Erica’s Blog

September is supposed to be our nicest, warmest month around here.  A few minutes ago, it started with the thunder, lightning & rain.  Funny thing is, it’s still warm out (though, thankfully, not hot like it’s been).  It’s not coming down very hard, though.  This is a good thing b/c I sent Thing One to school in pants, shirt & sweatshirt — no jacket.  She did, however, have on her pink rain boots with the little bumble bees, which she insists on wearing when there’s the slightest hint of drizzle from the sky or puddles on the ground.  Who am I to complain — the kid’s almost seven, let her wear rain boots when it’s sunny if she wants!

I’m glad it’s raining because:

1. I was ready for some rain and crummy weather.
2. I haven’t watered the yard in a while, and it needs it.

Meanwhile, Thing Two is still sick, coughing up hairballs.  No school since last Wednesday for her, poor kid.  She’s been sleeping for a couple of hours, which is a sure sign that she’s still sick.  I’ll have lots of fun getting her to go to sleep tonight!  I’ll have to give her the cough medicine with codeine an hour before bedtime to have her go to sleep anywhere close to bedtime.

Me, I woke up with a headache.  Somehow, I managed to drag myself off to Curves by 5:30, though.  The headache got worse later.  Haven’t done much today.  Threw in some laundry and snuggled w/Thing Two, and that’s about it.  I went to lie down, then she joined me and asked me to read her a couple of books.  After that, we both went to sleep.  Hard to resist the oh-so-comfortable bed with the soft flannel sheets on it….

Chrissy is going to bring Thing One home from school for me.  I drove her this morning, but we just did the drop-off thing with Thing Two in her jammies and me in jammies for pants but clothes on top (Hey, I’m proud of myself for actually putting on “foundation garments” when I wasn’t going to be seeing anyone).  Hubby may be working late tonight.  We’ll see what kind of dinner I come up with when all I want to do is sleep, sleep, sleep.

From all I hear, Rick’s big birthday bash was a lot of fun.  I’m also thinking of sending Rick a copy of “Too Much Birthday” after hearing about the aftermath.  <BG> 

Anyhow, here are a few pics.  There are more here, and the full assortment are here.

  Thing One and one of the twins (SOMEday, I’ll get them straight).

 Grandma Ruthie and one of the twins.

 Uncle Jimmy and Rick.

 Rick & Adri…dancing or hugging or getting frisky or something.  <BG>  They’ve both gotten in really good shape lately.  Hubby even won a prize for correctly guessing how much weight Rick had lost — 29 lbs.

  Cast on today for Bobcat’s shawl.  I gave her several pattern choices, from simple diagrams to an actual, real LB pattern (this one), but she just wanted a simple “half a giant dishcloth” one.  She might not see right now that it’s a dishcloth, but when I make her dishcloths for Christmas, she surely will. <BG>

Of course, I couldn’t leave well enough alone and just do a plain garter stitch thing, so at the moment it alternates between garter and stockinette.  I have plans to do a few other things to it, as long as she doesn’t object.  Oh, and she asked for a big tassel on the point like my shawl has. 

YARN:  Lion Brand Homespun, color - antique.  NEEDLES:  US 13’s (my 60″ circ’s).  This is making a loose, drapey fabric.  11’s might have been better, but I couldn’t justify spending $20+ for another long circ.

She’s a shrimp — about 4′ 10″ — so I doubt I’ll need even close to the three skeins she bought.  If I have extra, I’m going to make her a scarf out of the extra, or even a scarf and a roll-brim hat, depending on how much there is.

Yes, folks, it’s THAT time of year again — time for the secret night knitting for the Things for Christmas.  I decided to use up some of my voluminous stash to make Barbie clothes, thus giving them something fun w/o having to spend any additional money.

  I think of this cape as “Barbie Goes Goth”.  The color came out funny, but it’s actually dark purple.  I guess the dark color and the pointy, Dracula-like collar are why I think of it as a little Goth.  YARN:  Mystery acrylic worsted from Merry.  NEEDLES:  US 11’s.

  This started out as a plain half-dishcloth shawl, and then I decided to add the collar and the fringe.  Kinda fun.

  Like I said, half a dishcloth.  YARN:  Mystery acrylic worsted from Merry.  NEEDLES:  US 9’s.

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!  Don’t tell Thing One & Thing Two!  <BG>