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My First Malabrigo!

Posted on April 30, 2008 by auburnchick

Well folks..after knitting for almost two years, I finally got my hands on some of that famous yarn…Malabrigo…better known as Mmmmmm.

Just how I obtained it is a story in itself.

One evening, while I was chatting on KnittingHelp.com, the subject of Mmmmmm came up. I lamented how I’ve never seen or touched it before. Well, a couple of the chatters were flabbergasted! They simply could not understand how I had gone so long without laying eyes on this precious, spun gold.

One of the gals generously offered to send me one skein…no repayment allowed. At first, I didn’t know what to say. I was a bit shy about accepting her offer, but she insisted that she wanted to do this. The only she asked was that I Pay it Forward.

That, my dear readers, is an easy thing for a knitter to do. It is my opinion that crafters are among the most generous people in the world. Forget Bill Gates. Forget Donald Trump (yes, let’s do). Have you ever seen these men knit baby blankets? No way, Jose.

On Monday, I had a package in the mail. It was THE package. I had run by the house on my way to my son’s school. As I spied the package, I decided that I needed to wait until I was settled in car loop — so that I could devote my full attention to the contents.

On the way to the school from my house, Mr. AuburnChick called my cell phone, asking if I had read my email that day. Uh, no, dear. I just got off of work, and I have this package that I must dive into. Oh, he says, there’s some important stuff about Little Ms Chickadee.

Grrr…I really don’t like him telling me what an email says. I don’t know. It’s kind of like telling me what’s in a present before I open it. I know, I know…it’s just email. Sorry, but that is one of my quirks.

So, on the way to the school, I made a pit stop at the library. I had to return some books, and I knew they had free internet service, where I could jump online and check my email. So I did. After reading about 15 messages, one of which contained an email from a college coach about Little Ms’s weekend performance (see previous blog entry), I signed off.

My mind was on that package. Forget the fact that this could be the college that offers my daughter a soccer scholarship. Oh no. I knew that something special was waiting for me in the car.

Priorities, people…priorities.

I dash to the car and hurry to the school. Parking brake set…check. Package in hand…check.

My hands were shaking. I gingerly tore the end off of the envelope. A sweet note was included:

“Dear Nathalie,

I just couldn’t resist! Enjoy!”

I proceeded to the plastic wrapped bundle. Upon opening it, I found this…

Yes…I know! It’s TWO skeins of Bijou Blue Malabrigo!!! Oh my, is it soft! I sat in the car holding one on each side of my neck, envisioning them as a scarf.

But wait…there was something else in the package. Eh? What’s this?

Yep. A THIRD skein! The color is Lettuce. I had to chuckle. This was an inside joke. Ok. I’ll share it with you.

Generous Knitter is also on Ravelry, and awhile back, I commented on a project she has been working on. Turns out, we’ve both been struggling with the Leaf Lace Scarf pattern. It recommends the Lettuce yarn.

So, here’s to my friend, who serves as a reminder that there truly are nice people out there in the world. I never doubted that, but it’s always nice to have a personal reminder.

Now…let me tell you. Mmmmmm is not the only yarn that showed up on my doorstep that day…

That’s my latest order from purlsoho.com. It’s Alchemy Sanctuary, which is a silk/wool blend. Divine, I tell you…just divine! The color on the left is Topaz, and the one on the right is Boo’s Garden. I’m going to make more of these fingerless gloves. If you recall, I made a pair about a month ago. It is one of the easiest patterns! The only thing you have to watch for is when casting off the stitches for the thumb gusset. You can’t forget to cast off that 10th stitch, which means you will probably have to grab a stitch from the next needle. You’ll understand what I mean when you make them.

I’m going to knit up the Topaz for a gal at work. She admired my other pair and commented about how cold her hands get at work when she’s typing on the computer. I chose this color specifically with her in mind, thinking that the neutral color will go with anything.

The green is a selfish gift to myself. I’ll get around to knitting it up. Eventually. It’s such a fast knit that I could do them in a day.

Now…on to other things.

I am making progress on the comfort throw. The pattern is actually for a cabled pillow that uses the Saxon Braid. I found the pattern in this booklet…

The Saxon Braid pattern is also located on this page. I have completed three full pattern reps and will complete the fourth one tonight. My plan is to knit one repeat each day. I’m going to make six repeats in total and end the blanket with six rows of garter stitch. The cable is awesome and not too intimidating. A few of the rows are harem scarem, but I’ve been concentrating like crazy and haven’t encountered any problems.

