Talk Derby to Me

Oh yah! Go Baby, Go. Talk Derby to Me (in your best Poison tune)

Louisville and the first Saturday in May = DERBY. For many it's par-tay time. For us, it's just another day.

For me, it was the day I blocked my MYSTIC LIGHT Shawl! Here is mine done in Dream in Color Smooshy Yarn - Lipstick Lava colorway.

I enjoyed everything about this KAL. The pattern, while easy to follow it had it's challenging areas, such as cables and knitting pattern on both sides. The yarn, fabulous; first time I had ever worked with it. So soft and very easy to work with. While it did rub a wee bit of red on my hands while working, that's normal for brightly hand dyed yarns and fibers. Before I blocked it, I rinsed throughly in cool water til it ran clear, so it's all set now.

The New Madrid Fault is Alive and Well....

So this morning, waaaay before my alarm was to go off I was awakened - - - suddenly.

Nothing like a bit of fear to start the day off!!!! The whole house was shaking, windows rattling, bed rumbling on the wood floor. It lasted over 30 seconds. I lay there wondering WTF was that? After I could breathe, I looked out my window to see if there was a wind storm or tornado... SOMETHING to explain what happened. Nothing outside. All calm, even saw a rabbit hopping along between our house and the neighbors house.
Well hell... I was awake now...no sense in even trying to doze off til the alarm goes off. I go downstairs, the dog is staring at me; as if to say , "what was THAT?" I turn on the radio, start the coffee....then I hear ...."well it seems that we just had an earthquake."

WHAT!?!?!? EXCUSE ME??? EARTHQUAKE??!!

Uhhhh, yep. 5.2 on the richter scale. Epicenter was West Salem, IL.
The New Madrid Fault is the reason.

Effin' crazy is all I am sayin.
I know, I know... CA has them all the time; but this was my first earthquake experience, so humor me people.

progress pics

OK, I got off my lazy ass.... presenting clues 1 and 2 of Mystic Light KAL in Dream in Color Smooshy- Lipstick Lava



This is the cafe curtain hung up...of course, being the brainiac that I am....took it into the light *duh*

I will take another one tonight, perhaps it will be better.

What's a Goil to do?

What's a goil to do while waiting for new yarn to arrive for a KAL? Stash bust of course!

Realizing that I was sick and tired of mini blinds in our road facing bathroom, I made a cafe curtain. Denim Ombre kitchen cotton, and a vintage crochet pattern that I modified. I ALMOST have it perfect. I believe I will need to make another panel in order to have the folding drape to obscure the bathroom window. The photo is that of the panel drying and blocking.




Over Easter, also bored and bummed that I could not work on my Mystic Light KAL, I busted out some Lion Brand Homespun from the stash and made this Generic Granny! Pretty wonderful what a K hook and a week can do!



And last but CERTAINLY not least....my new yarn for the Mystic Light KAL!!! I had chose 2 alternate yarns and colors that I thought might work. As much as I loved my STR Rhode Island Red, the beautiful colors detracted from the lace pattern. Which quite frankly, what's the use in doing lace if you can't see it?!

The Loopy Ewe shipped SO fast! My Lipstick Lava colored Smooshy yarn by Dream in Color arrived last week. Which gave me plenty of time to get re-started on the KAL. I am happy to say that I was able to get clues 1 and 2 done before today! Which is when clue 3 is to be released. *whew* The second yarn, which was ordered from another company... has yet to even be shipped. Apparently, it is on backorder.

I will get a pic of my progress up as soon as I get off my lazy ass to take one. :o)

I am also working on my Blue Moon Fiber Arts Notorious Sock Knitters Club March edition. *loving it*

The children are on Spring Break here. Teen Queen and Boy Wonder are enjoying their time off from a heavily planned schedule. Boy Wonder does have a few baseball practices tossed in there, but for the most part it's all free time baby! Which for them, means ~~~VIDEO GAME TIME!~~~

Since January it's been a bit rough around here, ya know, with Rambo being told that his civilian job no longer exists. Talk about a wicked pissa!

It's never fun to be told you no longer have a job; but that damn job was nothing but a nightmare for us the entire time, good riddance! Thankfully, we still have the military. *never thought I would be thankful for that*

The time off from an endless work week and incessant traveling for no good cause for that damn civilian job has been good for us. Rambo has been able to spend some quality and quantity time with the family, which has been long overdue!

Aarrrgh! Colors vs. Pattern

Ok, here's the deal...
Another lovely KAL; because you see...I have an addiction. Mystic Light.
Here was my completed first clue...yes...was. It splashed into the frog pond last night when I realized I did not want to go on with clue 2 only to really not see the design pattern.










I was using Rhode Island Red from Socks That Rock, it is beautiful yarn, and a dream to work with, but it's too many colors detracts from the actual shawl pattern. IMO.

I was looking at a few other choices online. Shaefer Anne has 2 colors that I like; one is Clara Barton and the other is A-52. Another color that I think may do well with this pattern is from Dream in Color (smooshy), Lipstick Lava. These all seem to be a version of semi solid dyed yarn, rather than varigated yarn.

Of course I cannot locate any of these locally. Today I scooted around town in search, only to find nothing suitable. I was hoping to get it today, so at the very least I could get re-started on clue 1 before clue 2 comes out on Wednesday. Alas, it appears I will have to be ordering online. Which means waiting for shipping...aaarrrrgh!

Which color do you like???

The Wicked Stitch Goes Green

It was bound to happen...I am now a Green Witch! Even though I still have a black thumb and can kill any plant by merely looking in it's direction....I am talking about Green as in eco-friendly!

Yes, the time had finally come to trade in the Family Assault Vehicle. With gas prices as high as they are, and expected to go higher in the months to come....the Trailblazer 4 wheel drive had to go. You know it's time to re evaluate, when you car payment plus 1 month worth of gas is damn near your mortgage payment. Talk about a tragic nightmare!

So long to my Chevy Gas Guzzling Trailblazer...you had a good run and I do adore you, but you are killing our poor, pathetic, recessive dollars.

Say Hallo To My Little Friend....the family friendly, gas friendly and eco lovin', not to mention cute and full of goodies....

TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID!

Better to blog with no pictures or not blog at all?

Me??? I choose to not blog at all. After all, what fun is it without photos?

I have been steadily chugging along on my SotS2. Almost done with hint 3, I am SO behind.

I have completed Nephew #3's birthday ghan! Pattern here



Along with a dandy lil handmade tag! I am sure the next few tags will come out better, but not too shabby for my very first attempt! I learned this nifty how to from Futuregirl's tutorial. She totally kicks ass!




I have found and received the most perfect yarn for the Mystic Light KAL beginning later this month. It is from BMFA, Socks that Rock in Rhode Island Red.



That's about it! No progress pics of the Y4S Crystalline socks, or SotS2. Heck, I have yet to even cast on for MS7 with Goddess Knits! *bad Knitter*

Here is the sky this morning around 7am! Yesterday was 65 degrees, today it was 71 and the wind kicked up to bring clouds and rain for this evening. I thought the sky was so pretty, that I just had to snap a pic before taking my daughter to school.