This is llama yarn. I scaled down the “that 70′s poncho” pattern from one of the stich n bitch books, did about a thousand rounds, then did five or six round in a “feather and fan” pattern, did a round of knit, and then a loose bind off.

Pattern

CO 85 st
knit stockinette flat four rows
K1, PM, YO, K 40, YO, PM, K1, PM, YO, K40, YO, PM, K1
*P
K1, SM, YO, K to marker, YO, SM, K1, SM, YO, K to marker, YO, SM, K1

rep from * 4 rows

Join round

*K
K1, SM, YO, K to marker, YO, SM, K1, SM, YO, K to marker, YO, SM, K1

rep from * until a couple inches shy of desired length

feather and fan:

count your stitches, you need a multiple of 20

*K1, K2TOG x 3, YO K1 x 6, K2TOG x 3, K1

rep. from * for at least five rows, but until desired length.

K one row and then complete any stretchy bind off

I checked Craigs list and saw an amazing ancient ass solid metal, table mounted, iron peddle serger. I didn’t get it. The lady selling it said it may need a belt and had never used it (she bought it for her business and didn’t have room for it) and I had to turn it down. Crazy disappointing, but it let me to a used machine at a Vac & Sew repair place. So I called and they were closed and I left a message.

wait. wait. wait.

So we’re in JoAnn Fabric this morning buying some fabric and notions and I get a call from the guy so we schlep up to Boca to check it out.

I came home with a Kenmore serger for 150$ (it’s an older model, but it’s currently 230$ new) with a metal peddlepedal. I haven’t had a proper metal peddlepedal on a sewing machine in years.

The guy said it was clean and lubed and better than new. He let me give it a try there, so I saw it finish and cut about an inch and it looked fab. I am super excited

When indeed.

My amazing husband (he truly is) wakes up with our brood around 7AM. He gets them ready because he works odd hours and mostly only sees them in the morning.I get to pretend I am still sleeping for the next 30 – 60 minutes. Pretend is the key word here. It works, I swear. They get dressed and get something to eat and are off to school around 8AM. Usually by about 7:30 I am checking FML from my phone, and maybe my gmail too. Then I roll over and do some work (like checking my fifty million other email accounts in a search for work to do). This is easy because my laptop is set up on a barstool next to the bed. Yep, I don’t even get vertical to check my mail. I know you’re jealous. Truth be told, I am usually vertical and moving by the time they get out the door.

The we get to run errands. To the food store. To the post. To the bank. To the gym. To the salon (it’s totally an errand). To wherever something needs dropping off or buying. This usually takes all morning, so it’s noon by the time we’re back home. Wow. Where did my free time go? 14,400 seconds gone to errands. Now SuperMan my husband is off to work. I’ll see him again around 9 or 10.

I have an hour to myself. A whole hour! 3600 seconds! Every one is precious.

Do I sweep? Do I mop? Do laundry? Dishes? Or am I truly decadent and claim each and every of those 3600 seconds for my own and blog or websurf or draw or go take photos of the grass in the backyard growing? Decisions decisions. I’ve wasted hundreds of seconds just deciding what to do before. I try to avoid that now.

Crap! It’s 2 already? Off to the carpool line, where I sit for 30 minutes (1800 seconds!) so I am at the front of the line and I can get the boys by 2:40 at the latest and be at the girl’s school by 2:45 and then home by 3. I’ve just lost an hour to ten minutes worth of actual kid picking up time. At least I can read or pay bills or write fluff pieces like this while I’m waiting in the car.

So now it’s 3. Homework time. Not exactly fun time with the kids if you know what I mean. We’ve already done the “How was your day?” “Fine.” Q&A session in the car. Now it’s time to whine over homework and reading. Once a week we toss dance class in (3:30 – 4:30), twice a week we toss therapy in (4 – 6) and twice a meek MMA (5 – 6). I never see my kids anymore. We never have real time to craft. From what I understand, it just gets worse. I believe it. Next year we’ll have two dance classes to squeeze in there, plus therapy and whatever else they decide to do.

I’ve declared Sunday “TURN IT OFF” day. We find things to do that do not need electricity. Or at least try to. Sometimes we wind up in the car headed somewhere, but hey, we’re not at home watching TV, gaming, or whatever.

