Almost 2007 and other ramblings

Talk about a year passing by at the speed of light! 2006 seemed to be here and gone in the blink of an eye. I do hope that 2007 is a quiet and calm year. (knock on wood).

How was your Christmas? Did you enjoy your day and was Santa good to you? I sure hope so. We had a good day and Santa was pretty nice to us too.

Sara is starting her internship in the bakery Jan. 3rd. I am so excited for her. It's all she can talk about. Her joy and excitement spills over onto everyone. LOL.

On the knitting front. My knitting classes are working on two donation projects. 1. the Red Scarf Project and 2. the Dulaan Project. (links can be found if you scroll down my sidebar). I am so happy that even my very beginning knitters are excited about these projects. ( I have one red scarf made and two hats so far) I'll be sure to have pictures and updates here on the blog. My classes and private lessons are so much fun. I have been blessed with great ladies and young ladies. LOL. This coming year we are going to be working on a lot of new stitch combinations and how to incorporate them into patterns that they are all ready comfortable making. I am also going to have a 1 day combined class of all my students and we'll work on something a little challenging to them, like a class on socks, then another class on lace, things like that. Right now I plan on these classes being quarterly.

Now sometime in the coming year I'm going to learn how to spin. This drop spindle thing is making me a little crazy, so I've decided that I need to watch and learn from someone or at least find a dvd out there on it. (I'm such a visual learner). I would really like to attend some of the gatherings put on by the Spinning group here in Atlanta, but schedule wise it's hard to commit to that. I may end up waiting till I go to TN again.

On a totally different note, I know that at some point I will have to change my blog over to the new blogger. I am dreading it. Today I changed one of the KAL's that I am in and it listed my name under "Gunther". Which is my great dane's blog. LOL. Not that he gets online and blogs, I do it for him, with his help of course. LOL. Anyway, my concern is that in the future when this blog is changed over it will list me as Gunther too. There has to be a way around this. Any suggestions?

In closing, I wish all of you a very safe and fun New Years. Enjoy yourself and make sure that you are doing something you love at the stroke of midnight!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Merry Christmas

To all of you who read my blog, that I consider some of the best women in the world...

I hope that this Christmas brings you lots of love, joy and peace.

Merry Christmas

I've been Tagged... and it's weird, 6 weird things.

My dear knitting friend Wendy, aka Plumpy has tagged me. So here it goes.

"The Rules: Each player of this game starts with the "6 weird things about you." People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says "you have been tagged" in their comments and tell them to read your blog."Six weird things about me."

6. I hate for my food to touch. There are a few foods that its' ok, but for as long as I can remember my foods mixing were a yuck on my list. When I was little I would eat the parts not touching and leave on the plate anything that was. LOL, I guess I still do that to some point. LOL.

5. Late! NEVER, NEVER, NEVER. LOL. Late is not an option. I would rather be there days early than 5 minutes late. So let me put it this way, I get a lot of sock knitting done in the car. LOL.

4. Balance. Notice I didn't say "and Harmony". For me to function where I am comfortable I crave balance. Balance in my family, relationships, knitting, business, there is balance. I have learned that sometimes to have balance in my life, "things" have to be said and it might not be easy, but in the end there is balance.

3. When I travel to visit people other than my mom, I have to stay in a hotel. I just do not feel relaxed staying in peoples homes. I don't know if it's the need for privacy, the need to know at some point in the day I can shower without feeling the need to clean the bathroom from top to bottom, or what, but I just feel better staying in a hotel. My nerves get frazzled in a whole new way staying with people. I tried a Bed and Breakfast one time and though I enjoyed the experience, it was too much like staying with family.

4. My whites, have to be WHITE. I like to know that anything that will be touching my body in a "close" way is so clean that it makes the heavens sing. LOL

3. I will completely loose my appetite if someone eating at the same table as I am smacks or eats with their mouth open. I have been known to leave my plate and all it's goodies and walk away.

