Knitting Without Needles

Wordless Wednesday! First Day of School!!

Denise — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:13:48 +0000

Well, That Never Happened to me Before!

Denise — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 20:50:43 +0000

Got onto the elevator with a BUNCH of people. It beeped and buzzed because there were too many people. So some of them got off.

The elevator made it’s way up and stopped between the 5th and 6th floor. It sat there and had a little think.. made a horrible noise, then it sent us to the basement.

Luckily, at a slow rate of speed.

When the doors opened there was a mass exodus of about half of the people on board.

I stayed. And rode happily back up to the 6th floor.

It’s all good.

Step Away From the Bon Bons..

Denise — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 01:35:29 +0000

After nearly nine years my carefree days of housewifery are over. No more lying idly about the house barefoot watching my stories whilst eating bon bons.

What is a bon bon anyway?

Tomorrow I am starting a job. I re-enter the exciting world of work in the big city.

Ok.. it’s just Akron. I just hope I don’t get lost on the way to work tomorrow.

I can’t say I am entirely looking forward to this, and I also can’t say I am entirely NOT. There is a bit of nervous, hesitant excitement about getting out there and taking on a new challenge, learning new things and meeting new people.

I am after all a little more social than my eHermit husband.

At the same time there is a deep sadness, as I have never been away from my two youngest children for any regular time barring a trip here or there. I will miss out on their day to day antics. I’ll miss the fights, the cool Lego creations the little interesting musings. I won’t be there to add a little extra female balance to the mix for my daughter. And I won’t be there to guide my oldest son through his first days of high school!

I still can’t believe it!

This whole thing just stinks. I haven’t spoken of it, but the job cut was devastating, and at the same time a relief. Things needed to change but we were hoping it would be on our schedule. It was not. We spent the evening of my 40th birthday cutting me back to my old cell phone and trying to figure out how poor we needed to be to get the kids on Medicaid and still keep a roof over our heads.

It’s a delicate balance…

We’ve done alright. Brian is working hard at getting his consulting business off the ground and so far we haven’t even gotten any unemployment.

Dang.. I was looking forward to getting some of that money back!

But health insurance for a family is expensive when you make too much to qualify, and bills are piling up a little so off to work I go. Meanwhile, my brave, brave husband will take over the child rearing duties and in a week and a half take over the homeschooling as well. All while still working on his consulting. I will be able to cover the mortgage, health insurance and perhaps some incidentals, but he needs to carry the rest. That is one thing I am sort of looking forward to.. a bit of team work to get it all done.

Well, I have to get up early in the morning.

Another thing I am NOT looking forward too..

So I have to post this and get to bed.

Brian just made sure the tank is full so I am assured to have plenty of gas for my first day of work.

Great…

How To’s Day: How to get free knitting books!

Denise — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:26:49 +0000

I don’t think I have paid for a book in a while. I have gotten a few good ones lately and I thought why not share how I did it! It’s really pretty easy! I use Swagbucks. It’s a great little deal!

I downloaded their search bar and rather than searching through my regular search bar on my internet browser I use the Swagbucks one. I am randomly awarded points for this. Once I have collected up 450 points I pop over to the Swagbucks store and buy myself a $5 Amazon gift card. Quite often you can get used books there for a very low price. I might have to wait a bit till I collect up enough points to get a book and the shipping for free but hey it’s usually worth the wait!

I mention this now because a) I just ordered another $5 Amazon card today so I am on my way to getting a book I have been wanting, and b) There are two great incentives to sign up before Thursday!

Swagbucks is offering a 50 point sign up bonus, so you automatically get 70 points to start you off. AND they are going to be putting out 5 bonus codes on Thursday! So if you sign up and download the search bar a little message alert will go off on it to tell you there is a code and you can get some points fast!! Or you can watch the little widget on my left sidebar, it will also show code alerts!

