Getting to Know You....

Getting to know all about you... a.k.a

45 Things You Might Not Know About Me:

1. FIRST NAME? Melissa

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No. My Mom thought it would look pretty on a wedding invitation when I got married. :) (It did!)

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Yesterday. I saw my 2 tiny little nephews in the NICU in person for the first time. I got a little verklempt.

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes.

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? I'm a cheese sandwich kind of girl, but when I do have meat on a sandwich I prefer cold chicken.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes. Cause I've always got my friends' backs.

7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Off and on for years. And of course this blog, which you are reading now. :)

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yep! I am a very healthy person. I've only had tonsillitis once in my life, when I was 18.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Do I look crazy to you? Wait, don't answer that....

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Wheat Chex, Wheaties and Shredded Wheat. Hmmm, I'm sensing a theme here. :)

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Mentally, yes. I'm very strong-willed as my DH likes to say. Physically, I could stand to lift a few weights. I have no upper body strength whatsoever. Climbing rope and pull-ups...yeah, forget it. I'll just hang there, thank you.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Chocolate or Cookies & Creme

14. SHOE SIZE? 8 1/2-9, depending on the shoe width.

15. RED OR PINK? PINK! It's my signature color! :)

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? I can't seem to stay organized no matter what I do.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My parents who moved to Sherman,Texas this Spring. And my Mom complained when I moved across town! Sheesh!

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? No. Post it on your blog or leave me a comment.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Blue jeans, red tank top and I am barefoot at the moment.

20. LAST THING YOU ATE? Pizza for dinner last night. Though I did have a cup of hot cocoa for breakfast this morning. Does that count?

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Mr. Brightside by The Killers

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Carnation Pink of course! :)

23. FAVORITE SMELL? Don't know. I can't smell. It's a family thing. However, if the odor is strong enough, I can catch it in the back of my throat and "taste" it. Peppermint is usually the one I catch the most. And yes, I can taste foods just fine.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My DH who just called me up to say the car is low on gas and that he should have taken the checkbook with him this morning.

25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Their smile. Though, I actually fell in love with my DH's poetry first, then his smile.

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from? I like what she writes on her blog. I've never met her IRL and wouldn't know her from Adam if I met her on the street.

27. FAVORITE DRINK? Milk.

28. FAVORITE SPORT? Golf. Love to watch it, don't play it. Never got a hang of the swing. It feels too awkward to me. Though I did manage to make a convert of my DH (he plays and watches) after we got married. Bwahahahaha. And of course, football. (Come on people, I live in Oklahoma. It's like a major sin around here if you do not like football. Go Sooners!)

29. EYE COLOR? I'm full of sh*t. ;)

30. HAT SIZE? No idea. I don't wear many hats, even though I do love them.

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Nope. Not a fan of sticking one's finger in one's eye.

32. FAVORITE FOOD? Chocolate, duh. Oh and Chicken Curry.

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings, which is ironic, since my favorite movie is Gone With the Wind. I'm a Romantic and a BIG chicken to boot. Though, I do like an occasional tear-jerker, but DH hates watching them with me. He can't stand to see me cry. Okay, I did see Silence of the Lambs, and it scared the crap out of me people! I was literally shaking in my seat when Jodie Foster was walking around in that dark basement and being stalked by Buffalo Bill.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter. Snuggling in front of the fire with DH while the kids are in bed. And duh, Christmas!

35. HUGS OR KISSES? Both, especially from my kids and DH.

36. FAVORITE DESSERT? Otis Spumkmeyer Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

37. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Parallel Heat by Deidre Knight. She was one of the writers on one of the Roswell (TV show) boards I post on, and she got a 3 book deal. She's very good! And of course knitting books!

38. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE Pad? Marvin the Martian (It's the DH's)

39. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? Heroes, briefly. Father-in-law was controlling the remote while we were visiting. I don't watch a lot of TV.

40.FAVORITE SOUNDS? Train whistles in the distance, my children's laughter, the low rumble of thunder and the sound of a fan running on a hot summer day. As for music, anything good. I listen to everything from Rock to Classical to New Age to Big Band.

41.ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Beatles, hands down. Favorite Beatles song, Penny Lane, followed closely by Let It Be.

