The Walk In

So around 5 on Thursday the power gave up the ghost. After flicking, and flashing the power lines down Lee Blvd. went down and went down hard. The neighbors with an electric stove, and 2 kids came for dinner which was cooked over a gas stove. All the flashlights were out, the last of the laptop batteries put into service for movies and an okay time was had by all. We were all fed and as warm as we could be. When the power turned on at 9pm hub and I jumped out of bed (we went to bed at like 8, figured it was better to read all snug in bed then on the sofas) and turned out lights and turn on dishwashers and house alarms. As we got all snug back under the hardly cooled blankets ready to drift off with sound of the fan running again (we're white noise addicts) the power goes out again. *SIGH*.
Needless to say NO one slept well. The non-coffee'd neighbors shuffled down the iced street to partake in the black gold that is french press coffee, and a warm breakie. By now however the poorly insulated house had dipped to a cool 59. I was wearing, in this order, underthings, leggings, long tank top, wool socks, jeans, long sleeve shirt, slippers, cashmere hoodie, cardigan, hat, scarf and topped with a blanket. With little to do, I tried to curl up on the sofa and knit. Hub got the stubborn gas fireplace lit, it had long ago been caulked shut, and the key lost but with some work we had fire. Needless to say the CO detector hung out with us in the living room. By now I'd packed up the contents of the fridge in the laundry basket and put in the garage, since it was a giant walk in refrigerator.
The freezer items went out on the porch, and the chest freezer stayed right were it was. In fact the ice cream and garden burgers are still out on the porch I don't feel like getting on the boots to get them yet. To keep the small amount of heat the fire place was making in the huge, dramatic, hard to heat family room/kitchen/breakfast nook we put a sheet. Just as we'd pulled the sofa's up to the fire and the chili was simmering on the stove it happened! The lights came back on!!!! Oh it was wonderful!! The heat, the light, the internets!!!! So we crossed our fingers and celebrated with chili and cookies.

Stock up on French Toast

There are few things that make me stay home. I grew up in the rainy state, learned to drive at night in the rain, went to college in place which had one snow every may and don't fear strange parts of town. Ice, that's a whole other thing. Car aren't made for ice, cars don't like it and I don't like it. Since about 8 am the rain has been freezing to anything which will hold still long enough.
The cars are covered too. The roads are still in good shape, but wait until the sun goes down. Every now and then the lights go off and the cable gets cranky. All cell phones are charged and flashlights are at the ready. I have milk, bread and eggs. I also have enough knitting to keep me busy for HOURS.

For sometime I've been using a small bubble gum pink Coach wallet, don't get me wrong I love Coach, but don't like all that pink. It wasn't so much a wallet as a little wristlet thingie. It has no pockets and is PINK! Two strikes. So I made a replacement that works a little better.
See just the right amount of pink, and little pockets to keep all the little bits apart. Its large enough for my cell phone too.

Sweet Time

The Great Sweater Remakes of 2010 are on their way. First step is total sweater destruction. I don't plan on frogging all the bad projects, a few are just going to get a partial rip, and other are getting the sewing machine. Really it wasn't painful at all, it really felt great!

The remains of a dead sweater.

Another thing that is taking its freakin' time, my orchid. All covered in HUGE fat buds just waiting to bloom. Good crap if this doesn't pop soon it might have to move with blooms. Wait, I see whats going on here. In the last move the two orchids (this one and the sickie one) the two African Violets and my peace lily got stuffed into a box and moved across country in a stupid hot truck. If the orchid blooms, I'll treat it all nice and stuff. Darn plant.

