My Heart Just Isn’t Into It

That’s right!  I’m being a slug!  Craig went off to band practice – the house is peacefully quiet, children are asleep – and I am attempting to be productive, but my heart just isn’t into it. 

:: Perhaps it’s because I’m gimping around like a little old lady from doing legs last night at the gym!

::Perhaps it’s because the Saturn died on Craig yesterday while he was driving it (on East Lincoln Highway).  We had it towed ($65.00) and found out that it’s the crankshift sensor ($363.63). 

::Perhaps it’s because I’m trying to list stitch marker sets on Etsy, and it’s monotonous!

But no matter, it all just means one thing:  I need to go to bed.   And dream of being productive and crafty. 

I leave you with a few pictures of new sets I’m putting into the  shop:

Wrapped Toffees – made with a variation of millefiori glass beads, which I love!

These markers have it all!  Czech glass flower beads, czech glass rondelles, glass seed beads, firepolished czech glass beads – all in a monochromatic study of the color blue.  Delightful.

The Poncho is Finished!

Lainie, how do you like your new poncho?

Thumbs up.  Everything that is good gets a “thumbs up.”  Lainie, how was your day?  Thumbs up.  Lainie, how’s your dinner?  Thumbs up.

Here’s the back:

The decreases are visible, but I don’t think they look too bad.

By the way, Lainie picked the color.  Orange is her favorite.  I love that about her.

Here’s with the hood on:

It’s snug, but I think that was the intent in the pattern.  The yarn is Feza Opera, purchased from my local yarn shop for half price = $3.00/skein.  Bargain!  And I knit it on size 11 needles, so it went really quick.  The pattern was from one of the small Vogue books.

Today is Cole’s 9th birthday!  Pictures to follow!

Not one of my more stellar nights

…as a parent, that is.  This morning started out not so hot, as Cole ignored my request to go and walk Archie.  I reciprocated by not making his lunch (thereby subjecting him to the b-b-q rib sandwich at school which may contain pork and other mystery ingredients and I knew he wouldn’t like).  When he decided to scrape the ice off the driveway instead of getting his backpack and getting into the car, I made him walk down to the person’s house with who I carpool.  Yes, that’s right, he walked into the house and I closed the garage door and drove off, leaving him to find his own way down to Mark & Lynn’s house.

Tonight was going better, until it was time to take a shower.  Cole was again ignoring my request that it was time to get into the shower, because he was writing a note to his dad not to dismantle his lego creation.  I finally started counting….and Lainie paid attention, but Cole did not.  At 5, I told Cole he’d have to go to bed with no books.  He started crying and saying “I was just trying to write Dad a note!” to which I told him he could have done that after his shower.  So, he gets into the shower and turns it to scalding.  Lainie gets into the shower with him (they’re still young enough that when we’re in a rush, they shower together) and starts screaming, literally screaming, that the water was too hot.  I hear Cole mutter:  “what, Lainie, I’m blocking most of it” in this totally “so what” voice.  I go in and take a look at him:  his skin is beet red.  So, I got mad because I knew he was being a jerk to his sister because he likes the water scalding and doesn’t care about her.  I made him turn the water off.  He had shampoo in his hair.  He’s all like “what?” and I proceeded to poke him very hard in the arm and tell him with clenched teeth “IF YOUR SISTER IS SCREAMING THAT THE WATER IS TOO HOT YOU HAVE TO TURN IT DOWN!!!” (or something like that).  I told him to get out.  “But I have shampoo in my hair!”  “Fine, rinse it off.”  He turns the water on and proceeds to run his hand under the water trying to get it to super hot again and I lost it and told him to “TURN ON THE WATER AND GET RINSED AND GET OUT OF THE SHOWER!” (again, with clenched teeth)  to which he got upset with.  Mind you, when he got into the shower he was “muttering” about how unfair I was being because he was just trying to write a note to dad, blah blah blah (loud enough for everyone to hear him).  So, he disappeared out to the living room and I got Lainie’s shower finished and I made both kids go to bed with no books.  I think both of them were okay when they went to bed but I did not go in and tuck them in.

So, all in all, not one of my more stellar nights as a parent.  I hate it when things blow up like that, but I get so sick and tired of it, too.  I work all day – and then my evenings are spent cooking, doing homework, getting the kids to bed and reading them books.  By the time they’re in bed  it’s usually 9:30 p.m. and then I need to do my “15 minutes” of housework to make the cleaning nazi happy.

Oh well.  Buck up, little camper!  Mama said there’d be days like this.

I took some new stitch markers pictures and edited them.  Here’s a preview:

A mixed bouquet.

I love these vintage czech bottle beads!  They look just like trees.

Flowers, a common theme of mine.

More millefiori markers.  These would be great for a blanket since there are so many.  I plan to sell these cheap, because I have so many of the millefiori beads.

This is a new color combo for me…and I’m liking them!

These swirly ones remind me of a Monet painting.  The “different” marker is made with a furnace bead (love those) and 2 czech beads.

