More Ramblings

More ramblings on roomates, life, and knitting
I made some great chicken noodle soup then spilled a huge bowl on myself at the office pot luck. (can you say unwitting Exorcist costume!)

The Holly’s Red and Green Snowflake Socks are moving along; I received my Rowan book a couple of weeks ago, can’t wait to get started on some new projects; the sparkly Christmas stockings ! I bought three skeins of Heather’d Pink from KnitPicks and for the life of me can’t remember what I was going to do with it! I’m trying to finish the Holly Red and Green Snowflake Socks so the pattern can be posted. This time there will be a proper pattern, not just general guidelines. (Read – I want to remember how to make them again so will be very detailed. If you’d like to make some – please do!)

Seriously, perhaps the roomate should be on meds. Maybe he is, idk. Around 11:30 or so last night he was listening to 80s music VERY loudly (omg… 80s pop-lite?!??) and it was keeping my 18 year old up so…. she had her brother ask M*** to turn it down so she could get some sleep before early classes in the morning.  M*** turned it down, shut/slammed his door and muttered loudly ’they always say shut up,’ ‘why should I have to shut up,’ etc. for at least 20 minutes whilst banging things around.   He frequently mutters loudly and bangs things around but until last night we never asked him to quiet down in any way.  He also pops in and out of his room constantly if I’m on the computer late at night, sits and stares at the microwave for up to 15 minutes at a time,  and a lot of other odd behaviors.  The kids and I are not at all comfy with him for several reasons but it doesn’t seem to bother ex-hubby/landlord.   Odd is okay, different is okay, eccentricity is encouraged. Creeping people out? Not so okay.

Mind, the kids and I stay in our designated areas upstairs most of the time (lol NO, there are not designated areas, we just like our own spaces) but sometimes we enjoy watching tv or using the computer downstairs.  I often look at the treadmill down there and think about using it… but that’s another story.  Will converted the laundry room into his bedroom so he and M*** have the downstairs with the exception of the common family room.

Anyway – not sure what, if anything, Will is going to do about the situation.  It’s not horrible, just not at all comfortable.  And I wasn’t kidding about the meds.  I have a suspicion what the deal is but it’s not really my place to say much unless directly confronted or the situation gets out of hand.

Generally, everything else is going fairly well.  I’m still pretty tense about only being a temp.  I need full benefits fairly soon and haven’t had much response to the resumes/phone calls.   On the plus side, the car is registered even though the rear ball bearings could go at any time and the windshield has a couple of cracks, it still passed.  Woot!  David made cookies last weekend, 2 dozen or so Reese’s Pieces and a dozen White Chocolate Macadamia Nut.  WRT received a tub of Chocolate Chunk cookie dough for his bday along with some cozy slippers and a new Janis Joplin Greatest Hits cd since the old one has scratches and it’s a MUST on road trips.

And now an update of an entirely different sort.  As I was getting ready for dress-up at the office last Friday I came across a check Heidi (deceased sister, see earlier posts) had given my daughter a week or so before she died.  Out of no where I started crying uncontrollably.  I’m learning a great deal about grief and ‘the process’ but sometimes the emotionality eclipses the intellectual in ways that surprise me.

knitting away again

Work just hasn’t been that busy so knitting is making progress. On The Needles right now:

1) still working on Mom’s Not Pink Stole 2) Holly Red and Green Snowflakes

I’ll be writing up the free pattern for this pair shortly.  The ’snowflakes’ are pretty easy and can be placed wherever suits you on the leg portion.  The heel is your somewhat standard sl1 type heel and the turn will be fairly standard as well.  At the moment, I’m planning the instep and sole to be plain green and toe plain red but that is subject to change.

3) Blackrose Wristlets

The free pattern for these pretty wristlets is from Knitty 2008 by Knittyspin. I like the way these are working up in Knit Picks Imagination.

This afternoon I took Marci shoe/cosmetic shopping.  omg….  How does one spend that much money so fast?!  yikes.  But, she really does need the shoes.  One of her close friends is getting married next Friday (yep, day before Halloween) and Marci needs shoes to wear to the celebration.  I ended up getting her a pair of flats, pair of heels, a warm winter hat and some mittens (she DID ask if I could make some for her which of course, I all ready have started but she needs some this week so….)  I even bought myself a $6 pair of blue shoes with black heels and we decided $2.00 on vintage type clutchish handbags was a fantastic deal so got one red one and one nude/black lace one to share.

David needs new shoes too so…. going to have to get some next week along with a couple pairs of jeans.

Sunday Morning/Afternoon… roommates suck

Yes, it is definitely before 9am on a Sunday morning and I’m wide awake!  Have been since 5:30 – showered, cleaned the shower, went for a drive and watched the sun casting first light on the mountains, reading blogs and searching the net for odds and ends….  why am I awake!!!!!

