The Crafty Lizzard

It seems very weird to finish up a pair of VERY warm, VERY woolly mittens right when the temperature is starting to hit the 70s. But who could resist...

I've never done any kind of colorwork and these mittens seemed the perfect first project. Not in ultra skinny yarn, only changing 1 color(although, 5 times), an awesome pattern, and a small project in case it didn't go well. Fortunately, they went very well indeed. A few little first-timer foibles but who cares...they're pretty and warm! You can't see it from these pictures but they also have a lining so they're doubly warm. And doubly soft -- I wish that the internet had touch-o-vision.

It's a good thing that I need a new winter coat next year.

My old one doesn't match!

Now onto the next challenge...

These lovely pinks are yearning to become a beautiful shawl. Challenge #4 = lace. True lace. No easy rows. One day soon...

So to catch up...

1. The final season of Solo & Ensemble is approaching this weekend. This has been part of my craziness. Although, I do have a little bit of a light load for this last one. Here's hoping I won't have to be there at 8 in the morning! (or still there at 4!)

2. Spring has officially sprung in Columbus. That means on top of everything else I am itching to get outside! The yard looks good, plants are coming up that I thought were lost (I might have peony flowers this year!), one plant is ordered (the one and only rose plant that I want - one that my grandpa had my name on in his garden when I was little) and I'm still searching to find a place where I can buy 1 (and 1 only) plant of actual catnip (if anyone knows of any place in Columbus, please let me know).

3. I have one FO -- my vest. Just in time for the weather to get too warm for me to wear it.

This was not part of my knitting challenges for the year but just a sweater I could wear to work. Testing it out today. So far I love it -- the way it fits, the way it looks, the color, and so far the warmth.

I have started on knitting challenge #3 for the year but that's a different story. Challenge #1 is still under construction (see the blue socks to the right) and I hope to have them done shortly. I know I'm a bit out of sequence but that's a little normal for me!

This past Sunday my mom turned 70. My brothers and I knew that we had to do something special but what.....we started to think what about her own computer. We should've run with it when we first thought of it but we didn't.

This is where the comedy of errors only begins.

We also knew that we needed to get their house wired (ok, wireless) to effectively use the new computer. We let all this go until about the week before her birthday. The brother that took charge lives in Maryland. He made the contact to get DSL hoping to keep the whole thing a secret. Alas, the technician showed up at their house (when he didn't need too), the router was sent to them (when it should've been sent to my brother), and he ended up spending 2 1/2 hours on the phone trying to get the whole thing situation straightened out.

Friday night, after Mom went to bed, we (meaning my brother, my niece and I) set about setting up Mom's new computer. I decided to put a big "stickie note" on the desktop with "Happy Birthday Mom!" on it.

In the morning, Mom grilled all of us as to whose computer it was. The 6 year old even nonchalantly told her it was hers. After a few minutes she finally realized it was hers and was SO excited.

The way she has accepted this push by her children and jumped into trying to figure everything out it amazing!

My brothers and I then had a dinner to cook for the afternoon's party so we left Mom on her own.

Well...not exactly. We left her in the capable hands of the 19 and 6 year olds!

We ended up having a wonderful dinner, a wonderful party and a birthday complete with 70 candles (and a fire extinguisher that Dad brought out!).

Mom got not only a new way of staying in touch with the family, but a handmade set of windchimes, a sentimental gift that her dad use to do (from her sis) and a cane (from her little bro)! And she also got an amazing day with her whole fam!