Mossy Cowl

Since the last time I blogged, I have continued preparing for the upcoming craft fair...which is in 3 days!!! I'm quickly running short on time! I'm in the process of staining a couple of boxes I found at Toom (a German hardware store) that I will be setting up for a jewelry display. I found the inspiration from Pinterest in which a pinner used wine boxes/crates. I'm excited to see how it turns out!

I've also managed to knit up a couple garter stitch scarves with some ribbon-like yarn and large needles and a heart tam.

On top of that, I've come up with a pattern to make a cowl that matches my Slouchy Moss Hat! I love that it looks good both with matching the same color and mixing and matching the colors. :)

 So for the second time in a week, I present you with a new pattern. :D

The Mossy Cowl

Materials Needed:

Size US 15/10mm needles to knit in the round
80-100 yards of bulky-super bulky yarn

Tapestry needle to weave in ends

Stitchmarker to mark the beginning of the round

CO 52 with long tail cast on

Rows 1-4: *k1tbl, p1* repeat from * to * around

Row 5: *p1, k1* repeat from * to * around

Row 6: *k1, p1* repeat from * to * around

Repeat rows 5-6 eleven times, for a total of 24 rows. Repeat row 5 once more.

Repeat rows 1-4, then bind off.Use a tapestry needle to weave in ends

Block as desired.

And now you have a matching set to keep you warm through the rest of the winter! :D Happy knitting!

The selling of projects resulting in use of this pattern is permitted, but please don't sell the pattern itself, and always provide the link/URL to the pattern where you sell it so others can enjoy crafting as well!  

Timing

Timing is an interesting thing.

For instance: tonight, I had Superman and Batman change their bedding (it didn't happen over the weekend due to my being sick with one ferocious cold!). They were determined to impress me with their bed-making skills, and when they were done, Batman asked me if his was the best made bed ever, in the whole wide world. Not to be outdone, Superman asked if his was the best in all the planets of all the galaxies in all the universe. (No lie! His exact words!) Part of me beamed with pride and wondered if maybe I could introduce him to Doctor Who. The other part of me, the part that cringed at the competitiveness that was sure to get a rise out of his brother, knows that he is not quite ready for the good Doctor, as I'm fairly certain it would give him nightmares of Daleks, Cybermen and Weeping Angels. But I'm almost certain that in a few years, he will be my fellow Whovian, watching the new episodes with bated breath.

I'm not known for being a patient person. (Mostly because I'm not. LOL) My whole life, timing has been a thorn in my side (not to mention the cause for tantrums thrown that would put toddlers to shame) more times than I care to admit. I want things to be done when I want them done. I don't want to wait. This tends to make me a difficult person to work with. (Obviously.) However, I think marrying into the military (which I was dead-set against for as long as I can remember...mostly because I didn't want someone else dictating my life and being in control of...you guessed it...timing) was about one of the best things that has happened to me in my life. Not only because I would have passed by a man that is an amazing father and wonderful husband, but because it has taught me a few things.

Let me tell you, me learning from life lessons takes nothing short of a brick wall to stop my forward progress and change my course. I honestly don't think that I would have learned these things without my husband's career being military. I know there's no arguing with the rules. For as bull-headed as I am, I do generally have respect for authority. And rules. So learning to be flexible and plan for things without set dates, and moving internationally, and dealing with Superman's challenges...even though I'm an independent spirit, it was NOT the right time for me to be working outside the home. And I wanted to be home with my boys. I am so very grateful that I was able to stay home and be a mom and homemaker full time. And I think I needed the time the boys were in school to just be with myself. Last year, when Batman started Kindergarten, I wanted to throw a party. I may not have made the emotional progress I wanted to in the course of that year (my goals also tend to be quite lofty...they probably weren't realistic...), it was enough. And now, with having made the diet changes over the summer that I did in addition to joining a workout challenge with Elphie, I am feeling more like my old self than I have in a loooooooooooooooooooooooong time.

