Yikes!

I've really been slack this year! Blame it all on Facebook!! LOL!! Anyway, I've started knitting again and even though it feels like I'm knitting for everyone else I'm determined to finish some of these outstanding projects. I've picked up that dreaded hubby sweater again and have made significant progress on the first sleeve. I'm aiming for finishing the whole thing by the end of this year. Will this be my one and only attempt at a "real" sweater? Quite possibly! I think I've knit several miles of stockinette UGH! Anyway, it will look smashing on my good looking hubby. I'm also making a cotton tassel hat for my little wild man. Reminds me of how much I dislike knitting with cotton - no give and hard on the hands!

Also on the short list, the very lovely cloche from Boutique Knits. I'm using Manos Silk Blend, which is a lovely soft mix of merino and silk, in a gorgeous coral colorway. This will be a Christmas present for a lovely woman I'm very blessed to know. I have another friend I need to think of something for, too! I'm also making a palindrome scarf out of leftover Peace Fleece worsted in Khrushchev Corn colorway - though, I'm rethinking the scarf bit. I'm leaning toward using it as a neck warmer, securing it with a couple of nice buttons. The only problem with the yarn is the scratchiness. One would need a turtleneck under it - or, I could line it with fleece! Oh, that is ingenious! See, the ideas are just flowing! Anyway, this is slated as a Christmas gift for my MIL. She won't be wearing it long though! She's moving to FL for six months after Christmas! The final thing on my immediate list is another hat for my beautiful boy. This will be the Inca Snowflake Hat from Itty Bitty Hats by Susan Anderson. I'm going to use a lovely dark blue Cascade 220 instead of the Noro Kureyon suggested. Not that the Noro isn't lovely but I think it'll get more wear in the blue. I'll still do the snowflake and trims in white :)

Projects just laying around include several pairs of socks that I swear I'll finish soon. One has a lace pattern and is written as a chart which, for the life of me, I am apparently unable to comprehend. The other is a simple pair of men's 3x1 ribbed socks for my hubby. I figure I'll finish the pair for him LONG before I get back to the lace socks. I also have my crocheted hexie afghan that for some reason I have abandoned. I think it was taking me far longer than I anticipated. I also need to order more in the colors I have and since I'm flat broke I can't restock to finish it. Which is a darned shame because I LOVE that thing and would really like to finish it!

On the back burner are more felted purses and a felted tote. I'd also like to start a gift cabinet and do some really cute baby and toddler stuff. Stock up on some good things for any up coming baby showers.

Wild man is doing great! He's growing up so fast I can hardly believe it. We've been potty training and he's responding well to it. I hope I can convince him to poop as well as pee on the pot. He did try to poop today. So I think he's got the hang of it - he just needs to keep recognizing what his little body is telling him. So far so good and I don't want to jinx it!

Hubby's doing well. Work stinks for him but he's soldiering on. We're just grateful he has a job to go to when so many don't these days. So he's trying to keep his head above water and not let work get too personal.

I've been involved in my mom's group again. Mousam Valley Moms - check us out! We're on facebook and our schedule is (should be) on the Curtis Lake website. We've got a great group of moms this year and we're packing our months full of activities. I'm on the steering team and that seems to be working out ok - though what they feel I have to contribute is still beyond me! In addition to the mom's group, I've joined a woman's bible study on Wednesday mornings. I'm finding it very fulfilling and eye opening. Right now we're in the middle of an awesome Beth Moore study called Breaking Free. Perfect for me at this point in my life! Hubby and I are also doing an evening study once a week that is mostly for fellowship and little for study! We enjoy it though and make sure we do the homework together. In the nearly 20 years we've been together we've never done anything like this together. Now if I can overcome my obstacles to prayer...

All in all, we've been busy and for once, it's a nice kind of busy. We just found out my brother bought a house in Wichita and is excited to close and move in. We also found out my MIL is buying us tickets to FL so we can go down to visit her and my SIL! I'm SO excited about that! I've never been to FL and if my SIL will have me (well, the wild man and me) I'd like to stay for several weeks. Hubby would go down for a week then come back here for work. We'd miss him terribly but he only has so much time for vacation and I think wild man and I would have an awesome time! We would be going down with the whole family, too, which is incredible! Talk about the wild man having most of his aunties in one place!! He won't know what to do!

Anyway, that's pretty much it in a nutshell! Lots going on and lots more happening. I'll try not to be such a stranger :)

Blessings to all!