Day: April 16, 2011

Cori bought me this cutest flower pattern last week. I am at my sister Christi’s house for the weekend and brought along all of my scraps to make her some flowers for her & my nieces. These are what I have made so far.

So here is a project, From Russia with Love, that I NEED to make…and pronto!! I find that shoveling snow in the wind at midnight with a windchill of well below zero kind of sucks.
I will make the face opening a bit smaller, knit it with a tad heavier yarn to match gauge resulting in a tighter fabric, not sure of a color yet. I am thinking cream, nice and versatile and easy to see my head at night poking out of my long black down coat. Although dark gray is really what I want. So maybe both. I could use both, one at home and one at work.
The Rain Drops Dress will only be put on hold until a few necessities are knit, or crocheted, we’ll talk about that in a second.
 

I had to start a new hat for Trevor last night. He has grown so much since last winter that he has NO hats that fit him!! And he spends hours outside playing every single day. I am just doing a simple Single Crochet Beanie with earflaps for him. Covering their ears is so important here with the wind.
I will most likely have to make him another the second I am done just so he has one at hand at all times. And another simple balaclava like the one he already has.

…there’s this rumor out there of my potty mouth. I will now validate that rumor.
Right now I am ready to just be done with the shit that keeps getting in my way of being happy. Yes, I fully understand that happiness is a choice. Bullshit is what I feel about that at the moment. Other people’s choices and decisions can and do have an affect on my happiness.
I have been described in the past as cold, disconnected, anti-social (ha!), a pessimist, a grump, an ogre (that one makes me smile), and just plain scary.
AHEM, bullshit.
I will admit to being selfish at times, opinionated, blunt, direct, decisive, motivated, stubborn, and a little too logical.
I take people at their word. I have common sense, I am not naive or gullible per say. But unfortunately during the recent past I have let my guard down and now I am fucking paying for it.
I do not like being led by emotion. I do not like opening myself up for someone else to lead my feelings. My friendships I keep close and tight. Acquaintances get the happy, fearless, leader Chauntel. There are very, very few people that see me for who I really am, love and respect me for it, let me flourish into my amazing self in their presence 😉
Oh, did I mention I am confident? I am, always have been, always will be other than the slight questioning/doubting phase I am going through.
I will come out stronger, deeper in my convictions, even more driven to succeed and get what I need to be the best Mom I can be, the best example I can be to my kids so that they can do whatever it is that they are driven to do.
At this very moment I am devastated about a future that seemingly will not be. I am sad. I am ripped open and emotionally raw. Angry. Really in the mood to physically wear myself out, run until I can’t possibly go further, burpees, pushups, pullups, squats, all until I puke. Sounds perfect but I am fucking crooked still.
And the picture shows why I can’t do any of those things.
And I don’t need to hear shit about how thin I am. I know, I am not stupid.
What else can I yell about… oh yah, how about the fact that we are still in Idaho? Love my parents and sisters family but really, Idaho just isn’t for us. The kids are unhappy at school and my kids have never complained about going to school. Cultural differences between rural Idaho and suburban California are incredible. Almost too much to comprehend. It reminds me of Footloose constantly. Love 80’s movies.
Oh and did I mention I have been pulled over more here in 4 months than the last 7 years in Santa Barbara? Shitty. California plates on the only Mercedes hasn’t been a good thing for me. I need a big ass truck with a shotgun in the back window with a Buck Ofama sticker on the tailgate. That outta do it.
Wow.
Complainer.
I may go Shining crazy this winter, people, watch out.

chunky plaited wool rug | west elm
Oh Boy Howdy do I love this rug!
I am thinking, today is the day I make one for my bathroom.
Double worsted weight Peaches & Cream cotton on size 19 needles. Fabulous!

I posted a new photo to FinishedprojectsPhotos.

Let me start by saying, Saturday we went to Universal Studios Hollywood & I lost my camera. Yeah, it’s not in the only bag we had with us. I distinctly remember removing it from a pocket to put wet socks in there but can’t find it anywhere else.