I started to see signs of my restlessness of being at home all the time pretty soon after the boys started school. The first week, I relaxed, knit, and caught up on some household duties that I slacked on during the Ravellenic Games (my butt was planted in front of my computer, knitting and watching the Olympics!). Then I started to get active with working out, and it all went from there. I signed up to volunteer at the school to escort kids around for health screenings and special "briefings" (bus safety, the gifted ed program, library, etc.) while the teachers do evaluations on the students in a one-on-one setting. I volunteered for all three weeks. Last week was 3rd & 4th graders. This week (starting tomorrow!) is 2nd graders. Next week is 1st grade. So when I had the car last week, I made good use of my time. I didn't stay cooped up in the house. I went to the craft store on base and got set up to be the new knitting instructor (for the last year or so we're here). I went to a "career fair" at the lame BX we currently have to see about getting hired at the new BX that is nearly finished being built. And as of today, the contract has gone through for the knitting classes (so tomorrow I will go finalize all that paperwork), the background check to move forward with being officially hired with AAFES has been started (I should be able to get into the "new employee" class the first Tuesday of October!), and I'm finally over this nasty head cold and was able to get back to working out.

I'm not sure what it was that clicked into place, but I am feeling better about myself than I have in quite a while, I have more energy (I know that's a combination of dietary and exercise changes), and I am super excited to start making my own small paycheck to cover my yarn addiction (which I will have significantly less time for, lol) and gift shopping for The Instigator! :D I think I'm finally learning to sit back let things work out to God's timing instead of pushing my own agenda. It really takes so much less fighting that way. LOL

Happy Monday!

Mow ze Lawn!

So there's this joke I heard quite a bit growing up....

"How do the French say 'cut the grass'?"

The answer is, obviously, "mow ze lawn"...it's not one I particularly found funny, but maybe that was because I've had a deep love for France and the French language and culture for as long as I can remember. Anyway, it's significance today, is this:


Today, for the first time in my life, I cut the grass.

Why have I never done it in my almost-30 years of life? For two very good reasons...1) I grew up with an older brother. It was always his job. When I moved out, I didn't have to worry about a yard to care for. It wasn't until after I was married and living in Italy that we had any yardwork to be done, and I had a husband to take care of it. ;) And when he was deployed, a guy from his squadron took care of it for me. And 2) I have allergies. Pretty severe allergies. I took my allergy medicine about 15-20 minutes before going outside to give it time to get in my system and head off as much as I could to start with. And according to The Instigator, who also reacts to grass, it doesn't happen while being the person mowing. At least for him. Evidently that wasn't the case for me. I came inside, itchy all over, eyes watering, sneezing, and feeling puffy and swollen. Thankfully, a shower (and closed windows!) helped a lot.

It took me an hour to get it done, and it's anything but perfect, but the point is...I did it! It's one of those moments rare in many adult lives, being able to be proud of having accomplished something so trivial for the first time. Naturally, being me, I went online and researched "how to mow a lawn" and "how to start a mower" and watched a couple of videos. (Yes, yes, I know...I'm a freak...) ;) Elphie even mentioned that if I were to die under mysterious circumstances, police searching my computer would get a surprise from my google history...I have looked up many "how-to's"...lol

It took me about an hour to mow, and it looks nowhere near perfect, but the yard is pretty large, it is anything but even or flat, and parts of it had sprouted up to about 10-12" in height! On top of all that, due to living in a not-Colorado climate, there is this thing called "dew" and "condensation" that we get overnight, and this crazy-tall grass was not completely dry. For a first attempt, I don't think I did too bad...

So here it is. Our front yard, mowed by yours truly!

Has anyone else had moments like this, that most people learned such a basic skill long ago, but you feel proud of the accomplishment and feel like a glowing child saying "Look what I did!"?

(Also, I know it's been a month since I last blogged...I will try to get into the habit of blogging more often!...again...LOL)

Going Gluten Free

So Elphie has made the decision to go Gluten (and dye) free with her boys and eat healthier and more natural all around. Since I signed Batman up for swim lessons down at the base Elphie is at, we stayed with her for the better part of two weeks, and were eating cleaner by proxy. She has seen immediate and amazing results in her kids from changing their diet, and with Superman's issues (Emotional Developmental Delay, fine motor skill challenges and developmental delays in social areas) I figured that this may be a way to help him deal with things better; having a healthier and cleaner system. I haven't seen drastic results due to the diet changes (though the one-on-one time I got with him last week while Batman stayed with Elphie and I had Superman at home for a few days really seemed to help him), but I'm definitely not writing it off.

I do, however, think I may have a wheat allergy or sensitivity. Going from Gluten free to eating like "normal" at home, back and forth, has really been taking a significant (and painful!) toll on my digestive system. It wouldn't really be surprising, as I do have plenty of other seasonal allergies and reactions to various plant life and their pollens. In researching Gluten free cooking & eating, I've come to find that those with these kinds of allergies are most commonly those with hay-fever and reacting to pollens of plants. So I am now trying to go Gluten free in our home as well. It's not exactly easy. Especially when I have two little boys that don't like change and love their bread and pasta!

