Happy Blogiversary

It is hard to imagine that I have had this blog for a whole year, and I never remembered doing it on my daughter's birthday. She is 3 now, and growing up so fast. I wish sometimes that I had more time and money so that we could go and do little girl things like shopping, and lunching, and have her own room with tea party....maybe later next year.

I have a finished object, my daughter loves hats and I made one, that was not intended for her, but I hated the way the yarn felt, and stretched. She loved the hat, and since today was her birthday, I finished it up this morning and gave it to her. She loves it, and I am glad. The yarn is already stretching out where I sewed up the top six stitches. I had to tighten it up. My daughter was in trouble picking up her mess when I had the thought to take a picture of the hat, and so it is modeled here by the ever accomodating Little Man.

FO Sunday

I had a really fun time today making my own t-shirt. I also have a few other ideas for some other t-shirts, and I hope to get to do them before I forget them. I had 6 whole unsupervised hours today, (without the kids I mean.) I have so much going on tomorrow, I hope my phone does not get turned off, I have no money now, and I have not paid my bill, they took away my long distance. I figure shortly it will be turned off. Oh well, I will have to do something about it. Hopefully tomorrow I will find out if I have a job or not. Or maybe I can land a patent. I know I have a good invention and you knitters out there will love me if I get it passed, so watch out, I might be coming your way, or maybe not, we will see. Anyhoo, here is a picture of my shirt. I bought the shirt at Micheal's for three dollars and I bought the iron on transfer and paint in a packet for a dollar at Jo-Ann's. It was dry in just a few hours. I can't wait to wear it for real, (I was just modeling it.)

UFO Saturday

Okalie Dokalie, I have been a bit busy today, I have done laundry, I have done all my dishes (which I hate more than any other chore), I had three children under three all day, I cooked, I served breakfast and drinks, I changed diapers, I took a bath (yay!), I gave baths, I helped kids potty, dressed kids, changed their soiled clothes, cleaned up after kids, vacuumed my floors, Mr. Cleaned my bathroom floors, and to top it off drank a whole pot of coffee! I am sorry, but having an almost three year old and an almost two year old, and a one year old is kind of hectic. I had to replace the foil on the kids windows, they ripped it down, and they ripped the curtain apart the other day. I also took out the trash and cleaned out my fridge. Boy, I wish that coffe was caffeinated, I am starting to really drag........zzzzzz, so for now, my post will be unfinished, and I will pick up where I left off tomorrow.

UFO Friday, WHEEEeeeee

Okay, I have a lot of news for you, first, I have an unfinished sweater for a toddler, that I have to finish the sleeve on, but I will do that in a little while. I have some great news, I have created an invention fo knitting, that is a good idea. I sent in the idea and they have called back already twice, and I have a meeting on Monday to discuss everything. I can't wait. Wish me luck. I also have an unstarted project. I found a pattern for Teletubbies online, and I was amazed, this lady did a wonderful job. Her website is www.joyfultoys.bravepages.com/tubbies.html and the pattern is really good. There are somethings that are a little confusing for me because I think she is maybe British or something, and I don't understand, but I am excited about this pattern.

