Happy New Year!

OK, I'm way behind in my posting. So much has happened, and I didn't get them up here. I've officially finished my EMT course and passed my National Exam! I'm currently waiting for my State Certification, because I can't start working as an EMT until I get it. It's been 2 weeks, and I know in the middle of the holidays isn't helping, but I'm anxious to get the mail from them ASAP. Dh scored .09 point higher than I did, in spite of my highest final exam grade for the whole class, he takes his National exam tomorrow afternoon.

I did get some nice fiber-y gifts for Christmas. Some yarn from my Secret Santa, with a really neat gadget holder. It has cable needles, scissors, stitch markers of 3 different types, darning needles, crochet hooks, dpns, and even a circular needle as I just cast off my latest pride and joy!




This is my Rose Heart shawl by Elizabeth Matthews, I made it from a black, gray, white wool blend yarn, but the colors hid the design. So off to the dye pot it went, green, with a hint of blue made a lovely teal. It's actually still some variegated, but my queen sized bedspread hides that muted color variation.



Here is a close up, trying to show the design in the pattern. It's hard to see, but the photo above and this one are the same beast. I did run into a bit of trouble with the bind off, I ran out of yarn 81 stitches from the end. I was doing a very stretchy bind off, and by reverting back to a normal bind off, I was able to get it to make it to the end with yarn to spare. I have 2 more shawls planned for this pattern, one in another variegated yarn, but it's more subtle, and a rose colored cotton boucle. Still trying to find a suitable carry along yarn to add to that.

I'm needing to focus on the shawl for my sister, it's getting closer to completion, and I need to get it in the mail to her. Her wedding was in November, and Christmas is past... I'm nearly done with the main shawl, just need to finish the last repeat and do the edging. This does have a white acrylic carry along to go with this cotton boucle yarn. It's turning out very pretty. This is Wildflowers shawl, a free pattern by Posh Yarns.

Secret of the Stole is looking GOOD!

This is clues 5 and 6-- COMPLETED!!!! On to clue 7, which is the current clue, so I'm caught up on it! I need to play catch up on Mystic Waters, as it has languished while I zoom thru this one. Oh, well, I'm proud to see the progress on my work. Minimal mistakes, few tinks back, NO frogging back to the lifelines. I feel good!

Update on the EMT front. I have only one more shift at the hospital that is required, with 2 more patient contacts. That should be easily done during that shift. The past 2 shifts with EMS haven't been active. I have enough patient transports, but no contact means no learning, so I'm thinking of requesting an additional shift this week, just for the experience, and the study time.

I got the highest grade in the class with Exam #3 last week! Even beat out my husband, who usually does better than I do. I have a lot of trouble remembering things from the time I read them to when we test. Still, I'm holding a decent GPA, so can't complain. We are off from class this week, because of Thanksgiving, back next Monday, will review for the Final, which we take on Wednesday! So I should be studying all this week. National testing is Dec. 12. We have 2 practice tests right now that we are to be going over, with the book, and that needs to be turned in by Dec. 1. I am about 100 questions into the first (150 total on each). Haven't touched the second test yet. Lots of work yet to do! We'll see how much I accomplish while on call with my local EMS-- I'm currently just an ambulance driver, not an EMT, with lots of down time to study and knit.

We should be licensed to practice before Christmas, if the testing goes well, the contact with the State and their acknowledging our grades quickly happens.

Recent acquisitions

OK, got a little crazy-- for me, anyway. I hit Webs, Knit Picks and Wally World and got some fun stuff. I have a million projects going, with plenty of yarn to use during the next 4 lifetimes, but I go buy MORE!

6 balls of Bollicine from Cascade yarns. Am thinking this may lend it self to a nice, warm shawl. Still looking for the pattern I want to use.

One ball of On Line Supersocke 100 yarn in Holiday colorway. I just printed off a sideways sock that might look cool in this yarn. Haven't tried a sideways sock yet. It's an adventure!


Knit Picks, new 60" cables plus size 5 and 10 tips for them. Size 0 dpns in the Harmony wood. We'll see how they work out...






Knit Picks Shadow yarn in Campfire Heather. Unfortunately, it looks very University of Texas, burnt orange... Dh went to Texas A&M, so this color isn't allowed in my house. However, the Flavor Aid, in Tropical Punch red may be able to salvage it for me. I soaked all 3 hanks, mixed in the Kool Aid, and did a purposely uneven dye job. It's now draining, I'm not really impressed with the minor difference in the wet colors I see, but will wait until they are dry to see if we need to attempt another coloration.