I have, however, found a great site for Gluten free recipes! When Elphaba was first going Gluten free, she mentioned that the Gluten free bread from the store was gross and that her kids wouldn't eat it unless it was toasted. I put my Internet searching skills to work and found this great blog. We used her sandwich bread recipe, and it was amazing! It was the first time I ever baked with yeast (which I was greatly intimidated by, because I had heard over and over that baking bread with yeast is less like baking and more like cooking...which I kind of fail at...), so I was quite proud of how well it came out. :) And has continued to do so!

A loaf of the Gluten free sandwich bread, halfway done baking

Other than that, we've been staying very busy! Batman has passed his first level of swim lessons with flying colors, and we signed him up today for the next level, which starts next week. Superman did not get swim lessons at the same time because there was a clause in the consent form about assuring the child would not be a hindrance to any of the other kids at any time. With his developmental delays, that's not an area I can promise will go according to the will of the adults involved. However, there is the possibility I may be able to get him into a swim class with kids his age with the teacher that the other boys had this past time, and she was fantastic with whenever there were any problems with wandering attention or tempers flaring. After this set of lessons, though, we'll be done with them for the summer. We'll have just a few weeks to get the boys' school supplies together, plan and have Batman's birthday party, fit in a Barefoot Path adventure, aiming for a picnic lunch at a castle, and hitting up another Medieval Festival at another castle...all before the end of next month! I am grateful that we've been able to keep the boys busy. I can't believe that they've only been out for less than a month, and am even in more disbelief that they'll be starting 1st & 2nd grade in about 6 weeks!

Trier & Kinderspiel!

Being as I was sick the first part of the week, our original plans spread out over the course of the week leading up to my mom's departure were thrown off track. The problem was, I couldn't not go to any of the places we'd planned to! So we squeezed it all into her last two days with us. Thursday we went to Bischwiller, France, and on Friday we went to Trier and met up with Misha and Kristin.

I had to take The Instigator to work so that we would have the car, but he went in a little later than usual, so we didn't get as early of a start as I would have liked. Thankfully, Trier is only about 20 minutes away! I've only been to Trier once before (about a year ago) when I met up with a friend (and German native) from the Harry Potter knitting swap (HSKS) I'm a part of. My only goal at that time was to find the massive, 3-story craft store; and since there was snow everywhere last year and I had Batman with me, sightseeing was not exactly on the priority list. All I did on the last visit was pick up Yvonne from the train station, find the craft store, have a snack at a cafe (where I opened my package from her, as she was my spoiler for that round of HSKS), take her back to the train station and go home. This time, however, I went as a complete and total tourist! LOL

House of the Three Magi (Dreikonigenhaus)

Porta Nigra from the direction of Hauptmarkt

Passing through Porta Nigra

Porta Nigra from the "outside" of the old Roman city limits

Hauptmarkt Square and St. Gangolf Church

Batman & Superman checking out the Lego display in a store window

Mom and the boys at St. George's fountain in Kornmarkt

St. Gangolf's Church

Grave markers at St. Gangolf's Church

Unfortunately, we didn't get to seeing any more of Trier because of a combination of two pairs of little legs, shopping that my mom needed to get done for everyone back home, and still needing to meet up with my friends down in Kaiserslautern. (Which just means I'll have to go back another time! :D )

After leaving Trier (where I found a pair of winter boots for me!), we had about 30 minutes to get to Kinderspiel (an indoor play area in Kaiserslautern) to be there on time. Luckily, I figured ahead of time that we'd run behind (and warned Kristin & Misha of that the night before, lol), so the fact that it actually took us an hour to get there wasn't too big a deal. For dinner, though, I wanted to get Schnitzel at Kinderspiel...but they were out! :( Sad panda. But the kids had a blast and mine were upset when we had to leave (they were closing! LOL), and we all ended up going to base at Ramstein and met up for dinner there after mom & I took the boys on a detour to a local grocery store so she could get some German chocolate and kuchen to take home with her. Then it was time to come back home...

Strolling Through Spangdahlem

I am finally over whatever that stomach/flu/virus thing was that took me down! I actually didn't have it as long as the boys did, so I should be grateful for that at least...

