29 March 2015

Sunday Snaps

I finished my first set of fingerless mitts... and am now casting on the second set - yay, me!
I need to finish the second set before Easter, as they are presents for somebunny and I hope they love them as much as I do.  Don't worry, I have a second skein of that happy pink stripe yarn to make myself a pair once I'm done with the presents.

I hope your week has been crafty and full of yarny goodness.  Don't forge to enter my giveaway for a chance to win "Knits for Boys" by Kate Oates - it all ends at midnight on April 2nd.

26 March 2015

Let's hear it for the boys!

I know when I go through patterns, I gravitate towards the girly stuff.  I admit to getting wrapped in the super cuteness that is ruffles and bows... but now, there is a knitting pattern book devoted to the awesomeness that is our little boys!!

"Knits for Boys" is a delightfully designed creation from Kate Oates.  This girl knows what a boy wants - every pattern in here is perfect for your wee man.  Seriously, everything you can think of making him is found between these covers.  Shorts, long johns, bow ties (because bow ties are cool), socks, hats and mitts, and yes there are plenty of sweaters too.

Just take a look at some of the scrumptious designs, graciously title "grow with me projects" because they are all 'tweakable' so you can make the exact size you need to cover their growth spurts - and we all know how quickly they grow on us, don't we...
With all of the wonderful designs - from casual to classic - your little man will be dashing.
With bright photos, simple schematics, and detailed instructions, there is no way to fail!
You want a copy of this awesome book now, don't you?  Well that's great, because the fabulous folks at Stackpole Books is waiting to ship one to you!!  All you have to do is...
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Open to residents of the U.S.A. due to shipping costs.  Be sure to leave me a valid way to contact you - email address or Rav ID.  I will announce the winner on April 2nd - good luck, y'all!!

24 March 2015

22 years ago...

I can't believe that my baby is 22 today... she went from this...
to this...
My baby is all grown up... she's literally taller than me... so smart and gorgeous. I don't get sad, like some parents, that my kids are grow - I simply am amazed at the people they turned into and this one, I'm rather proud of all she's done and faithful in all that she will do.

Happy Birthday, Peanut.  I love you buckets and buckets and oodles of noodles!

16 March 2015

Variable Star Shawl

It's finally done and ready for you to enjoy, my Variable Star Shawl pattern.  I have spent several weeks tweaking and fine tuning so that it would be perfect for you and now, the time has come to release my newest creation.  I hope y'all love it as much as I do.

As always, you can download it through Ravelry by clicking this link -

Inspired by the knitted Hitchhiker, I created a lace crochet alternative.
Created by an easy to memorize four row repeat, you get this beautiful fabric.
The crescent shape makes it so very versatile.  You can swoop it from one shoulder to the other...
Or you can wrap it around, tucking the ends under like a super comfy cowl.
No matter how you wear it, it will look fabulous.  Great for fingering, dk, and worsted weight yarns.
I can't wait to see everyone's shawls when you get them done.  I know this pattern will become an instant favorite while maintaining it's timeless elegance.  You can go crazy with color or keep it low key with just one - any way you work it, it will be an amazing addition to your wardrobe.

11 March 2015

Sunny Side Up

I named this shawl project that because it reminds me of eggs... tasty treat and project.
I've got a new pattern being tested right now - there are still a few slots open if you'd like to lend a hand - and after a little bit of a bumpy start, it seems to be going swimmingly now.  I hope to have the pattern ready to release by the end of April.  I hope y'all love it as much as I do.

Here is a quick Wednesday Wound Up of what all I've been working on lately...

I made a hat for Pokey - pattern chosen by the HPKCHC Quidditch Match 4, colors chosen by him.

I finished the last piece to my HPKCH OotP Mission.  I honestly like how it turned out too.
Not much progress on this beauty but that should change next week.
So that's what I've been up to lately.  What all have you been working on?

05 March 2015

Things brighten up a bit...

My goodness, what a week it's been! Hobbit has been horribly ill though she finally was able to keep all her meals down yesterday and no fever so she hopped on the bus today... granted, I have to pick her up for a dental appointment at 2 so she'll miss some things at the end of the day, namely PE so I'm not that concerned, but she's getting back to her normal routine which is always a great sign after a long illness.
Introducing, Baymax - the 2011 Toyota Corolla!!