42.THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Orlando, Florida

43.WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? Hmm, I don't know if I can post it on here...just kidding. I write romantic paranormal fiction. I also play the flute, but not while I am writing.

44. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Iowa City, IA. Yep, I'm a Hawkeye livin' in Sooner country. So that means I talk real fast with an Okie twang. It sounds really weird sometimes.

45. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
I took it from Kim's blog, http://aknittedfrenzy.wordpress.com/ .

Okay, after reading this, is the picture of me in your head as goofy as mine is? LOL.

Later daze,

Mel

P.S. 63 days to Christmas! Must go knit more on this:
and on this:

and this:

All pixs deliberately blurred to hide their identity from their lucky recipients!

Pray

At 3 am this morning, my Mom called me to tell me that my Sister-in-law's water broke. She is only 28 weeks along.

No going back to sleep for me. So I picked up a ball of soft cotton yarn and my needles. What else can one do when one is stuck hundreds of miles away and is feeling helpless? So with each stitch I prayed. I prayed for strength. I prayed for hope. I prayed for a happy outcome.

At a little after 6 am, Mom called me again to say that Brady Miller and William Cole are here. Brady is breathing on his own, but Will is on a vent. They were rushed to the hospital in Norman, OK by ambulance, since the little regional hospital in Duncan doesn't have a NICU. Mom said they look like tiny babies, just no baby fat on them.

So, once again, I pick up my needles and yarn and do my thing. I will create something for these tiny little souls, who are bravely fighting their way to make it in this world. And with each small stitch, I will pray.

Mel

It's a Drive-By Update

Long time no blog.

No time, must knit.

Christmas is 77 days away!

To knit for list:

Dad - started
Mom - started
Dear Hubby- started
Dear Son the Elder - started
Dear Son the Younger - started
Dear Daughter - DONE!
Brother - started
Sis-in-law
Niece
Nephew
Nephew
Dad-in-law
Mom-in-law

and couple of pair of socks to finish!

I'd show you guys a quick peek at what's on the needles, but I'm having trouble uploading pictures onto the blog. I will try to post them tomorrow.

Later daze,

Mel

Speed Knitting: A Recipe for Disaster

I've learned something about myself since I started knitting less than a year ago. I do not work well under pressure.

This weekend was my 1 year-old niece's birthday party. I already had a baby doll to give her, but I also wanted to make something for my niece to wear. I started a dress, but was not liking how it was turning out, so I scratched that. Then, I was browsing thru a magazine that I bought off of eBay and found the perfect thing--a jumpsuit with a kitty stitched on the chest.

It's cute and girly, something my very petite niece can wear and still crawl around on the floor in. So I started it on Friday afternoon. The party was on Sunday at 6 pm.

The backside I knitted up without a hitch. "Cool," I thought. "I'm making good time. I'll get this finished no problem." Then I started the front, and the knitting gods struck me down.

I forgot to change needle size when I was supposed to and had to rip one whole leg and re-knit it. I forgot to decrease when I was supposed to and had to rip back a few rows. Needless to say, this was as far as I got by Sunday at 6 pm.

::sigh:: I should finish it up by Thursday and will get it to her then.

On a happier note, I got some new sock yarn in the mail on Friday! Regia Black and Gold Nations Colorway. Enough to knit up a couple of golf club covers for my Dad's birthday in August (he's a graduate of the University of Iowa, who's colors just happen to be...black and gold.) And, also, to knit some new socks for my DS the Elder to wear on Black and Gold days at school during football season.

See...I already started the golf club covers.

Finally, I started on the baby presents for my next door neighbor's twin girls that are due in 7 weeks. One down, three to go.

Later daze,
Mel

Of Ladybugs, Pirates, Cupcakes and Other Things

Finally, I got DD to pose in her new sweater, which is actually a Xmas present for her this year. (Hey, she's 3. She's not going to remember.)

It was a near thing finishing this up in time as this was my KWC project. I watched/listened to the final game. I was rooting for Italy (Viva Italia!) but as I was down to the wire, I was cheering for a tie and OT. As I was seaming up the last arm, I was cheering for PKs (that's penalty kicks for all you non-Soccer fans out there.) I got my wish!

And as you can tell by the smile on her face, the sweater is a definite hit!