We didn't end up really going anywhere today, though, because after my middle-of-the-night wake-up last night, I went back to bed and crashed HARD! The Instigator woke me enough to ask me if I was going to need/want the car today, but I was so out of it, that it was pretty well out of the question. Instead, I slept until noon. I evidently needed it, though, because when I woke up at lunch time, I was able to eat and shower and feel pretty much my normal self.

I do feel bad, though, that half of my mom's vacation has been spent home-bound (when she's wanted to come to Germany since she was little, and this is her first time overseas!) because we were all a bunch of sickies. So once the boys were dressed (they go about the house half dressed ALL the time...it must have something to do with making for a quicker changing time when they need to don their superhero outfits... ;) ), we went for a walk around Spang-Town! :) And I do mean literally "around." We may not have walked the entire perimeter (we skimped by a couple streets due to short legs that went with us), but it was pretty darn close. :)

A & C walking towards the tower in the distance

The wall up by said tower

A close-up to show the detail on the wall

The tower that we saw from a distance turned out to be what appears as some sort of chapel...as it's right next to a cemetery. And it's a pretty new one, too. I saw dates of death as recent as 2006.

One of the headstones

Part of the cemetery overlooking the town

We walked from the cemetery on the hill down to the main street of the town and went all the way to the street where the church is (yes, "the," not "a"...Spangdahlem is too small for more than one church...and as best as I can tell, it even shares it's priest with 3 other towns!).

St. Nikolaus' church in Spangdahlem (taken by my mom)

Looking back at the church's bell tower above the rooftops of Spangdahlem

It was nice to get out of the house and walk around a bit (and the boys got to burn off some energy, too!)...now if only I could get to sleep tonight! Tomorrow's plans include a 3-hour drive (one-way!) to the town of Bischwiller, France, to see if/what we can dig anything up in the way of ancestral information. :D

Christmas Fun

Unfortunately, the couple of days leading up to Christmas, A & C were battling a stomach virus (which seems to invade a body and make them vomit over the course of a 48-hour period, back off for 24 hours and then rear it's head again one last time), which they passed on to The Instigator (he was sick on Christmas Day and the day following).

The boys' big gift was a Kinect system for the XBox (though it's not working properly...it won't find the floor...we'll try again once we get the stand or clip to put it on top of the television...). Santa left me Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and The Instigator got me Apple TV! :D

Then it was my turn to be sick. :(

Last time all 3 of my boys got sick, I got by without catching it myself. Unfortunately, I wasn't so lucky this time. And it ruined our travel plans a bit. We were supposed to go down to Bischwiller, France yesterday to see what we could track down about my mom's paternal grandfather's family (who immigrated to America from that town). Unfortunately, my bout with this stomach virus kept us home. I guess it worked out in favor of The Instigator, though, as today was his birthday, and this way he got his birthday meal (and cake!) on the day of instead of the day after his birthday (though he's not one to be a stickler for celebrating it on the day of...). But now we've been stuck in the house for 6 straight days (What a way for my mom to spend half of her vacation!!! I feel awful about that!), aside from the walk that my mom and A took (he showed her where his bus stop for school is), so maybe we can get out somewhere today...It's too bad I woke up at 2am! I don't know how long I'll make it today before needing a nap! I should probably get back to bed for a couple hours and see if The Instigator will let me drive him to work so I can have the car...

Here We Go A-Wandering...

After spending a day home-bound (which entailed a dusting of snow and the boys playing games with Grandma), my mom and I set out to see a bit of Germany. Our destination in mind was Mandersheid and it's castle ruins, but anything in between here and there was fair game. :)

While on our way to Mandersheid, we happened across something that I had seen signs for on the Autobahn and had been meaning to track down and see: Abtei Himmerod! As best I can tell, it's an active Abbey, but we only went into the little gift shop (where I got a schnitzel recipe book...It will be worth it to translate it to cook!) and the church part of the Abbey.

The facade of the chapel section of the Abbey

Nativity scene set up inside the Abbey

Close-up of the background of the Nativity (it's a painting of the Abbey!)

The organ in the Abbey's chapel

We continued on to Mandersheid, and got there only to discover that Neiderburg (the lower ruins) were closed. That didn't stop us, however, from going around and hiking up to Oberburg! (We got a nice view of Neiderburg from up there, too.)

