Long Time No Post

My perpetual excuse is: I've been busy. There's
* Work
* Housekeeping
* Grandkids (photos below)
* Knitting (photos below)
* Genealogy

WORK - the good news is that I still have a job. For now. There are threats of more layoffs in the New Year.

HOUSEKEEPING - Never ending isn't it? I've been trying to do a few extra "spring" cleaning things, because I have visitors coming soon. But, the older I get the longer it takes for me to do anything.

GRANDKIDS - They're gone to their other grand parents' lake home for the long weekend. They have SO much fun down there...a huge extended family, the lake, the beach, etc. I can't compete with all that. But, I take them to parks, & to a local ice cream shop, I let them help me cook, we read books, and they can get on my computer - their desktop has icons for Dora, Barney, Thomas, Sesame Street, etc. I let them print activities & color sheets, etc.

KNITTING -

1) Sent just 3 pairs to CIC at the end of June. I've got another pair almost finished - but ran out of Knit Picks' Dune. I was making a bigger kid's pair and decided instead of Magic 28 I'd do "Magic 36." I didn't understand the geometric proportional difference until too late. Should I frog or buy more yarn? I'll buy more yarn and finish them later.


2) Working on a BSJ - possibly for Baby B, if Baby B is a boy. I still have the same 20 rows or so left as when I blogged on June 14th.


3) Mom's OPAL socks. I luv knitting socks! I've misplaced the ball band, but (-it was difficult to find an image online) I think this is #2095. Legs knit on US 1.5, foot on US 1. Mom requested that the instep be knit in K1, P1 (like the "Move Your Fanny" pattern.) The color changes make the knitting seem to go quickly. " Oh..! A new color!" I'm hoping I can get a matching 2nd sock, but mom said she'd be OK if the stripes don't match.

GENEALOGY - I've been working on collecting evidence to submit to the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. Yippee! Got it! Except for my marriage license. Thought I had a copy, but can't find it anywhere. Maybe I tossed it out when I got a divorce? Now, I'll have to take time off work to go to the court house.

Belated Birthday Photo

Buster turned 4 [yeah, four!] on June 4th. I've downloaded the photos, but haven't tweaked the size/cropped etc. Actually, there are photos from as far back as April to deal with. Ugh.

Anyway, Buster's 4! Seems like he was just a baby ... wasn't it only a few months ago? He's talking in big sentences that if written out would include commas or maybe even semi-colons. He's all action, all risk-taking, all imp. Just like his mama was/is!

In photo: Sport [nearly 6] and Buster at his bd picnic..

Blog Browsing and other musings

Buster and Sport stayed overnight, and B. was awake before 7 a.m. as usual - even though they were up until 11 p.m. [Shhh...don't tell their mama!] He's content to watch a DVD so I can have my first cuppa and check my emails and my Internets.

Among this morning's browsings, I stopped over at Stitches of Violet and saw that her mom is doing better [looking good, actually.] She also mentioned, a few days ago, that Jean at Knitting Garden is having a Blogoversary [and a contest!] I never win anything, but left a "Happy day" message anyway. :-)

It's Charity Knitting Sunday here at the Mitch digs. I hope to finish another pair of CIC socks today. That will make 3 pairs for this challenge. Kathy has already sent in 12!! Way to go Kathy!!

Other OTN:

1) About 20 rows, or so, left on the BSJ...that I haven't blogged about yet. I will when it's finished. Promise.

2) Socks for my mother (2009 June). She picked out a ball of OPAL Cotton when we stopped at Knots & Bolts in April. I'll blog later with a photo and details. The ball band is in my room and Sport is still sleeping. The colorway is gorgeous - I think she'll like the way it is striping...I sure do. I was skeptical about how it would knit up - being part cotton and all. But it's met with my approval - Yay! For my next pair of big-people socks, I think I'll use the denim & white OPAL cotton that I bought last year at Knots & Bolts.

Gotta get ready for the day. Have a good one - whatever day it is for you :-)

Socks finally!

I started this pair in late March, I think. Finished them May 30th, took the photo May 31st, downloaded the photo this morning. I mentioned these earlier here. I'll call them my May 2009 socks.

Pattern: Generic ribbed
Yarn: Steinbach Wolle Sockenwolle in "brown" (think tan) #014 and a green/gray/brown twist#180
Needles: Size 2 [US]
Knit for: Me!

I'm not convinced

I've jumped on the Twitter bandwagon. Ugh. I'm not convinced I really need this. But...you see, my boss thought we needed a blog for work. So I started this blog to learn how to "do" one, since the work blog would fall under my job description. I think the work blog has been vetoed.

Now the online world is atwitter with Twitter. Same scenario as with the blog...just in case we decide to have a Twitter account for work, I want to be familiar with it. I've got mixed feelings about Twitting / Tweeting.

However, I got a big chuckle over Conan O'Brien's prediction for YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. Take a look, if you missed it.

NOTE: knitting or grandson or genealogy content coming soon. Stop by in a few days.

Mother's Day update

I didn't have to cook! And I got flowers and balloons and cards! And Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Free-Range Knitter: the Yarn Harlot Writes Again.

DD1 said she selected the book because, "Every time mom reads Stephanie's blog, she laughs out-loud."

That's right. I do :-)

In which I admit to not having knit much lately

I've been busy. Just with busy-ness.

It's been so long since I've worked on my blog - I didn't remember that I'd changed the layout last time I was on! When the page open, I was startled!

I've knit a few rows on the socks mentioned here. And I started a BSJ -- possibly for the soon-to-be Baby B. More on that on a later date.