There are also alot of other things you can get with Swagbucks.. Restaurant.com certificates, and music posters etc. You can also use your Swagbucks to enter to win prizes or you can save up for something really big like an iPad!. I don’t know if I have the stamina!

Click here to check it out and sign up! It’s free, and it’s really not annoying like other online programs or I wouldn’t be telling you about it let alone using it!

Note.. apparently there is a special code to enter to get 30 extra points when you sign up. SwagToSchool is the code, it is case sensitive as all Swagbucks codes are! Let me know if it works!

Enjoy! And let me know what ya get with your points!!

Yesterday..

Denise — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:06:18 +0000

A funny thing happened on the way to the softball game. I noticed that Brian had blown a seam in the underarm of his t-shirt. Well, I couldn’t have that now could I ?

I just happened to have a bit of matching thread and a needle and so I went into action. There was only one problem. He was driving. But hey, he was game so I went to work. Of we went driving down the road, him with his arm up in the air, me stitching away.

I don’t know what the people in the other cars thought but hey, I finished just in time for him to be presentable when he arrived at the ball field!

All’s well that ends well!

Sunny Sunday Harvest..

Denise — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 19:57:02 +0000

Some of you might remember my last harvest.. It wasn’t that hot! Now here is what we picked today..

This time it is only the beginning! Our produce inspector approves!

Frugal Friday: Free Jeans, and a Nearly Free Lunch

Denise — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:29:00 +0000

This week was pretty good in the frugal food dept. I don’t think I cooked a meal for over $8!! And when you are serving it up for 6 that is a GREAT thing! Again.. I highly recommend the book Family Feasts for $75 a Week. Last night’s dinner was Zesty Ramen Stir Fry, from the book and it was DELICIOUS!! (not to mention it cost around $6!)

The best meal deal this week was a lunch. A two cent lunch! And you can get in on it too! I rarely buy Chef Boyardee, so when I do it is a treat. This week it was a treat for my little guys, and a treat for my wallet. I printed up a few Target coupons off their site, for $1 off a Chef Boyardee item. I popped over to Target, and snagged a can. At that particular store it was $1.02, so that can cost me 2 cents. The next day I had an interview at another Target store, so I took the other coupon along. THAT store had the Chef Boyardee for 89 cents a can! So it was completely free! Hey that works for me! So my little guys got fed yesterday at lunch for a penny a piece!

If you don’t know it Target has a great coupon policy, Go to their website and check out their printable coupons . You can pair TARGET coupons with regular manufacturers coupons to double your savings too!

Now free jeans.. if you have not heard of Freecycle.org then click on that link and go now.. seriously, GO! It’s better than Craigslist! It’s all free!! It’s an organization dedicated to keeping usable items out of landfills. You have something you don’t use any more, and chances are there is somebody out there who could use that item. So you post your item, and give it away! It gets a new life, and stays out of a landfill! I have gotten a lot of things need this way, and given a lot too.

It’s back to school shopping time!! Saving tips!

Denise — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:53:08 +0000

Back to School Shopping Tips

When the grocery store starts selling lunch boxes and school supplies, you know that the summer break days are numbered…
I can remember from my own school days the feeling of confidence and anticipation that came from going off to meet my new teacher and classmates with a new backpack, lunch box, clothes and shoes. And now that I am a parent, I want to pass on these same feelings to my kids but without breaking the bank. Costs associated with back to school expenses can be crippling for families if you spend before doing a little studying of your own!
So, as the lazy summer routines give way to more structure every August, this is when spending skills are tested for most families. Any change in routine can cause stress on the family spender and if left unprepared you may find spending can get out of control and leave you with the same old feeling of frustration. So, below are some tips to help make the shift go smoothly and with as little impact to the checkbook as possible:

1)A little planning goes a long way. Before shopping for anything related to getting ready for school, spend some time with your kids discussing what is needed and when it is needed. This will give you an idea of the overall cost involved so you can plan accordingly. In about 3 weeks, revisit the list of things you classify as “Need Later” to see if you really need them. Get a sturdy clipboard and use the worksheet located on my website as a guide for each child.

