Breaking the rules

Because some days have more than one happy that needs sharing.

Willow living on her babies. She has no idea that they are a little.... "different." Shhh. Don't tell.

"I really, truly abhor coloring eggs. And carving pumpkins. I do love the joy my little ones found in it though.

And my favorite, my baby loves my knitting. He wraps up in it and says "mama, you knitting me a blanket?" No, soon. Mommy is far too selfish for that. It is still a new milking jacket for me.

More to love

My big brother spent the week here with me. It was such a great week. So many happy moments.

All of our kids together. Happy day 2.

" Happy three. My brother. This was actually a year ago, but I failed to get pictures of this week. No idea how.

Day four. Batman.

Day five, baby loves.

Lazy day brothers. That last one brings me to a huge happy. I love home schooling. I love having my amazing children with me full time, and enjoying every minute their lives... or at least most minutes. Life is good.

100 happy days

I am going to take the 100 happy days challenge. I will blog a happy thing each day.I want to have a record of looking for the good in my life, because there's so, so much. Today I am happy for the blessing of good friendship. Not just good, but the best. The kind where you know each other's souls, good and bad, and you love each other anyway. Where you don't even have to tell a secret to have it known. The kind where you just connect on every level, even over 2,000 miles. The kind where you just know that everything is going to always be ok. This friend is the kind that will take a fingering weight, color work sweater, knit on size threes and throw it away. She listened for weeks as I whined about how very much I hated this nearly complete sweater. How much I hated the shape, color, fit... how much I hated that I couldn't start anything else until it was done, but How I didn't want to keep working on it. About how I was stupid to have ever said I had to finish everything on my needles. She is the kind of friend that walked into my kitchen, grabbed the sweater, and walked away with it. I am sure the sweater is as equally happy as I am. It is being happily knit by the most talented, appreciative knitter that has ever been born. And that knitter loves that sweater, and will wear it every.single.day. They will live together in pure joy and bliss. As for me? I have moved on and have happily knit three pair off socks, a wave sweater, which I frogged, and this: And that, my friends, is a blog of love. Knitpicks basic raglan jacket, in knitpicks tweed. Courtesy of the amazing man in my life that still buys me yarn, even when he thinks I already have to much, and is continually having to fight back stash.

New dryer balls anyone?

Someone was trying to be helpful. Someone did the laundry. Someone threw in a basket that they thought was laundry. Someone made dryer balls with four balls of yarn. Three were just palette, but one.... one was a very beloved ball. A thirty dollar ball, that had dreams of becoming a really awesome shawl. Be still my heart. It could be worse. It could be the hand knit alpaca sweater that was also in that laundry basket, and is now hand puppet size. Ouch. I would share pictures, but it was one of those raw times where picture taking was beyond me. A child covered in stool, and coloring on the wall with a Sharpie? Photo opp. This though? No one wants to see this kind of destruction. No one.

Pretty sure it doesn't count, right?

If you slip and your needles accidentally cast on a hat. I figure accidents dhoukdnt count. Especially since I finished one blanket, and frogged a shawl. Frogging is kindof cheating, and I understand that.. but since I forgot to mention the shawl, I figure it kind of even out. I really don't have a choice in this casting on though. The amazing hub decided he needs a Christmas hat. A knight hat, with face mask to be specific. Considering that I didn't get him a single thibg for Christmas, I figure I better start knitting the hat. I am calking an emergency knit day for home school, which means I will put on educational television while I knit. I feel OK about this. Knitting is the important thing, right? Who needs an education? Pictures to come soon. Shhh, don't tell the hubby. It is a surprise, and he won't have a clue since he doesn't read my blog.

Just like molasses

that is how the knitting is coming along. It is easy to lose motivation around the holidays when there are so many things to do, and life is so busy. And you can't catch anything new on.I have yet to bind of a single project. I have met a few rows on one blanket and if you on the other. That is about it. I really need to cast on a pair of socks and a chemo cap. Of course I swore I wouldn't cast anything more on until I finish these projects. Do I stick to that? Or maybe I spend note time knitting to speed things up a bit. My business goes gang busters this time of year, so that is where my time is going. I love my business, and its busyness. That makes me happy as well. I shipped out 5 orders yesterday, four the day before, had four more cone in last night, and a handful of others that I am still working on. Life is good. I started a fodder growing experiment for the girls. I figure that with 15 does my total goat weight is about 2,000 pounds. Each goat needs 1% fodder growth to maintain their weight, and 3% if they are a working animal. For my girls that means close to 10 pounds of seed per day. Each pound of seed produces about 6-8 pounds of fodder. It is a good thing I am a knitter. That math may have overwhelmed me if I was an ordinary human or something. This isn't the time to tell me my math is wrong, either. see... like my knitting projects, I will notice the error as time goes on. But I do think it is correct, and the girls should be happy... or they would be if I could get the fodder to grow. Everyone said it was fool proof. They apparently didn't realise that fool can be taken to a whole new level in my world. That, and a fully brown thumb, and the fiddler is going slowly. It is growing, but it is supposed to be ready to feed by day seven, and here we are in day four and it has sprouted a little... there are some roots, but no agrees growth. I am sprouting wheat, kidney beans, and lentils. Here is hoping for miracle growth the next few days.

The decision has been made

I have decided that I will finish every. Single. Project that is currently on the needles, before I cast anything new on. Except a pair of socks, maybe. In my head the reasoning is sound. We have a new yarn store, you see. And that new yarn store carries needles. You see where I am going with this? No? Oh. Well in my mind, if I get everything off of the needles, and I put all of those needles into my needle case, I will be able to see what I have, and what I am lacking. I could do this by simply looking at what I have, or making a list, but I like the nice, tidy idea of having it all clean and n Organized with everything finished up. A good way to ring in the new year. So what do I have to finish? Not much, since I keep the cast on bug pretty well at bay most times. There is this blanket

Which will be finished with one more ball. And two sweaters, one of which has been on the needles for three years, and a sock. Oh, and another blanket with three skeins left. I can totally do this in three weeks time. Right? I have had a couple things come off of the needles.

For a neighbors new grand baby. And this:

For the amazing button ladies new family member. I traded for a yarn bowl. *squee* I am sure I can do this. Really. No problemo. All I have to do is knit. Full time. Like a mad woman. With no children, bisiness, or life. Totally doable. Especially since tonight is the first weekly knit night at our new LYS!!! I am ridiculously excited. Hours of uninterrupted knitting time. All for me!!!