New beginnings

Well, I took the plunge. It was either kill or be killed at work, so I killed. It left me with 3 weeks pay, plus insurance through the end of the month. Not bad, considering the alternative. Granted, it wasn't 100% certain that I'd be fired, but all the signs were there. Who schedules a meeting on Friday (payday as well) the last 30 minutes of someone's day to tell them GOOD news? I don't know of too many people. In any case, what's done is done. Now I get a 2 week vacation (not having to work my notice) and I can job hunt more effectively.

In knitting, man, there's been a great deal going on. I've started the Cigar gloves for my brother, and a second pair of socks. I finished Sheldon #2, and it still needs to be given to the recipient. I learned a new cast-on (which is really cool and should work well for the baby hat and sweater I'm working on), and I still have a long list of items to do. My stash is semi-stagnant. It seems being in TWNY is a bad influence...spinning is now on my list to learn. Evil Jenna! :) Fun though. Perhaps a drop spindle is in my future...

Success!

Well, work still sucks...but knitting is AWESOME!!!!!!!!! I figured it all out...and I made some socks using the most extreme knitting I could think of. I started from the toe, double knit, on Magic Loop. They turned out really well too. I have 3 more sizes to go through, and then once they are all done, I'm going to type up the directions, and I'll post it on here. I'm thinking about putting it in a PDF format and making it available for a small donation. After all, it was a lot of time and effort on my part. I'm hoping to get a few test knitters to try it out, or at least read through it to make sure it makes sense to more than just me. I'm hoping to get the pictures of the great reveal from one of the lovely ladies at TWNY. I was surprised at how easy the socks actually were!

I need to get cracking on updating this site...there's oh-so-much to do on it. I'll have to sit down maybe Monday night and work on it (hubby has a massive paper due on Monday, so stolen moments with the computer is all I can manage this weekend!).

From Bad Moods to Bad Days

My apologies for those of you who tune in for knitting content. First, I know that there hasn't been a whole lot of that going on, at least not on here. Second, I really need to get this out. Please bear with me, and please comment.

I'll admit I make mistakes. I'll admit I make a lot of mistakes. And I probably make more than I should in some areas. However, I hate to feel like I'm being railroaded. Something's fishy in Denmark, you know?!

So, here's what's going on in a nutshell...I've been issued a "final written warning" at work. I'm not perfect, and I make mistakes. I'm human. I would think however that since retraining has been somewhat requested, you'd think someone would do something. I however have a bit of a conspiracy theorist in me, and I think there has been a budget cut and I'm the scapegoat. Maybe I am just that bad of a worker. Maybe I have just screwed up that much. But I'd think it would have taken a shorter amount of time to uncover my incompetence than 2 and a half years...don't you? Maybe my work ethic hasn't been as strong as it once was since having my baby. Maybe family comes first a little too often for corporate. Maybe since I don't want to pursue a masters' degree and a CPA, they don't think I'm worth keeping around.

I should have listened to my gut 3-6 months ago. I could feel it coming down the pipeline. I figured I would just be out-and-out fired...Georgia is an "at will" state...if they want to fire me, they can.

On the other hand, maybe I deserve this somehow. Not careful enough with tasks I'm given, getting a little too hurried and a little too sloppy...I can think of a dozen reasons for and against this.

What I don't understand is why me and why now. Why not 6 months ago, and why not someone else? Maybe I don't politic enough. Maybe I don't put on enough of a show for them. I'd start now, but since they've basically made up their minds (if I don't show IMMEDIATE improvement, I'm out), so is it too little too late? Do I even care enough if their minds are made up to put forth the effort? I know as a Christian I should always do my best. I thought I had been doing my best. Apparently, either what I think is my best really isn't, or it just isn't good enough for them.

I'm also in the process of figuring out who knows...I know of at least 3 people who know, and I didn't tell them. I know of one person who knows because I told her. So, there's 4 people, plus myself, who knows. I have a suspicion that 3 other people know, and at least one of them helped.

I'd really rather be a stay-at-home mom, but unfortunately, that doesn't pay the bills. We can't afford that right now (since I'm the only wage earner) but hopefully we can soon. In the meantime, I'm off to do a serious job search.

Bad Moods

I am just in a bad mood. It seems like everything and everyone is on a mission to screw with me today. Ever have those days? Everything is just getting on my nerves. It's either because I'm really tired (my little man is going through a growth spurt and isn't sleeping well plus allergies make it hard for him to breathe) or my allergies are acting up (always a possibility) or it's just time for me to be in a bad mood, since I really don't have them that often. I am SO ready to start really getting up someone else's nose today.