2)Each child will have different needs since each grade has different supplies, clothing trends and lunch considerations. Check the school website for more information such as a grade appropriate supply list before shopping. Most kids can get by in the first few days with the basics, and then fill in the rest of the supplies after your student has met the teacher and knows what is expected.

3)Shop for categories of items separately to enable tracking your spending. If you lump all the shopping into one big trip for all your kids, it is much easier to loose track of your spending goals. For example, shop for all the lunch supplies on one trip and the next trip shop for the clothes, etc.
4)If you have more than one child to outfit for school, take advantage of sales for multiple purchases. For example, buy one get one free shoes, snacks and drinks. For the most savings, combine a store coupon with an offer like this.
5)Delay some of your purchases until after school starts. While there are lots of great back to school sales before school starts, try to hold off since often you will see even deeper discounts when overstocked inventory must go in a few weeks. Also, your child may change their mind about what they need based on seeing what the trends are at school.

6)Use the internet to find store coupons and online coupon codes that are not available anywhere else. For example, www.alexscoupons.com lists a huge variety of coupons and by spending a few minutes surfing before shopping you can yield big savings.
Remember there will be other expenses incurred as you get into the school year, such as after school activities, school events, and gifts so if you plan ahead, you will be in a better position to manage the financial impact.
Amy Bergin, mother of three children, creator of THE COUPONIZER®. The #1 best selling coupon organizing and shopping system in the US and Canada. To find out more visit her website at SAVING is good.

Also be sure to stop by my Frugal Finds page regularly for more money saving tips and links!

Frugal Fridays: Weekly Update

Denise — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:58:00 +0000

So, since becoming unemployed we are on what we fondly call the ‘unemployment diet’ the good news is we have lost weight.. at least those of us who need it, and the ones who don’t have actually gained weight (go Jules!)

The diet includes LOTS of eggs. Hey they are cheap an good for you! On Frugal Fridays I will let you know my two best meal deals of the week. And my best frugal find! So here we go:

Frugal Find of the Week:

Cereal! Here we go I got 4 boxes of Kellogg’s and General Mills cereal for +$2.61 yep they paid me to get them!! Here’s how:

3 of the boxes were $2.50 one was $3.89 I had 2 free product coupons from Kellogg’s from the recent recall, and one $1.00 off and another $.75 off coupon which doubled to $1.50 . I also had a $2.00 off your order coupon as well! Top that off with the fact that Giant Eagle is also offering a bonus $.15 off per gallon (up to 30 gallons) Fuelperks when you buy 4 boxes of the cereal in one trip. Here’s the math:

I love getting paid to shop!

Meal Deals!

Now for the best meal deals of my week:

The tastiest was Grandma’s Mushroom Chicken from the book Family Feasts for $75 a Week by Mary Ostyn.

I spent $6.99 on the chicken $2.00 on the mushrooms, $.75 on the chicken broth and about a buck on other ingredients. Add $1 for the veggies on the side and about $.25 on my mashed potatoes and I get $12 total so for us $2 a piece and was it ever yummy!!

The best per serving deal was my mini pizzas. Got the English muffins free. Used about 1/3 of a jar of spaghetti sauce $1 a can of tomato paste $ .25 and some cheese probably $1.75 worth. That adds up to $3.00 so per person that is $.50 and everyone loved them!

What are your best frugal meals? Let me know and I will try them out!

And don’t forget to use those coupons!! I have a link to one of the online coupon spots I visit the most over on my left sidebar! Check it out I have saved alot of money printing coupons from this site! In fact two of the coupons I used in my cereal deal came from there!

Also stop by my Frugal Finds page regularly I will be adding links to deals I find there on a regular basis!

Wordless Wednesday: An oldie for fun, 4 generations!

Denise — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:29:15 +0000

Bookish Thursday Winner!!!