View of Neiderburg on the hike up to Oberburg

Neiderburg and the Lieser(?) river running by

My mom at Oberburg, looking down upon Neiderburg

Me standing in front of Oberburg (and yes, my pant legs are rolled up...it was a muddy hike!)

Random tree-lined pathway off the road between Spangdahlem & Manderscheid

On our way back home, my mom's eye was caught by a random building in the town of Eichelhütte. Turns out it was a hotel! We went inside to try and find the cozy-looking restaurant we could see from outside, but had no luck. (I did, however, happen upon what appears to be an old yarn swift, used as decoration!)

But the building and setting were very pretty, so we wandered about and took photos until it got too dark to do so.

A fountain and the entrance to the hotel

Mini-windmill and swan on the pond behind the hotel

The pathway was literally the tree roots covered by dirt!

All-in-all, a laid back day, compared to the time spent in Frankfurt. (But then, the smaller places have a completely different feel to them. Much more relaxed.)

Willkommen, Oma!

Today was a very.....long.....day.

I knew I wasn't going to get to sleep in like I otherwise would on the boys' day off of school, but it was for a very good reason!!! :D I got to go pick up my mom from the airport!!!!!!! She flew all the way from Colorado to visit us in Germany and spend Christmas with us!!!!!!

When I had booked her ticket, the agent told me that she was getting in at 10:30, and so I planned accordingly. Two hour drive to the airport, plus extra time to get gas and such before hitting the road...I figured leaving at 8 am would be plenty of time (considering she had to go through customs and immigration) to get there to welcome her at the waiting area. Oh, how wrong I was...

It turns out that she was actually scheduled to land at 9:45, and not only that, when looking at the website, her flight was landing half an hour early!!!!!! It was already 7:45 at that point, the moment I should have been getting onto the Autobahn, and I still had to get dressed, get A dressed to go with me, get gas, put the destination into the GPS and everything! Once I had finally accomplished all that, the GPS told me that I had 3 choice for a route. I wanted to avoid the 2nd option, as there were construction warnings that way, and so of the two, I picked the one with the shortest drive time.

After about close to an hour into the drive (maybe 45 minutes), I got stuck behind a truck with flashing lights that blocked the way I needed, leaving me with only the option to turn left into the nearby town. He was setting up for a construction zone. It was so new that they didn't even have detour signs up! (That's what that truck was for!) So I went into the town and ignored my GPS while it told me to make U-turns, and it eventually got me on the path to go a different route. I was stuck on back roads going speeds far less than I would have been able to legally achieve on the Autobahn, and was already late. So naturally, the GPS had to take me to the second route. You know, the one with all the construction I was trying to avoid? Yeah, that one. And I got stuck behind a few more big trucks, to boot.

When I finally got to the airport, I parked in the first garage I came to, on the first open level I came to, in the first open space I came to! I was already super late and didn't want to waste time driving around looking for a space. It turns out I probably should have driven down a little bit further, as the spot I parked in was the furthest possible from the airport. A and I had to book it across the parking garage and into the airport. (He did really well in keeping up with me! I was impressed!)

Enter the next problem...I went into the wrong terminal. I've never picked anyone up from the Frankfurt airport before (and they didn't say on any of the signs on the road that Terminal 1 was departing terminal and that Terminal 2 was the incoming terminal). And I could not for the life of me find the way to get to the other terminal. After about an hour of walking around (including a jaunt outdoors, as I saw other people going that way), I finally was able to find the SkyRail to the second terminal. (A was thrilled to get to ride a train!!!!!!) At that point I was near panicking that my mom was going to think she was abandoned and I had no way to communicate with her, and she wasn't in the arrivals area. I went to the information desk and asked if they could page her. They sent me to the airline's ticket counter to make sure she came in on the flight (even though I already knew she had). That entailed another 5 minutes of walking and being sent to different people. They confirmed she came in and told me to go to the information desk and ask for her to be paged. (Isn't that just where I'd come from?!) They paged her, and A and I finally found her! (Two hours after she landed! Although, she had been stuck at immigration for an hour, so she didn't spend that ENTIRE time waiting for me...)

