Everything is on hold.....

all works in progress are on hold. I haven't felt much like knitting the past two days.

Yesterday at 6 am I got a call from my Sister in Law. Her husband is in the Army, special forces. You know, the kind of soldier that goes on a mission but can't tell you where he is or what he was doing.....Well anyway he has been deployed to Iraq, and he was shot. Not a fatal wound but a serious one nevertheless.

For the past two days my sister in law has been playing where in the world is my husband with the Army. Right now he is in Germany, and soon he will be on his way to Walter Reed. He is in intensive care and on a ventilator, the bullet when through his lung and collapsed it. It entered his back and exited his neck.

I wish that there was something I could do for my SIL. She is going crazy in NC, and we are here in Ca. My Mother in Law is going to fly out there, and I hope she get some comfort knowing that if I could just up and leave I would.

They have two young daughters who are taking it well. Their youngest is so sweet. She just wanted to know if Daddy has a big hole in him or a small one. When Becky told her just two small ones she said "Oh then that's OK"

She has asked me to knit something for her so all my WIP are going to be put aside. What to make her is the next question. She really has no use for wool in NC. maybe cotton socks? I don't see her in a shawl.....Maybe a bag....

I have another friend in Iraq as well, and after emailing him and asking him to be careful, he tells me how they exchange fire with the resisters everyday...great.

By nature I am a worrier......I can't even imagine what the mothers and spouses of our deployed troops feel like. They are much stronger than me!

We have a winner!!

Emy guessed 15 inches. She was the closest, we had 18 inches. Since then we have had about another 18....I am so sick of snow. Just this morning I was out clearing the driveway again. I talked to my Aunt in upstate NY and they have NO SNOW on the ground. Don't you think there is something wrong with that picture?

I have not really been knitting. My wonderful husband got me a laptop computer, something that I have been wanting for years. Being able to take it with me when I go do genealogy research will be so helpful! Now if only I could get a small portable scanner..... :-)
Most nights I have been playing with it...and not knitting. I did pick up my knitting again yesterday. Relaxing and knitting really helps when you have something that oh want to take your mind off of.

I got my first STR club package yesterday. I didn't really like the color at first but it is really growing on me. I think with a pair of tan pants it will look really nice. I do love the pattern, it's just beautiful.

Sorry no pictures but I don't really have anything to show! I have to go pop a chicken in the oven for dinner...I am making Chicken 'al La King, one of the kids fav meals.

There is still time.....

Go ahead and enter my contest!

Read about it in the March 4th entry, and then email me at knitwitmomma AT earthlink DOT net

No one has guessed correctly, but someone is close!

The Star is a Shining!

I have finished the shining star hat for James. It's a little big, but that's good, he will be able to wear it next year too. Katie was my model..James was not in the mood.

I am really unhappy with the cast off edge. It just doesn't look as "neat" as I think it should.

This is the closest that I could get to the color of the yarn.....

Here you can see the star.

I really loved this pattern. It was a fun and fast knit. The yarn, Aurora 8, is a dream to work with. Next to the skin soft and 100% merino wool. I would love a sweater out of it!

The Embossed Leaves socks are coming along nicely. I can't wait for them to be done. I on the other hand, am down for the count. I have an ear infection! First one that I have ever had and boy it hurts. I hope to feel better tomorrow. The doc gave me some wonderful antibiotics to knock it out of me. I actually put the chains on the van and drove to the Doc in a snow storm. Now you know I'm in pain if I drove on the white stuff. We get a break tomorrow and then it's snow Thurs, Fri, and Sat. Isn't spring almost here?

And because you didn't get a James shot...here he is.

Wait you want to see my other child???

Yes I had to crop the photo.....I am sure you can figure out why. Good thing it is warm in the house.

Come on a Field Trip!

Come in and enjoy my snow covered backyard....

The view from my sliding door onto the deck.

Looking down the deck toward the garage door and the steps down to the yard.

Looking over the deck at the yard.

The snow was just too deep to be wakling down there for some close up shots!

....and for good measure,the beautiful sky in the front yard!

Thanks for thinking of this Becky!!!

Socks, Snow, and a Contest

Last month I had my one year blogaversary! I didn't even know that it was coming up. I started the blog on Feb 23rd last year, when James was only 2 weeks old. What was I thinking?
He slept much more then, and I had more time for knitting and blogging. Now I try and find time each day, but it doesn't always work.

So in honor of my one year of blogging I am going to have a little contest. The winner will get a spring goody box. Once I know the winner, I will put together a box, that way I can customize it for them.

Here is the question:

How many inches of snow did we get over the past 2 days?

And as a tie breaker: How many times have I shoveled the driveway in the past 2 days?

Please email your answers to: knitwitmomma AT earthlink DOT net
I'll give ya'll until next Saturday to guess.