2. I don't read at night because I get so caught up in the book that I cannot put it down and instead of getting tired and relaxed when I read, I get wound up. I also don't knit for about an hour before I go to bed because once I get started it's hard to stop. (just one more row.... one more chapter.....)

1. I hate shopping. (the woman in my family live to shop) I don't. If I can order it online I am the happiest woman in the world. Getting out and about big groups of people shopping makes me uneasy just thinking about it. LOL.

ok, that's the only 6 that I'm sharing with you. LOL. Now I get to tag a few people. Stoned Knitter, Melissa's Adventures in Knitting, Snarky Bitch, One Thread Two Thread, Chappysmom, Amy's Knitting and Stuff .

No Knitting News, but ...

I guess you can tell by the picture that this isn't a knitting post. LOL. Nope, it's a picture of my family. Sara, GT, Gunther and our new fawn great dane, Christmas Scooby Do. Scooby is over 7 foot tall and the only on in our neighborhood. We noticed last night that cars are slowing down as they go by to look at him. LOL. Ok after a few cocktails, it was pretty amusing.

I decided yesterday that since things were a little crappy for the holidays because of my knee and the Christmas money that it took away, that there is not a damn thing I could do about it, it happened, I don't know why it happened, it did, and we were going to have a nice holiday in spite of it. My problem (which got a lot of attention because of every time I moved my knee it reminded me) has been that I had such fun plans for the kids, especially since next Christmas they may be out on their own doing their own thing, (which if they are happy is a gift right there) but anyway, I realized that I have no CONTROL over this and no matter my plans this is how things are suppose to be right now. So cool, we'll flow with what we have and be happy that we have each other, right now, today. Tomorrow I will deal with what it has.

Hurting, Knitting & WAY Behind

I'm here (aren't you thrilled?)

My kids are great, Gunther is great, my knee is horrible. I hate complaining, I know there are people out there suffering beyond anything that I can imagine, so all I am going to say about it, is my good knee is no longer a good knee. I'm still walking with a cane, and I have become a little grouchy. (hey I'm honest) LOL. You know when you don't feel good all the time and you are constantly trying to find ways to do things that don't hurt, it gets old, REAL OLD.

I started a mitten last night and got about 2 rows from finishing it and tried it on. It was pretty clear that the woman who wrote the patterns idea of woman's hand size and mine it quiet different. Actually it's about 3 inches different. I kept looking at it thinking surely it will be bigger than it looks. Nope. So I don't know what I'll do with it yet. I may just forget it and frog it all out. I'm just not in the mood now to make mittens.

Spinning. I haven't even had a chance to enjoy it yet. That is frustrating the hell out of me. Hockeymom sent me some great goodies, and everyday I look at hoping to have either the time to play or be in better mood so I'll be able to do it without going nuts. LOL. I know I won't hardly get to knit, spin, eat or whatever till Monday. The next three days are so packed mostly filled with have to stuff. So with that said. I am off here and on to the shower, well I'll get something to drink first, then the shower and onto bed. (thank heavens for the most comfortable bed in the world, LOL. I love my bed)

Good night and blessed be

What to do when you have to RICE

The past few days while I have been trying to heal from this knee injury I've been working on socks. For some reason not too long ago, Hobby Lobby had the Senso crochet thread marked down in the discount area. So I bought some just for the heck of it. It's a indigo color and is 70% cotton and 30% wool. When I bought it, I really didn't have anything in mind to do with it. I figured somewhere down the line I'd either use it or give it to one of my crochet students. But, I decided to experiment. Since I wasn't feeling good I didn't really want to make any fancy socks just some regular socks, something that I could knit while not feeling 100%. Here is a picture of the first finished one. And what's so funny about it, is that this sock feels good on. I'm actually looking forward to making the second sock. (go figure.) LOL.


