Ravelympics 2010

Yes, I have done it again....joined the Ravelympics on Ravelry. I have actually finished two WIP's, so now I can move onto the main events! Will I medal and finish in time? We shall see. Here are pictures of what I have finished off:




The first is my great niece's blanket....I do have to add the ladybugs, but the bulk of the blanket is done. It is 64" across. I am going to use the pattern as a table doily with mexicana thread. Will start after the Olympics. I will post a totally finished picture of this when the bugs are added. Her birthday is Tuesday, so I am hoping to mail it off by then!
The second is a picture of the knitted fun fur scarf I made for a lady at work. She wants it for her niece for her birthday. Yes, an actual consigned job!
The main event is going to be Coats and Clark's Wrap with Slits, and yes I am doing it in the carrot color pictured here:
http://www.coatsandclark.com/Crafts/Crochet/Projects/Accessories/WR1811+Wrap+with+Slits.htm

Can't wait to see if I can do it!
Why am I waiting to get started you may ask? Life got in the way, as usual. Work, kids, and yes, the Daytona 500 all are to blame. The week I was to lay out my materials for the main event, Timma, who had had his driver's license for 11 days,(Feb. 10, to be exact) was rearended in his 1995 jeep. He was fine; the jeep looked fine, but the ford 500 that hit him had moved the muffler into the drive train. It is still in the shop getting fixed. In the meantime, Tim has been driving Ponykeg (my G5), Bob and Jeff have been driving the minivan and I have been driving the 2011 Kia Sorento we got as a rental. I like it and have realized how much I miss having an SUV. But I am ready to give it back. I miss my car. Sad, but that's the way it is. Hopefully tomorrow or Tuesday and Tim can have the Jeep for his use.
Well, I need to get some rest before I head to work this evening. Hope all is well and you are all enjoying the Olympics. I prefer the Winter games to the Summer games. I have enjoyed all the snow sports. My favorite, ice hockey, is on tonite...GO USA!!!!! What is your favorite winter Olympic sport?

Let's go Racin', folks!!!

Yea!!! It's February, and it only means one thing....besides my b-day.....SPEEDWEEKS at Daytona, culminating in the Daytona 500....This year, the powers that be of racing were kind enough to schedule the first NASCAR race of the season on Valentine's day.......which also happens to be my birthday. Will I be there you ask? HELL YEAH!!!! I will answer!

Hubby and I went to the Gatorade Duels on Thursday, Feb. 11. It was quite chilly at the track, so I decided to crochet myself a pair of fingerless mittens on the way to the track. I started when we pulled out of the driveway and finished two hours later when we parked the car in the free park and ride shuttle lot on Clyde Morris Blvd in Daytona Beach:

For those who do not follow NASCAR, the Gatorade Duels are the 2 150 mile races that decide who will race in the 500 and who will go home. The field consists of 43 drivers; about 50-54 try to qualify for the big race. The pole is decided by who runs the fastest qualifying lap on the previous Sunday. Gatorade duels decide what 43 drivers are going to be in the race, and positions are decided by either your position of finish in the duels or the speed you ran in pole qualifying.

For those of you that haven't guessed, I LOVE NASCAR!! There is nothing like feeling and hearing a pack of 43 cars passing in front of you going 200 mph. The smell of the fuel...the thrill of the passing, the jockeying for positions....it's awesome!!!

Anyhow, by the time the second race started, the temperature had dropped about 10-15 degrees....my hands were cold, and was I ever happy to have those mittens!

Here's a few pics from our adventure:

After the races, we met up with Bob's brother Tom and his SO, Susie......


So, if you have nothing to do on Sunday, Valentine's day, take a look at the race...we will be sitting in the Superstretch (aka, backstretch) near the Budweiser Party Porch..(imagine that!). I root for Tony Stewart, #14 Office Depot/Old Spice car...I have all the gear, and I will be cheering like a mad woman....look for us! Will post more pictures next week!
Until next time, Gentlefolk, start your engines and let's go racin'!!!!!!

Hello!

Ok, so I'm not so up on my blogging as I should be. January has been a busy month...I can't believe we are already at SPEEDWEEKS in Daytona! That means next weekend is my birthday. This year of 2010 seems to be flying by already.....WOW!

This is the first time in a long time the Daytona 500 is being run on my birthday. Don't worry, folks, I already have my tickets. Got them the first week of January! We are sitting in the Superstretch....aka the backstretch.....usually a point where a lot of the wrecks start. Bob and I went to walk the Daytona 5K and Fun Walk at the speedway last Saturday. It is the kickoff for the day of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. We always have the intention of staying for the race, but not in the pouring rain that ensued. (Walking in the walk, we are given tickets to the race). I did, however, attain my goal of being first in line to meet Mr. Patrick Dempsey. Yes, for all of you who don't know, he is the same Mr. Dempsey of "McDreamy" status on Grey's anatomy. I swear, I am the only female in America that doesn't follow his acting, just his racing. He owns a team in Seattle that races 2 Mazda RX8's. He's also participated in LeMans (another grueling 24 hour race in France...remember the Steve McQueen movie?)