I am making the cables without cable needles, which has sped up the progress tremendously! I used this site and this site to help me. I have to say that knitting without the extra cable needle is actually very intuitive. I was really tired last night but insisted on finishing that last pattern row before going to bed. I kept catching myself messing up…all because the stitches just weren’t flowing right. So, if you’ve been hesitant to try cables, don’t be! They are really very simple!

Well, that’s it for now. Off I go to work some more!

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments »

It’s Not Always About Winning

Posted on April 28, 2008 by auburnchick

Well folks, there’s no mystery here, is there?  My daughter’s team did not win on Sunday.  The team had to play a team they had already beaten in the first round.  Yeah, I know…not fair.  But, as we all know, life doesn’t appear to be fair sometimes.  I guess it just depends on your perspective.  I’m sure the other team is sitting at home right now declaring the sweet justice of it.

I’m feeling very philosophical right now.

First, I need to give you the details of the game.  And you’re not gonna believe it.

Let it first be said that we were considered “The” team to beat.  This team won State Cup last year, although it’s a very different team from last year.  Many of the girls only joined the team this season, including my daughter.  Because we had already beaten the other team, we suspected that they would be out for revenge.  We guessed correctly, just like the day before.

The other team came out strong, but we scored first.  The score went back and forth, with each team scoring, tying the game, and then taking the lead.

The game ended in a tie, so we went to overtime.  At the end of the first overtime, the score was still tied, so they went into a second overtime.

Yep…the game was still tied after the second overtime.

PK time (penalty kicks).  After the first five kickers, the score remained tied.

Why, oh why, can’t there just be a Final Five.  Let both teams through…give them a break and let the girls rest.

Of course, that just would’t be right.  Even I know that.

So, they went to sudden death PKs.  Five different girls from the teams lined up for their chance to win the game. 

After the first two kickers, we were still tied. 

The third kicker on the other team shot.  It went in.  Our third kicker shot, and their goalie blocked it.

Game over.  They won.

Sadness…

Little Ms. Auburnchickadee was not in a good mood on the way home.  I couldn’t blame her.  She’s never won a state cup title.  Many of the other girls have.  She wanted it.  Badly.

Life goes on.

This morning, as I drove her to school, I asked her how she was feeling.  “Sore,” she answered.  She said that everytime she moved last night, she hurt.

This is where I get philosophical.

As I watched my baby get out of the car, I sat in amazement at what she’d done.  How can kids step out on the field time after time, knowing that they are putting their bodies on the line?  I’ve watched Little Ms do this since she was six years old.  Please don’t think I’m a pushy soccer mom.  She does it because she loves it.  I have never made her play.  She has played with a 103 temperature, bronchitis, and this weekend, a head cold that nobody but us knew about.  She was hacking up loogies each morning, but she didn’t dare tell her teammates or her coach.  No excuses.  Play on.

To fully appreciate Little Ms Auburnchickadee’s accomplishments, however, one must go back even further…to February ’07, when she had surgery to repair a torn ACL that had happened the previous December during a high school game.

She had been playing at the top of her game.  She was strong, so to be sidelined with that kind of injury was absolutely devastating.  I cried when I saw her in ICU after surgery.  She looked so vulnerable.  Little Ms. Auburnchickadee will never let you see that side of her on purpose.  She hurt so badly physically but even more emotionally…believing that her soccer career would never be the same.

For a while, it was easy to understand her fears.  To watch my baby need help with the most basic routines of life…getting out of bed, using the bathroom, taking a shower.  It reduced us all to tears.  Her physical therapists thought she wouldn’t come back after the first session, when they had to force her leg into a straight position.  I’ve never hurt so badly for another human as I did that day.

But, she worked hard.  Her current coach chose to put her on the team despite her being unable to “try out” physically.  He took her based on the words of others who had played with her or seen her play.  He had faith in her.  That upped the ante for her.  She worked like nobody’s business to get back in shape.  And she did.

Only five months after surgery, she stepped back on the field, leg protected by a custom fitted brace.  Her play wasn’t pretty, I can tell you that right now.  But the smile on her face was b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l.

She got stronger and stronger, running faster with that brace on than most people.  And when she took it off for good, one year after surgery, she got even faster.

