I haven't blogged in a long while...

but that isn't surprising given my work schedule. I'll try to do better.

Stay tuned.

No whine warning needed.

Ok, sorry for the rant/whining in my last post. I think I needed to vent.

I'll be posting on my knitting machine adventures soon. I actually made a few things, then my hem broke. A new one is backordered. Mine still works and I have my small hem, so I think I'll knit up a skinny scarf soon. It has to be a skinny scarf 'cause I don't have much of what I want to use. It's a wonderful hand spun cotton yarn - all natural, no dyes, etc. I only have 1 cone. I've been saving it.

We'll see what happens...

As a side note, there was a thread going on Etsy today (not the first) about knitters prices being too low. This is one of the reasons why I don't list my knitting there. Maybe with the addition of this machine I'll list some stuff.

Again, we'll see...

Why must I be so busy???

My life runs at the speed of light. I have so much to do and hardly ever a moment to myself. Ugh! Is it like this for everyone? I mean really?

I know I do it to myself. I don't have to go to school, but I do. I don't have to homeschool my son, but I do. I don't have to have an Esty shop, but I do. I could go on and on. Yikes. I need some *me* time - quick!

Snow day!

Snow falling on our trampoline.

Still iced over.

Today has seen the worst of the ice cover yet. The sun is shining, but very little has melted. Here is a view of my car from my side porch. That's not snow - it's solid ice. There's no driving today. I'm sure the roads are covered in black ice.

On a productive note... I've started a baby blanket on the knitting machine. I've learned the proper term for a machine knitted item is "hand loomed", if it was made on a non-industrial, home knitting machine. Hmm. Hand loomed. I like that. It sounds better than "machine knitted", which sounds like there was little to no artisan involvement.

For any naysayers against knitting machines, all I have to say is try it. Not only is it fun, but it's still tedious hand work. It just requires different skills than hand knitting. It's going to be great combining the two skill sets into a finished garment.

Craft books. I have a few.

I did a little organizing while getting my drink on this afternoon.

I love craft books. I feel I need to hoard them - like yarn and fabric. According to my husband, I hoard a lot of stuff. Either way, I have plenty and more still that can't fit into the shelf "designated" for my craft books.

Lambrusco

Lambrusco
Originally uploaded by sugarlumps.etsy.

Sometimes, cheap wine is a delicious treat. Since we're in the middle of an ice storm I decided to have some wine and clean.

By the way...

The post below was made via Flickr. Upload your pics, click them, & blog'em. How handy is that?!?

Baby it's cold outside!

Iced Berries
Originally uploaded by sugarlumps.etsy.

What the? This is Texas, known for it's crazy weather, of course. We have ice on this 13th day of January 2007. Nice! I've been out in it most of the day. I love this weather! Now, I can actually wear one of the scarves I knitted up.

Away too long, but I've got new toys!

I made the decision to go back to school, full time, while trying to homeschool my son, take care of my 3 year old daughter, run the household, and a business. Something had to give - Etsy & crafting.

I removed most of my Etsy listings and stopped making things. I really hated it. That didn't stop me from shopping, though. During that time I purchased a new Griffon glass grinder and a Bond Ultimate Sweater Machine (Deluxe). I got the Bond just the other day.

The glass grinder was a no-brainer, must have item for me, but the knitting machine?!? Where did I get an idea for that? Simple. I am a very busy knitter that craves instant gratification.

I decided to try a "hobby machine" before I go spending big bucks on a better model. So far, I've cranked out 2 scarves and one hat. None of these projects took over a couple of hours each - including machine set up, etc. Needless to say, this machine is my new favorite toy!

More Bond USM info: The reviews on this machine are mixed, but I took a chance and I'm glad I did. Some people feel using a machine is cheating. I was one of those people. But, given what little time I have to spare, I don't want to spend 6 months on a child sized sweater! You don't have to know how to knit to use the machine, but it helps. I'm still in the process of making all the patterns in the provided book (as Bond recommends) in order to learn the basic techniques, but when I'm done I'll be branching out into more complicated stitches. Stay tuned.