Knitting Circle

(I started this post awhile back, but here it is now 10/8/07...a month later.)
Another reason to LOVE the library - it has a knitting circle that meets twice a month. I went for the 1st time on Thursday and it was lovely. I had been looking forward to going for a few weeks but when it came to the actual night I could feel myself start to get a little funny about going. It was that uneasy "I'm new. I don't know anybody. I want this to be great and what if it's not." nonsense. These feelings could not be entertained. So I put on some cute shoes, put a special scarf in my hair (you know the one Annie) and walked over. I came a little late - the room was full of happy knitters. Where to sit? One jolly lady called out "Come over here, I want to share a seat with you." There weren't any open chairs in the room and for a split second I wondered, does she actually want to sit on the same chair?, that would make for some awkward knitting. No. We brought in some more chairs from the neighboring conference room. All settled then. I looked over at her yarn. "That looks like the same yarn I'm using!" Soft, nubby, cotton. She pulled out her tag "Mission Falls I knew I wanted you to sit by me when you came in." I was tickled and so was she.

It's sad because I haven't made my way back to the Knitting Circle since. The last two times things have come up. Sad and sad. But I'll be back. In the mean time I've continued my work on this bag. I can not recall how many times I have had to start over on this. So many times it makes me blush, but I've finally got the hang of it.

Our little library.

Last night I stayed up late setting up our books. We have lived in this house for three months, but I know this is home when the books find their place. It has taken a while for this to happen since we had to replace the glass shelves in the cabinets with wood that would be better suited for book stacking.


It makes me smile how they end up - my Shel Silverstein next to my Shakespeare.

bath basket

So, a lot of the BIGGER projects have yet to see completion, but here is a little something that is finished - and that makes me happy.

Basket. Yard Sale. 25 cents.

I got busy with the spray paint while Malcolm napped. I like how it allows the toys to dry out between baths. Malcolm likes to take the toys out of the basket and "hide" them in the laundry hamper. He is very busy. He looks at me like, "Hey Mom, I have serious work to do here."

library love: Knit 2 Together

Let me start off by saying, I love the library. Well, I love books and the library lets me take them home for free if I promise to take good care and return. Can do. I love that our library is a short walk from our house. Malcolm and I are regulars. They have a fish tank that he loves. I learned quickly to 1st pick out the book or magazine that I want to flip through and then take M to the fish and kids books. Here's one that I picked up and it makes me want to pick up my knitting needles.

Knit 2 Together: Patterns and Stories for Serious Knitting Fun by Tracey Ullman and Mel Clark
These are the projects I book marked.

"Witches Britches" - I can't resist.

hoodie - sizes for the whole family!

house slippers - I love the possibilities.

carrot cake

I made my 1st carrot cake for Dave's birthday. We shared some left overs with our neighbor which lead to the creation of my 2nd carrot cake - for my neighbor's birthday party. It was much easier the 2nd time around. The thing that made the biggest difference was I was able to do most of it while my little helper was taking a nap.

I love this color. Making carrot cake is probably better for you than making chocolate chip cookies. You snack on carrots instead of chocolate chips and it is a mini workout to grate the carrots by hand.

I used the recipe from "The RED & WHITE" (Better Homes & Garden) but I added some shakes of nutmeg and splashes of vanilla. Yum. If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, I think this can make a most excellent "breakfast cake".

What do you like to do?

Moving to a new place, meeting new people, I get the question "so, what do you like to do?" That is a hard question for me to answer. I like to do a lot of things. I like to ice skate, but it has probably been over 2 years since that has happened. I like to play the guitar, but I can't say that I have picked it up lately. So for me the answer to that question lies in the present. So here goes. This is what I'm up to and what I like, in no particular order:
- Malcolm
- playing with paint chips
- rock stacking
- puddle splashing
- reading - just finished the Potter, loved it!
- outings to the library
- trips to the zoo
- down time with Dave
- strolls to the grocery store
- getting organized, well trying...
- rearranging the furniture
- turning up the music and dancing (most of the time Malcolm gracefully joins in)
- refinishing furniture (any guesses what this is?)

"So, what do you like to do?"

Use What You Have Decorating

Use What You Have Decorating by Lauri Ward
I checked this book out from the library and it is really helping me get a sense of what to do with the rooms in this house. It is worth a look if you feel stuck, at a loss, or confused about your space. The book helps to train your eye to see the problems in a room and know how to easily fix them. Putting to use what I already own helps the budget too.

rock stacks

M woke up from his nap in a mood. We went outside. I did a little rock art. M had fun knocking them down. It was quite relaxing.

yesterday

To get ready for this special day, Malcolm and I planted Dave's papyrus plant shoots. Malcolm thought it was terribly funny to "pat-pat" the dirt.

Carrot cake, yummm. Happy Birthday Dave!

yard sale finds

Check out these charming chairs I bought at a yard sale Saturday. They are metal and I am in love. Such character. The woman selling them thinks they are from the 30's or 40's (?). They just need some fresh paint and new rubber feet. I can see great things for these chairs. The problem with "seeing potential" in cast off furniture means I get a lot of projects lined up for myself.

Such as this.

(Sorry the picture is turned, I don't know why it does this, or how to fix it.)
Painted white, it will be my yarn shelf. I've already taken off the door, and I'm not sure it is going to make its way back on again. We'll see.
And I can't forget about the fabulous solid wood desk in the garage, waiting so patently for some attention.
I need to get ORGANIZED so that I can use my energies, and Malcolm's nap times, for these projects. I bought another journal that I can dedicate to the house and yard. I have started to fill it. Each space gets its own page - kitchen, 1/2 bath, entry, etc. and then I list all that I would like to have happen. It is amazing to me how fast these lists form. It feels good to get them on paper rather than continually rattling around in my brain.
Today I played with Malcolm, took a nap, bought groceries, cleaned a toilet, and cut back some of the plants in the front yard that are plotting to take over the world. "Living the dream, living the dream."