Happy Thanksgiving!

As I take a moment from the hustle and bustle of getting my family ready for the trek to Kentucky, I am shifting my focus from the busy-ness of the day to the reason for the day. I am so very thankful for:

A God who loves me enough to sacrifice His son for me
A family who loves me unconditionally
Friends who laugh with me, laugh at me, listen to me and honestly offer advice
A good job with good people in these uncertain times
A roof over my head
Food in my pantry
Clothes to keep me warm
Good health
Life's little luxuries - scented bath gels, chocolate, coffee, yarn, yarn, yarn, yarn, more yarn

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.

A Productive Weekend

Action shot:

Actually, I got a ton of work done around the house this weekend. I cleaned out my closet and my bedroom and packed up 3 boxes of clothes to send to an Appalachian mission that my church supports plus 2 bags of clothes for Good Will. This is the first time in about 100 years that the floor of my closet has been seen. I wasn't really sure there was a floor. I thought maybe that was where old clothes went to die. Anyway, I have a long long way to go to get this house back in some kind of order, but I'm energized now. Hopefully it will last.

I was able to get in quite a bit of knitting, too. Last spring, I picked up 5 balls of Patons Shetland Chunky for $1 ea. It was pretty and soft, but I really had no idea what I would do with it. Last week, my church knitting/crochet group received an e-mail requesting that we bring in whatever items we had collected or made for the Appalachian mission. We do a lot for the kids up there, but there is a nursing home with many in need. They were asking for blankets, towels, washcloths, heaters - warm stuff. I rifled through the stash that was lurking in my closet and ran across this yarn. I was able to start and finish a lapghan with the 5 balls I had on Saturday. It's a simple piece, worked double-stranded, completely in garter stitch. It is unbelievably warm and soft. I hope someone gets some warmth and pleasure from it.

After that, I started a wrap out of some off-white Baby Clouds I had bought on eBay about 2 years ago - also for the mission. It's amazing how warm this loopy fabric can be.

And now, on to the Throw Up Socks. I ran across this yarn on KnitPicks and just loved it. It seems to fall-ish and the name is just wonderful - Gingerbread House. It's a wool/alpaca blend, is so incredibly soft, and I was very excited to start working with it. HOWEVER, having 2 tweens in the house has a tendency to deflate one's elation. D#2 saw me working with it on Friday and said "That looks like colorful throw up." Gee, thanks! Yesterday, I asked D#1 what the yarn reminded her of. "Kinda like vomit," she said. Well, I like it anyway. But I guess the socks will forever be referred to as the Vomit Socks. KIDS!

Yet another addiction?

Time to confess - I've found a new addiction. . . Facebook!

I have heard everyone from my pastor to my brother talk about Facebook, and I always considered it a complete waste of time (much as they would if I tried to tell them about Ravelry). I joined about a month ago and have already reconnected with so many people from my past. I married young and moved to another state, so I had lost contact with many friends from my childhood and high school years. It's so much fun to think "I wonder what ever happened to _____" - do a search and,voila!, there they are!

Oh, I haven't given up Ravelry, blogging, or knitting. I've just added to my list of excesses. I have been busy working on a few projects in the last couple of months:

Felted Bowler Hat:

Unfelted - not the most flattering picture of me, I know.

Felted.

I don't really wear hats, but I saw this pattern and had to give it a try. I bought a bunch of Paton's Classic Wool on clearance, so I have lots to play with. D#2 likes it, so I'll probably give it to her. I've got my eye on trying a felted Fedora, but the pattern I found is crochet andI don't know how to do that (yet).

Striped Modular Vest for me:

D#1 is modeling for me. (Isn't she cute?) I used Lion Brand Wool-ease for this that I had actually purchased for another vest about a year ago. I had started the other one, but the stockinette back had become very tedious and I just couldn't take it anymore. When I saw this vest on the front of September 2008 Creative Knitting, I just knew this yarn was made for that pattern. It is very cozy and very warm - perfect for our mild Tennessee falls and winters. I forgot to make a buttonhole while I was working the front, so I've decided just to leave off the closure for now. If I decide it needs a closure, I'll knit on some I-cord.

