It's not working

OKay, my geeky computer friends (Nate). What am I doing wrong to not have that breast cancer button on the sidebar like everyone else? If I'm going to do a blog I at least want it to have some redeeming value.

In the meantime till I get an answer I will tell you of my exciting life. Monday there was a Big fire near my dads house. My son Paul and I were working on renovating the house and were about ready to leave when I smelled smoke. Being the nervous type I mentioned this to him. He found the source alright, but it was in a direct line to my house. As I was panicking and trying to dial home he found out via his Official Ambulance Walkie Talkie Radio that it was a commercial structure fire.

Well, off we went! Silly me thinking we're just going to drive to where it is and be looky loos. Nope, we use lights and siren to carreen (sp?})around cars and through lights to get to said fire. I was alternately scared we were going to roll over and die, embarrassed about making a spectacle of myself, and feeling that we were going to get arrested for doing such things. Mostly scared of dying.

We get to the fire which thankfully was an abandoned factory and I find, indeed the one whose diapers I changed is allowed to drive like that. Hmmm... It went downhill from there. The excitement of the fire gave way to standing around with the EMS crew (in the official neon orange vest)waiting for something to happen. After about an hour of this we did get a few firemen to give water and towels to, and check their blood pressure. Of course my knitting was back at the house, the one I might add that we ran from leaving doors open, lights on, radios playing, and my car with windows down and my purse sitting on the front seat. So, my son who was now in Official Command Mode and uniform gives me his truck keys to go back and get my car and lock up everything. End of excitement. I might add I had no lunch or dinner or even a drink since breakfast. To all this my son says, "don't say I never take you anywhere".

I hear yesterday there was another bigger fire in the apartment building my daughter used to live in. That was worse as there were people, and some pets were killed. I didn't attend that one.

So, boring old today I'm trying (quite successfully) to avoid steeking my new sweater. When I get the guts I will take a picture and post it. S, I bid all 2 of you adieu and hope to have the button moved soon.

Judy

It's a link! I think...

Sounds like Dr Suess I know. I'm attempting to put a link to the breast cancer site on the side of my blog. Bear with me here...

OKay, this just might work when I preview. Or not. I'd like it to sit next to the top of all my posts but I am computer illiterate. These things always sound so easy when someone describes them. I will leave and hopfully come back...

when good knitting goes bad

When good knitting goes bad, it just might not be the knittings fault. I love to put blame on others, even if the others are inanimate objects. Here be a picture of my almost finished Rogue sweater. This is the hood.






See the fancy cables? Yes, they are laying exactly as I wanted. They look continuous across the head even though they're not. They are carefully, with a 3 needle bind off grafted together. They are a thing of beauty.





See the dent on the back of the hood? Yes, you're seeing it right even if you're not a knitter. It goes straight across the cables and then dips down about 1.5" very quickly. Then it goes on at a new level for a couple inches. My head is not shaped like this. I'd venture to say no ones head is shaped like this. This is Very Wrong. This requires Hot Chocolate with Raspberry Syrup since I don't drink hard liquor. Though I could very well take it up. Imagine a sweater beating up on an adult human being! It boggles the mind, and yet, that's the situation.



Now, before all my knitterly friends jump in and tell me what I did wrong, I found out. See, one should fully read the directions before jumping willy nilly (I like the sound of that) into the way you think it should be. Now I'm stuck unknitting the stupid seam I put in. You see, the seam line shouldn't be going from front to back in the plain part. At that point (after the cables) the seam should go side to side picking up the edge left over after the cables went together. So now that's where I am and mighty unhappy about it. This sweater should be laying on a towel drying itself in the sun (never mind we had no sun today, only torrential downpours which flooded my basement, I am sooo sorry Adrienne) in preparation to getting its sleeves sewn on. It still needs a hem, and to be steeked and a zipper put in. Non knitters: To steek means to Cut The Knitting That You Spent Hours Of Your Life Knitting Together. Usually this activity is begun with a large drink of wine. One doesn't want to mess with this sort of thing having drunk whisky you see. That would be over the top. However, seeing as above, I do not partake of the Spirits and need now my Hot Chocolate with Raspberry Syrup, I will leave blogland and go forth to imbibe and knit in that order.



Judy (Remember, friends don't let friends knit drunk)

Happy Birthday to me!

Yes, I know I said I'd be back 6 days ago. I live in a time warp you see.. I decided I would repaint the chair a less interesting shade of purple, so here it is. Very dark grape. But it's really really comfy and will go up to the loft without creating a hernia.

So, yes its my birthday, 54 yrs on this planet and somedays I feel it, others not so much. Today is a good day. I got many shots this morning, one in the behind. Then went to lunch with a very dear friend who I cleaned for ummm about the last 23 or so years. I knew her before I knew my dearest hubby. So, we ate lunch in one of those cutsy old house now a shop and lunch place in a quaint little town. It was fun and we needed to catch up. Next I clean my church while waiting for my dearest daughter to get done with her choir practice. It seems like a good way to spend my time.

In fiberland: I'm making good progress finally on the Rogue sweater. I have no sticktoittiveness if that's a word. Lemme see if I can get a decent picture. Okay, at least it's there. The cables are coming along nicely now that it's almost done! I'm working on the hood now, for those of you who might not know the pattern. Sleeves are done, but need to be blocked before sewing up. After all that I'll steek it and add a zipper. Hopefully the thing will fit half decently.

So, this weekend I'll be with friends at a friends yarn shop in Adamstown Pa. We will be knitting and spinning as a demo to lure new customers in. Might actually sell some handspun but I'm not counting on it. Of course after weeks of beautiful sun, it's supposed to rain.

