Hot Cocoa* Week #4

I completely missed #3. There just wasn't time to blog. I am starting to catch up though. I packed up 3 large bags and M made a trip to the Goodwill. Another friend stopped by and I sent her home with 2 smaller bags.

What is your most memorable vacation? Where did you go? What made it memorable?

Growing up, my Dad's parents lived in North Texas and we lived in L.A. Every summer, we'd make the drive that has been made famous by the movie CARS. It was 24 hours driving time. My parents would leave here at 8pm so that we could make it through the hottest part of the desert in the dark. A/C just wasn't what it is today. We'd sleep while Dad drove. I loved watching the lightning storms in the middle of NewMexico/Arizona. When the I-40 is pretty much the only thing, you can see forever, and the lightning lights up the whole sky. I think that with in car DVD's today's kids miss all the beauty God created that's just outside the window. I can't wait to take a big road trip with my little ones. (And we won't have a DVD player in our car. Audio books are great for family listening. And right now, my kids are thrilled with Paws N' Tales. As they grow, we'll start to explore Adventures in Odyssey.) So far, my kids make the trip to No.Cal. -7hours- without a complaint. They love the trucks on the highway, hawks, cows...it's amazing what they see that my eyes would skip over.

Catch Up?!

I'm not sure if this will really have me back up to date. And even then, I'm only caught up on this blog. The rest of my life is still 2 weeks late. I guess, what should I expect, I was born 2 weeks late (1). And ever since then, I've had this thing about being on time...or better yet early. I walked at 9 months (2). I was spelling as soon as I could talk...OK, my first word was C-O-K-E...because I wanted soda from my dad and my parents spell talked thinking I wouldn't get it...so why do M & I spell now in front of our kids (3). I've rushed through so many things, only to get myself back to being 2 weeks behind. I think I should call it a wash...and just give up.

Here's my soon-to-be-felted-tulip. I knit this in December, and finally photographed it 2 weeks ago. And then that time warp kept me from getting the photo to my blog. This will have to count for my Friday Flowers since it's raining too hard to go outside and take pictures.




I've been tagged for more things than I remember right now. I know that some people find tags and memes obnoxious. I don't. In fact, I'm truly flattered. In school, my friends called me Barbie...thin, blond, California Girl with a boyfriend who drove a brand new Mustang (M). I didn't see what they saw. I was still afraid of not fitting in. I think that's why I love getting tagged, it makes me feel special to someone (5). Isn't that all we really want. It's like not getting picked last in P.E. Also, in my whole life, I never won anything except a french fry radio that didn't really work...Until Now! The radio was in some raffle at a McD's. All students who had participated in the jog-a-thon got a free lunch. I put my free lunch coupon into the raffle after getting my meal and won a radio shaped like an order of fries. Seriously that's it. And now, just since the beginning of the year, I've won at Allison's blog (oh, wait...that was just before the New Year). Michelle's blog. & The marshmallow contest. Should I go buy lottery tickets? I've never bought a lottery ticket before (6)? Or, maybe just enter another contest. Miss Me, my first upstream swap pal is having her bloggiversary...and her first contest. Go here to enter. I seriously can not believe I've won so much. Maybe this is just a hint that 2008 is going to be so much better than 2007.

Now...will getting caught up here help me put away my Christmas decorations? They are in a giant pile...I just can't get them into the tubs that they came out of. How is that? The only new thing was a Christmas tree skirt. I might have to give in and buy a new Rubbermaid. That's not going to fit my system because I label my containers and the new Christmas container would be out of sequence. (7). I am a dork. Guess that's why I worried about fitting in. Just don't tell anyone about my alphabetized CD's. (Hey...that could be #8)

If you're a careful reader...you noticed the numbers. There's my Random 7 for Dorothy (rules are at the bottom). And...I've been awarded the YOU MAKE MY DAY award by Julie and Krissy. How cool is that for someone who likes to be tagged?! OK...I'm not tagging anyone right now. I started this post last night, but I was falling asleep. So, I had to finish the links this morning. And, if I take anymore time my kids might have a mutiny.

7 Random Facts Meme

Here are the rules, and they must be posted to your blog. Link to the person’s blog who tagged you. List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself. Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs. Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog and also so they can look at your blog and not tag the same people all over again!