Denise — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:53:19 +0000

I revved up the random number generator.. 6 entries.. ooh do I ever draw a crowd!!

The winner is #5 comment that is Kathleen!!!

Kathleen snuck in her entry at the last minute! Lucky duck!! Look for two more giveaways coming up! I have two more audio books to give out!

Look out!

Denise — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:31:27 +0000

I am fiddling with a new blog theme.. so Things will be switching around a bit the next few days as I sort it all out!! Let me know what . . . → Read More: Look out!

Bookish Thursday: A Giveaway!!!

Denise — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:15:26 +0000

I just finished listening to the most wonderful book I have had in a while. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is as interesting and delightful as it’s title leads one to believe! I loved every minute.. even when I realized my iPod was on shuffle it didn’t really matter. I was able to follow the story, as it is all in the form of letters, and other correspondence between the characters!

Set just after the end of WWII in London England, the story tells the tale of an unlikely group of people who form a literary society amidst the war. Juliette, an author who lives in London, receives a letter from Darby, on the Island of Guernsey. He had found her name inside a book he had bought after the war,and a simple letter of inquiry about the book and it’s author quickly turns into a flurry of correspondence from himself and others of the Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Juliette. After all who wouldn’t want to know more about such an oddly named group?

I liked it so much I want to give you a chance to have a listen too! So please leave a comment letting me know what great books on tape or regular books you have read lately if you would like to win the audio CD set of this book. I will draw a name on Sunday afternoon! Please be sure to leave an email where I can get in touch with you if you should win!

Disclaimer: A copy of the CD set was provided by the publisher.

Wordless Wednesday: One Happy Camper!

Denise — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:50:00 +0000

Still here really I am!

Denise — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:02:14 +0000

I have actually been quite busy. We went to Pittsburgh for our church annual conference. Brian and I were delegates. We literally camped out at Grandma’s house. It was fun. I have finished a few knitting projects and when I can get the pictures I will show them off! I have a bookish Thursday give away this week so look for that.

Now to get ready for our Christmas in July meeting at the knitting guild and to finalize references so I can apply for jobs at two local craft shops that have openings! Or would that be like an alcoholic working in a liquor store?

Finished Friday! Houston, we have steps!

Denise — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:50:00 +0000

They need a little tweaking, and a little cleaning but our lovely stone steps are back! Now if we could only get all those other projects done around the house we would be in good shape!

Bookish Thursday: The Lampshade Lady’s Guide

Denise — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:10:00 +0000

I don’t know how they do it, but my kids always manage to mash, or otherwise ding dent and mangle our lampshades. I was quite glad when I was sent a copy of The Lampshade Lady’s Guide to Lighting Up Your Life: 50 Custom Lampshades and Lamps by Judy Lake.

With this easy to follow and incredibly beautiful illustrated guide, I can give them a completely new style or at least work on replacing them!!

I just wish I had more time to make more of these funky and stylish lampshades Judy describes in her book. With all the fabric pieces that I have collected lately I would finally give them a purpose!

Judy Lake has written a craft book in the real original sense, a book about a craft that she has perfected to an art. The love for her art shows in every detail and on every page.

The book is easy to follow, features terrific photos, and best of all, it provides a treasure trove of fresh ideas. So if you are like me and in need of some new lampshades, or just want to restyle your current ones, which is a really easy way to update the look of a room, then this book is for you!

Disclaimer: A copy of this book was provided by the publisher.

A little savings news to pass on…

Denise — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:41:19 +0000

Get 25% Off at the Red Heart online shop – One Week Only!

A Reward for Your Love of Yarn . . .
You’re one of the best customers, so we want to offer you 25% off during our Red Heart Lover’s Savings Event
When: One Week only June 22 – June 28*

Where: www.shopredheart.com

How: Enter FF25 code at checkout.