Her hard work paid off this weekend.  She didn’t get subbed once during the game on Sunday, and she took some hard licks and gave right back.  But she never gave up.  She played her heart out and left everything on the field.

So, while a State Cup title would have been nice, it would have been, for us, icing on the cake.  The real prize has already been obtained.  Having Little Ms back on the field, doing what she loves, stronger than ever.

Sometimes, it’s not about winning.  It’s about where you were before you started the journey and where you wind up.  Little Ms Auburnchickadee has nothing to be ashamed of.  She was forced to travel a difficult road.  She came out shining brighter than any medal.

Filed under: soccer | Tagged: , , , | Leave a comment »

4 Blankets in 6 Days

Posted on April 26, 2008 by auburnchick

Whew! This was a busy week!

When I got home from my trip last weekend, I found I had two blankets to work on. Here is a picture of Melon Medley. I decided to continue the moss stitch that the previous knitter had used. I dug into my stash and opted for the Caron’s Simply Soft “Limelight” that I’m so fond of. I just LOVE the way it looks up against the pink watermelon color!

The next blanket to get attention was Ocean Blues. Shandeh, from KnittingHelp.com, sent me the yarn and needles to get this blanket started. I used the Ripple pattern I had posted about before. The yarn is Bernat Softee Baby, and the color is “Bongo Blue.” The blanket turned out quite lovely, if I do say so myself.

Next in line was Pretty Princess. I really wanted to use my white I Love This Yarn stuff, but I decided to keep with the pink theme and used Caron’s Simply Soft “Pink” instead. The stitch is called Moss Stitch Diamonds from my knit & purl book.

And last, but not least, was the Easter Basket blanket. Look at the goodies I received with the blanket! The purple yarn was hand-spun by one of my chat buddies, who got started on the Oddball project after I talked it up in the chat one evening.

For my portion of the blanket, I used Caron’s Simply Soft “Baby Brights Ombre.” Although I really like using Caron’s Simply Soft, this particular color is NOT soft! It feels more like Red Heart. I like the colors though. It looks like fruit loops when you knit it up. The stitch pattern is called Gaston’s Stitch.

Did you happen to notice that the first picture of the blanket shows the blanket on grass? Well, I was at a soccer game when I knit up the last six rows. I finished as the girls were warming up for their game, which was kind of a bummer because, although I do watch the games, knitting during throw-ins and half-time are huge stress relievers. And believe me…I needed a stress reliever during today’s game.

My daughter’s team is currently in the state playoffs. This isn’t high school ball but travel ball…elite stuff. Well, the other team scored immediately off of a corner kick…much to the shock of all of the parents. My stomach started churning at this point.

If I had not completed the blanket, I would have been furiously knitting away. Without those needles in my hands…well, let’s just say that I had a difficult time coping. The game went back and forth. The other team scored with two minutes in the game, putting them up by one. Then, out of the blue, one of our girls boomed it from the center and it went over the other keeper’s head. We tied! The referee blew his whistle.

Overtime.

Grrr…no knitting in my hands…grr…

Two ten-minute overtimes later, and the game was still tied.

Penalty kicks.

Grrr…no knitting in my hands…grrr…

First two kickers on each team get their balls past the keepers. Our third kicker scores. Then, their kicker kicks it, and our goal keeper STOPS it!

Our fourth kicker goes up and makes her goal, getting it in. Their fourth kicker goes up.

Our keeper STOPS it!!

We win!

Relief!

At that point, I literally could not walk…my legs were weak. I was too shaken to do anything but enjoy the moment. At some point, I will relax and start the comfort throw for my friend.

But tomorrow is another test…another game. If we win, we’ll go to Final Four. Another stressful day. I will have a project with me tomorrow.

Filed under: Knitting, soccer | Tagged: , , , | 4 Comments »

Insecurities

Posted on April 23, 2008 by auburnchick

Today, while attending an academics awards ceremony at my daughter’s high school, I was reminded of some insecurities I thought I had put aside.

I don’t know why this surprises me as teenage children don’t exactly deliver bucket loads of compliments to their parents. In fact, their comments usually dash whatever good feelings you might have about yourself.

Have you ever walked out of the bathroom pleased with the way your hair turned out? I mean, how often do we really have good hair or makeup days?

For some reason, my eyeliner will not go on in a thin line the same way two days in a row. I manage to mess it up most of the time. But the one time I walk out with a younger looking face, mascara not smudged anywhere, Little Miss Auburnchickadee manages to burst my bubble.

