Middle of the night musings

I've got a rotten cold. Slept 3 hours and then was wide awake - the pharmacist told me that the Allegra D might have that effect. So I checked my email and read several news related websites. Then I logged onto Ravelry to edit my needles.

What?? Over 350 people were online. At 3 a.m.!!! Well, sure, I know Ravelry is worldwide and it was 9 a.m. UK time and 11 p.m. [yesterday] in Hawaii. But, I was initially surprised to see that many people online in the middle of my night-time!

Many months ago I bought yarn, needles, etc. for DD2 to learn to knit. She found yarn to go with her winter coat and wanted to knit a scarf she found in a knitting magazine [that I bought also.] Since then, she's decided not to knit. So, I'll knit the scarf for her when I finish the Oh-So-Simple [but huge] Cardigan. When I emptied the bag with the yarn, etc. I found a nice cache of needles & other knitting supplies - cable holder, several small stitch holders, stitch markers, and a Susan Bates "Knit-Check" -- with a ruler, stitch gauge, and needle sizer. The happiest find was the "knit-check." My old one, which pre-dates my kids, doesn't have the metric sizes. This new one does! How handy!!

OTN update: I have about 2/3 of the second front completed. I just *might* be able to finish it by Sunday when I leave for an out-of-town conference. I'd love to wear it there. Better get back to my knitting. I'm still increasing for the arm and I'm at a stitch count of about 100 on the needle. Need to get up to 136 sts. Argh. Easy pattern, but don't know that I'd do it again. Progress is slow. Painfully slow.

Actually, I'm starting to get tired. Maybe if I knit for awhile in the recliner I'll fall asleep. Oh, yeah, I've got today off work, so my messed up sleep schedule won't be a problem.

Craziest thing...it's a comp day for Feb. 17th when I was scheduled to work for someone else, but Did NOT work because we were closed due to the weather. We were closed on the 18th & 19th, too. [Originally I was going to take those two afternoons off.] I DID work on the 20th, 21st, and 22nd. My boss said that I technically had a six day work week, so I could take a day off this week. Well, I didn't argue, but I did have to think that one over. I only worked three days last week and I get a day off for the 17th when I didn't work. Works for me :-)

Can't wait till they can shovel snow!

The Grandsons played outdoors while I shoveled the driveway (again.) If I were a crabby old lady grandma I would have gotten after them for climbing all over "Mt Mitch" - the big pile of snow at the corner of the sidewalk/driveway. But, they were having SO much fun -- and staying away from the road. I figured I could reshovel the snow that tumbled down into the driveway when they went back inside.

That's Sport [4.5 yrs] on the left half way up Mt. Mitch, and Buster [2.5 yrs] on the right.

CIC Vest

[OK - I say it every time -- I need to figure out better lighting....]

I've nearly used up all of the Knit Picks Bulky [but not quite.]

Yarn: Knit Picks' Wool of the Andies Bulky in Emerald, Wine, Taupe, and a little Redwood Forest

Needles: US 10.5 [US] dpns ...need to get a 24" circ!

Size: 2 to 3-ish It fits Buster who wears 3T.

Pattern: Countrywool's PocketVest

Modifications: ribbed neck; I thought the neck opening was too large [and I hate cold air on my neck/upper chest]; No pocket

Knit for: CIC January-March 08 Challenge = Sweaters & Vests in sizes 2-4

Snow

Finally a sunny day! AND, I'm working a split shift today - so I was out & about during the daylight. WooHoo!

This view shows the postal path. My neighbors & I keep a path shoveled as directly as possible from house to house so the postperson doesn't have to go down to the road and then back up to the next house.

Grandsons

The boys from a few days ago. Buster [2 1/2 yrs] on the left...trying to get off the chair; and Sport [4 1/2 yrs] on the right.

Annual Superbowl Tradition and OTN update

Well, I guess if it's "annual" it's a tradition by default.

Just a note for now, since I haven't blogged in a week, and then I'm off to set up a card table in the TV room [aka: living room.] Next I'll arrange the four new boxes of Christmas cards and whatever cards are left over from 2007. Then, with Christmas list/address book and pen in hand, I'll start addressing my 2008 Christmas cards. Yep, that's right. 2008.

I enjoy getting cards, but sending them used to be such a chore. Life is SO busy between Thanksgiving Day and Christmas - and trying to do cards during that month was just TOO much. One year I thought: "IF I do the addressing earlier in the year, then just add personal notes when I'm ready to send them, it wouldn't be such an ordeal."

So, the next Superbowl Sunday [which was during a non-crafting time of my life], I was wondering WHAT on earth I could do while "watching" the game. And, I remembered the Christmas cards. Ha!!! What a stroke of genius! It's been a tradition ever since.

And what do I do if someone moves during the year? Well, that's what large Avery labels are for, right? There are some envelopes that I only write the name on...such as my nieces & nephews. You never know when those kids are going to move again. Usually I only have to slap a label over an old address once or twice a year. This past year - not at all.

OH...and the pen I use to sign the cards & address the envelopes, I store with the cards. Then Thanksgiving weekend - or whenever I get around to do those personal notes - I have the same pen. No mis-matched ink for me!

Lest anyone think I use 4 boxes each year. No...I send about 38-40 cards [including all the nieces & nephews.] Its just that I was nearly out of cards, so when I shopped after Christmas I got 4 boxes. So I won't have to get any next year.

Superbowl: may the team with the most points win.

OTN:
1. The Oh-So-Simple Cardigan. Abt 1/3 of one front finished. I've got to get busy on this - I'd like to take with with me [wear it] to a conference I'm attending in early March.

2. A CIC vest with Knit Picks Bulky wool. It's about 1/4 finished

3. Off the needles, but needing seams sewn - a pair of 6 mos. size bootees for the NA Support group [for the Cheyenne River Reservation.]