Why I dont knit for grown ups

  Yes, I need to wait and not make sweeping decisions based on one attempt....but its my blog and I can laugh at myself later. Lets break down the problems.

1. The pattern was worked up as one size
2. I am not that one size
3. no amount of dieting will ever make my meaty arms smaller
4. the sweater is beautiful

The last one seems like it wouldn't be much of a problem but its a BIG one. You see if it was ugly I could gleefully rip each and every knit/purl out...but its SO pretty and soft. How do I know? When you spend two weeks (or more) working on a sweater you don't just cast it aside when you finish it. I squeezed these Rambo arms of mine in and admired it before surgically removing it and returning it to the knitting box. pictures to follow after blocking.  oh sigh.

Why God provides

  I remember several times in my childhood when the cupboards were nearly bare. Its a hazard of being a pastors family in a small town. Well, perhaps hazard isn't the right word...a better way to say it is gift. You see we never starved. Oh there were a few nights when we went to bed still hungry, praying to God the provider for just one bag of groceries to get through the month and He always came through.
  As a mom I wish for the ability to teach and show God as a provider without the hardship of empty cupboards and growling bellies. We don't work on the shoe string budget my own parents did, but there are times of the month where we go without and wait till payday. Last week we ran out of potatoes. I factored them out of our dinner time menu and moved on. "I'll just pick some up next month." I said to myself.
  The boys have a weeding job for a co-worker of Greg's and we skated out there yesterday to get started. Thank you sunshine! As we were turning the soil a potato popped up, then another, then another. 60lbs of potatoes! I called the owner and asked him what he wanted me to do with them and if we could have a few. He begged me to take as many as I wanted. He lives by himself most of the time and wasn't in the mood to peel that many potatoes. Here I am 40 lbs of potatoes later. It reminded me of those night time prayers so long ago and how faithful He is to provide what we need above and beyond what we can imagine.

Haiku Tuesday

What makes a dog good?

Patience, a whole load of it.

Good boy Frank, good boy.

You can't see it but he is tied to a tiny wagon.

click for Kristen

knitting news

I am finished with all the pieces to the adult sweater I have been working on. Notice I didn't say 'my sweater'? That's because after I have spent the hours knitting it out, I am not so sure it will fit me. I love ravelry but sometimes having armatures work patterns out makes things a bit difficult. Oh sigh. If it doesn't wrap around my middle I will just raffle it off. Today I will try to get it blocked. *meh* blocking (for me)is like putting the binding on a quilt, boring. To kill the monotony I started on the sweater I owed my girl. She had next dibs since I finished a sweater for Mr. Steel a while ago. Its a repeat of a pattern I used a few years ago. The above pic shows it. This time I am making it longer in hopes of making it last and avoiding the fashion show where she struggles to put it over my head to convince me it still fits. The yarn I picked is self striping and it fades in an out. Really fun! The pic doesn't do it justice. I am trying my darndest to zoom through it so she can get good use before the heat of summer (yes you may laugh now) I can hope right?

and the coffee press was no more

  All those of you with normal activity kids please step back and thank Jesus you have such a calm life. Parents of high energy kids are thankful for other things like days without rain, state park passes, new bikes, and plastic drink wear.
  Last night, after gallons of rain, the kids decided to run around the freshly clean house. Literally, everything other than the windows and my french press was put away. I hid upstairs in my room as the three tore around the downstairs using up a smidgen of their 'warrior spirit' (that was what the foster teacher called it). 
  Now, I am a tolerant mom. I understand the need for a little exercise after being stuck inside for days. It was only when a crash followed by utter silence did I realise my mistake. I sent everyone to their room, cleaned up the shards of glass, and had that all important talk about knowing when you are getting TOO out of hand.
   I am grateful for my active three because without them life would be a lot less exciting...... even if it means a little glass gets broken now and again.

ya said whaaa????

I love my husband. I really do. As for 'why' I am mostly reminded in little ways. A few days ago he switched out the washer for me. No big deal to most of you, but happy surprise to me. You see I was to tired and left it overnight thinking I would just re-wash it in the AM. How pleasant to find it already switched and dried. Other times he will sweep me up, kiss and hold me, usually when I am trying to do the dishes. Its nice to know that even soapy water cant hold him off. Last night he topped himself. He looked over as I was furiously knitting together another sweater and told me, "I want you to buy yarn whenever you want." The needles almost rocketed from my hands. Its a knitters equivalent to hitting the breaks in the car. "you want me to.." sly grin passes over my face..."oh....thanks." Thinking about it today, I realise that he is telling me to take my time at something I enjoy, much like I tell him to race his car. Of coarse, I DID buy a few skeins for posterity sake.

And the winner is......

City Girl! Congrats and thanks for being a faithful reader.


Stay tuned for more knitting drawings. I have to give my addiction to yarn a purpose right? And thank you all for keeping up with me when life gets to crazy to blog daily!

craigslist anyone?

I can honestly say that my Internet surfing consists of the same wave 99.8% of the time. I KNOW more is out there, but does it concern me? Not really. Call it being a creature of habit or predictable or my favorite,...a girl woman who knows what she wants. Pretty much the tracking cookies get bored of me and decide to visit someone else more interesting.
 And along comes Craigslist.
What a classified service, interesting?? Oh yeah. You see its crazy to think that all you have to do is say...
"Gee, I wish that I had never gotten rid of my tin strawberry short cake lunch pail with authentic scratch and sniff smell." Then you type it in and BOOM someone else is out there is thinking its worth money and selling it. Oh yeah, Ive heard of e-bay. Did I ever mention that while in a foreign country I practically threw the money at the vendor so I DIDN"T have to barter. *cough* Sorry, getting a bit sidetracked there.
  Anyway, craigslist has given me a good diversion from my usual. I find it fascinating that so much in life is for sale. From 'grannies old keepsakes' to 'couture wedding dresses never used' One thing in life you just cant buy is what I have right here. Moments in time, precious seconds, spent with a family whom I love.

Mamagriffith Giveaway!

To long has this blog sat idle...who knows if I have any readers left at all. Nothing brings readers back like a giveaway so here in all my knitting glory is a little neck warmer I whipped up for the occasion. All you have to do is comment and I will put your name in the drawing. come back on the 8th to see who won!