It has been my understanding that Gracie's Summer project has been to rid the world of Lizards.....testament to the fact of the many complete and assorted lizard parts that have been deposited on the death mat (formerly known as the welcome mat)! This little fella somehow seems to have missed the "jaws of death" (Although Gracie could just be letting him grow to a more "fun" size)! The little fella doesn't look TOO tiny but this is a ZOOM, ZOOM, ZOOM pic.....he is T.I.N.Y....don't think I have ever seen one this tiny!! Hope he makes it!!

I think I am tired of "warshrags"......I have made over 2 dozen, most of them a different pattern.

I was visiting Sydney ( http://www.doctordirt.com/blog/), one of my Alabama blog buddies, and saw her entry about working on a bib when it hit me......I have a cousin that lives "up north" that is having a baby in September!! I started this bib from the MD book....I love the way the colors are patterned out!! I think I'll also make a blue bib to match this one, and move on to the Kimono (if it isn't too hard for me to complete and look presentable!) LOL!!

Life is back to normal in our household.....puppy Jesse was picked up by his owners, all the "intruder" paraphenalia is gone, Max has settled down and I was actually able to coax Gracie from the basement......hmmmm.....wonder how she knew the puppy was gone?

Busy next few days and weekend ahead. Picking up my Princess Cupcake today! We will do some shopping today for "beanie babies" to donate to Children's Hospital. Children's Harbor (which is a support ministry for Children's Hospital, and is 100% privately funded) is a ministry that assists the families and children who have chronic, life-threatening illnesses at Children's Hospital. The ONE SINGLE THING that the children LOVE THE MOST is "THE CLAW". This is an arcade type deal where the kids put in a token and "go fishing around" for a stuffed animal with this claw thing. I figured Princess Cupcake would know better than I do which animals are the desirable ones!

Chicks with Sticks meets tonight, Girl's Night out Friday night with a group of my friends, Saturday morning hope to be a Knit Nouveau when they open for a quick "fix".....also introducing Cindy (Chicks with Sticks co-founder) to KN. Bake a birthday cake for my dad then on Sunday visit my folks to celebrate my Dad's birthday!!! WHEW!!! BUT.....at least I don't have to drive Sunday so I can knit.....YIPEE!!!!!!

UPDATE on Gracie.

While this is an old picture of Gracie we did find her!!

She was quite "shell shocked"....wandering around at the edge of the woods last night and from the looks of her that was where she had been the entire time! We picked her up and took her to the basement.....fighting all the way! When we put her down she scurried behind some plywood stacked against the wall and stayed there overnight. We could not coax her out, she didn't eat or drink anything we left for her as we checked on her multiple times last night trying to coax her out. Thankfully this morning I did see where she ate a bit of food although she is still behind the plywood. Poor thing!

The puppy will be picked up tomorrow....no telling how many days it will take for her to recover enough to come in the house. I imagine when she can't detect "puppy smell" anymore she will feel safe enough to come back in!

While I have no knitting to post for today I do have this!

Question: When is a lump in the bed NOT a lump in the bed???

When it is your cat that is TERRIFIED of the LITTLE puppy you are babysitting!! Gracie kitty was so traumatized when little Jesse arrived she immediately dove under the covers and stayed there for about 7 hours, when she DID come out it was to run for the door....upon letting her on the porch she immediately dove THROUGH the screened door, litererally THROUGH the screened door and we haven't seen her since!!! Still not back this morning!!

Max is NOT happy that Jesse is here!! He will tolerate the little one as long as he is sitting quietly....yea right....this little powerhouse is a bundle of puppy energy just waiting for a place to explode!! LOL!!! In otherwords a typical little puppy and one grumpy old dog!! No blood shed yet and we plan to keep it that way!! I guess this answers our question of whether or not Max would accept another dog in the family.....unless perhaps it is a grumpy old dog like Max so they could lay around and complain together about the cat and all the "youngster" pups in the neighborhood!!

Also, my dear friend from Wetumpka came up this weekend for a visit...we try to get together at least once a quarter for an "all girll weekend"....we stay up all night talking, spend the day shopping...although it is getting harder and harder to stay up till the wee hours of the morning then get up and have a full day of shopping....not as young as we used to be!! LOL!! STILL haven't talked her into learning to knit.....despite the fact that she wanted me to make her some "warshrags"!! LOL!!! We are planning a trip to Greenville when I go to her house for our next weekend get together....the result of a small article in Southern Living magazine.