Bob thought I was nuts, arriving at his garage spot to stand and wait at 8:43 am for a 12:15 pm autograph signing. I only budged when I had to use the bathroom; I then had Bob stand in my place. Bob kept trying to coax me out to see other happenings around the track. No way, I wanted to be #1. At about 10 am, others started to line up behind me.

I realize this is primarily a craft blog; please do not think I was completely devoid of crafting that day:

Yes, I was KNITTING fun fur scarves. The girls love them, I love the Fun Fur Stripes, but knitting is still not my favorite. I love the material knitting produces, but my crocheting is so much FASTER!!!! The scarves are a big hit...I have folks at work wanting a few......The book is the Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. It's a dog's point of view of his owner's life. The dog's owner, Denny Swift, is an up and coming racer. Enzo is the dog that loves TV and racing. Really cute, heartwarming and soon to be a motion picture starring who......yes, ladies, McDreamy himself. I had wanted Mr. Dempsey to sign the book for me, just for kicks; I even had it in my hand. I was soo busy looking into those steel blue eyes and asking for a picture,(which is now my screen saver on my phone!!), I forgot about the damned book. Oh well, guess I'll just have to go back next year! The book is a relatively quick read and well worth it. I recommend it to everyone.
Here is another pic of all the stuff, including our unused Rolex 24 tickets and my race number....
I did manage to get Patrick to sign a Rolex 24 poster that we are going to frame and place in our game room. Oh, and for those of you who have been waiting patiently, here it is:
Ah yes, well worth the 3 1/2 hour wait..Patrick Dempsey is as nice and accommodating to his fans as everyone says he is. McDreamy indeed! He now has a new fan; and yes, I have ordered (and received) the first two seasons of Grey's Anatomy, thanks to the suggestions of my nieces Kristen and Rachel (who were very jealous that I got to meet Mr. Dempsey....don't worry, I sent them his picture and posted it to my facebook page, too)!!!!!

Oh, and I do have new button on the side of my blog: it's the DIY DISH button. If you visit the site, publish the button to your blog, you will be entered to win one of two souped up sewing machines......good luck!!!!

New Year 2010!!!!

I must say, 2009 flew by rather quickly. An awful lot seemed to happen this year; I am very glad it is drawing to a close. My work life has settled down considerably. I am home at night to make dinner for and eat it with my boys. I have time to work on my crocheting more. Our house is getting prepped for new floors, new kitchen appliances and a new coat of paint. Maybe even a new porch off the back, fenced in yard, and new windows, too! My new Cabrio washer and dryer are to be delivered on New Year's day......I've never had a matching set before, so I am joyfully harkening in the New Year!
Jeff has found his new career path in Nuclear Engineering. Stevie is gearing up to graduate HS and go to Az with Jeff this summer. Timm is working diligently to get into a great college to be some sort of aerospace whiz, and is even working at Wendy's (he's so cute in his uniform).
I have also learned to appreciate my friends and family more, to cherish each gathering and meeting with those who mean the world to me, both old and new friends, and to appreciate the wonderful world around me.
I hope to post some pics from Christmas and some new things I've made on here in the next week. Until we talk again, I hope y'all have a happy, fun, joyous and above all, SAFE New Year's. I will be safely in the lab at the VA....but hey, at least I'll be awake at midnite!!!! See ya in the new decade!!!!!!
PK

Christmas is Over....

and I can't believe I haven't posted a word mid-October! I must admit, I was busily creating gifts for family and friends. I will post pics in the next week or so, but I will also say that one of my New Year's resolutions is to pay more attention to my blog world. I find a two month plus absence from my beloved cyber world is just tooo long!

Christmas was fun...on Christmas Eve, we took the trip to Zellwood station for the annual DiBiasio family Christmas. Liken it to Griswold's without all the lights! There's food, drink, cookies, cheesecake and oh yes, the yearly gift exchange. We all pick names at Thanksgiving. I received a great hot cocoa/coffee basket from my sister in law, Teresa. Haven't had time to try anything except the white chocolate kona coffee. yummy! can't wait to have the cocoas and marzipan coffee.

I crocheted a pink panda bear afghan for my niece, Rachel. She posted that she wanted one after seeing another that I had made on facebook. The only differences were that I used black and white fun fur for the panda and the tunisian stitch, to make it go quicker. Yes, dear friends, I waited until the last possible moment to cram this into my stitching schedule. I finished it and she loved it. I hated using the fun fur, particularly on the black parts. Stitches were dropped and repaired a few times!

I also crocheted a sweater for my SIL Susie. She had seen a few I made about 5 years ago for my nieces and said that she also wanted one. Yes, 5 years later, she received it! I was upset, as Jeff's gf Sam is still in Arizona working and wasn't here to try it on before I gave it. I made it in Sage Mary; Kim, another SIL, wants one of the same colors, also. Yes, I think I have my work cut out for me for next year, and it's only December 26!

