The Big One!

Oh man! Today I turned 50! 50 - the BIG 50.

I am blessed more than I could ever imagine. Even though I rarely talk about it I've been through many health issues the past several years, but this year has been different. I feel the best I've felt in years. Yes I'm very overweight but I feel great.

My network of family and friends have been supportive, loving and giving. I have the greatest mother in the world who has been my rock through some very difficuly storms and a sister who has been caring and sharing even when I couldn't see it.

I may not be where some people thought I would at this stage in my life but I'm happy! I love me, I love where I am and I love the people who are in my life.

I pray that may you all be blessed with such riches and goodness in your lives.

Slow Progress

This year has been a loser for me so far in the sweater department. While I have 3 cast on I've yet to finish anything other than two baby sweaters. I got a late start on the sleeves for my Circle and Butterflies sweater and in the meantime cast on a special sweater project, the Heavenly Blue Cardigan. The yarn is St-Denis Nordique and while it isn't that soft it gives great stitch definition. I've read on Ravelry that it does soften with washing.


The left front is almost finished and I'm hoping that I get at least the right front and one sleeve finished before next week. My 50th birthday is next Thursday and I'm having a cookout that weekend which means no knitting the end of next week.

Mom and I hit the road again this past weekend. We went to Edgewood Maryland to check on family friends. While it was a quick trip it was a nice getaway. They are both doing fine and the Mr Rainey is recuperating well from his knee replacement. I met their daughter for the second time and it was amazing how much we have in common. I also met her husband and her daughter was down from college to check on her grandpa. Sometimes the short quick trips are the best.

True to my word I didn't visit any yarn shops. Mrs Rainey was quite surprised by that almost as surprised by the fact that I wasn't knitting Sunday night. After traveling all day Friday and being busy on Saturday and Sunday I fell asleep on the loveseat without even picking up the knitting.

Tonight I'm watching one of my favorite shows, Top Chef, and I am hoping that Angelo goes home. He probably won't since he's done well most of the show. There's always a chef that gets on my nerves and this time he is the one which means that he'll be the winner.

It's time to break from the computer and get something accomplished before bed. Have a good night.

Back from Indy

I returned yesterday from Indianapolis Indiana where my mother and I attended the VFW and Ladies Auxillary of the VFW yearly convention. We had a great trip and found the people to be very friendly. We are used to people speaking on the street here in South Carolina and were pleasantly surprised that they are the same way. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency across from the Capitol and had a great 16th floor view.

I was also amazed at how flat Indianapolis is. After riding for hours through the mountains of North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio you suddenly reach a place that is completely flat for as far as the eye can see. Even from our hotel room all you can see is flatness. Columbia is also situated on hills and hour house sits on a slope at the top of a hill.

This a picture of us at the Patriotic rally on Victory Field.


The doctor has been on me to lose weight and it has been a struggle for me. I weighed about 145 in 2005 and I'm up to over 235 having gained over 50 lbs of that last year. I rarely take pictues for that reason but I love this picture of me and mom.

Indianapolis has some of the most beautiful war memorials I have ever seen. The Soldiers and Sailors Monument at Monument Circle is beautiful and I was taken aback by the sculptures of war and peace. They both evoke the feeling of each one so well.


War

Peace
Underneath the mounument is the Colonel Eli Lilly Museum. It is a museum about Indiana's role in the Civil War. It was very informative although some of the displays saddened me with the discriptions of hardships, disease and injuries the soldiers endured. I heard one mother explaining to her child that war is a terrible thing and that these things do happen after the child expressed that she wanted to leave.

I made some great progress on my Heavenly Blue Cardigan.


The color is a deeper blue in person. I'm using St-Denis Nordique and though it doesn't feel very soft I have read on Ravelry that it doesn't soften when washed.

I got some much needed rest while I was there in between meetings and touring. We had a wonderful time and next year we'll be in San Antonio. I don't attend the conventions each year but I've been to one in San Antonio and even though my health was somewhat compromised at the time I still enjoyed the trip and I'm looking forward to next year.

