FO and UFO Report for Oct-Nov '08

I thought I'd better get a post together about my current crop of Finished (FO) and Unfinished (UFO) Objects. Probably a good idea since I'll soon be packing up my yarn stash for the upcoming move to NC, right? Missy M reminded me that I would have to CHOOSE which yarn to keep off the moving truck...you know, which yarn/projects I would like to work on in the interval between selling our MO house and moving into our NC house. Decisions, decisions...

As I've reported in an earlier post, I finished these Rippling Dunes Socks for N/M/E (photo to the right). They are made from the Maizy Yarn (85% corn fibre, 15% nylon) in colorway "Miami Nice," and they turned out pretty good...at least she seems to enjoy wearing them.

I also finished felting the purse/bag out of the Andes wool for her, too. I got this wool at the Yarn Garden in Lawrenceville, GA, intending to knit a scarf with it. Well, I knitted about 1/3 of the scarf and realized that I didn't really like the abrupt color change from pinks to greens in the scarf and I frogged it. Sigh. What to do? Hmmmm...since the yarn was 100% wool, I wondered if it would look good felted? I had seen a pattern for the "Grab & Go" felted bag with (unfelted) I-cord leaves and stems in the November 2008 Creative Knitting magazine and decided to (alter it...make it bigger...) give it a go! Isn't it amazing how the colors changed when felted, as you can tell from the photo (left)! Missy M found the button in just the right green at the Quilt Shoppe in St. Charles...perfect match, wouldn't you agree? N/M/E has stuffed it full...and takes it with her everywhere.

I've finished a couple of Christmas gifts for the SILs, but I'll hold off on the photos...just in case one of them happens to read this post. Hey, I can keep a secret...

On the needles now...a scarf for Missy M (don't worry, she picked out the yarn and has seen me working on it...:) and the Shawl Collared Sweater for Mr. T. I finished one sleeve while on a recent trip to ATL and am hap-hap-happy to report that it appears to fit him. Have cast on the second sleeve and completed the ribbing and a couple more inches of the stockinette. Hoping to finish both of these UFO's in time for Christmas. Knit, knit, knit!

Oh, and I have a pair of socks outta Harry Potter sock yarn going, too. Since those are probably for me, I'll just take my time on them. Will probably use them for those times I need something "different" to work on...to keep from getting bored with one or another project. You know how that goes, don't you?

And, last but not least, I'm back to working on Christmas stockings. I finished 4 of them a couple of Christmases ago (when we were at Missy M's house for the first time) for the two-legged family members. Now, I have to work on stockings for the four-legged mutt-mutts!

OK, better stop blogging and get back to my knitting!

Third Time's The Charm

I want you all to be the first to know...we're moving! Again. Goodbye MO...hello North Carolina...which makes the third time to NC for us. The first time was in 1988...from TN to Kernersville. The second time was from OH to High Point in 1994. And, we are looking at HP again in early 2009. Looks like we'll arrive in time to help celebrate 150 years.

Happy, happy, happy!!! Oh yeah...:)

We have so much to do to get ready for a move, and (again) we'll be doing it in stages. N/M/E and the Drool Gang will probably head to Missy M's for a little bit, where they won't be bothered by all the de-cluttering and painting, etc. (Have you ever tried to keep a house you are showing to prospective buyers CLEAN with 3 dogs in residence? Two words: Night. Mare.) Mr. T will probably have to head East for work (where he's taking over a territory for Fuso with SC, NC, VA, MD, DC, and a portion of PA) before we sell the house here, so I may end up being the family member with the longest tenure in MO. Oh well. Whatever we have to do is definitely worth it. Definitely.

Did anyone catch that reference to Fuso for Mr. T? What's that line from the song..."everything that's old is new again"? Yep. Fuso. I'll try to make this brief, but it's easy to get lost following the bouncing ball: Mitsubishi Fuso Truck's majority interest was purchased by (then) Daimler-Chrysler 5-6 years ago; Fuso (where Mr. T has worked since 1997) was "folded" into another Daimler line called Sterling Truck earlier this year (February), when Mr. T became an employee of Daimler/Freightliner/Sterling (take your pick...); announcement was made in October that Daimler was discontinuing the Sterling Brand (YIKES!), with all employees receiving severance packages (Double YIKES!!); announcement was made in November that the Fuso brand WILL be continuing; Mr. T was asked to work for the revived Fuso organization that is being re-tooled and offered the opportunity to take over a new territory in the East; Mr. T said YES! He even gets to keep his seniority, which means that his 10+ years' service count...hip, hip, hooray!

I'll try to keep all posted on our progress, but if I slack off...I'm sure you will understand.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Mr. T. and I had a great time recently in Memphis, where we went to the University of Memphis Homecoming football game. I've loved this school (and football) since I was a little girl and Billy "Spook" Murphy was the coach.

I count myself fortunate that we moved back to Memphis after we were married, and I was able to earn my Master's degree from (as it was known at the time) Memphis State University.


The opponent this year was the University of Southern Mississippi...yup, where I got my Bachelor's degree. I was sure of only one thing as we headed to the Liberty Bowl Stadium, where the Tigers' home games are played: my alma mater was going to win the game! I am happy to report that Memphis pulled it out, 36-30...Go Tigers, Go!! (Truth be told, I don't count Southern as one of my favorite places/things, as I was only there a few months to complete my degree in record time...just a matter of convenience, really. But, I still like their band...:)



Speaking of bands...Memphis' Mighty Sound of the South sounded every bit as good as they ever were...maybe even a bit more flashy, with fireworks on the field to welcome the team when they ran through the Big Tiger Head (photo, left). The "Go Tigers Go" Fight Song is still my favorite one, followed closely by Notre Dame's Fight Song (which was also my high school's), and (ok, grudgingly) UT's Rocky Top.

Speaking of Missy M...and favorite things...she and I had a fun day on Saturday at Knit and Caboodle in St. Charles. We took a class on making a Knitting Basket! I didn't get a picture of them before she took them with her to L'ville to stain, but I'll post one as soon as I can.


She went back home yesterday, but Ella Rae is staying with us for a couple of weeks. She is so full of energy that I'm not sure if any of us can keep up with her...but we are having fun trying! Here's a photo (right) of her sitting on the back of the sofa, barking out the window at something (?) in the back yard. This is about as still as she ever gets in the daytime!

Time to get to the Y for my walk...I'm up to 3.5 miles on the treadmill, woo-hoo! I'll have to do a little extra today, 'cause I won't make it tomorrow. I imagine that I'll be too pooped to exercise after a long Election Day...we have to be there at 4:45 A.M., and we'll probably still have folks in line at 7:00 p.m. Frankly, I hope we have a busy day...because that means a big turnout. Think we'll get to 70% this year? 80? 90 or more? Wouldn't that be fantastic?!

Go Vote!