Resurrection

It's time to bring this back to life. I've often thought of this little blog. I've endlessly written posts in my head during the months I've been away from it. I just never made it to the keyboard to give them life. So I'm back. And there's so much to tell.

I guess first and foremost would be the birth of my beautiful daughter back in March. Introducing my little princess Miss A.

She came to us with more warning than her brother did. I woke on Sunday March 5th feeling different. I told my husband as such. We put our babysitter for Little Dude on warning and I had Braxton Hicks much of the day. I went to work as usual the next day and about mid-morning I called my doula. No sign of my water breaking, but I was having contractions about every hour or so. I wrapped up the project I was working on, had lunch with all my co-workers and told them that I didn't expect to be in the next day. My husband met me at home at the end of my work day, (yes, I worked a full day while in labor) we picked up Little Dude, hit the grocery store, had some dinner and then called the babysitter, the doula and the doctor. The babysitter came as we were putting him to bed, and he didn't want to let Mommy and Daddy leave. We arrived at the hospital around 8:30pm and Little Miss arrive at 12:13am on Tuesday, March 8th.

Little Dude adores his sister. He's such a good big brother. He informs everyone that she belongs to him. She's such a happy baby. She's a little girl who likes to watch what is going on around her. She loves to watch her brother. She has recently taken notice of the cats, much to their dismay. She's my delight. Especially in the morning, when I'm surrounded by grumpy boys, I love seeing her smiles and giggles.

Today she's 8 months old and here's what she looks like

Isn't she a cutie? Can you blame me for wanting to spend time with her instead of writing blog posts?

Hey, it's my birthday!

And in proper fashion, I am sick...again. The joys of being pregnant in the winter.

I've been very busy since my last post. The holidays arrived with a vengeance and we all survived. I did finish the Fetchings for Little Dude's teachers and they all loved them. I really liked the Malabrigo Rios. My only issue was how poorly they were skeined. Even using my swift winding them was a trial. One skein was so horrible that it took 4 people several hours to untangle it.

The fabric arrived too late to begin sewing before we left for our trip. We wrapped up the fabric and presented the gift and expressed our intentions. I started off well with the piecing but then hit a huge snag that is going to require me to pull everything out and start over. I had to step away from that project. Part of the problem is that it is a t-shirt quilt and even with interfacing the knit fabric of the t-shirts are problematic to quilt with.

I've also tackled my sewing pile. I've discovered that my biggest impediment to keeping up with my sewing, other than the all consuming 2 year old, is lack of a decent place to set up my machine. I don't really have somewhere that I can set up with good lighting and enough room to work. The upstairs, which is to become the office/fiber & art studio, won't be done before the summer. There are two rooms ahead of it in demand of completion. But I am making due in the meantime and have made much progress in the last week or two.

I'm in frantic gift knitting mode with a bevy of babies being born all around me.

I'll soon have pictures of all of this, once I clear off the camera card....which is once again full. I really let the photos get out of hand this year. I had been intending it as one of my summer projects, but with the Little Dude unexpectedly home with me all summer, there was little opportunity. Right now I'm just trying to organize the mass files and make my back ups.

So being my birthday I usually consider my intentions for the year. I'm liking the concept of intentions as opposed to resolutions.

• The big one would be a successful pregnancy, birth and surviving the increase of our family. 
• The second on the list has to be completing the Little One's room. My husband threw himself full force into the project. Right now it needs some electrical work and the closet framing before the drywall goes up. Then it is my project for a while. I'll do all the mudding and painting. He'll do the work on the floor. I've got a light fixture to pick out, window treatments to make, and some other decor stuff to deal with. Right now I'm trying to find fabric I like, as well as the light fixture. Our low ceilings, while helping with keeping heat costs down, limit my choices. 
• Keep going on the sewing list. I need to finish my WIP list before starting anything new, excluding any of the above projects for her room.
• Try to keep up on the personal knitting. With pregnancy and nursing, sweater projects will have to wait. But socks and shawls are definitely doable. 
• De-clutter the house. We a made a big dent recently and it felt great. It's time to let go of a lot of this stuff. I can't handle it anymore. Some days I'm ready to sell the lot and start over. 

I think that's enough to start with right now. Plus my knitting beckons me. 

