Latest Team Picture

I just can't help myself, I have to add the most recent team picture. Hope you enjoy.

You go girl, dad and I are so very proud of you. Love Mom

Check out the Biz

It certainly has been a long time since I added anything to my blog. I don't know where the time goes.

DH and I went to watch the college age kid play volleyball. It was a BLAST! She played very well and it's a joy just to see her happy. See how high she can jump? Look at that smile on her face. Makes a Momma so happy.













I have been working on a stole from DK's SOTS iii............it sure is slow going for me as I have to put in a lifeline every row. I have learned alot tho, how to tink, frog, read charts and insert beads. I am only on hint 2 and I'm pretty sure everyone else is already done. That's okay though as it takes the stress off of having to hurry to keep up :) DH asked, "Are you going to keep this one?" to which I replied "HELL YA" That is if I ever get it done.

Had a bumper crop of tomatoes this year, ate so many I got canker sores. They sure taste better when you grow 'em at home. We ordered some planting tubs that are self watering and come with the nutrient's prepackaged. WOW! I was impressed and will definitely do that again. I planted some herbs like basil and rosemary and thyme. Had so much I couldn't give it away. Grew some peppers for DH, found out I could handle about 2 peppers in whatever I was cooking be it soup or scrambled eggs.....any more than that and I was heading for the milk jug.

My Internet Business just keeps getting better and better. Am real excited about the new retail center that was recently added. There are some GREAT items there and the prices are super. This thing just keeps getting better and better. Go check it out at http://linkster.myinternetretailcenter.com/

It's getting late in the afternoon and I do believe it is time for my nap. I still have a few segments of House to watch and that might take a lot of time tonight.

Until next time Blessings
RRR

Time seems to go faster in the summer

Just to update you, I never did get the Incredible Sweater Machine to work right. I did however, get a really good deal on a REAL knitting machine. I have made 3 Ruana's since last we spoke. Don't know what a Ruana is? Imagine a knitted blanket with a split have way to the middle....that you can wrap over your shoulders. Some people take one edge of the Ruana and drape it across the body and attach a pretty broach to keep it in place.

I have 5 tomato's on my plants, have picked several peppers and have harvested some of my herbs. A friend told me how her grandmother used to dry herbs and it works VERY well.

I harvest the herbs I want to dry, rinse them with cool water and spin them in my salad spinner to dry. Then I lay them out on cookie sheets which I set in the rear window of my car. One day of the Nevada July sun and heat and the herbs are dry. Very aromatic I might add.

I sort the dried herbs, taking out the stems and undesirable things out and then put the spices in sealed containers.

Hubby and I are remodeling our 1960's ranch home, right now the main bathroom has no floor as all the plumbing is exposed. We are going for a retro look, I will finally get my claw foot tub that I have been waiting 30 years for. I had one in 1977 but we sold it to someone to use as a horse trough as we didn't want to tote it to Colorado when we moved. Hopefully I can post some pictures of the newly restored bath area when we are done.

Gotta run and give hubby a hand.
RRR

I can't believe it's been so long

since I wrote in my blog. What have I been doing?

Did I tell you that I am working on a prayer shawl from Debbie Macomber's "Back On Blossom Street" book? It's Alix's Prayer Shawl and so far it is winning the war of me trying to learn lace work and chart reading. I had to get some expert advise about one of the stitches near the end, called a closed increase. A dear friend and very experienced knitted was nearing the end of HER shawl and didn't know what a closed increase was. I actually wrote to Debbie Macomber, she has a blog too, and received a prompt and excellent answer. I was impressed. I still have a long way to go to complete my shawl but I will continue to work at it.

I have not finished husband's socks but I do have the foot part almost finished on both socks. I do two socks at a time just to keep the pattern correct. ONE time, the first socks I ever made were done several months apart and it showed. They were not the same. I won't make that mistake again. I don't think it will take long to finish them I just need to take the time to sit down and knit.

I found a new word that I love? It's called "tink" and when you have to pull out your knitted stitches because of a mistake it is called "tinking" which if you look closely is KNIT spelled backwards. Cute and makes sense. It is not fun to tink, just the word is fun. I have tinked on my prayer shawl way too much.

I have been working on getting my internet business totally functional. Even went to visit my mentor and friend for much needed advise and tutoring. I am very excited about the business as I have been looking a very long time for a way to supplement my income.

Guess I better close for now, I hear dust bunnies calling my name so I better get back to my chores.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.
RRR

Time to Think About Planting

The weather is changing and it makes me think about starting some tomato plants. Walked out in the front yard yesterday and saw green shoots struggling to survive the dirt in our front yard. Guess what I found? WEEDS! Not beautiful Hyacinths, nor tulips, not even marigolds..............just weeds. Sigh. Maybe tomorrow I better get after those nasty weeds.

