Leaves

Well, I finished the first pattern on my sweater. I have almost finished the bottom part of the sweater. It's weird because I will actually take this part off, knit the top part and then graft them together - TERRIFYING. Well, I've grafted before, but still I am a little frightened.

I am babysitting the adorable boys today. We have been playing Ring Around the Rosies and Motor Boat in the yard. What's your favorite game from childhood?

Posted by Whit at 09:31   | (pre-trackback) 8  

What Dreams May Come

First, a picture of the sweater I'm a knittin' ... Not very far because I've frogged it twice (don't ask - it's not complicated AT ALL, I'm just nuts). I worked on it a tad at the STF, but mostly I made bears and just watched and listened to the tellers. I'm already anticipating next year.

Well, I woke up - as I always do - to dh saying, "I had the weirdest dream..." Now, I have been married to this man for close to 17 years and he says the same thing every morning. He then tells me about his dream of the night. He's right... they are the weirdest. Last night he dreamed of "vividly obscure tunnels" full of sets and props all accessed by climbing through a hole in the ceiling of a strip mall store... and, of course, a skinwalker.

I have rarely remembered a dream since the night of my wedding - but I had bizarre dreams as a child. I once had a dream that ended with the words "To be continued tomorrow night..." scrolling across the bottom of the image in my head. I once dreamt that I went to visit my Grandma. When she opened the door she looked down at me and (sort of cranky) said, "Who are you little girl?" I dreamed a lot about falling off of and out of things.

What's the weirdest dream you ever had?

Posted by Whit at 10:08   | (pre-trackback) 7  

So Long, Farewell...

Well, I'm off today to the STF. (Some might make the point that I'm just "off")

I am VERY excited to go see my family and hear the wonderful tales from the professional storytellers. YES, there are such things as professional storytellers. They are amazing. I will be hearing everything from fairytales to raps - and sometimes fairytales done as raps. And I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you want to read more about the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, please go to their website and read about it. Maybe you live closer and would like to attend the National Storytelling Festival - well, I would just be jealous about that, although I would argue that we have a more beautiful backdrop for it. They ARE sponsored by Krispy Kreme doughnuts, though, so that might give them a bit of an edge.

Anyhow - no blogs til Monday!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Whit at 09:21   | (pre-trackback) 5  

First Day of School

Well, she's off to middle school - my BABY!!! I have to say that I think I had a harder time today than when she started Kindergarten. No more elementary school PTA stuff for me. Weird.

Today will be a clean the house, get schedules in to Michaels and get ready for the STF!!!

BTW, she doesn't go to a school where there are uniforms. She CHOSE to wear a tie. I have strange children.

Posted by Whit at 08:07   | (pre-trackback) 8  

Michaels

Well, for a semi yarn snob (read POOR yarn snob), this should be an experience. I got a job at Michaels! Hooray! How much fun will it be to teach the projects that I love so much?! Way fun!

Unfortunately, Michaels does not carry 100% wool - so no felted bags. Bummer.

I'm going tonight to do a bulletin board and try to get people to sign up for my classes. FUN!

Posted by Whit at 17:42   | (pre-trackback) 5  

School Starts Wednesday

so I decided I'd better actually take my daughter school shopping today. My son ordered his stuff online this year.

I like shopping almost as much as going to the dentist.

I left the house at around 8 this morning and I'm FINALLY home (5:18). But dd has new clothes, a new haircut and backpacks and blah blah blah...

I'm too tired even to post a picture of the beautiful yarn I bought for the sweater I intend to make at the Storytelling Festival. Take my word for it - it's pretty. Oh, here's a link to the yarn that I bought.

Posted by Whit at 17:15   | (pre-trackback) 9  

The Two Bears

Well, yesterday was FABULOUS spending time with my two amazing sisters. They are seriously talented wonderful women and they'd be my friends even if they weren't my sisters. Thanks, guys!!!!!

One sister brought two of her five children back to my place to visit while sister and I got haircuts (which I, for one, desperately needed!). One of her boys decided he needed something knit - and it reminded me of a little pattern I'd seen in the Summer Interweave Knits magazine.

