Counting Cardigans

If I had a dollar for every cardigan I currently have on the needles, I'd have like 4... no... 5 1/2 dollars. Yeah, it may not seem like much but heck it's 1/3 the cost of the new Interweave Holiday Knits magazine that I had to buy today in order to keep my IK collection complete and my psyche balanced. (I'm still trying to process and justify my purchase so bear with me.)

Let's see... I have a Debbie Bliss cabled cardigan that I started an eternity ago, a Kim Hargreaves Boyfriend Sweater, a February Lady Sweater (of course because doesn't everyone?), a Noro short sleeved cardigan, and a lacy summer number that I'm not even thinking about. The 1/2 is a vest that I started last winter.

Disclaimer: This is no way a complete count of my WIPs... just the cardigans... and the ones I can remember.

The cardigans are starting to feel like debt that needs to be managed... but since I'm not very good at dealing with real debt, I'm not fairing much better here. Common sense would really dictate that I pick up the cotton Boyfriend Cardi and work on that during this dry heatwave, but common sense rarely dictates my knitting so I am working on the February Lady Sweater with some Dream In Color.



The yarn is bugging me a bit (probably due to the void of any moisture in the air) but the colors are stunning. It's a very dark blue with variations of purple and such.



I'm also quite the fan of this new style of cardigan as it eliminates worries about expanding waistlines. Not that I have an issue... just saying. I'm especially looking forward to finishing this one so I can add it to my pile of wool sweaters that it's never cool enough to wear. Sigh.

Full Speed Ahead

This is my view in the car these days.






Yep... I have two (2!) teens learning to drive. For some reason, my oldest seemed rather unmotivated to get his driver's permit. He took Driver's Ed, got all the paperwork and signed up for Driver's Training... but was always too busy to go to the DMV and take the test. Until the day after his younger brother turned 15 1/2.

Travis, being rather competitive by nature (not sure who gets that from *ahem*) was armed and ready to get his permit and just had to await some paperwork when the day came. So, within a week, he got his permit as well.

Which plunged me into the insanity of being chauffeured around town by two teens.

Fortunately they are both good cautious drivers. But even so, I'm not quite sure how to prepare a driver of any age to maneuver the So Cal freeway system. Travis took me on the freeway the other day and did a fine job, but when we hit standstill traffic on the way home, we opted to exit instead of changing lanes and took side roads home. Deeeeep breath.

I realized that I never posted pictures of my finished Clothilde.



The pattern was very enjoyable and I could see knitting another one in the future.



I used Handmaiden Swiss Sea Sock in "Blooming Orchid" and let me tell you... next time I have some money to spend on yarn, I'm gonna be snatching up as much of this as I can get! It is silky soft and amazing!

Today I'm going to work on my February Lady Sweater and listen to an audio book. I hope.

We Survived!

We hopped a train to Santa Barbara for the day and had a blast. Beautiful weather, lunch on the pier, a tour of the oceanography museum (with plenty of hands on exploration)...



and then to the beach for some real life exploration.

Wyatt had the most amazing find of the day...



Vertebrae! The scientist said they were either from a dolphin or a seal, but the really cool part is that they were still connected by cartilage! Of course the coolness of this is relative... "ooooh!" or "ewwwww"... your choice. But Wyatt thought it was all kinds of awesome as he is passionate about science and wildlife.

Daniel found a treasure as well. A treasure perfect for him... but of a very different nature. It was some sort of military belt which he was quick to imagine had survived WWII only to end up on the sandy shores of Santa Barbara.

So just when I'm thinking how great it was that they each found just the right treasure, Josiah emerged with his find...



An airplane liquor bottle.

Fortunately it was empty... as was the syringe they found a few minutes later.

Ahhh... you gotta love a city beach.

I would show you a close-up of the vertebrae, but to pretty things up I'll show you the Uptown Boot Sock from Favorite Socks that I started the other day with Handmaiden Casbah in Peridot.



And now I get to sleep without worrying about train tracks tonight! Yay!

Can't Sleep

First of all, I was very blessed by all your kind words. Thank you!

I used to do a lot of my blogging late at night when I couldn't sleep, but lately it seems that I spend from about 2:00 on just trying to stay awake until bedtime. I've had a headache since, well, about August so that's been a bummer and pollen is not my friend.

But tonight I couldn't sleep because I kinda have something on my mind so after tossing and turning for a while, I thought... Hey, it's a blogging opportunity. Now if I'd had some Lucky Charms in the house, I might've taken a different direction here. But I don't... so here I am.

This Thursday, we are supposed to go on a train ride up the coast with our homeschool group. In addition to relayed expectations that our children all be on their absolute best behavior for the ride and the museum tour when we arrive (just shoot me now)... there's the whole train thing. Now don't get me wrong. I actually look forward to the train ride itself. It's more the train tracks that I have a problem with. Yes my friends, I have a deeply held yet understandably misunderstood heart stopping fear of train tracks. Not the trains mind you... just the tracks. And I'll tell you right now that there couldn't have been a worst week for that Australian baby stroller video to hit the airwaves than this one. Yes, I know the baby is fine... Praise the Lord! But any way you look at it, train tracks are just dangerous things. (And Julie... you just stop laughing at me right now!)

I've already started discussing arriving and boarding procedures with the boys. They have been informed that they stay behind me and as far away from the tracks as physically possible until the train has stopped and is ready for us to board. They are to board quickly (so the doors don't shut on us) yet with extreme caution (so they don't trip and fall) and they are not allowed to improvise with any practical jokes at any time.

As for the museum whose curators seem unnaturally obsessed with silent, obedient munchkins for a tour geared at K-2nd graders... I'm wondering if they would notice duct tape over the mouth of my youngest because, Lord help me, that is the only way he is going to be quiet.

And this, my sane friends, is what's keeping me awake.

Please tell me crazy things keep you awake too!

Hey!

It's me. I'm still alive and kicking... just not blogging. Most days I can't decide if I want to keep blogging or not so I don't blog at all. Plus, finding the time is hard... taking decent pictures is a skill that still eludes me... and typing with a youngster who never (ever) stops talking isn't easy.

Truth is the whole internet experience has soured a bit for me as well. When I first started knitting and blogging I was a total internet noob. I barely knew how to google let alone how to upload a photo. And the only internet forum that I had been involved with was a homeschool message board which I eventually started avoiding because of a particular someone I'll just call Babs who thought she knew everything and was constantly telling everyone else why she was right and they were wrong. The nerve! Little did I know then that EVERY internet forum has its own Babs... and they are usually the least of the problem because, hidden behind their lap-top, some people are just plain mean.

However, I have made some wonderful internet friends who have blessed me in ways that far outweigh the negative impressions left on me by those who have left me extremely disillusioned so I'm not quite ready to give up yet. I think. Well... we'll see.

Anyhoo... let's see if I can catch up here....



We've had a birthday.



A fire... or two or three.



Lots of football.



Check out that form! My oldest has taught me a thing or two about perseverence I'll tell you that! I never knew I would love Friday Night Lights so much!



Lots of goofy crazy boys. I would tell you that they were all just singing along with Taylor Swift but my oldest would kill me... so forget I said anything.



And even some knitting. These are Loksins that I knit for a friend out of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock. Very fun pattern.

I also have a shawl on the blocking board and at least one other knit to post as well.

Now I must get things settled before our Big Night of TV begins. House (of course!), How I Met Your Mother (which we record during House), then Big Bang Theory and Castle (a new find).

About House... I love the way they've shaken up the show this season. They've managed to take a seasoned show and make it unpredictable again. I love that! What do you think?