of all things I've lost...

... I miss my funnel the most. As most Decembers, my house looks like Chaos, Foolishness and Disaster came to an all-night kegger at my place and left before I got up. I think I see 4 square inches of my kitchen table, at the other end, where I can't reach it. I don't want it to feel left out, so I might just shove something over there.

It has also been duley informed that I have not keep my faithful, or even unfaithful, reader apprized of the happenings of Chez Bideshigirl. Here now are the highlights:

• I have turned into a hermit. Who knew this could happen in modern day America, but low and behold, it has. I only know this since I have become unhermited and everyone has said to me, "Bideshigirl, I haven't seen you in months!" and that is the literal truth.
• I've been knitting, but you can hardly tell. I have been becoming more and more focused on making my knits better, thus I have ripped out and re-knit just about every item multiple times. If this doesn't make me a better knitter, nothing will.
• I bought a new car. A 2009 Ford Focus in sterling grey. Isn't it pretty?
  
  

• Then, less than 12 hours later, I hit my first deer. He was a 4-point buck. Did I mention that I was on my way to Michigan and that I was 4 hours away from home when this occurred? I wasn't too happy.

However, I survived unscathed and the car, which is still currently unnamed, was fixed. I still ended up having a delightful time picking apples and making applebutter with Sweetie and Megan. Also, if you are in dire need of applebutter, please give me a call. I can give you the hook-up.

Lastly, I have a new roommate named Buttercup. She is a guinea pig that Cousin Jamie's two oldest girls gave me for Christmas.

Now, I'm off (yes, I know I've been off for years) to find my funnel to pour the big bottle of homemade vanilla into smaller bottles. Then, maybe, Christmas postcards... but I wouldn't hold your breath too long on that. It's cold out and my flannel jammies are making suggestions about going to bed. It is hard to deny the luring call of the fannel jammies on bitterly cold nights.

when arrogance met the knitter

I have decided that I will learn how to knit lace. I chose a very lovely basil colored yarn that is a delight to knit with in a lace weight, found a scarf pattern in the 1 skein wonders book and started to knit.

I knitted 8 rows of straight knitting. Everything was nice and even, gage was happening. Life was good.

I started the pattern. The first row went off without a hitch. Life was getting better. I thought to myself, "This isn't so hard! I have no clue what other knitters are kavitching about. I don't need to put in a ripline!!! I'm good."

Isn't karma a bitch?

The second row ended up with one too many stitches. Never fear! Super knitter is here!!! I will figure out the problem in the next row and fix it as I knit.

The third row ended with one too many stitches. My bubble burst. Only three rows into the pattern and I'm a stitch over on two of those rows. Curses!!!!

I took a deep breath. Cursed a blue streak. Then I calmly took the entire thing off the needle and frogged it back to the start.

And thus the reason riplines were created. Lesson learned for today.

the plague

This is what a sick day at Casa de BideshiGirl looks like. Slippers on, jammies still on, in my new favorite comfy chair looking at patterns. Yep, that's right... baby booties. Did I mention that there are about 14 bajillion girls pregnant right now. Ok, that might be slightly exaggerated, but seriously, watch what you drink ladies!

The Pink Stripey baby blankey is being worked on, even in sickness. No worries, I'll wash this before I give it away. I don't want any sniffley babies on my watch!

Mom has put in a request for socks. She scoped out my sock stash (which doesn't count towards your real stash) and liked these the most. I hope she gets them by her birthday in October. Ladies, please help a knitter out.... stop drinking the water.

Faux Baby Blankey which I have dubbed Fuzzy Wuzzy. A basic dishcloth pattern with super fuzzy yarn. I plan on putting an animal head on top, like a teddy bear. Or llama. I'm not known for my artisic endeavors. Just as long as it does not scare the child in question, all will be well.

The Entrelac Scarf of '07-'08. What wonderful colorways Noro produces. It took me 4 skeins (balls of yarn for you non-knitters) and a ton of time, but I can honestly say that I enjoyed the project.

In fact, I want to knit an entrelac afgan. Maybe next winter. I can't wait for this to be fixed, blocked and ready to show off in person.

Or at least when I'm done sneezing.

when i said change, i meant it

This is an entrelac scarf that Linda H and I took a class to learn to do. Mine has a slight jog in the road, but never fear... my guru says it is fix-able. I love my guru. She is the best. Also, please don't look at my scarred floor. No amount of scrubbing on my hands and knees will make all the scuffs go away. I prefer to look up.

