tulip hat, advesary socks and one stressed kitty

I really hate to post a blog without some kind of picture. I guess its that 5 year old part of me that didn't like to read books without pictures (although as an adult I much prefer the books without pictures and prefer to let my imagination do the visual conjuring up of characters and places). So, today I actually do have a few pictures to post.
One is a baby hat I whipped up on the way to Florida a couple of weeks ago. I had found the tulip intarsia pattern from a child's sweater pattern I had laying around and just did the math and put it into a hat. I have no idea who this hat will be for. I'll most likely take it to work and give it to one of the new moms.
Also, I have posted one of a pair of socks I am working on for my children's stepmother. For those who know me well, they know the history. For those who don't, I'll spare them the sordid details. At any rate, I do believe its a good idea to try to put forth a little positive energy towards everybody (not just the ones that you love). So, I have decided to knit these socks and have attempted to infuse good thoughts and positive energy into every little stitch I made. I started on sock number 2 last night while watching Big Love (truly the only non-DIY/HGTV show I am addicted to).
Lastly, but not at all least, is my TingTing. She was having a very stressful day. I'm sure you can tell from the pictures.
P.S. the socks were done in Paton's SWS, the hat was done with Paton's Grace and the cat was done by..... well, God, I suppose.

a close to the end

I am back from Florida, but haven't taken any pictures to post. I've spent pretty much every waking moment reading the last Harry Potter book, and just mere moments ago I finished the last word on the last page of the last book. I won't say anything about the book or its contents. I'm not about to spoil anything for anybody else out there who has put their life on hold to read the book. I just felt for some reason, that I needed to announce that I have finished it and now I can move on to all those other aspects of my life that I put on hold for one last date with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. My husband, although sad that I didn't keep him much company on our drive back from Florida yesterday, was understanding as I've sat engrossed in the book for hours and hours on end. He's not a big Potter fan (somehow this fact seemed have gotten lost in the shuffle when I agreed to marry him) but he has been gracious in letting me trek out this last journey.

late night endeavors

I trekked out last night and got my copy of the last Harry Potter book. I was tired when I left the hotel and my plan was to get the book, come back to the hotel, and go to sleep. I would then start my reading journey when I awakened. Well, I guess I got a smidge caught up in the excitement of it all and once I returned to my room, I donned my "miner's headlantern" and started to read. I have no idea where my booklight is and I had found the headlantern in the car leftover from when we went kayaking on the 4th of July. I read until about 3am and finally nodded off. My husband awoke at 6am to go to do his microsoft show and I got up and about shortly thereafter since the housekeepers here have a fixation on getting you up and out of your room so they can tidy up. I went down to the pool area after grabbing a caramel macchiato and a muffin and cozied myself into a chair to read. A small group of British people passed by and excitedly made a point of noticing my Harry Potter book. (I know they were British because 1. They had accents and 2. One of them asked me if the que was long to get the book). My old, sleep-deprived body read until I thought I was going to nod off at the table. I thought about going and laying down in one of the lounge chairs by the pool, but thought better of it since I do have a habit of snoring and didn't want to be pointed out and snickered at in the event I nodded off into a sound sleep and did indeed snore. I came back up to the room, seeking a short nap and the dang blasted housekeepers had not yet been here. Any other day they would have been barging into the room bright and early, but today when I pull myself from the bed and my comfy pillow and drag myself out of the room, they're poking along. I've checked my email and decided to post a new blog and I guess I'm headed back down to the pool area to seek a spot in the shade and perhpas get a cat nap in before I resume reading. All knitting has gone on hold right now until I finish the book.
For all those Potter fans out there who are starting their final journey with Harry, know that I am with you in spirit as we all read about our dear magical friend for the last time.

Happy Birthday, Steven!!!!!!!

today is my sweet hubby's birthday. He turns 49 today. Happy birthday, honey! I told my husband last night that I was ready for him to turn 50 so I can go back to being the much younger woman. When I turned 40 in January, it made us a couple that are both in their 40s. I like being the much younger woman instead. It helps counterbalance the puffiness under my eyes and complete lack of metabolism that leads to my rapidly expanding backside.
I ventured out into Orlando proper yesterday and went to a yarn store. I managed to procure some yarn that was not on my list of things to get, but thats' the danger in actually going to a yarn store. I did get my sock yarn I was after, but ended up with some circular needles instead of dpns and have some new yarn, Loopy by Prism, to knit another purse with. I've been working on a purse (in between other projects) since January. I need to put on the closure strap and do some bead embellisment, but its more or less finished as far as being usable. I took it with me and used it as my purse yesterday since I was also looking for some beads to go on it and figured it was just easier to use it as my purse rather than carry it along. I actually got several positive comments on it (despite the fact that its not actually finished yet). I guess the complements went to my head and led to the subsequent yarn purchase.
I've been trying to get done my hubby's hugs and kisses socks for him today. I don't know if they are going to get done or not. I did manage to finish a beaded dragonfly hangy thing for him for his brithday, though. If I had a camera I'd post a picture of it but, but I don't have a camera.
Ok, well I'm off to find this bakery in downtown Olrando where I ordered his birthday cake. Poor guy has to work all day. I hope when he gets home tonight he'll still feel like having his cake and possibly some other birthday "dessert" as well.

