Vacation Logistics - Knittingwise

So we're off tomorrow for our beach vacation. We've rented a cute little cottage in Port St. Joe, FL. I have clothes, toys, metal detector, food, swim stuff. I even picked out a new knitting project, sort of.

I decided to make the 3 hour sweater. Let me make a few comments on this sweater:

1. There's no way in hell, unless you have the title of fastest knitter in the world, that you will be making this sweater in three measly little hours.
2. I looked up this sweater in Ravelry and most people chose to go with needle sizes 8 and 10. So I began this sweater with those needles. Check out the back portion of this sweater with me using those needles:

Hand included for size reference

I realize that this sweater stretches, but come on. I have to stretch it out to it's max to get it to fit across my back. Are the people on Ravelry who are making this size 0?
I can either add four more stitches to each section to get it a tiny bit roomier or go up another needle size, I'm not sure which. Either way the piece in the pic before you will be ripped out.

I'll be out next week, but hopefully will have some fun pics to show you and at least a partial sweater (I hope) when I get back!

The Honest Scrap Award

I got a blog award, Woohoo!

Angie, over at Home Grown, honored me with the Honest Scrap award.



This is how it works:

The Honest Scrap” award is not one to hold all to your self but it must be shared!

First, the recipient has to tell 10 true things about themselves in their blog that no one else knows.

Second, the recipient has to pass along this prestigious award to 10 more bloggers.

Third, Those 10 bloggers all have to be notified they have been given with this award.

Those 10 bloggers that receive this award should link back to the blog that awarded them “The Honest Scrap’ award.

So here goes:

1. I learned how to shear my dogs, one of which could put a sheep to shame with it's fur. Saved $75 on one dog and $45 on another. The shears have already paid for themselves.

2. I am a night owl, not a morning person. My brain doesn't begin fully functioning until around 6pm.

3. I've jumped on the Dave Ramsey debt reduction program. It will be a while 'til we are debt free.

4. I never paint my fingernails, just my toenails. It's too much trouble and I'm too rough on my hands for it to last anyway.

5. I like to blame mistakes on being blonde. It's very convenient.

6. I have aspirations to be an alpaca farmer one day.

7. We originally got the idea to raise alpaca way before I got into spinning and knitting which is kinda funny. We saw them on a late night infomercial and thought they were so cute. It started out as a joke between us and now it's gotten serious. Funny how that kind of thing works huh?

8. We own some rental homes. Our renters think we're rich, boy are they mistaken. We got the rentals when the mortgage companies were practically throwing mortgages at people. All the money has gone right back into the business, we haven't seen a penny yet. We consider it a very long term investment.

9. I dance! Tap, Jazz, Clogging - Just started following Belly Dance lessons off of Youtube, but there's no way I'll let anyone see me doing those lessons (the three year old doesn't count.)

10. Like Angie, I wish I got more comments on the blog, but doesn't everyone who has one? Except maybe the Yarn Harlot. She get's plenty. :) Does anyone ever tag her with these kind of awards?

Whew! Now to honor others with the Honest Scrap Award. Here are ten blogs that I enjoy immensely and I hope you'll enjoy them as well:

Bitten by Knittin'
Knitting on Impulse
Jeanne Knits
Jobo Designs
Knit Witch
Redshirt Knitting
Dabbled
Build/Make/Craft/Bake
Samurai Knitter
Dollar Store Crafts

You may consider yourselves tagged!

Museum Day

Today was fun! Me, my Sis-In-Law and the boys took a trip to the Fernbank Museum in downtown Atlanta today to see the Dinosaur exhibit. The Youngest was particularly impressed. He's in to all things dinosaur or dragon, take your pick. They seem to be interchangeable. According to him they all say "Yaw!"

I got some cute pics: (click to enlarge for extra cuteness)



This one really cracks me up. There was a science room in the museum that had a weather forecasting station. The kids could stand in front of a green screen just like a tv weatherman and see themselves on tv. The problem was, The Youngest was almost too short to be seen:

Look! A half-headed Weatherboy.

The kids are all worn out now. Funny thing is, today is their Dad's Bday. Lucky Dad gets to come home and deal with a three year old that missed his nap today!

Knitting Stuff:

I'm having a bit of a packing dilemma. Well, more knitting than packing really. Do I take the log cabin project since it's incredibly mindless, or do I pick something else that's not quite as mindless. If I picked the other, whatever it may be, will I really be able to concentrate while I'm on vacation? I can't decide. I don't want to take two projects since I won't have room, so I have to choose. :sigh:

Beach Countdown

The Countdown to the "Official Summer Beach Vacation" has begun.

Every single morning I am informed by the Youngest that "we're going to the beach today." Time means nothing to a three year old, he's been told over and over that we leave Saturday.

The boys and I went shopping for supplies today to get a head start on packing. My idea of supplies was sunscreen, bug repellant, nonperishable food items, you get the drift. Gee, I'm so glad that I took my personal beach consultants with me. You wouldn't believe how things have changed over the years. Evidently you now need so many new things for a trip to the beach - waterguns (Ironman and Spiderman of course), pool toys, swords (not sure why we need swords, that one escapes me), legos, movies, etc. Ahem. I might have given in over the water guns, but I spent the rest of the trip to the store saying,

"No."
"No."
"What did I just say? NO!"

Ah, the joys of motherhood and vacation planning. Why can't children see what's really important for a vacation trip? Like: yarn, needles, liquor, (repeat as necessary.)