snowing and I am tense about the CPSC

Snow falling on the front range. I am wanting to be wrapped in blankets instead of worrying about the Febuary 10, 2009 start date for compliance with the consumer products safety commission. I am going to have to give up all of my charity knitting for children if I read this properly. Adult stuff only. (well 12 and up) This takes my kid chemo hats out of production because I can't afford to test for lead and phthalate. I am going to be sending email to my representatives and senators. I am also going to send snail mail to the CPSC small business ombudsmen. I will call and talk to the office of compliance and see how this really effects me and I will post the reply that I get.

busy busy busy...

This month has flown by and I am still not being good about posting here. I am on ravelry most of the time and run out of go juice about getting to my other blogs. (here, myspace,and tribe) I have been busy knitting and trying to get the house to run smoothly.

The pups ate my camera cord so maybe Santa will bring another.

Here is a wine bottle sock I made Thursday night as a last minute gift. The yarn is repurposed and even though it doesn't show well in this light a lovely silvery green of unknown fiber content. I was very happy at how it was recieved. I can get insecure about gifting.

I think though that I will be making more as I am going to be starting a new batch of wine in a month or two. I don't know what kind it will be yet. Okay, so I do know what kind it will be... it will be yummy picnic kind of wine. The fruit is still in question.

The snowflakes are still drying and I am wanting to mess with them so much it isn't funny. I wish I knew what they will look like finished. Maybe tomorrow I will get pics.

Wow...

Look what happens when you take pain meds. You just forget that the days go by. Lots happening here but nothing really getting made. No pics, just letting those that care know that I am feeling better.

crochet day

I haven't gotten much done on any one project but touched about six today. Working on a tissue cozy that will organize my crochet hooks (sort of) and will post a pic when it is done. Most of the day has been quiet for me. Though T. and I set the treadmill up and both spent 15 minutes on it. I am going to try again tomorrow. I didn't have it fast as sometimes one foot in front of the other is a challange for me. lol Happy that I did it! Now here is the big !suprise of my day. Even after the snow I have one little pink rose that is in bloom. What heart!

Happy Thanksgiving

I have lots to be thankful here but I think I am not going to list it all here. I think that I have another fun thing to make. They are called Tawashi (I think that is the spelling) They are quick to knit or crochet and can really help you green your life. Cute little scrubbies that are going to let me take at least one more chemical cleaner out of my house. Wild thing is how wonderfully they work. With just a dampening of water they scrubbed my stove top today after the cooking of a feast and left it sparkling clean and didn't take much elbow grease!!!! As usual the pic is horible because of the cell phone and bad lighting. This is really a cream color.

new stuff

I had a great time making this ball and have another on the needles already. My mind is spinning at what can be done with them. I'll post if they become other than balls. Cici9293 on Ravelry made the pattern up. Thanks Cici!

Sorry for the bum pictures, cell phones do that. It is closer to the picture on the right. Tealish really.

library

Saturday night we decided to cheap date to the library. After bringing home several really good books I decided to start with Cat Bordhi's New Pathways for Sock Knitters #1. Here is the first practise set. They are a toddler sock for a friends daughter. Shinny purple synthetic of reuse so I don't know the fiber content. (child has animal allergies) so this is the result. It made me tense that it looks so odd on the needles when you are used to traditional patterns but the urge to frog was successfully defeated. I like the way they fit. Though I think that there will be lots of learning before I get the technique down pat.

good start to getting the stash busted!

These rugs may not qualify as an addiction, but they sure get the odds and ends taken care of. I had two boxes of skein ends that didn't have a designation past maybe some day I will get to using them. Well, the rugs I made this week just ran through those with efficiency. Leaving me with two rugs for the house. One oval in Christmas-y colors and one in everything else for in front of the tub. That one is round. Even used some bulky and novelty stuff. I am happy with them both and think that it is the best cure for those random balls that seem to breed in the back of the closet. Pictures later.

promised rug pics

Not the best photos but what can I ask of a cell phone!

freaky

I am a bit frightened but for no good reason right now. My daughter was supposed to move her family into an apartment in Boulder tomorrow. There was a big fire at that complex last night and it doesn't seem she will be able to be there. Where she is now she expects her out in the morning. I am to far away to offer shelter till this blows over so now I am trying not to panic about it all as there is nothing that will do to help. Any ideas?

finished rug

pic is not good at all but it shows some of the sheen the gold fiber stuff gave it. Better pics tomorrow.

rug update

FINISHED IT! I even think it could be done in less than four hours if there were less distractions. I will post a pick tomorrow when I can get one in good light. It isn't big but it sure is satisfying.

rug

10,000 some odd ft of some kind of gold shiny stuff. Enough like yarn that it is going to be part of the rug. Goodness it might be part of several rugs...lol!

Went to Micheals and got a size 11.5 crochet hook to help.

comic relief

Peanut in a fluffy sweater.

ruggin' it

Started a crochet rug yesterday. Being inpired to try after following a link to someone off Wendysmodestdress. The way I had tried before it was just using a couple of strands of yarn together, but in this one she crocheted the two strands into a chain first then crocheted the rug. This makes a lovely heavy rug. Though I will need to get a larger hook to finish it here are the beginning pictures. (ok they are taken without enough light) One is of the beginning ball and the other is of the first three rounds.