“Mama, you really need to rub in your powder. Oh, and by the way, you put on too much blush this morning. Your face looks like it’s on fire.”

Happy day to you too, dear.

So then you walk around rubbing your cheeks all day, scared your face is shining like a beacon…pointing the way to safe harbor.

I hate feeling self-conscious.

Today was one of those days.

Daughter had begged me not to arrive too early for the ceremony. She remembered the night of the pinning ceremony when I insisted on getting there an hour early. Gotta get the best seat, you know.

She said that there might still be kids in the gym, and that they might recognize me as “belonging to her” since we look alike.

Somewhere in there, there’s a backhanded compliment. I did not miss the fact that she admitted that we look alike. That was a first. However, it was not said kindly. Heaven forbid that I’m recognized as Little Miss Auburnchickadee’s mother — the one who was on bed rest for an entire month during her pregnancy — during the holidays — and then in labor for nine very long hours and pushed for one entirely way too long hour with her playing peekaboo before she decided to come out for good.

So, I get there a good 30 minutes early. Of course, I had to park out front and walk through the entire school to get to the gym. This is where I got self-conscious.

First of all, I do not envision myself looking like a “mom.” In my mind, I’m still that vivacious high schooler who happens to have the mind (and experience) of a mom. However, I’ve never seen a high schooler with a knitting bag and booga purse slung over her right shoulder…walking down the school hallways.

I pray that I don’t slide on the floor and fall. I would absolutely hate to make the kids drool over the items in my knitting bag. I mean, those Options needles are the latest craze. And my stitch markers…made specially for me by a dear friend…well, they could use them to trade for Chick-fil-A sandwiches. That’s how amazing they are. I also look down to make sure that the heavy baggage on my right arm has not unsnapped my blouse. That would be just my luck…kind of like walking down the hallway with toilet paper sticking out of your pants.

I made it down the hallway accident-free and entered the wrong door to the gym. Of course. This is AuburnChick, who never has an easy time doing anything.

“Ma’am, you should probably go to the other door,” says a helpful young lady.

Grrr…when did I become a “ma’am?”

And the process starts all over again, only in reverse, after the ceremony is over. I see a girl and guy hanging all over each other in the hallway. They give me a cursory glance. I’m just a mom with a knitting bag. I’m harmless.

So, the question begs to be asked.  Do we ever grow out of our high school insecurities? I don’t think so, because nobody likes to look stupid. Whether it be walking in the wrong door or slipping down a couple of steps…any time anyone looks at us in a funny way we’re reminded that there will always remain inside of us a scared little girl (or boy, if I happen to have any male readers).

Filed under: Knitting, This-n-That | Tagged: , , , | Leave a comment »

Was It My Birthday Today?

Posted on April 21, 2008 by auburnchick

Mondays are never fun. Back to work, back to getting up early…

Grrr…

However, my demeanor changed when I arrived home. Now, to be fair, I only work part-time. I take my children to school, and I pick them up. I am blessed to have a flexible schedule that allows me to work from home in the afternoons, if need be.

Anyhow, when I got home, I spied a package on my front doorstep. As I got closer, I realized that, what at first appeared to be one package was, in fact, TWO packages! Yippee!

I couldn’t get in the house fast enough to open them!

The first package I opened was from a gal in KnittingHelp.com. She sent me the Oddball blanket that she started while on vacation. It’s called Melon Medley. And look at the goodies she sent along with it!

Yes, folks, you see before you two skeins of Tahki Cotton Classic yarn, color #105. It has blues and greens in it.

She also sent me the book The Friday Night Knitting Club.

The next package I opened was from another KnittingHelp.com knitter. She sent me Pretty Princess, another Oddball baby blanket. Included in the box was a fabulous tin of Peppermint Herbal tea. Everyone, including the dogs, keeps smelling it!

How in the world did I get so lucky? Knitters are some of the most generous people!


During my son’s swim practice, I cast on for Ocean Blues. I am going to use the Ripple pattern that I found here. I’ve suggested to my co-knitters that each person continue the pattern in their own choice of yarn. I think it will look lovely. Here’s a picture of what the pattern should turn out like…

I also decided on a pattern for my friend’s comfort throw. I’m going to use a pattern I found in a Leisure Arts stitch pamphlet I had on hand. The pattern is actually for a cabled pillow, but I love the cable so much that I’m simply going to use bigger needles, double-strand the yarn, and make it longer than the pillow. The cable is a Saxon Braid. See the picture that I found online…

It looks like I’m going to have a busy week. Wow!