Ten on Tuesday

KThis one is a timely list. Since the week of Thanksgiving, one or more members of the household have been sick. This weekend the Little Dude had the stomach flu, which killed all our plans. I had it yesterday...and let me tell you, it is so much worse when you have a Little One kicking your already tender digestive tract from the inside. Now we're 10 days till Christmas and I've done almost nothing.
So here we go:

10 Things On Your To-Do List

1. Knit Fetchings for Little Dude's main teachers at daycare.
2. Buy DnD gift cards for his teachers as well. (only his three main teachers are getting the added knitted gift)
3. When fabric arrives for quilt, wash, iron and cut as needed.
4. Sew quilt
5. Christmas shopping...I'm ashamed to say we haven't done any of this yet. 
6. Decide if I'm going to bother doing any cookie baking at this point and do it if I am.
7. Address Christmas cards and send out.
8. Wrap gifts.
9. Try and get out to see Santa and get the yearly picture.  Illness has thwarted this twice.
10. Pack for our road trip

There's so much more but I'm limiting it to the ten right now. 

Ten (or more) on Tuesday

10 Favorite Holiday Shows

A ten on Tuesday topic after my own heart. Much to my husband's chagrin I adore Christmas movies and I plan on passing that love down to our kids. These are some of my favorites but in no particular order:

1. White Christmas--one of my top favorites. Don't know why but I love it. 
2. A Christmas Story--who doesn't love this one? (and shame on you if you don't). How could you not love lines like "You'll shoot your eye out!" and "Oooohhhhh Ffffuuuuddddgggee."
3. Nightmare Before Christmas--a fitting movie for two holidays and Tim Burton to boot. I have CD memorized and I sing along. 
4. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer--yes it's hokey stop motion but it's one of my favorites from childhood. I love the Island of Misfit toys. Burl Ives singing "A Holly Jolly Christmas" is one of my favorite Christmas songs...it always gets me in the holiday spirit.
5. Miracle on 34th Street--the original only
6. The Santa Clause--I'm not a huge Tim Allen fan but I love this movie. I've only seen bits and pieces of the second one so I can't really rate that one.
7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas--again another classic. Narration by Boris Karloff...come on! Frankenstein's Monster narrating Dr. Seuss....how can you go wrong?
8. It's a Wonderful Life--to be completely honest I never saw the whole of this movie until several years ago. I know, I'm a freak. 
9. Home Alone--and possibly the sequel. 
10. The Bishop's Wife--Carey Grant...need I say more?
11. The Family Stone--I love this movie no matter how much it makes me cry
12. Mickey's Christmas Carol--this has a special place in my heart and my Little Dude has already watched it twice. (He's very into Mickey and Donald right now)

So there you go. I'm ashamed at how few of these I own, but I plan on rectifying that. The Little Dude misses most of these when they are on TV because they tend to start at 8pm and he's in bed (hopefully) before then. What is your favorite?

Plugging away

I've been to busy knitting to post.

I've finished the back and two fronts, blocked them and stitched them together. I finished and blocked the sleeves last night. So I've got the skirt and the collar left. There's a lot of knitting in the skirt. I'm not sure I'm going to make my goal to wear it Saturday, but we shall see. I might get the collar done first and get the sleeves on and at least have a bolero for now.

I am enjoying the pattern. It's not a difficult knit by any means and I really do like the yarn. I think I have a new stock wool.

Ten on Tuesday

10 Ways to Have Fun on Long Car Rides

1. Knit- the obvious answer
2. Read- I've never understood the people who can't read in the car. I've always read on car trips.
3. Audio books- This is how we survived a long road trip with a 1 year old. Thank you Harry Potter.
4. Talk- Sometimes it's the only chance my husband and I get to catch up on the random things in our lives.
5. Sleep- a necessity when you are the back up driver.
6. NPR- Love them
7. Take some fun sidetrips....or just get off the highway and the same old rest stops to have lunch and pee in a really awesome local diner. The best hint to finding the best local grub is to check the license plates in the parking lot. If they are local plates...eat there.
8. Wear comfy clothes. 
9. DVD player....this has helped us with longer trips with a very active toddler.
10. Make sure you like the people who are in the car with you. 

Several people have asked where I get the topics....well I get mine from Carole Knits.  I found her through my friend, The Painted Sheep.