Here is a picture of J with his bear and below is a picture of the bear I made after he left (yes, leftover hat yarn - what a great use for it!!!). These bears are ADORABLE. I had to hurry and make a second one after they left to see how quickly it would go after the initial learning. Very quick knit! You can make them with any size yarn and dpn's.

J is one of the funniest children on the planet. He is still TWO but he talks like he's ten. Last night I said something to him about his "Mom" and he said, "Her name is AMY." So I said, "Oh, you want me to call her Amy?" And he said, "She's not a coloring book." I laughed so hard I thought I was going to die. Apparently "call her" and "color" sound a lot alike when I say them.

Posted by Whit at 08:39   | (pre-trackback) 8  

Dishcloths from Australia!!

Wow! I got my dishcloths today and they are simply beautiful! Because my partner lives in Australia, she doesn't have access to some of the thicker cotton threads/yarns which means she has to use smaller thread and do more stitches. Because of this, they are very delicate and beautiful.

I almost hate to use them!!!!!! -- Thanks Anne!! I especially love the pattern of the white one!

Posted by Whit at 09:14   | (pre-trackback) 2  

Adorable Poncho

Wow! This was a fun project. I love the Lion Brand Homespun yarn (I used Corinthian) to work with. It is so soft. The fun fur (I used Violet) was a great addition to the project - and even though it looks a little itchy, you can hardly feel it, it's so soft.

The pattern is rated 3 out of 5 difficulty, but it is because of the assembly, not the actual crochet. What helped me the most was to print out the diagram and then actually cut it out and assemble the paper poncho so I could see what to do. Much more helpful than the words and "placing a marker" and blah blah blah.

Neighbor Girl loves it and that's what it's all about!! She was so excited because she complained that she couldn't find a poncho in her size (she's a very petite eight-year-old) in the stores.

Posted by Whit at 09:12   | (pre-trackback) 4  

Homemade Cleaning Wipes

WOW! I just love OrganizedHome.com - they have some of the best ideas. I love those little wipes to clean mirrors, etc. except for two things - 1) They are usually quite flimsy and 2) They are always more expensive than I am willing to spend for cleaning supplies.

HOWEVER, I made my own! Thanks to the people at OrganizedHome.com, I made a disinfectant cleaner and a window cleaner. I plan to do a multipurpose cleaner, but I'll use my recipe for appliance cleaner.

These work REALLY well. I used Viva papertowels (the really thick ones - which I get when they are on sale in the big packages, because YES I am a bargain shopper). It took forever to cut through the roll, but it was well worth it. I use them all the time. I cleaned my bathroom yesterday and I used them for all the surfaces - and since it's a tiny bathroom, I even used the disinfectant wipes on the floor (I bought citrus scented Lysol and it smells really good).

Posted by Whit at 10:28   | (pre-trackback) 6  

A hat and some fudge

Well, it is raining today - simply beautiful. I wish it would rain every day. I grew up in the desert of Arizona, so you can see where I get this sentiment.

Last night I made this little hat. I made it larger than the pattern called for (obviously) and I knit it in the round so it was even slightly larger than planned (forgot that without seaming it would be a bit larger)... So, Katie gets it. And she loves it!

This was a FAST knit (an hour or two) and the yarn is YUMMY.

Speaking of yummy ... I just tried a new EASY fudge recipe. Put 1 lb. (that's THREE cups, not the two that are in a normal bag) of chocolate chips and four TB of butter in the microwave. Watch it so it doesn't burn (I set mine for 15 sec between each "stir") and let it get "melty" (technical term). Then add one can of sweetened condensed milk and stir until combined. Put it into an 8x8 (buttered or saran wrapped) pan and put it in the fridge for a couple of hours. DIVINE. I am not a fudge fan, but DIVINE.

Posted by Whit at 12:29   | (pre-trackback) 12  

Corkscrew Scarf

Used to be the potato chip scarf - but I figured with the new incarnation it needed a new name. This is what I did.

