Life is like a knitted sock

I used to do a picture a day....I'm not sure I can anymore because my life is pretty non picturesque ...but I'm starting today

2/4/19

This is a knitted sock I have been working on forever . I’m starting to think this sock is a metaphor for my life and current situation.

It's a sock, the colors are not great, there is nothing super special about it, it has taken forever to get to the point it's at, and the more I look at it, the more I realize that even if I finish it, I most likely will not make another one.

Unless ..... unless this turns out better than expected.

The funny thing is that I always, well, 98% of the time, finish things, even if it is not good. I have friends who quit, friends who rip things out and friends who just stuff it away in a drawer.  All of those are viable answers, but for me, I have to see things through.

This sock contains many mistakes, each one I learned from. 

I can see multiple just looking at that picture right there.  Because I'm not done, I'm sure there will be more mistakes and lessons to learn in the near future with this ugly sock....

but I'll finish it....I've put quite a bit of effort into it all ready. 

Hopefully when I am done, I will be able to know the mistakes I made, and will have learned how to not make those mistakes again, or at least as badly...

and when it's time to knit another sock....

it may not be perfect, but it will be better. 

It's a guarantee, because I do pay attention.

I learned this about myself. I'm a pain in the ass, and I often have been guilty of not following the pattern.  This often causes problems, misunderstandings and dropped stitches. But it is honestly nothing that cannot be corrected with a little time, patience, sometimes some help from a friend or two, an occasional discussion, maybe a bit of a reworking and then some good old self forgiveness that you fucked it up by not following the directions or knitting rules.  

I have a friend , Ashley ( I like to call her lovingly, Snatchly)... she says to me, "the pattern is just a suggested guide, you only learn by veering off a little bit once in a while....happy little mistakes"

happy little mistakes.

( I think she got that from Bob Ross)

( from Etsy.com somewhere)

There have only been a few knitting projects I absolutely hated and pulled apart in despair.

I destroyed them....

yup, my fault entirely...

Frustrated and confused with the most simple projects, I destroyed them, and there was no fixing them.

As sad as it is to have wasted all that beautiful yarn and time, sometimes you just can't go back and reknit it anymore.  The yarn is too stretched or bumped and becomes ugly and just won't work. It is never as pretty as it should have been.

Maybe the best thing to do is, not throw it away, but to carefully unknit it....rinse it in cool water, ball it all up nicely and give it to someone who can take the time to appreciate it again and make it work.

Really make it work.

It's only fair.

The last bit about that sock up there, and all the other socks I have tried and failed so miserably;

I can't be mad at myself.  No one is ever that great at something new.  It takes practice, and stupid mistakes happen, like forgetting to count the stitches and place the important markers right where they need to be so you don't get off track.

Just remember, you can do better with practice and a little help from friends, and youTube.

and don't give up.

It's only a sock, a tiny part if your life.

write ya later,

xo, 

m

I really do love you

With a Little Help from My Friends

The Beatles

What would you think if i sang out of tune,
would you stand up and walk out on me?
lend me your ears and i'll sing you a song
and i'll try not to sing out of key.
Oh, i get by with a little help from my friends
mm, i get high with a little help from my friends
mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends
What do i do when my love is away
(does it worry you to be alone?)
how do i feel by the end of the day,
(are you sad because you're on your own?)
No, i get by with a little help from my friends
mm, i get high with a little help from my friends
mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends
Do you need anybody
i need somebody to love
could it be anybody
i want somebody to love.
Would you believe in a love at first sight
yes, i'm certain that it happens all the time
what do you see when you turn out the light
i can't tell you but i know it's mine,
Oh, i get by with a little help from my friends
mm, i get high with a little help from my friends
mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends
Do you need anybody
i just need someone to love
could it be anybody
i want somebody to love.
Oh, i get by with a little help from my friends
with a little help from my friends.

Hellllllo October, you Bitch

Oh, October in Colorado.  One of the persnickiest times of the year.