Puck and Peanut... she is still half the size of her siblings and doesn't yet weigh three pounds. Even though at eight months they seem huge to me. LOL I think that she sure looks cute dressed up, but she will go roll in compost everytime!

Here we go... I am trying to get my question answered. When are you a designer and when are you just making patterns up as you go? Is it design if you are not writing it down or making it for sale? Some days are just good for wondering about stuff!

tough times...

so the house seems to be filling up with my sisters family. I am not unhappy but sure wish that we could all be making it without the fear of homeless kids! Happy news is that one of the twins is expecting. (due in June) Looking forward to more baby knitting. Also working on a soaker pattern for the boy dogs that have gone bad news with their house training in the hubbub! I will post picks if it works.

Suprise!!

DHusband has brought home tickets to the ice hockey game. I think I am going to bring a small project along. LOL Got to love knitting for small dogs!

Harley's sweater

Harley in his new jumper. Life is good for him though he looks like he isn't height happy! I still have to leave even trim off the arm holes as he catches his feet on it. Instead of a sweater I guess it is a vest.

little dog sweaters

Are driving me crazy!!! I am trying to get a pattern worked out to put on my mini dachshunds! First one had arm holes that were way to big and the chest wasn't working out. Second the arm holes were better but it still looked like the basic sock top that I was using for inspiration. (ribbing knit tube with arm holes ribbing) Now the chest is getting better, the arm holes are smaller and even Ms. Peanut has one that fits. I have decided to leave off the sleeves because they seem to get in the way of those bitty legs. Though I am going to think about changing the needle and yarn to something finer and those will have finished sleeves and not just the arm holes that are left unfinished since I am still not happy with the pattern. These seem like they knit up in about two hours of tv time. Weather report says it will be a pretty day tomorrow so I will try to get a couple of good pics outside to post.

okay... promised pic finally

knit from cotton that is a varigation of purple, cream, and sage-ish green. Though it became the bag that kept on growing... but knitting on pain meds is often like that. lol I can carry my laptop in it, along with several other books and some knitting in it...with a picnic lunch! I am happy with the result and even indulged in some public knitting.

Roses by my front door

Here is a picture of some of the roses by the front door! I am very happy that someone who was here in the past was a gardener. Life is okay today. I am going to post a picture of the knit bag tonight. I just have to make myself finish it and get a pic.

back at it...

The yard has shaped up very nicely over the summer, though I didn't get as much done as I wanted because of school and the time that takes up. LOL Life is good though as fall comes on I am finding it more of a challenge to keep moving and off the convient medication. The MS isn't going to take the freedom of living away from me. I am going to be posting to my Etsy.com store and get myself back into the swing of having a hobby business until I can get the hang of business for real...lol. Should have my BA in business admin and accounting in about about a year.

Ok... knitting... yeah... doing lots and lots of shopping bags. It is an old pattern my GrandMa used. I don't know where it came from. I think that for pretty I am going to modify it for some of the lace patterns. I found out that I am able to carry my laptop, books, lunch, and thermos in it without any pain in my shoulder. They amaze me with what you can put in them because they just keep getting bigger. It reminds me of the carpet bag that Felix the cat used to carry. (for those of us old enough to recall)

ewwww...

lookit all the dropped isis leaves... no don't look... ummm.... I will get this place looking better soon as the weather is nice on the weekend.

the garden at the new house is waking up...

at one time this place must have been a wonderful garden. Now it all needs care and divisions. Though I have a plant that I have not seen before. I thought it was grass and almost weeded it out before noticing that it had a flower bud coming on. It has a pendulous cream colored flower that looks like an upside down tulip. The flower is about two inches long. And the dogs ate it!!!!

The plant looks intact but the flower was shredded. I have a pic that I took with my cell phone (oh look... if you like it... it must taste really good) so if anyone might know what it would be please let me know.

I have a baby sweater on the needles but really no urge to knit right now. Finishing up the gold and green crochet back pack by lining it. Picks tomorrow.

got to love

the accelerated classes. Midterms at the end of week two! *Doing the happy dance* I aced it!!!
DH got me the rumor phone that I wanted and now I have the camera also. So look forward to pictures by tomorrow!!! Because today is cold and wet, so I am not doing nothing!!! Well, except suck down coffee like I have an iv and work on the lace shawl on the needles. All I have right now is the center piece worked out. It is a two count double faggot rectangle. I haven't even thought of edging patterns yet.

yay! We're in one house and one storage unit...

finally I feel as though I am not completely lost in space. The kitchen is straight, I have found that I have way to many towels, and I think that I have found a local knit and weave supply that I like.
Its a very sleepless night but I am happy about making some progress with putting things away.

I can see FLOOR

in the office/studio!!! Still getting some knitting done. January sock knit along is finished and a small rug in tones that will match the coleus garden for the patio. Have not even begun to think of the January shawl kal. Oh well. Life is going on while I continue to unpack and try to make sense of the house contents. We are still in two houses. I am finding it strange to be separated from the DH but I am doing ok. Recovered from the car smash up mostly. Found the new internist and pain management specialist... and beginning to get that almost on top of things feeling. Anyone that needs to have some of their stuff knit up should contact me as I am doing some consignment knitting now.