that information, other than to say it comes in 54 g skeins, I think.

Label information of the solid colors: 100% acrylic, 2.5 oz/70 grams, 230 yards/210 meters, 22s/24 rows = 4"/10cm in knitting, (US) 6/4mm/(UK) 8 needles.

(US) H-8/5mm/(UK)6 crochet hook, 15 sc/19 r = 4"/10 cm in crochet.

Labeled a "3" sport weight yarn. Machine washable.

copyright 2008 Hobby Lobby Stores, http://www.hobbylobby.com/

Made in Turkey.

I paid $1.99 for each skein.

OK, now onto the good stuff.

I really like this yarn! I mean..I Love this Cotton! (ha ha)

I used the Buttercup color which shows accurately in the second picture, for 'Hail to the ... Dishcloth' and added an extra ridge to the top and bottom borders. I made this for my Auntie who just had her hip replaced. She's the one that I made the giraffe with the prayer shawl and U of M scarf and hat for a couple of weeks back. She's healing quite well. Now, in the second picture is another view of Mom's Butterfly cloth. The colors there are much better than when I take the pictures on their own. Go. figure. Again, the Butterfly pattern is in the washcloth for baby's book by Leisure Arts.

Cousin #2 bsj is coming along nicely. Just remember that I've got a good dose of SOS (shinny object syndrome) going on here. Plus, at the end of the week, I'm hitting the road (ROAD TRIP!) with the oldest as we drive her car off into the wild blue yonder towards Grad School. And I'm really trying not to think about the whole 'empty nest' deal.

Thank goodness I have yarn, and a to-do list that will keep me occupied until the next millennium.

And we'll be stopping off at Mom and Dad's to cook up a bunch and stock their freezer. At least that's the plan. With a stop off in Austin. We have some sights to see, and need to pause for a bit to remember my cousin who lived there and we miss her terribly. We'll be throwing her a kiss from a whole lot of us.

I Love this Cotton! and now we wait...

The son has now, I do believe, finished taking the "Bar"....and now we wait to hear the results. And since he's now received his birthday gifts in hand, I can show you what needs to be typed up so you can have a copy of the pattern, too. That might take a few days...but...in honor of those "Boys in Blue" for the son who loves them...

This has been an 'interesting' knitting experience I tell you. I've knit the towel and dishcloth several times over. The first set came out with a 'mirror' image. I've never done that before! Left me cracking up over myself. So I ripped it out that time, then the next time my daughter and I both felt that the "L" didn't look quite right, after I'd ripped it out a couple of times, and had it all finished, I started the new set, which you see here, once more. So, give me a little time, and I'll have the patterns up for those of you who are also "Boys in Blue' fans.

I've started cousin #2's BSJ but got a 'wee bit' sidetracked when I went to Hobby Lobby the other day. Check out what I found!

That's right Hobby Lobby lovers. 2 new to me (and the stores I was in) yarns! First up, we'll look at 'I Love this Cotton!" yarn. This has GOT to be the softest yarn I've EVER knit up. I made the Butterfly cloth from the Baby Washcloths to Knit book by Leisure Arts. I thought in the Aqua color, it would be nice for Mom to use on her face. And boy oh boy, is it Soft!

I'm also thinking it would be perfect for chemo caps, baby sweaters and hats, anything you want out of 100% cotton that needs to be soft! At $2.99 a skein for 100 g/3.5 oz, I think this is quite affordable.

Then I found their "I Love this Yarn!" in a sport weight yarn. Now, I just picked up a couple of skeins, but they say BSJ sweaters for babies to me! Yes they had more colors that I picked up, but this will give me a good try at this yarn. This is only $1.99 for 70 g/ 2.5 oz for each skein. Can't wait to get some more things off my 'to-do' list so I can give it a go.

Hey...I'm here to help you find your next set of yarns to add to your 'to-do' list. Honest! ehehehe...hey, maybe they can give us group rates at the yarn 'collector's' old folks home some day. But until then, it's my job to let you know of the new stuff I find. I like the company in the check out line! Come and join me! (please bring coupons).

I'm still here!

I'm still here, Knitting away. My son's birthday was last week, hence the latest adorable baby picture, and yes, I'm very biased. Since he's a very big Dodger fan in our family, he got the kitchen set all in Dodger blue. This section, he's already received, so I can show you the pictures. The rest, well, they'll come hopefully in the next week if I can quit ripping them out and get them finished and posted. ULG, why is it that when you want to do something on time, you can't get what's in your head, onto the paper then onto the needles to match what was originally in your head?

One more, this set is from the book, Felted Knits. I love this set and now that all the kids and my Mom have a set, maybe someday, I will too! The oven mitts and the trivet patterns were all knit double stranded with Paton's Classic Wool in "That's Blue!" and "Grey Mix" colors. A total of four skeins (two for each color) were used to knit all five pieces here. And there is a wee bit left over in case I want to add bits of color here and there at some point on hats, etc...

After hitting my frustration limit with the current 'other project' over the weekend I actually knit up a kitchen towel and dishcloth for myself. I used one skein of Lion's Cotton in Americana to make both of these pieces. Since this was a multi-colored skein, it was only 4 oz, so there wasn't any left for for a tribble, and I had to shorten the dishcloth by 5 rows. I'm thinking that next time I should use a cast on of 35 stitches and 20 rows in the body? Not sure, but that's what I'm thinking to get the bind off the way I prefer it. Oh well, it's going to wash up the dishes just as well. Right? Spaghetti dishes don't really care how you cast off, right?

One last thing before I head off to block a piece and reknit (yet again) another...please remember, that as much as I'm thankful my patterns have found homes with you, don't use my pictures when you post them in Ravelry or elsewhere. Each author's text, patterns, and pictures all belong to that author's copyright. Respect the designer's work, be it patterns or craftsmanship and post what you've been able to knit up. Not someone else's pictures, etc...

Thanks! Now, onto more knitting so I can post new patterns shortly.

Happy Birthday!

Happy 26th Birthday!!!

Safe Driving, and Nail that Bar!

We love you and miss you lots!!!