And before you ask, no I will NOT tell you exactly where I live (that's the fun of it) just that I live on the west slope of the Sierra's :-) (no fair guessing Catherine)

(as I was typing this I heard a loud noise outside...like a lawn mower. The man from two houses down was snowblowing my driveway.... I LOVE this neighborhood, people are very friendly!)


On To Knitting

I started the Embossed Leaves socks in the winter IK. I have to say that I am loving this pattern. It seems to be going really fast. This picture was taken yesterday and I am one and a half repeats further. The white specks.....snow of course.

These socks will be for me. I have not yet made socks that I have kept, and I only have 2 pairs of handmade wool ones from my Mom. I need more snow shoveling socks! I am using KnitPicks Essentials sock yarn. I will not be knitting with it again. I am missing the feel of Lorna's Lace, so I used my Jimmy Beans credit and ordered some.

I have been itching to make something lacy. I have plenty of lace weight yarn in my stash, I just need a pattern. I have been eyeing a two Fiddlesticks pattern's, I have a beautiful pink lace yarn that Catherine gave me as a Chirstmas present that would be a perfect scarf to go with my black wool coat!

I am also planning on knitting a square for the Comforting Jef blanket. Christine, of Knitting on Trial's, brother is battling a recurring brain tumor and has asked for blue 8X8 squares. She will be accepting them until the 24th, and the will give her brother the blanket at the end of the month. I too have a brother named Jeff who, thank God, is happy and healthy. So it will be off to the the yarn store tomorrow to find some beautiful Blue for Jef.

That is really all I have been knitting. The crud is going around and all 3 children were sick. Of course I then got it and it's even been passed on to my Dad. Greg never got it. Figures huh?

Tomorrow I will be joining in on Knitting Interrupted's Back Yard Field Trip! Check it out, looks like it will be so fun. Although I won't have too many pictures, the snows too deep to be in the yard taking pictures! (hint hint)

So what do you think?

What do you think of the new design? Yes...No...too busy?

A real post tomorrow including pictures!

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Alllllll Aboarddd

Whoo Hooo, it was my turn to get the drill! Kate from Knits and Grits sent it to me with the most wonderful gifts inside. Not only were the gifts great, look at the packaging.

I Love that there were sheep stamps on the outside, and then look inside..... a pink explosion!

Of course Katie and Ben claimed the candy, and I have a feeling that they were meant to be for them anyway!

After unwrapping all the pink, this is what I found,

A beautiful skein of Opal Flamingo sock yarn (pink of course), a Clemson postcard, 5 inch Bryspun US2 DPN's, wool wash, stitch makers, and a stitch holder.

I have been dying to get one of those stitch holders, but haven't found them in any yarn shop I have been in. The DPN's look really nice and Katie says they are great. All of my sock needles are bamboo or birch so I look forward to trying them out.

Thanks again Katie, you made me "pink" :-) Oh and everyone, go look at Katie's kids, they are beautiful. I just want to hug her little baby.

This Yarn Aboard swap has been so much fun. Amanda had a great idea and she did a great job putting it together.

My box of goodies will be on it's way Thursday....I have to wait for the postman to bring one of the goodies that I am sending out. Want a hint to where it's going? A long way.......

My Scarf Pal is the best....yes, even better than yours

OH. MY. GOODNESS.

She knit me Ene. Yes, Ene. In laceweight baby alpaca. Can you believe it? Really can you? It is so beautiful, so soft, and so warm. My middle son tries to use it as a blanket. He tries to take it OFF ME and use it. Of course he can't pry it off me because I wear it all the time. Here she is in all her glory.

Not only did she knit this for me, she also sent me some sock yarn, and stitch markers with matching earrings. I love the pink sock yarn and will have to find the perfect pattern for it.

Celia I have no words to express how beautiful this shawl is. I am so flattered that you went to all the trouble to knit this for me. People, please go tell Celia that she is so kind....and wish her well on her upcoming marriage!

LOVING the Blues :-)

Some time ago I was reading Teresa's blog, Knitting the Blues. For the ABC along she was showing off pictures of "blue" for B. In one she had this AMAZING teapot....blue (of course) with sheep on it. Turns out that she collects tea pots and sheep. I just fell in love with that tea pot....it's right up my ally, kind of folk art, country style.

Anyway, the next day she told this story about how her Mom buys her anything she comes across that pertains to what she collects. Even if it isn't really her style. I commented about how my Mother in Law is like that. She means well and I love her gifts but I collect a certain type of cow material..... I then get this email from Teresa telling me that she has this cow teapot and wants to send it to me. How sweet is that? I told her she didn't have to.... and look what showed up.

I love the back. So do the kids, they crack up when I turn it around!

I just love it and it is sitting on the windowsill in my kitchen where I am most of the day (3 kids=LOTS of dishes).

Thanks again Teresa and watch your mail, I am on a mission to find the perfect thank you gift!