Eventually my husband and I are going to landscape the front yard but there is still a lot of work to do; sprinkler systems and backfill added. We also want to do a greenhouse and haven't decided where we want that. Hubby wants to put a new shower in the main bathroom and I am thinking that job will take priority over the yard work. Never enough time nor money. Hopefully that will be changing REAL soon.

Till Next Time
RRR

I Am Very Excited

A very dear friend of mine has guided me to a wonderful business and I am VERY excited about it.

It is an internet business with great wealth potential. Ground floor entry here. I am getting to old and tired :) to work for a living.

If you are interested in having YOUR own internet business check out the link below.

http://www.blessedlink4u.com/

Freedom from having to work an 8-5 job will allow me more time for KNITTING.

Take care and until next time.
Blessings
RRR

I have been so busy

this weekend. I pulled out my very old Incredible Knitting Machine to see if I could finally get it to work. NOT. It is still uncooperative. I just composed a letter to send to the Bond Knitting people to see if they will honor their lifetime warranty. I will let you know if I hear anything.

I have been busy trying to track down and eradicate those Phantom Power draws all homes have. I am putting in power strips that will shut off equipment totally when not in use. My home office is probably the biggest energy waster we have besides our old and archaic freezer. I have a whole bunch of doo dahs in here that suck electricity. I really should get one of those little line meters that shows you what kind of electrical draw each appliance has. Maybe next time I get out of town I will look for one. Better yet maybe I should research it online and just order one and save the time and GAS cost.

I was out in the storage shed earlier to get my rebounder (that is a mini trampoline) out and start using it. I read that the rebounder are an excellent source of excercise, low impact on knees and back and somehow stimulate all the cells in your body. Although I find that last part a little bit hard to conceive of the exercise won't hurt me.

Better run for now as I need to go take a nap, ahem, I mean sweep and mop the floor.

Till later
RRR

What Have I Done with My Time

I sure haven't done much crafting lately. I have been studying up on how to build web pages, hope to someday soon have an internet business that pays some real money.

There is so much information available online that it is simply overwhelming. Most days it feels like I am just chasing my tail. I go to one interesting web page, then find another link there that catches my attention so I go there and the process just keeps repeating itself.

My Favorites list drop down scrolls for miles with all the places I want to stay on top of.

Downloaded Nvu (a free web site builder)and it seems to be fairly user friendly. Has the same stuff as Word and Excel does, but when I started to play with it I realized I had NO idea what I wanted the site to look like. I did NOT have any instant enlightenment as to what I was doing so I sent a copy of that link to my desktop and it is still there waiting for me to do something with it.

All I really wanted to do was get a start somewhere to learn how to become filthy rich.

Am learning about new blog sites: Twitter, tumbler pownce and jaiku to name a few. Not sure what all of them do yet. Some are like MySpace.

I just need to stay focused on one thing at a time. I have a tendency to get sidetracked. If any of you have read my previous blogs you will know that I can't seem to do just ONE project at a time, I have to have at least 3

I will just keep trudging along cause I don't have a Computer Fairy Godmother to just wave a wand and make my web page for me.

Till next time, take care and rich blessings to you.
RRR

My Needles Runneth Over

A few days ago I decided to try a pattern with cables in it, something quick and easy. I found a nice little headband pattern that worked up within an hour or so. Working with homemade cable needles(coat hangar cut to about six inches in length with a v-shaped depression for holding stitches in the center). I wasn't real pleased with the outcome so I tried holding the crossover stitches on a No. 8 DPN. That worked better and my headband was actually developing a cable pattern.

After completion, I set it on my catch all table unsure of what I was going to do with it only to find that at one point today my little ears were cold. Wallah, the headband did a nice job of not only keeping my ears warm but holding my hair out of my face too.

I looked online for a long time today trying to find a knit pattern for a Ruana. My mother-in-law (bless her heart) gave me a very finely knitted Ruana years ago and I really love it..............it's just that now I want one that is a bit heavier and more earthy. I did not have very good luck finding what I was looking for but I did run across a pattern for a cable stitch scarf that I think looks beautiful. I can see multiple panels becoming a very nice and warm Ruana.

Problem is that the pattern is very cable intensive...........plus I have to pay mucho attention to the pattern so I don't get lost in my stitch count. I may have bitten off more than I can chew. This project may end up being JUST a scarf.

My husband made a comment the other day that made me decide to knit him a nice pair of socks. I had ordered some brown self striping yarn as well as some brown nobby type yarn from Knitpicks (http://www.knitpicks.com/ ) Love their stuff, especially the new line of needles called Harmony. I like them better than the bamboo ones.

I read an interesting article the other day by a male knitter about the "infamous boyfriend sweater" I thought it was very appropriate and made me involve my hubby in the "socks for him" project. I let him choose the color he wanted and we even talked about the length of the leg part that worked best for him. As we were watching TV this evening and I was slaving away on his socks, he said "are those mine?"

