Poor Sis

Sis is sick.  Way sicker than she's been in a long time.  It started with the sniffles, and then of course, got worse.  She started throwing up, and everything was bad.  The doctor diagnosed her with bronchitis and sinusitis.  But unfortunately, she was also still throwing up.  Because she couldn't keep anything down, she got really dehydrated.  With the sickness, and the dehydration, and the throwing up, there came a migraine.  But she couldn't do anything to combat the migraine because of all the other things.  

We ended up in the emergency room Thursday night because the pain was so very bad.

After an insanely long wait, during which she was crying and begging me to take her home, she was finally seen by the doctor.  Two hours, a half a liter of saline, some anti-nausea meds, and something for the pain later, and it was like she was a brand new person.  The pain was gone, and she was tired, but acting like herself again.  

She's getting better every day.  Still very sick, but she's better than she was two days ago. 

Which is why the relatives are still arriving today instead of cancelling their trip.  

So yes, house is going to be invaded again.  But with Sis sick, it's going to fall to me to pick up the Sis slack.  So, you know, socializing.  But fortunately, everyone is pretty able to entertain themselves so I don't have to chase after anyone or keep them occupied.  

It's still too cold, but I'm dealing as best I can.  

Knitting on a scarf right now, because now that the interesting part of the hat is done, it's sort of boring.  I'm trying to decide if I want to put some sort of patterning in or not.  Until I decide, it's sitting on the table and waiting.  When I get my new needles (I ordered a very exciting set of interchangeable needles from Addi and I can't freaking wait to get them!) it'll be the thing I work on.  One of the needles I have on the hat right now I don't like, so that, and trying to decide on pattern, is my excuse for leaving it as it is.  Since the needles may be arriving as early as next week, I'll have to make some decisions soon.  Until then, it can sit and I can work on the scarf.

It's not anything complicated, just a simple basket weave pattern, but the yarn changes color and that's always fun.  As I go along, I keep thinking, oh, I'll just do it until the next color comes up.   But at least it gives it a little flavor.  lol.  I didn't buy enough yarn, sadly.  But I just today got an email from my LYS saying that their big birthday sale is going on tomorrow, so I figure I'll pop over there and get some more, and 20% off to boot!  That's a good thing.

Here's wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

The Horror

Okay, yeah, so it snowed again.  Still is, actually.  And my poor little car doesn't like it when the weather is like this.  It took me a long time to get home from work last night, but mostly that was because I had to take the long way 'round to avoid some pretty steep hills.  

Can I just say, I'm ready for this winter to be over?

They are now calling for a light snowfall throughout the day today.  But by this evening it's supposed to be clear.  I sure as hell hope so.  The beautiful days earlier this week, Tuesday in particular, were such a freaking tease!  To be slammed with a storm seems entirely unfair.

Plus, I have to get to the yarn store and buy more yarn.

It probably won't happen tonight.  I'm going to be ready to get home when this day is done.  But tomorrow, for sure.  Tomorrow, I'm going to the yarn store on the way home from work, picking up the skein (maybe 2) that I need and going home to finish that shawl.  I will be greatly pleased when it is finished.

But until then, there is the horror of the snow.  And I just desperately want that to be over.

Ran Out of Yarn

I freaking hate when that happens!!

Like, really a lot.  See, I wanted to yarn but I didn't want anything that involved thought, so I pulled out some chunky yarn and started making a shawl.  My coworker wants one.  I thought I had enough.  I did not.  It's like a shawlette.  Which fits me just fine, but she's a good five or six inches taller than I am.  So I don't think it'll fit.  And I would pop to the yarn store really quick after work and pick up another skein...except that it's supposed to be very yucky all day.  And I'm sure that when it's time for me to leave work, I'll just want to get home safe and sound in one piece.

But I hate that the project is so close to being done and I just need one more skein.  If it wasn't so treacherous, I would do exactly that.  But it's shaping up to be really nasty, snow and freezing rain and sleet...the whole nine yards.  I'm not looking forward to the drive in to work in a little bit.  

And speaking of the weather...we had such a glorious day yesterday.  I mean, really, absolutely beautiful.  And it really lifted my mood.  But now...yeah, yuck all over again.  I'm just hoping it's not as bad as everyone says it's going to be.

