Yes, I Like the Controlled Chaos

So much to talk about, so many pictures I want to share! Where to start?

Well, last Friday was a sick day for poor DDthe8yr old. So what do you do when you feel yucky and get bored? Why KNIT of course!

Those of you who have been with me a while, may remember back in the day when I started to teach the two oldest how to knit. After that, they sort of lost interest, and I haven't been in such a great teaching place the last couple of years. So we started again. She loves it of course, it's in her blood. =) DSthe10yr old also wanted to try again once he got home, and it went well with him too. (no pictures of that, sorry)

I have also been on a mini reading kick. First this book:

Which was VERY captivating. It may have been a teensy bit predictable in one part, but I have been reading novels since I was, what 11/12 and I started with Pride and Prejudice. Not many stand up to Jane Austen. This author is really good, though, and at the end of the book, I found myself wanting to know what happens to her next. Fortunately for me, there is at least one more book with this character in it. YAAY!

Next was this book:


It reads like a good movie, several sub plots following the lives of several people, all involved some way with the people who frequent a certain New York City yarn shop. VERY good, not very predictable for me. That's all I'll say about that, because any more and I'll start giving things away. It DID make me cry a few times.

I've made some good progress on my sweater, it's now time to start doing the shaping for the hips.


I haven't felt like wrapping my mind around that quite yet. So I decided to start another project.
After trying and giving up several years ago with the figure 8 cast-on, I finally did it successfully! I was so amazed at how easy it was.


I declared myself accomplished and started a toe up sock


I'm using some brand new yarn I got the other day when I found myself on my way to an event that didn't start till next week at that time. DUH. So there I was, literally all dressed up with no where to go. But AH, I was very close to the only LYS left in my area. (cue sobs) But I've been craving self patterning yarn for quite awhile. Result? VIOLA!


I really liked the colors in this yarn and once I really looked at it, I realized that it is both variegated and self patterning in the usual sense. So it's an interesting diversion. Since I like doing two at once, I decided to do the figure 8 cast-on again. To my great surprise, I could no longer do it. RATS. At long last I realized I was wrapping it much too tight. So I loosened up. (something I am always in need of doing anyway)


But it was much too loose. I'm starting to think about the Goldilocks and the 3 Bears. This one was MUCH too tight, that one was much too LOOSE. See all the AIR through those stitches?


Until finally, I tried Baby Bear's stitches which were JUST RIGHT.


LE sigh - finally a good start on the second sock. I don't have photographic proof of said second pair of socks, but rest assured, they are safely on the circ now, after doing all the toe increases on my size zero bamboo dpns. (yes, I'm warming up to dpns, slowly but surely)

At some point in the middle of all my sock issues, I noticed a giant thunderhead right over our neighborhood. Usually the are off in the distance building, but this one was spectacular. So of course - SKY PICS!

see those tiny dots near the top? birds! =)

You can see that torrential rain off in the distance. Yes it got dark and there was much lightning and thunder and it rained and rained.

And then the sun came out while it was still pouring, so I jumped up to see if we had a rainbow and lo and behold a really awesome double rainbow. AH glorious!

see my umbrella?

Can you see that the rainbow sort of comes down in front of that house? It was SO cool. And the raindrops were lit up like thousands of diamonds falling from the sky. If I had not been yelling at the kids to get away from the street, I'd have some really cute pictures of them in the driveway with their umbrellas. drat. I didn't think about it until it was too late. OH well. Here's the view to the West.



Guess what else? (yes there's more) I had another interview with a Chiropractor on Tuesday, the practical (the massage portion) is scheduled for Thursday. Today, Wednesday, I got to fill in for a therapist that had to call in sick, at another Chiropractor's office. That was fun. They are also going to be looking for someone in the next couple of months, and they really liked me, so they are a little hopeful that they have a chance at me. Fortunately, since most of us are private contractors, we can work in several places at once and it's not a conflict of interests. It's good to have options, yes? I'll let y'all know how the practical goes in a few days.

AH yes, and perhaps most importantly... The Yarn Harlot is coming to Dallas on Friday! YEEHAW! I'm so excited, I've been wanting to get to one of her book signings forEVER. Btw... you non-knitters, Stephanie is only the rock star of the knitting world. I should probably say, the online knitting subculture. She is hilarious, her books are hysterical - great comedian that she is. So my sister, remember Mica? - real name Heidi, and I will be trekking over that way on Friday. woooot

I'm sure I'll be bursting at the seams with blogging material by Saturday. (not unlike today, actually... hmmmm)