Oh no, I just found that same tea pot with a sheep on it....I may have to get that. What did you start Teresa?

I've been a bad SP...6

I never did publicly thank my wonderful SPA for her last packages. Things got so hectitc at the end of that SP round, with us moving and all....but still that is no excuse. My SPA was The Knitting Wannabe, and I couldn't have asked for a better one!

I don't have a picture of the last package, it arrived the day the movers were there and well, it has all been spread to the four corners of the house!

I did get some beautiful sock yarn (picture to come), an ornament for our Christmas tree, bath confetti, and some Choxie truffles. (Note to self...do NOT leave the truffles out for DH to see, he will eat all but one!)

The ornament took center stage on our Christmas tree. Since we were in the corporate apartment for Christmas, I had to run out and buy a fake tree and some things to put on it. I bought some really cheap things, and the one beautiful one was the one my SP sent. Thanks for making the tree feel more like ours :-)

My Sp was going through a move as well. I feel that I complained about being away from Greg for a month, she had to do it for 6! God bless her, being a "single" mom is hard! Now she is all moved across the country to Washington. Drop by her blog, she just saw her first sleet and had to ask the neighbor what it was LOL.

Music Meme

I was tagged by Amanda for a music meme. It won't be easy because I mostly listen to older music, think 80's.... or country. Shhhhh my favorite band is Poison. I now feel like SUCH A DORK that I actually admitted that.

Funny story, I was SUPER pissed when I found out that Poison was going to be playing near me 2 DAYS before my due date with my oldest child. Greg talked me out of buying tickets. (good thing since she was 3 weeks early!)

Next time they are within 500 miles of me I WILL GO. And I will buy Aqua-Net, poof my hair, tease my bangs be PROUD of it!

(Now if you are reading this and are too young to know who Poison is stop. Download a song. And FEEL the 80's .)

Ok on with the Meme:

List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if theyÂ’re any good, but they must be songs youÂ’re really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what theyÂ’re listening to.

Your Love (Outfield) - Because I like to sing along

I Won't Forget You (Poison) - Ahhh the 80's ballad sung by men with more makeup than me.

Best I Ever Had (Gary Allen) - LOVE this guys voice, so haunting

Travelin' Soldier (Dixie Chicks) - Makes me cry.....makes me think of my Dad

Sweet Southern Comfort (Buddy Jewell) - Because I miss the south. Can you believe that someone can MISS humidity?

Faithfully (Journey) - This makes me think of Greg, I think because we danced to this at his 20th reunion

My Immortal (Evanescence) - agathe voiceice beautiful. The whole CD is great.

Now to tag 7 people...wow ok here goes:
Catherine, Heather, Mini, Glacia, Carola, lol can that be it?

Where has the time gone.....

James turned one last week.....Why do they have to grow up?

And Katie started a new preschool....





I would post a picture of Ben but he has a new habit of being NAKED all the time. It is always something with little boys! Tonight I dined with a naked superhero, sounds good you say? Not if the superhero is almost 3, and is wearing your cashmere shawl as a cape. I did get a picture but ummm...you don't want to see it:-)

FO Report!

First off, the binder has been found. It was left at the apartment and the company that does the coporate housing had it at their office. Thank goodness that their office is close, in Rancho Cordova. The kiddo's and I took a little trip down there yesterday. I could have kissed the woman at the office. Now WHY they didn't contact Safeway and tell them that we had left some belongings there......I'll never know.

Ok on to knitting..... I have 2 finished objects! Wait. did you hear that? Two, count them, TWO FO's.

First up is my International Scarf Exchange scarf. I really liked how it turned out. I would wear this myself. I LOVE the yarn (Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK) and the pattern (Zig Zag Scarf). I first saw this pattern over at Anne's, The Knitty Gritty, and I had to order it. Go look at the lace weight cardi she just made. Lace weight! I think I will be making one of these for me in pink. So soft and warm! I think my pal will really like it, at least I hope she does.

And second up is the felted ballerina slippers by Fiber Trends. I made these for Katie out of Cascade 220. She really likes them, and of course she calls them princess shoes. What is it about 4 year old girls and princesses? I made the pattern with the strap but during the felting process, the strap felted so much it would no longer go over her foot! So I just cut it off.

And because I can't just take a picture of Katie's feet....a shot of Ben's as he was running around this morning. And trust me, it's a miracle that he has ONE sock on! He now thinks he IS Buzz Lightyear. He even wants to be called Buzz. So I have a Princess and Buzz, and they call the baby, Baby Dragon. Buzz saves the Princess hundreds of times a day from the dragon. The dragon thinks it's funny and yells BOO everytime. Kids.....................

Oh and no my floor is not dirty....there is water damage to the wood floor in front of the door to the deck.... I could never have a floor THAT dirty!