Race to Rhinebeck

So the yarn came Friday, but frankly I was too exhausted to do anything but open it and admire.

Saturday I started my gauge swatch. I needed 17 stitches over 4 inches. On the recommended 10 needles I got 16 stitches. On a 9, I got 18 stitches. WTF! A little more finessing I went with the 9's and seem to be making gauge. I cast on the back and set to it.
Sunday night I finished the back
Last night (Monday) I finished the right front and knit the left front to the armhole.

This project is my marathon knit. I the same spirit as the Tour de Fleece and the Olympic challenges, I plan on wearing this thing to Dutchess County Sheep and Wool at Rhinebeck. I'm also thinking I should have ordered another skein of yarn, but I think I can make that up in the sleeves. Being of petite stature I find that the sleeves are often too long.  I probably can adjust the skirt of the sweater as well, for the same reasons.

Anywho...tonight's plan is to finish the left front, block the completed pieces and start the sleeves.

Wish me luck.

Need a lift...

It's a rainy gloomy day. I know better but would love to find some wool in my door when I get home. That would be just the thing to cheer me up and occupy my evening with more interesting things than laundry and dishes.

Ten on Tuesday

Ten Things in My Refrigerator Right Now:

1. A quart of apple butter that I made this weekend. 
2. Organic milk for the Little Dude
3. Some of my Mum's homemade sauerkraut. Best. Kraut. Ever!
4. Jug of apple cider for hot mulled cider...one of my autumn indulgences. 
5. Inglehoffer cream style horseradish- the hottest horseradish sauce out there determined by our delicious but unscientfic tests at work. Good for clearing out clogged sinuses.
6. Portabella caps waiting for some gorgonzola and carmelized onions to become the perfect dinner. 
7. Pure maple syrup from Vermont...some things I don't compromise on. Maple syrup is one of them. 
8. Orange juice. I'm pregnant. I inhale the stuff. 
9. Green olives. My husband's latest passion has been vodka martinis. 
10. Greek yogurt.

Ordered...

and now waiting. I've got enough Blackberry to make my Duster. I'm holding off on the other for now. I didn't want to wait while I made up my mind. I guess I'll finish up my socks until this comes. I'll be stalking my mailbox.

Well I'm exhausted and hungry so I'm going to eat and then crash. Let us all pray that the Little Dude sleeps in tomorrow morning.

Almost there....

with a decision. I meant to order last night, but the night did not go as planned at all. Immensely irritated (read severely pissed off) at having to miss Stitch n Bitch and knowing I won't be able to attend the next few weeks I was in a mood. I turned my irritation towards housework and vacuumed before I picked up the Little Dude from 'school'. After we played outside I made dinner for the two of us (Pasta!!!) and after much fuss and tears and pleading for "Down!" he ate it. I also did three loads of laundry, stacks of dishes, set the dishwasher to run, bathed the Little Dude, put him to bed, mopped and cut my husband's hair. And even though I was rather furious with him, I refrained from shaving something into the back of his head. That's true love.

Once all these were accomplished, I settled down in the bed with my laptop to surf, and write and order away while waiting for the diapers in the dryer to finish....and I promptly fell asleep. My husband pointed out that once the screen saver pops up, it's probably best to go to bed. So I did and my yarn remains unordered. I've narrowed it down to a few color options: Currant, Blackberry, Lullaby and Indigo Heather. I'm leaning towards Blackberry.
I might order two sets to make another top from my queue. I've been wanting to make the Ballet Wrap by Nora Gaughan for quite a while but it falls in to the pile of items that my stash cannot supply. Plus it works well with a baby bump and seems like much of it is rather mindless knitting. Again, I'm slightly stumped on color. I might go more neutral as it is something that I would layer with a ton of other things. Or stop being practical and go with one of my other options (Currant or Hollyberry or Claret Heather) and have fun with the color.

We'll see what the night brings.

Decisions, decisions...

I'm still debating on a color for my Tilted Duster. I've decided that I need to order tonight, if I'm going to do this. I've banished the idea of a neutral. I've got too much of that going on in my wardrobe. Besides, if I've had to stop dying my hair funky colors because of the Little One then I might as well wear them.