One day 78 degrees and clear ....

Isn't it lovely?

All less than 12 hours later.

Same view....

17 degrees. 

No worries though, this is why we love Colorado, she is as unpredictable as a, well, let's say a woman who has been on the wagon for 17 days, attempting to figure out what to do with all her free time not spent drinking or surfing IG or Facebook.

"Shall I have an acid flavored Kombucha?....or a cucumber water?"

"Shall I knit or shall I clean and sort my entire sewing room, then decide to finish all projects which were left unfinished from years ago?"

Guess what ?

All of the above.

SoberOctober is proving itself to be quite productive, not only for projects , but for clearing my mind and getting my lonely lost head straight. 

Two Thumbs up, M!.

 yeah Kanye, we get it 

"MAGA"....and that is starting with my sewing room and brain.

Let's see, just for the idle chatter, I knitted a sweater, sewed a bag (little hexagon appliqué pictured below), got a Fitbit, been working out, am getting a BMI body scan, repotted all the outdoor plants to bring inside and planned a trip to Nashville

Who doesn't love Hexagons?

All of this while sober.  

I may just keep it up into November (probably not, because my friends are so not supportive).

I am still grieving the loss of a friendship which brought me much joy....but it will be ok. 

Everything works out in the end, one way or another, it is just weird to hear someone say they will be there, then , well.....go silent.

Part of my Yoga, workout, run therapy also involves lessons in patience. 

It's kind of cool.

I am working just being me. 

It's all good when you can look at yourself and laugh...give people hugs....and  say "good things happen to good people and mean it". 

I missed out (self inflicted) on a once in a lifetime trip to Machu Picchu, which was to start tomorrow, because 

1. guilt of spending $3K on myself

2. a little bit scared

3. head not quite where it needed to be to travel and enjoy.

it's ok....there will be more trips....right?

(yes that is grey hair...the red is being replaced by silver)

This is me....at work, 

washing my hands so that I can pass out some more hugs.

Try it.

I'll keep ya posted on my plans.

Nashville, Bryce National Park 1/2, then hopefully Italy and or Greece....although I have heard Croatia is quite nice. 

xoxox,

write ya later,

m

craft room disaster

Room is painted. I'm not sure why I choose to do these things.  I guess it gives me some sense of being able to fix something.  Anything.

Bobby ended up helping me "cut in " the paint because I always get the ceiling.  I chose my two favorite colors: tangerine and green...with white.  I love the 70s mod colors.

this is in no way my completed project...this is much too nice...but these are the colors I used.

My shit is all over the place.  I have cleaned up more mouse poop in the past 2 days then I ever did working on the farm.  Who knew we were infested in the laundry room?  Not anymore.  

I have cleaned and bleached and if I show up dead or deathly ill in a month, it's Huntavirus (sp?)

While I wait for paint to dry and for Bobby to sand the last part where we had to re plaster the wall...Note to self...don't try to chip that tiny piece off...it always opens a can of worms I am sitting in the crappy computer room looking at what to do with all this fabric.

I have ironed little scraps

 i have ripped fabric meant for the garbage into strips

oh my god....mess

i'm worried I won't be able to get this all back together.   So I sit here making fabric for the garbage into balls of fabric yarn I can make something with.   All my best ideas come when I am not able to do anything  i.e: craft room non functioning.

Well, I'll keep ya posted,   I really should try to go for a run.  Its bee 2 weeks since the boob surgery.  My pants are tight.  

xo,

write ya later

m

craft room and yarn hole! Lets do this thing

Shit shit and more shit.   

So today I start to fix and throw away and try to make something out of this place we call home.

It gets to a point where you have lived some where so long you don't really care any more, then one day you look around and say 

Jeesus, this place is a mess and we have such great space and I bet if someone else lived here they would make it nice

so I am going to make my space nice.

Of course as soon as I started the man came down and said you can't just paint...you cant just put stuff in here.

well why the hell not!?

