Finally catching up

I've been on vacation for the last few weeks. Yes, I said a few weeks! 2.5 weeks off, actually! WOOHOO! We went to Club Gramma (my parents' house) first. Here are my folks and my kid outside the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio. We mostly just spent time lazing around and going to the pool and stuff. It was great!

I finished my first-ever Baby Surprise Jacket (and Elizabeth Zimmerman pattern). I gave it to my friend, baby Elizabeth the next day. The yarn is Bernat somethingorother in green with trim of double-stranded sport weight, Lorna's Laces Child's Play leftover from my shawl. The buttons were all culled from my mom's button box. Baby E said, upon seeing it "Try on? Try on?" :-)

We also went to Glow-in-the-dark Mini Golf. Fun!

After my mom and dad's, we traveled South to Marietta. On the way we visited Beaver Creek State Park and looked around. Nice little park. The flooding was starting by then, though, so we didn't canoe.


We had a good time in Marietta with my in-laws, and then back home to excavate my son's room and get him ready for school. We managed to finish our chores with enough time for a nice little paddle on the Hoover Resevoir. We saw the typical shore birds, got some sun, had a good time.

Oh yea . . . excellent writing

You must check out Stitchy Mcyarnpants' great parody of My Humps . My words can't do it justice.

What's in your coffee cup?

After reading Yarmando's blog about the Starbucks Oracle, I had to try it.

The all-knowing Oracle of Starbucks
Behold the Oracle's wisdom:

I first entered Venti Iced Chai, lowfat . . .
Personality type: Pseudo-intellectual
You're liberal and consider yourself to be laid back and open minded. Everyone else just thinks you're clueless. Your friends hate you because you always email them virus warnings and chain letters "just in case it's true." All people who drink venti iced chai lowfat are potheads.

Also drinks: Sparkling water

Can also be found at: Designer grocery stores

Then I entered Venti Decaf, black . . .

Personality type: Freak
No person of sound mind would go to an EXPENSIVE COFFEE SHOP to get a drink WITHOUT CAFFEINE. Your hobbies include going to ski resorts in the summer and flushing $5 bills down the toilet. You are a menace to society.

Also drinks: Non-alcoholic beer

Can also be found at: Pools with no water

Purple Hair!

I promised the kids at my library that if enough of them (50%) finished their Summer Reading Club stuff (12 hours of reading over the summer), I'd color my hair.

Well, all of our goals have been achieved and passed, so today was Turn Purple Day! My friend Billi did the honors.

I love the colors! Since my hair is already lots of colors (although mostly gray and brown), it turned a nice array of different hues from darkish brown to lavendar.

We had enough dye for my friend, Gary, to do his beard. Isn't it great?

Socks!

My new socks are done! Aren't they pretty? They feel nice on my feet, too! For the details of the yarn, pattern, etc, see my last post.

I had to take this pic of Simon this evening. This is how he looks much of the time we're home. He's drawing, he's got a reference book to his left so he can make sure his details are correct, and he's got other paraphernalia around him. Rosie found him fascinating, too.

OK, Back to knitting. I've started some more socks, these for my young artist. I'm trying two at one time, toe-up as my sock sensei has suggested. More on these as they progress!

I've finished my bag-o-bags. I knitted strips of plastic grocery bags on size 17 needles. I'm going to make some kind of straps - any suggestions? Seems to me like plastic would be unstable, stretchy and sticky. Maybe some scrap fabric I have laying around. Nothing will be purchased to make this bag!