At any rate, I ran out of yarn and the weather is crappy and I just want to stay in bed.  But alas, I am that responsible adult type person, and off to work I go.  To stew and wait for the day to be over, so I can white-knuckle drive home.

Stuff and Things

--Finished the final first draft of a short story.  It's off to the betas this weekend!  I've already got major nerves.

--We got a new girl at work a couple of weeks ago.  Well, actually, she's not new.  She worked in one of the other offices.  I'd talked her loads of times on the phones but I don't think we actually met in person.  She's a sweetheart.  She saw my mitts and wants a pair.  Did I say no?  Of course not.  I said, "I absolutely have purple yarn."  At least I'm going to do the easy version and not anything complicated.

--They did a system update last night for one of our programs.  Have no idea if we'll even be able to log in when I get to work in a bit.  Sort of hoping not so that there's time to do funner work stuff.  (Yeah, I totally said funner)

--Now that the frog of the short story is done, I'm going back to working on Kirk.  Spock needs his T'hy'la.

--Tomorrow is March!  I love March.  It is my very favorite month of all the months.  There are several reasons...the most prominent and self serving is that it's my birthday month. :)

--March is looking to come in like a lion...I'm looking forward to the lamb part.

--Sometimes when I see the word March, all I can think about is Little Women.

--It's cold and wintery again (hence the March coming in like a lion bit) and i'm so far over it it's not even funny.  I don't even care about the cold at this point, I just want the snow to stop.

--I hate wearing socks to bed.  My feet need to be free.  But it was so cold last night they were necessary. When I woke up, they were gone.  I now can't find them.  Who the hell knows what sleeping me did with them?

--It's Friday!  Yay!  That always makes me happy.

Snow Brings Out The Lazy

After a couple of truly sublime days this weekend, during which mother nature teased us into thinking Spring was on it's way, winter is back.  At least it's not with a vengeance.  It's just a bit of the really light and fluffy snow and though we're supposed to get a few more inches over the next couple of days, it's pretty much supposed to stay the light and fluffy stuff.  Which means brushing off the cars before you can drive, but clearing the snow from the driveways and sidewalks is a simple task of pushing it out of the way.  

And that's how I like it.

Of course, the really good thing about this weather--besides the fact that it's not too troublesome--is that it means that curling up on the couch with a throw blanket, a cup of tea, and a good book is all the more wonderful.  And terribly inviting.  So, of course, I want to do that instead of anything that I'm supposed to be doing, but sometimes we just have to make those kinds of sacrifices. :)

I'm actually working on a bunch of stuff right now, both words and yarn, and it seems that the option of so many things to work on is overwhelming and therefore I don't want to work on any of it.  It's one of my faults. I know it.  I need to just make myself work on one thing and get it finished so I can move onto the next.  My problem is trouble prioritizing what needs to get done first.  Each project has it's reasons for being at the top of the list.  

Truth is, I know what absolutely needs to get done first, and now that I'm done whining about it, I'm just going to do it.  But perhaps a little good luck wish won't go amiss, hm?

What a Way to Spend Sunday

Okay, so yesterday didn't turn out like I wanted at all.  Are we surprised?  Not really, no.  I'm actually not too upset about it.  Just kind of shrugged and went with the flow.  And as much as I thought, "there's always tomorrow" I am feeling pretty lazy today.  So I figure I'm just going to go along and see what happens, what I feel like doing.  There's nothing pressing that has to get done.  So I figure I'm all right there.

So far the only things I've actually been able to accomplish is removing the collection of coffee mugs that has been accumulating and feeding the cats.

Also got stabbed by a fork. 

But I've got the movie cued up (Despicable Me 2) and the yarn at the ready and I'm going to see if I can get some of that done today.

The muse hit me, hard and fast, yesterday and I got a bunch of words on the page.  That felt really good and was one deviance from the "plans" that I didn't mind at all.  We'll see where it goes.  I'm loving the new world and I love my MCs, so it should be good.

Of course, there's still snow.  And at some point today, I'll have to go out and clear some of it away.  

Work, lately, has been both better and worse.  There are moments I dread going in and being there completely.  And there are times that it's pretty good.  The hard part, for me, is never knowing exactly where I stand and I always feel like I'm on edge.  I'm working on getting into a better head space about it all.  At least until I win the lottery.  :)

But I have the rest of today before I need to worry about that.  There's a pot of tea in my future--I got a new flavor yesterday and I'm looking forward to trying it.  Tea, yarn, movies.  That's a way to spend a Sunday.

Hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend and that the week ahead looks glorious!

More Winter

Yep, more snow.  Overnight we got about 10 inches.  It was a bitch and a half to get shoveled out this morning.  It seems like I've been awake forever, simply because the first hour of my day was spent moving snow.  Blargh!  We have about another solid month of this before it starts to really taper off.  And even then, we might get a freak snowstorm or two.  But at least the worst of it will be over.

I really try not to complain about the snow too much.  It's not like I can do anything about it.  But yeah, I'm tired of it.  Ready for it to be past.

But it's Friday.  And the snow is supposed to stop.  And even though that means there is still clearing to be done, at least it won't accumulate much more.  And once I'm done with work for the day, I can go home, relax, and snuggle in for a winter weekend.

I have some goals in mind to accomplish, but I'm reluctant to say too much because I fear that will make it too much like the dreaded plans word and we all know how well I do when there are those.  So instead, I'm going to attempt to accomplish some goals.  And share them with you if I do.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!  And if you're spending today with someone special, enjoy the heck out of it.  If you're not?  Well, enjoy it anyway and treat yourself to something nice!

Fin!

Some Christmas decorations may or may not have already found their way out of storage and onto the walls/tables/doorways.  I take the 5th on the grounds that what I say might incriminate me.

But!  Good news!  Fantastic news!  Yes, it's true.  I finished Sis's blanket!  You're shocked and surprised, I know.  But it really is done and I have the photographic evidence to prove it!

 Ta Da!  Here it is, ladies and gents!  The finished product.  Can I just tell you how relieved I am?  Cause, seriously.  It took forever and a lot of that was me being lazy and just not wanting to.  But I realized yesterday afternoon I was in the home stretch, that it was almost done and if I just put in a few hours more work, I could finish it off.  It did take a bit longer than I anticipated, of course.  Because I kept getting distracted by the TV and I was knitting kind of slowly.  But then I got down to it and just got it done.


Finished size: 60" by 120"  Big right?  Honestly, I could have kept going a bit and made it wider but...well, it was big enough and it was unwieldy and I was ready for it to be done.  Yes, I have a couple of skeins left over.  But that just means they can be used for another project in the future.  A big, thick, cushy scarf or shawl, I'm thinking.  I wish you guys could feel this yarn.  It's so soft and cozy.

She had no idea it's finished yet.  I'm going to leave it for her to find.  Because that amuses the crap out of me.  Not going to say a word, just kind of drop it off.  I'll be giggling about that all day.  And just in time too, as the snow has finally started and is apparently sticking around.  Now, she can stop nagging!

This is it, all laid out on the floor.  You really can't grasp just how long it is. Because I knitted it garter stitch, it scrunches up a little in the middle when it's just left to it's own devices.  But it's got a lot of stretch so it's made for tucking around your body.

But it's done.  And I am pleased.  I just hope she likes it.  I mean, I know she'll like it.  I just hope she doesn't have any complaints about it as well.  Love my sister to bits and pieces, but sometimes she's a complainer.  I just don't want to hear about how she wishes it were bigger.  Of course, I think she knows better than to say that to me.  Plus, she's a yarner herself so she knows how much work goes into it.  I really think she'll appreciate the heck out of it.

And hey!  I finished it a month earlier than last years!  This time, it's only 10 months late! :)

Winter Is Coming

And no, I'm not channeling the motto of House Stark.

It was only about last week that I had to finally break out the light jacket to wear when I went outside.  Before that a sweater or sweatshirt was more than enough.  Last couple of days, the temperature dipped pretty low but still nothing too extreme.  And then yesterday?  Snow.  That actually stuck.  Technically, we got a "trace" but, yeah, winter is coming.  

Now, I am well pleased that I live in a region that has four distinct seasons. And I, personally, could never live anywhere that it didn't snow because to me, that's what winter is all about.  But I want it to snow from the day after Thanksgiving to about the third of January...and only fall on the grass, trees, and buildings and not accumulate on the roads.  That's not too much to ask for, now is it?