Just go back out to your garage.

the front loader broke...I had to spend 600$ on a new washing machine on Mother's Day which really really pissed me off.  so that wont be here until 5/25.  that gives me time to paint.

I'll keep ya posted and in the mean time if you have any ideas via pinterest etc...send them my way

New Year's...It's resolution time....Just be awesome

Here we go.  

As I get older I start to set my goals more in the medium range, with a few fancy ones thrown in.  One of my friends has a great way of thinking of her new goals.  Make a goal...then add a bonus.  I like that.

1. girls weekend getaway.

2. travel...alone.

3. Motorcycle ride, camp, ride.

4.  read a book every other month

5. run a 10k ( my friend has run a 10k a month on her list....whaccco!)

6. Pottery class

7. Art class

8. Writing class (  scares me)

9. yoga my heart, mind, soul

10 get a passport   (seems silly huh?  it just is a lot of paperwork)

and remember...

write ya later,

m

Knitting Aidez slowly

Yesterday we took atrip with the LYS to Mitchell, NE to do a tour of the Brown Sheep Wool Factory.  Very interesting to see how wool yarn is spun at large quantities.
We took a tour bus, which is a story in itself.  I swear to God the driver lady was drunk.  She got lost twice…yes, not once, but twice! She played Elvis on the player and drove like a bat outta hell and there was no suspension on that bus.  At one point my friend sitting next to me, looked at me and with a slight smile said, "We are going to die, aren't we?  This is going to be it, our families are going to see us on FOX news…Bus full of knitters flipped in the ditch in Wyoming "  
We laughed for a minute then both fell quiet and continued to frantically knit while trying to ignore when the drive drove onto the 'braille' sides of the road.

My project for the bus had been Aidez.  My god, I have been working on the thing for a year and still have one sleeve left to do.  It's a great cardigan pattern, one of the popular ones on Ravelry.  When I started I had thought I would try to do it in the round, but then decided to just follow the pattern, because…I never follow the pattern.  It is 3 panels and raglan sleeves.  The pattern itself has been done in many modifications and all are awesome.  It is easy although it looks daunting and although I just said that I will be happy to be done with it and move onto another.

I used KnitPicks wool of the andes bulky in a cool orange/rust color.
Here is the first parts getting blocked.  Like I said I still have one sleeve to complete, but I just wanted to see it…and see it stretched.

I did do the sleeves partially in the round then went back to flat to save time with stitching it all together.  Some of the pro knitters scoffed at that, but I like to think outside the box

I will keep you posted on the completion of this beast!

Write ya later 

m

Circular Needle Holder …clothespins

Yesterday I started cleaning the craft/laundry room.   

I had all my circular needles (which I dont use very often because I have since acquired some knitpicks interchangeables) in a needle wrap...pretty unsuccessfully.   They were a mess.  

So….I came up with an easy fix

Off to Home Depot.

1 piece of steel/metal   1.58   1 inch wide and 1 foot long

clothespins                   1.29

magnets                       4.00

glue gun

You may have some of this stuff just hanging out.  I had magnets but I wanted stronger ones than my bottle cap magnets.

The metal strip I got has holes in it so that I can nail it to the wall….or because its magnetic, I can put it to metal.  Imagine that.

Painting the clothes pins would be quite fancy also.

 You can easily romove the needles.

 I'm sure you crafty people can make them look more hip

But I like the industrial look.

Enjoy!

Test Knitting Pattern for Johnny Vasquez

I just completed a test knit for Johhny Vasquez from A New Stitch A Day

and Ravelry.

It's called the Sidewinder+Slouchie Beanie

Should be published soon.

It was a fun pattern and easy enough for beginners, especially now that we have Youtube.

 Olive seems to look good in it.  We added some Decor, which were actually barrettes.

 Cute Huh?

I Lurves It.