Bad Film Re-Makes

It seams that every time I turn around Hollywood is remaking a bad movie from the '70 and making them into equally bad movie from the 2000's or turning really good movies into blah films staring some big names. I've been inspired by the great big film guys on the left coast to remake something bad, something very, very bad. Ages ago I made a "Something Red" sweater from the lovely Knit and Tonic. Like lots of people, I love her patterns but like lots of people my body is um not any where near hers. I think we're about the same height but shes a weee wisp of a thing and in the "twin" department not the same. These days I've been trying to knit more user friendly sweaters, thing that I'll really wear and won't make people ask "did youuuuuuu make that". Of all the sweaters I've made I wear ONE. Since I'm 5' 2" but a 41 inch bust things don't always fit. When I make a sweater that fits the "twins" the arms are all hanging and the shoulders fall off. Out of shear grumpy-ness I just shove the ill fitting messes into the back of my closet. After lots of "What Not To Wear" and lots of reading of great sewing books, I'm on a campaign to re-make or fix all my craptastic creations and after that help myself make better sweaters and anyone who needs my help.

Oh did I show you this.....

A Pint is A Pound, The World Around

I'm always trying to think stuff up in my head to blog about, sometimes I even write them down in little books I tote around. Trying to sketch out ideas and adventures I've had. Problem is now-a-days I just don't do much of interest. Don't get me wrong I'm "always up to something" but I don't think any one cares to read about my adventures in laundry-land or the time I did dishes. Granted I do still do "stuff" other than house work. To keep my skills sharp and to avoid have conversations with the house plants I've been volunteering everyday at the post hospital in the lab. OOOOOOO-E, thats a strange world. Lots of people running around like chickens with their heads cut off who have forgotten how to multi-task and run more than one machine at once. Any-way, basically all hospitals have blood banks and blood banks need blood. So today was like TARP for the blood bank and guess who found herself having a pint drained.........
Giving blood is also my excuse to take a nap and eat cookies!!! Plus it's an effective and guilt free way to get out of a hard CrossFit work out.

For more squeamish member of the reading world, my lace knitting........

It's good to be back

Since I'm an "only" my folks come to me for christmas. This tradition started way back when we first moved to Lawton and really didn't have the time or money to travel to Seattle for the holidays. We had such a good time that year all stuffed into out one bedroom apartment and making do with two burners and a toaster oven that my folks come to visit ever year now. Well except for that year I went home during the Iraq deployment that resulted in my cousin asking were Hub was, "with his parents", ummmmm NO! It's just easier this way. Soooo this year was no different. Folks arrived, we had great foods, a great time and lots of good laughs (which including yelling at the buffalo) and some seriously good football watching.
The morning of christmas eve broke COLD and gray. By 8am the power went out and we still needed foods. After packing up the jeep we went to post got groceries and "power is out" supplies. This was just about 10 am and it was full blow blizzard. Sideways snow and wind. Frankie spent the whole day all covered up under his budgie blanket to keep warm, since the gas stove didn't work. But at 3 in the afternoon as I napped under the supper fuzzy blanket the power came back on. Christmas was a total snow day which was great.
Looking for cool things to do in Lawton, a few days after the "great christmas snow of '09" we headed out to the wildlife refuge. Lots of great pictures and lots of laughs. For New Year's eve we made rockin' chili and had the neighbors. The next day my parents left, and the same day that we left for Jonesboro, AR. for a good friends wedding. It was a long long drive but worth it.
SOooooo now I'm back in the real world. The x-mas decorations are slowing coming down, the laundry returning to a normal amount, and my sleep and eating habits returning to more healthy level. This includes some Crossfit workouts that are causing my muscles to hurt in ways that I didn't know was possible.
Got some project to show you, including the results of the "secret project", got pictures of the brand spanking new (not a refurb) sewing machine!!!!!!!!!! I'm beyond excited about this because it starts slowly and doesn't make any funny clunky-clunky noises.

A little After Christmas Fun

Today we drove out to the Wichita Mountains and had some fun.

