updates

well i've failed to actually blog lately, posting a series of pictures is not blogging. 

so i'll try to do better.

first i would like to congratulate Nikki on her pregnancy and she's having a little boy (along with everyone else it seems) and i am knitting her a little present for Chael. I actually have several little present ideas floating around in my head thanks to my newest book purchase Mason Dixon Knitting  at the very least this little boy is getting a Moderne Baby Blanket, and

 though this is the most monotonous thing i have knit so far, it is growing to be one of my favorites.

Next... Christmas will be fun here this year we are hosting two puppies (well technically they are full grown dogs) but Gertrude and Oliver will be spending the holidays with us as their human mommy is going back to the states to be with her family while her husband is deployed. 

we are tossing around the idea of moving off base, which is becoming more and more of a certainty every day, first it was the lack of yard for Aiko, then it was the hatred of running up and down the stairs, then it was the ants, a plethora of ants flood into our building when it rains, and the other day while christmas shopping, i was looking at books, and spotted a book on quilting. Paul says no quilting, i take up too much space with all my yarn (i think he may be right) and there is no where for me to put a sewing machine (also he is right) so now we need a bigger place so i can have a craft room. 

Aiko's new harness

you can get your own at www.harnessheaven.com

Merry Christmas from the McCawley Pets!

i've been knitting!

HOLY COW! I'VE ACTUALLY FINISHED SOMETHING!

okay well i still have to weave in ends but it'll happen before i give this gift! 

it's a Lacy Beanie out of 101 designer one skein wonders knit in Classic Elite Yarns: Classic 150 which is just lovely to work with!

this was a really quick knit i finished it in two nights i think, really easy lace pattern!

and this afternoon i cast on a Moderne Baby Blanket for a very special friend who is having a very special baby! i'll post some pictures when i get further in, i'm only about 5 rows into it thus far. 

oh and i'm almost done christmas shopping!! wooo!

New Hair

New Camera in Okinawa

Because I Love You!

Happy Birthday Marine Corps

and a fun time was had by all!

i am so sorry i've been a terrible blogger lately, i've been working on school work and well okay lets not kid ourselves, there has been some good shit on TV lately.

i'll try to be here more for all my faithful reader(s?)

SUNDAY FUNDAY

for your viewing pleasure, i present: 

HAPPY DOG

silly animals

recently we have been dealing with the issue of the dog eating the cat food. after trying many different spots the cat food is now settled on the dining room table, we dont use it, except to pile stuff on, and i think the cat likes it there because it's right next to a window. problem solved. 

this morning i get up and feed the animals, go into the kitchen and while preparing my own breakfast i hear them munching away at their food. as i walk out of the kitchen i am presented with a situation i am not sure how to handle. 

what do you do when the cat eats the dog food?

Okinawa World

Today we went to Okinawa World, this was probably the most fun touristy thing we've done yet, it was a blast, very hot but a blast. 

Gyokusendo Cave is on the property and very beautiful, unfortunately its not in good condition, lots of foot prints off the path, people have touched the stalactites and broken several that once hung over the path way.

there was a waterfall in the cave it was really neat.
Paul in front of the 'Golden Cup' a big golden stalactite thing with little pools at the top
then there was the tropical fruit farm where we saw a pineapple bush
i have no clue what this is but it's beautiful (it's a Passion Fruit Flower, thank you Dawn)
and some Banana's for Banana (they are way up at the top)
okay this, i dont know what it's called but if you've ever watched Andrew Zimmerman's Bizarre food's you may recognize it. i am 90% sure this is the one thing he will not eat. it's been in a few episodes and it always make's him gag. (its called a Durian, thanks Deborah)
they had a guy blowing glass, well this he wasnt actually blowing he was just shaping

some amazing hand dyed yarn i found ([del]still trying to identify the fiber content[/del] its cotton)
Habu Sake, yes it's Sake make with real poisonous snakes, gross huh? we even got to taste it and it's gross
they have several reptile exhibits, and one there was these turtles, well as we were walking around looking at the cute turtles i saw one in the water floating upside down, i almost burst into tears, and start to panic, it's in an inclosed cage so i cant reach in and save it.  after a few seconds a guy walked by and in broken Japengrish i got his attention and signaled to the poor turtle, he smiled and walked into the back, after a few min i wasnt sure if he was going to come back but he did and he saved her, i got real close to get a picture of her and i'm pretty sure she was smiling thanking me for saving her.
Paul and I durring the snake show posing with a python
the snake guy (same guy that saved my turtle) playing with a cobra!
the front of Okinawa world
me posing with what i think is a Green Snake
Paul with the snake
a mongoose
the end! I hope you enjoyed!