I really should be writing more, but I cant seem to get my head straight enough to write.  I'll tell you what, I have enough to write a short story, just about the Family Reunion.

heehee

xo,

Off to Tricks and Treat

m

Finished projects woop woop

Today I finally completed 2 projects which have been sitting around.

First one was a light hat for Ilin's bald head.  It's my own pattern so nothing to link it to…just happy it's done.

 The kid loves purple and grey…so it is perfect.

Second project is the Alice and Wonderland Wristlets from VO Knits.  Check out those awesome buttons….so cute.  I can't wait to wear them this winter with my long sleeve black t shirts.

So nice to finish a few things…feels so good.  

Now I have one more fingerless mitt to finish and I'll have another project done!

happy knitting

xo

m

DIY Interchangeable Knitting Needle Case

Labor day brought a day of nothing for me.  Isn't that how it should be?  Friday I received my new Knit Picks Zephyr interchangeable needles.  My knitting partner in crime had ordered herself the Addy's and they came in this adorable wallet.  it was perfect purse size, tidy, and classy.  When I got my needles they came in this god awful tacky plastic Walmart looking thing.  I was sad.  I didn't want to spend any more cash out of my budget so I decided to sew one up.  I used Miss Vonkysmeed's blog and a combo of others and set to work.
I had all the fabric in my cabinet but if you don't I would head to the fabric shob and use some scrap upholstery or cotton.  I used two different coordinating fabrics.  I'm wild like that.
Plug your iron in and get your ruler and pins and stitch remover (just in case)….and a lemonade or cocktail. ( I prefer the latter)
This is what you need:

Two 11 3/4" x 17" pieces of fabric for outside of case and for lining 

11 3/4" x 10 1/2" piece of fabric for cable pocket

11 3/4" x 9 1/2" piece of fabric for needles pocket

11 3/4" x 8" piece of fabric for pocket on bottom flap

2" x 4" piece of fabric for button loop

6" x 8" piece of fabric for zippered pocket lining

11 3/4" 17" piece of interfacing*

11 3/4" x 17" piece of batting*

7", or longer , zipper

button

I chose not to use interfacing or batting, the batting made it too bulky, so I used a piece of thicker cotton canvas (denim or old jeans) I had around to give it some form.

1. Cut out all your pieces.  Extremely easy if you have a cutting wheel.   Don't worrry about being perfect.  Just cut and be happy.
2. Fold the pocket pieces together lengthwise.  WITH RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER.  Press and stitch a nice 3/4" hem ( or whatever size you like to hem…3/4" is standard so I will say that is what it is when I say hem.)   You should have 2 rectangular tubes. 11 3/4" x 5 1/4" & 11 3/4" x 4 3/4"  Now turn right sides out, trim seams, and press again.  Set to the side.

3.  Layer the large pieces together . Fabric lining then batting.  )Save the last piece of large fabric for the very end. Have your 2 layers nice and neat in front of you.

Now you want to take the smaller rectangle tube.  11 3/4"x4 3/4" and put it on your layers and pin it about 5 3/4" down from the top.  Mark the center with a little dot for reference.  

Stitch the bottom of the pocket across close to the edge.

This is going to be your needle pocket.  

After it is stitched down this is where you get to decide what you want to do.  

I chose to make incremently larger needle holders from left to right on my case.  Instead of measuring, dividing, doing long divison...I put my tiniest needles in,  marked top and bottom and sewed a line.***NOTE: sew from bottom hem where the pocket is stitched on so that you don't get bumpy.

You can look at Mrs. Vonkysmeed's if you want to do math.  I had too many cocktails by this point.

click pic to see bigger detail

So, take your time and sew your nice neat lines.  I think mine ended up having 12 needle compartments for "pairs of needles".
4.  Get the larger pocket and pin it neatly 1 1/2" DOWN and on top of pocket #1.  (oooh it's starting to look like something!)  This is your cable pocket.