I'm still looking at the Wool of the Andes. My top choices are the following:

Currant
Blackberry
Lullaby
Hollyberry
Winter Night
Indigo Heather
Amethyst Heather
Evergreen

I'm just stumped. This is the dilemma I have with online ordering. It's hard to pick when they aren't right in front of me. Looking through Ravelry I've noticed that several people have used Amethyst Heather, so that has moved that color on down the list. Any guidance, suggestions, or opinions would be appreciated.

Ten on Tuesday

I've nearly forgotten about these.

10 Ways to Have a Happy Birthday:

1. My number one rule is that I wear a tiara on my birthday. Hey, it's your birthday. You should be Queen. This tradition started when I spent way too much on my wedding tiara, but it was the only gold tone one I could find. So I rationalized it by saying I'd wear it at every opportunity, and I do...only I have a collection of 7 or 8 by now. Even if I'm wearing respirator, ear protection, and goggles my tiara graces my head every birthday.
   
2. Cake--a must. And the birthday girl/boy gets to choose the type. That's the rule in our house. Even if it means I'm making the pain-in-the-ass-to-make cheesecake that my husband loves and spraying myself and the kitchen with chocolate every year, so be it. He gets the cake he wants.
   
3. Do something you wouldn't do on a normal day. Even a little something....just to make it special.
4. Fill the day with people you like (and avoid the ones you don't) even if it means taking the day off from work.
   
5. Calories don't count on your birthday.
   
6. If possible, sleep in.
   
7. Make the day about celebrating you, not some abstract number.
   
8. Look at pictures of your childhood birthdays....this is always fun. Share them with family and friends and reminisce or just laugh at the clothing/hair styles.
9. If you have your mom in you life, have her tell you about the day you were born. My mom finally wrote it down and sends me a revised document every year as she remembers more details.
   
10. Indulge in something special just for you. Something you wouldn't normally buy. Hey, you survived another year. You've earned it!
    

Fall is in the air....

and making me ponder going off of my very strict yarn diet. The chill in the air makes me long for hot cider and warm knits. My needles are longing for some wool and my stash just isn't allowing me to knit what I would like. With Rhinebeck looming in the near future I have a strong desire to wear the Tilted Duster as I peruse the stalls. Frankly, I've settled on getting the yarn I'm just stuck on the color. I'm looking at Knit Picks Wool of the Andes. The colors are lovely and the price is right. Just what color do I go with??? A rich brown or charcoal?? Or do I abandon my neutral kick and go for a lovely jewel tone....if so then what? Blue to go with my eyes or a woodsy green??? A deep red or a glorious purple??? I better decide soon if I'm going to manage this in time for Sheep and Wool.
I've been eying this pattern since it was printed. I know several people who made it and have admired it on several knitters at various festivals. I'm always cold, as my husband will attest to, so I never can have too many sweaters/hoodies/jackets. Plus, I think it'll be the perfect pattern to accommodate the new baby bump I'm sporting.
In all the stress and strain of the summer we achieved something thought we could manage on our own....namely getting pregnant without jumping through numerous hoops and much heartache. Yet here we are. The Little Dude with be a big brother come this March.
And speaking of the Little Dude, I'm happy to say that his new 'school' is working out very well. He's very happy there and they just love him to pieces. He's learned so much in just the month he's been with them. He's counting to ten and getting much better recognizing letters. M (said with a slight growl) is still his favorite. His hands are better and better all the time. It's even hard for me to notice the discoloration that had been left.
I've been silent here since I went back to work myself. I confess to the mixture of being back on the job full time and the pregnancy has knocked me on my butt. I'm often falling asleep after Little Dude goes to bed. I'm going to have to fight that urge if I'm going to get my Tilted Duster done.

Off to stare at some color swatches...and maybe a few kits. If I'm going off the diet I might as well splurge my way to free shipping.

Not an encouraging beginning

I had mentioned before that I was going to start the Eva raglan sweater. I've been swatching over the last several days and I'm not happy. It has nothing to do with the yarn or the gauge but the pattern.

The English version is full of confusion and inaccuracies. First off it wants you to swatch in M3 but never explains what the hell M3 is. Luckily my friend NutmegOwl, who is familiar with French patterns was able to explain. M is short for stitch. M3 would be the third stitch pattern given in the instructions. Excellent...then it took me a little while to find a needle size...whatever.