One of the things I love best about wintertime though, and I'm sure this will come as a great big shock and surprise to you, is the scarves and hats and gloves.  Love winter wear.  A lot.  I love making it and I love wearing it and it always makes me feel cozy and warm and special.  I still need to make a pair of fingerless mitts for me.  But I have a hand knitted scarf, made for me by my mother before I got into knitting and one I've knit myself.  I have another that Tato got me for my birthday that's very long and thick and warm.  I don't usually wear hats because I usually wrap my long hair in a bun, but I want one and have been contemplating patterns for a long while.  I've also been having fantasies about making a cowl.

But winter is here and that means the end of autumn.  Which is always a sad time for me because fall really is my favorite of the seasons.  But knitwear...happy sigh.  I love winter knit wear.  And that makes the season a lot more bearable for me.

Magic Fingers

Totally not what it sounds like, I promise.

See, I have a bit of a knack for fixing things, for figuring out how things work, for putting together pieces of a puzzle.  And a lot of the time, when other people can't make something work, I can.  I just see how it fits together or sometimes, weirdly, just me touching it makes it work.  So, Mom say I have magic fingers.  Maybe.  The snow storm is done a'ragin' and it's not so bad here as it is in the northeast, but we've gotten quite a bit of snow.  Sis gets the snow blower out and it just won't work.  I mess with it, confused, because both sheer pins are intact and whole, but the auger won't engage.  I realized that the lever to engage the auger just wasn't moving all the way.  So I gave it a bit of a nudge.  Now we know that if it doesn't do what it's supposed to, just give it a little kick and it's all good.

And, of course, my magic fingers serve me well when working on my yarn projects ☻

Fortunately for me, I get to spend the day ensconced in my nice, cozy home.  The pressure is off on the projects that I had to complete so now I get to work on the other things.  Sis has made me promise to get her blanket to her in less than 11 months (like last years) and I am going to do my best.  If I can ever get all the yarn.  It's stuck in some sort of limbo.  And there is no indication from the website as to why it hasn't shipped. And they never answered the email I sent questioning the delay. It sort of makes me not want to buy from them again (which is why I'm refraining from naming the site) and that makes me sad because they've always done well by me before.

I've poured over my stitch dictionary and I think I've settled on a cable for Toby's mitts.  Now, I just have to figure out the right stitches to work it over.  I have a tracing of his hand so that I can make it the right size.  The biggest hurdle is that I have to figure out how to put a whole in the thumb.  Every pattern I've seen has whole thumbs or no top to the thumb.  But he wants to be able to cover the top of his thumb or be able to slip it out if he needs it.  I have some ideas that might work, but I'll have to play with it a bit to see if it will.  Otherwise, he's getting a completely covered thumb and he'll just have to deal with it.  I have a while before I need to worry about thumbs, though, because I can do that part last. 

Anyway, that's what I'm working on today.  

Out Of Sorts

My brain is coming up with a million tiny ideas that aren't going anywhere...

I have a severe case of the I don't wannas...

I have a deadline I need to meet and I can't make myself work on the project...

It's snowing yet again and that's messing with my mood...


I'm very much out of sorts right now.

So!  It's time for me to give myself a goal and a reward if I complete it.  A little TV and work on the blanket tonight.  Not going to even turn on the computer (which is my biggest distraction) and simply yarn until my wrist falls off.  Tomorrow, I will rinse and repeat.  After a shopping trip with Brub and Sis.  I wanted that blanket done so I could do some show and tell (the girls at work like to see) but if I can't manage to get it done, then I do have all day Saturday.  At any rate, there will be pictures when I'm done.  

And then I can get Toby's mitts on the needles and work on Sis's blanket.

I sort of sound like a broken record, don't I?  If I could just get motivated and get my stuff done, I could move on to something else.  So enough of the whinging and whining.  I'm tired of it and that means everyone else is beyond over it.

Mom's birthday is Monday and I'm so very excited to give her the wrap.  I think she's going to be super thrilled with it.  And it's all I can do not to give it to her early.  I'm so bad about that.  It's just that as soon as I get something done, I want to give it to the person.  Giving gifts makes me incredibly happy.  And that will go a long way to brightening my mood.  But I will refrain. 

Despite the blech mood I'm in, it's Wednesday.  And everything looks better on the other side of Wednesday.

I Ran Out of Yarn!