Still working on some "warshrags"......working on another mini sock but I am stuck so I'll have to go back to KN for a "sock intervention"......but I am getting there!!! Almost......Ha! Ha!

Blue Sky Saturday From Trussville today has a HINT of clouds!!

I have figured if I get up early enough I can actually GET a picture of blue sky before the heat and haze set in! This shot was made early this morning from my back yard....I guess this is close as we will get to actually having a cloud in the sky! Such a small chance of rain that I doubt we'll see any. I am soooooo ready for Fall!! It was over 90 degrees on the porch this morning by 9:00......even the birds are too hot to come out!!!

Hope everyone's Saturday Blue Sky is a good one!!!!

100 Things About Me (just in case anyone wants to know)

1. I was born in Jasper, Alabama, have always lived in Alabama.
2. I have 2 sisters....I'm the middle one.
3. I am a yo-yo dieter....always have been....(I know, I know...it's not good).
4. To quote my nephew.....food is my life!! LOL!!
5. I love to cook but frequently screw things up!
6. I love to knit...I'm not great at it but I love it!!
7. I am a registered X-ray technologist.
8. My husband fulfilled a childhood dream of mine by surprising me with a piano and lessons one christmas...and it TRULY was a surprise!
9. I hate to get dressed and put on make-up.
10. I don't like to shop.
11. I DESPISE shopping for shoes or clothing!
12. I like to sleep late on weekends.
13. After sleeping late on weekends I like to sit on my porch, drink coffee and watch the birds at the feeder.
14. I don't like to talk on the phone.
15. I am an introvert although will make a complete fool of myself in a group....go figure!
16. I enjoy reading a good book while laying in the bathtub....ask my mom....all my books have "water marks" on them!
17. I once took a class and passed becoming a certified coal miner!
18. I like to drive fast.
19. I dream of living in the country.
20. I cherish friendships in my life.
21. I am a christian. (these items are NOT in order of importance mind you!) LOL!
22. I used to dream of being a photographer and took pictures daily...then life got in the way!
23. I love chocolate!!!
24. Halloween is my favorite holiday!
25. With Christmas as my second favorite holiday!
26. I am INCREDIBLY cheap on some things in life.
27. I wish I could win a million dollars so I could give it away!!
28. I have never had an entire week's vacation in my life!
29. I H.A.T.E. yard work but would LOVE to have a pretty yard!
30. I talk too much when I am nervous.
31. I am afraid of the dark.
32. I used to smoke but quit.
33. I love listening to my husband play guitar and banjo but he doesn't play enough.
34. I love my bed....I love to snuggle in bed and sleep late.
35. I have a miniature schnauzer named Max that I will have to be buried with when his time comes.....I LOVE my dog!! He lets me sleep in the tiny corner of the bed that he doesn't use.
36. I love being a secret angel to others!!
37. My favorite color is blue....or green....but some days it is red.
38. I am indecisive on the little things in life.
39. I am a major procrastinator on some things and a very type A person on other things.
40.I love the water....the lake in particular!
41. I love to feed the birds.
42. My favorite day of the week is Friday.
43. I like "stuff"...I'm a pack rat.
44. Speaking of which, I am DEATHLY terrified of bugs or mice.
45. I used to have two ferrets many years ago.
46. If I could go anywhere on vacation it would be Maine or Vermont in the Fall.
47. I LOVE old movies!!
48. I hate knowing Lucille Ball is no longer here......I Love Lucy.....they just don't make T.V. like that anymore!
49. I love purses.
50. I collect WAY too many things.....but I especially like baskets and pottery.
51. I have a small collection of face jugs.
52. Fall is my favorite season.
53. My favorite flower is the Daisy.
54. I love to sit and listen to the rain.
55. I also love a good loud thunderstorm.
56. I am ready to retire....not age wise....but ready nevertheless.
57. My family is the most important thing in my life.
58. I H.A.T.E. to exercise.
59. I love mexican food and a good margarita.
60. I like to be by myself.
61. I collect yarn.....I have lot's of yarn.
62. I am addicted to yarn.
63. Despite working in the medical field I H.A.T.E. to go to the doctor.
64. I have to have total darkness to sleep.
65. I love electronic "gadgets"....yet I am technilogically "challenged".
66. I'm scared of tornadoes.
67. I love Little Debbie Cakes
68. I have a collection of decorative bundt cake pans.
69. I don't like reality t.v.
70. I don't like speaking in public and will avoid at all costs.
71. My husband is my best friend.
72. I love fast food.
73. I love good coffee....especially latte's.
74. I started a knitting group with my best friend.
75. My closet is always a mess.
76. I don't like to watch sports.
77. I don't like self centered people.
78. I am most proud of myself for going to school.
79. I have always secretly wanted to write a book and have it published.
80. I wish I were tall.
81. I have big feet.....EEE width!
82. I can't sing but wish I could.
83. I sometimes snort when I laugh.
84. I drink WAYYYY too many diet cokes.
85. I miss smoking when I drink coffee.
86. I have never made a soufle but have it on my list of things to bake.
87. I love to entertain.
88. I like being at home.
89. I didn't like high school.
90. I still miss my Grandmother.
91. I don't make my bed every day.
92. My most favorite place to date to work was Williams Sonoma....I love to cook and it is a cook's heaven on earth....oh and I loved the discount!
93. Favorite place I have visited is Chicago....so much to see and do.
94. I want to take a cruise to Alaska.
95. I would like to fly in a small plane....maybe take a flying lesson or two.
96. I am afraid of heights.
97. If I could chose a time to live in it would be the 50's.
98. I love Peanuts comics and videos.
99. I watch Charlie Brown Great Pumpkin and Christmas Video every year.
100. Favorite Cheesy movie is Halloween....original with Jamie Lee Curtis....which incidentally was the only scary movie I ever saw when I was growing up and I snuck to the drive-in to see it....oops......sorry mother and daddy!

