Wow! Can you say long distance knitting?

I just read the Yarn Harlot's blog about being 'underyarned' on the trip from Toronto to Washington for Sock Summit. Let me just say 'wow'! That woman knits like the wind! She had a sock to finish and a baby sweater she'd barely started. Now I'm not a fast knitter, but I am a tenacious one. First, not at the place where I am making baby sweaters, and I like it that way. Second, it would take me half the flight to finish the sock.

As I said, not fast, but consistant. So what would I have packed for a cross country trip? Probably what's in my bag now, which is more than I can do in several cross country trips: My mystery shawl that is ALMOST DONE!!! Twelve more rows and it is complete. I am being very careful not to rush and muck it all up now. The white stole I have yet to start for a special gift. The tidepool heather yarn and a sock pattern for grins and giggles (and to get something with some color in my life!) and the Knitting Daily Coney Island purse pattern that I think I may have to dye yarn for. I have TONS of cotton and I could overdye some for some really cool tonals. I just really like this pattern and am itching to start it. These would get me through several cross country trips since it takes me about 40 minutes to do one row of the shawl, at about 270 stitches now.

Yes, you heard me right. I only have one item on the needles right now. After years of polygomous knitting, I am trying monogymy. It's not all it's cracked up to be, although you do see results quicker. I put aside the Socks of Obscure Reference (AKA Caladras) because it is all ivories and browns and I was BORED with the lack of color. I am seriously considering Tadpole for the tidal pool heather. It should be pretty. But tonight, I will go home and dye... some cotton yarn... or rather overdye.

More babies
Just an FYI, after the debacle with Diedre Sue (sorry, girl, you were a great cow and will be missed as Mooetta's second in command), we had good news. Ronnie had her calf last night. First, YEAH! another mom that coughs and has calves. Second, it's a girl! Drag out the pink ribbons, we have a girl, a little heifer. Haven't seen her yet and Baylor said Ronnie was not happy about his 'assistance' but I will take photos tonight. Since this was Ronnie's first, she had the baby in the mud and the poor thing was cold, wet and muddy. Baylor got her inside in a nice clean bed, and cleaned her up.

Now we gotta keep Flapjack and Delmar from teaching her bad habits. They've taken to escaping from the pen and just wandering around the barn lot. Flapjack was out last night and Baylor put a lead on him and put him back in the pen. Apparently he was fussing about going in because Baylor said Roxanne was challenging him when he got to the pen.

Good stuff abounds

Well, as upsetting as some of the bad stuff of last week was - this week abounds with good and fun stuff.

Ok, so loosing a cow/calf isn't the end of the world, but Kelly's friend Robyn lost her grandmother. She'd had cancer for a while and didn't even look like herself, but it's bad anyway. Then we lost the van as well. The engine mounting brackets rusted through and the engine fell out on the road. Luckily, Steve was driving and wasn't driving fast. He was leaving Fastenal and it fell out.

Well, this week's good news : Ford is buying the van back from us. Now I get to get a new (to me!) vehicle. Granted, it won't be a new car, but I didn't like the van overly much anyway. Now, what do I want?

School Stuff
Sara Gruen who wrote Water for Elephants will be on campus April 7th. Guess what? I am going to the president's house to have dinner with her! How exciting is that? I picked up a copy of the book so I could read at least part of it before our meeting. I thought I would make her a bookmark with elephants on it. Is that cheesy? I think it would be fun and small enough that if she was like 'eh', it wouldn't really matter. I'm sure she gets lots of cool little goodies from fans, but I just thought it would be cool. Maybe do it in double knit so its two sided. We'll see.

Wrestling
Yes I am still talking about wrestling. Winter sports awards were Wednesday. Baylor was honored with Most Improved as well as 20 pins for the year. The math says that of all his varsity wins (89), 56% were by pin. That's really cool!

Knitting
I am almost done with clue #3 on the mystery shawl and finally got yarn (white) and a pattern for the stole. I have got to get on it! But I need a few little things on the side, to keep my interest. I am so tired of neutral colors. I need something BRIGHT and interesting to knit, at least for a while. I think I'll find some cool colors for the elephant brigade. I have plenty of the varigated from the slippers left, that could be cool looking.

What's new!

Spring is in the air. Today is a balmy 66 degrees, a far cry from the 20 we had three short weeks ago. Classes are nearing the end and pushing their final push. Winter sports are over and awards are this week. It is going to be a great summer.

