Two Black Sheep

Help.

What's wrong with me?  If he wants to be a ninja in two days, I'll will sign him over to a circus.

One Minute Man

Like the title of the post suggests, this is going to be quick . . . wham, bam, thank you, ma'am! First of all, thank you so much for the birthday wishes. It truly was a wonderful birthday because I a) took Lola's advice and didn't grade a thing and b) had the following for my dinner: cheese, Chinese food, chocolate cake, and chardonnay . . . this post is brought to you by the letters C and H! Turning 38  felt  liberating, or as my father points out, so close to forty.

There are no pretty pictures for this post, just words. The Flyer and I are taking a hike with some of my team mates and students from school so anticipate wonderful fall foliage from the Poconos. In the meantime, I am taking a quick break from teacher revisions to say, "Howdy" to all you other less fortunates who didn't make it to Rhinebeck this year either. PSATs and the aforementioned hike precluded it. Next year, Lola and I are so making that trek.

I added a little link to a post we had in June as we fear we may soon be outed in the blogosphere. Last night, during a wonderful little iChat with Gus, Lola, and Mom, our mother asks which one of us had the Shaun Cassidy underpants. You see, our mother was nothing if not thrifty. We had old t-shirts, she knew how to make underpants . . . hence Shaun Cassidy's face plastered all over my 10-year-old naughty bits. Anyway, Lola brought up that we all did since again, our mother is nothing if not thrifty and underpants were passed down from child to child. I responded, while Gus was using a ruler as a light saber on the other end of the iChat, that the pants were mine first. Why? Here's where we go squiffy. "Well, I was reading on Mike's blog that the princess got her first Tiger Beat and I was going to comment that you used to love reading it whenever Shaun Cassidy was in it, but some old woman beat me to it." Friends, you can't grab a pen and scribble to your husband, "We are fucked . . . that comment was from me," fast enough. Suffice it to say, she didn't read the post two before it when Mike directly linked to our blog (and Mike, trust me, I am so not putting the blame for any of this on you . . . she'll find out eventually). Suffice it to say, we're keeping the link until she does find out . . . and she will . . . and it won't take a part-time DEA agent (long story for later).

Ariann progresses at a snail's pace. I'd put up pictures of that, but seriously, do you want to look at seven inches of red Cascade 220 as opposed to four inches? Oooh . . . excitement! I have to get cracking on another sock since I ripped the pair I started from Cat's book. Sarah did say that they were running rather large, and I admitted defeat and pulled back. 

Ava

PS - during last night's conversation with Gus, he was gushing over his new Green Lantern socks that Lola knit him. I told him to hide them from the Flyer . . . since GL is the coolest super-hero.

Ring of Fire

We're still obessed with all trucks in the Lola household.  Any type of truck will do; deliverly, rescue, worker, & especially firetrucks.  On the route to daycare, we pass a worksite.  So twice a day, I hear this from the back seat, "Ooo Momma!  Look at that big thing!"  We know the names and jobs of most trucks.  It's only when we pass a mysterious one that stumps Momma, that I hear a quiet & sad, "Oh" come from the back seat.  It was an obvious choice that when I wanted him to model the finished Wallaby that a firetruck had to share the spotlight.

The Wallaby isn't blocked yet, but it's still a great knit.  If you've read the previous posts, you know my struggles with this project.  Mainly, the yarn choice was my headache.  Even on Thursday night, I really thought about scrapping the project.  I'm really glad that I didn't.  There is nothing more comfortable than a hoodie.  The minute I slide it over his head, I was happy.  It fits him perfectly & he didn't seem to mind the itchiness of the wool.  The only modification is the seed stitch borders.  If I have an excuse to use seed stitch in a small dose, I will.  I find no end product more satisfying than a couple rows of seed stitch.  Even with my yarn issues, I will be making another Wallaby.  I'm starting to wonder about an adult version.

I started TBA's BSJ last night.  I had to call Ava & ask her about the marked decreases.  Did some googling. Scratched my head & pondered way too hard at the pattern.  In the end, I ripped once & began again.  I think I'm on the right path now.  I think.