Soap Surprise!!

Here is a pic of the soaps Tonni made and brought to me as a gift on Saturday when we met for lunch!! Unfortunately I can't post the WONDERFUL SMELL!!! I have wanted to get into soap making for several years and may just have to get my hands into this soon!!

After taking my "mini" sock class on Saturday I was so excited I didn't want to stop knitting!! I didn't get a chance to knit any following the class and decided to take my "mini" friend on a trip with me to Mississippi State University Sunday in hopes of completing my "sock education" and graduating on to a full size sock! Although I wasn't able to finish the sock I had high hopes of completing tonight!!


UNFORTUNATELY Max had other thoughts!! Hard to see but he managed to pull out one needle, chewed one to a pulp and just generally made a mess.... he must have thought if he didn't actually look at me I would never know he was the one happily munching on the needle when I walked by!!!! I think the sock gods are against me!!!

Blue Sky From My Kitchen!

It's Blue Sky Saturday again!! I was in a hurry this morning to get out the door to Knit Noveau for a sock class and took this picture standing in front of my kitchen sink.

I met Tonni for lunch following the sock class and had the added joy of meeting her sweet daughter Peyton!! Such a treat for me to get to meet them both!!

Tonni brought a few of her socks for me to look at....VERY impressive stitching!! So perfect they looked machine made!!! THIS is the level of knitting I hope to achieve one of these days!!

Tonni also makes soap and brought me two GREAT bars of soap.......I LOVE, LOVE any kind of bath product and I could not have been more tickled!! Unfortunately I can't post the wonderful smell of the soaps!!

I'm embarrassed to say I don't have a craft or hobby that I can produce anything good enough to give as a gift!!

Enjoyable day for me.....hope I didn't talk as much as I think I did!! LOL!!!

A Few More Warshrags!

I thought since I hadn't posted any knitting in awhile I better prove I have actually been knitting something!! Here's a few of the "warshrags" I have made lately. I have a few more but they aren't ready for their "photo shoot"just yet as their "tales" are still hanging out, and I gave one or two away last night. I am trying to deplete my "warshrag" yarn stash......I have about 6 or 8 more skeins to go and I think I'll be finished!!

I'm off to Knit Nouveau tomorrow http://www.knitnouveau.com/ to take a sock class!! Yipee!! MAYBE I'll be able to learn something and get on the sock making craze everyone in the world is involved with except me!!! LOL!!