Sakura Ruffled Hat:

This was a free-with-purchase-of-yarn pattern that I thought was just the cutest little thing - perfect for a toddler. I bought enough yarn to do 2 hats in different colors. I made this one according to the pattern and I think it turned out a little too long and a tad too big around. I am making these for my twin nieces for Christmas, and I'm just not sure of the fit. I'll go down a needle size for the next one and make the hat about 2 inches shorter.

Baby Kimono and Hat:

I started this sweater last weekend for our newly hatched great-niece. I finished the sweater last night and started and finished the hat between last night and today. BOB (D#1's "Big Ol' Baby") is modeling it here.

Moderne Log Cabin Afghan:

This one is coming along nicely. It has grown to a size that is not very portable, so I use it for mindless TV knitting. D#2 has been very patient with me. When she sees me working on another project, she asks me about her blanket, but she doesn't pout. Here she is posing underneath it. She is a sweetie.

Picot Edge Mitts:

I made these from some Silky Tweed that Liana gave me for my b-day. I haven't done picot edging before, but it was very easy and these were a quick knit.

5-Hour Baby Sweater

I made this a couple of months ago and completely forgot about it. It turned out a little crooked, so D#1 got to keep it for her American Girl doll. It was a perfect fit for her.

Does this still count as a post?

I've been working on a post, but it's been so long, and I've been knitting so much, and I haven't taken pictures of my projects, and I don't like to blog about my knitting without pictures, and . . . and . . . and . . .

Oh, OK! I confess! I'm procrastinating instead of packing for a weekend trip. Although, in my defense, I have been waiting for the washing machine to quit so I can throw in another load.

So, since I'm obviously not going to blog about my knitting, here's one of those little quizzes I found on Big Pink Cookie (Cinny, my apologies -- but you never read this anyway):

1. Do you like blue cheese? Only on a salad

2. Have you ever smoked cigarettes? No - really - no

3. Do you own a gun? No

4. What Kool Aid flavor was your favorite? Black cherry

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Sometimes

6. What do you think of hot dogs? Mmmm . . . with mustard, on a really fresh bun

7. Favorite Christmas movie? Holiday Inn with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Coffee with lots of cream

9. Can you do push ups? Why, yes I can. Wanna know how many?

10. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? Antique scarab bracelet my husband bought me the first year we were married

11. Favorite hobby? Knitting

12. Do you have A.D.D.? Self-diagnosed, yes

13. Do you wear glasses/contacts? Wear contacts exclusively since I squished my good pair of glasses and the dog chewed up my others

14. Middle name? None

15. Name three thoughts at this exact moment? -1- I really should be doing my laundry. -2- I'd like to get that fingerless mitt done tonight. -3- I wonder if there's any good chocolate around here.

16. Name three drinks you drink regularly. Coffee, Diet Pepsi, Water

17. Current worry? That my husband and kids are going to be pi&&ed in the morning when they see how much I didn't get done tonight to get us ready

18. Current hate right now? Hate is a strong word - can't say that I hate much of anything

19. Favorite place to be? In my backyard, with my knitting, kids and dogs running around, husband happily on his lawnmower

20. How did you bring in the New Year? Home with husband and kids

21. Where would you like to go? Ireland

22. Name three people who will complete this? I don't even know if there are 3 people who will read this.

23. Do you own slippers? Yes. But I only wear them to go outside or in the garage.

24. What shirt are you wearing? Blue nightshirt

25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? No -- too hot!

26. Can you whistle? Barely

27. Favorite color? Pink, turquoise

28. Would you be a pirate? No - I'm too much of a softie (or a coward?)

29. What songs do you sing in the shower? Slow Fade, Better is One Day in Your House, Feels Like Today

30. Favorite girl’s name? Well, I can't pick either of my daughters, because they'll be offended. How about Elizabeth?

31. Favorite boy’s name? Joseph

32. What’s in your pocket right now? No pockets

33. Last thing that made you laugh? My silly daughter doing her weird stretches

34. What vehicle do you drive? Pacifica

35. Worst injury you ever had? Broken tailbone

36. Do you love where you live? Yes - woods, streams, quiet. Wish we had a little more room in the house, but we manage.

37. How many TVs do you have in your house? 4 - 1 of which doesn't work very well.

Ok, now it is your turn! Let me know if you do it too!