So I swatch and swatch...and learn to cable without a needle to make it easier... and something doesn't seem right. Well that would be that the damn chart is wrong. I've had it on this pattern. Luckily some Foliage I traded for arrived and I'll make some boot socks while I figure out what to do next. I'm not sure I want to continue with this pattern at all.

Ishbel

So I finished a project for myself....and I love it. You know, I could get used to this knitting for myself thing. Here she is.



Pattern: Ishbel by Ysolda
Yarn: Ball and Skein Super Sock 416 in Atlantic





Thoughts: I love this pattern. I did the small stockinette section and the large lace, which left me a small amount of yarn left. Perhaps enough for some baby socks. I did the lace without a lifeline and had a few mishaps but nothing major. I had pulled out the needle on accident at one point, dropping maybe a dozen or so stitches, but they were easily recovered. I did have to do some tinking to deal with some mystery stitches (both appearing and disappearing ones) but nothing too drastic. I would definitely knit this one again.







I have some more of this yarn in a different colorway that is going be yet another Ysolda shawl. I'm also looking to start the Eva raglan pull by KatyTricot...but there are some issues with the English version of the pattern. I've written a few people on Ravelry for insight. I really have to say though, if it were my design and there were a bunch of questions posted about my pattern, I'd put the damn information on the main page. If enough people are having issues, there is obviously needed information that needs to be made readily available. I may just give up on this one and jump right into the Tilted Duster. The only thing is that I'm not sure I have enough of anything in stash for it.

On the Foliage front I'm arranging some trades on Ravelry so that I have enough boot socks for work this winter. I'll have to find a replacement yarn.

Ten on Tuesday

Ten Things to Take on Vacation:

Frankly my last true vacation, one that was to somewhere we really wanted to go and didn't require a mandatory relative visit, was my honeymoon 8 years ago. I don't feel qualified to answer this week.

This is what happens...

when you're not paying attention. So apparently Berroco has discontinued Foliage when I wasn't looking. This is my go to yarn for my thick work boot socks. The yarn works great for the pattern I have, they keep my feet warm and it wasn't so expensive that I minded too much if I get paint on them. Now I must scour the Universe to keep me in work socks for a while.

On the Ishbel front aside from those few mystery stitches and a lost stitch last night (that I found easily this afternoon) I am chugging along. It is a lovely knit. I'm nearly done with Chart C. That leaves D and E (E being a single row). I might have FO before the month ends....or at least before the weekend ends.

Must ponder the next project so I don't lose steam.

Ten on Tuesday

I will confess I don't watch a lot of TV anymore. We don't have cable. I only let the Little Dude watch PBS and DVD's. I will admit that he's had a lot more TV this summer than I would like but between my surgery and his injuries it was the easiest way to keep him occupied that didn't involve me running around or him getting his bandages into sand/water/mud/what-have-you.

Ten Things to Do Instead of Watching TV

1. Knit (duh!) ---I do admit that I knit in front of the TV most of the time, but I usually listen rather than watch. The TV does make me look up from the knitting every now and then and that's not bad.
2. Sewing---a crafty thing I just can't do while watching TV.
3. Spin---something soothing and wonderful. I find the wheel very meditative.
   
4. Read---In my hiatus of blogging I've been reading a lot. I often fall asleep in bed with a book.
   
5. Cook--- Try new recipes, learn to can or just make something to share.
6. Garden--- If you have a yard, get out there and pull some weeds. I'm pretty against chemical warfare on my lawn so most weed control is done by hand, hence my horrible looking lawn. Start a garden. If you don't have land of your own lots of places have community gardens.
   
7. Go for a walk/hike/jog---I mean, really, who out there couldn't use more exercise.
8. Spend some playtime with a child---they really do keep us young.
   
9. Volunteer---there are so many non-profits that need help, pick your cause and go for it.
10. Spend some quality time with a loved one--- I think this speaks for itself but I know that my Love and I tend to get so caught up in the day to day that we neglect the romance. Pack a picnic and go off somewhere just the two of you.
    

Dang-nabbit!