I'm finally going to get to meet my first online blog buddy..... Tonni .....of Knitlog Fame http://currentobsession.blogspot.com/ We have been emailing for quite awhile and I'm tickled to have the opportunity to get to actually meet her!!! (I secretly hope if I hang out with all these great knitters some of their skill might rub off on me!) Hee! Hee! Tonni is a GREAT sock knitter among a lace knitter just to name a couple!!

Coaster from Princess Cupcake

Princess Cupcake came for a visit yesterday and gave me a coaster she made for my desk!! This is her second finished project!!

I taught her to purl yesterday.....Emily sent her some stitch markers......she is SET...can't wait to learn to read patterns!!!! Got a list of items on her "to knit" list!!

Happy Fourth Of July!!

This was made last year on July 4th on our way to see the fireworks show on Lake Logan Martin!! Spectacular sunset and GREAT fireworks!!

Blue Sky From Trussville Alabama

Happy to join in the Saturday Blue Sky!! Looking forward to checking everyone else's little blue part of the world!!

Pic shot from my front yard at 11:45 a.m. We live on a hill surrounded by BIG, TALL trees, so hard to get a shot of the sky without including trees for a bit of perspective. Started the morning on the back porch, drinking coffee, catching up on my Southern Living Magazines from May and June, blackberry muffins, more coffee, watching the Carolina Chickadees munch out on a never ending supply of sunflower seeds!! Watching the cat watching the birds...hee, hee....so close but so far away!! All this leisure activity to get ourselves motivated to do YARD work (sorry for the four letter word there!.....I know it is nasty...but nevertheless a necessary evil!). Grass to cut, weeds to pull, pine straw to spread around.....got a few plants left to plant..stacking some rocks to make a small dry creek bed to stop some erosion ....all in the glorious, wonderful 90 % humidity and high heat!! Ah....life in the south!!! What could be better???? Keeping the sweet tea handy today!!!!

Talked to my Princess Cupcake earlier....she came home from the hospital late yesterday, not feeling too bad but not feeling good enough to knit.....bored to tears and wanting to know when her Aunt Darlene is coming to visit (entertain) her!!! Did manage to perk her up a bit when I reminded her that Chicks with Sticks will be meeting a full week from the time of her surgery and she should be able to travel to visit with us......she's looking forward to it already....gonna be a L.O.N.G. week!!

Hope everyone has a GREAT weekend!!!

Saturday Sky Blog

I was checking out http://www.sandysknitting.com/ which I recently found through someone else's blogsite and saw the entry for Saturday Sky. Check out Sandy's website and sign up! Basically, Sandy thought that since Saturday is a slow day to blog that she would start a post where you walk outside and take a pic of YOUR Saturday Sky! Best of all.....there will be a contest to win yarn!!! How much better can it get???? Winner will be drawn on July 1st.

A bit of humor!

As I have nothing stupendous to show for my knitting (not that I ever do)....I thought I would post a bit of humor!!

I HAVE been knitting a bit but it is so hard to do anything!! Have you ever been in a sauna....?? Well that is what it is like here in Alabama....triple digits last week with about 90% humidity! The AC units run full blast and STILL you can't breathe or move for all the heat and humidity!!
It absolutely wipes you out!!! By 7:00 p.m. the energy is GONE but I REFUSE to go to bed while it is still daylight outside!!

I have been working on getting my Sugar and Cream stash depleted....slowly. I'll try to get the energy to drag out my camera and post some pics. I did get my heartbeat up when I found out about the KnitPicks interchangeable knitting needle set!! Guess I'll have to break down and get a set so when I get my knitting MoJo back I'll be all set to go!!

My sweet little Princess Cupcake (otherwise known as Montana) is having surgery this Thursday and appreciate everyone's prayers for her!!! (see previous posts). She has promised to let me make a picture of the scarf she is currently working on BEFORE she gives it away!! She finished her "warshrag" she started at Chicks with Sticks but gave it away before I could get a picture of her with it!! But that is just the way she is.....sweet little giving heart!!!

Future Yarn Collector!!

Montana with all her knitting "utensils" as she called them!! LOL!! She was sooooo excited about choosing her own "utensils"!!! I believe she is off to a good start!! Although I was a bit disapointed when she said she didn't want to buy anymore yarn until she had finished this "project".....oh well....she is young.....plenty of time to corrupt her!! LOL!!