I have, on the bright side, been finishing things right and left. I finished the Baby I.Q. Afghan (all but weaving in ends), and the body of Sheldon. I also organized my recipes. I find a stack here and there that need organizing, but it's all a process. It's supposed to rain this weekend, so I think I'm going to spend Saturday doing a few things in the house, rather than in the yard. I hope to start a couple of more projects this month, and get a few things finished as well. Here are the goals for April:

1. Finish Sheldon completely and give to recipient.
2. Complete toe-up double knitted socks and write down instructions.
3. Start on gloves for my brother
4. Start on socks for either my brother or sister-in-love. :)
5. Get desk/front room organized.

It doesn't look like a very long list, but trust me, it will keep me VERY busy this month. We're heading up to Toccoa next weekend to visit the in-laws. Hopefully I'll have some knitting time in the car to and from, so I can make some serious progress on some of the above items. I need to get the front room organized, so I can block my Clapotis. It's great as a scarf right now, but it could really use some blocking so I can wear it as a wrap.

Finishpalooza

I'm trying to have a finishpalooza, and if I would stop starting new projects, I could probably get more done. I did finish Clapotis this weekend (although it could use blocking and I have blocking pins downstairs somewhere in the abyss that is the craft room, the spare bedroom floor isn't in the condition necessary to block anything, so I'm stuck just wearing it unblocked and I LURVE it), and I have to say, I LOVE this pattern. I can definitely see why it was such a hit about 3 years ago. Again, sometimes I'm a little slow on the uptake. I hope to knit this one again in a red/black/grey colorway to the pattern specs, rather than making it longer and narrower than the original.

Tonight I'm hoping to finish the edging on JHAC's Baby I.Q. Afghan tonight, and then there will just be the sewing in ends part. That takes what feels like forever, but it has to be done. After that, I need to finish Sheldon (the newest Knit Night project).

I'm trying to be good and purchase more yarn or start a new project...but I did purchase a new book this weekend! I found a copy of Knitting Without Tears on the shelf (this NEVER happens...it's always an ordered book! - at least for me it is. I never luck into these things). So I definitely picked it up. I am coming into the EZ love ring. :) Once I can find Knitting Workshop (I'm thinking I'm going to hit my LYS up for this one...I think Debi carries it regularly, and doesn't have to order it). I know I've seen the DVD there, so I'm pretty sure she has the book too. I also picked up the latest Interweave Knits. I haven't looked at it in detail (I just skimmed it when I got home on Saturday) but I'm kind of "eh" on the changes. I do miss the lack of men's patterns. Of course, since I have so many men to knit for, I like to have options.

Evil Baking Genius

I was evil...and I did bake. The genius part, well, that's up for debate. I took Chocolate Toffee Bars to Knit Night last night, and I only brought home 3. My hubby finished those off. I don't think it was too bad. :)

In knitting, I'm chugging along on my Clapotis, and I'm over halfway done. I was hoping to have it finished by Easter (and my birthday), but that just didn't happen. Nonetheless, it's still in progress. I STILL haven't finished the Baby I.Q. Afghan (I'm close, but no cigar) and I still have to sew on snaps to the Classic Cardigan. Sheldon isn't moving very far either. And here I am, starting a new project. I'm toying with double knit socks...knitting both socks at the same time, one inside the other, from the toe up. I figured out how they HAVE to start, and now it's just a matter of getting the toddler socks completed, directions written up and test-knitted. I think I can find some test knitters for that. That's all for now...I'm going to grab a pattern and get started on those socks.

Changing things

Ok, I'm going to try and get some changes going here. I signed up at Ravelry for the BOA (Blog Organization Along) and have yet to work on it. I think I tried to tackle too much. So, I'm hoping that next week I can start getting some changes made on this here blog. Work should slow down a little, and maybe then I can post a little more as well. I've got TONS of stuff going on, and I want it all done now. Ever have those days? I guess I need to keep a list going and prioritize in a major way. I just wish I didn't have to sleep...it's cutting into my knitting time (and other things as well).

Where does the time go?

I finished the Cardigan...almost (still). I bought snaps to put on behind the buttons, but my sewing skilz just ain't happenin'. I started on my own personal Clapotis. I know, I'm about 3 years behind the rest of the world...go figure. Also, for a while, although I'd like a few things from each issue of Knitty, this issue to me is the best in a long time. Almost all of the patterns I would LOVE to knit (the only 2 being the little girl things, because I don't have a little girl). Everything else is FABULOUS!