It looks more brown in the picture than it does in real life. I like it here. It looks like sable in the photo.








I'm also attempting some knitting bags, the kind you hold your yarn in on your belt loop and can knit while you walk. I got the spring closures for that. My fabric store has them on sale for $ .13 each this week so I think I need to go back and pick up some more!








Another sewing project for our EMT uniforms, as well as the knitting bags. Iron on velcro, bias tape, and jean type snaps. Should be fun.










Clearance yarn from Walmart! The Bernat Super Stripes was more than 1/2 price, so it jumped into my cart. These will probably become hats for charity, so one ball of each was plenty.






These are good non-gender colors, so will be nice for either boys or girls, infants or kids on the Reservation that I send hats to, as well as the ones that go to the hospitals locally.





Strata, also at $2 each. I've started a scarf with one of these already. I'm hoping I can get a whole scarf done out of a single ball. We'll see if I can do 2 or 3 scarves from these.

catching up

OK, it's been quite a while since I've "done" anything to show off, but I am working on projects as well as my EMT training is taking a lot of time. It has become a full time job, in effect, but I get paid in knowledge, not cash.

For a fun photo, here is my 16 yo son, wearing a ball on his head. At least he is smiling under that thing, I think. It was his idea to do this, not mine. I just took the picture.




This is the combined yarn for my Mystic Waters Knit Along. Finally found something I like that was in stash, came up with 2 that I thought would look cool together, so plied them on the spinning wheel-- Her name is Rapunzel because she has long flaxen hair. My oldest son calls her Steve-- Watch Over the Hedge movie, and you may understand. Or not, I don't try to understand college students. The 2 yarns are a BRIGHT royal blue and a teal/brown, when blended together, it's brighter, but muted for a cool deep water color. I'll do the swatch and get started on clue one and try for a photo in the sunlight. My camera chose not to use a flash since we were outside, so it's very shadowed.





This is the beginnings of a lap afghan for charity. It's a silver rayon chenille with a cotton boucle in purple/black/white. The photo doesn't do it justice. It's a cool blend. I like to use large needles, multi strands of yarn to make bigger patterns and make faster projects. This is done in a basketweave stitch.




This is the beginnings of my Secret of the Stole Knit Along. I'm WAY behind everyone, as clue 4 came out today, and I have just finished clue 1. The yarn is white with gold metallic thread running thru it. The beads, which are pretty invisible-- see the nearly clear things just above the needle? Those are my beads. They are clear with an opal lining. I couldn't find a neat gold I liked, and the multi shaded browns I liked, but not the quality of the beads, so passed on those.




This is the beginning of another lap afghan, which is actually nearly completed. I did this stripe in burgundy in basketweave stitch, followed a cream using Angel Wing Lace pattern, and now am about 1/2 way thru a Colonial Blue using a fireman's ladder pattern. I'll seam them together as soon as the blue stripe is completed. This will go to Brook Army Medical Center to one of the soldiers being treated there after returning from Iraq.


So, now back to my studying, I hope to get some knitting time to get into clue 2 of the SotS and finish the plying together of some of the Mystic Waters yarns, so I can start the swatch for that and see how that turns out. One of these days, I'll actually get started on knitting that!

latest newspaper publication!

Local firefighters attend certification training sessions

Members of volunteer fire departments in Sutherland Springs, La Vernia, Eagle Creek, Stockdale, and Kicaster, as well as members of the Longhorn Volunteer Fire Department and Instructor Jason Scheel, commemorate a Phase III firefighter certification-training event in Seguin with a group photo.

Contributed 17.OCT.07
Wilson County had a good showing at recent firefighter training sessions. The Guadalupe County Fire Training Field north of Seguin hosted Phase III training for many Texas-area firefighters. Six Wilson County volunteer departments sent firefighters; most expect to complete their basic firefighter certification before the end of the year.

Basic certification consists of four segments or phases held throughout the year over two weekends each. Phase I was held in Refugio in January and February, and Phase II was held in Beeville during March and April. Phase III was scheduled in Guadalupe County in September and October. Phase IV will be in Port Lavaca in November and December, with a classroom-only option available in late October in Stockdale.

Subjects covered in Phase III are live fire; fire alarms and communications; inspections and public fire education; apparatus familiarization, records and reports; salvage and overhaul; fire cause and origin; and fire protection systems and water supplies.