But the day wasn't over yet! We went further into Frankfurt and hit up the Christmas market. Finding parking was a long time in coming, and so I finally just pulled into an on-street spot that I found. (The parking garages had lines of cars to get in!) We walked around for a bit, came upon the Frankfurt Cathedral ...and in taking 3 photos came to realize that...I had forgotten my camera's SD card in my computer at home!!!!!!!!! I thought for sure I had an extra one in my purse at some point, so I looked, but I couldn't find it. :( (My camera won't take more than 5 photos with the internal memory...) So I only got about 3 photos while in Frankfurt. (I would post them, but Blogger is not recognizing my uploads for whatever reason, and I'm sick of trying to get it to work...) So we walked around the Christmas Market for a bit; mom & I shared some Schnitzel, A had a chocolate-covered soft pretzel, and after he dropped what was left of it on the ground when he tripped and fell, he was promised his choice of either another pretzel or ice cream (he chose the ice cream, also chocolate), we went down to the Römerberg Platz and past to the Main river before heading back to the car. Where I found a parking ticket on my windshield.

On the way back home, I was not about to repeat my earlier problems, so I went the third route, which took us all the way down to the Kaiserslautern/Ramstein area. I don't know why, but the GPS took us off the Autobahn, and we ended up driving around K-Town in rush hour traffic. By the time we got back onto the Autobahn and heading the right direction, it was already something like 6pm (an hour after A is used to having dinner), and he said he was hungry and had to go potty. So we got back off the Autobahn and had dinner on base at Ramstein! LOL Eventually, we got back home, Grandma in tow, and what do I find when I open my purse once in the house?.....an SD card I could have put into my camera. ::sigh::

The Last Spangdahlem Craft Fair

So before we were given our date to leave Italy, I was supposed to participate in a fair/bazaar that the base craft store put on. I worked on things to sell at my booth for some time. At least a month, maybe two. Unfortunately, it got rained out, and when they re-scheduled it, it was set for shortly after we left. I was a bit disappointed, to say the least.

Not long after getting to Germany, though, I heard that the craft store on our itty-bitty base was going to have a craft fair. We hadn't really settled in yet, but I went as a customer, and found some super cute stuff! And when one of the people that runs the craft shop mentioned that there was going to be another one in a couple of months, I knew that it was my shot to participate in one after all. I was excited! It took a little bit longer than I expected to fall into place, but in reality, had it happened before it did, I would not have been prepared. (I'd been too busy planning and going on trips! LOL) And this was only going to be the first of many...there was talk of it becoming a regular thing.

But that got shot down really fast.

I won't go into all the details (I'm not sure if I'm allowed to or not...), but suffice it to say that the agreement between the U.S. military and Germany forbid us to have small businesses unless we adhere to their stipulations. And these stipulations not only make it difficult to run any sort of small business, but make it hardly worth the effort to try and be an entrepreneur. As a result, the first craft fair I was able to participate in will also be the last, at least for the time that we're living here. I'm also not allowed to run an online Etsy or Artfire shop.

On the plus side, I did get to have my booth out front where it was cooler (we had the air circulation from the front doors while the vendors further in did not) and where the people that came by had to walk by us as they were both entering and leaving the fair. And on top of that, the ladies who had the booths in the same area as me were quite pleasant! It was nice to get to sit and chat about crafting (the ladies that were beside me and across from me both had sewing goods, and the lady that was caddy-corner from me was mainly advertising the beading class she is offering on base in the fall and had some of her bead work out on display and she also knits and crochets...same as me!) and military life. It's nice to get to connect with other military spouses and other crafters all at once! :D

Another bonus was that Misha and her husband and their boys drove all the way up to see and support me! :D It was so awesome of them! They were then able to meet up with The Instigator and my boys and go bowling.

While it was my first time participating in any sort of bazaar (and will be the last for some time), I did also learn a few tips about presentation that will come in handy for the time when I can participate in another one!

Wordless Wednesday

Knit-tage!

Yes, in case you missed it, that was a nod to a certain Mr. Pauly Shore.

I noticed when moving my blog from the old site to here, that nearly every single post required the tagging of "knitting," "crochet," or "crafting" (or any combination of all the above!). There are a couple of reasons for that. 1) That blog was originally intended for mostly only crafting purposes. I needed somewhere to post about my knitting and crocheting for my Ravelry page so I could link the projects to something, and 2) because I literally nearly always have some form of crafting in my hands. If I'm not at my computer and I'm not reading (or doing mommy duties...like cleaning or laundry or dishes or cooking...), I'm crafting. I take my crafting with me wherever I go, and I even knit in the car on our drive down to Ramstein this past weekend. In fact, I honestly think I spent more on a special tote bag for yarn than I ever have on any purse or diaper bag. LOL It's kind of an obsession for me. (I think it's therapeutic for me. No matter what emotion I'm feeling or how much I feel like I've failed at something, crafting always soothes me because I can watch something beautiful take shape at my hand.)

