Thrift Score!

Our town lacks good thrift stores. We now have 3. One I won't go to unless Hubster goes along because the owner/managers give me the serious creeps. Another one is mostly clothes but not in sizes any of us wear. The remaining one is the Goodwill which finally reopened in a new spot after a yearlong absence. I stop there from time to time because it's on the way to Aldi's, WM and KM. Most days I don't find much but in the past 2 weeks I've scored big. An excersaucer (baby thing) for $4.99. I am NOT pregnant. I am doing daycare again for a little guy my friend is fostering. Then today, I found an ancient GE Food Processor for $2.99...it had all these "extra" parts with it for the price and I couldn't figure out how this was supposed to use the extra blades, etc. Turns out I bought a GE Processor and an accessory set for an OSTER Regency Kitchen Center. Seems like those accessories are going for about $10 on ebay so if I get my rear in gear,list the set before the 30th and they sell, my food processor will be "free". Which I love. Typically, I try to avoid too many small appliances in my tiny kitchen but when I want to whip up large batches of things, a processor comes in handy.

In other not newsworthy news, I finished a pair of mittens for the parish mitten tree, MARIAH is now done except the zipper but R's wearing her just the same and I'm making apple butter because the local grocery store had apples on special this week. I wanted to try a small batch before I go to the orchard and buy a van load of apples. Sure smells good right now.

I hate posts without pictures but once again, a certain dd who shall remain nameless has taken off with the camera I normally use. I'll try to post more when I can find the time. Settling the new little guy (AKA LG) into a loving, caring family with food in the cupboards has taken a lot of time and energy. School is taking a lot more time this year as well since E is struggling with some math concepts. Who decided 2nd graders need to know how to "count by 3s and 4s"?? Seriously.

Reason #2 Why I Love My Children

This morning, Miss E presented me with this portrait. While I love how much detail she put into this picture (shoes that tie, striped shirt, curly hair), what I love the most is she drew me SKINNY and SMILING. View of a mother through her child's eyes, it's a touching thing.


Crafting news:
Clessidra is now waiting for the Knitpicks order to arrive. Placed Friday AM, we'll see how long it takes this order to travel the 2 hours from the warehouse to my house. Once the yarn arrives, Clessidra and Mariah will be dueling needles I suspect.

A pair of boring, stockinette kid's socks will finish up before dinner today. The intended recieptent is the parish sock drive in the fall. I used E's foot as a guide and just knit to use up the last of this simple stripe I had. Hopefully between socks and mittens, I'll be able to use up the odd ball remenants of fingering yarn AND the parish drives will benefit too.

This afternoon has been spent finish up 3 little tops for a friend's daughter. Pictures are forthcoming. I used stash fabrics, a favorite pattern from E's toddlerhood and bias binding. A rather fast project if I'd have sat down and done them at once instead of dwadling about.

MUST HAVE SOCKS

The socks I MUST HAVE BEFORE I DIE: Clessidra. Not many things in life I can honestly say I must have, taste, try, whatever before I die but baby, these socks are a must. Only two questions: color and yarn? I am leaning towards either natural or a green since I have been hording a skein of KP Bare that Cynthia sent as part of my YA box a while ago. My thinking is that it is natural, therefore no dye lot to muck things up big time should I need more yarn. Which after checking, I see I would need a second skein. Perfect! I needed something to round out my KP order for Mariah anyhow. And I could probably dye the finished socks rather than take my chances dying two skeins. Don't ask. I'm weird, we all know it.

Mariah came out of the corner last night and hummed along mightly until the yarn ran out. Now she's pouting because the fun has halted. Same picture, one non-flash and one with so the increase markers show up.
I really love this knit. Cables used to frighten the pants off me until I knit Blaze for my sister a couple years ago. Not only did I teach myself to cable but did the entire sweater (well, after 3 or 4 rounds) without a cable needle. If I only had such luck with colorwork. ::sigh:: Maybe some day.

Mariah, I am stuck.

Earlier this week, I cast on for Mariah. This is a Christmas '07 knit. R requested this hoodie earlier in the fall and I was not sure she would wear it enough to warrant the work I thought it would take. Silly me, once I remembered how to cable without a needle and color coded my chart, the fun began. That is 6 inches of cable-y goodness right there, folks, on US 6, 2 stitch markers and 2 row counters because I am all about the organization. (ROFLOL). Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in Hush. I have some reservations about using this yarn for cabling but it is what I had on hand to swatch with and what R likes so WoA Hush it is. An order must be sent soon as what you see is what I have left.


Now I am confused. Really, really confused by something that should be clear as water to me. Am I overthinking it or just stupid today? The directions (see above link)say that at 6 inches, increases begin. That part I get. Every sleeve must get wider at some point. What stumps me is this working increased sts in pattern as set in Chart A. Umm, how does this work out? I am confused as to how to figure out how to work the increased stitches in set pattern. HELP!! I think until I can figure this out (or browbeat someone into blowing the fog away) I will use the other end of the skein to cast on for the second sleeve. At least that way, the odd ball skein will be used uniformly and hopefully, if the next batch isn't the same dye lot, this will at least fool the eye a bit. Ya know, look like I planned it?!




The much sought after Trekking 126 sock. Ebay auction went above my limit. Mia may have a lead on some. My fingers are crossed. I love this colorway, which is a huge shock since I normally do not like browns. This pair will be for me after all. Because I hate to swatch for socks, I just cast on and went to town. Turns out 72 stitches on US 1s fits me fine. Only thing I should have done differently was the heel. Silly me used just stockinette stitch for this one and I really should have used eye of partridge or the heel stitch to pull it in some. Oh well. I will wear them no matter what.