Home again, home again, jiggity jog

Back from MN and ND after a fine week of fishing and visiting. H and FIL stayed in MN the whole week fishing. S, D, and I went one to air-conditioned splendor with the grandparents. My folks finished a wonderfu screen porch addition to the house and D really like spending time in there. D kept trying to slide down the Adirondack footstools like they were slides. S loves playing with my younger brother, the best uncle in the world. S also loves playing with my neice, not that you could tell from all the fighting. Kids. S seems to have finally got back to loving the pool and thanks to my neice, was up to the challenge of swimming underwater.

Picked H up on Saturday and FIL seems to have had it with the fishing camp. Probably has something to do with the wood worms he had to keep brushing off his bed every night. H made reservations for next year but I have done some research and will be lobbying hard for a different resort. One with cable, air-conditioning, swimming pool.

Knitting is on hiatus for a while. Why is it that being the mom means vacation is just as much work as working? I have to put my house back in order and the heat doesn't help matters. Besides, my have to correct one corner on my shawl and I am going to try do it without ripping back. I somehow slipped my stitchmarker to the wrong place so I have YOs in the wrong place in two rows. Arggh.

Summer camp for S seems to be going well. Cross our fingers. I hope our plans to alternate between camp, daycare and the Y will keep S happy over the summer. TTFN.

Finished, and finished

Seriously, I will get pics up next week. I am going on vacation (thus finished with work for now) but I am happy to report I am DONE with my hooded split-front cardi. I am also 99% done with Annie Modisett's ribbed corset. The knitting part has been done for while but I haven't managed to get the shell buttons I want.

The Split Front cardi thingy, since I can't think of a better thing to call it, is my interpretation of a Suss Cousin's design. Mine is knit from the top down with inset diagonal pockets. I also did the sleeves from the top down. I have never made a sweater before and all I have to say, is why would anyone knit a sleeve seperately then sew the sleeve together and into the armhole? This is far better, only because the completion of this sweater was held up in large part to the fact I did not want to sew the pocket lining together. Still, I knew I hade to do it or not be able to use the thing.

The corset took forever because it was my first attempt at reading charts and was, until the start of the shower cap (F0F), the most complicated pattern I have attempted. I was sure I had nailed the guage but it still ended up too small. When I get the buttons on, I will be sending it to my sister. Up next, the modified shrug. But First, the FoF (ripped back, struggling on).

Knitting unhappiness

No pics because I am just too sad. My Field of Flowers and Shale shawl (Evelyn Clark) was humming along quite nicely, I even had the idea that I would have most of it done with only the edging to figure out when, I determined that I had a serious knitting error and I would have to rip back the entire border. First, in my defense, this is my first lace project. I should have bitten the bullet and purchased a nice set of needles for this but I had my Denise interchangeables at the ready. Denise, while wonderful, not so good for lace. I do have a set of size 3 clover circs that I am going to try to use to rip back but because I have a bunch of YOs and KTBLs, I think I have no choice but to rip all the way back to the picked up stitches for the border.

I hopy MIL will like it. I like the merino I am using and it is a pretty shade of blue from Little Knits. Lane Borgosesia Baruffa Cashwool - Lightest Cornflower Blue, feels like cashmere, but a much nicer price. Also, IMO, an all-over lace pattern is best done in solids, not verigated. While I love the gorgeous hand-dyed varigated colorways, I think I should decide which I am going to showcase, the fabulous colors or the fabulous knitted stitches. I'll see if I can get pictures up of what I am currently calling the shower cap.

Tuesday Trouble

Ever have one of those days? Days when you could strangle the ones closest to you and you snap at everyone at work and are just short with people in general? Today is one of those days. S hauled off and had a right good temper tantrum on the playground. D is in full on separation anxiety. H is cranky but H is usually cranky. So, I figured I would get tons done, using my anger to fuel me through the endless oblivion of waiting on hold. I called to switch dentists because H and I think the dentist isn't very good and that he is cheating the insurance company. At at work, I am still waiting (2 weeks on) for a reimbursement check. Has anyone ever wondered just how the most incompetent people end up working in the most vital jobs? H called and said the school called saying S and I were absent. Um, I told S's teacher that we weren't going to be there and I called the school at 8:20 AM to relay the same. I am going home and shut the door and take a few minutes for myself.