UFO Thursday

I don't have a picture to post, I am ashamed of myself, I have a bag of unfinished candy corn that I think that I am going to make myself sick on. I am trying, I have had a pretty rough 24 hours let me tell you. I got up, and my kids were acting pretty okay, but then my little cousin calls and she is going after the job I told her about, because I wanted it. I had already applied and everything, and then she asked me what to put on her application to make her more appealing to an employer. I told her, I don't like liars. Anyhow, she went and told this woman that she really needed this job, and I am the one that actually needed the job, my cousin already has a job! Anyhow, she came over and wanted me to fix her hair for her, sure why not, I am screwed anyhow right? So then, my X has been telling me that he hasn't been seeing anyone. Anyhow, I went to get my camcorder and guess who he is shoving out of the front door? Shad a huge stack of womens laundry in her hands. And she jumped at him practically to get a kiss after smiling at me, and this was all in front of the kids. I do not have a divorce yet because he did not want to grant me one, but yet he has a girlfriend? That he denies exists. I asked him why he was not happy that he was dating someone and why he felt he needed to lie about it all of the time? His answer....it was because I deny him. You know in spite of everything I am a hopeless romantic and I thought that if he could take a couple of years and straighten himself up that maybe we could work things out. He does not seem to understand what the counselor and I have been telling him, so now all hope that he thought he could have had will never be. And he has been hounding me about calling off child support. I called my caseworker because being temporarily out of work, I ran out of income, with no child support and such, in order to recieve temporary assistance in my state, I have to have an open case for childsupport on record. I am so tired. How did I ever get mixed up with this person? I am just ready for it all to end. I want a job, I want to be independent, (moneywise), and I want to be able to move very far away when there is nothing left for me here. I found out that my grandfather has congestive heart failure, and I am wondering just how long he really has since my dog did not last very long when she had it and I put her down, I feel even guiltier now that my grandpa has it. It was terrible to see my dog go through it, and my poor grandpa broke his ribs the other day, I am guessing from coughing. I have to take my kids over to see them all of the time, they get upset when I don't come over at least a couple of times a week. I love my grandparents so much, and when they are gone I will probably move.

UFO Wednesday

Okay, I don't know if I am happy about Blogger switching on me or not yet, but I do know that it put off by blogging last night, just when I was learning to get into a rythm. Anyhow, I was going to post about a baby sweater that I had started and then abandoned because I had just made one like it. I am going to finish it though, but it will be made of blue and grey stripes. Like the one I made of yellow and grey only this one has a few changes around the neckline, and the sleeves and such. I wanted to make it completely seemless, so that I wouldn't have to kitchener anything. Maybe when I am done I will post the pattern. I like raglan sweaters because there is less to do in the finishing department. Without further ado, here it is....

UFO Tuesday

I have another unfinished object, but this one wasn't really mine, I bought a bag of yarn at the salvation army and this was in it along with a half done sweater in yellow. They were both done on about size three needles. There are no buttonholes. I think it is made for child around six or seven, I am not sure. It is olive drab in color and I am guessing that it was intended for a little boy. There is some scrap yarn in the bag from the sweater and I intend to sew it up soon, but I don't know anyone who could wear it.

UFO Monday

I have had a UFO sighting in my very own living room, and I think I might be scared. It was a pattern that I started a long time ago, and I don't know if I will be able to finish since I changed the pattern so much. It was Mom's Fast Florida Footies pattern, and I was trying to make them big enough to fit a man with a foot like Fred Flintstone. I did not succeed. I made it big enough to be very comfortable on me. And now I have to figure out how I changed the pattern. Here it is, the one and incomplete....

New friends.

I really wish I knew someone in blogland. I don't. I have never met another knitter face to face that has a computer, and they are older anyway. I have to sit and wonder about all of the people going to Rhinebeck, because I have no idea where they are talking about. Not one person mentioned an actual location. It would help the rest of us who live below the Mason Dixon line. I I live in southern Missouri, there is nothing here in the way of the fiber arts. I told the people at my University that if they had fiber arts I would live there. Anyhow, I am just a little upset that I always miss out on the good stuff and I don't even have a place to go to a fiber fest. I just get to look at everyone else's purchases and wish that I could some year get away to go on a trip somewhere. I think that in the near future I will go to Europe again and I think that I will probably go alone so I do not have to pay that much for anything. I do ahave knitting progress to show, but I am too depressed to post a picture because it will not be of a fantastic yarn that someone bought, or of a pure fiber. The gorgeous colors are pretty much not available either, another disappointment. The only problem that I have in ordering from the internet is that I can tell the real color and I do not want to be disappointed. Oh well, I going to get off of her and try to do something else with my day besides knit.

Whew!

I thought it had been several weeks since I had posted. But it has been only 8 days. I have been so busy with job hunting, I have not had the best of luck lately. I have been hearing that I am over qualified. And I am pretty much, but that does not mean that I do not have bills to pay. Anyhoo, I went to the local Jo-Ann's the other day and I saw some yarn that I knew would be perfect for some sweaters for my two babies. Check it out.