YUM!!! Birthday Cake!!! NO Calories!!!!

Happy Birthday Mother!!!

Made a quick trip home to surprise my Mother as today is her birthday.....and don't you think it is cool how the nation flys the flag in honor of her birthday???? Yep....she's just that special!!!

Casting On

Love of my heart (Great Niece) Montana is showing me how she has learned to cast on!! She is REALLY good at this!!! Montana is just learning to knit and is only 10 years old!!! Oh how I wish I had learned when I was her age......might actually be good by now!! LOL!!

Future Warshrag Queen of Alabama

Montana is working on her first "warshrag". I am SOOOOOOOO proud of her!!!! Her knitting stitches are very good!!!! She is going to join me tomorrow night at my knitting group...Chicks with Sticks.....and she is very excited!! We are going to go shopping tomorrow for some of her "very own" knitting supplies!!!

As she only has the ball of yarn she is currently working on I feel it is my DUTY as her Great Aunt and yarn collector to get her started down this road and will do my best to fill her knitting bag tomorrow!!!

Warshrag Stash

Nothing new to post regarding knitting....been quite busy lately!!

After 14 years I broke down and bought a new car this week! It is AMAZING at the features on cars these days! When I bought my last car CUP HOLDERS were not even invented! LOL!!
I keep trying to find excuses to drive it is so much fun!! But alas....the bliss will end next month when first payment is due! LOL!! Been 8 years since I've paid on a car.....OUCH....that's going to bite into my yarn budget!! Boo Hoo!!

In light of my recent purchase I have decided to try to knit from my stash for awhile. As it is summer and I don't want to knit anything big I'm going to focus on knitting up all my "warshrag" yarn.....I know I have more....will have to dig through my stash to find it all!

If you are a sock knitter in the south check out Becky's blog...http://knitting-interrupted.com/
cute sock KAL for the hurricane sisters.....of course you won't see my name included because I'm STILL sock challenged!! I plan to knit up all my "warshrags" then get back to the sock knitting. I feel so inadquate!!!! Everyone talks about how they whip out socks, how relaxing and fun it is and I just can't quite seem to "get it". Oh well....just add it to the list of all the other things in life I "just don't get"!! LOL!!

I will entitle this "What I DIDN'T do on my Summer Vacation".

In my blog ramblings yesterday I ran across a this pretty little button and on further investigation discovered the Summer of Stash website. http://soskal.blogspot.com/. After my initial horror at the thought of NOT buying any yarn over the Summer season I realized this is probably a good thing for me as my last count was a little over 200 skeins of yarn on hand!! I seriously need to go on a "yarn diet"...not to mention other diets!!

If nothing else it will force me to knit up some of my stash making room for.......you guessed it.....MORE YARN!! LOL!!!

A few Warshrags

O.K. so I haven't been a TOTAL deadbeat lately despite the fact I haven't blogged in a couple of weeks!! Now that summer is here (which here in the south mean HEAT and HUMIDITY)....I'm struggling to knit! I do like making the dishcloths.....anyone that has a pattern and wouldn't mind sharing please feel free to contact me! Still haven't completed the ballband warshrag from Mason Dixon....may try to make one this weekend!

I'm overwhelmed with other projects that need to be done but just can't get the energy to do them.....like major yard work...exterior house maintenance...clean out the basement, the list goes on and on....oh and in the midst of everything else we are moving the contents of our business warehouse to another location.....all in the HEAT and HUMIDITY!!! Oh well.....we G.R.I.T.S. (Girls Raised In The South)......have GREAT complexions.....no lines on these fabulous faces!!!! Humidity DOES have it's benefits! LOL!!

Still haven't attempted my second sock.....will try to get motivated to do this at some point in the near future. I have a few other projects I need to get finished.....like my vest and all the pretty sock yarn I bought before I figured out I was "sock challenged"!

Lazy Bones!

This is how I feel today.....LAZY!!! I don't want to work.....I don't want to do ANYTHING....well...anything but knit that is!

