Swim Mom Knits

is the week over yet?

Seriously, what a sucky week!  The sewer problem isn't solved, it's better but not fixed.  We called the sewer company and they can't even tell us where we connect or anything useful.  They don't even now for sure that the problem is us not them.  Tomorrow we get the snake and clear the drain with them tracking it.  Well, at least I will be able to make a dent in the laundry pile.

The pool filter got fixed just in time for the pump to break.  So I have a pool full of pond water likely just breeding mosquitos.  This is also on the list for tomorrow.

My boss just got back into the country last night after losing his keys in the lake.  He was supposed to be back on Saturday, so that meant cranky bossman.

I have my soon to be SIL's bachelorette party tomorrow night but I am totally not sure I will be able to go thanks to the sewer and pool.  Plus a wedding to attend this Saturday.

Oh yeah, and the roof over the walkway between our house and garage has drooped enough after the last storm to make the door stick.

I think I will go knit on the Clapotis and enjoy the control I have over one thing in my life right now.

I've got two words for you

Sewer backup.  No drainage out of the house.  YUCK!

More later.

Memorial Weekend

Okay, I just lost half my post.  Let's try again.

My sister, BIL, mom and I (and my nephew but he was sleeping) went to the LYS on Friday for the 3 year anniversary sale.  I bought this Jaeger Natural Fleece for my mom.  I am going to make her a scarf.  I also got some more ribbon in black/red/purple for a wrap for my soon to be SIL's wedding.  Apparently those match the bride's dress.  Anyways, I have no picture of the wrap even though I finished it because I gifted her already.  I will get a picture at the wedding.

I also picked up two skeins of heavenly pink Artyarns Royal Silk.  Which when I got home, my mother then commented how much she would like a silk wrap like my blue one.  So of course, I went back Saturday and got two more skeins to make her a wrap.  (She did pay me for them since she new how much they cost, but I will be doing the work).

We were supposed to set up for the rummage sale we had on Saturday, but it rained to much so we just had a nice visit with my Aunt.

Saturday we did manage to have the rummage sale although we started a bit later than planned.  I worked for slave wages.  I always host the sale since I have the best neighborhood for one.  But this year I barely had anything to sale since I gave most of the boys outgrown clothes to a family with nothing.  I think I only made $20 which is next to nothing for the amount of work I put in and the storage of three families crap in my garage.  The next one has been moved to another house thank goodness since I am not likely to have anything for it either.

My friend Beth came over at the end of the sale and we went to town to shop.  (That is when I picked up the extra yarn, I was good and didn't buy any extra yarn that trip)  After we shopped, I came home to Ben and his friend Ben.  Nate had gone home with Grandma that afternoon.  It was a nice relaxing evening (minus the huge storm with heavy rain and winds for about a half an hour, plus a little hail thrown in for fun).  Sunday was the fish fry at my grandparents.  Cards, good food and family.  Both my boys stayed with relatives and I brought home my nephew.  Yesterday, I took him back to my sister.  He didn't want to go and when we left to go to my MIL's he thought he would go to, I had to distract him quickly. 

We celebrated my MIL's birthday Monday and I brought home two exhausted boys and one exhausted me.  Shane took over and let me have some alone time.  Now I have a Clapotis to knit and a deadline looming, I must quit let myself get sidetracked by new yarn and projects or I will get to experience a couple of all night knit sessions!

Clapotis TAKE 836

Finally in progress pics of the Clapotis.  Proof positive of why I never repeat a pattern.

Short Update

There is no knitting to speak of today.  I have been working on the Clapotis.  It is bigger. 

FO!

I finally have pictures of the silk scarf/wrap.  Ben was kind enough to model for me.  He even did "model" faces for me.

I used about 3 3/4 skeins of Artyarns Royal Silk.  I have no idea what the color was.  The pattern is from Victorian Lace Today.  I began at Christmas and finished a month and a half ago if you don't count the weaving in of ends.

Instructions on How to Fish

Since we got the internet at the house, I have been trying to blog at home.  Well, both the computers we have at home have gone on the fritz.  The first one won't even turn on.  It will be a week before I will get my Dad to look at it.  The second one just randomly shuts off in the middle of whatever you are doing.  Needless to say that did not help me get anything done on the computer.  What I have been working on is my Ravelry account.  Of course, it has taken me forever to even get that far, I have been easily distracted by the activities of others.

Anyways, Shane took the boys fishing Sunday.  My mother, grandmother, and I had to go to my soon to be SIL's shower which is close to where I (and grandma) live.  So my mom and dad came over, Dad to fish and Mom to go to the shower.  They had a pampered chef party.  It was different.  Of course, I had no idea it was going to be a pampered chef party and had gotten her a gift a long time ago.  So I gave her that gift instead.  I felt a little lazy because my bag, tissue paper and card all clashed with each other horribly.  But on the other hand, it was wrapped which I usually only manage for the kids.  (It is a long standing joke in our family to give presents in the plastic/paper bags from grocery stores.  But this wasn't just my family and although my SIL didn't care, I didn't want to make our family look bad.)  She loved the gift and we visited for a bit.  I finally got to meet her nieces.  They were very cute.  Nate and her oldest niece should be a handful at the wedding.  Seriously, three weeks and my dork of a brother will be married.  It stuns me.  Although, I am not sure why.  After all, I am pushing ten years of marriage and my brother is only a year younger than I am.