I still need to finish Madelyn's blanket. I 'm three rows from being done. I really think I have separation anxiety from finished projects. I will get that blanket done before her birthday in February! I also need to make socks, earflap hat and arm warmers for Stevie's gf, Nicole. I guess I'd better get started soon!

The fun part of Christmas this year was making the boys wait until 4pm on Christmas day to open their presents. I was at home by 8:15 am (I work the graveyard at the VA hospital lab in Gainesville, 45 minutes from my home), but was soooo tired, I climbed into bed to sleep for a couple of hours. The boys wanted to go see Sherlock Holmes, so I had Fandangoed the tickets on Christmas Eve. Glad I did, too. The line was around the theater when we drove up at 12:55 for a 1:10 pm show. It was AWESOME to be able to walk in and stroll right to our movie! We loved it....and we all went as a family....the only person missing was Sam. We came home, Bob cooked our standing rib roast while I wrapped the rest of the presents. Then it was time to unwrap! The boys had fun...they all received NERF guns...have been sporadically running around shooting one another at opportune times....which starts yet another war. Steve's waiting for his Bass pedals and cables; Tim's drumsticks and heads are on their way....he went out with me on Black Friday and we got his other shopping done, along with his dad's; Jeff and I are going laptop computer shopping next week. Jeff wants to take online school to study nuclear engineering. YAY!!!! He found something he wants to be when he grows up!!!

OK, enough for now. Next post will have pics of the above mentioned projects! Until then, continue to enjoy your holidays and most of all, love the family and friends around you and far away! And as always, find time to do whatever makes you happy.....be it crochet, knit or some other craft!!!!

Merry Christmas and have a Happy and Healthy New Year!!!!

Menopause, hot flashes, lack of sleep and knitting

Ah yes, menopause. It is hitting me in waves lately. Heat waves, as it were. Working the graveyard shift, I get to lay down at about 9am. That's after the boys are fed and on their ways to DHS. I sleep for about 2 - 2 1/2 hours and wake up drenched in sweat, heat radiating from my core. Hubby, sweet thing that he is, suggests that I take a cool shower or dip in the pool. Surely that would cool you down. I snarled, no it won't work. You should try; my fangs bared, I growl, "no, trust me, it's from the inside. standing in the pool will NOT work." Then one night, the dear man reached over and felt my hot, sweat soaked skin. (No, not amorously; rather to see what all the ruckous was about with the hot flash). "OMG!" he exclaimed; you feel like a furnace. "Yeah, I TOLD you so......" Never was a dip in the cool refreshing pool brought up.
Anyway, yesterday was a day when the hot flash racked my body, sitting me straight up in bed at 11:30 am; I had fallen asleep around 9am. Hubby snuck out the door to work his noon to 9p shift.....personally, I think he slunk away a little early, just to escape the snarling and growling from my lack of sleep.
Unable to sleep, I decided to surf the net in search of learning to knit info. I have been an avid crocheter since I was 8 years old (thanks, Grandma Till!!), but knitting has always eluded me. I don't have the patience to watch someone and do what they do. We usually both end up frustrated and I give up. Reading the directions is like me trying to read Greek....uh, yeah, I don't get it from a 2-D picture. I have a couple of really cool EASY knitting patterns I want to make. So, I stumbled to You-tube. There are instructional videos to teach you almost anything you want to learn. I found the basic knit and purl stitches, plus the cable cast on required for the first attempt; The Garter Ridge T-Top from e-patterns central. I made my test swatch, no holes and no problem. Didn't even rip it out, as the son expected me to do. Like I usually do when I don't like the way something turns out. I proudly bound off and showed my little 2 x 2 inch creation to my boys. "That's nice, Mom." I am very happy that I was able to learn this! Can't you show a little more enthusiasm at my accomplishment? Uh, nope!@
So then I progressed to the 89 stitch cable cast on. Almost gave it up, as it took me 2 1/2 hours to get it right......10 stitches was a breeze! I perservered, frogged, tried again and again. Finally, all 89 little buggers were on the needle. Garter stitch for 10 rows. Easy, peasy. Then came the purl stitch. I forgot. Oh no, what will I do? Lion Brand has lovely photos and diagrams to jog the memory. Ah yes, there it is!!! Not as difficult as you were trying to make it.......DUH moment set in.
I am well on my way to the front of the sweater. I am still very excited that there are NO HOLES! Keeping my fingers crossed that my luck holds...So, if it were not for the hot flashes and onset of menopause, I would not be unable to sleep and needing something new to attempt, in order to stay awake until said hot flash passes. Perhaps I will be able to de-stash a bit with this new little twist in my life. Guess we'll find out soon enough!!!!

More FO's!!!!

Yea! I finished the Hearts and Gingham Nap sack I started in April 2008. The great nephew that it was originally for is wayy to big for it, so I had to make it for a friend at work. She was due Oct.22. but had a beautiful little boy on Sept 30. If the kid had been on time, I would have been done in time!
This was fun to make, but I hated putting it together. The string took about 2 hours to weave around the outside. Hope Johanna and the little guy like it!