Happy birthday to my favorite son

Nice thing about having only one child is that you never have to lie about who's your favorite. Today is my kiddo's 4th birthday. Amazing and insane. We had a little party with his best friend whose mom happens to be my best friend. We gorged on the delicious Rosatti's pizza and cupcakes that I baked with my own two little hands. And Perrin didn't really bother to use his hands....or utensils to do his gorging.


He got his first big boy bike, and although it is freeze your nose hairs cold outside, he insisted on trying it out.

It was a great day. I have a wonderful, sweet, funny, and crazy child who I adore more and more with each passing day.
Ne

Unweary now

So, things are looking up. And I've missed blogging and having a place where I can ramble on and on about my latest knitting project. I have had a few things in the works in the last several weeks, and they will be unveiled shortly.
I will post later about Perrin's preschool evaluation to determine what modifications his disability may require for him to function "normally" at school. Our IEP meeting is on Valentine's Day, so we will get a better sense then of what help our school district can offer him. Blah, blah, blah. There I go again. Ah how I've missed this.

I've grown weary

Ah, such is life. I've grown bored of this whole knitting blog. Truly, there's no real relevant information being put on this blog that can't either be ruminated over at my myspace page or displayed on my flickr page. I simply don't have the time or energy to keep up with this anymore. If you have been a reader of my little corner of the universe, I thank you. This year has been quite an adventure in knitting and in life.
My son was recently diagnosed with sensory processing disorder, and we have started occupational therapy to help him rearrange his neurons or some such craziness. This has become quite all-consuming in itself, and I need to devote more of my energy into helping him cope with this.
I will still lurk on the blogs that I adore and covet your talents and wares. Much love and luck to all. I will be deleting this blog in the next week.

I turned 30 today

What did you do?

I thank you for thangs

Camera is still broken, so no pics. I've finished the cardi, the trinity hat, and I am almost finished with bubble pullover. I wish I could post these things, but oh well.

Yesterday we spent Thanksgiving with very good friends and their gigantor family. It was wonderful and made me miss my own family so much. I introduced them to the joy of butt rolls, and we circled the table and announced what we were thankful for that year.
My top 3 were good friends, a happy family, and not being in TX anymore. But it's so much more than that. It's walking into Helen's house and knowing that no matter how difficult Perrin is or how stressed I am, it all melts away in the presence of a great friend who has not only been in my shoes but who makes me feel like a great mom even when I'm feeling like a beast. It's knowing that everyone in my family is happy and healthy and with the person they are meant to be with. It's waking up every morning, looking out my window and sighing b/c I always love what I see. It's feeling, for the first time in my life, that I am truly home. It's realizing how extraordinary this simple life has become for me. It's sitting by the fire, knitting a sweater next to my husband and feeling content.

Victory is an elusive whore

Lovely cabled cardi thingy is finito, but unfortunately my camera doesn't seem to be wanting to work these days, so no pics yet. Please stop the crying. It's unseemly.
It turned out pretty well, even though I may have fudged up some numbers on the decreases around the elbows, so it may be a tad tightish there. All in all, I dig it. I put a trillion buttons on it b/c I know with the harsh Chicago winds, I'm gonna want that thing snug as a bug. Speaking of which, it is starting to get ultramegamulti cold up in here, like it's nearing winter. Time for hat knitting to cover up my now over exposed ears. This is the one I'm working on currently. It can be found at http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=204368.0

The girl who designed this is darling, with this gorgeous dragonfly tattoo on her chest. I seriously am aching for a new tattoo, but that is neither here nor there at the moment. I'm just rambling now.

OH HEY THERE!!!

Not dead in a fiery car crash. Not wandering in the desert after a psychopath put a car on top of me b/c Grissom loves me. Just lazy and busy. What a bizarre combination. Too busy to think straight. Too lazy to care much. What we do have, dear people, is an almost FO. Yeah, just almost. If I had a little bit more moments of sanity, it'd be an FO, but for now, it's just almost.

We covered the doing stuff, on to the knitting

Finally, a cured child and time to knit. All things are looking up. We're in talks with a Montessori school for Perrin. They are a lot more flexible and nurturing for the unique child. I'm optimistic that we'll find someone who has the patience and compassion to teach Perrin and not treat him like an out-of-control brat.
Yes, yes, knitting.
Here's a little progress report on my cardigan.
Brown Sheep cotton fleece
Size 7 needles
It's a standard top down, raglan style cardigan in stockinette, with the celtic cable from "Girl from Auntie" on reverse stockinette sleeves. The rest of the cardi will be simple and plain, but with gorgeous buttons. I'm going for the classy style that I believe I might finally be able to pull off. Less skulls and junior department print tees for this grown-ass woman. I'm knocking on 30; time to put away the kid's stuff. I'm actually wearing skirts and dresses these days. Once I no longer look like Susan Powter, I might actually resemble something of a girly girl, which is what I really am on the inside. I've been watching too much Tim Gunn, babes.

