Progress

Well, despite the rough start to the week and the fact that I worked many extra hours, I did manage to get more of the Tidal Wave sock completed. Here’s how it stands at six repeats:

My daughter’s soccer friend has long legs, so I had to knit one more repeat than the pattern suggested. My goal is to get this sock done this weekend and finish the second one by Wednesday or Thursday. We leave next Friday for a tournament, and I want to gift them then. Actually, I should probably finish by Wednesday so I can block them. Grrr. I do not block socks, but I will do the right thing…think about presentation. Forget the fact that they are Tofutsies…lovely color by the way…it’s all in the presentation.

I was also a bad girl last week. I ordered more yarn <gulp>. Don’t tell Mr. AuburnChick, okay?

Lookie what came in yesterday. Thank goodness Little Mr. Chickadee’s swim meet was canceled. I was able to head off the UPS guy and hide my prize.

Yes…it’s more of the Alchemy Sanctuary that I am totally in love with. The one on the left is called Ruby, and the one on the right is called Platinum. I bought the pink one for a friend who liked the color when she saw it online (she also liked the Greenaway Fingerless Gloves that I made for our co-worker). So, not wanting to waste all of that shipping cost, I ordered another skein. Getting more for my money, you see.

Despite the fact that I was having a bad week, Pele (Soccer Chick’s dog) did not have a care in the world.

Must be great to be a dog…in my house anyway.

Doggie training camp is going well…for Molly anyway. She’s turning out to be a smart dog, despite Mr. AuburnChick’s declaration that she was stupid. He said this when I first brought her home, over his objections. I think the word stupid meant stupid-cute.

Off I go to work on the heel flap of these socks. More later…

A Tuesday Worthy of Chocolate

Pictures speak louder than words.

Tuesday was not the best day. I was greeted at work by a friend bearing a bag of M&M’s. Out of the blue. Very much like my friend. She loves dark chocolate. I’m a milk chocolate kind of gal. Common denominator? Chocolate. The perfect base for friendship. We have a way of bringing chocolate goodies to each other at just the right time. I can see God’s hand in what might seem trivial matters to some people. Chocolate is not trivial to me.

Especially on days like Tuesday.

Without going into details, it was just one of those days. I was glad to get home. However, upon finding out that a new employee was starting the next day (yep…very short notice), I spent the entire evening prepping their computer…remotely from home. Thank goodness for technology. Thank goodness for chocolate.

We had a new gal start in our office this week (a different person from who’s starting on Wednesday), so we took her out to lunch. What a treat for me! I never take lunch since I work part-time. The lure of Mexican food was too much to resist. I quickly jumped in my car and followed my boss.

She started going the back way to the restaurant. I followed blindly. However, when we started pulling up to a seafood restaurant, I got concerned. Surely they wouldn’t have changed the restaurant without calling me to make sure I knew? She had no way of knowing that I was following her.

However, the car I was following passed the restaurant. Now I knew that something was not right.

“Ring, Ring…”

“Hello, boss. Where are you?”

“At the Mexican restaurant, of course!”

Great. I followed the wrong car. Good thing this city is so small. I was there in no time, embarrassed. What kind of impression was I making on the new gal? “Oh, it’s just AuburnChick…you know…”

My bad day extended into my home life.

I’m working very hard to get my dogs trained properly. This has been on my mind since my first attempt to take all three to the dog kennel. See this post if you haven’t heard this story. Let’s just say that I could do the Iditorod with my dogs.

I’ve read that dogs need to be walked…a couple of times a day. Simply running around the backyard is not ample exercise. So, I’m trying to be a good mommy and walk the dogs properly. Easier said than done.

Yesterday, I went to the bookstore and bought this:

In case you don’t know who this man is, he is the Dog Whisperer. I’ve seen some of his shows, and I’m amazed at how quickly the dogs respond to him. The biggest thing about his training, however, is that the owners are actually the ones being trained. Boy, do I need training!