Sick people in my life

OK, so sick isn't the exact proper way of putting it. More like unhealthy. No, not that either. Steve had surgery on his collar bone and part of it needed to be removed, since it was infected. He has a picc line in and requires IV antibiotics 3 times a day. It's a PITA.

Now Mom isn't doing so well, either. She has some kind of rash all over her arms and legs, she's lost about 20 pounds, and her sugar count is skyrocketing. Her dr. is trying to treat symptoms until she gets the bigger picture.

So they are not 'sick' people, just health challenged. None of this is prohibiting their interaction with the world, they just need a little help.

Good News- Wrestling style

Baylor did really well in wrestling. He finished out the season well and made (wait for it!) First Team All County Wrestling Team!!! YEAH! Baylor, Cameron and Levi all did. Second team included Jessi, Devin, Justin, Marcus and Cole. It's a great thing to be there.

Spring Classic

Baylor didn't show Bar B Que(er) at the classic. The steer was acting crazy and Sam wouldn't let Baylor show, but the calf was there and it was a chance to see everyone. I'm glad I went because Rachel was so sad over her dad's death, this was the first time he wasn't at the show. We talked about how it's usually cold and rainy and how beautiful the day was. She said her dad always commented on how crappy the weather was on Spring Classic. I told her the beautiful day was his gift to her to let her know he was watching. She really liked that. It really could be.

Calves and cows

I shouldn't have been bragging. I told someone we don't often loose cows, and what happens? Diedre ends up strangling on a gate. Baylor finds her. It was bad. She didn't have her calf yet. Moo had a pretty little smoke colored calf Steve named Delmar. Roxanne had a pretty little red bull Baylor calls Flapjack. They are cute as can be. Here is a photo of Delmar:

Knitting and such

I received a beautiful swap package from Anne in Grosse Point MI. It was WAY over the top. Don't you hate it when you KNOW you haven't sent in kind? I feel kind of bad, but will enjoy the Malabrigo yarn she sent. A beautiful deep cherry red. The painted yarn is beautiful as well. Peacock colors - teal, navy, yellow, etc. Beautiful. A book on toe-up sock knitting, a copy of a knitting magazine. Way too much and WAY WAY more than my mere $30 box. And the felted slippers in turquoise blue. They are so comfy.

I am working on a shawl for the Golden Splendor. I am using Creatively Dyed yarn and I am pretty sure I'll get it done, too! Then I will be working on a stole out of KnitPicks yarn, either Tidepool. Tranquility or White. Then, just to get to the $50 and free shipping mark, had to get some of the Chroma in Rollerskate colorway. I know, I didn't need more, but I am working on a particular project and needed certain colors.

School

It's going OK, even with all the distractions. Hopefully we'll be through them soon and I can concentrate on what I need to concentrate on. I did get a check+ on my last paper returned. That's a good thing. I get a re-write on my paper that Dr. Richards has now, so I'm happy to hear that. Otherwise, midterm tomorrow!

Happy Birthday Laura

Happy birthday to my younger sister Laura who turned 50 today. Hope she had a great day and enjoys many more birthdays.

Marching on into March

March 1, the first day people consider as spring! And it's a beautiful day... sunny crisp and blue skies here in SW Ohio. According to legend, when March comes in like a lamb, it goes out like a lion. The Farmer's Almanac calls for Unsettled conditions on the 20th - 23rd and rain, snow and squalls at the end of the month. We'll see how it goes, but the Almanac is usually accurate.

Steve had surgery on his collar bone (clavical) and got the staph infection sucked out. Now he's on IV antibiotics for 6 weeks. It should be fine, but I had a moment this morning when I was feeling really defeatest. I was crying and knew I had a paper due today that I didn't get done. My prof was great about it and gave me an extension. I need to have the paper done by Friday, but I feel so much better, even though a first draft of a bigger paper is due on Thursday. I can do this! I know I can.

In projects completed, I got Sally the Eco Fairy completed. She looked great heading off to MA. I also completed a great WTS - the fairy rose sock, complete with teeny tiny fairy hiding among the leaves. It turned out better than I hoped. Now to get the mystery shawl completed for the Golden Splendor. I need to contact Tony and be sure he wants Bistro 2 Go to cater the event. I didn't get to the meeting, because I had a 4H meeting. Cannot believe it's starting already. I am so excited.