This way, he will not be suprised when the socks are done and I give them to him. He will have a chance to grow into the idea of having hand knitted socks.

It was sort of funny that he got chosen for jury duty and actually dressed up a bit and wore colored socks, not his usual white cotton socks and white tennies attire. All that just lent more support for the brown socks I am working on. I have never considered making him a sweater as he is not a sweater type of guy, but the socks seem to be something he is looking forward to.

I am still working on the Navajo Afghan, crocheted in Black, Gray, Red and White. I do a row here and there at my leisure and it makes a beautiful diamond pattern and self fringes. It is the width of a full size bed but has many rows to go to be considered a completed afghan. I have a sweater pattern that mirros the blanket that I hope to make some day.

If any of you have a Ruana pattern that you think I might like, feel free to send it to me.

I'm off and running again. Take care all

RRR

My very first sock has a mate

I did it! I really finished that Pair of Socks. If you look back through my posts you will find a picture of my very first sock. It had been on my mind and I knew I wouldn't rest easy until I finished the pair.

I learned a valuable lesson or two from those socks. I started that sock many many months ago and had forgotten the pattern. Although both socks are done, they do have differences. I will never wait 6 months to knit a mate, I will make sure that I have 2 sets of the same size dpns and plenty of yarn and will do the next ones simultaneously. That way I can be assured they will match. The heel flaps turned out different, the first one I ribbed and the last one I just used a stockinette stitch. The first one actually fits better and snugger. It has allowed me to see just what a difference a few purl stitches make.

I do plan on using them, for those days when I wish to laze around the house and be a bum. The floors get chilly in the winter and that lovely pair of pastel green socks will ward off the chill nicely.

That's all for now, maybe later I will post a picture of my precious socks.
RRR

It's A New Year

Hi Everyone, the holidays are over. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year. We sure did. The kid was home from college for a week and that is always a fun time. I sure miss her when she's gone. The day she left I took down the tree and all the decorations, I usually do this the day after Christmas but put it off this year so I wouldn't have to clean while she was home. It is always bitter sweet and I get emotional when she leaves.

As I was putting away the special Hallmark ornaments that my brother and his wife send as a Christmas gift, I was thinking that next year I should put up several theme trees, say one with only Hallmark ornaments and another with all the ornaments I saved from my parents stash and then maybe a tree just for the ornaments the kids have made over the years. I hope that thought will pass as that sounds like way too much work; and besides, I don't have room for all those trees. Unless I put one up in the garage, not sure hubby would like that.

I did get all my hand work projects done, I felt sort of lost with nothing on the sock needles so.............the Friday after Christmas we decided to go to Las Vegas and take advantage of some after Christmas sales. Husband and daughter thought we were going to LV so they could see the UNLV v. Nicholls State basketball game. As we were getting on the road I started a pair of knee socks that the daughter had requested. She showed some interest and I took that as a sign that she wanted to learn how to knit socks. I just happened to have an extra set of 3.5 double point needles (dpn's) and extra yarn (I try and do both socks at the same time). She took to it like a duck to water and we were knitting like mad women. It became a sort of competition......well, it was really a race against the clock as we had to have the socks done before she headed back out to school.




The knee high sock project worked out well with both of us knitting together (tog) as I was able to show her real time what to do as each step of the way. She actually completed her sock before I did so I showed her how to close the toe with a Kichener stitch. (Someone had to cook and clean, it's hard to knit while doing these chores)

When I finally got back to my sock, she was teasing me saying that her other foot was cold......hurry Mom....... Well, since she had done such a nice job finishing off her sock, I let her finish closing up mine to cement the Kichner stitch firmly in her mind. :)





She wore those socks for the next 2 1/2 days straight. Guess she likes them.

I finally got the computer set up in the gargage so that hubby can do his car repair research without having to traipse through the house and kick me off of my computer. I sent the sock pictures to his NEW email address and he
was so impressed that he suggested that I send her some dpn's, yarn and a sock pattern so she can keep on knitting socks. Now, isn't that a great idea? Wish I had thought of that.





I had mentioned in an earlier blog that my very first sock did not have a mate yet. The let down of not having to work on a project for Christmas was so great that I decided to finish that PAIR of socks. For some reason this sock is so much easier than my very first one. The yarn is not splitting, I am not fighting with the dpn's.....maybe it is just that now I have more experience. This one is working up very fast. I am over half way done and I just started it yesterday. Interesting.

I have been surfing online looking for new sweater patterns. My friend Jennie is probably getting tired of all the new links to patterns I send her. She is such a GREAT knitter and knits so fast..........you should see her nimble fingers fly. I send her the patterns of the projects that are far too complicated for me...........and things that I think she will really like. Sorry Jennie, I just get so excited and this knitting thing is addictive.

I guess I better sign off here.......I have an urge to go knit on my sock some more.

Until next time. Cheers
RRR