Here We Go Again

Dave has been asked to emcee the Sweetheart Soiree again. Last year, I began knitting myself the Cherie Amour sweater from Knitty's Fall 2007 collection of patterns. The pattern was going well until I separated for the armholes, when it became too confusing to continue. I ended up buying something to wear, and packing away this project. When I found out we were going again this year, I brought the unfinished sweater back out. I was hoping that a year away from it would give me time to get over my frustration, and fresh eyes to figure out my mistakes. I wasn't four rows in, when I was ripping out again. No! I said. I'm not doing this again. No sweater is worth all this aggravation. I began to unravel, and didn't stop until the Cherie Amour was no more than a pile of yarn on the bed. It broke my heart a first, but the more I ripped back, the more I began to feel the weight lift off me. My sweater from hell was gone, and I had all this beautiful yarn to use for another, more worthy of my time, sweater...And I found it! Flipping thought the pages of last year's Winter issue of Knitscene, revealed the perfect sweater for this yarn. It's called Tereza Pullover, designed by Melissa LeBarre. I began this pullover on January 24th, and have already completed it down passed the separation of the sleeves to the waist shaping section. Wow, this one is much easier. Having this completed by February 11th, the date of the Sweetheart Soiree, is definately an attainable goal, thanks to my insomniac knitting.

For those of you who may have missed the saga of the Cherie Amour sweater, you can read about it here, here, here, and here.

A Nice Compromise

I know all the fashion experts advise us to wear clothes that fit. They tell us it actually makes us look thinner than swimming around in oversized clothes. I'll never give up my baggies for every day comfort, but I've been trying to wear more flattering things for church and for dress-up times. It's very hard on me. A lifetime of self-doubt, and poor body image doesn't go away over night, so I decided to pair my new sweater with a jacket. Dave took these pictures of me just before church. As much as this pains me, I guess I'll have to grudgingly admit the fashion experts are right. I do look thinner in the non-jacket picture, but for now, I'm going with comfort. Maybe someday...

Lap Throw #3

Nothing new to say today. I just wanted to share a picture of the latest lap throw for the church. Hopefully I can remember to take it with me tomorrow. :)

Blogger Blues

To my sisters, and readers who have left me comments to my posts, I promise I'm not ignoring you. Blogger will not let me see them. When I click on the "comments" link, it takes me to the post page, but it will not let me scroll down to read the comments. Fortunately, I have my phone, and it will let me see the comments. Unfortunately, the fact that I have a prepaid service, means my internet is a slower than most smart phones, making answering kind of difficult. I do read, and appreciate every comment, and I want to answer them. I'm getting pretty tired of Blogger and it's little bugs. Seems like they finally fix a problem, only to have another one crop up. So I hope you'll continue to read and give me feedback. I really love being able to interact with my sisters and others who read my ramblings. It really is like a little visit..well, that is, it used to be when I could comment back...

Answered Prayer!

I know I don't usually post this many times in one day, but I just couldn't wait! Annie and Max were relaxing comfortably in the same room together. I know this is very small compared to what is going on in the world...No, you know what? I'm not even going to say that, because it minimizes the miracle God has given to me. If you've followed my blog from as far back as the middle of 2009, you know what a big struggle this has been for me. I didn't tell anyone but Dave this, but I had even begun to question my faith. This is huge, and I'm shouting it across the internet. Praise God! Thank you for caring about the seemingly little things that are of such a huge importance to us!

My New Sweater

Yes, I actually made a sweater for myself, and, wonder of wonders, it actually fits. It's extremely comfortable, like a warm hug. The only problem with it is the model. I've worn baggy, shapeless clothes for so long that I'm completely uncomfortable wearing something that fits. I had lost some weight, and thought I'd gotten passed some of my fears and poor body image issues, but I saw these pictures and they all came rushing back. Oh, well. I'm trying to accept myself, and I'm hoping this sweater will be step one in the right direction. (Note to self: in the future, wear a beige bra instead of white). The pattern is Cozy V-Neck Sweater with Deep Ribbing, and it's from Stephanie Japel's Fitted Knits book. The pattern is easy, and perfect for beginners, who are ready to branch out a bit, and try their hand at sweater knitting. It's knit in the round from the top down so you can try it on as you go (probably the only reason I was able to get such a good fit). The yarn I used is Lion brand's Wool-ease, a machine washable blend of 20% wool, 80% acrylic. The color is called Woods.