Pin in place and stitch neatly, close to the bottom edge.  After it is stitched on the bottom I made one center stitch, which actually matched up with my needle pockets, so that I would have 2 cable pockets.
That's good for me.  Like I said, if you want to do math divide by 3 or something and remember !!!!STITCH FROM BOTTOM SEAM TO OPENING (TOP) so you don't get bumps.  If you do it wrong you will know, then just pull it out with the ripper. and do it over right.

Now have a drink, because I don't want you to be afraid of the stupid zipper.  You have Youtube and a few links.  it's easier than it looks.
5.  inner pocket tutorial  @ craftpassion and U-handbag tutorial  and please look at Vonkysmeed's…I used a combo of all three.  I like the way Vonkysmeed folds the pocket in half .
 YOU READY?  here we go
Go look at the tutorials, unless you know how to do it all ready.  We are going to draw the zipper box 2" from the top of the fabric and make it 6-6 1/2" long.  (Zipperbox is the drawing you are going to cut out.) ***I did not use interfacing, so when you look at the tutorials, just ignore the extra piece of fabric

click for larger view

When you draw the box only make the rectangle about 1 cm high.  I made mine too tall, which threw my zipper sewing off.  The closer the rectangle is to the zipper teeth the easier.

 U-handbag shows a great step by step on turning the pocket to the inside

once it is looking similar to this, press like no ones business!

put your zipper underneath as in tutorial, sew it in close to the edge…use a zipper foot…you must have one somewhere…and if you have NEVER ever sewn a zipper, refer to Youtube.  ( I swear by those videos)

Fold the bottom of the fabric up over the installed zipper and sew it all the way around (just on that  fabric) to make the pocket.   OOOOHHHH  very nice

except for my little pucker.

Look at this point you should be patting yourself on the back and doing the happy dance!

6.  Now easy stuff: the loop for the closure.  Get your 2"x4" fold in half length wise. Press. Unfold then press the raw edges in making a nice 4" thin, hemmed, piece of fabric.  Press again then sew close to the edge on the open seam to close it.  Got it?  now, pin it to the top, center, above where your new zipper is…on the edge.

8.  you should have another "pocket rectangle" there on your sewing table.  Fold it in half, WRONG sides together.  pin it with the raw edges lined up with the bottom of the project (opposite end of the zipper….) It's the last pocket , so it goes below the other pockets.  The folded side should be aiming north and the "raw edges" south.  layer the last big piece over the entire thing, right sides together, and pin together.  Capturing all the layers and loop enclosure.

7. Sew all the way around the edge BUT leave about 3 inches open on one side or bottom so that you can turn it right side out.  Turn right side out, press….stitch the last little section closed, either by hand or I just sew it together with the sewing machine, making sure I fold the seams inside and press.

When that is done press, admire your work…take a sip of cocktail, then I sewed all the way around the outside, close to the edge with a nice topstitch…. then add a button.  I had a button that I covered with matching fabric…but use whatever you like.

TA-DA!!!!!!

I'm so proud of you…..I hope it worked for you.

Thank you to all the other blogs which I found direction with…

Show me a pic…

send me a nice email….

But if it didn't work out….I'm gonna blame it on the fact you had too much cocktail.

xo,

m

First Yarn Bomb

Cherry Creek Arts Festival…about 7 minutes total…   needs a chain and ball

would you smile…?

I would

A few cold day projects

 Its chilly here today, sunny and 15 degrees.  

The worst kind of cold.  

It looks nice out then you step outside and your boogers freeze upon contact of the cold.

I decided to work on a few little projects.

We have Jeans for Kit, the American Girl doll.

I used Daddy's old jeans he was throwing away.

Felted clogs; before the felt.

I'll post a few more pics of these later.

The pattern is easy to find on Ravelry and I think it is $7.95

And one very very cold lil chihuahua

balled up in a ball on the back of the couch.

I'm going to go listen to This American Life and do a bit of sewing.

I'll let you know how it all pans out.

xo

write ya later,

m

Cooking to make my liver happy

My liver is killing me.  