Diana, thank you for the ibuprofen suggestion. It has worked well. This morning though I have a lot of pain behind the knee cap and on both sides of it and it's giving out on me. Oh joy. Unfortunately I've had enough knee injuries to know that this isn't good, especially since it will be a week Wednesday and the pain isn't getting better. I hate going to the doctor, can you tell? LOL. Oh well, I'm headed off to knit, ice the knee and rest.

Blessed be

Me, The Felted Tote, Sara & Gunther News

Let's start with the Fair Isle Felted Tote. Here is a link to where it's at and how it's turning out. Fair Isle Felted Tote KAL: The Stages of my Fair Isle Tote. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Now for Sara. Sara is my 20 year old daughter for those of you who haven't been reading my blog too long. She has been working in a German Bakery/restaurant for about 9 months now mostly in the retail part of the bakery. Recently she mentioned to one of the owners that she was wanted to pursue a career as a pastry chef. (one of the owners is a internationally known Master Pastry chef). Side note: We have been looking into schools and actually have the paper work on her desk for the Culinary Institute of America or Johnson and Wales culinary arts institute. Anyway, with it coming up on the holidays, the bakeries busiest time, they asked Sara if she would be interested in helping out. She jumped on it. They have been training her her and putting her through the paces. Most days she is working 12-13 hours a day. Today she calls me and tells me that the owners called her to their office, and have offered to train her exclusively for 3 years, then they will help her pursue her Master Pastry Chef title. They said they had been watching her the past couple of weeks and they rarely have seen a young person who is so eager to learn, who has no problem with long hours and never complains. She will be the 3rd person that they have ever taken to train in all the years they have been in the industry. So needless to say I'm pretty excited.

Of course I have doggie news. My little 16 month old baby, Gunther the Great Dane. Had his 1 year check up yesterday and the vet said Gunther was in excellent health. He is weighing 120 lbs and is 35 inches at the shoulds. The vet couldn't say enough good things about him. Gun-man was a total charmer the whole time. He even got special attention from the vet tech's.

I also have a son, (and right now I'm feeling strange because I have no super news about him) but right now he is laying low studying. I am so grateful for that. LOL.

Lastly, my news. Yesterday morning at 5:50am I fell outside. My Birkenstocks went in a direction that wasn't agreeable to the rest of my body. I fell, landing my full weight on my right knee, actually just a hair under the knee cap. My knee and the corner of the concrete slap patio I have had a sudden attraction. I broke a chunk of concrete about 2" wide off the slab. Anyway, I won't describe the pain, nor show you the pictures but lets just natural 11 hours of child birth felt better. Sara and GT heard me fall came outside and helped me up. I got the ice, got my butt in the PT Cruiser and took Sara to work. Yup, crying all the way. I came home, GT came out helped into the house, I propped it up, more ice and stayed on the couch nearly all day. And by the way, I will never have another house that has levels. All the bathrooms are upstairs. Not fun when you can't walk. No accidents thank heavens. LOL. Today it's doing better. The swelling is down some, but the pretty colors are more intense. I have noticed too that other parts of me are hurting so I must have twisted somewhere between standing and landing. (hurtful smile).

So now you have it, consider yourself fully updated on my life and the life of my kids. LOL.

Thank You

Friday the drop spindle that my mom got me arrived. I was so excited. Here is the info on it. "Paduak Drop Spindle has a deep orange-red coloration. padouk is an exotic wood from West Africa. " She had purchased it from Pacific Wool and Fiber.

Then I had another surprise. A comment had been left for me on one of my other posts that if I would give her my smail she may have "a little something" to help me. Well, here is a picture of the little something. LOL. 4oz of Corriedale and 1oz of some practice wool. Thank you so much Hockeymom Knits . The timing was also perfect because today is kind of yucky. I just woke up this morning feeling not exactly sick, but just not right. (for those who know me closely this is not an opening to share with everyone about how "not right" I really am. LOL) So getting this surprise in the mail today was the shot in arm I needed. Again, thank you so much Hockeymom!