My perfect day would be to sleep late, wake to a pot of coffee and some REALLY good pastries (because in my perfect world I would be thin and could afford the calories), stroll through my perfectly clean and neat house (oh yeah...I'm dreaming)....while gathering up my knitting and head for the porch (which is pollen and cat hair free)......knit for a few hours.......blog for a few hours to catch up on what all the good knitters are doing and dream about what I can do some day!!

But.....Reality Bites!!! Back to Work!! LOL!!!

A Few Good Books

I am having to put the knitting aside for a few days...."tennis elbow".....I am referring to it as "knitters elbow"! I have a few books I have not had time to read so I guess I'll be reading about knitting rather than actually knitting for the next few days! Maybe by the time my elbow is better I'll be ready to tackle my sock mate! I'm not starting another pair (even though my sock yarn stash is WAY prettier than the Wildefoote sock yarn).....until I have finished the first pair....considering the sorry state of my first sock I'm hopefull my second pair will be made well enough to actually WEAR!! LOL!!

FINALLY!!!!

YES....that IS the Halleluiah Chorus you hear!!! I will no longer refer to this as the @*#* sock but will now be called THE SOCK!

Fortunately you can't see all the picks, dropped stitches, etc. I am ditching making the mate as this sock really isn't wearable because of dropped stitches and I just can't rip it out and re-knit at this point. I'll have to put it on my desk and look at it for awhile. BUT......I have completed it and I now have a grasp of the pattern concept!! I'm picking up the Modea Self Stripe yarn I originally started on and hopefully will now be able to complete a PAIR of socks!! I've got to get good enough to knit up the box of sock yarn I bought!! Not sure if I am going to fall in love with making socks as so many are.....the judge is still out on this one! Hopefully by the time I have knit up my sock stash I'll be crazy for socks....or may just be crazy!!! LOL!!! I hope I get good enough that I'll be addicted to socks as it is a great project to take with you and knit on the go.

Upon finishing THE SOCK and excitedly modeling for my DH he gently takes my sock clad foot in his hand and inspects from all angles, declares himself proud of me for being able to complete THE SOCK, sweetly smiles asking will I be able to DUPLICATE THE SOCK so I'll have a MATCHED PAIR....while gently touching all the spots my bare foot is showing from the dropped stitches!!!! DId I mention that DH doesn't ALWAYS stand for Darling Husband? Sometimes it stands for @*&$@ Husband!! LOL!!!

Shy Kitty

No knitting to share today....still working on my sock....hopefully will have it finished in another couple of days! It's not going as well as I had hoped....but it's a learning process. Silly me....I had envisioned sitting down and whipping out a pair of beautiful socks in a matter of a few evenings....I guess I'm a slow learner! Since I have no knitting pics to share...(well....I have knit two baby blankets....I'll try to make a pic of them and share later)......in the mean time here is a pic of my sometime shy, sometime crazy kitty Gracie. Don't let this picture fool you.....she is INSANE!!!

Sock In Progress

Well......it's not great....but it IS progressing!!! The yarn has separated in several places and on close inspection looks "picked".....but at this point I'm just trying to finish it so I will know what I'm doing when I start my first PAIR!! I have ripped and re-knit this yarn so much it is really in bad shape.....I'll make it's mate for practice but don 't believe I'll buy the Wildefoote yarn again. I think I'll stick with a more tightly woven yarn for my next pair or two......the knitted part feels really nice to the touch....it's just so hard for me to work with a this point. Need a bit more experience.....then may give it another shot. I hope to be able to be down to the toe by the end of the week. (Oh to be like those of you that can whip out a pair in an evening or two!).

Blog or Knit?

Why oh Why must I be forced to decide whether to spend my few free minutes each day visiting and catching up with my favorite blogsites or knitting? Life is tough enough as it is!!! Can someone PLEASE make blogs SPEAK?? That way we can knit while "listening" to our favorite blogsites!!

"One Ring-y Ding-y, Two Ring-y Ding-y"

Back to the Wildefoote...

O.K. So I'm back to the Wildfoote sock yarn....note the BAMBOO needles...NOT the slick aluminum ones that I could NOT hold on to!! I have somehow managed...not sure how.....(I guess the 329th time is the charm)......managed to TURN A HEEL!!! YIPPEEEEEE!!!!! Oh Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!!! NO bumps, NO lumps....just a SMOOOOTH heel cup!!!!

Could there be hope for my sock yarn stash??