Seriously.  I even copped out of riding the Motorcyle to Denver to do more drinking with friends this afternoon just to give it a rest. 

 I hope it thanks me.  

I started my weekend hanging out with my friend Kris.  We began knitting at 9 am, which did not include drinking, although at that point I wished it had.  Later in the day we ended up at Oskar Blues to do more knitting and let the girls hang out in the play area, while we did some more drinking.  Then the men joined us which meant more drinking and food…then home, only to start all over the next mid morning.  We headed to Grimm Brothers Brewery, drank and knit…the men talked motorcycles, then when we were done there we headed to Kris's house to sit outside with the fire pit, let the girls play and do, yes you got it, more drinking.   Today we were to go to Denver to see some friends and drink some more, but I stayed home to cook.  Sheeeewwwww.   I had to, I just couldn't drink another drop, until later at least.

I cooked today.  I made stew for Bobby, enough to eat and one batch to freeze.

I made these divine Apple Muffins from the website "the girl who ate everything"

 the batter was so thick!  then Olive sprinkled the brown sugar on top

 Kid's ate the leftover batter, gross

 Wilma enjoyed them

Ilin gave them the thumbs up

so go check out that recipe.

Now I'm making veggie pot pies, gonna do my p90x and knit some more

have a great fall day!

x

m

What a Good Day, knit, run, falldown

Today was late start at school, which I forgot so I was screaming at 730,  " Get Up!!! GEt UP!!!!"

Only to hear Olive go, "Mom, Its late start."

Oh, ok go back to sleep

 which I did, but apparently they could not, so they were up clanking around the house.

I got a workout in, went out to walk all the kids to school and there was a MOM!!!!  Joan, from Joan and Bill, who live a few blocks over.  She said, "hey, I'll ride with the kids this morning since I never get to."  

Well OK...sweet.  

You see, it's kind of a thing in our neighborhood since they took our crossing guard away.  We take turns walking the kids to the big intersection, crossing the street, then letting them go.  Whichever parent has the most guilt or most free time is the one who does it.  Which puts me in the lead in both categories.  But not today, I got a break !

I tld you guys about falling while running a few days ago right?  The picture does not capture the purple on my chicken sticks

lovely...now they really look like 12 year old's legs.

Man they hurt.  I didn't even put my flipping hands down....Although I did try to do a shoulder roll, but the train tracks were not condusive to a roll, so it was a smack and a skid.

I am still working on this great knitting shawl called Vlad.  I'm hoping to finish it this century, then I can get my friend Kris B to help me block it.

Here's what I got:

here's what it should look like when done:

calliopeknits at flikr

I'm starting to have my doubts.

Well, I'm on a roll, so I better keep it moving and try to stay away from crawling back into bed, since that has been my MO lately

miss you guys...

xo

m

Yarnnnny

I purchased some ICE yarn from Ebay.  2.09 a skein, and it's like the one below but in black.

I got a LOT for 8.99$ then 6$ shipping, I should have bought more, but wasn't sure.

I want to make this

I know, I know....where will I wear such a thing.

But I love it and him and all things Old Skool Punk Rock.

Or maybe I can make this:

awwwww

precious lil stinker.

On the needles

Short Toed Socklets

these lil buggers were a pain in the ass, and they aren't even done!

Oh well, they are for my Facebook 6 friends, and I know the person who is getting them doesn't read this.

So I still have to finish this one and move onto the next one.

I've slept well the last three nights and still have this horrible hacking cough.  I'm sure if I took up smoking filterless cigarettes I would sound better.

I'm going to try to pick up a few shifts this week.

Bobby feels my main problem is that I am sitting at home while everyone is at work.

He says I should work more.  He still doesn't get the concept that I work full time almost every week.  Just at night!  I try to work the 3 night shifts which gives us 36 hours and we get paid for 40.  That is what he works...40 hours a week .

Ok.  Today...

housework.

and working out.

write ya later

m