Invite Others: Share this email and Promotional Code with your Friends and Family. We’d like to get to know them, too!
*Offer valid June 22, 2010 – June 28, 2010 at 11:59 PM PT online. Discounts apply to in stock merchandise only, not applicable taxes nor shipping & handling charges. No price adjustments are allowed on previous purchases.

Alrighty! Listen up!

Denise — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:22:51 +0000

You birds,

bees

thorns

poison ivy

I am putting you on notice!!

It’s on!

And I am winning!!

All the things I HAVEN’T been blogging about.. look out!

Denise — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 14:02:46 +0000

Well you may have noticed I haven’t been blogging much lately. It’s mainly because I have been crazy busy, and partly because some of it had to wait for one reason and another. So here is the skinny.. details to come later..

We finished up our school year. 3/4 of the kids finished their year’s worth of curriculum and the strangler was expected.
We were treated to a family trip to Disney World courtesy of my birthparents 10 year wedding anniversary! Thanks guys!!
On the trip we encountered two very different bears.
All 13 of us who converged on Disney came down with a nasty stomach flu.
The day after we got back Vacation Bible School started at church.
I missed the first 2 days and other members of the family didn’t even make it. See reason #4.
I cut my finger, and was unable to knit for about a week, so I picked up some sewing.
I had my 40th birthday..
We spent my birthday downgrading me to my old cell phone and figuring out just how poor we needed to be to get the kids on Medicaid because,
We are now adding to the dismal unemployment statistics in Ohio.
While item #10 leaves me shaking in my boots, my husband is optimistic.
I just burnt the pancakes while blogging. Leaving us with the burning question of.. will she ever learn that blogging/tweeting/bloglines/facebook/Im’ing and cooking don’t mix?

Bookish Thursday: Stashbusting with One Ball Knits: Gifts

Denise — Thu, 27 May 2010 15:26:53 +0000

No matter how hard I try, I always seem to have one ball of yarn left over when a project is finished. So I have this modge podge collection of odd balls just waiting for either someone on Ravelry who is one ball short, or a book like One Ball Knits Gifts

This book is filled with 20 great little projects to take care of those odd skeins you have laying around.

The projects are quite inventive, like this bowl:

A little knitting, a little fabric stiffener and voila!

or this hat… LOVE IT!

And now I also know what I can do with that whack of I-cord I cranked out a while ago..

Napkin rings!!!

Over all I didn’t see a project in this book that I wouldn’t knit! It’s definitely a keeper!!

Disclaimer: A copy of this book was provided by the publisher

Wordless Wednesday: I can still sew though…

Denise — Wed, 26 May 2010 21:24:39 +0000

Can’t Knit..

Denise — Tue, 25 May 2010 22:39:21 +0000

In a spectacularly dumb move yesterday I ended up cutting my pinky open with a butter knife. It’s on the palm side, right near the joint. I did such a good job Brian was convinced I needed to go get it stitched. I balked and said no we can just wrap it up really well and make it so I can’t bend my pinky and leave it wrapped for a couple of days like that and it should be fine..

So far so good.. but I can’t knit.. sigh…

Bookish Thursday: The Sock Knitter’s Workshop!

Denise — Thu, 20 May 2010 17:23:21 +0000

So, I the not-a-sock-knitter am planning to start a pair of socks just for knitting while in lines at Disney. I love knitting socks in line, it just looks so cool and people are always intrigued. Also they are a nice small project that is portable.

When today’s book was offered to me I thought ok, I’ll take a look.. well.. I did and I am in LOVE!!!! The Sock Knitter’s Workshop by Ewa Jostes and Stephanie van der Linden is terrific! It’s like a buffet of techniques that you can mix and match to make socks!!!

Anyone who knows me as a knitter, knows I love interesting construction in knitting. So this book is right up my ally! There are like 13 different heels, 7 different toes, 5 cast on methods, toe up cuff down if it is a sock knitting technique that has been invented… it’s in here!

Of course there are also some really nice patterns..

