Hello, It's me!

No, I am not dead or wounded nor have I left the planet.

I am just really trying to find balance with work and life. Unfortunately, the computer is loosing the battle.

As you all know, I was gainfully unemployed for almost 6 months – a long time to live on little. And, my savings seriously dwindled to nothingness. Thus, I have been working extra shifts any time I can to help build back up a “rainy day fund” – small as it is with gas prices these days.

The dogs are not coping well with 12 hour shifts, which really equate to 14 hour shifts for them. So, it is difficult for me to come home and jump on the computer to catch up with all of you when they are raring to go “do” something. I have just a couple of hours most days for “me” time and that me time needs to include laundry and a trifling of housework every now and then.

Please don’t all think that because I don’t answer your email or I am not blogging that there is nothing going on – it is just a time crunch and there are other things that have been winning on that front!

Add in to this mix teenagers and aging parents and as you can see my week is not long on “extra” time.

I have had many a blog post that have rambled around my brain, but alas, they have not made the “published” column and won’t probably. I can tell you this that knitting and spinning are still what helps me keep my sanity – and I get precious little time to do them either.

In the plus column – school is done for the year!! I am happy to report that we all made it through exams – even the mom unit! My daughter dislocated her shoulder quite severely this spring and thus she is still on limited activity and in physical therapy. This kept her from playing in orchestra – so her exam consisted of writing a massive paper. Oy. Lots of nights of writing and just as many editing and the outcome is still in the wings. Her teacher was going to let her know today how she did. Kind of scary when she plays so beautifully – this is her “easy A” class. Writing, not so much. So, we wait on pins and needles.

I have been working on returning to school myself and was shocked to find out that I have 18 credits that may transfer in their entirety and I am still waiting to hear about an additional 5 that may or may not transfer – but, holy cow – that was most certainly a shocker. I am driven to get a degree and be working smarter not harder. A degree will equate to the ability to live on less hours because I will be making more money!

See, I told you all that I have been busy!

As for knitting content – I am working away on some projects from More Big Girl Knits – I love this book. I really love Jillian and Amy for creating a book that has knits that fit those of us that have a bounty of body! Great patterns! So, each night I knit a bit and relax away the days tensions. I also have knit another EZ Baby Surprise Jacket for a gal at work. Again, with Koigu KPPM – I had enough left over to make Saartje’s Booties and a garter stitched hat. They should be out the door this weekend and in the hands of the expecting mom!

Now, for the news of a lifetime. I never in all my life expected what happened yesterday – ever. Twenty six years ago, I released a child for adoption. It was a time in my life that I was not prepared for parenthood in any way, shape, or form. So, I released a beautiful baby to the family that had been waiting years and years for a baby. I left the files open, but I never, ever expected to hear from that child. It was not that I did not want to talk – it was rather that I knew that this child would be loved tremendously and there would be no “void” for me. To say that I have often thought of this child would be a gross understatement. I thought often and prayed mightily for that child. So imagine my shock and amazement when I listened to a message from an officer at the Oakland County Courthouse yesterday. Imagine more of my amazement when I called back to leave a message at 8:30PM last night to have the phone answered! So, after some pretty amazing conversation – it seems that this child faxed in a request for information on the 2nd of June – and on the 4th of June I was contacted! The Oakland employee told me she was going to make a phone call and she’d call me back. An hour later she did! It seems my long ago released child does in fact want to get in touch with me. The Court employee told me that I would be receiving a letter. I hung up in shock and amazement. I had barely put the phone down and it rang again. It seems that this child is as impulsive as me – no letter writing there – a direct connection. We talked, and laughed, and cried, and talked, and talked, and talked for over an hour.

As you can probably imagine – I got little sleep last night. I spent most of the night giving thanks to God for this most precious gift. I have spent most of the day giving thanks as well!

And, this child called again today! Wonder of all wonders. And, hearing that child say to me – “Hello, It’s me.” made my heart sing with joy.

I will let you all know when I come down from Cloud Nine – although I don’t expect it to be too soon!

I will try and keep you all posted on a more regular basis. Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Have a blessed evening everyone!

Oh… and I do have an extremely delinquent post about some gorgeous May Day Socks that I received from an amazing May Day Sock Pal!!

This is not a lazy Monday!

I don’t have to go to work today, but that does not eliminate work from the agenda today.  I have work to do and lots of it!