Dear Chili's

how is it that you can make the best side salad in the history of side salads, but you can do nothing else right? i hate going to you because almost all your food is terrible, and terrible for me, but damn you make a good side salad.

our new sunday tradition

i should start with a little back story.
i've been having some minor stomach/intestinal issues. lately i often get sick when i eat fatty or rich food. the doctors thought it was my gallbladder. so last sunday, i got really sick, pain, nausea, it was awful, so after 6 hours in the ER i still had no diagnoses, all they know is it's not my gallbladder. i was sent home with medicine for acid reflux. i'm still sick just learning to manage it i guess. so now this weekend paul has a new part for his car he's been trying to find time to install (can you see where this is going?) well he had this part that he didnt know was spring-loaded, and he accidentally released the spring and it clamped onto his finger, he basically had to rip it out. so 4 hour and two stitches later we are home. and all in one piece.

drunk dial

okay i dont drink often but when i do i am a terrible drunk dialer, and thankfully while being in japan everyone i may drunk dial is wide awake while it is my drunk dial time. my normal victim is my mother, bless her, its still early and she may get a call, but i just had a nice convo with my dad. i felt i needed him, one thing led to another and i was thinking of lobster, my dads favorite food, so i just had to tell him i was thinking of him.
oh and brag that i am officially a student at University of Maryland University College Asia.
that is all.
Loves

Dont Vote

another wine cozy & craft fair

(i really hate how yellow my kitchen looks)

i really love this pattern, and i love how it looks with variegated yarn. 

i have 15 days to decide if i am going to enter into the craft fair. i think it would be fun, and i could sell some knit crap. i dunno. it would take alot of time to knit stuff up. part of me wants to just go this year and have a look and enter next year, and part of me wants to just do it. 

Blocking a-la-irish hiking scarf

as you may remember i have knit two irish hiking scarves one for my Mom in law and one for my own mommy. they were part of the Christmas Scarf Disaster of '07, so called because i promised every damn family member i have a scarf, (totaling maybe 5-6) and i finished 1 (MIL's) on time. i finished the second (my moms) a few months ago, but she has still not received it. i've nearly finished the one that will be gifted to my SIL hopefully by this christmas. (i relly need to get on the ball) but anyway back to the point. MIL's was gifted as soon as it was finished, and i never gave a second thought to it. but nearly a year later when i have finished my moms, i have learned more about knitting and a technique called blocking

Blocking (textile arts), the process of stretching a knitted garment into shape while wet or using steam

i have always known of this technique i've just never used it because i never thought it was necessary, but i decided to give it a shot on this scarf.  so here it is, moms scarf (well half of it) pinned out on my brand new blocking board (1 yen per piece 4 pc total) laid out on the kitchen counter. hopefully i will get it all blocked so i can get it in the mail by tomorrow. 

Warm Beer

Warm Beer

i used:

4 size six dpn's 

Red Heart Super Saver Multi in Camo.

Loosely cast on 24 st. divide between 3 needles. continue in 3 x 3 rib for 13 rows. switch to K and continue for 5 1/2 inches tightly bind off. 

this is tightly bound off so it will not slide up over the bottom of the bottle. bottle goes in through ribbed end. 

just for fun

i havnt blogged in a while, ive been busy, and not feeling great, but here i am!

i found this on bowmansinoki's  page it looks interesting enough and a good way to get my self blogging again.

I AM … a Marine Wife, mom to animals, goober
I WANT… to be healthy and happy with a healthy and happy family
I HAVE … a silly husband who makes me laugh, and spoils me rotten
I KEEP … everything. and its genetic, my parents do it, my grandparents do it, and my kids will do it

I WISH I COULD … eat without gaining weight, loose about 20 pounds, run a 5K
I HATE … cookies with nuts in them
I FEAR … big spiders and bad ghosts.
I HEAR … silly dog de-stuffing her toy
I DON’T THINK … i will stick to my diet today
I REGRET … not having more time with my grandparents.
I LOVE … being with my family, the mountains, campfires, friends.
I AM NOT … a good housekeeper, but i really want to be
I DANCE … when i've had too much to drink
I SING … in the car when i'm alone, or when i want to irritate paul
I NEVER … thought I'd be living in Okinawa!
I RARELY … talk to anyone besides my mom in the states
I CRY WHEN I WATCH … just about anything, sad movies, happy movies, baby shows.. the list goes on
I AM NOT ALWAYS …polite.. i can be rude, and loud, and sometimes catty and a gossip
I HATE THAT … summer is almost over, thankfully i think summer is a year round thing here
I’M CONFUSED ABOUT … where we'll be headed in 10 years.
I NEED … a haircut
I SHOULD … exercise more, and get a job

Weekend wrap-up

he says he doesnt love her, what do you think?

aww who wouldnt love that face
mom i hate this hat
almost a sock!
beach (lens error)
she can swim
look at her go

one more down

just a tad too small. i need to get myself some real size 4 needles, instead of using japan size 3.4mm they didnt quite work. but i am proud of my work, and i am holding a great buzz, because i couldnt put a full bottle of wine in my cozy...

Monogamy or Polygamy?

i've always been a polygamist knitter, always having two or more projects going at a time. This has made me happy, i like having choices, if i get bored with scarf A i can move to scarf B or scarf C, or beanie D. I have ADD, having something keep my attention for more than 5 minutes is an amazing feat in itself. But recently the Ravelympics have quite possibly changed me, i have had a slew of projects to complete and only been working on one at a time, with the feeling if i at least finish three instead of getting half way done with 5 then i will be proud of myself. i have finished 2 projects and am well on my way to finishing my 3rd. All three have been completely monogamous, one project at a time is a new thing for me, and i think it like it. i think i just may have been bitten my the monogamy knitter bug. 

Ravelympics FO's

i have successfully finished 2 of 5 projects for the Ravelympics, which are more or less the knitting summer olympics, where we (knitters) select challenging projects to complete during the summer olympics (or winter) i have selected to finish 2 projects that i have been trying to find the willpower to finish and to knit three things that are moderately challenging, project 1 Odessa hat pattern by Grumperina 

project 2 finish moms irish hiking scarf
and a picture courtesy of mom via scype this morning, me modeling for her.