In the realm of baking, I am going to attempt new Heath Bars either tonight or tomorrow. Probably tomorrow, because I am flippin' exhausted today. Fortunately, since I made a double batch of the toffee, there's plenty to go around. I have 9 other recipes to choose from, and 3 of them call for granulated sugar, which I think was the problem in the first batch. I will conquer the Heath bars!

I have decided how to clean out my closet. First, there's the whole idea of only keeping what fits you...just about everything in my closet fits, so that's not going to get rid of much. The next thought I had (although it might be a natural conclusion for some, it took me a little while to figure this one out...I'm a little slow on the upswing some days) was to clean out everything I didn't like the color or pattern of. This will include a lot of the items hanging up there. I was keeping most of them because they fit...not because I liked them. This led to an overabundant closet and a small worn selection. We're going to fix that. I'm on a girly kick, so pinks, purples, reds, some blues and greens, will stay. The rest is getting packed up and shipped out (probably to the Goodwill store just down the road from my house). I really hate to give it all away, but in order to make room to receive more, I need to clean out what I have. I might even find a few items at the Goodwill to purchase; I haven't looked yet, so I don't know what they have.

Saturday is picture day! We're taking pictures of Little Man again, so I'm all excited! I just have to iron his shirt and pants, and figure out what outfit #2 will be.

Just a Punk in the Street*

Ok, today is a little different post. First of all, I did finish the Classic Cardigan, but haven't put on the buttons yet. I did get the buttons yesterday from here, but realized they were too BIG for the buttonholes. After careful consideration and some whining, I figured out that I need to rework the buttonhole band as the button band, and then attach the buttons to the outside and use snaps to actually close the cardi. Smart, huh? It'll be easier than 2-way buttons (a button on the outside and a reverse button on the other, with the hole on the inside-or at least that's what I call it). In any case, that's to be re-knit (I will take pictures before I rip out the buttonhole band, though, I PROMISE!!!!). I finished half of SSKP#2 last night, and started the other half. Pictures to follow soon.

Last night, I decided to attempt the toffee again. This time, I had a LOT more success. Here's how I did it WITHOUT a candy thermometer (although I'm sure it would have been much easier with one).

Step 1a: Please, I beg you, be sure to grease a sheet pan BEFORE you get started. It's hard enough to pay close attention to the candy as it cooks, without the added distraction of trying to grease a pan. This is an incredibly important step...because if you don't, the candy will stick and it won't break properly, and disaster will ensue. (Well, only for your toffee).

See the butter on there? Very important.

Step 1: gather your ingredients...I doubled the recipe, so I had 3 and a half sticks of butter, 2 cups of sugar, and 4 tablespoons of water in a large pot. Turn the stove on medium high (on mine, it worked better on around 5-6 than 7...of course I just have one of those weird dials that gives numbers, and not words to gauge your heat).

Nice and melty...butter, sugar, how can you go wrong?!

Step 2: Get the butter/sugar/water mixture nice and hot, where it starts to melt together and bubble.

Here it is all melted.

And now it's all bubbly...

Step 3: Cook and stir (ALWAYS stir it...it keeps the bubbles IN the pot...very important...this cup runneth over is NOT a happy cup) until it turns brown.

We're getting there...

Brown and bubbly...brown and bubbly...

Step 4: Once it gets toffee colored (go figure), add in the 2 teaspoons of vanilla and dash of salt. Of course, any GOOD cook would add only 1 teaspoon...but I added more. 'Cause I'm just like that...a punk.

Step 5: Stir well, and pour onto the prepared pan.

And let it cool. Once it's cool (mine took about 2-2 and a half hours before it hardened), it's time for some fun! It's smash-time!

See all the yummy crunchy toffee goodness just begging to be eaten?! It's a yummy treat. Now, this weekend, I'll be attempting to make the Starbucks "Health Bars", patent pending. :) I also have another wondiferous recipe that I'll share hopefully either later today or tomorrow. The good news, it's simple and fairly quick. The bad news, it's TOTALLY addictive (my husband requests it often...a little too often for my own personal tastes, but I'll indulge him while it's still cool enough to turn on the oven, and then he'll have to wait until after summer to enjoy it again).

Much love!

This week with insanity

It's been a crazy week, and I keep getting crazy ideas. I finished the Classic Cardigan, with the exception of buttons...pictures coming soon (hopefully after buttons are sewn on). There's Super Secret Knitting Project #1 (SSKP#1) that is done, with the exception of sewing in the ends, and SSKP#2 is well underway. I treated myself to more yarn (according to my nutritionist I should reward myself with NON-FOOD items, and yarn is in that category - a mouthful of angora just isn't pleasant) and added some for my birthday as well (yay me!). I did make it to Knit Night this week, and had a really good time.