I just love it, it is a superwash yarn which is super important for kids, and I bought it for $1.50 a ball, and it is softer that a thick bath towel. I can not wait to knit this up and put it on my kids. Every time my son sees it he throws a fit because he can't keep it and it is so soft. Well, I am getting ready to take a nice hot bath and do some feminine primping, (eyebrows, legs, etc.) So, I will get off of here to go torture myself. Type at you later;)

Too fast!

Time is passing by so fast that I don't really have the time to post as frequently as I like. I have been trying so hard to get a job. I made some stitch markers the other day for a project that I ripped out three times, yes three. I made them to be bright, but I noticed that they are all copper colored and that one of them has a three leaf clover bead in the middle of it. It reminds me of an Irish lady named Pat. I think that I might give them to her because they are obviously not very good luck for me because then I wouldn't have ripped out the sweater three times. No loss. You live and learn. Here is a picture, I will post more pictures later of the other stitch markers that I have made over time, and maybe some of the jewelry.

sweater #?

Okay, I have a minor obsession making baby sweaters, but it is only because they take so little spare time. I have been working on one for my friend Jessica's little boy, and it will replace the one he grew out of from last year. (The red one with the orange stripes.)I think that blue is a good boy color, but I thought that just blue would be too plain. I like this color, even though the yarn itself is very ACRYLIC. If someone made this yarn in an affordable alternative, I would probably buy it. On the other hand, I was thinking about selling stitch markers. I have some pearls that are very pretty, and some periodot, and some other type of beads. I am not sure whether or not to try maybe an etsy store or what, but I will think about it. On the dating front, Mr. Dreamy has me pretty intimidated, and I usually do not get intimidated by men of any kind. I really like him, but he thinks that I am married in the together sense of the word. I am legally still married, but I am separated, and have been for almost 2 years. I just don't know how to bring it up without seeming obvious, but maybe I need to be who knows. Anyhow, here is a picture, and there will be more to follow, I did try knitting a little bolero sweater, or a shrug, but I messed up three times. The first time was right, it just didn't look right until I tried twice more. Duh.

Timing is everything

The other night I went to the store and ran into the one guy that I said I would actually like to date. His kids went to daycare at out facility, and I helped take care of them fro time to time. He does not live in my town though and it was a surprise to see him there, but the thing that really made me happy is that he went way out of his way to speak to me, and he immediately knew who I was when he saw me. It was really nice. He talked to me for about 20 minutes in the middle of the isle, and he looked so nice. I looked awful because I had worked half of the day cleaning the inside of someone's house, and their deck and things like that. I can not wait to get a full time position that will pay me enough money that I can be comforatable.

Prarie State Park.

My aunt happens to be a park ranger at Prarie State Park. There are prarie chickens, and buffalo, and plants,a nd bugs, and such. Over the weekend, the park had an event and people came from around the area to see pioneer people doing what people used to do. There was dutch oven cooking, and music playing, brain tanning, stantic throwing, and games, such as the throwing of buffalo chips for a prize of $1,000. (I think.) There ware people dressed in old fashioed clothing, and wood fires every where, but there was no fiber craft, no quilts, no afghans, no nothing, only one woman was wearing a shawl and it was not even knitted or crocheted. It was store bought and looked like somone popped the whole thing off of a knit-wit. I was dissappointed, but when I asked my aunt why they did not have someone spinning up the buffalo hair for the evnet, she said she was lucky to have what she got. So, I think that the next time they have the event I would like to talk to her about setting up a spinning wheel, and maybe a loom, and have someone kinning, someone crocheting, tatting, and quilting with examples of each of them. I did not want to poke at a sore spot, but I was curious. But, if there was a way to get the buffalo wool, I would love to learn how to spin, first though I need to get a spinning wheel.

Man, oh Man!

I have something about men to get off of my chest, I said that we were going to go to the State Park, but he (X) could meet me at my house if he wanted to. He says great. So, did he ever show up? No. Did he call? Yes, an hour and a half later. Turns out he calls and leaves a message saying he did not feel so well. Why, you ask? Because he had a house full of people all night into the morning, and he stretched his earring holes, which made him ill. He thinks it is okay to stay up and party and use ear piercing as an excuse to stay away from his children and he thinks that is perfectly acceptable. He has seen his children once for an hour and a half this week, and has he paid any child support? I am sick and tired of being nice. Especially since the other day, I noticed that he drank our 2 year old daughter's pain medication for her tonsils. Not only did he take more than one dose, this is the third time he has drank an actual overdose of liquid hydrocodone medication. He needs to change and apparently nothing I say will work. The courts won't make him take a drug test, and they will not try to test him or order one unless he is arrested for a prior offense. I am sick of his lies. I hope he stays away.

