Winners Update

I just wanted to let those of you who won the yarn giveaway know that I won’t be able to get the yarn in the mail until early next week.  I came back from a long and relaxing weekend on Tuesday and underestimated the kind of time my “normal” life takes, especially after a five day absence.

I have figured out who gets what and all of you will get either your first, second, or third picks.

Please email me your addresses as soon as possible.  I’ll send an email or post here when the packages get mailed out.  My email address is:  knittingandreadingATgmailDOTcom

But, my weekend was amazing.  I went to see my sister’s graduation and was able to spend time with some of my siblings.  I was happy to be back, but life will be even better in two weeks.

Edited to add my email address. 

I can’t count to five

Well, I can count, but when I get something stuck in my head, it’s hard to get rid of it.

It all started because I (mistakenly) believed that I had four yarns available. I even wrote the post saying four, and I had to go back and change it when I added the pictures and there were five pictures.

Now the CTH Mystery is the sixth yarn, and there are five of you.

I’ll figure something out. Maybe someone will get two, maybe I’ll take one out of the running, maybe I’ll go back and count again because I still don’t really believe that there were five yarns up for the giveaway.

I think I just need a weekend away.

Congrats to all of you!

ETA:  I just went back and reread the previous post.  I even wrote, “the five yarns are…” and the “fifth skein is..”  Yeah, I do need to get away.

And the Winners Are….

all of you! 

Since five of you posted a comment, and I only put up four yarns, I decided to put another skein in.  Everybody’s a winner!  Yay you!

I need an email from you listing the five yarns in order of preference.  Your first pick would be number one, second pick number two, and so on.  The first person I drew will automatically get their first pick, the second person will get their first pick if it hasn’t been chosen by person #1, in which case they’ll get their second pick, etc.

The five yarns are:

DIC Black Parade

Paton’s Kroy

CTH Purple

Scarlet Fleece

Mountain Colors Bearfoot

and the fifth skein is….

Cherry Tree Hill Mystery- I haven’t decided on which one, but it will be variegated, most probably in darker tones of purples/blues/pinks (I have a couple of skeins that are very similar)

Email me at:  knittingandreadingATgmail.com

The order that the winners were drawn is:

Three Good Rats

Kate

Babbling Brook

Sarah

Nicole

A Giveaway!

I found time to go through my sock yarn today. I wish I had more time to knit socks. I really have some great yarns and it’s annoying to me that I don’t get to knit with them as fast as I would like.

But, what’s my loss is your gain.

Here’s the deal: You leave a comment from now until Tuesday (midnight, PST). If I happen to write another post between now and Tuesday, you can comment in that post. On Wednesday or Thursday (depending how my week goes), I’ll put your name in a hat (or other such container) and draw names. I have five yarns that I’m willing to part with, so there could potentially be four winners. Of course, if only one person comments, then that person gets all the yarn. If you want, you can tell your friends about this blog (I would appreciate it), but you don’t have to. If there are more than five people who comment, the first person I draw gets first pick of the yarn, and so on. I’ll figure something out if only two or three people comment. If you don’t knit, and you want to leave a comment anyway, I’ll put your name in the hat and you’ll get something special from me if your name is drawn. I’ll announce the winner(s) on Thursday, though I won’t be able to send the yarn until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.

Here are the lovely yarns that I will manage to part with:

This is Dream in Color Smooshy in Black Parade. The picture on my monitor is quite good as far as color accuracy. I am only willing to part with it because I have a sweater in Black Parade and I think other people need to see how great this color is.

Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Brick. It looks a little redder in the picture than it actually is. To me, it’s more of a dark burgandy. Beautiful yarn and really great if you like thinner yarns.

Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in Purple. It’s very purple. The only reason I’m giving up my favorite yarn is because I have 4 more skeins of it in various colors. I love CTH yarn for showing off lace and this would be beautiful.

Scarlet Fleece in Irish Eyes. I have never used Scarlet Fleece yarn and the only reason this is up for grabs is because I got two skeins of this color for Christmas. It promises to be a great yarn!

And last, but not least, Patons Kroy Socks. Another yarn that I haven’t used, but I have two other skeins of it in my stash, so I’m willing to part with these. I would be very interested to see how it knits up!

Just a thought….

I have been toying with the idea of doing a random, not-for-any-reason, sock yarn drawing.  You post a comment, I draw your name.  I have tons of sock yarn and I wouldn’t mind sending it on to someone who would actually use it, rather than have it just sit in a Rubbermaid bin by the side of the bed (I like to keep my sock yarn close to me). 

Since I don’t have many readers here, the odds are in your favor.

It’s not official yet…I have to go through the stash and see what I’d be willing to part with.  I have great yarns, if I do say so myself, and a wide assortment.  Not a lot from any particular company, but a lot from many different companies.

So, keep on the lookout!

I’ve got the transitions…

I actually have been knitting.  Typically, I spend about an hour each evening, after LouLa goes to bed, knitting.  It’s not tons of time, but things get done, a little at a time.  Here’s a few of the things that I’ve been working on since I last had knitting pictures.  Mind you, these pictures were taken at about 5:00 this afternoon in the 90 degree heat.  What’s going on with that?  I have no idea. 