Well, that's my life at the moment. Pretty dull huh? For a more fun blog and baby pics go to NEB's blog. She's funny and has wonderful baby pics of her daughter Madeline. Did I spell that right? Well, she'll forgive her dottering old friend. Must get to choir practice! Knit on! Judy

This is just a test...

Don't get excited, this is just a test. If this were a real post, you'd get, well, more info and maybe pics! Maybe you will anyway. Lets see. Today I did alot of finishing. I've been on a kick just for today of doing stuff I've been procrastinating about. Taking pictures of the miniature cars to sell on ebay, getting the paint that was too purple reformulated to a more grape color, cleaning bird cages....

First, the chair. I bought it from a restorative hardware shop http://www.blockershardware.com/ for 22.00. Now that might seem alot for a broken down old chair that my dear son said...." if you have a chance to go on antiques roadshow, don't take this chair". He thinks it was a shop project for a middle school kid, that flunked shop. "I" however know its charms. When one is short one has to be careful about their chairs. This one is low and wide and fit's my behind. Here's a before picture..

It is now, purple (not Barney purple, but what's called Raspberry). I might add my dear son again, voiced his opinion. I bought said paint for my front shutters and painted these lovely things. He took one look and said "You're not putting those up. Oh yes, I reply. Oh no, says he, for if you do I will take down my sign in your front yard saying I am building this addition". He's such a bland person. So, I traipse back to Home Depot and throw myself on the mercy of the young man in the paint department. His name coincidentally is Paul, same as my dear son. Long story short, Paul made it more grape like so I think even if he doesn't like it, it will be more acceptable. Chair is not being repainted. I kind of upholstered her today. Tore off all the old fabric and made a template. Bought a very bland pale fabric and made not only the cushion AND the ruffle (MATH was involved), but also made a back cushion. Picture to follow when it gets light out. Let's see... 114" of ruffle fabric, to be shortened to 77" of ruffle leaves how many ruffles at what intervals? How big should they be? How much room in between? I struggled with this for quite awhile till I decided to wing it. I just started making them and seeing how it worked.

Let's see, what else? Trying to finish the Rogue sweater from http://www.girlfromauntie.com/ in time for Rhinebeck sheep and wool fest which is Oct. 20th. Still have to work up the cabled neckline and hood, and then block and assemble. Tomorrow for sure.

Went to a open farm tour Sat. of course to the alpaca farm. Was nice to get to hug a llama and check out the fleeces. Not that great, short and medium fineness and very dusty but hey, I needed a fix ya know? Been working on that and enjoying it.

Hating the socks I've been doing since May. Tofutsies yarn which has so much yarn vomit that even non knitters are noticing. That's bad. Have a sweater in the making which was shamelessly copied from a good friend who is excellent at making things up. I am a by the book pattern person, she wings it. http://www.outofhand.com/ should take you to her blog and maybe the spring she made this sweater. A pictoral of sheep by a fence by a road. Striped on top with angora, yum! Mine will be more greys than browns. Also working on a ball gown shawl (not that I have any gowns or am going to any balls) that's been on the needles for about 5 yrs! That must be some sort of record.

On the animals, all are well except Essie. She passed away one Sunday this summer. I was sad but she did have the best life I could provide. Olivia and Oliver are still well.

They are the origonal snuggle bunnies. Hard to believe when he was a baby she wanted to kill him. Oh, for those who might not know, Olivia is the broken chocolate on the left and Oliver is the black (yeah right Elaine) on the right.

Zoe isn't very photogenic these days. Sorry. We shaved poor Ollie about 2 weeks ago. He was so matted that we had no choice and I couldn't save any of this coat.

Well, for a test this went pretty long. Hopefully I'll be back on a more regular basis? I dunno. I'll try.

Later! Judy

testing

testing

I'm baaaaaack....

Well, hello again. Has it been over a year already? I guess so. I've been busy but not posting and I'm sorry for the two of you that actually check here for an update. (G)Okay, for some of you others, a brief synopsis of the past year. It's mostly centered around the discovery of breast cancer and subsequent removal of the breast. Took them long enough, all summer taking it piece by piece then finally in mid Nov. it just became silly and they took it all. I'm really pleased with the result, as it's a very nice job and healed really well. The Lord was very good to me and held me up through it all so it never became discouraging. We are tomorrow checking a bone scan for reasons for my new bone pain. I firmly believe it's a side effect of the estrogen blockers I'm taking but they must rule out bone cancer. A new interesting adventure to pursue.On other things of moderate interest, to keep me occupied during all this medical drama Jerry decided this was a good time to put an addition on our house. We've been meaning to for a couple years but now we are. Our son Paul will be doing the work with us helping as much as possible to keep costs down. Is that possible? I'll take a pic and let you see what it's like now. A small deck outside the dining room and that's it. It will be a 20' by 25' family room with a small loft and deck over the back roof. The idea was to look at the woods and animals, but this summer the owner of the land on the other side of the railroad tracks decided to install an asphalt plant. Ahhhh how nice. Now I see some sort of heavy equipment on one side of the bridge and the other is where they mine? dig up, whatever the rocky stuff they use to make asphalt. Of course the stuff has to go from one end to the other and this small squeaky backhoe type thing goes back and forth in my line of vision. Thanks!See the nice woodseyness behind the house? In the distance is a river which is very pretty to see. Not sure how well I'll be able to see it in summer but sure would be nicer than the asphalt workers. Now to see how to get the text below these pics...Okay, this is pretty ugly. I had this lovely post with poics and links and all and when I went to preview it I found a few spelling errors, so I went back. Uhhh I lost everything but what was above. Now the pics won't come in and I'm discouraged. I will try again for the fiber fiends I mean friends to get the pics up and more yarn stuff. Off to dinner....