One of the things that's kept me busy is working on genealogy. I dabble here and there and don't make much progress. But, once in a while that dabbling yields results. A reply to a letter I sent to a county court house in Pennsylvania ended up giving me more information than I could have dreamed of. DD1 was here when I opened the envelope - I was so excited when I browsed through the contents, I jumped up and down. Believe me, it's been a long time since I'd jumped up & down!!! And of course, after that my spare time was spent on scanning the documents, organizing them in folders, and doing more searching.

But, tonight, I'm going to knit on those two projects. And watch hockey [Go Penguins!] And American Idol [switching back and forth as necessary.]

My DD3's BF is starting a soy candle business. He's test marketing various scents - so I'm a designated tester. Last night I burned the Lilac - very nice scent - lilac-y, but not too over powering. Tonight the scent is Mandarin Orange. I'm not a citrus fan, but this is OK. He has another orange candle - "Fresh Squeezed Oranges" -- that one I think I'll like! I think it would be a good scent for a Saturday morning - perky & peppy. You see, I'm NOT perky or peppy on Saturday mornings. I need some motivation - like smelling fresh squeezed oranges! :-)

April 09 Socks

Started these last Sunday [as a Sunday Charity Knitting project] and finished them on Wednesday. [No knitting on Monday or Tuesday.]

Pattern: based on the Magic 28 pattern

Yarn: Paton's Classic Wool, I think, in white; Knit Picks Wools of the Andes in Hollyberry; and On-Line Supersocke 100/Sierra Color #896

Needles: Size 5 [US] dpns - bamboo

Knit for: CIC

These look huge for CIC socks, but the foot length is 5.5"

After several attempts to get the photo closer to the actual color, I went to the room with the best lighting in the house. Yep, the bathroom.

Click on the photo to see the socks better.

Charcoal Vest an FO

I finished this project a few days ago. Nice, easy pattern. Yay! But it took me four months to finish it :-\ Details are in this January post.

OTN Update: I'm about 1/2 finished with a pair of socks - using left over Steinbach Wolle Sockenwolle from this project. Plus another ball of Sockenwolle in green/gray/brown.

I mentioned this pair in the previous post actually.

Baby Sweater on Two Needles (AKA - February Baby Sweater)

Yippee! It's done and I'm happy with it. (My photo taking skills are another matter.)

Pattern: Elizabeth Z.'s

Yarn: Louet Gems Topaz in Eggplant
Needles: 7 [US] / 4.5 mm
Knit for: Baby B (due in mid August) - that is, IF Baby B is a girl. Parents to be are friends of DD1 and live just down the street.

On The Needles Update:

1. I'm about 75% finished with the The Vest.

2. I've started a pair of socks (generic ribbed pattern) for me - using Steinbach Wolle Sockenwolle in "brown" (think tan) and a green/gray/brown twist#180. Not enough of either for a pair, so I'm doing stripes. Not pretty. But, this pair will keep my feet warm. (And that's why I knit socks for myself - to have warm feet!)

I bought wool today for a February Lady Sweater for me! I went to Knots & Bolts with a deep red/burgundy color in mind. But, I decided to live on the edge and came home with Purple! Actually, it's Cascade 220 - #7811 Purple Jewel Heather. Can't find any photo online that show's the true color. They're all much too dark. I'm going to try to finish the vest before I start the FLS. Try.

Major Time Suck

I've just spent the past 3 hours updating my projects on Ravelry. Egad! But I'm caught up (as much as I care to be....)

Wish I could say the same for my genealogy projects. ;-}

On Ravelry as: jakkimitch

OTN Update

Busy times at the Mitch Manor. Little time for the computer and only a little more time for knitting. But, I do have two projects in the works:

1.) The Vest - started in January, the back is completed and I'm about half through one front panel. It's on hold as I work on:

2) A February Baby Sweater. For DD1's friends' baby due in August or Sept. (They know the date, I can't remember....) Details in a future post.

As my DS who lives down hill from The Rock (see photo at top of blog) say: I owe, I owe, so off to work I go.

March 09 Socks

Kirschnered the toes on these yesterday. I started them in January, but finished other projects first. Yummy soft and toasty warm these are :-)

Pattern: Started out with Priscilla's Dream Socks from Favorite Socks. But strayed (see "Project 2" in the January 24, 2009 OTN Update post.)

Yarn: Knit Picks Swish (DK) in Cinnamon and Nutmeg

Needles: US 3 [3.25 mm] on the upper legs, and US 2 [2.75mm] for the rest

Knit for: Me!!

Tea Contest entry

Not *MY* contest, tho.

Over at the Mason-Dixon Knitting blog, Kay is running a contest. I just logged on a few hours after she posted (and was something like the 346th comment!) The "contest" includes telling what your favorite tea is. Kay's is Yorkshire.

AND -- mine is Yorkshire!!! My current box came from my dear friend from over the pond. So, as proof... just in case anyone anywhere wants it... I photographed my box in front of the MDK blog and my comment box. As seen here :-)

Click on flashless photo to enlarge.

CIC Socks Feb 09

I *was* going to title this post: "The older I get...the faster time goes." But, that would only describe my current state of mine and not the actual content I want to post.

CIC socks - All I need is a big padded envelope and these will be ready to send. I've blogged the particulars previously. Here, here, here, here, and hmmm, must not have had a post about those blue ones.

We had a few inches of snow overnight, but the winds are howling [really] from the north. So I think the snow flying by my window probably fell in Minnesota. :-\

I have to work tomorrow [noon to 8 p.m.], so today is my whole weekend. Should I get busy and clean the house - or - get out my knitting and listen to a book on cd??

Actually, I'm going to try to do both. 30 mins of housecleaning and then 30 mins of knitting/audio book. When I'm done with my list of chores - it will be all knitting!! The local Salvation Army is having a craft day. I'd like to go. We'll see how my day goes.