Ever since Pele joined our family, we’ve allowed ourselves to be controlled by our most adorable furry family members. Aubie, in true first-born fashion, was never allowed on the furniture. We were strict with her, and she is the best behaved dog in the world. Not so with Pele and Molly.

So, we’re doing doggie boot camp. We’re starting with walking. You would think that walking a dog is easy. Wrong-O! Molly and I only made it around the cul-de-sac. Walk, stop (when she pulls), make her sit, treat. Walk, stop, make her sit, treat. Over and over and over. I can’t even begin to imagine what the neighbors must have been thinking. Hopefully something like, “Boy, that lady sure loves her dog a lot.” Good mommies make their children behave, whether they are the two legged or four legged kind.

Regardless, my hands are sore from the leash, so knitting has been slow the last couple of days.

After coming in from our training session, I checked dinner, which was in the crockpot. BBQ beef sandwiches were on the menu. Mouth watering, I looked at the meat. Hmmm…it looks…a little pink…

My hands carefully touch the side of the crockpot. Cold. A look at the front assures me that the thing is turned on low. But what’s this? The cord…it’s not plugged into the outlet.

Sigh…

What a dork. I forgot to plug it in.

Sigh…

A whole roast ruined. I had even doubled the sauce mix too because it is so delicious. All that $$ gone down the drain.

So, the kids were reminded of how great it is to have me cooking again and to not take it for granted. They actually took it in stride, which pleased me.

The fact that this happened today just did not surprise me.

Thank goodness for the goodies pictured at the top of this post.

Oh, and here’s a knitting update. I have managed to complete almost three repeats of the Tidal Wave socks for my daughter’s teammate. Here’s how they look so far.

I am using Tofutsies, color #799. It’s a fabulous pattern…very easy.

So, on to Wednesday. Hopefully I won’t have to eat the whole bag of M&M’s. I can’t make any promises though.

Simple Lace Headband

Well, folks, I’ve had a frustrating couple of knitting days.

I did finish my Monkey Socks. That was pretty cool. Here’s a picture. Forgive the posing…it’s not great, but it’s proof that I did finish. And no, the left sock is not bigger than the right one. Again, bad positioning by your’s truly.

With the Monkey Socks done, I figured that I would start on the pair for my daughter’s teammate. I had dug around my stash and came up with this skein of Lorna’s Laces Lorikeet.

I then had the task of selecting a pattern. I finally settled on the Broadripple Socks. So, I eagerly began.

First, I had to untangle this mess:

Here’s my progress so far…

Well, I got almost half of the cuff completed when I decided that I better check the yardage on the wrapping.

Uh oh…

215 yards. Not good. So then I weighed the yarn. It weighed in at about 60g. Not good. I know that to make calf-length socks, you need almost 100g of yarn.

Great. AuburnChick’s luck. No surprise, eh?

The pattern recommends two skeins — no wonder.

Back to square one. The only other 100g skein of sock yarn that I currently possess is the Tofutsies #799 that I bought in Las Vegas (the one on the right). I was kind of heart-broken. I like this yarn a lot. The colors are fabulous. But I don’t have time to order some and wait for it to come in. My goal is to get this pair finished in time for our next tournament…two weeks from now.

With that decided, I spent about two hours on Ravelry this morning, in search of the perfect pattern. I finally decided to use the Tidal Wave sock pattern. I plan on continuing the pattern along the top of the foot.

Meanwhile, I was discouraged and needed a quick fix. Instant gratification.

So, I picked up some yarn that a friend sent me…spun by her…and made this Simple Lace Headband. I used a size G crochet hook and made a chain instead of the i-cord recommended by the pattern. Then, I used size 10 1/2 needles for the pattern itself, since the yarn is kind of bulky in places. Here is the result of my efforts the color is represented best in the third picture)…

With that accomplished, I’ll cast on tonight for the socks for chicklet’s friend. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

100 Facts About AuburnChick

Well, work continues on the Monkey Sock. I’m totally ready to get this one done, but it seems to be moving along a bit slowly. Hopefully by tomorrow or Saturday, I’ll bind off.