Like this…

and this….

and this..

oooh those are crazy fun looking..

So many sock options so little time. hehe or well in my case I might have time in those lines!!

Disclaimer: A copy of this book was provided by the publisher

Wordless Wednesday: Did I Mention I Have a Secret Super Power?

Denise — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:19:12 +0000

Bookish Thursday! NEW SOCK BOOKS!

Denise — Thu, 13 May 2010 17:13:10 +0000

Boy was I excited when I got home Monday after a LONG day.. to find three packages with 4 books in them on my doorstep! So with this and all the other new books I have picked up lately look forward to plenty of great Bookish Thursdays to come!

Let’s get started! Like the title says there are new sock books on the ranch! First up is a new volume by Wendy Johnson of the delightful Wendy Knits blog.

If you have knit through every sock pattern in Wendy’s first book Socks from the Toe Up: Essential Techniques and Patterns from Wendy Knits, and are ready for more then Toe-Up Socks for Every Body: Adventurous Lace, Cables, and Colorwork from Wendy Knits is for you! Yeah.. you know who you are.. don’t make me point you out.. and no, I don’t mean Wendy.. though knitting for work is a great excuse.. (no dear I can’t cook tonight I have to get these socks done for the book!) Anyway.. I digress..

Toe-Up Socks for Every Body is chock full of sock patterns.. 21 to be exact, and as the title indicates they are socks for all people.. little to big, young to old, funky to traditional. While heavy on patterns, this book is light on instruction. Wendy leaves that up to her first book which is chock full of sock knitting instruction, tips and wisdom. This makes the book a great companion volume to the first.

The two books together make a perfect set, and would make a great gift for a sock knitter or a knitter looking for some great portable projects!!

For my loom knitting friends.. with all the amazing and versatile sock looms that Decor Accents has out now I don’t see how you could go wrong with this book! If you have knit through all the patterns in the Loom Knitting Socks book you might want to give this book a look!

Disclaimer: A review copy of the book was provided by the publisher

Wordless Wednesday: What I found on my morning walk

Denise — Wed, 12 May 2010 23:26:12 +0000

Well.. the cookie says it all!

Denise — Sun, 09 May 2010 12:50:00 +0000

Bookish Thursday: Regretsy

Denise — Thu, 06 May 2010 23:10:39 +0000

What started as somewhat of a joke, has blossomed into the mother of all ‘White Elephant’ gift collections. In Regretsy: Where DIY Meets WTF, author April Winchell shares her collection of the finest failures ever found on Etsy..

A chicken poncho. A painting of a corn dog. A clock made out of an old “mostly clean” cheese grater. All this and more await you in the pages of Regretsy, a collection of crafts gone wrong. Separated into categories such as Décor, Pet Humiliation, and Christmas, Regretsy showcases the worst of the worst.

If you like snarky commentary, and bad crafts, then Regretsy is the book for you.

Finished Friday: Where the young people show me how it’s done!

Denise — Sat, 01 May 2010 02:10:53 +0000

My middle son may not be into the academics, he may balk at spelling, and downright muddle through math, but is that boy ever cratfy!

He creates and builds wonderful things with his hands and his mind! Today, with a little help from me he created a tool, only a boy could want.. a bug net!

He came up with the idea, gathered the materials and sewed it together..

And voila! Here it is..

Now this last few weeks have been pretty slow for me in the project dept. so here is one of my young friends to show me how it is done.. We had hat day on Wednesday at our church’s Kids club and so Camilla whipped up a hat..

Quite good for a last minute project! She rocks the needle and thread..

Now I have to confess that I have gotten something done this week. I finished the reverse appliqué for the front of the Alabama Stitch Book style corset I am working on.

The next step is to seam it together. I have to decide whether or not to hand stitch it, or to machine stitch it. Stay true to the style, or speed it up.. haven’t decided yet. I am also thinking I need another half flower over there on the left edge.. And I have to decide what to do on the back! ai aiai!