So I've not been blogging to much but I have been knitting a fair amount. I cast on Ishbel and I've been smitten ever since. I'm doing the small stockinette and should have enough yarn to do the large lace. But today I hit a snag. First, halfway through the first row of my second go at Chart B I noticed a missing yarn over. So I tinked back and fixed the mistake. Now I'm short two stitches in the first half of the shawl. WTF! They seemed to be there a minute ago. *sigh* Then the Little Dude woke from his nap and Ishbel has to rest until this evening.

Otherwise it has been a rainy gloomy day, but at least I remembered to put away the sidewalk chalk before it rained....this time.
Pictures soon.

Ten on Tue....I mean Wednesday

I completely spaced on the fact that yesterday was Tuesday. Being home with the Little Dude all day everyday has warped my sense of time.

So here it is:

10 Things to Bring on a Camping Trip

1. Bug spray. Mosquitoes just love me.
2. Coffee and a percolator pot. Electric if you have power, one for the fire if you don't.
3. A cast iron frying pan (or you can cheat with an electric if you have power). Nothing beats waking up to the smell of coffee and bacon while in the woods.
4. A deck of cards
5. Lots of socks. Dry feet are important.
6. Extra pair of shoes. See above. You never know when you might fall in the lake. (ask my older brother)
7. Matches- preferably strike anywhere ones.
   
8. The knowledge of what poison ivy is.
   
9. A good sleeping bag. Air mattresses are for pussies.
   
10. Someone you enjoy spending time with.
    

Ten on Tuesday

Ten Things I Like About Where I Live

1. I'm in the Northeast. It's where I'm from, and where I belong. I don't know if the mindset in any other part of the country suits me quite so well.
2. I'm two hours from Boston and two hours from NYC...and I don't visit either as much as I would like.
3. The seasons. There is nothing quite like a New England fall. I don't know if I could live somewhere that lacks the cycles of the seasons. As much as I'm not into the snow and cold, Christmas just isn't Christmas without it.
   
4. My neighborhood is filled with trees. It may suck when it's time to rake but I wouldn't have it any other way.
   
5. Our house is conveniently located to major highways, but tucked back in a neighborhood where it is safe for the kids to ride their bikes in the streets.
6. This area is steeped in history. Everywhere you go are wonderful ancient cemeteries to explore, famous old houses to tour and so much more. Some of our nation's history began around here and I just love that.
   
7. Park, farms, green spaces. For being one of the original states and a small state at that, we have surprisingly large amounts of green space. I love how there are small working farms tucked in here and there. We have plenty of parks to explore to keep one grounded in this crazy technological age.
   
8. Diversity. There is so much of it around here. I feel good raising my son here, knowing he will be exposed to people from many different places and all walks of life. And that provides us with a wide range of culinary delights in both markets and restaurants.
   
9. The Arts. We have theatres all around us. You will find museums of all kinds if you drive in just about any direction. And we have a government and community that strongly supports the arts.
   
10. It's home. I've lived here for nearly 10 years. I bought a house and started a family here. Obviously there's something that keeps me here, even if I can't describe it.
    

An ending, a beginning and an ultimate demise

I haven't completely abandoned my knitting during my hiatus. I worked on it here and there. I often couldn't make it to SnB. Many of the nights I did, I had the Little Dude with me; which means friends and fun, but no knitting. Despite the small amount of time devoted to knitting I am keeping my promise to myself. For every thing I knit for someone else, I must knit something for myself.
My first two finished objects I have no pictures of. I knit a pair of Knucks as a gift for the guy that does my hair. And as the 'Me project' I knit one for myself. Not a pair of Knucks, mind you. Just one...to replace the one I lost from this pair. I had more than enough yarn left to make the replacement. You can easily get two pairs out of one skein of Silky Wool.

The ending from my title is I have finally finished Little Dude's vest. Granted it was meant to be an Easter vest, but I'm just glad I completed it while it will still fit him.

Let's start with the specs:
Pattern: Cable Tank Top by Debbie Bliss
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Encore Colorspun DK
I loved this pattern.I worked on the much of this project while recovering from my surgery. The cables are very easy to work in this project. And I mean, able to knit while on medications ending in -ocet without major (and even minor) mistakes. The most challenging part, I found, was picking up the stitches for the arm bands. The yarn color wasn't the best option to show off the cables but it was what I had in stash that would work, and he liked the color. He has been out of sorts since I completed it, so I don't have a picture of him modeling it yet. I promise to post it as soon as I do. Here's a detailed look at the back.