There are some new projects on the needles – pair of corset fingerless mittens (will post pattern when I finish them, it’s residing in my head right now and too dangerous to let out until tested!), a pair of red and green Christmas/Holiday socks, a blue and white sparkly Christmas Stocking which I’m NOT liking right now, still working on Mom’s wrap.

Knit Picks box arrived a couple of days ago and I plan to start on three more projects later this week.  We went to Kamille’s in Gardner Village yesterday and I didn’t buy a single thing there!  Yes, it’s true!  I really didn’t.  Of course, I did the fairly demented touchy/feely thing on nearly every skein in the shop but there is simply no way I can justify any more stash adding right now.  (read ‘can’t afford it’ and ‘no where to put it’)

———-

and in other news…. I wish our roomate would turn his freaking alarm off.  It’s been going off for over an hour now.  I’ve come to the conclusion that I really don’t like roomates.  Living with family members is okay, roomates – not so much.  Best friends/buddies – ok.  Roomates – not ok.  uh… how else shall I put it…  nvm, you get the picture.
Mind you, there doesn’t seem to be anything inherently wrong with him; it’s me – I dont’ like having an unknown quantity in the house. Maybe it’s the family bond thing – which definitely includes good friends – it feels like an invasion into my personal comfort zone. On the other hand, Will not making the mortgage would be a far bigger invasion on the old comfort zone so…. guess I shall adjust my little attitude problem here. hmmmph.
—————-
several hours later….. okay, so I’m not going to work on my little roommate attitude problem. My BFF just called to let me know that my rather psychotic old roomie called her house phone to 1) pass along his phone number – the one I DELIBERATELY lost; 2) see if she would offer my new number – I changed it on purpose dumba** which of course she did not offer; 3) ask her what my parents’ last name is – he KNOWS what it is, they changed their phone number recently. She didn’t give out any information, she’s good like that even though it wasn’t until she hung up that she realized who it was. (prompting the immediate call to me.) She did let him know that I was living in another county – which he knew – but there’s no reason for him to know where. It’s not that I’m ‘hiding,’ I just have no reason for further contact. There was a reason I moved out of the ‘funny farm.’

This is disturbing for several reasons… I never gave him her phone # – he HAD to have stolen my phone when I lived there to get it. I don’t have her last name in my phone, only her initials, her home phone is not in her name so he couldn’t have found it through the phone book or directory assistance. He’s obviously tried to call my parents or he wouldn’t have tried to verify their last name. No… there’s no mail sitting there waiting for me, I didn’t use that address for mail. Nothing like that. The last contact I had with the guy was a rather terse text when Heidi was in ICU following numerous texts from him. If I wanted contact, I would have been in touch. Thought that was obvious! grrrrrrrr
ok…. I’m done with that now.

blahhhh

The family room has my half empty boxes strewn about – I’m looking for 1) candle warmer since son has decided he needs it; 2) winter coats; 3) rest of knitting patterns; 4) odds and ends of paper work that need filing or tossing; 5) some knitting patterns that are neatly categorized (no, really, they are!  in folders arranged by item type – amazing!); 6) some pics to go on bedroom wall.

Why am I blogging instead?  because today is blahhh.  Nothing is wrong, everything is moving forward even just kinda blahhhhh.

New hire orientation was yesterday, I’ll be starting on Monday it looks like.  Could have used a couple more weeks to get some things sorted out but hey, can’t be upset about only being out of work two weeks!  It’s a temp to hire position and will remain temp for up to 6 months which is a long time but still, it beats unemployment.  I was blessed enough to find a job within the same field even.

I’ve been knitting a fair bit on Mom’s blue scarf (scarf for ally by Sumarai Patterns) .  It’s the first lace project I’ve done for a while and is moving along quickly.  There’s about 16″ done so far.

I’ve been mentally reviewing the knitting skills that I want to expand in -09 and I’m a bit behind!

Son has decided to do home school again this year.  For once, I’m not entirely thrilled about it.  He is very self directed so far as studying/learning goes but I really feel that he needs a socialization push.  I’m not big on the typical H.S. social scene but he really does need more than he’s allowing himself right now.  That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have friends, he certainly does.  They’re older (early 20’s) have jobs or are in college, which is fine.  But… there are a few things that come from having a variety of experiences with different people.  So….   figuring this one out.