In the meantime, I thought I would post this…I also created a new page for it (see the link on the right). I’ve seen a few blogs that had this, and I thought you might be interested in learning a bit more about “me.” If there are typos, I apologize. I have not gone back and read through it. I’m a little scared, to be honest. I’m my own worst critic. I’ll proof it tomorrow

1. I was born in Goose Bay, Newfoundland (that’s in Canada, in case geography was not your strong subject).
2. I was born on Easter Sunday.
3. My mom was originally from Canada, and my dad was from France. Hence, the strange spelling of my name. If you thought the “h” was a typo, it wasn’t. The French spell Nathalie with the “h,” which is silent.
4. I have one sister, who was born in Ontario. She was a Canadian citizen too.
5. My parents divorced when I was very young…probably around the age of three. My mom would later go on to remarry…a couple of times, I think.
6. I lived in Colorado until I was nine years old.
7. I moved to a small town in Alabama when I was nine. What a change! It was very small compared to where I lived before.
8. My town was home of the Chitlin Jamboree, complete with grease pole climbing and chitlin eating contests. Nasty stuff. You could smell them cooking all over town.
9. I had two miniature schnauzers during my childhood…Salt and Pepper. Salt was an overweight male, and Pepper was a black female. I don’t know what happened to Pepper. We had Salt until I got married. He lived to a ripe old age.
10. I’ve been driving since I was about 10 or 11 years old.
11. I got my first car the Christmas before I turned 16, and I proceeded to drive it to school unattended. The cops always kept a close eye on the underage drivers.
12. I had my first real boyfriend in either the 8th or 9th grade. He was the boy I had to kiss when we played spin the bottle on the way home from a field trip. We had a small class, so the parents drove the kids. I, for once, got in the “cool” car.
13. I lost said boyfriend the following summer when I was gone for a month…two weeks to Canada and ten days to France. He cheated on me, and I found out when his sister, who happened to be my sister’s best friend, told her. Good riddance. Ok. I was broken-hearted. We would stay good friends throughout high school.
14. I went to a small, private high school the next town over. The same group of kids went to school together from kindergarten through 12th grade, with a few additions and subtractions throughout that time. I joined the class in 7th grade.
15. I met my husband during my senior year of high school. I was best friends with his cousins.
16. I was State Typing Champ on a Manual Typewriter during my 10th or 11th grade year. I had made the mistake of sitting in front of a manual typewriter the first day of Typing I. I was stuck there for two years.
17. During my senior year, I was named “Most School Spirit.” I was president of the Pep Club and quite enthusiastic.
18. I became a Christian the morning after my Senior Prom. I’ll never forget that morning. I was baptized shortly afterward.
19. There were 18 kids in my high school graduating class, including me. I graduated second. I still remember the first and last name of every person. I recently wrote them down for my kids when they tested me.
20. I am an Auburn fan (wow, I can’t believe I waited until #20 to tell you this). When you grow up in Alabama, that is one of your most critical decisions.
21. I was accepted into Auburn University, but my parents wouldn’t let me attend, so I went to a junior college instead.
22. I married my husband when I was 19, and we moved to Auburn so he could finish his degree. I brought home the bacon…working for the library until he graduated.
23. I moved to a bigger city after my husband graduated and got a job with the state. Moving to a big city was scary.
24. I used to be notorious for getting lost. I once got lost on my way home from a high school football game. I wound up in Montgomery…an hour and a half from home…all before the days of cell phones. I once got lost going home for lunch from Auburn’s library. I never made it home that day but turned around and somehow found my way back to work. Moving to a larger city with one way streets almost did me in.
25. I had Chicklet #1 when I was almost 22. Chicklet #2 came along 28 months later. Both were planned.
26. I spent parts of both pregnancies on bedrest. Babies in my belly wanted to come out early. Fortunately, my deliveries were textbook.