Don't you just love these buttons? They were a little gem I had in my button collection. Someday I'll post about my button collection.

From there I jumped into a "Me project". My Ishbel. This project started with a trip with some dear friends to Massachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Fair. I hadn't indulged in yarn for a year, or at least that I can recall. I was child and husband free on this day and I succumbed once again to Ball & Skein. Kris did twist my arm, ever so slightly, but that was hardly necessary. This is the booth where I could easily lose my head. I left with only two skeins of Sock 416 in the lovely shade 'Atlantic'. I knew it was destine to be a shawl, but which one. I had yet to decide on a pattern to pair with the two skeins I had procured the year before. I scoured Ravelry and queued about twenty-some-odd shawls. It was when I saw the finished projects of two of my friends that I knew Ishbel was it. And here it is so far:



As for the demise....it is time to say farewell to my first pair of socks.

I've made several of this pattern over the years and these socks are the work horses of my winter footwear. Paired with store-bought knee highs, these keep my tootsies toasty on those cold winter days in the warehouse that is our shop. Normally I would go to the trouble of darning and repairing. However, this pair had been slightly felted and wasn't worth the trouble of fixing. As you can see Isis inspected the damage and found them not worthy of repair.

So now I must get a few more skeins of Foliage and knit some more. Ideally I'd like to have at least a weeks worth of boot socks, and now I'm down to three pairs.

Ten on Tuesday

I thought this might be a good kick in the arse to get me posting again.

This week's topic: 10 Ways to Celebrate Summer.

1. Eat a Popsicle while sitting on your front steps. It is a summertime must.
2. Go for a hike/walk in the woods. There is nothing more peaceful than the woods on a hot summer day. The shadowed world under the canopy is magical to me and takes me back to my childhood and the countless camping trips. The smell of moss and ferns, the sounds...sheer summertime delight. The summer woods are far different world than in the fall, which has its own special allure.
3. Run through the sprinkler. I am currently teaching my son this joy, which apparently takes a little time to warm up to.
   
4. Build a sandcastle....bonus points if it has a moat.
5. Buy fresh corn from a farm stand. Grill it, and enjoy.
6. Find a small independent ice cream stand and indulge in some soft serve.
7. Sweltering in the heat? Go to a museum. They are air conditioned and you might be inspired.
8. Go to the farmer's market and make sure to buy produce you've never tried before. Most of the sellers are wonderfully helpful with suggestions and recipes for their products. Plus you are helping out the local economy.
   
9. Go to at least one fireworks show.
10. Take some time to lay in the grass with a beverage of your choice and a book and just enjoy yourself. Better yet a book you wouldn't want most people catching you read. (Trashy romance novels tend to be my secret literary indulgence.)
    

Half year in review

So I'm sure a lot of you are wondering (or perhaps not) where I have been since my birthday post back in January. 2010 has been an interesting, if not a rather trying year so far. So here are a few of the highlights:

• I had spent much of the fall ill only to be struck down again at the holidays and remained so well into March.

• Christmas eve became our last nursing session, which I regard with mixed feelings of elation and regret.

• Work was a mixture of the same old (designers missing deadlines and shows growing out of control) and the very new (a new dean who is thankfully not hampered by the New England mindset of "We've always done it this way. We don't know why, but we've always done it this way").

• As I was getting to a point were life was coming under control, I developed a cyst in a rather delicate place that after much pain and inconvenience had to be removed by surgery. Recovery slowed me down a bit. This whole situation ended up leaving me only three days to work on a project that I had really looked forward to working on. (more on that later at Footprints)

• The most significant event in the last 6 months happened just a month ago. In the midst of having my hair done, with half a head full of foils, I got the call no mother wants to get. My son was injured at daycare and my husband was on his way to the ER with him. Luckily for us we have wonderful children's hospital nearby. My son sustained second degree burns on his hands from the water at daycare. (I'm going to take this moment to say...if you have kids, lower your water heater. And never, NEVER put their hands in water without testing it first, even if you just checked and had your back turned just for a second. Toddlers are fast. Very, very fast and very, very curious.) His bandages came off this week and he's healed up very well. There is no permanent damage at all. He has been a trooper through the whole thing and is the bravest little boy I know. But now we find ourselves without daycare. I'm in my summer lull for work so I'm home with him full time.