Oh I'm so Sorry

It always seems like once I find a new Blog to read that Blogger goes on some extended vacation from the rest of humanity, and I'm sorry to any new readers. Lately I've just been try to recover from the mad gift making and shipping, the slew of x-mas parties and the cookies that go with them. What have I been up to? Well one I can't show you because its a secret, but some others I can.
First I made my own surface of the sun.....My good friend Evan of Evan Baines Photography out of Nashville uses this method for his amazing photography and for about $20 you can too can take better pictures any time of the day. Check out this link for instructions, Strobist.

Yes that is my Red Swingline Stapler!

When I moved out here from TN and away from the great people in my lab, they threw me a little going away party. The also gave me a little gift card to one of my favorite yarn shops. Little Knits in Seattle. Well the idea was that when I couldn't stand living in a yarnless town any longer I could break out the gift card and get some much needed fiber therapy.
BEHOLD! Enough Silky Merino Malabrigo to make the Hour Glass sweater in this great tone on tone blue. Really? Blue? Claire? I needed a change. It's more glacier than blue.

Next week I'll share more, including my gifts from the BVC folks and snippets from the secret project. After Christmas the Etsy Shop will be updated, and a second shop will be rolled out after in the start of the new year (oooooooo).

Until we meet again, a little surprise from my African Violet that seems to forget its winter.

Winner!

The winner of this years give-away is Merlin the Cat, her concise answer jumped off the page the moment I read it, "I craft because with out crafting I would not be who I am."

Now for my answer. A few of you asked "Why I craft?" The answer is because I can't not. I can't explain it, but I must create. It can be anything. When I'm not knitting I'm sewing, or cooking. At work I'll draw or just retype all the SOP's. I need to be making. It amazes me that I can take a plain old ball of yarn and turn it into a hat or sweater. Something completely useless to something useful.

I have lots to share from give-away week, christmas gifts finished and new yarn. Please come back for a visit!

THANK YOU!!!

I want to say thank you to everyone who stopped by this week! It was great. I spent all week running to the blog to read comments. Tomorrow I'll post the winner. Keep checking back to see what we're up to next.

GIVE AWAY DAY!!!

Today is GIVE-AWAY-DAY, So......I'm going to ask ONE question, "Why do you craft?"

The answer I like the best, gets......This three bag set. You will get a large 14 inch Knit-along Bag with a handle, a medium Sock-along Bag with handle, and a small 7 inch zip bag.
You have until the 6th to answer, and you'll know the winner by the 12th!

Monday-Monday

Mondays are well mondays, even when you don't have a real job. It still stinks. The only cool thing about Mondays is that its our Lawton area Knit-together-get-together. We go to the Atalanta Bread Company. Nice and tasty. Knitting in Public (KIP) draws a lot of stares, which makes me laugh. Lots of "they're sewing" and other mis-interpretations from parents to children (NO KIDDING, once in the airport a mom told her daughter I was SEWING!!!! I always carry my Brother sewing machine on the plane, and on what planet do you not know what sewing looks like that you mistake it for knitting. Personally just ask, its good for kids) .
I took some pictures today since we had a wee bit of sun.

Lady Feb.

ID Badge Holder (Christmas Present for someone!)

Earrings for Myself

Earrings for sale on Etsy

I risked my fingers to make a light box. I'll show some more pictures on Wednesday. Stay tuned because all this week is GIVE-AWAY week, and I have a give away.

Serious lack of posts

Okay so I didn't post every day. I kinda forgot, kinda didn't have anything to talk about. My crafting has been lacking. Since I have been volunteering everyday, I just kinda forget. The lab is a strange place and if you never worked in one its hard to describe. Lots of machines and not any windows. I do have some projects in mind. Like a stuffed buffalo pattern, an upcycled snowman or other holiday themed creature and deconstructing a shrug that I love but wish was in a different color.
I did however finish my Lady February Sweater...