Yeah, I know I take shitty pictures. I'm definitely not a photographer. Oh, and I'm fickle and switched my blog title back to its original name. Like you care.

Ima crawl in a hole and cry a little

Preschool didn't work out well at all. Teacher turned out to be a bit of a rigid bitch who would rather churn out little mindless robots than spend a half a second actually teaching children who may need a little extra attention with the huge adjustment that is school. So, after a total of 3 hours, she decided that my son was not right for her program or that her program was not right for my son or what the fuck ever. We withdrew him from the program. Thankfully he doesn't have a clue that his awesome individuality scared the shit out of this idiotic woman, and we can try again later in the year with a more flexible program.
So, now he has an ear infection, and is in total misery. Ever hear a 3 year old whimper with pain? It's the worst sound on the planet.
It's been a hideously awful week. There's been little knitting, little anything other than being pissed or sick or tired. That is all.

Too cool for school

Today was the niblet's first day of preschool. My little baby is all growns up. Or getting there. He was thrilled to bits to get to wear his new backpack; not so thrilled to have to cut the cord and go in by himself. To say he's a mama's boy would be putting a little too lightly; he's more like insanely in love with me. It was hard for me too, but it gave me a much needed hour and a half of knitting time, which I will now get 3 days a week. Hurray for preschool!!

In knitting news, I'm almost finished with the cabled cardi I'm working on for my etsy shop. I want to make extra money for next year's girl trip, but I have so much on my plate right now, that it's taken a back seat. Oh well, there's time. If I don't make a cent, I have peeps who will wear the stuff.
So here's that.

The wheel weaves as the wheel wills

Today, we lost a great mind, a great artist, and an even greater storyteller. Robert Jordan, author of "The Wheel of Time" series, passed away. It is with such terrible sadness that I type this, as he created this perfect world full of magic and wonder; a rich tapestry of characters and love. For those that don't know just how geeky I am, I actually named my son after my favorite character. These stories teleported me out of this dreary ordinary world into a world where everything is possible, where small town dreamers can become heroes. There will be a giant void in this world without him and his characters that he breathed such life into.
May the light be with you, Dragon.

Keeping it unreal

This is my dream hair. This is the fantasy. The long, luscious red hair that I could spend hours brushing and twirling through my fingers. The hair that makes men turn their heads as I walk into the room. A wig is fun as hell to wear. It's soft and shiny, and nowhere near what my hair is capable of being on its own. John says it's incredibly weird, but that he'll get used to it. I'll probably only wear this when I'm in the mood for some pretending. Today, I'm the Little Mermaid.



Even Le Slouche looks better with the long hair.

Le Slouche

Want a great motivation for knitting up a hat? Shave yo head.

Pulling a Britney and yarny goodness

So, if you want the whole story, read my myspace blog. Bottom line...I gots no hair now. Well, I have some platinum fuzz, but mostly I'm kinda baldy. I'd be devastated if I either was really fixated on looks or if this wasn't the 3rd time I've had to shave my head b/c of a bleaching catastrofuck. And if you think I'm posting pics of it, well, I'm not quite ready for that. I did, however, buy a wicked wig online, just for the shits and for the giggles.
In good news, I have just spent oodles of hard earned $ on some goodlicious yarn. Here's the haul.

What we got here ladies (should I assume there might be gents?) is Brown Sheep cotton fleece in pine green (this is going to be the Tangled Yoke Cardigan in the latest IK), some gorgeous handpainted wool I got on ebay for cheapsies, Rowan yorkshire Tweed in scarlet (it doesn't know what it wants to be yet), and some stuff I got in a trade...Encore chunky (future cardigan for Perrin)and some cute wool. Everything was on mega sale, so I can justify the costs b/c it will all one day be knitted up in something beautiful. And can't we all justify anything if the end result is beauty?

Get thee to a nunnery!

Ophelia, she is finished. Here are the pics and this is the gist.




Pattern by A Mingled Yarn.
Yarn used: Just over 3 skeins of LB Cotton ease
A little about this yarn. My newest and dearest love. Cheap, easy to work with, stretchy for a cotton blend, and dreamy knitted up. This entire cardigan cost me a little over $8 to knit. Can't beat that deal.
The pattern: Perfection. Well-written, adorable, and enough lace to keep it interesting without being too complicated to knit whilst watching TV. In fact it took me about 8 days of knitting during the kiddo's naps and in the evenings watching the summer fluff. I love this little cardigan. It is just the right weight and coverage for chilly mornings here in Chicago, cutesy enough to throw on a t-shirt and pretend I'm girly. I could see this going with jeans, a skirt (like I'd wear one), and even a little summer dress. Gloriana has created something I will wear often and will very likely knit again for my little sister, who would look darling in this. Jen, if you read this, I'm talking bout you babe.