I am heading off to the post office to send some packages out.  I am finishing up the never-ending laundry.  And, I am casting on sock #2 for my May Day Sock Swap Pal!  Yes, I am behind the 8-ball a bit.  Sock #1 is done, and done nicely!  Sock #2 will soon follow!  I will not be crying “May Day” but sending off a nice May Day Surprise package instead!

Having rejoined the ranks of the employed, managing a house has become a challenge!  I am seriously in need of some downsizing in housework!  Right now, I have floors that need to be mopped, sheets that need to be changed (which will make more laundry, gah!), bathrooms that need something more than a “quick wipe”, and I need to put a serious grocery list together!  I seriously need to find a “Housekeeping Genie”!  Especially since I have no magical powers – I cannot wiggle my nose like Samantha did on Bewitched – sending things moving through air to their correct place, nor can I blink like Barbara Eden did in I Dream Of Genie instantly making things right and in their place!  So, I am looking for a “genie replacement”!  It will give me time to knit, spin, and unwind after work!  It will also make my days off a bit more manageable.  So, my goal for the week will be to find someone who can do a few things here for a reasonable sum of money!

So, I am off to get a sock cast on and get to the post office!  Have a good day all!

Just a bit of destashing…

Just a bit of destashing…

Spring cleaning has hit and I am doing a bit of destashing! Prices include US shipping. If you need shipping outside of the US, email me and we can work something out. If you want more than one, I will re figure your shipping cost. Paypal preferred. The fiber is well taken care of in a home with dogs and cats! Email me with questions at kachrist37 (at) gmail (dot) com. Of course you know to replace (at) with @ and (dot) with a .

A sweater’s worth of Tahki Torino. 100% Extra Fine Merino – color 125, dye lot 2151. 94 yards per skein. All 10 skeins with shipping – $56.00

4 Skeins of Di.ve Mohair Kiss. Color – 27385, dye lot 9575. 98 yards per skein. All 4 skeins with shipping – $20.00

Rio de la Plata Sock yarn – 437 yards. Color way code SL02 – pale pink pastel, sandstone, chinchilla. $10 with shipping.

Opal Sock Yarn. 425 meters. Color – denim-y blues, khaki, and gray. $13.00 with shipping.

Opal Sock Yarn. 425 meters. Price $13.00 with shipping.

Fortissima Colori Socka Yarn. Mexiko Country Colors. Price $13.00 with shipping.

Regia Sock Yarn. Price $13.00 with shipping.

Regia Bamboo Sock Yarn. $12.00 with shipping.

Regia Bamboo Sock Yarn. $12.00 with shipping.

Fleece Artist 100% washable merino wool. Spring colorway. $13.00 with shipping.

Sweetgeorgia yarns. Coal Harbor Colorway. 370 yards. $10.00 with shipping. SOLD!

Duet Sock Yarns – Skinny. 100% Superwash merino. 450 yards. $17.00 with shipping. SOLD!

Thanks and have a great day!

It's a knitting kind of day

It's a knitting kind of day

Hello everyone!  Yesterday started out as a day off, but I got called in to work from 3PM to 7PM.  Not too bad at all, especially when I could sit and knit!  Not too bad at all.  And, since I am trying to finish my May Day Swap Socks – 4 hours of knitting time with no housework yelling at me sounded like just the thing!

And, I got sock #1 done!  Sock #2 will be cast on this morning and I will knit away on it as I work on the house a bit too!  And, tonight is knitting with the S.A.B.L.E ladies – the high point of my week!  What an amazing group of women.  They are so positive and cheerful.  I am truly blessed to know these ladies.  It is so fun to watch them helping and encouraging each other!  There is some spinning going on, some knitting going on, lots of laughter, and an abundance of love.  I am eagerly looking forward to spending my evening with those ladies!

On the work front, things are still going wonderfully.  I truly love my job.  And, I am finding new reasons everyday.  Yesterday, I got on the scale and much to my surprise, I have lost almost 10 pounds since starting!  Holy cow people.  That equates to a lot of walking!!  As my feet tell me after every shift.  I have gotten a different pair of shoes and they feel good, but I am still working on getting rid of blisters.  I am seriously hoping that 3 days without 12 hours of walking will help cure that!!

It also seems that spring has finally sprung here in my little corner of the world, with a big SPROING!  Birds are singing,  breezes are blowing and we have a week of 70 plus degree days.  I could not be more thrilled!  This does not bode well for the tulips for Tulip Time, however.  Warm days and warm nights make for a short tulip season.  And, we have rain in the forecast for the weekend.