Oh, and I have a couple apt’s with school counselors myself

Again, nothing is wrong.  Moving forward appropriately.  Just kinda blah today.
—————–
minor update – consolidated boxes, disposed of no longer needed paperwork and assorted stuff, have a pot of chili simmering on the stove, laundry in the washer…. not bad for the blah’s. Oh… and the most important thing – I found the two sets of Knit Pick’s Options needles that were still packed. *insert huge smile here*

If I seem over enthusiastic about Knit Picks in general, it’s not for lack of awareness there are other yarn/needle/acessory companies out there.  It’s that I appreciate the quality they offer for pretty economical prices.  I’m not at the stage yet where I can self-justify spending over $200 on one project.  Someday that may be realistic for my skill level and budget – should the two ever become aquainted, of course.

Modifications

The lay off is now complete, we went out with a bbq, volleyball tournament and party.  It’s strange to be home today, I’ve worked Saturdays all year with a few exceptions.  I have never worked with such a fantastic group of people and I shall miss them.  Fortunately, several will be coming over to the new job that I (hopefully) will  be starting on the 14th.

In other news….  Will has another renter moving in right now.  Living with the first ex husband has some rather unique challenges and adding an unknown to the mix could prove interesting.  Fortunately, Will and I get along reasonably well so long as we don’t have the emotionality of a relationship.  It works out best for the kids, Marci started UVU last week and David is a junior in H.S. now.  There’s all the typical parental taxi stuff, what’s for dinner and ‘I did the dishes last time’ things and few of the old issues.

Mom and two of my sisters have been moving things out of Heidi’s storage unit – it’s still hard to believe she’s gone.  I’d like to have the Heidi’s stole but not entirely sure if it’s appropriate to tell Mom right now.  She’s holding up reasonably well but with her own health issues (mastectomy a few months ago and double knee replacement surgery in two weeks) I don’t want to push her to deal with anything she’s not ready for.

Knitting has been a bit slow the last week or so but I’m plugging along on the socks for soldiers, frogged a pair of purple multi/metalic gloves that I’d started and deciding what to do with some of the hanks in the yarnstash.

I’ve been going through my knitting mags, the free patterns on ravelry and sorting through what I want to knit with what is within my skill set with not too much stretch at the moment.  My new job (hopefully – yes, that word again – I was made the tentative offer yesterday and waiting until they come back with the firm one) is business casual and after several years of wearing jeans I need to think about what articles I need to include in the new wardrobe.

There has also been some perusing of knitting articles including this outstanding on on modifications for up-sizing sweaters from Vogue Knitting.  Since I have a reasonably extensive sewing background I understand garment modification concepts but the translation from cutting fabric to creating the fabric isn’t always as clear as it should be.

Also, I’ve been going over the Kitchener directions by Margaret Radcliffe in the latest edition of Knit ‘N Style.  Not sure what it is, sometimes Kitchener has made perfect sense to me and others my fingers just don’t quite connect with the brain.  I’d strongly recommend picking up a copy from your LYS or online.

Mint Green Fraternal Twin Socks

And finally here’s the Fraternal Twin Sock pics.  It’s been several months since they were finished but I just got around to photographing.  As you can see, I got bored and changed the foot design a bit on the second one. 

The heel is WAY too shallow but they fit fairly well anyway.  It’s my own fault, I was making up the design in my head as I went – oops.

I also did my own nails (as in acrylics) and toes.

Currently On The Needles

1. WRT’s second Summer Sock is ready for heel turn, not too much longer to go there
2. S4S has finally been found (temporarily ‘lost’ in yet another move) and is cast on
3. Mom’s ‘Not Pink’ Comfort Wrap
4. Carnival Top

I need to get WRT’s  socks finished so can keep moving along on the Socks for Soldier olive drab pair.  Mom’s wrap is coming along, it’s a little more plain than I’d like but she’s not really into tons of lace.  I may just knit her up a proper lace shawl one of these days though and bet she’d wear it!

The Carnival Top is from Knit ‘N Style, April 2009 (ravelry link) – comfy, fun, easy going.  I’m doing it in light lavendar Caron Simply Soft that I had sitting around for quite a while.  It’s been far too hot to wear recently so haven’t worked on it for a few weeks.  Guessing if I don’t get a j-o-b quickly after the lay-offs I’ll have plenty of time to work on pretty much anything I want to (that I have the yarn for, of course).

One thing….

Thought seriously about going in to work this morning but after breaking into spontaneous tears around 5:30a.m., decided not to.  Grief is a rather odd thing; it sneaks up on you and slams you pretty hard then slowly edges off just a bit until you feel like you can function then it starts over again.  What an odd emotion!

We’re all getting laid off September 2nd anyway so I’m going to spend part of the day in the ever dreaded job search mode then go over to mom’s for a while and then up to WRT’s and see TJ for a bit too.

Yesterday some of my sisters, nieces, Marci, parents and I spent hours in Mom’s living room  going through a life time of pictures sorting out the ones we want to use for the funeral program, etc.  My poor sister, Lynna has very few in comparison to the rest of us.  Apparently, that’s what happens when you’re #8 of 9 children. ooooops!

