Success

I finished a padded hanger cover and put it on the hanger. Plus, I finally bit the bullet and tackled the shoulder seams of The Girl's sweater. Turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. I then proceeded to start on the hood, picked up the required number of stitches and am moving forward. That wasn't as scary as I thought, either.

Tomorrow The Girl is cheering at a football game, so I will either take The Little Man's sock, that has been wasting away in space, or start another hanger cover. I'm making some hangers for the local craft fair. The Girl goes to a private Catholic school and they are having a booth at the craft fair this year. I'm planning on either knitting or crocheting some dish clothes as well. All in all, a successful crafting day. Yay me!

(almost) failure

The first day of my challenge and I almost didn't make it.  Life happened yesterday and the time I thought I would get to craft, I didn't.  I thought I'd have some extra time last night, before my board meeting, to do a little crochet.  Instead, I had just enough time to eat my dinner.  Then, after my board meeting, I attended a reception and didn't get home until late.  Migraine struck on the drive home, but I managed to crochet a couple of rounds on a padded hanger cover I keep in my purse for those fifteen minute waits we all have.

Today, I'm waiting for my muscle relaxer to kick in before I sit and start to work on my daughter's sweater.  I need to start working on it, because I have to pick up an ton of stitches around the neck for the hood.  And Lord knows that hood isn't going to knit itself!

I would at least like to get the shoulders seamed and possibly the first row or two of the hood started.  My house, unfortunately, also needs some attention.  I've got to do a little here and there, though I doubt my back will allow for much more today.

Staring at my computer screen isn't getting anything done any faster.  Time to get a move on....or at least a shuffle.

a challenge

Recently (just today in fact) I was motivated by a sort-of cousin of mine. (I think she's a cousin. First, second, once or twice removed....I have no idea. She's actually from my hubby's side of the family, but I digress....) She has a lovely website, Très Bébé Photography, and has asked if my family would be part of her next project, 12:12. That wasn't the inspiration. The inspiration came from her previous project, 365 days in the Life of a Photographer Mom. This got me thinking. Maybe I could do something similar.

The OCD part of my brain wanted to wait and start on October 1st. Heck, it would be happy to just start on a Monday, not a random Thursday, but another part of my brain (which part, I'm not sure) said, "NO! We're starting NOW!". So here goes.

MY challenge is to post something crafty every day. That means, I need to actually do something crafty. I am a fairly crafty person. I knit, crochet, sew, cross stitch.... Theoretically it shouldn't be difficult to do something every day. Posting it might be more of a challenge, but I'll cut myself some slack and allow for post-posting (is that even a word?) Posting after the fact.... I already know there will be days I'm without a computer. As long as I physically craft everyday, the posting can come as it will. My challenge, my rules. :)

Right now, I'm staring at the pieces of my daughter's sweater. I finished up the pockets yesterday, washed the pieces and blocked them. Now, they are dry and I'm procrastinating the next step. This is my first sewn-together sweater. The OCD part of my brain (curse it) is afraid of doing it wrong. So I've been researching technique online. But let's be honest and call it what it really is.....stalling. Now, I've done this blog.....another stalling technique. That OCD part, let's call it Susan, as in Lazy Susan, is a real pro. She's got her technique down pat. I've got a few other things to do before starting on the sweater. Then, I'm kicking Susan to the curb.

Rant

*Disclaimer* This is my blog. I have opinions. They might differ from yours. If so, and you don't like what I have to say, don't read. No one is forcing you to read my opinion. So there.

That being said, I have a rant. My son is in a wheelchair. We drive a van with a wheelchair lift that loads from the passenger side. When I park this van, I need to park in a handicapped space that had a loading zone on the right. These are hard to come by. Especially when going to places like medical facilities or shopping centers. There never seem to be enough handicapped parking spaces.

Today, I took The Boy to a doctor's appointment in Sacramento. I parked in a handicapped space with a smallish loading zone. I made it work. When I came out after his appointment, a new car was parked next to me. This car had decided to park IN the loading zone, most likely to unload someone out of the passenger side. I was totally peeved, to say the least. I had to move The Boy several spaces down, park him, alone, and reverse to move into a new spot where I could load him. Luckily for me, a car had moved and I was able to find a nearby spot to load.

Several things about this irk me. One: I can only park on the lowest level. My van is too tall to park on the upper levels. I have limited spaces available to me. Two: I HAVE to have a loading zone on the right. Three: a car can park on ANY level, it just may not be as convenient. Four: Since I was traveling alone, I had to leave my son unattended, in the open, while I moved the van. VERY SCARY! I was so peeved, I left a note on the offending car's windshield.

