Pumpkins

We finally got rain!

And the pumpkin patch began to grow.

I recently found out I'd been accepted as a vendor at the county fair and I've been frantically knitting for it.  I applied so long ago and didn't hear back so I thought I didn't get in but, Surprise!  So, yeah.  Frantic knitting has been happening.  The pumpkin patch is growing, and yes, I know they still need stems.  

I've made about 1,000 things and they all still need something done to them. Ends woven in, seams sewn, eyes attached, stems attached, tags attached..... There's going to be a lot of attaching happening over the next two weeks.

I hope and pray I do well at the fair.  July has been an expensive month!  There has been, obviously, some yarn shopping.  Then our dryer bit the dust and had to be replaced.  My laptop also bit the dust and had to be replaced. I bought the new laptop, a vacuum and a 10 x 10 tent for craft sales during Amazon's prime days. I saved between $75 and $150 on each item so it made sense to get them but still....  I bought a Jeannie Gray Knits banner for the tent. Something went wrong with the mower's clutch and every time you'd engage the mower blades and start to go, the mower would cut off.  The a/c compressor in the car went out on a 98 degree day and we discovered that same day that the window control was also broken and the windows wouldn't go down.  That was one HOT ride home!  Sarah's prescription sunglasses broke. And hopefully last on the list of July expenses, my husband found out he needs a double hip replacement sooner rather than later.  Oh, and there may have been some additional, 'I'm having a nervous breakdown' yarn shopping. Yikes!  I'm going to need to sell a LOT of pumpkins!  At least I know I have enough yarn to make them.

And now, since the tent and banner both arrived a week early (when does that ever happen???) I just may take a day off from knitting and go see just how easy it is to assemble the tent by myself.  The write-up promised ease, but I have my doubts.   Honestly, I'm not even sure I can get it out of the shipping box by myself.  That thing is heavy!

Happy knitting!

ZZZZZZ

No, I'm not sleeping, I have a new computer with a functioning Z key!  It's very exciting.  You don't realize how many times you need to type a 'z' until you can't.  I also have a new vacuum which may actually be even more exciting than the new computer.  Thank you Amazon Prime Days!  The new computer is a little frustrating at the moment because I can't find my files and things are just slightly different.  I'll adjust soon.  I hope.

Meanwhile, this is going to be very brief because I'm about to loose my internet.  We are currently working with a borrowed-from-the-library internet pack because of stupid Verizon.  I can NOT express how much I despise Verizon and their nonexistent customer service.  For years, the only way we can pay for our internet service is to wait until they cut if off then pay through the link they provide in their nasty-gram late notice.  And that is because when the account was set up, they made a typo on my husband's social security number (the account is in his name) and so now, when we have to provide the social security number to pay the bill, they don't match and they won't allow us to pay it.  We have contacted them over and over and over and spoken to managers and supervisors and sent letters.... and if we can get anyone to help, they say it's fixed but then the next month rolls around and .... same problem all over again.  So, for over a year, we've just waited for the late notice link and paid it that way.  Except this month, it says our zip code doesn't match.  Nothing has changed on our part.  WTF?  It is beyond frustrating and my husband has declared, "Oh well.  Screw 'em.  I guess they won't get paid."  Except that also means we have no  internet.   ARGH!

All that to say, I'm typing quickly because now that I finally have a working computer (there were other problems besides the Z key) it's time to return the library's internet thing.  Argh!

I'm not really prepared with photos or anything to talk about, but I did want to get a post in before our internet disappears for who knows how long.  So....

I've been busy knitting furry headbands for winter.  I'm a little panicked.  I had applied to be a vendor at the county fair months ago and never heard anything so I assumed I didn't get in but....  I finally heard from them and now I have 4 weeks to prepare.  Worse case scenario, I'll sell those DAV hats I've been knitting, but I hope that doesn't happen.

Remember the hat Hayden stole from me that I mentioned in last week's post?  I had already started knitting fingerless gloves to go with it.  Very simple, plain ribbed fingerless gloves.  They are finished and now I have to knit another hat to match.  ... To sell at the fair, of course.

And I'm injured and traumatized.  I got a splinter.  That's not even the whole splinter.  The ends broke off while trying to pull it out.  It was all the way through the pad of my big toe, all the way, sticking out of both sides of my toe.  Sarah ended up having to use a razor blade to cut it out.  Thank goodness for her EMT training because (1) I couldn't bend enough to get a good enough look at it to remove it, (2) I would never have been able to use that razor blade on myself and (3) Patient First was closed and I wasn't going to the real ER for a splinter.  She's either a good surgical candidate or she has no qualms about slicing up her mom.

And on that note, I'm off to vacuum again, just because I can, and then do some more panic knitting.  Hopefully we'll get the internet situation straightened out soon and I'll be back to ramble on some more.  Have I mentioned how much I dislike Verizon?

Happy knitting!

Not bored yet

People keep telling me I'll get bored in my retirement but so far I find it's pretty exhausing!  A nice relaxed exhaustion, but exhausting all the same.

Mostly, I've been busy either knititng or floating in the pool.

My I'm Still Stranding scarf is coming along.  It's very addictive, but I do have to pay attention so I haven't had the opportunity to knit on it as much as I'd like.  It's definitely not a 'knit in the pool' project.

Actually, none of my projects are being knit in the pool.  I can't quite get the nerve up to try it.  I'm too scared of ruining good wool.  Maybe I should break out some cheap dish cloth cotton and some old plastic needles and give it a try.

I knit a hat with the intention of selling it, but Someone begged and pleaded for it.  Nana can't say no to Someone.

I've also been knitting several pairs of fingerless gloves and mittens to sell but I haven't taken photos.  I signed up to be a vendor for several fall craft fairs so I'm sort of in panic-knitting mode.

I found these removable pompom buttons on Amazon and they'll help the hat making go Much faster.  I despise sewing pompoms on.  But these are great.  You just pull the pom's elastic loop through the top of the hat and wrap it around the slots in the button.  When you're ready to remove the pom, just unhook the elastic loop.  Easy peasy!  I'm super happy I found these but I'm not linking to their sales page because I can't say much for the supplier.  The Amazon listing states 50 buttons plus an attaching "tool" (a crochet hook) but the first time I ordered them, they only sent 24 buttons and no hook. I was too lazy to drive all the way to the place to drop off a return so I decided to keep them despite not getting what I ordered.  I did leave a bad review though.  And then I decided to order them again to see what I got.  I used to "Order Again" button so I know I ordered the same thing and this time around, I received 50 buttons that are half the thickness of the first ones and they were in an unsealed ziplock bag and still no tool.  I could care less about the tool but after this experience, I'm not recommending the supplier.  The buttons themselves are great though so if you find yourself needing tons of pompom buttons....

Hayden is a blast to play with in the pool this year.  She's much more independent than last year and enjoys splashing and getting splashed, even in the face.  There have been a few brutal water gun battles already.

And of course we celebrated the 4th of July. The whole family spent the day in the pool while dinner cooked on the smoker.  Not long after we got out of the pool, a huge thunderstorm whipped through and then the sun popped back out in time for fireworks.  I was Very glad for the rain.  We're currently in drought conditions and I was more than a little worried about burning the county down with sparks from our fireworks.

And tomorrow.... I'm super excited for tomorrow.  A friend moved out of state during covid times and we didn't get to hug goodbye.  But now, she's moved back and we are getting together for the first time tomorrow. I can't wait!

Meanwhile, Happy Knitting!