I will leave you with a view of the sunny yellow forsythia that is blooming in my back yard.

Have a great day everyone!

A day off!

Or, why are there only 24 hours in a day?

It seems to me that when a person works 12 hour days that their day’s off should be a bit longer than 24 hours!

Here I am, on my day off, and I find myself doing laundry, cleaning the house (don’t have a panic attack, gentle readers – just surface cleaning is going on here), getting something ready to take to Sandy and Bud’s tonight for dinner, and I am about to leave to watch #2 daughter play in her tennis match at school.  I have done little to no knitting (soon to be remedied at the tennis match), no spinning, not one fun thing!  If you could see my bloglines – I don’t think I will be caught up ever!

Thus why I think that day’s off should be MUCH longer than 24 hours!

Tomorrow will be one LONG day.  Work 12 hours and then I will be making a beeline to see/hear #2 daughter at her spring concert.  If I sit in the back do you think anyone will notice that I am in my work clothes???  There will be no time to change – the concert starts at 8PM – I should arrive moments before the start.   Oy.

Alright all, I am off to see my tennis pro!  Have a good evening all!

When you journey to Mecca you may find Goddesses

When you journey to Mecca you may find Goddesses

Hello everyone!

What an amazing weekend!  From start to finish it was just amazing!  From Friday night with The Yarn Harlot to Sunday with Amy and Jillian and a bit of work in between it rocked!

But, I have to tell you that Sunday was simply beyond belief!  Ann, Sandy, and I headed out to visit Mecca for the premier of More Big Girl Knits.  It was a transforming day.  Truly transforming.

Personally, weight is something that I have struggled with for a long time – a lifetime, it seems.  And, living in a society that tells us daily that the norm is to be a thin, svelte size 6 makes being the exact opposite of that a challenge.  As friends have blogged about, shopping for clothes for those of us who are not societies norm is not much fun.

When you get to my age (yes, the ripe old age of 47) there are things that you want to change, but changing them in reality just ain’t gonna happen!  I mean, get real.  I am not likely to start training for a marathon next week – or even next month.  Hell, lets be totally honest here – marathon training is not ever going to happen!  So, shopping consists of finding things that “cover” you up.

Then, yesterday happened.

Amy and Jillian brought with them to Threadbear a volume of samples to try on.  A volume I am telling you!  How awesome is that?

But, what is even more awesome is the fact that each item I tried on flattered my overweight, middle-aged body!

These patterns are well written with amazing instructions to help fit each garment to me!  I spent the evening reading through the book and I am more in love with it than I was at Threadbear!  If I could make a  recommendation to you about a book to by if you are a beautiful big girl – get this book!  Usually, I am lucky if there are a couple of patterns in a book that I might knit.  In More Big Girl’s there is a list!  A long list!  This could provide me knitting for a good long time!

I am not the only person who this “Aha Moment”.  There was much excitement in all the women who were trying things on.  And, it was truly amazing to be with women who were like me…. and watching them be transformed as I was.

Add to that the fact that there were some divine cupcakes and astonishingly delicious cake –  and a building packed with yarn – you can understand why Threadbear gets the title of Mecca!

Matt and Rob were charming as ever – and they had amazing sales as well yesterday!  And, I mean AMAZING!

So, what was so amazing you ask????

Ummmm, how about a little Shaeffer Clara on sale – think – Liberate Your Laceweight!

And, can you even pass up Lorna’s Laces Lion and Lamb on sale at 50% off – I cast on last night for a new Clapotis!

And, the best of all – a sweater’s worth of Garnstudio’s Silky Wool that will become The No-Gap Wrap from More Big Girl Knits!

Yeah – a great day.  I will leave you with some photo’s of what you all were missing!

Sandy and Ann with some new yarn for a scarf for Ann!

Tracey casting on something new from the book!  I am so fortunate to have her as a friend!  And, I am loving her sweater – you looked awesome, girlfriend!


Jillian and the “Wall of Collinette”.  If you are not blessed to know this woman – she just rocks!

Amy knitting away on a gorgeous sweater.  I don’t know what the knitting community would be without knitty.com.  She is awesome!

And, last but certainly not least – Carla!  She is knitting the same sweater in the same yarn in the same color as me.  It is a sister thing!

Whew – after a weekend like this I need to get back to work!  But, just to keep the “knitting glow” going.  The S.A.B.L.E. group is on my agenda for the evening.  What could be a better way to end – with knitters with the same obsession as me!

Have a great week all!

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