27. When delivering Chicklet #1, the nurses asked if a couple of trainees could observe since my delivery was going so well. When you’re in happy land induced by drugs, you’ll say yes to anything. Husband was mortified, but I didn’t know it at the time. Reality hit when I looked over, in the middle of pushing, and realized some strange young man was helping hold one of my knees up. I remember telling him, “If I ever see you on the street, I probably will not look at you…I will be so embarrassed.” “Ma’am,” he said, “I probably will be too.” He stayed for the whole delivery. I never saw him again.
28. Chicklet #2 was delivered without any extra people in the room. I was smart that time.
29. I worked full-time until my daughter was three and my son was one. That was when we moved to Miami, and I quit my job.
30. I stayed home full-time for eight glorious years.
31. One year, I was volunteer coordinator of both my children’s schools. Nuts, I say. They got me to do both by flattery. Never again. I logged over 240 hours at each school that year.
32. I used to work out at a gym four or five days a week…right after dropping off the kids at school. I would volunteer at the schools or attend Bible study after my workouts.
33. We lived in south FL for about eight years before moving a bit north. I feel like we’re back in the “South.”
34. While in Miami, however, I became a naturalized citizen. It was fabulous! We went to the Clevelander on South Beach afterwards.
35. I remember the first time I voted. The retired folks who volunteered at the voting station were super sweet to me.
36. I lived in one of the counties famous for the “Hanging Chads” incident. I remember being confused when I voted…concerned about which name was on the which line.
37. I’ll never forget where I was on September 11th. I was driving in my car, on my way to a hair appointment, when I heard the news. It was a blessing that I wasn’t home watching the Today Show, like I normally did. The live footage would have done me in because I had just lost my father six months before and was grieving heavily. I cried and cried when I heard about the towers.
38. I used to be terrified to ride in planes. Several years ago, while flying out to visit my dad, I developed some sort of stress-induced stomach ulcer-type of pain. It took nearly a year for it to go away. We’ve flown three times this year. I’m no longer afraid to fly.
39. The first time I visited Disney World was on my honeymoon. “It’s a Small World” is my favorite ride.
40. I graduated from college in March 2008. I majored in Social Sciences and minored in History.
41. My grade point average, upon graduation, was a 3.8. I made all A’s when I started back to school this last go-round. I spent 21 months in school and completed 23 classes during that time. All A’s…in each of those classes.
42. I hope to pass my state certification exams this summer so I can teach middle school in the fall.
43. I currently have three dogs…Aubie, Pele, and Molly. We rescued all three from animal shelters.  We also have two rats (they belong to my son).
44. I started knitting in May 2006, right before I started back to school.
45. Before I started knitting, my favorite hobby was reading.
46. My favorite authors are James Patterson, John Jakes, and Jude Deveraux.
47. I love historical fiction. One of my favorite series is the Kent Family Chronicles (written by John Jakes).
48. I like reality TV. My favorite shows are So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With the Stars, and American Idol. Yeah, so much for “reality,” but they are entertaining.
49. I like crime shows too, such as Criminal Minds. Other favorites are Lost, Heroes, and 24.
50. I’m also addicted to the History Channel. I could spend hours watching shows about archeology and wars.
51. I watch NASCAR. My favorite drivers are Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Carl Edwards.
52. I like movies, but they have to be clean. One of my favorites is Gone With the Wind. My daughter and I also enjoy watching Phantom of the Opera.
53. My childhood hero is Corrie ten Boom. I read The Hiding Place when I was a child and have read it several times since. She is the second person I want to meet in heaven, after Jesus. Her faith was absolutely incredible.
54. I used to be a Mystery Shopper. I did this as a flexible way to earn money and free meals while staying home full-time.
55. I also used to be a merchandiser. You know those people who you think work in a store, so you try to ask them a question, and they tell you that they don’t work for the store? That was me.
56. I worked at a K-Mart and could not stand it. The manager was difficult to work with. I wound up quitting after less than a year.
57. I currently work as a computer tech. I enjoy helping people fix problems and learn more about the computer, but I’m looking forward to starting a new career.
