Happy Thanksgiving!

I truly can't believe that it's Thanksgiving al-ready!

I woke up feeling so thankful for my family... and have spent the rest of the morning trying to remember that I'm thankful for all these noisy little boys. All here together. Watching football and taunting each other. Throwing footballs (in the living room) and leaving dirty dishes everywhere. Ahhhh... I suppose these will someday be the good ol' days.

I sent one out to clean out a car... and he has mysteriously attracted all his brothers to follow so they are now chasing each other down in the front yard with a nerf football. Sixteen down to six. The older ones teaching the younger ones. And there is laughter. (Of course, I know how this goes... soon there will be tears and wrestling... but I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.)

Anyway, I finished a sweater last week but have been slow to post it because I'm so disappointed that I didn't measure better. Or at all.

The pattern (Opulent Raglan) was wonderfully written and a pleasure to knit. I'm sure if I had bothered to check my gauge or pay heed to that nagging feeling that the underarms were a bit snug, it would be perfect. Or maybe if I had a better understanding of my body shape and adjusted the waist shaping accordingly, the waist shaping wouldn't start at my bustline. I'm thinking all these things would've made a difference. But I didn't do any of them so I get what I got so to speak.

Actually, I think this sweater was doomed before I even started. My real problem began in the LYS when I found the yarn I liked (Lana Grossa Cool Wool) but chose a shade of purple that I wasn't completely comfortable with. Don't ask me why. I do things like that quite often, and the LYS owner laughs at me because I'm always exchanging colors the day after I make a purchase. But this time I cast on right away, and spent the next few weeks convincing myself that I liked the color... which was just a bit too plum for my liking.

It's certainly not unwearable, but it's such a great sweater that I wish I had gotten it right. I suppose I could frog and start over, but uh, yeah... that's not gonna happen. It's just not. I'll re-knit the whole thing with a color I like before I do that.

Plus, I've decided to actually learn from my mistakes on this one and use it as a reference for future sweaters.

Oh, and I didn't do the ruffled sleeves because I didn't know if I could pull them off (especially in plum). I'd also like to add some length to the sleeves (but I probably won't do that either). Sigh. Truth be told, I was counting on some major stretching during the soak and block process that just didn't happen. Such is life.

Well our impromptu football game has come to a peaceful end (which never, ever happens so I'll be thankful for that) and they have all crashed back here in the living room... for more professional football. What joy.

Later we will go feast with my family. I'm in charge of bringing bread. Fortunately, my mother is quite aware of my limitations in the kitchen.

I hope you all enjoy your day... and if you have a moment, please share with me what you are thankful for today. Happy Thanksgiving!

And more knitting...

I actually finished these socks a week or so ago, but was trying to pace myself with blog fodder.



Pattern: Alana Socks by Wendy Johnson
Yarn: Tempted Yarns fingering in Moonlight
Size 0 needles

It's a toe-up pattern which I'm starting to like but it still doesn't come as naturally to me as the traditional top-down. I really like the style of the socks and think they'll look great with my black mary-janes. The yarn was wonderful. Of course, I rarely meet a sock yarn I don't love.

Ironically, I am finally getting around to posting the finished socks on a day when we are experiencing the same smoky skies that motivated me to start them. We are experiencing horrible dry, hot winds with temps around 90! Fires are raging again and unfortunately quite a few homes have been lost. Pray for our firefighters... and the many who have come in from other states... as they battle these fires. They are just an amazing group! And pray for the families who are in the fire zones. Thanks.

The Good Doctor

I love this picture!

Did any of you see this episode? When Wilson takes House to his father's funeral?

It was so good! And House was superb in this scene.

And remember the scene when the two of them got arrested? Do you?

Less than 5 miles from my house. Seriously!

We recognized the location right away. And you know if I'm going to stalk sets and dress my children like the man, I would've been there... I would've walked there... if I'd had any sort of clue.

The real kicker is that I just found out that a friend of DH's new they were going to be filming there that day... AND... saw... the man... himself... when she got home from work.

Now, I have barely been able to live with the fact that he was so close... but to know that somebody my husband knows, knew, but didn't know to tell him... to tell me. Well, it's just too much for me to handle.

So all I have now is this picture.

I knit something!

I have two new loves... Handmaiden yarns and Knitspot patterns by Anne Hanson!



This is her Rivolo scarf.



The yarn is Handmaiden Casbah in "Smoke"... knit with size 5 needles.
As you can see, there was no pooling, just gentle transitions in color.



Now we just need it to cool off a bit more.

So here's the thing...

I'm rather obsessive by nature and can easily become completely consumed by items of interest. Now, for the better part of the last 3 or 4 years, knitting has been able to feed this obsession. Shopping for yarn, choosing patterns, blog reading, casting on and, of course, actual knitting has kept my pretty busy. Until lately.

My rather neurotic, yet peaceful fibery world has been interrupted in the most dramatic of ways by, of all things, politics. I have become completely, intolerably captivated by this election. It has dominated all my waking thoughts and has manifested itself as an unnatural preoccupation with all forms of political media and discussion.

So since I have a brain that is incapable of easily shifting gears... and since I refuse to fill blog pages with political ramblings... I have been unusually absent from my little bloggy home.

I will be glad when tomorrow is over. I have extremely strong views on many aspects of this election, but I'm ready for it to be OVER. I know after tomorrow (hopefully after tomorrow... I would be in agony if this went on like the 2000 election did... serious agony... and my family will probably leave me) half the nation will be sincerely disappointed (whew - I sure hope I'm not in that half) but we need to remember how privileged we are to vote... and we need to respect the voice of the majority with dignity and give our new president our earnest support.

That said... looky here...


Grey skies! The socks aren't done... but we've been blessed with cooler temperatures and even some rain lately!

And who doesn't love football in the rain! Huh?!



I was actually a bit surprised that I was expected to grab an umbrella and attend the game. We southern Californians don't go anywhere in the rain. Well at least this one doesn't. Plus, I've never owned an umbrella that I haven't lost. But I went. My son's out there on the field. The one in the black jersey and helmet. Yeah... could be that one. I'm never sure.

Okay... I'm going to FiNiSh a scarf tonight!! Woo-hoo!

And tomorrow I'm going to go VOTE. And you'd better go VOTE too!

Then go to Starbucks... they're giving out free coffee if you vote! Really!