I've got to talk about something.  I'm not one of those people that has a comfort food that heals a wounded heart.  I don't turn to a plate when I've got an icky feeling.  I love a good plate of wings or bowl of chili, but it doesn't fix my problem.  My comfort item is TV.  Not regular ole TV, but nice and trashy reality show.  Anything that will teach a lesson.  If you do meth or run from the cops, you will be found roaming the streets (Cops).  No life plan?  You may find yourself in your aging boyfriend's house with his 2 other girlfriends pretending to love him & not having a way out (Girls Next Door).  If you live with 7 strangers, figure out what character you were "chosen" to play & whoop it up (Real World).  And please, please practice giving life to your eyes prior to the photoshoot (America's Next Top Model).  Most of my comfort TV, isn't scheduled.  I'm curled up on the couch and start flipping through the guide.  Usually, SK comes in & is disgusted  He's really disgusted with my current affair.  I'm in love with Rock of Love.  I didn't want to love it.  Really I swear, I didn't, but how can you resist the power of Rock?  There are so many life lessons that I can't even begin to jump on the soapbox.  It's just good plain dirty fun on Sunday nights.

I've got to work so I can finish cleaning the house for Ava's visit.  I know that she'll tell me not to clean, but she's a nice excuse to freshen up the diaper pail.
-Lola

There's a Place

I'm not sure if we've posted this nugget of info, but Ava's coming to visit next week.  Obviously, our house is buzzing.  OK, fine, I'm more buzzy than SK.  He realizes the conversation in the house will littered with phrases such as: "Have you felt this yarn yet?"  "No really, look at the camera again!"  "Can you believe Mom said that?!"  "Do you want me to pop that zit?"  I guess you can't blame him?

I think that I'm more of a planner than Ava, so here's a list of Shit I Hope to Accomplish While Ava's Visiting:

• Start Melon Shawl
• Not buy anymore Sock yarn when we visit 3 LYS
• Don't get talked into any more patterns/ books
• Play with Ava' new camera & try not to fall in love immediately
• Test out Sarah's pasta recipe
• Desperately talk the OB into  telling us what we're having during a 15 week ultrasound
• If he won't, threaten him with a visit from our mother for every appointment afterward
• At said appointment, hear the Dr. say, "You're having another boy."
• Keep Ava from passing out at the ultrasound appointment
• Play with Ava's camera again & entice SK into buying one that very day
• Knit & gab with some of my very favorite ladies in the world (B & V are coming the following week).
• Count how many times this kid says, "Where's Flyer at?"

That's the list & I'm pretty sure it's all doable.

Here's how I spent my Thursday night.  In the hurry to finish the Wallaby, I fucked it up.  I had 20 extra stitches on the front half.  I swore that I double counted when I attached the sleeves, but I must have been delusional.  So, I had 2 options, both involved a good frogging.  Since I'm still out on the feel of Peace Fleece, I could frog it completely and save the yarn for some slippers.  Or I could frog back to the point of sleeve attachment & begin again.  Since I'm tired of being a Knit Quitter, I opted of #2.  The durability of Peace Fleece lends itself well to an easy frogging, no crochet hooks were needed.  While SK is waiting to discover if one of our favorite heroes lives or dies, I'll be knitting on the Wallaby.  I want this project done!
-Lola

Ring Ring

Thank you for listening to my disgusting pregnancy hang-ups.  I do believe that the coal miner shits are coming to an end.  The hair issues will be dealt with tomorrow.  Nothing like chopping off you hair while your hormones are fucking with you on a daily basis.  But again, thanks.

I was planning on posting some pictures from our mini vacation, but that will wait.  The work meeting was a work meeting.  I did have one first time Preggers tell me all the things that I was doing wrong (No fish, no cheeses, no coffee & no non-alcoholic beer).  I had to remind her that I still have a flabby belly from the first baby, & some of her info was correct for the Pregnancy Nazi.  Moderation, sweetie.  I'm not drowning in coffee (maybe 2 cups), throwing back a 12-pack of O'Douls in 3 minutes (I still don't think that would have enough alcoholic in it to effect anything.  Did you know that OJ has the same amount of alcohol as NA beer?), or eating salmon for all 3 meals & a snack.