58. I taught myself nearly everything I know about computers.
59. I used to maintain our soccer club’s web site. I enjoy web site design.
60. My favorite colors are blue and green. I like to wear red, but I don’t much because my husband has never been real fond of it on me.
61. I used to be terribly near-sighted, with an astigmatism of -10 and -11.
62. I had laser correction surgery right before we moved from south FL. I have 20/20 vision now.
63. I rarely talk to my mom, even though we live about five hours away from each other…in the same state.
64. She’s never been to my new home.
65. I see my mom one time each year…for about three hours around Christmas…when we all get together at my sister’s house.
66. My sister and I are married to brothers. Sounds like a southern thing, eh?
67. Our children are double-first cousins.
68. I only work part-time so I can pick up my kids from school and be home with them in the afternoons.
69. I enjoy putting puzzles together. My son and I sometimes get on a kick and will have marathon sessions putting them together.
70. If I won the lottery, I would tithe 10% to the church, pay off my debts, and quit my job. I would find some kind of job and work from home.
71. My favorite vehicle that I’ve owned was my Durango.
72. It was souped up with a large movie screen for the kids, extra power outlets, and awesome cushions for riding. It was my dream car.
73. We traded it in for a more fuel-efficient vehicle when gas prices went up.
74. I have devotions with my kids every weekday morning.
75. We read from a devotional book and then read a chapter from a book of the Bible.
76. We’re currently reading 1 Samuel.
77. My dream trip would be to go to Israel and Italy (think — my love of history).
78. I am, ultimately, a homebody. I love hanging out at home with comfy clothes (pj’s) and knitting.
79. My favorite food is Mexican. I love chips and salsa.
80. My next favorite is Italian. Stuffed manicotti noodles and ravioli make me happy, happy, happy.
81. When I was pregnant with Chicklet #1, I had an almost daily craving for hot chicken wings. I attended night classes and would make Mr. AuburnChick take me out for wings afterwards.
82. I once ate 40 hot wings (not while I was pregnant). I called in sick to work the next day.
83. I am, sort-of, lactose intolerant. We’ll call it lactose sensitive.
84. I cannot eat ice cream or white cream sauces without “discomfort.”
85. My favorite, favorite food (no, that’s not a typo) is chocolate…milk chocolate.
86. I once had a drink from Godiva called the Caramel Chocolixer. It’s a drink where they line the bottom with melted caramel, fill it with a drink concoction with bits of Godiva chocolate bar blended in, and topped with whipped cream and chocolate and caramel sauce. Chicklet #1 likes it too.
87. I rarely drink socially, but when I do, I prefer Pina Coladas or Amaretto Sours. I have never had a beer, although I was forced to taste it once.
88. I cannot stand the smell of coffee. It will almost make me sick to smell.
89. I get carsick in the backseat of vehicles.
90. Sunset is my favorite time of the day. I just love the way the sky looks as the sun is setting.
91. When I was a teenager, and we would go to the beach for Spring Break, I would get up early and walk on the beach in the mornings. It was always cool and quiet.
92. I am shy. It’s hard to believe, and most people are surprised to hear this, given the number of posts I have on KnittingHelp.
93. I do much better one-on-one than in groups. I think it goes back to my school days and not feeling like I fit in.
94. I rarely forget a face. I can tell you that I’ve seen someone…even if it was in an airport. I am not so good at remembering names.
95. I hate shopping, unless it’s in an office supply store.
96. I didn’t know what PMS was until a friend explained it to me when I was 25. Thank goodness! I used to think I was losing my mind! I’ve had this “talk” with Ms. Chicklet so she won’t go through the same quandry when she’s older.
97. My least favorite chore in the house is ironing. I think it’s because that was “my” job growing up. I used to spend every Saturday ironing the clothes for the whole house. My step-dad was an ex-Navy man who insisted that his undershirts be ironed. No kidding.
98. I am not a very good gardener. Apparently my mom decided not to pass on that gene. She can grow anything.
99. I am very cold-natured. I have been known to wear a cabled sweater in 80-degree weather…out on a soccer field.
100. I care deeply for my readers. I pray that each one of you will seek out the Lord with all of your heart, soul, and mind.

