Welcome to America!

My machine has arrived

I got my sewing machine yesterday. I cant wait till Christmas!!
My husband and I have decided to pick out our own presents this year. We then will have each wrap other them. Its very hard this year because I also picked out sewing notions and a very cool basket and some books and remnant fabric to practice sewing. So I want to use it now!

Long Time Coming

Yeah! I am back! I really enjoy blogging and have decided that since the New Year is approaching very fast I want to keep my blog updated.

I am getting a sewing machine for Christmas and am very excited to start on this new craft.
I have never had a sewing machine and maybe can count the number of times on one hand that I have used one. I want to start by making very basic stuff till I get used to my machine and how it works. One of the first things I would like to make is an organizer for hats and gloves to hang on my coat rack. It would serve great to keep those things together and then it can be used in the summer for lotions and goggles.

Here is a quick update on things that have happened and accomplished in the past few months.
Also what I have learned from them.

1. Finished Olivias Log Cabin blanket. Still need to finish weaving in ends. I learned to never do such a multicolor blanket without weaving ends as I go. I have a gazzillion ends and it sucks.
2. I figured out how to knit the Ballband dishcloth and I love the pattern.
3. I learned when you feel down and out on a regular basis for no reason that it is ok to ask for help. I did and was diagnosed with depression and put on some medication. I feel great and I love it!!!!!
4. I love to read. I read every night before I go to bed. I like forensic stuff.
5. A simple medical procedure isn't always simple. I had a tubal ligation go bad. I am ok now but man that really sucked
6. I learned how important my family is. They do drive me crazy sometimes but I am already crazy so it doesn't matter.

Back from vacation

We got home last Friday from our vacation. It was wonderful. We stayed in a place called Mount Haven Resort. We had rented a little cabin.

The resort was just outside Mt Rainer National Park. The mountain and park are beautiful.

We had also taken a day trip to Mount St Helens. It was a cloudy day so we did not get to see the mountain but its still pretty spectacular.

Knitting wise I started a really cool pattern called Calorimetry. It is a head band. I almost had it finished in a day but i had made a mistake and i tried to ignore and I couldn't. So I ripped it all the way back and restarted. I am about half way done.

I have been working hard on my Log Cabin Afghan and am more then halfway done. I am pretty much working only on this project. It has gone on too long and I want to give to my daughter i am already past the deadline on it.

I want to start a lace project. I have not done lace before. I think I found a good project. Easy Lace Fingerless Mittens. They are so cute and I love working on DPNs and its done in a worsted yarn. Anyway I will give it a try and see how it goes. Also I will link all of the patterns i find as soon as I figure out how to do it.

Its a Boy

My sister had her baby boy! Aiden Michael. He weighed 8lb 10oz and was I forget how long he was. But he is perfect.

My sister had a scheduled C Section. We had to be at the hospital at 5 30 am so she could be ready to go into surgery at 7 30. I have been with my sister two other times with her c sections and even though they are scheduled they never seem to run on time.(all the unscheduled deliveries get in the way) But they actually had us in surgery at 7 30. They then gave my sister a spinal to numb her.She then was placed on the table and I was allowed to sit next to her. They kept testing her to see if she was numb and she wasn't. She was numb in some places but not on her left side. so the anaesthesiologist suggest that the lower the table do that it tilts to help the medicine work its way to that side. That seemed to work and we also waited 20 minutes because he said sometimes it could take that long to take full effect. So they tested some more and decided to go ahead and make the incision. Every thing seemed to be going well until the doctor started to reach for the baby. And my sister jumps and say she can feel it. So the doctor is trying to give her a local anestetctic which does not work. So they decided that they will have to put her under. They then had to ask me to leave. It was so scary. Everything turned out well. She is fine and so is the baby. It just wasn't that wonderful baby delivery that we anticipated.

Awesome Possum

I finished my critter for the critter swap for the Stitch It Podcast Group on Ravelry.

It has turned out really cute I am currently making another because Olivia loves it.

I found the pattern on Ravelry and its called Possum Love.

I have decided to make more critters. They are fast I can finish one in a few days to a week.

It will help me feel like I can actually finish knitting projects. I am such a slow knitter and I have limited knitting time so my projects get drug on for too long and then i get bored of them.

Sandboxes and Critter Swaps

I got my swap partner for my critter swap from the critter swap that I am doing on ravelry.
I am making a cute little critter that can hang upside down if he wants. I cant wait to finish it.Then I can post a pic. I actually think I will post a pic of it partially done and see if anyone can guesse what it is.
My neices and nephew are visiting for the summer. Two of them stayed at my house last night. The little one stayed with my mom. Tonight we will have to swap them around somhow so we can try to keep peace between them and my kids.
We got my parents moved last weekend. Its going to be good to have them in town and close. the have been in the same place for thirty years and now they have moved to an apartment. I know that they are feeling very missplaced. I need to put a little house warming package together for them. I might knit a dish scrubbie and maybe buy some dish towels and other little things for them.