With Bernat Boa (color phoenix), and a K hook, I chained 90 loose. Then I double crocheted four in each stitch across. That's it. It only took 30-45 minutes and it's adorable.

Posted by Whit at 17:36   | (pre-trackback) 9  

FREE Toy?!

Okay, I am the Leader of the "loss leader" and believe you me, I know a good deal when I see one. Today, for instance, I went to a local grocery store to purchase cereal because they had the big boxes of Kelloggs on sale 3/$5 AND as a bonus deal, if I bought four boxes I got a free gallon of milk. Milk being more expensive even than gas per gallon right now this is a FABULOUS deal.

But, the one thing I didn't bargain on was when I opened up my first box and found this adorable "wobbler" staring up at me from his plastic bag home. Thumper! I haven't seen cute cereal toys in ages. What is it about a cute toy in a cereal box that makes me want to go open all my cereal boxes? What are some of the cereal box toys you remember?

Posted by Whit at 10:21   | (pre-trackback) 10  

Potato Chip Scarf

You can't have just one? HAH! I made one of these scarves using worsted weight - I made it smaller (start with 60 stitches instead of 90) and it was okay to make and kind of cute, but I wished I had used smaller weight yarn. SO, I started another one. Well, I got sick of it quick and even using 36" circs - it was a tight fit (I'd never make it on straight needles). Binding off (I use the crochet hook method) is taking forever (720 stitches!!!), but I should finish it today.

Meanwhile, while I was binding off I realized that this was one pattern that would be FAR easier crocheted. So, I came up with my own version (but crochet). If any of you want to use it, this is what you do:

Chain as many as you want for the length you want (when finished it will be 20-30% longer than the chain). Use a hook approx. two sizes larger than you would normally use for whatever yarn you're using.

Pattern row: In the third chain from the hook, 2 dc. *3 tc in next stitch, 3 dc in next stitch. Repeat from * to the end.

If you want a sturdier base (and a slightly wider scarf) you can do a row of single crochet before starting the pattern.

Here is a picture of my knitted scarf and my crocheted scarf. Pretty close! (I think if I'd left out the single crochet row it would be even closer - and, of course, it's different yarn) The crocheted scarf is about ten times faster. Tomorrow I will post a picture of two with the same yarn. :O)

Posted by Whit at 13:17   | (pre-trackback) 4  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Mom

Happy B-Day to my amazing mother! She is not only my Mom, but one of my very best friends. Thanks, Mom!!! For you, my first felted bag. If you want to see how weird the transformation is, here is the "before" picture:

Posted by Whit at 08:28   | (pre-trackback) 10  

Double Crochet

Here are the two dishcloths for my exchange. One of them did not want to be photographed, so is a little blurry. It is weird that some yarns/stitches in some situations are just really hard to take pics of. This basket stitch is one.


Today I'm cleaning my basement, so wish me luck. If I don't blog tomorrow, you may want to come look for me!

Posted by Whit at 08:36   | (pre-trackback) 3  

Dishcloths

John is home working today and I am getting very little productive done. Went to Michaels to look at yarn and signed up to (possibly) teach a couple of knit & crochet classes. The girl loved Mom's present and a couple of other projects I've done. I'll see if I have time to do it. It would be fun and they actually pay quite well (an hourly wage and 90% of the class fee).

Here is a pic of the pattern I'm using on my dishcloth. One down and one to go for my exchange. :O)

Posted by Whit at 14:23   | (pre-trackback) 2  

Digital Camera

This is my digital camera - well, a picture of a camera LIKE my digital camera. I tried and tried, but couldn't take a picture of my camera with my camera.... I am posting because I LOVE my camera. It is the reason I blog.

I am going to take a picture of Mom's birthday present and also the crochet project I'm working on and possibly some other fun and exciting things around my house - but first I have to find it (sob)...

Posted by Whit at 10:42   | (pre-trackback) 6  

Organized Home

Well, I have to say that I love to clean house when I have the time. I have found a system that works really well for me. In addition to my bulk cooking, this system saves me A LOT of time and helps me stay on top of things.