A New Game

The name of this game is “Can You Find the Chicken?”

Game Setup:

Take one large crockpot of cacciatore sauce and add four small chicken fillets, browned and cut up, to it. Cook all day on low. Place on the dinner table.

Object of the Game:

To be the first person to find a piece of chicken in all that sauce.

Ok. All kidding aside…well, no, not really. This was the game we played today, only it was for real.

“AuburnChick, you have lost your mind,” you’re probably shouting to the computer screen, right???

Yes, you’re probably right. Who can blame me. I’m responsible for feeding a crew of four…two of whom are picky, hungry teenagers. Last payday, I carefully planned our meals and bought groceries. Apparently I didn’t buy enough chicken, and I didn’t figure it out until last night when I pulled it out to defrost.

Mr. AuburnChick, to his discredit, refused to go to the grocery store, even though he took Little Ms. Chicklet to her soccer practice. I got stubborn and refused to leave the house. I was tired. So, nobody bought more chicken. I thought I could swing it. Little did I know.

This morning, I prepped my food, opening the sole package of chicken tenders. There were only four measly pieces of the stuff. I thought that I could slice them really thin, like I do to regular chicken breasts (do you ever do this to stretch a meal?).

Nope. I am AuburnChick, and nothing comes easy for me. Those babies were sliced so thinly that I could have read a book through them.

Grrr…

What am I going to do, I wondered? Well, I browned those pathetic pieces of meat and threw them in the large crockpot that I have, silently fuming at the other adult who lives in this house.

Later in the morning, he called me at work all chipper.

“Hi Mrs. AuburnChick…how’s work going today.”

“Grrr,” I growl at him. “Guess what game we’re playing at the dinner table tonight? Grrr”

The conversation was short, to say the least.

I must say that I firmly believe that God has granted special talents to moms. One of these is the ability to adapt, and this is just what I did.

On the way home from picking up the youngest Chick, I stopped at the grocery store and picked up more chicken. After dropping the boy off at swim practice (”Honey, try not to drown while I’m gone”), I ran home and fried the bejeepers out of that extra pack of chicken fillets. I wanted to add them to the pot, but I was afraid that they wouldn’t be cooked through all the way. Who cared what they looked like, as long as they sort of resembled chicken, thus making the game a bit easier. I mean, who likes to see kids cry? Not me…even though they regularly have me in tears. Revenge at the dinner table is a no-no in my book.

So, who won the game? Well, it was a tie, because we all found a piece, thanks to my quick thinking. Dinner was, in fact, delicious!

Tomorrow, we’re having Chicken Teriyaki. I have plenty of chicken, thinking ahead and buying extra today.

Now…I have to throw in a bit of knitting here…to be fair to my readers who do not care one iota about dinner table games…

Last night, I finished my second pair of Greenaway Fingerless Gloves. I made these for a co-worker who admired the pair I made a few weeks ago. The yarn is Alchemy Sanctuary. The color is Topaz. I hope she likes them.

I’m working on my second Monkey Sock, which has been patiently waiting for me to finish the other projects. I’m just about ready to start on the heel. Maybe I’ll have pictures tomorrow (after the chicken teriyaki!).

AuburnChick Finishes the Comfort Throw

Phew! What a project!