Oh, and one last thing. A customer service representative commented on the blog entry that included my story about shopping for the yarn for the comfort throw. Remember how I was frustrated because I couldn’t find enough yarn of a particular color? Well, she explained that customers can place special orders for yarn that they have in their warehouse. Interesting! Kudos to Hobby Lobby!

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Thank Goodness for Podcasts

Posted on April 20, 2008 by auburnchick

I traveled this weekend…which probably doesn’t surprise you by now. This is the busiest time of the season for us. With another round of state playoffs right around the corner, the team is taking every opportunity to practice. Living across state from most of the players has proven to be a challenge. The solution has been to practice in Jacksonville every other weekend. It’s a haul but well worth it.

So, it was my turn to take daughter to practice. I really don’t mind because I get in good knitting time without the responsibility of taking care of the house and pets.

I loaded up the yarn I bought for the the comfort throw along with the latest oddball baby blanket that I received in the mail on Thursday. I worked on it during daughter’s scrimmage. The name of the blanket is Rainbow Joy, with each knitter using the color, in order, in the rainbow. I used Caron Simply Soft, and the color is Limelight. Because it’s garter stitch, I was able to knit and watch the game without looking down much.

With this blanket done and ready to travel again, I felt like I could concentrate on the comfort throw for my friend. However, after completing the garter border and one row of the pattern, I discovered that the pattern has mistakes. Grrr…

So, I put the blanket away and planned to find a pattern online.

With that done, and two practice sessions still ahead of me, I decided to pull out my sock and continue working on it. I got two more rounds done. Pretty good!

After practice, we began our trip home. Thank goodness for podcasts! I had downloaded the latest editions of some that I had subscribed to, so I was all set. I have a power converter box with two outlets, so daughter and I could both plug in our laptops. My Macbook Pro came with a remote control that I’ve never used before. It’s the handiest little gadget!

I used it to get to my iTunes menu and play my podcasts! I caught up with Diva Knitting and Part 2 of her sock-along. She had some handy tips about short-row heels. Then, I listened to the KnitPicks podcast. Next was Ready, Set, Knit, which is the WEBS podcast. Guests were the Yarn Harlot and Melissa Morgan Oakes, the author of Two Socks at a Time! It was fabulous! I also listened to Knit Together, a wonderful Christian podcast in which practical knitting topics were addressed in this edition. Next was Stitch It. Meghan includes a lot of information about spinning.  Knitting Rose is always a must-listen. She’s such a doll! And last, but not least, was the weekend edition of Way of the Master.

I was in happy land! The hours flew by, and before I knew it, I was pulling into my driveway.

Well, I’m off to look for patterns for a simple, quick throw.

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I Spoke Too Soon

Posted on April 18, 2008 by auburnchick

So much for a quiet Wednesday. No sooner did I post that entry did my life turn upside down once again.

After dozing off on the couch…killing time until my son’s doctor appointment, I arose to find a pool of blood on the floor where my dog, Aubie, had been sleeping. I do not exaggerate. It was not a spot, but a big puddle. I took a picture for the vet, but I’ll spare you. Her stomach had been churning all day…sounding kind of like hunger pangs. Well, apparently, while she was sleeping, every time it panged, blood seeped out of one of her ends. Yeah, not a pretty sight.

You know how much I adore my animals, so naturally I panicked. My regular vet was out, so I was referred to the sister office, which is actually closer to my house. Perfect. I made an appointment and tearfully called Mr. AuburnChick. Aubie is the oldest of our dogs…so we’re especially tight. He commanded me to call him the moment I left the vet.

No longer caring as much about my son’s sore throat, I canceled his appointment. He didn’t mind, explaining that having his throat swabbed ranked about as high as getting a suppository.

I had about an hour before the appointment, so I eagerly jumped online, praying that Rabbitrescuer, my KnittingHelp buddy, was in the chatroom. She works at an emergency animal hospital. Praise the Lord…she was there. I tearfully described the situation, and she calmed me down by explaining that it was probably HGE.  It’s very treatable if caught early.

Off I went to the vet, empowered with a little bit more knowledge.