You may have noticed that this is a pair of socks on one needle. I will somehow figure out how to mark it off my To Do Before 31st Birthday List. Aren't they super cool? I just hope to finish these before winter leaves for good.

This is the mystery project. When the person who receives this as a gift gets it, you will get a picture. Fair? It is a wonderful baby alpaca and a carry-along of a merino mix. Delighful to knit with.

This is yet another start to a baby blanky. I'm praying that someone pops out a girl. And that I have this done before that little girl goes home. I have also picked up a ton of baby yarn to start booties and hats, since I know about half a dozen girls who are currently pregnant. I don't have the time/money/creativity/patience to knit that many blankies. So, first come, first serve with this blankey. (Note to self: Don't drink the water)

This little hat has already found a new owner... Nisha's little Maya is the proud owner. What a dollbaby she is!

how did i not know?

There was a 'Craftin' Outlaws' meeting in Columbus and I did not know about it until after the event. I think that is the saddest thing so far today. I will have to try to make it to next year's festivities. Especially since I have taken the needle back up. That's right, you heard me... Needles Up! I have finished one sock in TOFUtsies and this close to finishing a shawl I started last winter. 20 more rows and the shawl is mine!!! Then I have to finish the second sock and then come the baby hats. One is for Tucker in a Bulldog color montage and the other will be for Jilli and the Jilli hat will be super cute! Then I am thinking about finishing the other projects that are still on needles and lying about my house.

Speaking about future plans.... Sweetie, SuperMeg and I are going to New York City for the marathon. Yes, I know that I am letting everyone and their brother know when I'll be gone, but since I have very little to steal (with the exception of the hamsters), I'm ok with it. Besides, my grandma would let everyone who reads the Herald when I'm gone anyways, so what does it matter? Oh, and just to let everyone know... SuperMeg is the only one running in this marathon. The rest of us are just her personal cheerleaders.

what i'm not knitting

I am in a knitting funk. Days, nay weeks have gone by and I have not even picked up the first set of needles. I've totally blown off putting something into the Hardin Co Fair for this year... it's just not going to happen!

So, a list of what I am not knitting:

• socks
• shawl
• baby blanky
• socks (you can never have too many)
• scarf

Yep, all of these are works-in-progress. I cannot wait for cooler weather and for the stupid GRE to be over.

OH! Story! I believe this to be indictative of where I live currently. A customer walks into our agency the other day and while the computer slowly bringing up his account, I decide to shoot the bull. I ask him what he is up to and he replies the usual, 'Oh, nothing much... and you?'. I reply, 'I'm studying for the GRE and not liking it a bit.' Silence. Then customer asks, 'So, that GRE thing.... is it sorta like the GED?'. Silence on my end. I blink and reply, 'Well... they're both tests you take, but you don't get a diploma with the GRE.' 'Oh,' was his reply to that.

So, I wonder if he thinks that taking the GRE is worth it or not, seeing as you don't get a diploma or anything with it.

group knitting

Group knitting can be such a fun thing! Linda H and I have been doing some group knitting as of late since 1)we're both single in a very married/child-filled community, 2)have the itching to do so, 3)it's a good way to catch up on gossip. I have learned many a thing and it's enough to make your hair turn white! Somedays, I realize that the 'desh was just a ginormous (I'm sure that probably isn't a word) small town in Ohio. Like my hometown in Ohio, for example. Gossip is rife with various misgivings, bad deeds and that ilk. With that said...

So, hopefully, I will be going to Colorado this coming year for a Year Of Education. My masters. It'll only take about 80-85 grand to make the dream come true. Then I will have to pimp out my services to the highest bidder afterwards to pay for all of that fun. My mom's only request is that I 'go to a nice 3rd world country'. I hope that her request isn't too much to ask. After all, who wants to go to the bad 3rd world countries?

the prayer must have worked some

Grandma F is doing better and is on the mending list. Surgery is still a possiblity, but every week that goes by means that possiblity grows smaller. Yeah for her!

I'm getting all geared up for Mexico! I can hardly wait!!! Isis wedding should be a ton of fun! And then the goal is to go to Colorado and see if I can go to grad school there. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

As for knitting... well, I have completed a whole bunch of nothing. I did, however, find the lost ball of yarn for the boy stripey sock. I was down to turning the heel when I figured out that I had casted on the wrong number of stitches and that is why it was smaller around than the already finished mate. glitch. So, I frogged it and started again. I'm getting close to the heel. I need to really get this done quickly, seeing how they are a birthday gift. shhh....

a good day

This was a good day for me. I went up to Defiance, Ohio for a knit-in and met a few good ladies. They were fun and chatty and just a plain, old nice group. I wanna be their friend. I also want The 5th Stitch to be closer to me in Ada. That would be too much fun. I think that I will add Ellen's link over on the side.