Afterwards, I went with my Mom out to my grandma's to join the boys for fishing.  My Dad had bought a john boat and decided he wanted to try it.  So he and Ben sat out and fished the tiny little pond until Nate got back from swim team practice.  Nate instructed Grandma on the appropriate way to fish while he ate his supper. 

Instructions from Nate

1. First you have to put the worm on the hook. 
2. Then you fish it out. 
3. Then you watch the orange thing. 
4. If it disappears, you have a fish. 
5. But you must pay attention. 

Followed by him saying "Grandma, pay attention!".  She missed a bite.

After he ate, Nate wanted to throw one of the baby fish I caught back in the water.  What he did was throw that fish on my lap where it flopped until I could finally get ahold of it.  He of course wouldn't touch it again.

Nate did get to go in the boat for a little bit.  He was so excited when he caught a fish.  I thought my Dad would fall out of the boat he was laughing so hard.  Nate could barely sit still as he cranked that fish in.  Dad also taught Nate the appropriate way to tell a fishing story.  Nate had caught the biggest fish of the day so he had to tell great-grandpa about it before we went home.  It is amazing how those fish grow during the telling of the story.

On the knitting front, I finished the ribbon stole.  But I can't find my notions case, so I have weaved any ends in.  If I don't find it tonight, I will have to break out the spare needles I keep in my purse.  Mom also informed me that she might not need the clapotis for the wedding.  Which doesn't bother me unless she does want it.  I told her to tell me either way so that if she doesn't want it I can stop knitting on it all the time.  She never did give me a concrete answer.  I think because she does want the Clapotis but doesn't like to think that I spend all my spare time working on it.

Wrap and Mystery Yarn

So, at the LYS on Saturday.  I bought Trendsetter Segue.  I decided to make a simple drop stitch wrap out of it.  I have finished up three of the skeins and have one left to go.

I just love the purple, gold and dark silver combo of this ribbon.

I also got a some mystery yarn.  Well, not mystery in regard to what type of yarn.  But mystery in regards to me having no idea who sent it.  So if you are the mystery sender of this yarn, let me know.

I haven't ever used Sockotta before so I am looking forward to using this.

I also got three balls of Plymouth Yarn Suri merino for my SIL's scarf.  Now I just need the bunny fur.  Could be interesting. 

Complete Lacking

We have internet at our house!  Yippee!  Now if I only had my camera cable, I could post some pictures of the yarn I received in the mail, the yarn I bought this past weekend and the stole I am working on.

Anyways, Friday night was peaceful at our house.  I geared up for excitement on Saturday.  I met Melissa who was up visiting her family.  We went to the LYS.  Melissa had been my secret pal in the last round.  I came home with some ribbon and some merino for a scarf for my SIL.  I haven't knit with ribbon since I made my first project.  (Okay, I am an idiot.  My first project was mohair and ribbon.  But really nice ribbon and mohair.)  We had a lovely visit while Ben was at swim team.

Nate's first party went pretty well.  As well as any party with that many 3-5 year olds can.  Shane didn't do quite so well, so I took the boys outside when we got home.  We enjoyed the outside that whole evening up until Ben got to enthusiastic in our tag game and caused my back to seize up.  (poor kid was more upset about it than me.  He just forgets that he is strong and that Mommy isn't Daddy when it comes to rough housing). 

Mother's Day we spent at my brother and his fiance's house.  She gave facials to all the ladies in the family.  (except me, but that is because I am allergic to the products she uses.  She has promised me one in the future with my own products).  We had a good meal, played cards (it was my family, we always play cards) and watched the boys be silly with the neighbors puppy.  It was a good day.  The best was when we got home, I got to go to the bedroom and disappear while Shane put the kids to bed after their baths.  Nate gave me a spongebob card and Ben had forgotten his present to me at school.  I got it tonight.  It is a beautiful butterfly suncatcher that I will take to work (you know the only place I really see the sun).

Tagged

I was tagged doubly for this meme by both  Arleta and Colleen.

Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog. Here are my facts:

1.  I love b-rated movies.  The worse the review the more I want to see it.  Especially the ones that aim at being a b movie.

2.  I have a collection of jewelry boxes even though I rarely if ever wear jewelry.

3.  I used to swear that I would never knit.  Of course most of the things I swore I would never do I have done.  Maybe I should swear I will never be rich?

4.  I can entertain a single baby or toddler for a really long time and love to do it, but get me in a group of them and I just want to run away.

5.  I have a wicked, quirky, dry sense of humor.  Most people I have met don't get my humor so I don't usually show my mirth to people unless they know me.  In fact, I drove one professor in college crazy because he always thought I was laughing at him and would make me explain why I was laughing.  He never did follow why and eventually quit asking.

6.  I studied medieval history and learned to read Old English.

7.  I have scoliosis and had to wear a back brace in High School.  Surprisingly, I wasn't really teased about it.

I tag Mrs. H, Sunflowerfairy, Nat, KT well, that is not quite seven but no one should feel obligated to play along and anyone else who would like to please do and let me know (not that I am not stalking you all already)