Something New

Last month I met with knitting bud Millie to learn how to make a fringe beaded bracelet. We had such a good time that we met again this past Saturday and was joined by Nancy another knitting bud and very good friend of Millie. She's been beading for years and is a wealth of knowledge where beading is concerned.

I learned how to do flat peyote stitch by weaving a narrow band bracelet using size 8 seed beads in black, teal and silver. I finished it Saturday night and even though it's not perfect I love the colors and plan to make some wider bracelets in other colors.


Before I left Saturday we decided on our next project and I left with a list of supplies to order. I wasn't planning to start or invest in another hobby but beading is something I've been interested in for a long time. I really like the idea of creating pieces to go with my wardrobe so I'm sure beading will pop up more frequently on this blog.

Yesterday I finished the first Woolly Wormhead hat I've made in months. I love her patterns and innovative designs.





Specs:

Pattern: Brownie from Twisted Woolly Toppers
Yarn: Cascade 220 Spring Granny Smith
Needles: 6 US
Size: Child's medium (17 inches)

I followed this pattern as written. No mods were needed.

I picked my Aeolian Shawl back up. I can't believe it's been almost a year since I last worked on it. I've already worked the first agave repeat so there's not a whole lot left to do. The slow part is adding the beads with the crochet hook. I need to reduce my wip list so this is a step in the right direction.

Burning Stripes aka Crayon Box Socks

Another fun pair down. I knew I would knit these the minute I saw Monika's. Four of her pairs are in this post.



Specs:

Pattern: Burning Stripes
Yarn: Schoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberball Kleiner and Regia 4fadiq Uni/Solid Black
Needles: 1 US Inox dpn's
Size: 10.5 women's for mom
Started: July 30, 2010 Finished: August 10, 2010

No mods needed. I enjoyed the twist on the short-row heel and felt like a kid in the candy store waiting for the next color. I only wish the color changes were as frequent in the first sock. I used most of the black but have more than half of the Crazy Zauberball remaining which means socks for me!!!

Kids in the House

Starting with last Friday we had kids in the house. Kids mean love, laughter and lots of noise. My nephew Isaiah and my niece Gina came Friday and my nephew Jaylon joined the gang on Sunday. After the weekend my sister took over. She asked if they could come for a week since she isn't teaching this summer.

Two or them are night owls and most of the time I was asleep before they were. Mind you Isaiah is 5, Gina is 7 and Jaylon is 10 which means they were a handful. We loved having them but when I came home from work Friday I was glad to enter a quiet house. The sad part is that we were so busy chasing and entertaining them that no one took pictures. Stephanie had them out and occupied during the day and when I got home I didn't think about it.

I cast on another pair of socks. They are the Burning Stripes available at 3 Sleeves to the Wind and on Ravelry.



After an initial problem with the start of the sock I'm sailing right along. These are for my mom and I'm using Crazy Zauberball for the contrast and Regia 4fadig for the main color. The repeats are so long that I may end up with one sock mostly one color. Disappointing, yes, but I'm going to see if I can knit four socks out of this one ball and mix the stripes that way. This pattern has some cool techniques especially the heel so I don't find it boring at all.

My guild, the Palmetto Purlers is doing a beaded scarf KAL. Guild member Millie is our host and instructor.


I'm almost halfway through but have run out of beads. I found one more tube at AC Moore so I'm waiting until more come in before I string these and continue. The pattern calls for us to knit to halves and use a three-needle bind off to join but I'm going to knit to the end and bind off to match the beginning.

My fair entry slips arrived last week. I still have yet to decide what and if I'm going to enter. Because I'm unsure of what I'll do I registered for a lot of categories. People don't realize that it takes a lot of work to enter. You want to be sure that your knitting and seaming is as perfect as it can be. I have a little over two months before entries are do so there is still time to get some things done if I decide to do so.

Marilinda

I finished these today and because I love them so much you'll have to pardon me for the number of pictures.








Specs:
Pattern: Marilinda by Cookie A
Yarn: Henry's Attic Kona Fingering dyed Grasshopper with ProChem One Shot Dyes
Needles: 1 US
Size: 9.5 Women's

Great pattern, fabulous socks. Nothing more to say.