I started this after the sweater:

Yep, matching socks! As modeled by DD's foot:

I'm going to have to futz with them a bit more. I'm not happy with the ladybug band. It's tighter than the rest of the sock, and if DD's foot grows between now and Xmas (and you know it will) she won't be able to get her foot in them. Colorwork doesn't have as much stretch, so I'm going to have to add a few stitches. Which is fine cause I'm not liking the repeat in the pattern. So I will cast on for a new one and put this one on a holder. But these will have to wait a bit unti I finish this....

Since I blogged last, I have been working on DS the Elder's birthday present (due August 11), the Jolly Roger Sweater from the Knit.1 Spring issue. When I last wrote about it, it had been banished to the naughty basket.

Well, I've made definite progress on it, and I figured out how to do intarsia in the round. I've just split the front and back off to make the armholes.

DS the Elder knows I'm making this, as I have to try it on him to make sure the fit is good. I am using WoolEase Chunky, in the Black, instead of T&Q as called for in the pattern. I made the gauge smaller so that the Large size of the pattern fits him perfectly. (He likes his sweaters big and roomy.) I am however using, T&Q for the skull and crossbones motif to make it pop more.

And here is my Homework project for Knit Wit night all done:

It's a cupcake from the book, One Skein. I used pastel-colored brads for the decorations on the "frosting" part. According to Rachelle, she got them from the scrapbooking section of one of the local craft stores. Quick and easy, and no sewing! (And as you all know, I'm all about the Quick and Easy!)

Finally, I got an early anniverary prezzie from DH yesterday! The UPS man dropped this off yesterday morning:

I had to wait until DH got home from work to open it. (He couldn't wait 2 weeks to see my reaction.) And this was inside!

Yes, dear readers, that is an Apple i-Pod Shuffle! I am now firmly launched into the 21st century! Of course, I have no idea how to download songs onto it. The TechnoTech (aka DH) had to do that for me. Did he show me how he did it? No, but that's okay. It makes hime feel useful. (Though he is slightly appalled that he has an Apple product in his home. But hey, he won it in a contest, and he's never one to pass up the free stuff!)

Now the only question is: do I need to knit a cozy/carrier for this?

Goooooooooooal!

Yes! The camera has been found, and I have pictures to show!

First, my KWC project:

The team did their job and scored their first goal. Both sides done. Will do a 3 needle bind-off after I have finished knitting the sleeves because I'm not sure how long I will be making them.


The inside of the sweater. Started weaving in the ends.


Started some of the duplicate stitching on the ladybugs. It's going very quickly.


The sleeves are being knit as I type. Doing two at once since I need to increase every inch, that way the sleeves will come out identical. Now the only question, will I finish in time?

And now...drum roll please....

A Finished Project...

New socks for DS the Younger! Knit these in two days over the 4th of July festivities. Used Knit Picks yarn, Simple Stripes (now discontinued) in the colorway, Crayons on DPNs size 3. The pattern is the generic sock pattern from Melanie's site, http://pinklemontwist.blogspot.com It worked like magic.


DS the Younger likes them too. He hasn't taken them off all day. It's so nice to be appreciated.

...And a Half!

(Not the best pix, but it's hard to take a decent picture of your own foot unless you're double-jointed, which I am not.) I finished the first sock of my pair. Haven't cast on the second yet as I got distracted by DS the Younger's socks. Will cast on for the second as soon as my KWC project is done.

Peace out,
Mel

Camera Still AWOL

I've lost my mind. Still can't find the camera.

Finished one sock. Must cast on for sock 2.

Knit some more on the scarf.

No KWC update.

Peace out,
Mel

Homework's Done

EDITED on 7/6/06 to add: Camera found. Here are the pixs!

And the knittin' is easy....


And very enjoyable too. Can't wait to finish it at Knit Wit night, Rachelle.

Knitted on my sock, but I'm not ready to start the final decreases yet, so no pic because really, it looks pretty similar to the one in the last post. Maybe tomorrow. We'll see.


Making a little progress on the argyle scarf. The more I knit it, the more I like it. And I've decided to put on backing fabric, no way is blocking it going to keep it flat. Not on straight stockinette stiching. So, off to the fabric store to see what I can find.

Tomorrow, pictures of my KWC project.

