Trips!

Recently I have found myself traveling a lot. First for pleasure then for my husband. My husband and I have been going through a rough patch in our relationship, so I was excited about the first trip. I headed to Texas for a week to play with my Katie-bug without my husband. I found by the end of the trip I wanted to be home. Then I was informed that my husband was getting an award and I could tag along to Washington D.C. if I wanted. Never being to D.C. I agreed to go. Preparing for a very very difficult few days I went with a heavy heart. While there I think we both discovered a lot about ourselves and each other. I believe that we are now back on the same road and headed towards the same goal.

This trip was very productive for my marriage not for knitting. The very long flight there was a red-eye flight, so I pretended to sleep. I stole away a few moments here and there to knit. On the flight back I was excited over 5 hours of knitting. Nope. The reading lights of half the flight were out and we were in the center of the plane (besides the sunset made it really dark). It was impossible to knit. It was a VERY, VERY long flight.

Now that I am home I have to get started on presents. I have also started a scarf with my camelspin, but I am having trouble falling in love with it. I don't know if I want to use this yarn I love for a scarf or for something else. Finding the perfect project for my favorite yarn is really really hard!

Knitting on a deadline...

So I had plenty of time to knit a baby kimono for a friend. So what happened- life is the simple answer. Therefore I found myself finishing the sweater 2 hours before the baby shower.

My quest to finish my WIP's continues. I now halfway finished with Sarah's baby blanket. The socks, well lets just not talk about them. I thought I was almost done with the camisole- then I tried it on. I still have several inches to go. Who knew the pattern was right.

My husband is out of town for the week and I am off of work. So I better get the needles moving.

When did my ADD set in?

I don't remember being this ADD when I was a kid (and yes I mean attention defecit disorder). Since I have been knitting I have noticed it has flared up. I don't mean that I can't seem to sit and knit for a long period of time, but that I can't stop from starting new projects. I am currently attempting to get my WIP's under control. I am finally almost finished with the Vixen camisole, the never-ending socks finally have a heel, but not a foot yet. I have been good at only starting one baby project at a time. That is if you don't count the Camo blanket for Sarah. I allowed (yeah right) myself to start on the baby things since there is kind of a deadline. I am on the last Kimono that I have to make right now. Christmas presents will be my next projects. I hope to get the camisole done very soon and the socks will hopefully follow, and then I will start something new. I also have a wrap that I need to finish. I think that is it so I currently have 5 projects going (2 of which get ignored the most). That's no so bad, right?

My stash has also sat me down recently to tell me that it is lonely. I haven't been able to really really spend the time needed with some of my favorite yarns. I'm not sure at which point my stash got so large either. I blame it on the yarn fumes from the yarn stores. I keep telling myself that I am not allowed to buy yarn until I can get some control over my stash. Yes I know it will not be total control, but just to start using some of the yarn I have hidden away. I am also planning to de-stash some yarn and tyr to sell or trade it. The stuff I know I will never use I will easily be able to part with (as long as the yarn fumes don't take over).

Well, I should go work on a WIP. Christmas is coming very very soon.

Prayer Shawl

My mom has an autoimmune disease that attacks her muscles. She was very excited several months ago when her doctor told her she was in remission. Lately she has been having more weakness and the doctor did more blood work. Today my mom called crying because the doctor wants to see her in her office tomorrow. This can't be good- this is a doctor that it takes weeks to get an appointment with. I'm sure whatever she has to say won't be good.

I have been thinking about what I can do for mom to help her smile right now. I thought of flowers- but they will die. Then I thought of a plant- but she already has a lot and is moving soon. So on my drive home I thought of it- a prayer shawl.

I have recently made her a different type of shawl that she had seen and loved, but this will be different. This will be something that she can wrap around her shoulders whenever she needs a hug. The other shawl was made from ribbon and rough and not very cuddly. This will be made of a warm soft yarn that begs to wrapped in. This will be something she can wear in the middle of the night when she can't sleep because of the steriods that she will no doubt have to take again.

It is hard to watch the woman who loved and nurtured me hurt so much. She has not had an easy life and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. So I will make her a shawl and fill is with prayers and thoughts of love that she can keep with her always! This will be my gift to her, my never-ending hug.

More toys.

So I have come to the conclusion that my husband is about 3 years old. I recently made him a sea turtle, which he named Leroy. He was from a new toy book that I had received and immediately David fell in love with it. Leroy knitted up pretty quickly, but since all the pieces were knitted flat (a top and bottom for the flippers, head, and tail) there was a considerable amount of seaming to be done. Leroy sat in pieces for a little over a week waiting to be finished. I finally sat down and seamed him together and he turned out great. My husband is so happy and proud. The turtle goes everywhere with him- including camping at the beach. Who knew a little bit of green yarn could make my husband so happy.

I have decided that I will only work on one toy at a time (we shall see how long my resolve lasts). Once I finished Leroy I started to make a purple elephant to give a friend who recently became the proud mommy of a beautiful baby girl. The elephant was knitting up really great until the trunk. I have ripped out and restarted the trunk at least 3 times, but I think I finally got it and it will be finished soon.

I suppose then I will have to start on christmas presents since I have a niece and nephew who have put in their request for what toys they would like made for them. I have cats, bunnies, and a monkey to make. I see lots of learning opportunities in my future.

Fred the horse.

For my neices 8th birthday I decided to knit her a horse. Fred was my first big toy that I had ever knitted. He was a lot of fun to make, but watching Julia carry him around everywhere she went at my sister's was the best thank you I could have gotten.

Since making Fred I had to start on Leroy the turtle for my husband. He didn't want to give Fred away so I had to bribe him with a turtle. Leroy is in desperate need of seams and stuffing and then he will be finished. I think I am attracted to knitting toys cause you are constantly knitting something new and the projects knit up very quickly. Also who can resist a soft cuddly hand knit toy- I know several people who can't. In fact I just received the yarn to make my dad a sock monkey so he will stop stealing the "purple kitty" from my mom.

So it begins...

Here goes my attempt to enter the blogging world. I think this blog will be a mix of my life and my knitting. Yes, I am a knitter and it is a very big part of my life now- I rarely go anywhere without a project just in case I find myself waiting for something. I will attempt to not get overly technical for those that read this that are non-knitters.I currently live in Redondo Beach, CA in a great condo that is on the beach. This is very very different from where I began. I was born in a small town in south Louisiana and lived in Louisiana until 2006. My husband, who is in the Coast Guard, got transferred to L. A. so here we are. I have learned a lot about myself here- including that I am not a big city girl. I also learned that I am stronger than I give myself credit for. I live here with my husband (known by most as Noodles, but his name is David) and my 2 cats that are my babies; Bagheera, and Mowgli. David and I have been married since July of '05. Shortly there after we went through the expreienc of living and working in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina blew into town. Shortly there after is when we moved here.

So this is where it begins...