Well, I'm yawning and I still need to get a Mother's Day card for Mom. Luckily, the gift is bought and I hope she likes it. If she doesn't, then I will like it. :)

holy crap, Batman!

May just crept up on me without my permission or wherewithall.

Baby Up-Date:

Wyatt has jowls and sleeps alot.

Tucker is working on his jowls and sleeps alot.

Lauren Catherine got herself born super early and her mommy, Cousin Melissa, should be out of the hospital but Lauren is still there. But that's what happens when you decided that you need to be born early and come out 13 inches and 2 lbs and a quarter oz. They won't let you out until you weigh 5 lbs. So hopefully Lauren will grow super-quick and get sprung from the hospital soon.

So, that was part of the reason to visit Columbus last weekend (a visit to Cousin Melissa), but since Melissa was on the good drugs, I decided not to burden her with one more person to visit. I did meet up with Alison, Heather H and Laura1. Much got discussed, but we have not decided to take over the world quite yet, so please feel safe. And put down your defences. Go off and take a nap. Nope, we won't do nothing.... we promise!

As for this week, I have had the overwhelming urge to leave. The state, the country, my state of mind. Something must leave! Preferably me, but others are welcome to leave also. It has been a long week. Did I mention that already? I went out to the Common Grounds with Linda H and knitted Friday night. Did I mention that we are some wild and crazy gals? Yesterday and today have been spent indoors just hibernating from people. I have had my fill. Maybe tomorrow I will leave and be something resembling social. Or I will just have to fake it.

Then the knitting update: The sock has been put down and I need to turn the heel. The shawl is on hold for now. The baby blanky hasn't seen the light of day for a couple of weeks. The baby hats have been sent to Cousin Melissa (6 at last count, of all different sizes and colors). And my newest project is a Notre Dame scarf for Cousin Steve S who will be attending there this coming fall. Big, fatty green and blue stripes. There could be a hat in this too, but first things first! Oh, and a palate cleansing dishclothe pattern from Linda H. It's something quick, easy, useful and can be done in a couple of hours.

Everyone needs a quicky every now and again.

it was soooo cold....

...I almost considered marriage. This is truly the single girls issue... no one to put their cold feet on while in bed in the dead of winter. I hate winter and all the crap (read: snow, ice, brisk winds) that comes with it. I now have to take my inflate-a-bed into the living room to sleep, since my bedroom is so cold. This is ridiculous! I firmly protest winter!!! grrr...

Did I mention that I have been giving quite a few speeches as of late? I spoke at a Mother's Club and the at the Professional Business Women's organization. If this keeps up, I will be on a speaking circuit or some crazy thing.

But, now for the super-exciting things in my life.... my knitting. I just started working with a new yarn that is bobbly and leaf green (so it has a few hues of green) and it looks lacy with just a stockinette stitch. Easy work, looks harder than it is, equals a lovely satisified feeling of contentment. ahhh.... This is such a cute yarn, that I think that I might try expanding to make a shawl with it. I'll have to see if I can make the gage to fit and give it a whirl.

weekend of bridezilla

I have decided that I never, ever want a big, white, floofy wedding. Ever. If I go crazy and change my mind, make me go to the Columbus Bridal Show for the entire 12 hours and I will suddenly come to my senses again. It was absolutely insane. My Friend Laura1 owns Bliss Honeymoons and Destination Weddings travel business and had a booth at the CBS and I helped work it for all it's worth. These people (brides and mothers of the bride and random people who were suckered into going with them) were hit over the head with the racket that we like to call 'Holy Matrimony'. And I spotted potential bridezillas. They are getting married in late 2008, have way too much detail done already (for the two weeks they have been engaged) and they have that glint in their eye. That evil glint that will only get eviller and glintier as time comes closer to their wedding date. I guar-en-tee. Scary.

Other than the scary brides, everything else went off without a hitch. Laura1 got a bou-que of appointments for her business and I had a lovely time with Heather H, who is a hostess with the mostess. Then I came home to Mom and Dad's and collapsed with a cold that kept me home on Monday.

Tonight is Knit Wits, so if you want to join, just let me know!

OH! Rodeo season is starting up. If you want to come along, just email me. It is for 8 Saturdays starting the first Saturday in February. It should be a barrel of fun!