Peace out,
Mel

P.S. No pictures at all today. I think Little Bit (DD) has run off with the digital camera, and now, I am forced to clean house to see if I can find it. Which of course means less time for knitting. ::sigh::

Let's Swatch Again Like We Did Last Summer....

Look at me, all swatch makin' and stuff.



Frogged the stripes swatch from last post cuz I didn't like the way the colors were flowing, or not flowing, as the case may be. So, I decided to try the argyle scarf pattern from the Spring 2006 issue of knit.1.

Tried it in 2 different color configurations and decided to go with the second one, because it puts more crimson in the pattern and butts it right against the cream. Later, the lines that run thru the argyle pattern will be duplicate stitched on with black yarn. I think it will make a very stylin' scarf for someone this Christmas (No names have been used to protect the innocent and not spoil the surprise.)



And oooh, look at the back! So pretty! If the rest of it continues to look this good, I may skip the whole lining the back with a coordinating fabric idea that I was contemplating.

Have made good progress on some "bootiful" socks for me, from this...



...to this.



No updates on my KWC project. I discovered that I can't chat with the gals at Sit N Stitch and do colorwork at the same time. I need projects that I don't have to think about, like the above sock, while I'm flappin' my gums.

Peace out,
Mel

Swatching the Night Away

I've been a busy little girl (I use that term very loosely...LOL.)

First, I swatched this while watching Underworld Evolution:



Practicing and memorizing the pattern for a Christmas present. Deciding if I like the color combo. Basically fiddling. Think I will make the stripes wider, maybe. Things that cannot change: the crimson and cream colors. Those are a must have.

Next, I started this while listening to Avril Lavigne, Michelle Branch and Alanis Morissette on the CD player:



I love me some colorwork in my knitting, can't you tell?

And finally, a World Cup Update:



Still driving towards the goal, the wingmen have split to cover each side of the field, one to the front and one to the back. I forsee a goal by the time this play is finished.

Knitted this on the back porch last night while enjoying the unusual Spring-like weather. DH was out on the porch too with his laptop, and the kiddies were cavorting across the back lawn. A very content and happy evening was had by all.

See you guys at Sit N Stitch tonight!

Peace out,
Mel

Yellow Card in the World Cup

This is how I spent my weekend in between work shifts....

FRIDAY


DD's sweater. Can't see the detail, but the intarsia is pulling and the floats are showing thru. Not too mention when I try it on DD, it's going to be too snug if she decides to grow before Christmas. The team's just not cooperating, so I'm forced to give it a yellow card....

SATURDAY


Yep, I frogged it.

After a quick re-organization and an adjustment in our game plan/strategy, the team hit the field again....

SUNDAY


Ahhhh...much better. Everyone's working together like a well-oiled machine and driving up the field towards the goal box.

Peace out,
Mel

Look! Pictures!

Here they are, as promised!

First off, the baby Bumblebee booties/socks that I knit a couple of week's ago for my sister-in-law's sister's new baby boy, Issac.

I used Red Heart acrylic yarn so that they could be washed without fear, and knit them in a 3-6 month size so that they will be big enough when the weather gets cold in about 4 months.




I stuffed them with tissue paper so that you guys could get the full 3-D effect.

And now for comparison, here's a pic of the baby and the booties. Tiny, ain't he? Barely 6 pounds and a week old.

Now, I need to start on the 2 sets of Ladybug ones for the neighbor next door who is expecting twin girls. They're due in September, so I figure I can start them next month and still be done in plenty of time if they decide to show up early. It will be my portable project of the month.

And now for something completely different...



DS the Elder's Jolly Roger sweater. This is what it looks like after I've already frogged it (there's a shocker) and re-knit using the slip stitch method. I'm very pleased. However, if you look closely, my pattern's off. It seems I'm missing a stitch somewhere, and now, I have to go back and figure out where I went off. ::SIGH:: Needless to say, it's been banished for a few days because I'm just so ticked I could spit DPNs.

So I am going to show you what I got in the mail today...



YARN PORN! I am drooling, but not on the magazines, thank you very much. I love Family Circle patterns because they have such cute children's clothes, and they are quick and easy. And don't you all know, I am all about the Quick and Easy.

On a final note, here's me...well, my hand and DH's sock at Boy Scout day camp last week.