All this leads me back to “when do I get to play with my kids?” I miss them. At least when they were home we had tons of time to hang out. Now, not so much. I decided to share some quick crafts to squeeze into busy days. They might be a bit “young” for some of your kids, but really, I think they appeal to all ages in one way or another. Let’s pretend dinner will make itself and that bathes are already done and we have all of those 86,400 seconds left to enjoy each others company. Nothing is more important than showing a child, by the actions you take, that they are more important than anything else.

Make an Origami Sailboat | Make an Autumn Tree | Pick up almost any Halloween CraftBook from the library. I am fond of “Matthew Mead Halloween Tricks and Treats” and “A Frightful Cookbook – Ghoulish Goodies” by Sharon Bowers and almost any seasonal craftbook really. We do not have re-print permissions, so I don’t want to lift their ideas directly. Some general ideas include:

• making cupcakes with spider webs on top (I like Nigela Lawson’s Fairy Cake recipe for cupcakes)
• making paper jack o’lanterns and hanging them in the house
• making lady fingers
• making Halloween masks
• Oh the list goes on and on. I wouldn’t be so focused on Halloween but… tis the season and it’s my favourite! I expect my kitchen will get a work out in the coming weeks, and my kids will too. Cooking is also a great way to teach difficult concepts such as fractions and converting measurements as well as easy things like simple counting. It also gives kids a sense of accomplishment and there is something yummy left at the end!

My ear is still irritated. I got some tea tree to put on it last night. I need to keep it up. Wish I could wear contacts – I think it’s an easy fix if I could.

Windshield replaced. We need to test the SunPass. Maybe this weekend.

Huge(ish) bank deposit – must put it on the card. Payday is Friday. Yay! Just need to eek out the gas till then.

Spent some money @ Michael’s today on a calligraphy pen & ink, some crafty love for the kids (we missed craft day today) and I think that’s it. I need to bust out the pen. I have some plans. Made dolphin bowling with Eshiva today, and made a treasure chest with Dorian this evening. Malachai did not want to make his tonight. I have some hats to make too, maybe over the weekend.

I also bought this twirl skirt pattern from crazy couture boutique. It’s a pretty easy drop skirt that will make Eshiva giddy with it’s twirliness. It’s a word.

Since we put out the sewing machine, I have some ideas. I need to dig through my fabric. Sadly, most of it was purchased to make slings and isn’t really suitable to clothes. I’ll have to see what I really have in those bins though. Might be time to freecycle most of it and hit the sale bins at the fabric store.

I am making a Whole Addiction fan page on FaceBook, and I made a Twitter page the other day. Please check out http://wholeaddictiontattoo.com and check them out (the links are there), especially if you are local, or pass them on if you know locals (local being the world, because we’re so global!)

Hm, I bet this is more, but I mainly wanted to put the two patterns I bought out there and mention the Whole Addiction site.

Whoot, I found out how to delete my MySpace. The deed is done.

Michael gave me an idea for a new tattoo earlier today. I need to think on it. I am in literary lust with Heinlein and his characters. I have a couple of small pieces planned, a TANSTAAFL and a GROK on the insides of my wrists. He mentioned today I could stand to do them more justice and do a big thigh piece revolving around my favourite Heinlein stories/characters. I agree, but I am still getting the smaller ones inside of my wrists. They just belong there. the TANSTAAFL is going to be an a stylized kind of Russian writing and the GROK is the GROK off of Stranger in a Strange Land. The piece would have to include Stranger in a Strange Land, Time Enough for Love, Cat Who Walks Through Walls, Moon is a Hard Mistress, Job: A Comedy of Justice, To Sail Beyond the Sunset, Methuselah’s Children… Oh, this list goes on. I may have to go with a main “cast” of characters. I’ve been thinking on it all afternoon though. Not a bad idea you had there, Fish, not a bad idea at all.

Malachai has his IEP meeting at the end of the month. He has been recommended for second grade. We’ll see what kind of services he’ll get next year.

My half birthday was yesterday. My dreads are about five months old. If December first rolls around and I want to cut them off… off they go! I’ll give them a year I have one in the back, twice as long as the others. The roots are dreaded, and the tip is dreaded, but I could brush everything in between. The rest are all in good shape. I need to get in to see Chrissy to be dyed again, and I need to go see Strawberry for some maintenance. I don’t really want to do either, mainly because I am dandruffy and the dreads just trap it. I’m not so much embarrassed as… ew.