And, might  I add…  the 70’s had some fairly horrendous color and fabric choices.  Frightening, actually.  (Then again, the 80’s hair – how did we do that?!)  We chuckled over the ‘unisex’ outfits Mom made – she was quite the seamstress back then.  Everything went with everything else for the younger kids since they came in ’sets’ of boy/girl then boy/girl again.  Think red white and blue plaid double knit pants with red shirts, white shirts, and blue shirts.  We got a bit teary eyed looking at Heidi’s graduation photos – there weren’t a lot of them, wonder what happened there?  and didn’t bother holding back the tears when we came to the photos of her and her son, Tyler. (He passed away at age 4 1/2, his birthday is today.)

Yeah, that’s kind of how it went.

What’s the one thing you ask?  Life goes on.  It’s such a cliche, but comes from truth.  The last few months have been fairly intense; my living situation got too tense and I just moved back down to Utah County and am renting a room in my first husband’s house (yes, we have a fine relationship, just can’t be married to each other), the kids are here and that’s what’s important to me; was diagnosed with Lupus; Mom had breast cancer and a mastectomy, still needs the knee replacement; my oldest graduated from high school – insert happy face here;  getting laid off in a little over a month and the job market here is bleak; and the most painful of all,  Heidi passed away….  yet time keeps moving forward and so do we.  I’ve made plans for the near future, the further future and it will keep going.  (as I tell myself every few minutes)

In knitting news – I ‘discovered’ Verena and The Knitter while browsing Barnes & Noble across the street from the hospital.  Wow!  I’m in knitting love.

Verena Knitting

The only problem that I have with Verena is the exclusive use of charts.  I’m not that great at reading charts.  I’ll just have to work on it.  The Knitter has a different emphasis

The Knitter

They have Trailing Leaf – a lovely diagonal lace patterned sweater.  Zippy-Applebrain (Ravelry) is currently working on this one and it looks gorgeous in the light blue she chose.

.   There is also Honeysuckle by Sarah Hatton (ravelry link)

honeysuckle

WRT’s summer socks are coming along, I’ve stopped working on them for a couple of days since all the knitting in the hospital makes them difficult to pick up just now.  I’ll pick them back up tomorrow.  Anyway, basic men’s short sock – 1.25″ 2×2 ribbing, 1.50″ SS then broken pearl stripe for another inch or so, down another 1.50″ then heel flap worked in Sl1 K1, pearl WS rows, short row turn and then gusset pick up and on to foot portion.

Some of the nurses in ICU are knitters; talking knitting with them was a pleasant diversion from the constant chatter about the monitors, meds, ups and downs, etc.

And in entirely different news:

David’s been wanting to get his ears guaged for a while now so…. I took him to go do it a month or so ago.

Mom’s breast cancer ‘not pink’ new wrap and graduation

I’ve been working on a wrap

Mom's Wrap(photo added 7/25 obviously) for Mom.

Her mastectomy went extremely well and she insists she hasn’t had much pain. I’m extremely grateful for that. Her follow up is in a bit, we’re hoping the surgeon was able to get it all. She even attended my daughter’s high school graduation on Friday!

Yep, MarMar made it. I’m definitely a proud, happy, and grateful mom right now. She had to work her little rear off to do it and she did!!!!! She’s extremely intelligent, just didn’t see the need for school for a while there but was able to make up all the credits. I’m so glad she realized she could do it – and did!

she’s looking rather smart in her b/f’s glasses

There are a lot of other things going on. Some wonderful, some rather awful. It’s a voyage of discovery, that much is certain.

And again….

Blogging from the library today – yes, there is still no computer around and won’t have one for a while yet. Other priorities and all…. although school is very high on the list and obviously requires one.

Anyway….. I’ll be posting pics of the roll top purlies, green fraternal twins (socks, I got bored, they are ‘matchish’ rather than matching), along with a couple other projects. Socks for Soldiers is still a high priority although I’m hybernating the original pair and working on olive ones now. The first pair is still giving me fits so the logic is, go to the second one.

I’ve moved into a house with several roomates, constantly changing roomates, lots of coming and going. It’s really not working out that well, unfortunately so will be doing something differently soon. Oh, and the current diagnosis is lupus. Not exactly thrilled but it’s the only thing that makes sense to the various doctors so am moving forward.

Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer last week. She’s handling things reasonably well but Dad’s taking it very hard. We’re trying to show him the statistics on how treatable it is when caught early but he’s a bit stuck in the death sentence it was a few years go. It doesn’t help that she had to postpone double knee replacement surgery to go to her oncology apt. Yes, I’m concerned.