I have, however, been quite remiss lately in posting regularly! That was largely in part due to our move from Italy to Germany, but it's also because I semi-retreated from the blog-o-sphere (and you'll notice it happens often...I'll blog consistently, and then fall off the face of the Blogging Universe for months at a time). Now that we're in a new home, though, I'm trying to develop some new (and healthier!) habits, so we'll see where that goes.

My latest knit-tage, however, is an extremely beautiful scarf! Designed by Ann Kingstone, she's releasing the pattern for the scarf (with an option for a hood!) in pieces, spreading it out over the course of 2 months. There's a whole group of us on Ravelry that are knitting it together in a knit-a-long (referred to as a KAL...like Kal-El...but not! HA! I'm such a nerd...), and while the KAL is going on (great, now every time I see the abbreviation KAL, my brain will forever tag on "El"...LOL), the pattern is free, but as soon as it's over, it'll be available by purchase only.

I first started knitting it in the most breathtaking blue (my favorite color, by the way).



Unfortunately, I was so excited with the weekly release of the pattern, that I failed to see the text that read: "the instructions below are split into two sections. Follow the first set for a scarf without a hood, and the second set for a scarf with a hood." I honestly have no idea how I overlooked that. It was right there; anyone could have seen it. But I missed it. So I plowed through that section without the necessary modifications to make the hood. When I realized my mistake, I started mentally kicking myself and couldn't stop saying "I can't believe I just did that..." It's not that I can't undo it and re-do it...it's that I won't...because it would mean undoing over 100 rows of knit-tage! So instead, I've decided to keep the blue one without the hood, and cast on a second scarf. That's right. The first one isn't even done yet (I need the next release, which won't be until this Saturday, at midnight UK time...so 1 a.m. for me!) and I started a second. And I have every intention of completing both during this KAL (::whisper:: "El")! Because that's how this crazy person rolls. LOL The hooded one is going to be done in this soft, lovely gray:


The second scarf is actually coming along quite quickly, and they are both beautiful! I can't wait to show them off! (No, really, I can't wait...) So here's how far I am on the blue one (please excuse the pins and the ends that aren't woven in yet...LOL):



And the gray:



Isn't that design just amazing?! I am excited to see the finish! Of both scarves!!!

Friday Fill-In....on Sunday!

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. This was supposed to be posted on Friday. Unfortunately, I was far too busy on Friday moving my LiveJournal blog to here, so I didn't get around to it...and then yesterday I spent aaaaaaaaaaaaall day down at Ramstein & hanging out with "Misha" (we got to go see Harry Potter at the theater there! WOO-HOO!), so today I spent catching up on all the dishes and vacuuming and laundry that I neglected over the past few days (and with 3 males in this house, it adds up fast!). So now....without further ado....I give you my Friday Fill-In!

1. If you were a famous movie star, what types of movies would you star in? Musicals! I LOOOOOOOOOVE musicals!!!
   
2. What is a vacation you would like to take if money were no object? A decent tour of Europe; one where I could actually take the time to see what all I wanted to see on my own timetable instead of one from a tour group that rushes you through everything
   
3. Did you have pets growing up? We had a German Shepherd/Keshond mix when I was 6, but he had to be put down about 6 years after we got him, and then my brother got a dog when I was 14 or 15, but he was only around for about 2-3 years (if I recall correctly). When I lived with my BFF, there were pets EVERYWHERE, but none were mine
   
4. What do you do for exercise? Not near as much as I should, though I do love to do Pilates! Pilates and aerobic dancing workouts are my favorite :)
   
5. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received as a MilSpouse? Hmmm...I'm not really sure...
   

Finally settling in!

So much for ending that last blogging lull! LOL I guess that's what happens when the military uproots you and moves you to a new country. ;) We are no longer in Italy. We moved out of our home into temporary lodging the 3rd week of November, and then got up to Germany the beginning of December. Blessedly, it didn't take us long to find a house. (Major perk of moving NOT in PCS season!) We're already moved in and have all of our stuff (it didn't take nearly as long for our stuff to be toted from Aviano to Spangdahlem as it did from Oklahoma to Aviano...for obvious reasons!)