Mothers Day is coming up. I think we should thank the people that mean the most to us everyday (actually, I think we should be happy and pleasant and say please and thank you to everyone every day, and I try to) so I’m not so much looking for breakfast in bed or lavish gifts or anything. I have a picnic in the park planned for the afternoon with (I hope) some other families we like, and then I am going to see if Sara and/or Michael will keep the kids so we can go into the shop for a little bit.

We set up the sewing machine. It may have a permanent home. Maybe we’ll use it more. What a novel idea.

I have a rotting melon in the fridge. Michael brought home/in the tattoo equipment. I just suck. That melon has been in the fridge a month at least. I wonder if I am avoiding it because I feel like I suck, or if I just don’t care as much as I thought I did. Interesting question to ask myself, no? I wanted it so bad… I’d hate to find out I suck. Not that every beginner sucks kind of suck, but really and truly suck at something I love so much. Something that is so important to my life and my well being and the well being of my family. Think I am being overly dramatic? I don’t. Tattoos feed and clothe us. I’d hate to find out that I stink at giving them. There is a total connection in my head.

We bought a new composter at BJs yesterday. As soon as the fence is up we’re going to dump the old compost into the new bin. I think we’ll just use the old compost bin as a trashcan. Speaking of the fence! The permits were denied because we need to add onto the paperwork that if the fence is black we don’t have to landscape (I want to anyway, but at least we wont be on a deadline) and we need to fax the approval from the HOA because we’re fencing in the easement. We’ll take care of that tomorrow.

Well, I won a 55 yard hank of cream coloured wool yarn.

I was mighty pleased with how quickly my order was processed. They are running a buy 12 get one free (the Fuzzy Dozen) type special (the 12 has to be the same type of yarn, but can be multiple colours) so I bought two more (you know, cuz I love yarn) and opted for a surprise ball (equal value or more) instead of one more of the same.

I ordered 12 balls of Elsebeth Lavold Chunky Al, and got one ball of K1C2 Paint Box for free.

New Shipping Rates (U.S. and Canada):
$2 shipping on orders up to $20.00; $4.95 shipping on orders $20 to $99.99
FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS $100 or over.

That’s all. Nah, not getting a kick back. Just really pleased with the customer service and quick shipping.

I finished that snood, I messed up the brim (you know, the one I couldn’t figure out) but it came out ok in the end. I plan on using my new yarn for the marsupial bag from stitch n bitch. I might decide on a bag out of felted! instead, but I’ve been eyeing that bag from SNB for a while now, and bought the yardage I needed for that particular bag.

I ordered some knitting books from KnitPicks.com. Their books are 40% off, so it was totally justifiable, seeing as I ordered two books I’ve been eyeballing for quite some time and couldn’t justify. I almost got both for the price of one. I use the KnitPicks interchangeable needle set. One of my friends got it for me last year, and I have used the fuck out of it. Well, I had recently ordered some extra connector cables, and it pulled out of it’s seating. I contacted KnitPicks and without a question they sent me another pair of connectors. I had offered to send the broken set back, and they said to just dispose of them. I was most impressed with their customer service and prompt delivery. I’ve ordered from them quite a bit in the past and never had a problem and so had never dealt with customer service. I was very pleased to find out their quality extended from their products to their care.

I also ordered some stuff for Shiva that she needed. Not knitting stuff, some stuff from BabyBecause.com. I needed a new diaper bag, and I picked up some training pants. I need to get a covered trashbin as well, but I can get it for less from Target (to use as a diaper pail). I did not buy more disposable diapers today, we’re switching back to 100% cloth. I am hoping it encourages her to get out of them quicker.

Gave Sasha her bath today. Sara was brushing her and stopped and put the brush down. Sasha took her paw and put iton top of the brush, sort of pushing it towards Sara. Smart lil doggie we got. I just wish she would heal quicker!

Now onto my social commentary…

“Idol” Contestant in Labor Nails Audition

I don’t really have anything to say about this. I hate that people assume that pregnant women in the early stages of labor have to be at the hospital now. They probably don’t. The baby was born the next day, so either she had a long delivery or she was really in the very early stages. Why is this even news? Women go into labor in weird places all the time and ignore it and continue on with what they were doing.

Man Sues 1-800 Flowers

This one is pissing me off because he was already getting divorced. He should be suing over the additional money they are costing him, not the divorce itself. Of course, also, why the hell is this news, and maybe they are reporting it wrong anyway.