I realized when I started taking pictures of these that one of the markers had chipped, so now it’s just a set of 6 instead of 7.  Boo hiss.

Another new color combination for me.  Oh, how I love these markers!  So lightweight and pretty – perfect for socks or lace.

Yes, I edited 83 pictures.  Still practicing at the macro mode.  The next couple of days will be spent listing these in the etsy shop.

Blargh!  Let’s hope for a better morning and more patience tomorrow.

Bead Love

My local Ben Franklin got in a new order of czech glass beads!  I stalked them for a couple of days, which they were good natured about and even let me look at all the beads they hadn’t priced yet.  I had to pace myself, because I know I’m going to want to buy more.  Here’s the initial loot:

The top two strands I actually purchased at Bliss Beads.  She has a good selection of czech glass rondelles.  The other strands are all brand new Ben Franklin love!  I bought strands of teeny tiny flowers – and each strand has variations of its color, so it’ll be more “versatile”.  Then some plain but enticing green squares, some lovely blue and black swirlies and some coppery rondelles (rondelles and cube beads are good staple items to have on hand).  There is one more strand I forgot to photograph, c’est la vie!

I am proud to report that I have gotten more stitch marker sets listed in stitchcandy.  I have another 7 or 8 sets that need to go into the shop, and then I can begin creating again!  So go and check it out.  I even have sections now:  Shiny Goodness, Soft & Pretty (my flower inspired markers), and my fave:  Funkalicious!

I am also proud to report that I did not purchase any yarn in the month of March!  Go me!!!!  That makes no purchases for 2 out of the 3 months of 2009.  The craft diet resolution is going strong.  I did, however, get a gift last Friday from my friend and the Queen of Hardware, Trixy.  She is participating in a yarn-of-the-month club for The Three Irish Girls, and got this shipment:

It’s alpaca, folks!  Oh my.  But Trixy did not care for the colors and said to me “I just need for this to go away”.  Thanks, Trixy!!!

Finally, I knit a bit on The Big Sack Sweater this past week.  Not a whole lot, as I’m still  have tendon/nerve issues in my hand:

My hand issues are irritating, to say the least.  It’s been 4 weeks now since it happened.  It seems to get better, then it hurts again.  But I’m doing my stretches and I can only hope it resolves itself soon.

I am childless today until about 5:00 p.m.!  The kids went with their cousins and Grams to the indoor water park yesterday.  I celebrated by going into work for a few hours (boo hiss), running errands, taking a long nap and going to a Final Four party last night.  Today it’s cleaning, taking pictures of stitch markers and making items to take to my sister-in-law’s ham dinner at 5:00 p.m.

I hope all of you are having a great weekend!!!

Happy Part 2

Yesterday or last night (time is all relative), I signed into my ravelry account and went directly to my friends.  To my utter delight, there were blog posts from 6 of my favorite blogs:

1.  Baa Baa Blacksheep - Bea is a Texan and faithfully posts every day.  She has adorable bulldogs (Gussy’s my favorite) but she is always working on some sort of intricate and beautiful sock.  Check out her newest one – so pretty!

2.  A Day in the Life of Knit & Purl Mama - Robyn is a Canadian, runs an online yarn store and has 2 really cute kids.  They’re such happy kids!  Just by seeing them, you can tell how much they are loved.  I love reading about what the kids are up to and can totally relate, seeing as I have young children, too.  Plus she must have the most massive stash anyone has ever seen!  She’s always posting pictures of delicious yarn she has purchased.

3.  Get Your Hook On - Kathy Marie is so cool.  She’s in my local stitch ‘n bitch group.  She has a great sarcastic sense of humor and wonderful taste in yarn – almost always bright and cheerful.  I love talking to her and I love her blog!

4.  The Adventures of Cassie - Cassie is another member of  the snb group.  Cassie’s a grad student majoring in art (of some kind) and she is so talented!  Not just in painting or fiber art, but at knitting.  And photography.  Go and look at the pictures in the latest post — it captured the day perfectly.  It’s a treat to read her blog and see what creative thing she is up to.

5.  Knitting in Pink - I don’t know Valerie well, but she has purchased stitch markers from me in the past to put on box bags that she sews.  She is extremely talented in the areas of knitting and sewing and quilting and weaving.  I love to surround myself with talented crafters, as I find them to be inspiring.  And Valerie is definitely inspiring!

6.  Fun is in Style - my friend, Jen.  I met her through Etsy and she is dear to my heart.  She’s another incredibly talented crafter with such a unique artistic vision.   Her photography is impeccable.  She treasures vintage things and has such neat little collections of things that she posts every so often - when she’s not making cool jewelry (the “Carolyn Ring” is my fave) or knitting beautiful, intricate items or posting pictures of cool mid-century modern furniture.  And check out her Little People shop on etsy.  Oh my, it is so cool.  I personally have the “school picture” –  right next to the computer! 

All of these blogs are awesome!  And they make me happy.

Thanks, guys!!!