OF COURSE I still have bad days or weeks, but overall - this has helped me get control of my environment!

The forms I use are at Organized Home.com and are WONDERFUL. I have started my Household Notebook and am combining it with my index card system (which is now not on index cards).

Well, back to the cleaning!!!

Posted by Whit at 12:08   | (pre-trackback) 4  

Crochet Time

Well, I've about finished Mom's b-day gift, so it's time to start my next project. This will be a crochet exchange - dishcloths. I am using this beautiful yarn that I found. It's Sugar 'n Cream and very nice - 100% cotton.

I am cleaning house til noon today - TONS to do. Then I've got to go to the gym and also do some church stuff. Hopefully I'll have time to get some crafty things done today! This yarn is starting to call to me.

Posted by Whit at 10:09   | (pre-trackback) 5  

Salsa, it isn't just for - breakfast?

I woke up this morning craving - salsa. Yes, salsa. Not just any salsa, though. Pineapple salsa. DELICIOUS. This stuff is locally made, but you might be able to find a recipe or a store near you that carries something similar.

Those of you who make salsa (hint, hint Dad) might want to try a batch with some pineapple thrown in. It is completely addicting. Okay, now you know.

I went to a knitting group last night and almost finished Mom's gift. Hooray! I'll post a picture maybe tomorrow... hmmm... or maybe I'll wait til her birthday to post it. Guess we'll see.

Posted by Whit at 11:13   | (pre-trackback) 14  

Mom's Gift

It's a bird, it's a plane - Hmmm... I wonder what it is? Well, one thing for sure - it's a gift for Mom's birthday and it's very pink and very black and very hard to photograph.

It has been SO much fun to knit with this fabulous yarn that I got from Rumplestiltskin (my lys)...

I'm off to get the house clean and do some more knitting and church stuff - and possibly kill my adorable cat, who is quite taken with the pink yarn (she can always tell the yarn with wool content).

Posted by Whit at 10:37   | (pre-trackback) 3  

Meghan Shrugged

Posted by Whit at 09:32   | (pre-trackback) 7  

It's Good to be Cat

With the qualities of cleanliness, discretion, affection, patience, dignity, and courage that cats have, how many of us, I ask you, would be capable of being cats? -- Fernand Merv.

---

All I Need to know About Life I learned From My Cat

• Make the world your playground.
• Always find a good patch of sun to nap in and nap often.
• If you're not receiving enough attention, try knocking over some very expensive antique lamps.
• Curiosity never killed anything except maybe a few hours.
• When in doubt, cop an attitude.
• Variety is the spice of life. One day, ignore people; the next day, annoy them.
• Climb your way to the top, that's why the curtains are there.
• Always give generously; a bird or rodent left on the bed tells them, "I care".
• When you go out in the world, remember that being placed on a pedestal is a right, not a privilege.

Posted by Whit at 09:24   | (pre-trackback) 7  

Quick HP Post

Just a quick repost of the Harry Potter conversation (which is still getting posts):

http://www.whitlarson.com/2005/07/hbp-finished.html

If you want to continue discussing HP - please click the link and enjoy!!!!

I need to go clean something!!!!!!

Posted by Whit at 16:23   | (pre-trackback) 0  

I hate Comcast

Well, I am back after a few days of being offline - thanks to our cable company. Most of our city was on/off for about a week. I am waiting for my dsl modem so that I can switch from cable to dsl. I may switch back in a year - when this deal that I signed up for ends...

Anyhow, on to a more pleasant topic. Here is what's on my needles - another One Skein Wonder! Meg's friend, Heather ("more of a sister, really") bought some yarn and so I figured I'd best get going on it. I should have it finished up tonight. Then, a project for my mother. Hey, Mom - if you had to choose an accessory color what would it be (it can be two or three colors if you'd like). Better choose or I'll choose for you!!! heheheee

Posted by Whit at 10:31   | (pre-trackback) 4