Knitting in Orlando

So, I'm sitting here in sunny Orlando. My husband is off in a convention center doing a show for Microsoft. I'm hanging out watching some bad tv (hgtv is not on the approved channel list) and doing some knitting. I managed to finish a small dog sweater and a baby hat on the way down here. If I had my camera, I'd take a picture of them and post them. This morning I've been working on my husband's hugs and kisses socks. His birthday is in a few days and would like to see if I can get them done by then. I've also brought along the sweater I'm making for him and a few dozen other projects to work on. I think there was more knitting paraphanalia on the luggage cart for the bellboy to lug up than actual luggage. I've also brought some beading stuff as well and a book. I've not yet ventured out this morning but I'm beginning to get a bit hungry so I will soon have to put some clothes on and venture out among the muggles. I did manage to locate a knitting shop here in Orlando that looks like it might be worth the time and effort of going (it doesn't seem like its that far away, but we do have to take into consideration that I have no navigational skills.) Since I don't have access to posting any WIPs, I thought I would post this picture of nurses knitting. It would be so wicked cool if we could actually do that at work. The closest thing I get to do to knitting while at work is teaching the antepartum patients on bedrest how to knit. I guess its a pathetic way to get a "knit fix" but at least its keeping those poor, cooped-up women from losing their minds laying in bed day after day.

The well read cat

This is a picture of my beloved TingTing. My son Jonah took this picture. I don't know how much he paid the cat to pose with the book. She likes him and I'm sure he probably didn't have to pay much as long as he keeps me from chasing her around with a brush, trying to collect her shedding fur before it ends up under the couch so that I can save it up for when I learn how to spin and can make a pair of TingTing fur socks. (She has very soft fur. She's blessed that way.) *whew!* That was quite a long-winded sentence!
I did want to do an update on the pink fuzzy vest syndrome thing. My stepdaughter did fess up and tell me she didn't care so much for the dress. There is a bit more to the story and I will spare the general population from the gritty details. Being that I am FTS (that's a southern term for anybody reading this who does not live in the south. I'll give the G-rated definition of it as something that happens once a month.) I didn't take it real well. For those few that know all the sordid details of my life (including those who know ahead of time when I am FTS and know well enough to either stay clear of me or to feed me large quantities of chocolate) you'll hear about the sordid details soon, I am sure, if you haven't already.
And what does this have to do with my TingTing reading a book, you might ask? Nothing except that I like the picture and I do believe TingTing was quite the antithesis of this situation and was actually put out with me when I stole her collar I crocheted for her and turned it into a choker. (Before you think me an evil monster, I did knit another one for her complete with beads. I just have to put the clasps on the ends).

Pink fuzzy vest syndrome.

When I was a teenager back in the early 80s, there was a time when vests were really "in". My mom was a great sewer and she made me several that I absolutely loved. Well, because I loved them so much, my mom decided to surprise me with a new one for Christmas one year. My mother had been secretly working on the vest while I was at school. Christmas morning came and I opened the package containing the vest. It was the most hideous thing I have ever seen. No, really, it was. It was made out of this thick pepto bismol pink fuzzy material. It wasn't even soft and snuggly material like a good teddy bear would be made of. It was long and unkempt kind of fuzzy, the kind of material you might expect a cheap teddy bear from the carnival to be made of. My mother was crestfallen. I wasn't rude about it, but she could read the horror on my face that I was not able to conceal at the site of such a thing.
Well, all I have to say is that karma does have its way with things. I found some yarn from Hobby Lobby that I thought was killer and was itching to make something with it. I decided to make a tank dress for my stepdaughter. I thought the colors would be good with her fair skin and blond hair. I showed her the yarn and told her about the proposed project. (I didn't want to spend hours on it for it to go unworn.) She seemed excited about it. So, in this last week, I have been knitting my little fingers off in order to get it done for her birthday yesterday. I even took it to the movies with me earlier in the week to get in some knit time. I stayed up until 1:30am in order to finish it. Her birthday came and she opened the package. Said nothing. I asked her to try it on because I had intentionally not woven in the edges so I could make any alterations that were necessary. She told me she didn't want to try it on. I told her that I wanted to see what alterations I needed to make. She firmly repeated to me that she was not in the mood to try it on.
Now, my husband's family all thought it was pretty, but maybe they were just being kind.
I figured I'll give it a few weeks and see if I can coerce her into modeling it for me.... maybe even wearing it! I figure if we go a few weeks and stepdaughter and dress never meet up, I'll find some happy home for it somewhere. Surely there is somebody out there who likes "pink fuzzy vests."

Happy 4th

Having a low-key 4th here in Peachtree City. We went to the golf cart parade this morning. My stepdaughter was on a float for the community theater production of Les Miserables that she is in. (For those who don't know what a golf cart parade is.... well, I live in this odd little community where you can get practically anywhere on a golf cart and they have dedicated golf cart paths for such things. Everybody owns a golf cart and actually playing golf has nothing to do with it at all. On the 4th of July, everybody rides their golf cart and lines up along the more major roads of PTC for the parade. The parade is a traditional parade with high school band, firetrucks, local businesses, etc. Its just that we all ride our golf carts to see the parade and then ride in our golf carts back home.) I'm doing a bit of cleaning and organizing of knitting stuff before we take our kayaks out to the lake this evening to watch the fireworks. Since they shoot the fireworks out over the lake (they rope off a section that boats can't go to) its the best spot in town to watch the fireworks.
I'm posting my trinity knot cable swatch from the Rogue pattern so Jerri can see what I meant by my top loop looking too big. I'm also posting a picture of a newborn sweater that I just made for my ex-sister-in-law. I composed it and threw it together in a couple of days. For some reason, I ended up with a line of stitching showing on the left side of the sweater. I know its very slacker of me, but I didn't have time to frog it and have a do-over. I'll just have to be careful how I pick up the stitches next time. Since its a newborn size, I figure Bryson will probably wear it once anyway. I know that's not my usual line of thinking. I would usually frog something like that, but I still have to try to finish my stepdaughter's tank dress by the end of the week for her birthday.