Cabled Hobo Bag

I have started my first knit along on ravelry Bag a Month Group.
We are doing the Cabled Hobo Bag a free pattern by Amanda Reed Its a great pattern for beginners that are wanting to get started with cables. I Had to rip it several times and almost said screw it i hate cables and I will never touch them again. Then I told myself that i just need to figure it out and read the pattern carefully.So I did and its coming along very well. this bag is lined so this will be my first time lining a bag. i do not sew. So I am going to have to learn how to use the sewing machine that my sister in law has lent to me. Let me tell you that thing scares the crap out of me. So i just need to face the fear, get it out of its box, plug it in, and hope I don't sew my fingers together.

Summer time blues

The weather has been crazy. It rained almost all day yesterday. A portion of our street flooded beacause we had this huge downpour that lasted for almost a half an hour. I should have got a picture I didnt even think about it. I live in a part of washington state called the Columbia Basin and it is actually desert. So we dont get much rain and the temp. is usually blazing by this time of the year. So far the weather has been very mild.

I am going to go to my yarn store today and get some white cascade 220. I have been experimenting with acid dyes and I love the results. I am going to dye yarn for some socks and see how it turns out. I need to find out if I can get a sock yarn that is white. . I am hand painting then putting it in a plastic container with a lid on. I then put it in the sun for a few hours and voila its all dyed and pretty. This is a pic of my first handpainted that I did on Monday.

Back in the saddle

I am feeling way better. The past couple days I have woke up with very little pain. I picked up Abigail yesterday for the first time since this happened and she gave me the biggest smile ever.

She has been very stand offish with me because I couldnt pick her up and she also saw me in pain and i think it scared her. Its funny how intuitive kids can be. She has been very close to her dad all week. He has had to do everything. I let him sleep in today and I got up with the girls. I need to get back into ou little routine.

I think its going to be a nice day today and the girls are going to want to swim. i cant wait to get some sun.

Back Attack

I hurt my back Monday.
Iwas bending over the bathtub helping my daughter when I got the most god awful pain I have ever had in my life. It took me to my knees made me scream and brought tears to my eyes.
I ended up going to a walk in clinic and the doctor gave me some pain meds and to me to take it easy and to not lift anything for a week.
I was fully expecting to wake up tuesday morning and feel better.Instead I woke up at 3am and couldnt get up because it hurt too bad. My husband gave me my pain meds and i managed to sit up enough to take it. I then let it kick in before I could get up.
I went to my real docter today and she couldnt beleive that I wasnt given a shot or muscel relaxers at the clinic. So she gave me a shot of somthing and i am feeling a whole lot better right now. She said if I am not doing any better by monday then she wants me to get x rays.
I am so luck that my husband was able to take a few days off of work. he had a short week this week. My sister in law and my mom are taking turns bringing dinner for us. Its times like these that I need to remember how lucky I am to have such a caring and supportive family and I also have the best husband in the world!

Happy Memorial Day

We got the pool up. It fits great in our back yard and the kids have been having a blast. I have enjoyed it too. Olivia is a fish and think she would live in it if I let her. Abigail seems to really like the water too. We descovered yesterday that she can touch. Her head just barely pokes out of the water. She would walk around like a drunken sailor because it was hard for her to keep her balance.
I have almost finished the one of my alpaca footies. I am going to try to graft the toe instead of just weaving the yarn through.
We are going to my brothers today for a BBQ. He just got back from fighting wildfires in northeast Washington. He expects to be called out again soon.
I am looking forward to spending the day with my family eating and laughing.
I am very grateful to all the sevice people past and present who have allowed me to have this freedom. I will keep them in my thoughts.

Ode to shitty weather

Its raining!

My husband and I are going to set up a pool in our backyard today.

We bought a 10by30 ft pool and we were looking forward to gettin it set up and ready for the weekend. Olivia is having her friend stay the night on saturday. Oh well we can still set it up and its probally better to set it up when its cooler outside . Our backyard has no shade.

I am so excited. Iain and I decide that we are going to take an overnight trip to Seattle for our 3year anniversary.We are going to stay the night in a nice hotel that is close to Pikes Place Market. I am going to start saving so I can drop by some of the cool yarn stores. I love Seattle !!!!

I am at the foot decrease on my footie sock. I am hoping to finish this weekend so I can give them to my mom. They are going to be so pretty. I thought about keeping them myself but I have already told my mom about them.My mistake. I am just going ro have to make myself some.

D Day Thursday

I have been going to weightwatchers for about a month and a half. Thursdays are my weigh in day. I have been doing good I have almost lost 10lbs. Hopfully today i have gone over the 10 lb mark.
Knitting wise I have been working on my alpaca footies for my mom. I love the color they are hand dyed (not by me) and its my first time knitting with hand dyed. I have also casted on for my daughters Log Cabin blanket. I love the yarn its a cootten blend from Knit Picks called shine.
Its so light and airy.Well i got kids to ready for the day better go.

Ready, Set,Blog

since i like to read other peoples blogs I figured I need to join the fun.