Sick...with worry

I can't believe it. We've lost the binder that held all of our birth certificates, immunization records, social security cards....

I can't do the taxes because I don't know the kids SS #'s, can't get a new SS card without birth certificates.

I need to enroll Katie in preschool and kindergarten for next year....can't do that without the birth certificate and immunization records.

Guess I'll be on the phone a lot on Monday.

I think may be in a box that was left in the apartment we stayed at.......I'll be calling them Monday too........I hope it wasn't stolen.

I don't think I can knit.

I now feel like a real knitter......

I've knit scarves, socks, mittens, hats, and even a shawl.....but never a sweater. Well I haven't actually KNIT the sweater yet but I bought the yarn for it! I have never made such a big yarn purchase before.....well $$ wise anyway.

17 balls of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran plus the Cotton Angora book. I am going to knit Grace....for me. I have enough cotton angora in pale pink for it also. So now I have to decide, Cotton Angora or the Cashmerino Aran. What do you think?

Cotton sometimes hurts my hands so I am worried about that. I would love to hear from anyone that has used the cotton angora or just anyone that has knitted Grace!

If I use the cotton angora for Grace, then I can use the Cashmerino for Tubey!!! Have you seen
The Wool Palace's Tubey? It is beautiful and as soon as I saw it, I knew I'd have to knit it.

Tomorrow pictures of the scarf for my scarf pal. There will not be any natural light pictures for a week or so. I was going to take my yarn outside and play with my new camera but ummmm it's snowing and so cold!

:-) See what happens when you husband doesn't get you a birthday gift...you buy your own. In my case it was a brand new digital camera. Thanks Greg ;)

The 4's have gotten me (that's the best I could come up with!)

I have been tagged by Laurie, a fellow cow lover :-)


4 jobs you have had in your life
First job was at MJDesigns (that's a craft store for all you west coasters)
Assistant Manager at Papyrus
Receptionist at Big Oil and Tire (That's how I met Cath)
The best job in the world.... MOM

4 movies you could watch over & over
Gone with the Wind
Patriot
Anne of Green Gables
A River Runs Through it

4 places you have lived
Manassas, Va
Middleburgh, Ny
Grass Valley, Ca
Ukiah, Ca

4 TV shows you love to watch
CSI - Miami
CSI - Las Vegas
NCIS
The first 3 seasons of Alias (ummm it now sucks, sucks so bad that its GONE!)

4 places you have been on vacation
Montana
Sun Valley, Id
Flordia
ummm no where else, sad huh?

4 websites you visit daily
Bloglines
Weather.com
?
?

4 of your favorite foods
My creamy Chicken enchiladas
Rouladen
Reeces Peanut Butter Cups
Taco Bella Crunch Wrap Supreme (and me wanting to loose 10 pounds!)

4 places you would rather be right now
Gainesville, Fl visiting my sister
Filati's
St. Joseph, Missouri doing some genealogy research
Upstate New York doing some genealogy research

4 bloggers you are tagging
Cath
Birdsong
Heather
Mini

That's my Brother!!!

Check out the review of the restaurant that my brother works at.

Escabar

My big brother, Jeff Johnson, is the executive chef. I am so proud of him! He is an awesome chef, all the dishes are his original recipes....I just wish I wasn't 3000 miles away, I would like to EAT some of his cooking!

So if any of you are in the Richmond, VA area make sure you check Escabar out!

Oh and the laundry room smell....it's going away. The floor is not carpet thank goodness, but I did find cat urine sprayed on the wall..... I cleaned it off, and then took a shower. GROSS!

Yes I am alive....

Moving during the holidays is hard...moving anytime is hard. I am exhausted from all of it. First moving into a 2 bedroom corporate apartment....let me tell you that moving from a 3000 sq ft home into a not even 1000 sq ft apartment brings a whole new meaning to the words "close family". The apartment was nice but I am happy to be in a bigger space and to be with my "things" again. Can you believe that I had to put my YARN in storage!!!!

But now we are in our new home. The ex cat ladies home. The lady before us had 8 cats...8. Can you say STINKY? I am positive that she had the litter pans in the laundry room because it still smells like cat pee in there. I have vacuumed and scrubbed this whole house to get the smell out. I should buy stock in Febreeze..and that baking soda carpet deodorizer! So now you can walk in without wondering what that smell is....just don't open the laundry room door.

Christmas was great this year. It was the first year that Katie really got into it. All the kids had a blast and we spent the day having a great dinner at my parents.

My birthday was last Sunday. My parents and my in laws were the only ones to get me a gift....or a card. I'll not say anymore on that....(yup Greg is in trouble)

Other than that I haven't been doing much. I haven't had much time to knit. After unpacking all day and getting the house set, I am so tired I could sleep where I sit. Soon things will be better.

I did finish the Koigu pattern and start another sock....pictures when I find the camera!