After assessing Aubie’s condition, Mr. Ponytailed Vet-man (kind of looked like Steven Seagal) explained that my Aubie probably had a case of colitis. He told me to put her on Senior formula Sensitive Tummy dog food. My doggie is now considered an old lady, I guess. I walked out of there with four cans of bland, wet dog food, a probiotic, antibiotic, and anti-diarrhea medicine. Poor Aubie. She’s not enjoying the extra “attention,” although she’s loving the soft dog food.

So, that was Wednesday.

Thursday and Friday weren’t too bad. Work was stressful as always. Being the computer tech at work means I am often expected to have answers to problems that occur without rhyme or reason. I enjoy the challenge, but it’s a huge responsibility.

I managed to work on the mate to my Monkey sock, but I’ve only completed two pattern repetitions thus far. I’ve set the sock aside for a little while to concentrate on a couple of other projects.

I received another Oddball Baby Blanket in the mail. It’s called Rainbow Joy, and it’s garter stitch. I’m going to use green. I’ll post a picture when I’m done.

I’ve also decided to make a comfort throw for my daughter’s close friend’s mother. She just found out that she has colon cancer and will be having surgery next week. Someone on KnittingHelp suggested the pattern. So I rushed to Hobby Lobby to pick out some yarn. Her daughter told me her favorite color — teal — but of course there wasn’t enough. I called the daughter back, and she said her mom likes bright colors. Of course, the store didn’t have enough of any bright colors. So, I settled for Dark Raspberry…

I hope to have the blanket completed next week.

On my way home, I stopped at Joann Fabrics. I still had $50 of my birthday money, and I knew that the Ott lights were on sale this week. Here’s what I got, for just under the $50 I had set aside…

I’m off tomorrow…driving my daughter across the state to soccer practice. I’ll have two afternoons to work on the throw.

Please pray for my friend and her family.

Filed under: Knitting, Pets | Tagged: , , | 3 Comments »

A Quiet Day

Posted on April 16, 2008 by auburnchick

I run so hard that it’s nice, every once in a while, to have a quiet day.

I got up this morning and got myself ready for work. All I needed to do was iron my clothes. I usually do that after I run my daughter to high school…in my thick, fuzzy, white robe. Yes, I’m the crazy lady you see driving down the road with my head in a towel and night clothes still on. Wonderful mental image, eh?

Anyhow, I had actually fixed my hair and applied makeup. I went out to do devotions with the kids when I saw my son laying on the couch. “Mama,” he croaked out. “I have a really bad sore throat and headache.”

Uh oh.

He did manage to pull himself to the table, and we proceeded with devotions. I am using the book Daily Grace for Teens. We also read verses out of the Bible. We’re currently reading Ephesians. I usually take a chapter and divide the number of verses by three. Can I just tell you that some numbers are difficult to divide by three?! Wowsa. We’ve almost gotten into knock-down, drag-out fights over this, which kind of defeats the purpose of doing the devotions in the first place. The kids each get an even number of verses, and I get the extra one or two, if it’s not even all the way around. Anyhow, it’s a sight to see.

So, we got through devotions, and I drove  the daughter to school. Upon arrival back home, less than ten minutes later, son was still on the couch, looking even worse, despite having no temperature. I declared him sick, sent him back to bed, and notified my boss that I wouldn’t be in today.

While son was sleeping, I caught up on my ironing and ran a couple of errands. Gatorade is my mainstay when anyone is sick, so off I trotted to the grocery store. While there, I returned a bag of groceries I had purchased yesterday (I actually purchased many bags…this was just one of them). I need to go grocery shopping more often so I’m familiar with what we actually have in our house and don’t wind up with six ketchup bottles.

Grrr…

Off to Home Depot to buy an air filter, which I suspect is the culprit for the sore throat. I’ve been very diligent about replacing the air filter every two months, but since we recently turned on our air conditioner (I love living in Florida!), I think that the air sucked up all of the icky stuff in the house. I also scheduled my son to go into the doctor to get his throat swabbed out. He is not happy, but a mama’s got to do what a mama’s got to do.

So now, it’s really quiet. I’m torn. Do I read, or do I knit? Part of me wants to return the books I checked out last week, but then I read a few pages, and I’m drawn, once again, to the heroine of the book.