Breathless Antici (Frankfurter pause) Pation

I am very nearly close to completing 2 projects. One is the purple cabled tube top thingy, which is looking like it's going to look like ass on me. The other is the Ophelia cardigan by A Mindled Yarn. Check out the pattern, um, over there to the left...that's the link. I'm loving this knit, but there will be oodles of info on that when I get done with it. For now, kiddos, I leave you with a video. Anybody who is offended by flaming homosexuality and lewd behavior, I'd not click on it. If you are a super cool person, however, do check this out. It's a song from the Diner Girl Road Trip 07 and has been stuck in my head for DAYS!!!!
I now present Scissor Sisters, "Filthy Gorgeous." Not a new song, but still a badass one. Enjoy....if you dare.

Cuz you're filthy. And I'm gorgeous.

Lookeee. An actual WIP. I started on this during my girly road trip a coupla weeks ago. I'm almost finished. Gotta sew on the cabled edge at the top and figure out what the harfnar I'm going to do with the bottom. I was going for the cutesy baby doll top kinda thing, but I always get lazy and bind off too short. So...it needs length. Just a few inches of another cutesy edging perhaps or doing the same cabling at the bottom. Still working ou the kinks.
My hubby has commissioned the weirdest thing ever. He wants me to knit a tube for the plastic sacks we keep for various tasks around the house. He said, "Like a sock, you know? With a small hole at the bottom to pull the sacks out." Now doesn't that sound like oodles and oodles of mind-numbing circular knitting? I'll get around to it eventually, I suppose, since he is nice and stuff. After this stockinette nightmare, I'll probably end up doing some kind of intricate cabling or something to break up the monotony. Won't that be fab?

Everything's coming up Milhouse

Meet the new member of the Subhuman family....Milhouse. He's a 3 month old schnoodle (schnauzer/poodle), and he's the cutest damned thing I've ever seen.

In other news, I'm back to knitting. And if you think I'm the kind of person that would take her knitting on a wild road trip through the midwest, you'd be right. I just didn't get a whole lot done for obvious reasons. Damn this social life getting in the way of yarny progress. I'll have some sort of progress pics when it's sort of obvious what I'm making. At this point, not so much.

If I could turn back TIOME!

Highlights from the diner girl road trip. Too tired to discuss in detail.

Accidentally broke into Ft. Knox
Got to reenact the Prehistoric Forest scene from Tommy Boy
Karaoked to Cher
Hung out with bleacher bums at an Irish pub in Cleveland and discovered my love for Guiness and apple cider
Wore tshirts with the phrase "I Love Butt Drugs" to 2 baseball games, causing more than 100 people to inquire (drunkenly) "what are butt drugs?" Hint: it's a pharmacy.
Joined in a "soul train" line on a Chicago cruise
Visited 6 states in 6 days
Stayed in a glitzy Mag Mile hotel for about $50.
Gazed upon the genius that was the werewolf mask and red leather jacket from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" at the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame
Visited a 2 story outhouse
Had the best chocolate malt of my life at Butt Drugs
Spent 6 days with 2 of the coolest chicks to ever walk the planet

Good gravy. There's oodles more. Manda took nearly 3000 pics (not an exaggeration) That's all I've got for this day.
Enjoy some pics

Half-assed fanny pack

Tomorrow Manda will be here, and I'll show her around Chicago. Wed, Kelly arrives, and we take a lake cruise and sip martinis. Thurs, we out. Not to return until Monday, and we're so exhausted and vacationed out that we're walking comas. I'm so excited I could pee my pants every second until they're here. These are my girls. I would walk through fire for either of them, and they know it. Kelly and I have been friends since the 7th grade; we can practically read each other's thoughts. Anyway, there will be mega recaps when it's over and oodles of pictures of us grabbing each other breasts....and probably some architecture.
Item essential for the trip...the fanny pack. I wasn't about to go out and purchase one. Not b/c I think I'm too "cool" for one; hell, I've never cared one bit about what was considered cool by the masses. I just had yarn and a desire to make my own. Here's what we're calling the most half-assed knit ever. Sure it looks decent from the outside; what you don't see is the craptacular liner I "sewed" (we're using this term loosely here) so my keys won't poke out between the stitches. Did I have some kind of proper materials for this? Of course not, so I used an old white tshirt. MacGyver, look the hell out. Yup, those are apple buttons for added cuteness. I like it, and it'll hold my necessites...ID, cashola, chapstick, and cell. What else does a girl need while looking at the world's ugliest Lincoln statue?
Behave, my lovelies, cuz I sure won't.