Yesterday evening, after all the doctor appointments, I got a new (to me) car! I told Pokey on Friday when we had all the horrible stuff happen - Hobbit sick at school, I couldn't reach him, then I had to call a cab to go get her - that I was getting a car this weekend. I had been crunching our budget numbers and was able to work out exactly what we could do and still live life like normal. I figured if they could meet my numbers, great, and if not then I would simply walk away because I've been without a car for several years now and a few more months wouldn't kill me.

So we went to the local Toyota dealership where Pokey had gotten his car a few years ago and I just lay it all out there - what I had to put down and what I wanted my payments to be.  I didn't feel fabulous and I am never in the mood to haggle so I figured we could get things done faster if I simply state it at the get-go to move things along.  The VIP Manager - the name of a salesman who deals with return customers - pulled up two cars for me to test drive and decide on since I researched all of them online prior to going down.

Long story short, the guy came back wanting me to put down $500 more than what I said I wanted to and that my payments were going to be $68 more than I want I said I wanted them to be.  So I thanked him for his time and started to walk out.  Pokey knows that I don't like to be toyed around with so he smiled at the guy and said "you heard the boss, thank you for your time". I have honestly never seen someone scramble so fast in all my life!! He told me to just wait, please sit, he's got other banks he's waiting on for the financing. I stood and waited... and amazingly enough, I got better financing - with my down payment as it stood and my payments came in at $0.32 below what I told him I wanted to pay - with a better company!!

To be completely honest, my daddy was the one who told me that if they can't do what you want, just get up and walk away... wowzers, it worked.  I remember watching him make deals when I was younger and I always thought he had some kind of super power.  He was never rude, he simply stated the facts and if they could work together, that was awesome, but if they couldn't come to an agreement then he stood, smiled, shook the man's hand, and thanked him for his time and efforts.  I simply did what my daddy has always done.  I do think it's funny that Pokey always lets me negotiate things because I do our finances and know where or if there is any wiggle room so he just smiles and tells people that he married up... lol.

It seriously looks and feels like a brand new car - I'm very tickled.
So here is my new (to me) car... it's a 2011 Toyota Corolla with 38k miles on it... It's my first 'grown up' car so it feels a little weird. I usually get sporty things - compact SUVs, step-side pickups, three door coupes, and my Bug. This is my first 'adult' looking car but I guess at 42 it was about time. I do like it and I'm pretty sure that Hobbit will name it Baymax. She was super excited and to celebrate, Pokey took us out to supper at Cracker Barrel - but I got to drive.  Granted, neither Hobbit nor I ate much but having breakfast for supper at one of our favorite places is always a nice treat.

Here's the inside of Baymax... He's (yes, cars have genders in our family) super comfy, has a huge trunk, and all the neat bells and whistles are on the actual key. I thought the coolest key I ever had belonged to my Bug - it flipped out of a case when I pushed a button - but this one beats that.  No flipping, it's right there.  I have to be careful I don't pop the trunk or something when I turn it on.. yes, that has crossed my mind more than once.

I must admit, I like having the sense of freedom again.  I can go to the yarn store, grocer, my folks' house, shoot anywhere really. It's nice to be independent, in that respect, again. My husband is amazing for buying me the car... and yes, even though I crunched the numbers, worked the budget, negotiated the deal, and wrote the down payment check, he still bought it for me because he brings home most of the money. We are a true partnership and if he had said that he wanted me to wait until we had a bigger cushion so he felt better then that is what we would have done... though I know better than to bring him anything until I know we can handle it because his knee-jerk response to me has always been "if you want it, then we'll get it" - I learned early in our marriage to be careful what I randomly say I want because it will show up somehow. He is such a good man, always working to make me happy regardless of what it is and I love him for that - and it works both ways too.

So that is my happy news this week. I hope I can finally go back to work tomorrow - I've been having a horrible episode this week but I went to the doctor yesterday and they drew blood and ran tests. Hope to have some final answers by Spring Break so this nonsense will be over too. Even though I hated the tests, it's nice to know that things are going to come to a manageable end soon.

I hope y'all have been having a fabulous week.  If we keep our face to the sun, things will always brighten up!

03 March 2015

Tuesday Tunes

I've got this queued up to go in the morning because I'm doing my best to control an episode though I fear I'm losing and I vowed that March would be better... so here goes, the perfect song to get you through this Tuesday...

01 March 2015

Sunday Snaps - Squishy Edition

Hugs from Mama - Ravelry project page
When you've got a baby girl as ill as I have right now, you find something to do in the middle of the night to ease your worries and fears while they battle fevers and viruses... this is what I chose.
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