I also saw this post and decided to try to recreate the Starbucks pastry formerly known as "Heath Bars" (we also called them "Health Bars" because what's healthier than chocolate and toffee in a cookie bar?). I started with trying to make toffee last night...and burned it. Yep, the house was filled with smoke and smelt of burnt sugar. It was not happy. Fortunately, all that I lost was a little time (very little) and some butter and sugar. It was worse than the misfortune with the 7-up cake, but completely inedible. I think the times were off in comparison to the recipe. It said to cook it for 10 minutes, and I did. I didn't use a candy thermometer, which is my fault...but I don't have one. I'm attempting it again tonight, mainly because I'm trying to do the toffee before the rain gets here (tomorrow). Humidity always reeks havoc with candy, so I'm trying to avoid that.

Small Victories

WOOHOO!!! I have lost 10 pounds! I'm a little excited, can you tell? I also have some super secret projects (SSP) going on, but I will hopefully take pictures this weekend and post them on Monday (if all goes well).

In knitting, I'm working on SSP1, and over halfway done with it. In sewing, SSP1 hasn't begun yet...well, not really. I have all the materials for it, but I haven't started it. The cardigan is still in a holding pattern. I have to get some buttons.

As for the weight loss, I went to see a dietician/nutritionist about 6 weeks ago, and we discussed an eating plan. It's really working for me. Most days I'm not hungry (we all have those days when we want to inhale everything, but over all I'm good on what I'm supposed to eat) and there's a little play room in it (chocolate is NOT off limits, which is good, cause if it was going to kill me, I'd die happy). It's really all about portion control, and I'm ok with that. I have tons of energy, and although some days I crawl around with my son, I don't every day, and that's ok too. Sometimes I just let him run around on his own, and I watch. The important thing is that his momma is getting healthy, and that's what I want. I want to be a healthy momma for my baby. I'm just excited that this is working out better than I had thought. I can't really tell a huge difference yet, but when you have SO much weight to lose, a little is hard to notice sometimes. The good thing is that it's MASSIVELY encouraging, and I'm excited. It makes me happy.

Organization

It's killing me...I think for the rest of the week I'm spending every waking moment possible downstairs cleaning, throwing away and organizing. I can never find what I need when I need it. I spent a good 30 minutes this morning looking for some yarn (found), a coupon book (not found) and a tape (not found). This is distressing.

I've almost finished the edging on the Baby I.Q. Afghan; there's about 1 square left to DC around in white, and then it's time to SC around the whole thing in black. In my search this morning, I did find 2 more skeins of black and another skein of white. I also found a skein of sock yarn that I knew I had, but couldn't find. I cannot remember the type of sock yarn that it is, only that it was on sale because it was the last one of its dye lot, and I bought it to make a pair of children's socks. Since I now have a child, it looks like he's getting a new pair of socks. It's a multi-colored bright sock yarn...and that's about all I can remember. I remember I bought it from the Yarn Garden in Lawrenceville, and it was on sale. It's pretty...and bright...it will do well for socks for either a boy or a girl, so I think I'm good to go.

Soooo close

I went Thursday night, in the pouring rain, to find buttons. I found none. Friday, I went searching for buttons online, and found some. I have yet to order them, but will probably tonight. Here's a picture of the (almost) finished cardigan:

This weekend, I also made these:

You can find the recipe here. I also made these:

The recipe is here. I highly recommend any of the recipes from the site that you find. I haven't tried all of them, but I have tried a few, and all of them turn out fantastic. This roll looks a little over done, but it tastes fine. I baked the rest of them about 5 minutes less, and they looked better and were a little less golden on top. I've tried the lasagna, rolls, cinnamon rolls, a version of the chicken spaghetti, and all of it has turned out fantastic. I get great complements from all the recipes. Go check out The Pioneer Woman (her main site) too. It's fun to read about life on a ranch, and her many crazy adventures, being a middle child and all.

I finally moved my sewing machine upstairs, but I couldn't find the cord! No electricity = no sewing on the machine. I did however, seam this together:

I also washed and dried some fabric, and will hopefully be able to post pictures of that later. Tonight is a major working night...I have a Finance Committee meeting tonight, and that means I won't be getting home until late. Tomorrow is Knit Night, and I'm going to that as well. I haven't been in about a month, and I need a break. It's so nice to get out every once in a while and be with adults but not have to work, or grocery shopping, or doing something involving children. Sometimes you just need an escape. I definitely need an escape this week.