Dave's New Sweater

This sweater was Dave's Christmas present. I actually started knitting it back in 2009, but as with so many projects, I got distracted. I put it to the side when I realized I wasn't going to finish it before the cold weather ended that year, and it lay forgotten among my WIP's until September of this year. Knowing I couldn't afford a fancy Christmas for Dave, I decided to get this sweater back out and finish it. I only worked on it at night when he was asleep, and managed to have it completed and under the tree for him. He loved it! It finally got cool enough for him to wear it, and I snapped these pictures as we were leaving for Saturday night's singing service. The second is a close-up of the detail around the collar. (I was pretty proud of that)The pattern is called Terry's Pullover, designed by Carol Feller, and it can be found in the 2009 issue of Interweave Knits, Holiday. The yarn is Cascade 220, a warm, and very durable, 100% wool. I'm sorry, I don't remember the color #.

Couldn't Resist..

Max curled up in Dave's lap during his afternoon nap. I couldn't stop myself from taking a couple of pictures.

Is Your Refrigerator Running?

This is the question that awaited me when I answered my cell phone just now. Yes, folks, I answered a call from a number, unknown to me. I normally don't but it was a local area code, and there are several emergency situations in my family. I'd have felt terrible if I'd ignored it only to find out later that my help was needed, but I couldn't be reached. So I answered it, only to be asked if my refrigerator is running. Really? I assume the caller was preteen judging by the sound of the voice, but...Really? You honestly believe there's a person alive who hasn't heard that joke?

So there you have it. A minute or two of my valuable prepaid minutes...wasted...

Side Yard Photos

Well, I didn't get the back yard leaves raked this weekend, but I still wanted to share my side yard pictures. I'm pretty proud of how it looks in the light of day. It's too bad I didn't do the back yard, because according to the weather reports, I won't have another chance for several days. Oh, well. At least I got the areas that are visible from the street.

Yard Work

I just could resist taking advantage of the nice weather we've had for the past few days. Yesterday, I raked the leaves off the front yard. I know...I should have already done this job, but raking leaves isn't my favorite outdoor task. Nothing irritates me more than raking up the Fall leaves, only to see just as many covering the ground the next day. Hopefully by now, the majority have fallen, and any late ones can be mown into mulch.
As you can see, it was a pretty big job. I got ten bags of leaves...and that's just the front yard. Today, I raked the side of the house, and cleaned out the planting area a little. I'm sure I'll have to clean it out again in the Spring, but I just couldn't not include it. I worked until I ran out of sunlight, so there are no pictures to share of the side yard, but here's a lovely one of the front. Please, ignore the hole in the ground. I have moles in my yard, and the cats try to dig them up. I've got a funny cat story from yesterday. Max, Monroe, and Socks were having the best time watching me rake leaves. I had several piles in various parts of the yard, and they were peeking at eachother over the top of them, then chasing eachother around the yard. This went on for quite some time, then things calmed down a bit. I was picking up one of the piles of leaves, when I heard a russling noise. I looked over to see Socks staring at a moving leaf pile toward the walkway. I went to see what was up, and was treated to the funniest sight I've ever seen. Max had burrowed up through the bottom of the leaf pile. His face was peeking though the top, and because he's so big, his booty and tail were still sticking out the back. Naturally, I had no camera with me. This always seems to happen when I need a photo to accompany my story, but trust me, it was hilarious.

More Painting

The hall is freshly painted! Monday, Dave and I got the paint, so I could begin. Since only one person at a time can fit in this narrow space, Dave spent this last vacation day, resting and trying to get back into work mode. I painted the walls and the trim. I had to stand on a scaffold to paint over the tops of the doors, but I got it done. I took yesterday off so the paint could get good and dry, then today I did the door. I didn't think I was going to paint the door, because it's pretty new, but the shiny white trim made it look dingy. I also painted the trim in the restroom. It hasn't been too long since the walls in the restroom were painted, but the trim really needed a fresh coat. It made a huge difference.
Tomorrow, I plan to paint the other sides of the doors, then be finished until Spring. Looks like our plans are moving forward.

New Beginnings

So the New Year has begun, and I'm feeling hopeful. Dave and I have made plans to do some more painting and work in our house. We're not going to dive in full forse, and work ourselved to pieces, but we do plan to have the rest of the house repainted within the year. I'm going to start the hall as soon as we can get the paint. There will be no furniture to move, and very little pictures to take down, so this will be easy. We'll use the same purple color we used for the extra bedroom-turned-craftroom. The utility room will also be this color when we get to it. Our bedroom will be the new dark green color we recently used for the TV room. This job will have to wait until Dave takes his next vacation. Any time furniture has to be moved, I need Dave to be available. I'm so excited just thinking about it. That's actually a good thing. It's been a long time since I've been excited about working in my house. I'm hoping this year will help restore the good habits I had when I first married, and began keeping my home. That would make me so happy.

For today, I'm happy to report that I've finished up the after painting clean-up, ran the vacuum, and watered the plants. Now, it's time to watch the Cowboys game, and cast on my first project of 2012.

Happy New Year to all of my friends and family, and a special thank you to my readers. I appreciate you sticking with me through a tough year. Here's hoping this year will be a good one. :)