Trafficing across State Lines

In Lawton recycling is personal choice. No one picks it up for you nor do they have an easy way to drop it off. The towns main recycle center is on post. The other strange thing is, they don't take glass. No one takes glass. So once a month or so we pack up the Jeep and drive south into Texas with a boot full of glass bottles. It might just be the strangest thing I've done in the name of the being green. Sometimes we just leave other times we hit the Best Buy and the Target since Wichita Fall has about 13,000 more people than Lawton does it gets these stores. We have a um a Cato's. This time we went for dinner. It was rather uninspired but it wasn't a chain and it wasn't in Lawton which seemed to be two things going for it. WF's is also this giant mess of freeways which are poorly labeled and hard to navigate. I want to know what that planing session was like. "I wana make this city really confusing, so people just can leave so they stay"

Crafts and Cooties

Fridays are always a little lazy. Since learning about our coming move to Seattle the weather has responded and its been cool and gray, and thus adding to the Friday lazy's. Our lab was slow and peaceful, except for the constant chatter of the students and what they'll do with this weekend. One of the great perks of working in a post hospital is that you work very few weekends. It's very costly to employ civilians on nights and weekends but not the military. Though it sucks a little they rotate just like we do, just more.

After work I've been trying to keep my craft level up and not just get sucked into the computer. Since Turkey day is sneaking up on us, I started my major projects. Two finished one not.

Felt Thanksgiving Garland

TURKEY-LURKY

Buffalo

This was way easy, just felt cut outs and string. I'll make a template for the shapes if anyone wants one.

Fall Leaves Paper Wreath

I wanted a nice wreath but didn't want to spend a ton so I just got out the old craft paper and following some MS instructions knocked with out in like 20 minutes. I'm thinking about how I can make one for x-mas too, but since I have a holly outside the front door I might just steal some branches from it. My Thanxgiving table runner is still a work in progress but should be done soon.

Sooooooo

I know, I know I didn't blog yesterday. But since it was Veterans Day yesterday I thought I'd leave the Blog blank. Yes that is a picture of Mt. Rainer. We will be going home in March, finally. It's only taken us 5 long hard years and 24 months of deployment time to get there. I'm overwhelmed. I get to look for new grocery stores and yarn shops! I get to see my fam again.
Mainly I've been hanging around the lab and it has been fun. I just kinda float around and bug people and learn there systems. I think I'll find myself back in Chemistry. We here at RACH run the same analyzers that I ran at my first lab. They are people sensitive and if they like you, they like you. It might have something to do with my skill of killing Mercury Vapor lights. Tomorrow I think I'll go knock on the Micro lab door and introduce myself.

Guess what?

If you know where this is, then you know where we're going.

This is my home, I'm coming home.

When Mondays are good

Sometimes Mondays are good, sometimes they can start something that will make the rest of the week. I'm ignoring the super wet back yard and my HUGE water bill (I've called the landlord). Celebration cupcakes are in order today. It was a delicious little cupcake too. The runt of the litter I frosted it first, then ate it. The red cross was dragging its big feet so I went to "help" out this morning and push them into getting my placement. It didn't take long, I went to the lab around 10:30. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, the feeling of being somewhere needed and wanted passes over you. I played around in Hematology which appears to be my new home. It was lovely. Then when I got home I got my order of lovely Blueface lester wool! (pictures later) and an email about the Lab job I applied for. So I made cupcakes of celebration!

Weekends

I'm going to count the weekends as one day, since I know most readership is done at work.

These are the long over due shots of the Hew Shrug.

I'm not sure where to start about this shrug, but don't make it. I'm all for it hurts so good knitting. Hell I drive a stick shift and like it, but this shrug was just stupid. Cast on some 200+ stitches for the ties WTF? It doesn't have a good picture nor anyway to know what this baby is going to look like. The directions kinda suck. I'll wear it but don't make it. I think I'm getting old and cranky in my knitting. I want projects that are well thought out and test knit, I want good directions and looks of maps and measurements. It could be the cabinet makers daughter in me, but I want to know what things should be.

That said, I've been working on my Thanksgiving crafts and am quickly understanding that x-mas is getting ever closer and thus need to start making those gifts. Eeeek!

Photo-Friday