Morestripes

Pattern: MoreStripes
Yarn: Tonalita by Trendsetter 3 balls each...the colors are on Ravelry.
Needles: US 7's throughout.
Begun: August 2007
Finished: January 2008

Notes: It really didn't take that long to knit. It took me that long to get my sewing machine out to work the steek. Someone on ravelry said she frogged the ribbing at the neck to make it lay flat. I was a bit worried after I read that, but I love the way it rolls. Especially at the back of the neck. I only knit 6 rows then bound off on the wrong side.

I wish it was a bit longer, but after I loose 10 pounds it will hang longer. I made it to match the size under my bust, like the pattern calls for, knowing that I still have a bit of roll around my belly from kid #3. That will go this year. It WILL! So, I give you these artsy front shots because the straight on front shot looked horrible with all the horizontal stripes. I'm pretty impressed with my self photography. These shots came out better then when I had M take some in the yard.

And the Viking Ship necklace...that belonged to my Gram...who taught me to knit.

Felt Fridays?

For weeks now, I've had the intention of showing you a felted flower on Friday. The weekend M & I were away in December, I took my flower kit from Ursula to the beach. Sure seems appropriate for her too given that I was engaged in her fiance's hometown. Anyways, that was a fun, quick knit. I finished the tulip that weekend. And it has been awaiting it's trip through the washer for too long. So, do I have that ready today....NO. I wish I did.

Instead, this is where I give a basic update and you pretend there are photos. Some year when I catch up...I'll add posts to document the FO's.

MoreStripes: Finished January 12th. I wore it to church the next day and no one said a thing. I'm not sure if that's a good thing...because it didn't look 'homemade' in a bad way. But, that could have been because it looked horrible on me...all those horizontal stripes when I need to lose a few pounds. Doesn't matter. I LOVE IT!

Felted Bowl: I finally knit one. I think that's how I originally found Beth. But, I digress. It was super quick. And so fun. And not another felted purse. (Not that I don't love the ones I've received, but I've knit so many I've run out of people to give them too.) I see more of these in my future.

Purl Critter: I'm not showing a photo...so I think it's safe to say what fun knit I'm working on for my Hot Cocoa Swap Pal. I'm using a sock yarn...bet you can't guess which one?!

M's Hat: (ravelry link) I have a basic pattern to start from, but this is a cloche not a beanie. And I don't think M will look good with the eyelet row. But, I'm so glad I found this pattern. I've CO and frogged 2 times. Now, I've CO and knit 12 rows, and I'm going to have to frog again. The hat only 'stretches' to 20". And I say 'stretches' because it doesn't stretch. This hat would be snug on 6...his head measures 20 1/2". My head is only 21. But, M's head is 23". His hair is thinner every year, and I think soon, he'll need hats to keep warm in winter. So, I'll keep working on this one even if I don't finish it in time for our cold days this year.

My Jaywalkers: I'm ready to start the heel. I enjoyed knitting these when I didn't need to check back with a pattern. I wish all my knitting could be from memory. I'm just not there with socks yet.

So, I need to CO for something else. These are projects I have the pattern AND yarn for. Do I revisit my KP&S V-neck? Do I start my Lily Cardigan? Or, do I CO for a cute little bag. (My MIL gave me the Disco Lights for Christmas.) I'll still work on the socks and the hat and the critter, but I need something with substance since my MoreStripes is a FO.

And...Look what I found in my yard. It was such a suprise. I totally forget where they are planted from year to year.

Hot Cocoa* Week #2

Now that we're in the thick of 'Winter'... has your knitting changed to match the season? Are you moving on from dishcloths, and tank tops to afghans, hats and mittens? Has your yarn changed from silk or cotton to wool, super wash or heavier cottons?

I didn't really think about that until this question. Last summer I was knitting in cotton for babies...and this winter, so far I've been working on hats. I'm not much of a planner, so what I'm making is usually what we need right now.

In other news...I did submit some marshmallow critters to the contest. Thanks Lesley for the great idea. That turned into a fun activity for the kids. I served them Hot Cocoa, and I just happened to find a great book at the library; Cocoa Beans and Daisies: How Swiss Chocolate is Made. It was fun, the left page takes you step by step through the Cocoa harvest in Africa. The right page talks about the Swiss Cows that eat daisies...and the part that milk plays in Swiss Chocolate. In the 2nd part of the book, the ingredients combine. The next day we made a chocolate "fondue" from scratch...using the unsweetened Cocoa powder (they tasted that too). Then they were dipping the marshmallows in Chocolate. I've noticed there are other HS moms in the swap. I hope I get a chance to find you all and check out your blogs.