Babies, kids, children and so on...

As I said the other day I got to see my cousins two little children. One is five and the other is two. They never wanted the second of the two which is a shame and it broke them apart. I was upset when I found out I was pregnant, but after a day or two, I calmed down and then I fell in love with the idea. I would not trade having my two for anything in the world, but I would have made me rich whilst having them. (If we are dreaming.) Anyhoo, here are my two precious little bugs.

Whew!

Okay I have managed to land two days substituting, and I hope more, but for now, that is all I can do. I have been working on a blanket using up all of my scrap eyelash yarns, and some other acrylic yarns, (*gasp!*). My kids seem to love it. It is furry, and it looks like sesame street was ground up and woven into something, but I call it the monster pelt. I have been trying to keep busy, and so far I am succeeding, but I did not get to go to Kentucky the other night like I wanted to. I am still poor. I am really counting on getting this state job, and if I do I will be so thankful. I would even be able to pay someone to watch my kids so that I could go to church, speaking of which, I need to make a little girl sweater for my pastor and his wife's child. His wife is my friend Theresa, whom I know and love and miss. I really am getting back in touch with a lot of people that I know back in my home town, and I have to go the high school reunion next year. I have to lose 30 pounds or I am not going. Kidding, I am definitely going. I can't wait;-) I was listening to my tape of the Dixie Chicks, which I have just found after about three years, and the tape broke. It came off of the little round thing on one end, so now I can't listen to it anymore. I must buy a CD. I also got to see a couple of little cousins the other day, and I must say that my cousins little girl and my little girl look a lot alike. I think my daughter looks more like my side of the family that my X's, but I am sure he would never agree. I also made chocolate devils' food cake. MMMMMMMmmmmm.......so good.

Busy, busy, busy.

I have been constantly filling out job search after search trying to find something that I am qualified for, and I would like, is day shift only, and no weekends. I really could use more help from the X, but he is not currently paying child support so I am a little strapped for daycare. I can't even afford to pay for someone to watch my kids for an hour. On the downside of my life, my arm has been killing me lately. I am not sure why, but I think it might have something to do with pilates. I have been trying it lately, and it seems to be a pretty good workout for the midsection. You will feel it later. I have been working on another baby sweater, but it is grey, they same shade of grey that I used in the baby Ezekiel baby sweater. Only, this time I will not be using any different colored stripes. I do not feel like taking any pictures right now. I am so tired, and stressed out trying to figure out where my next paycheck is going to come from. I have managed to be pretty resourceful up until now, but I have simply just run out of options. I have been called to substitute for two different occasions locally and I am looking forward to it. I miss all of the excitement in the children's eyes when they realize that it is time for art.

Afghan to Cindy

I have finished my step-mother's afghan, and I will be mailing it out tomorrow, or rather later today. I am surprised that it took me since Sunday, since it was actually very easy. I do not crochet much and when I do, the pattern has to be written in a way that I can understand, which is not much. I used the pattern from the lion brand website titled the 5 1/2 hour afghan. The pattern actually calls for 3 balls of Jiffy yarn to be used concurrently, but I used two strands of homespun instead. I used three differnt colors, and a Q hook as called for. If you have not been to the LionBrand website, you should go, they have tons of free patterns to print or download. Here is the link if you are interested.

strange,

You know, I can't seem to help myself, but I think all of my pictures make me look stupid, so I think I have momentarlily taken one that is okay. So, yes, I am once again changing the photo of myself in my profile. I will have more progress later today in knitting hopefully. I am gong to go fill out some applications for now. I have to get a job. I would like to find one that will let afford a better lifestyle, but I don't know if that will happen. You would think that a college degree would help you to earn a better living, but so far that has not been the case.