Gasp!  It's true.  It hasn't happened to me in such a very long time because I usually over buy so that exact thing doesn't happen.  But in this situation, with making Mom's wrap from left overs from a different project that I over bought on, I guess it's understandable.  Still, I thought I had enough to complete the project.  Turns out, I didn't.  So there was yarn shopping this morning.

I went to my favorite store because I was certain that they would have what I needed.  I was actually a little bit heartbroken that they didn't.  Not only didn't they have the color, but they didn't even carry the kind of yarn.  I think I stared at the section where it should have been for like three minutes before I could convince myself it wasn't there.  Then, I walked up and down the aisle twice to make sure it wasn't somehow somewhere else.  Fortunately, there was another craft store in the same plaza.  I headed over there, half convinced that they wouldn't have it either and I'd have to go all the way down to the other store.  I sighed in blessed relief when the second store had it.  They only had two colors, but one of them was the one that I needed.  I was hoping to pick up some more for Sis's afghan, too, but the other color was not her color.  For 60 seconds, I contemplated heading down to the third store, but I just didn't want to.  I had what I needed, so I checked out and came home.  

I really didn't want to go out at all this morning but because I needed the yarn and had to stop at the bank, I made myself.  Fortunately, all the snow from yesterday had been cleared off the roads and though it was a bit wet and some parts were just a tiny bit slippery and the traction control in my car turned on, it was mostly smooth sailing.

Now, I'm home again and I will put something interesting on the telly and finish Mom's wrap.  And then, because it's Saturday, I'll take a nap.  

Winter Again

Apparently, it's winter again.  Wednesday, we had record 63 degree weather (that's 17 ish for you C folks).  Yesterday was a clear, though incredibly windy, day.  The snow had all melted away.  Today, I woke up to the snow blizzarding down.  OK, maybe not quite a blizzard.  But on and off all day long, it kept snowing.  The drive to and from work was not at all fun.  I'm happy to be home, ensconced in my warm house and my comfy pants.  

I did something today, inspired by Brad's post over at 2 boys in love, that took me outside my comfort zone.  I'm really glad that I did it, though the relative anonymity of the internet helped.  And honestly, it never occurred to me until just this minute that me posting on this blog, sharing my life and crafting, is a way for me to step outside of myself as well.  I do it because I like to write and because I want to share my love of the fiber arts.  I'm relatively safe because I only share what I want and my life is still private but still...let's just say I have trouble in social situations and this allows me to have that without anxiety.  Maybe I'm taking steps forward too.

This weekend is dedicated to the yarn.  I'm about halfway done with Mom's present and since it's made with the thick yarn and a big hook, I think I'll work on getting that done first.  The plan is to either be done with it by tomorrow afternoon or put it away at the point anyway and work on the baby's blanket.  That's got a hard deadline of the 10th.  If I don't finish Mom's wrap by the 11th, well, she can have it when I'm done.  She'll appreciate it just as much.

And then it's back to work on Sis's afghan!

Snow, Snow, and More Snow

Last winter, it was hardly winter at all.  My hometown still won for the most snowfall in the state, but that wasn't saying a lot.  We bought a new snowblower and never, ever had to use it.  The other day, that changed.  I finally got the snowblower out, managed to get it running for the first time, and about a minute and half later, ran over the hose which I had no idea was lying on the ground.  In the process, the sheer pin broke on one side of the auger.  Now, apparently that's what a sheer pin is supposed to do.  It breaks off and stops the auger so that you don't ruin your engine.  I had no idea this even existed.  Fortunately, my uncle is a genius and he came over and together we replaced the sheer pin and got on with the blowing of the snow.  And now I can replace it should it ever break again.

The snow is still coming down, though much lighter and at less of a pace than before.  I had forgotten, given last years mild winter, just how much snow we could get around here.  Part of me loves it.  I'm a fan of snow.  But only when the roads are clear and I don't have to shovel and snowblow.  Because seriously?  Every part of me hurts after the last couple of days.  Muscles not used to working in that way.  I can barely lift my arms.

In other good news, last night I finished writing a short story!  It was the first time I've ever written anything of this length.  I've done a lot shorter and much, much longer.  But never anything like this.  Right now, it's in the hands of my beta readers and I'm awaiting feedback from all quarters (thirds?).  Once they tell me where the problems are, I can fix.  We'll see what they say.

I'm also very much looking forward to a nap in a bit.  I love naps.