Here I present, Mr. Greenjeans:

 It was done in Dream in Color Classy, in Black Parade.  It looks much lighter in the picture than it really is.  That picture does shows the variations in the color.  Even through it’s dark, there are cool greens and blues blended in.  I am still missing a button.  I have a picture in my mind of what kind of button I want, but I haven’t found it.  I have worn it, though, and it fits okay.  I like it and I expect to wear it more next fall, since I doubt the weather will get cold enough to wear it again this season.

Speaking of dark sweaters….

I’m also making a sweater for Josh.  The Cobblestone Pullover, to be exact. 

This is done in Cascade Tweed in a dark navy.  It’s going along pretty well and I’m close to separating for the sleeves.  I’m not stressing about finishing it, either, with the weather and all.

And, speaking of things for Josh (I’m good today with those transitions!)….

 Socks for Josh in Noro Sock yarn.  Not my favorite yarn, and I probably wouldn’t buy it again, but I can see why people love the color changes.  It’s not as soft as I like, and I am not thrilled with the thick and thin aspects of it.  I’m also using the Knit Picks Harmony fixed circulars on them, which is a first for me.  I’m not thrilled with them, either.  I broke one set picking up stitches on the gusset, so the ones in the picture are my replacements.  I can see myself getting the Harmony Options set in the larger needles, though. 

I’m participating in another swap.  It’s the Loopy Ewe Swap, Round Two.  I’ll take pictures of the finished project before I send it off and post pictures here.  I love the yarn and I really like the project, and that’s all I’ll say about that. 

Tomorrow is more yardwork day and Sunday I have stuff to do for work.  Not much of a weekend, but I’m going to be gone next weekend, so I’ll get plenty of rest then.  I can’t wait.

Motherhood, Part II

It’s my big day. 

I woke up at four or so, with the sound of rain falling.  It was great.  I read for awhile and then drifted off to sleep for another hour or so.  LouLa woke up, calling for me.  She hasn’t done that for a long time.  Usually she just gets up and comes in our room.  I was dreaming at the time and incorporated her calling for me into my dream.  I did wake up eventually and had Josh get up and get her.  We lazed in bed for a bit and then Josh and LouLa got up and I lazed around some more.  I had a nice peaceful time shopping for groceries by myself and then we went to the local “fancy” (fancy is a relative term) restauarant for lunch.  It was delicious.  We spent an hour and a half there and I had two glasses of wine.  Yum.

As I promised, the best parts about being a mother (in no particular order):

-Random and unexpected “I love you”s. 

-Dancing with my daughter.

-Watching her sleep.

-Tantrums.  Especially when I can take myself away from the situation and notice how cute she is when she’s mad.  She hates it when I laugh, though.

-Knowing that she will be a strong woman. 

-Knowing that I have a part in helping her become a strong woman.

-When she shows me how she “reads”.

-Cuddling.  I don’t get to do it often; LouLa is not a cuddly kind of kid, but it’s precious when it happens.

 

All in all, it’s totally worth it.

But I’m not gonna do it again.

 

Motherhood, Part 1

My big day is tomorrow.  You know the one, when all the world (the world meaning the U.S. and its affiliates) celebrates mothers. 

Being a mother isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Here’s a list (in no particular order) of some of the things I hate about being a mother:

-Not being able to do what I want to do, when I want to do it.  I have to take into consideration what is best for LouLa, or what she wants.  Sometimes her concerns win, sometimes I win.  She wins more often. 

-Not having a teenage babysitter.  It seems to me that they are becoming harder and harder to find.  Teenagers are pretty busy themselves, and who really wants to babysit some little kid for not much pay?  I can’t blame them. 

-Not being able to do anything right when LouLa is sick/upset.  I just can’t win in those situations.

-Thinking about how my actions are imprinted on her brain.  I really need to be the best person I can because she is watching me all the time. 

-Tantrums.  Hers, not mine.

-Not being able to lay in bed as long as I want.  I’m not a late sleeper at all, but I did enjoy laying in bed on the weekends.

-Having to be “on” all the time.  There is no down time in motherhood, at least when LouLa is awake.

-The first few months.  I would have gladly sent her back during that time.  Or, at the very least, gone back in time and not had sex that night in August.

-The constant mess.  Our house isn’t messy, strictly speaking, but it seems like I’m always picking things up and putting them where they belong.  This has gotten better as she’s gotten older, but it’ll be an issue for awhile longer, I suspect.

-The constant problem solving.  Half of the time, my solutions don’t work.

 

Don’t worry, tomorrow I’ll list the great things about being a mother.  The benefits obviously outweigh the negatives.

I’ll be back…

I promise! 

I guess I can’t say that life has gotten busier, but maybe my priorities have changed slightly.  I’m doing a little more knitting, a little more reading, and life with my (now) 4 year old has continued to be a whirlwind.  Maybe my Mother’s Day gift to myself is to carve some time away to take pictures and post them. 

 

Or maybe I’ll knit and read.