I finally finished the comfort throw that I made for my daughter’s friend’s mom…the sweet lady who recently had surgery to remove part of her colon. Fortunately, the doctors only found cancer in one inch of the seven inches that was removed. Additionally, only one of the 15 lymph nodes tested came back positive for cancer. She’ll be starting chemotherapy in a couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, I’m hoping that she will enjoy the warmth of this throw.

I took the blanket outside for a photograph. Isn’t it funny how we “pose” our projects? Aspiring photographers is what we are!

For those of you who don’t read my blog often, I adapted this pattern from a cabled pillow pattern in this pamphlet, adding six garter rows at the top and bottom, along with a three stitch garter border at the end of each row:

The pattern calls for use of the Saxon Braid, which you can find on this site. It looks difficult, but it really wasn’t. Oh, sure, the rows were intense, and you really had to pay attention to the right side rows, but you were rewarded by the easier wrong side rows.

The blanket measures approximately 27″x 29″. When I sit with it on my lap, it covers my legs from hips to waist. I’m short petite. So is my friend, so I think this will be perfect…especially if she wants to carry it around the house.

I used, in total, about three skeins of I Love This Yarn, Dark Raspberry. I had purchased eight, so I’ll be returning four of them.

I doubled the yarn, working from two skeins at a time, so I have about 1/2 of two skeins left over. I also used size 15 needles except for the cast on and bind off, in which I used size 17 needles. My original intent had been to use the 17’s throughout, but the sheer size of the needles left my hands unhappy after casting on, and I also thought that my cables wouldn’t “pop” out as much with the larger needles.

I never understood what people meant when they said that a pattern was intuitive. Well, now I know. Making these cables was, truly, intuitive. I knew instantly when I had made a mistake. The cable work just seemed to flow fairly easily. I knew when I was supposed to C4B or T4F.

I only had to make one major tink, and that was when I stayed up really late one night, trying desperately to keep to my self-imposed schedule of one pattern repeat per day. Row 15 ate me alive that night. It’s very difficult to tink back cable work, but I did it…all the way back to row 14, where I found my mistake on the wrong side. Go figure. I fixed it, muddled through row 15, and put the blanket to bed for the night. Other than that, it flew off of my needles.

My next project will be the Greenaway Fingerless Gloves that I just love, love, love. If you’ve ever been intimidated by a project like this, DON’T be! The pattern is written very clearly, and the thumb gusset is so easy to do! The hardest part is getting the first row done, with the dpn’s. After that, you sail right through the project.

I’m going to make use the Topaz yarn (the one on the left…below) for my co-worker. I had ordered the yarn for her, as a surprise, and figured I would get to it “sometime.” Well, last week, I found out that her birthday is on the 12th, so I guess “sometime” means “right now.” Good for me. Monkey Sock #2 will have to wait just a bit longer.

Little Ms. Chickadee comes home today after a weekend of Olympic Development Program (ODP) tryouts for Florida. She made the team, which is wonderful after not being able to try out last year after her knee injury. She’s garnered the attention of a couple of the ODP coaches, some of whom coach at Florida colleges (think scholarship potential here). She will attend a couple of camps and hopefully progress to the regional tryouts in Alabama this summer. Here’s a site where you can read more about this program.

Little Mr. Chickadee and I spent a quiet weekend at home, tending to the dogs and rats and working our behinds off. He had a slew of chores to do, and I spent all of Saturday ironing Mr. AuburnChick’s massive pile of clothes. I have refused to iron anyone else’s clothes for the last couple of years. We all have hands…we can do our own. With him out of town with the Chicklet, I figured I would surprise him. I ironed for at least five hours. No kidding. I’m going to relax today.

I’ll publish pictures of the gloves. Maybe I’ll get them both done today!

My First Malabrigo!

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!

It’s Not Always About Winning

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.

4 Blankets in 6 Days

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.

Insecurities

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).