In case you didn’t read one of my previous blog entries, I’ll catch you up. I’m currently reading the Mark of the Lion series, written by Francine Rivers. The setting is ancient Rome, during the days of gladiators. It details the struggles of a young girl, Hadassah, a Christian who becomes a slave in a Roman home.  The reader also learns much about how terribly Jews and Christians were persecuted after the resurrection of Jesus.

Hadassah is so humble. Everyone around her recognizes that there is something different about her. Even though I read these books several years ago, I’m still polarized by the portrait painted.  You see Hadassah in her quiet strength and self-doubts — thing that are still relevant in each of us today.  Hadassah possesses a simple, blind faith in God’s provision, despite the circumstances. She understands that God created us to serve others. The purpose of our lives is not the pursuit of our own happiness. That goes so contrary to what the world teaches these days.

So, with this unexpected gift of a quiet day, I think I’ll continue to read (despite wanting desperately to work on my second Monkey sock). God has much work to do in my life. Perhaps these books will be one of the tools He uses.

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AuburnChick is a Sock Model

Posted on April 14, 2008 by auburnchick

First of all, I must ask…WHAT HAPPENED TO MY WARM WEATHER???

You probably saw the sunburn I got on Saturday when I spent the afternoon outside in the 86-degree weather. Well, here’s what it looked like when we arrived at the soccer field on Sunday morning:

And it was cold!

Now, I have to brag a bit. Being the cold-natured person that I am, I was prepared. When loading up the car for the trip, Mr. AuburnChick expressed his annoyance at my insistence that we pack a few blankets. The AuburnChick family, with the exception of your’s truly, likes to keep things real cool in the car, and I usually freeze. So, snuggling up with a blanket keeps the peace. I also packed my sweater and sweatshirt.

So, while everyone was scrambling for something warm, this girl happily sat her hiney down in her soccer chair, pressed her blanket firmly around her body, and began knitting…warm and content.

Neener, neener, boo-boo. Who’s the dumb one now?

LOL

Unfortunately, the mist in the air dampened my yarn, making it impossible to knit during warm-ups. All was okay, though, because I still had a seven-hour drive home.

That time, along with a couple of hours last night as well as about thirty minutes this afternoon during my son’s swim practice allowed me the time I needed to finish my first Monkey Sock.

Here’s where the modeling thing comes in (bet you were wondering, eh?). I’m so proud of the sock, in addition to being proud of the pictures that actually came out okay, that I’m posting several.

Oh, and here is the info for the socks. The pattern is Monkey Socks, and the yarn is Tofutsies, color #798. I used size 2 needles on two circs…sizes 16″ and 24″.

I like the following shot because it shows off the pattern real well (at least I think it does)…

This view makes my foot look real big (according to my daughter, who’s always full of compliments).

This is a close-up of the stitch and yarn. The colors are so bright and cheery. Everyone who sees the yarn just loves it.

The following picture should be an advertisement for why you block socks (although I have never done so but probably should have before posting this). I don’t know if you can tell, but I did a slip stitch heel instead of the simple stockinette in the pattern. I made several tweaks to this pattern, going back and forth between this pattern and Cat Bordhi’s book Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles.

One last little bit…

Yesterday, on the way home, I downloaded several different knitting podcasts. I’m trying to find a few I like in the hopes that I can learn something new.

Well, I have to tell you that I found a gem! My favorite, by far, is Knitting Rose. You MUST listen to Episode 10 – “What is it like to live with a knitter?” I had to chuckle. It was light, cute, and humorous. And, I must say, you will fall in love with the person she interviewed. I will definitely be keeping up with her blog and podcast!

Well, I’m off to cast on for the second sock. Wouldn’t want the one to be lonely for too long.

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My Knitting Suntan

Posted on April 12, 2008 by auburnchick

That’s what happens when you spend all day out in the sun with your arms in the following position:



I spent most of the day on the soccer field. The FSU and UCF girls teams played an exhibition game. It was great to see a college game up close. Hopefully, my daughter will be one of those girls in a couple of years.

Then, my daughter’s team played against a local team. It was just a “playdate,” which meant that it didn’t really matter who wins. The most important thing is the practice.

I had to take advantage of all of this free time, so I worked on my sock. Hence, the odd tan/burn that I wound up with.

It truly was a beautiful day…86 degrees! This bird was enjoying the weather too…

I’ll be up at the crack of dawn in the morning…another day, another soccer game. Lots more time to knit in the car on the way home too!

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