If you know me, I get mad, and curse and moan, but I usually don't do much about it. I am a pretty patient and accommodating person. For me to leave a note is pretty extreme. I even signed my name to it. It makes me shake just thinking about it.

People are so inconsiderate and self-centered most of the time. Most of the time, I roll with it. When it affects my child, especially my HANDICAPPED child, it really bugs me. Life is hard enough without having to deal with stupid stuff like that. I wish people would just stop to think about someone else once in a while.

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Annoying. grrrrr...... Okay, shake it off. Let it go. Move on. But, the next time you're thinking about pulling into that handicapped spot for just a second, or if you DO need a handicapped parking spot, consider the van that needs to park there, before you take the ONE spot that has a side entry. Just think.

I'm back

So I believe it's been about a year, or just over, right? I'm going to start doing this again. Why? I have no idea. Will anyone read this? I doubt it. But, I need to keep these creative writing juices going.

First off, I have made two pairs of socks successfully for The Boy. The first two socks were not the same size, but luckily, his feet aren't either. The second pair is much closer. I have just cast on a third pair this afternoon. I'm anticipating a long wait in a waiting room on Wednesday and figured a sock would be easy to pack along. Though, come to think on it, I also have a second mitten that needs finishing...... After the second pair of socks, I had an entire skein of yarn left. It was so soft and warm as socks, I reckoned I'd make a pair of mittens. I've had to design my own, based off a pattern I found on Ravelry. I lost the pattern at one point, so, naturally, I began another project, and the mittens got put down. I have since found the pattern, but become obsessed with something else.

Now, you may be thinking, "It's spring, almost summer. You live in Northern California. It gets over 100° there in July/August. Why mittens?" Well, since you asked ;)..... My son has....issues. One of his issues is cold hands and feet, all the time. Even when it's over 100°. This is what spurred me to knit. I needed to make socks that fit his feet and kept him warm without being tight and making his toes purple. This necessity for knitting has become an all-consuming passion. I really enjoy it. It also bears telling that I enjoy a challenge. When I had tried knitting in the past and failed....well, that just didn't set well with my brain. I had to give it a try again. (Just like my homemade macaroni and cheese obsession...but that's another ball of yarn all together).

I will save my new knitting project (besides the socks and mittens :) ) for another post. That way I have something to write about. Plus, it isn't put together yet. I have a hard time with that. The Final Stage. Actually finishing things. I love to plan, and imagine and begin....but finishing..... I have a lovely cross-stitched calendar that I made for myself, gosh, 15 years ago. I still haven't managed to sew the damn thing together yet. I keep saying, "Maybe this year."

Alright. Time to go take care of The Boy and take The Dogs out. Then, try for some sleep. The next few days are busy, but I hope to be back before another year goes by.

If you write it, they will come

Not to totally rip off a famous movie quote, but I needed an intro.

No one has read this yet.  I just keep writing, figuring someday, someone WILL read this.

I am frustrated at my lack of ability to find a FIVE PACK of double pointed needles.  I have FOUR packs, which just aren't good for socks.  Yes, I'm still trying to find a way to knit socks. 

That's all I have to say about that.

New Projects

I am sort of between projects right now.  I think I've finished most of my hanger covers.  I've given up on the socks for now.  I don't have any baby blankets to be working on.  The only thing I have in the hopper, so to speak, is an afghan for my aunt.  She's asked me to make a replacement afghan.  apparently, one of my great aunts made one for my grandmother.  My aunt has been using this one for years and it is finally wearing out.  I have been selected to make it's replacement.  She's picked a really easy pattern, but not so easy that it's boring.  Also, I say easy, knowing full well I had stitched and ripped out one row four times before I got it right.  

I have been a little preoccupied with the rest of my life.  Recently, I've signed on to do a 3 Day, 60 mile walk for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.  My sister-in-law and I are doing it in honor of our mothers.  Both of them have been diagnosed with and treated (successfully) for breast cancer.  I've been trying to schedule extended walking into my schedule.  I am not in shape, by any stretch of the imagination, so I've been just walking 3 miles a day.  Now, I'm up to 4.  Even though it's not a whole lot, I've still got to carve out an hour and a half for walking.  Considering I've only got a couple hours a morning without children, and without waking up at the crack of dawn, my time is precious.  i am NOT a morning person, but I'm afraid I'm going to become one.  The only upside is that I'm slimming down, which is fab.  

The moral of this tale is that my craftiness has taken a slight backseat.  I've got three stockings I've got to make, so that will be the next project.  

In the meantime, I work on my aunt's afghan.  Oh!  and i've got to make flowers for my hanger covers.  Just as soon as I find a decent pattern........