Peace out,

Mel

Still No Pictures

Still haven't figured out this whole blogging thing yet. But I'm getting close. So pictures tomorrow. Would do it now, but someone, who shall remain nameless (DH), took the digital with him to work today. Wish I'd known this before I spent 15 minutes looking for the dang thing.

I'll be showing off my World Cup Knitting project, a kicky little pullover sweater for my DD. Though I am seriously thinking about frogging it and starting over. I'm doing fair isle, and it has pulled some and won't lay flat. It's the perfectionist in me. I want it to look like the pic in the magazine dang it! Also, I tried it on DD and it seems it may get a little snug before winter if she decides to grow. May have to go up a size for the width, though the length is perfect. If all else fails, I'll strap bricks to DD head and try to supress any growth spurts. ::sigh::

I'll also show you the sweater I'm kniting for DS the Eldest. It's supposed to be knitted in 2 pieces, but I am knitting it in the round. Now, I just have to figure out how to do intarsia on circular needles. A small problem I did not forsee before I had half the body knitted up. I see some serious frogging in my future. ::double sigh::

And finally, I will show off the dress I'm making for my niece, who is turning one next week. I knitted 12 month size because she is so petite and this is a summer dress, but I keep looking at it and wondering if I'm making it too small. Then I remind myself that I'm just used to looking at my 3 year-old. ::triple sigh::

Oh yeah, I'll post pictures of the Bumblebee booties/socks from last post.

Life in general is pretty good.

Did Day Camp with DS the Younger last week and will have knitting pictures to show you from that adventure.

Thought I broke my toe while cleaning the Master bathroom, but only bruised it really bad. (This is a perfect example of why one should knit instead of doing housework...it's less hazardous. Unless of course you sit on one of your metal DPN that you stuck in your back pocket when you got up to answer the phone and forgot about when you returned to your knitting chair...and it just gets butt ugly from there.)

Had no Internet access for almost 48 hours because some dumb workman next door cut our phone line while installing the neighbor's new privacy fence. I had the DT's something awful. The shaking, the sweats, the nervous eye and finger ticks. What could I do? I knit. And that's why, ladies and gentlemen, I named the blog what I did. Because everything I worked on in the last 48 hours, me thinks I'm gonna have to FROG cuz it just looks like horse pucky.

::Quadruple sigh::

Peace out,
Mel

I'm Back!

Recovered from Disney, days are no longer all screwed up, itchy rash on legs is going away AND I have been knitting!

I know I promised you photos. And lo and behold, I have one. See?

No?

Of course not, cause I haven't figured out how to post one yet.

So in the mean time, imagine cute sleeping baby boy and baby sock/booties here....

Purple sock/booties with black and yellow bumblebees on them....

From the book, KNIT BABY Head & Toes! ....

On page 25....

Still can't picture it? Crap.

::walks away to go figure out how to get picture out of camera and onto blog::

Off to Disney World!

Yep, going to the Magic Kingdom and I may never come back! LOL

Will be taking knitting with me and holding myself to only 4 projects (2 for the plane; 2 for the hotel.) Quite pleased that I was able to do that as I have severe knitter's/crocheter's/stitcher's ADD. Don't even begin to ask me how many UFOs I have hanging around my house. I'm afraid to count.

Sigh.... Guess I'll be organizing and prioritizing projects when I get back from VayKay.

Anywho, I promise to take lots of pixs for the blog, cause I'm seriously thinking about joining The Amazing Lace. So expect sock/shawl pixs as well as some FO's (stopping laughing guys, I do on occasion finish something) on the blog when I get home as I will not have a way to upload them on the road

TTFN! (in honor of the Mouse)

Mel

So, I've succumbed to the pressure and started a blog. (Shout out to Rachelle! ::waves::) I thought it only fitting for me to start on the same day that I made my grand debut into the world oh so many years ago.

I've only been knitting since November of 2005, so I'm just a baby at this craft. (I have been crocheting since I was 7 or 8.) So, I thought it appropiate to name the blog what I have. Cuz the good Lord knows, that's all I keep doing since I started down this knitterly road.

What's this blog going to be about? Knitting, crocheting, cross-stitching, needlepoint...hmm, I'm sensing a very fibery trend here. LOL!

Anywho, I will also comment on life in general as it applies to me and mine and how really at the end of the day, it's all about the knitting.

Peace out,
Mel