Determination

You might have noticed I wasn't around the end of last week. There was an emergency trip to see my in-laws. My MIL had open heart surgery (triple bypass) on Thursday. To say it came as a shock would be an understatement. But, the hospital staff was fantastic, and my dear MIL came through wtih flying colors. She should be home sometime soon.

Being in the hospital gave me a chance to work on my baby's cardigan. I am SOOO close to finishing it. I have one buttonband done, and I have to finish the buttonhole band. I'm at a stopping point however, because I don't know how many buttons will be on it. I'm leaning toward 6, rather than the 5 that the pattern calls for. I also have to find said buttons...I really want monkey buttons. I know...insane request, but he loves monkeys. He's my little monkey.

An almost Finished Object

I have almost completed the Classic Cardigan. I'm on the button band, then it's just a matter of seaming (which I cheated on, because I worked the body in the round instead of in flat pieces) the arms and sewing on the buttons. I have to search for buttons...I know what I want; it's just a matter of finding it. Once this is done, I can move on to other projects that I've started and just haven't finished. I have a Sheldon waiting, and a few other things as well. It feels good to get things finished.

Stalling

I'm stalling on some projects. I decided to read instead last night. I picked up a couple of books from the library, and have been a little more interested in reading than in knitting. I tried to make a 7-up cake this weekend, and it overflowed. I think the main reason was the recipe wasn't complete, and I assumed. Assumptions are not good things. The recipe called for "flour"...not specifying the type. Since there was no leavening agent (salt and baking powder), I thought it meant self-rising flour. I double checked on a version this morning, and it should have been all purpose. Oh well...the result was edible, just not pretty. I'm glad I put a baking sheet under the bundt pan to catch the overflow...otherwise, the oven would have been a disaster. I think I'll reattempt the cake later.

Pictures

I found the cord for the camera, so here we go with some pictures of the cardigan:

Here's an upclose shot of the "Man Stripe", which I think makes it look adorable on my baby, despite what others think. He hardly ever wears something like this, so I don't see the harm. I promise that I will not make him wear a Man Stripe all the time...just this cardigan has one to make it match the Reversible Hat.

Here's a view of my knitting...I get a lot of comments on it, or did, at my LYS. The knit stitches are twisted at the base, because of the way I wrap my yarn. I still get the fabric I want, so it's not "wrong". I can "fix" it, but I like it this way.

This cardigan should be finished (with the exception of the button band and buttons) by next week. I'm already on the yoke, as you can tell. I am loving knitting baby projects...they work up fast. I have a couple of more projects for babies that I need to work on; I just can't help but put my baby first. So sue me. :) I'm a momma.

D'oh!

I hope everyone voted yesterday. It doesn't matter for whom; it just matters that you were invovled in the process. I'd call it a "democratic" process, and I guess the primaries are truly a "democratic" one...all votes count. For the actual election, it's a republic process. The difference? Simple - in a democracy, each individual vote counts. In a republic, there is a small group who's votes ultimately decide (this is an over-simplification, but you get the point). Even our Pledge of Allegiance says "and to the REPUBLIC for which it stands"...not "democracy". I think that's something most people forget. Ok, enough of my soapbox for that.

In knitting, I did work some more on the Classic Cardigan, and I even took pictures. The bad news is I didn't bring my cable so I can't get the pictures from the camera to the computer. Oh well...maybe tomorrow. I also skipped the knit night at my LYS, in favor of spending time with my hubby, and watching American Idol and House. I was also slightly interested in seeing how the primaries turned out, but did not stay up to see the last of the polls close.

New month and already behind

I'm already behind on organizing my blog. I did figure out how to edit the labels, so now it's just a matter of time. I'm thinking that if I can't get to it this weekend, I can do it mid-month, when work is slow. I might be able to work on the layout as well this month.

On the knitting front, I've been working on the Classic Cardigan, and it's coming along nicely. Once I get a few rows done after joining the sleeves to the body, I'll try it on Little Man and see if it fits. I'm also thinking I should measure a jacket in the same size and see how it compares. I haven't really worked on anything else, even though the Baby I.Q. Afghan is ready for seaming. I'll get pictures up soon.

This weekend

I made some serious progress on the cardigan this weekend. The bad news is that I didn't take any pictures. I'll have to do that tomorrow night. I think I'm going to forego knit night this week, because of a meeting I have tonight. It's bad enough missing your family one night a week, but two is pushing it for me. I like to be at home with my two men.