The wedding was what any dry Friday night wedding could be, boring.  No dinner until 10 p.m. makes anyone cranky.  Frozen wedding cake will royally piss off a pregnant woman.  But the setting was gorgeous & Gus did pretty well. 

I'm making progress on the Wallaby.  I've attached one sleeve & will soon finish the other.  I love sweaters in the round.  I know what a flat sleeve looks like, & I understand what a flat raglan front should resemble.  Each time I make a flat sweater, I stare at them like an idiot.  I've been around pattern pieces for as long as I can remember, but I'm still in awe of the first person that said, "This is what a back piece should look like."  I like things that just appear to make perfect sense.   There's a large round tube for the body.  And look, two more for some sleeves!  Amazing.  Don't come to our house when we've returned from Ikea.  I just sit in front of the tiny box saying, "How is this going to become our enormous shelving unit?"  But in the end, 2 missing bolts or missing sleeve stitches, the product seems to works.  You just hope that it stays together.

I love airport knitting.  I always get more done waiting for my plane to reach the gate.  I finished the foot during the flight to New York.  I would have finished the heel on the return, but the woman sitting next to me was chatting with some ladies in the lobby.  I wasn't taking the chance that she'd want to talk during the flight, so I whipped out my book instead.  As much as I love spreading the joys of knitting, I love a silent flight even more.  Only one time do I regret not talking to other person in my row.  It was a couple years ago & it was a late flight.  This guy was yakking away about everything.   He was super religious & I think he was on a mission to save me.  I pretty sure he spotted me in the bar prior to take-off.  Once I could move, I politely excused myself.   Drank my over-priced beer in peace until we hit a cluster of shitty weather.  The pilot is trying to land us and the whole cabin crowds around my old partner and starts praying with him for a safe return to the ground.  I just kept thinking, "Great.  Perfect.  Karma, dumb-ass."

I'll post tomorrow with some photos from SK & I trip down memory lane.  Oh how I miss college days.  Not the poverty of it all, but the freedom.  Only now do I realize that very same freedom could have gotten me into some very real trouble.  But still I have fond memories of sleeping until 2 p.m., exploring a stranger's backyards, eating/drinking whatever you had enough money to pay for, & no deadlines but one for graduation.  Please take me back!

Before He Cheats

With my Get This Shit Done list basically finished (just have to bind-off the NYC shawl & block her to death), I swatched for the Wallaby.  Let's talk about this project.  I finished one for the nephew & never blogged about it, this doesn't mean that I hated it.  The yarn choice was disastrous, but the pattern was quite the opposite.  So this time I around, I made a wiser decision in the fiber category.  Why not give Peace Fleece a whirl?  I found one semi-local store that carried a small selection.  I wanted the Shaba color, but I was also stuck with it since it was the only color with multiple skeins available.  This green actually has perked up my mood the past 2 days!  I smile at it as if Ms. Jolie caught me gawking to long.  I love the color green!  Hell, the Starbuck's logo makes me giddy with it's black & green goodness (I know some people hate 'em, but I don't care right now).  The pattern's gauge is 9 stitches to 2 inches.  Immediately, I went down a needle size.  I'm loose in many ways.  Hearing that Peace Fleece blooms, I went down to a 6.  Seeing that I wasn't going to make it with that needle, after 4 inches I switched to a 5.  Seriously people, I'm still only getting 8 stitches to 2 inches!  What the hell?  It doesn't seem like a bulky yarn, but something is happening with my Peace Fleece.  Gus is a big kid, so I'm going to spit at the swatch & knit the 4T with the wrong gauge.  It should turn out larger (right?), but he can wear it through the fall & winter.  If we were buying him a jacket now, I'd buy him a 4T.  I guess I could always shrink it.

Ava, here's what's waiting for you.  Gus was "helping" SK remove some rocks.  I know that letting a 2 year-old play with a hammer is highly innapproprate, but he had fun.  Sure he'd probably have fun driving the family car too, but I'll draw the line when he asks.
-Lola