So I will just tell you what’s up without showing you even though I am dying to show you.
I finished Clue 3 of the Mystery Stole yesterday & I love, love, love the pattern so far. Beautiful is what it is. And I do believe it will be very, very wearable. Everyday wearable, not just for fancy occasions.

Second, I am over half way through the front of the Isabella & the back is done. I really am hoping to have it done tonight but not sure how far I will get.

Today Sadie started her Beach Volleyball camp. It’s this whole week from 9am-noon each day. Good beach time for all of us. Today was all overcast & cold, actually drizzly at times. That’s alright but tomorrow I hope it’s a tad warmer so I don’t have to wear jeans, wool socks & a hooded sweater. I’ll never get tan that way! (not that I will ever get tan although I do try so I dont’ scare all people when they see my transparent skin)

I worked on my clog socks at the beach, read the paper & did my daily sudoku puzzle. It’s the only real challenge my brain gets these days.

So, for now, no pics. Hopefully that will be remedied soon & I can parade my lovely knits to you all!

I got hoops, more lovely hoops, bring on the fabric ba-by

 

 

and if anyone can tell me what the article title is from you get a prize!! a free yarn prize to the first correct answer!! and Tracy doesn’t get this one, she heard it the other day in the car for the first time & I kinda made a big deal about it. sorry, Trac!

Happy 33rd Birthday to my Main Squeeze!

Okay so his birthday was officially on Friday the 13th but I just didn’t get around to posting that day/night.

We had a lovely birthday, he loved his gifts; xoxo socks from moi (which he wore all weekend and now need to be washed), vintage danish novels (which he loved and can’t wait to start reading, whew! That was a gift I wasn’t sure he was going to like as much as I do), lots of soccer stuff (danish nat’l team and Manchester United, cross your fingers they make it through their game tonight) and last but not least, the Danish KPM antique china, inherited from his farmor (danish father’s mother, or Grandma Andreasen) and gifted by his sisters to him. They thought it was time he had his inheritance now that his mother isn’t around and his father really has no use for china in any form. He grew up in DK eating meals of all occasions on this china. So, without further ado, the china

Those are not all the pieces and the top shelf has our wedding china. But the rest are all packed away safely in the kitchen to be pulled out and used whenever needed.
This is actually a bookcase that used to house all of my knitting books/magazines/stationary/Bibles. The kitchen is too small for a hutch of it’s own so I sacrificed my bookcase to become a china hutch (sans doors which George says he may install).

As you can see, there are many fun little accoutrements to this set. A spoon rest, a toothpick holder, a salt/pepper/mustard set (missing the cutest little porcelain spoon, it’s got to turn up somewhere) and another fun little dish that is not in the picture. As well as all the large pieces, 2 coffee pots (one missing a lid and chipped on the pourspout), a potato bowl, a leaf shaped platter, a 3 section candy dish, a round platter and a fantastic gravy boat. All are pictured in the hutch picture.
My favorite thing about this china is the surprise flower in each teacup. Every cup has a different flower inside.

George’s favorite piece is the salt/pepper & mustard jar set. He found this set the last time he was in Dk visiting his Aunt & Uncle in Skjern. They had stopped for lunch and were walking through a small square where there was a Saturday flea market. Out of the corner of his eye he spied this set on someone’s table for sale. He immediately bought it. It’s nice to have it in our posession now where he can croon over it to his heart’s content.

Here is a shot of the books on the piano where he can get to them easily & it’s good eye candy for me ;o)

On the knitting front I actually did get something done this weekend. The picture below is the RPM socks before the short row heels but they are through the heels now and working up the leg. It’s a fast pattern and the yarn from Over the RainbowYarns is great to work with.

I am working on a pattern of my own today and having a bit of trouble in the stitch pattern placement once past the heel flap but it’ll work itself out & I am pretty sure the bumps are out of the pattern once I am past this point. I won’t say what the pattern is for, that part is a surprise!