It was painful to leave Italy for the fact that I absolutely adored A's teacher there. She was simply amazing! I truly wish we could have brought her with us! It's not as though the school up here or his new teacher is bad, but there's the whole adjustment time of her getting to know him and him getting used to the new setting and group of people. It's not been easy, and it's not been quick, but I think he's finally getting used to Germany, though he will occasionally ask to move back to Italy and his old class.

C has his days, but he's slowly getting less clingy and becoming more independent and helpful. Yesterday, he helped me to strip the beds and remake them with clean sheets, and tonight before dinner, he cleared and wiped down the table for me. :) Unfortunately, he's still dead set against actual potty training (though he will go pee in the toilet, at least), but as he knows his 5th birthday and starting school are approaching, he knows he needs to get along with it. I think he's finally showing the first signs of genuine interest. I guess I'm not too surprised by the delay as a) his older brother didn't potty train until 4 months before his 5th birthday and b) because of all the changes with his brother starting school and moving and whatnot. We'll get there. Eventually.

Our new base is actually quite small, so I'm grateful for the fact that we live close to Ramstein!!! Their facilities are far superior and I have friends that are stationed down there to visit! Hooray!!! One of them got stationed there following Aviano, so we know her from Italy, but the other one I actually met before I even met my husband! it's been so incredibly nice to have them as close by as they are! My husband takes a martial arts class that's offered down at Ramstein, so we drive down there at least every other week, if not weekly, and this past weekend, they all came up to see us! :D And on top of all that, I've planned a Mother's Day trip (though it won't be on Mother's Day! LOL) to go to London!!!! I am so very excited! LONDON!!!!!!!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!! We've got the hotel booked and tickets bought to go see the show "Wicked," and I can't wait!!! I also need to get out and see more of Germany. So far I've only been to the Christmas market in Saarbrucken and the craft shop in Trier. I hope the weather warms up soon enough to walk around the different towns and cities!

And on a final, and exciting (as if I haven't been overflowing with excitement enough already!!!), note.........I MADE MY FIRST LISTINGS ON ETSY TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited!!! The crafter's bazaar that was scheduled for while we were in Italy got rained out, and they rescheduled it for after we left Italy, so now I've got all this jewelry and crocheted goods to sell. So to the Internet I go! I'm quite excited! I've made myself only list 7 items for now, until I know for sure how well things are going to sell. It's hard to not list everything! LOL I'm so excited! So feel free to hop on over there and look around! You can find it at http://www.etsy.com/shop/smileynetta . :)

Wedding on the Brain

Ever since my BFF told me she was officially engaged, my brain has been swimming with wedding ideas...things I could make, suggestions and tips, things that need to be arranged...I really wish I was there in person right now, so I could truly be in the midst of all the excitement and be able to have a faster reaction time to everything! LOL Anyway, when I asked her what I could make for her, she liked the idea of handmade earrings (for herself and bridal party) and a necklace. So I've been happily up to my elbows in beads, throwing myself into making this jewelry to try and compensate for my absence. (Yeah, the compensating thing isn't really working...LOL) Anyway, here's a look at her earrings, designed to fit her color scheme (red & white):

That picture was deliberately taken with the sun shining right on it to show that the small beads are, in fact, red and not black. LOL Here is her necklace (using the exact same colors):

And here are the bridal party earrings (the pair that's got the extra strand on them are mine, as I'm the maid/matron of honor):

Side note: I'm not sure why the pictures are coming up so blurry...

Anyway, I made the bridal party earrings and just kept going (I have a tendency to get a little carried away...LOL)....

And in so making the bracelets, I had to go fetch more beads from the craft store (horror of horrors, right? LOL) and came up with a cute little sentimental idea for the bride and bridal party (to be secret until presented at the wedding! LOL) which I needed to know everyone's favorite colors for. When I asked the other girls about it (with mentioning the earrings), one of them says "I don't have pierced ears." I must say I find that endlessly amusing...not that her ears aren't pierced, but that I have a pair of earrings for her non-pierced ears! LOL I'm now on a mission to see if I can find some clip-on variation for her.

So even through the insanity that is preparing to move to Germany and all the appointments and paperwork before me, yes, I still make time to craft. Why? Because I'll lose it if I don't...lol I'm serious. I'm not entirely sure why my thing lately has been beading, though. I've lost nearly all desire for yarn crafts at the moment...I'm not sure why...Hmmm But at least the crafting has continued!



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