Wilson County firefighters attending included Leona Barnes, Will Barnes, Leslie Roberts, Gene Roberts, Mike Abbott, and Bryan Crasher from the Sutherland Springs Volunteer Fire Department; Casey Stewart and Tammy Worthington of the La Vernia Volunteer Fire Department; James Roberts, Steve Olsen, and Daniel Jones of the Eagle Creek Volunteer Emergency Services; Brian Deason and Mallorie Deason of the the Longhorn and Stockdale volunteer fire departments; David Rice Jr. and Christa Gelhaar of the Stockdale Volunteer Fire Department; and Bruce Engelke, Rodney Zacek, Danny Zacek, Greg Smith, and Laurel Smith of the Kicaster Volunteer Fire Department.

This is from this week's Wilson County News http://www.wilsoncountynews.com and the article with picture I wrote to go along with our firefighter training series we are doing this year. We start Phase 4 tonight. We will be done with our training by the end of this weekend for the year.

I will have plenty of knitting time, as it's all classroom, so expect to make progress on the lap afghan I'm working on for the soldiers at Brook Army Medical Center. One of the charity groups I knit things for donate to the soldiers who are receiving treatment there.

Anyway, time to get ready to leave, I need to get some pictures uploaded and update on the latest knit alongs I'm involved in. Those are going slow because of schooling and volunteer work. Still making some progress, so I'm OK with that.

I'm PUBLISHED!!!!

I wrote an article for my local county paper, the Wilson County News, here in Texas. I emailed them their copy, and they actually printed it on the Editorial Page! The fire depts. are listed each week in the paper, and they printed that listing right below my article. I was told they would use part of what I wrote, but I think they used the entire thing. Much have been a slow news week. ;-D How cool is that????

Support your Local Emergency Services

Written by Laurel Smith
firefighter, EMT in training
wife of a firefighter, EMT in training
mom of a firefighter & a jr firefighter

Wilson County's EMS and fire services are staffed completely by volunteers. Many of those volunteers hold full time jobs in San Antonio, and elsewhere, but they take time out of their lives to protect and serve their neighbors.

Our local fire departments are busy training their members to become better at their jobs. They are always happy to meet fresh faces who are interested in learning new skills, sharing in the fun and excitement and helping their neighbors.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) units also need new volunteers to help protect and serve our county residents. Training is provided for new volunteers, from ambulance drivers to transport and help as needed, to those willing to undergo higher training. The minimum age to participate in EMS is 18. Several families and couples are working together as EMTs here in the county.

Jr. Firefighters, teens 14 years and older, with parental permission, can be a good way to start to see if public service may become a career. It is a good community service project, as well. Several families have gotten involved together in their local departments. Dad, Mom, or both, with one or more teenager work together caring for your home and family.

If you do not feel physically able to help out in your area, then please support your local departments emotionally and financially. Pay your annual dues and visit during the various fund raisers. Pancake breakfasts, auctions, craft shows, whatever is happening, we all need to be a part of the community events. Administration help, grant writing knowledge, donations and corporate sponsors are also desired. Wilson County isn't able to totally support our various departments. To fill the gaps and upgrade the equipment to better serve the public, these fund raisers need the support of their neighborhoods and friends.

Check with your local contact person for your local fire or EMS department to see how you can help out. All fire departments are listed in the Wilson County News each week. EMS units can be found in La Vernia, Stockdale, Floresville and Eagle Creek.

Playing Catch Up!

I am behind, have a couple new pics to add. My Hemlock Ring KAL blanket is FINISHED!!! I love how it turned out, you can't see a whole lot of the detail, because I knit it in black/dark gray, which isn't photographing well, but you get the idea.





This is my latest doily pattern turning into a blanket! The pattern comes from www.yarnover.net and there are TONS that I printed off. I'm using mostly cotton yarn, there is some wool mixed in to the peach. The pink is a much thinner cotton-- all is machine knitting yarn, but I'm multi stranding, to make it work better with my size 10.5 Knit Picks circular needles. This is called "doily with spiral". It worked up to 66 cm using the original rayon thread, so I figure the cotton/wool on size 10.5 needles will make a really nice baby blanket.

Still doing the EMT classes, I got an 85% on my first big test! I'm passing all my skills tests and start doing ride outs with the EMS service that hosts our Academy starting next week. Will also be doing several shifts at one of the hospital Emergency Rooms, and am still very much on track to graduate in December!

OK, back to studying.