And he is a full time job, let me tell you. I should have named him Houdini Knievel. He's climbing everything in sight. Well, climbing, moving, dismantling, and examining everything he can get his little hands on. His favorite movies are Toy Story (1 and 2), Shrek and Cars. His favorite shows are Sid the Science Kid, Super Why!, and Dinosaur Train. He loves his stacking/nesting blocks and anything with wheels. He loves to splash in the tub, dig in the sand, and chase the kitties. He'd wear his Batman and/or Superman jammies day in and day out if we let him. He pics out the shirt he wears every day. His favorite food is pasta, with cheese and bananas right behind. Every night we read two books before bed, one always being Where the Wild Things Are. He's generous with hugs and kisses, and his laughter is my daily delight.

So there's my last 6 months in a nutshell. It didn't leave too much room for knitting, or anything creative outside of work. I'm working on that. And I do have a few things to show, but that's for another post, another time.

Me...now in color

One of my dearest friends, and a phenomenal fiber artist, just immortalized me in a colorway that we developed and she named after me.

Here's the blog post

And here's the Etsy shop.

She picks quality fiber and yarns and does amazingly beautiful things with them. Check it out.

Riddle me this....

How does one manage to misplace a rather large umbrella swift?

I'm sure my husband is involved somehow. Though the cats may be toying with my sanity so that they can later convince me that I haven't fed them yet. Hrm.....I'll keep you posted.

Update: It has been found....lurking in a corner of the office, hiding from little hands. And now some yummy yarn is ready for a new life. There will be pictures once I pull a Frankenstein on the camera battery and bring it back to life.

Renovations

I'm back and I'm making a few changes...as one can see. Expect more in the coming weeks.

And maybe even some post. (oh the horror!)

Today

Happy Birthday to Me.

My present to myself is to go to bed early and fall asleep with a book in my hand. I'll do that once the little dude falls asleep, which just doesn't seem to be happening tonight.

A lovely evening and an FO

Last night I got the little one off to bed in record time. By 7:30 he was bathed and in his jammies. By 7:45 his bottle was empty and he was snuggled with his Piglets and off to dreamland. I, still being fairly awake (I must confess to often going to bed right after him) decided to make a night of it. My love being at work till late, I had the house to myself. I brewed a pot of tea and settled down with my knitting, a purring cat (Loki has finally forgiven me for giving birth to my son), and Pride and Prejudice. The choice of film was to help cleanse the memory of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which I read this fall. I had such high hopes for this book and was bitterly disappointed. The Pride and Prejudice was exquisite as always, a book that has a place on my list of books often reread. Zombies...well hard to go wrong there. The ninja aspect, yes I did say ninjas, was pointless, stupid, distracting and just plain idiotic. The illustrations looked like something a 15 year old boy would churn out and were inaccurate period wise. There was such potential and it was a complete letdown. I forced myself to finish it. I'm very glad I didn't waste my money on it (i borrowed it from the library). I had used my Borders gift card months before on a much better choice....I now have my own copy of Dickens' Bleak House.

Anywho...I settled in and set to work on my work scarf. This project was a re-knit as my very industrious son managed to start the process of frogging the original scarf. The scarf was group project from a get-together with ladies from a knitting forum I belonged to years ago. We all brought a skein from our stash and all had a turn knitting on it. At the end of the weekend names were put into a hat and I was the lucky winner. The scarf was knit the long way. The cast on and bind off were a bit tight causing the scarf to curl in an odd manner. I took the unplanned frogging as an opportunity to make the scarf more suitable for work. I needed it to be shorter and without fringe. When it's very cold and they have the doors open, I'll keep my scarf on while I work. It has to be long enough to tie but short enough to stay out of the paint.

This is what I came up with. I knit it the short way with a 2 by 2 rib, left out two of the yarns and didn't reattach the fringe. I purposely went with an asymmetrical look to force myself to break away from my tendency towards rigid symmetry. I don't know if this a new habit of mine but a rut I'd rather not be stuck in. So, nothing spectacular but just what I need to keep me warm. And it's a completed project. That is a feat in itself.

I'm back on the couch again tonight, watching the second half of P&P, Loki napping by my side. I think blogging will override knitting tonight, but I intend to pull together yarn for my next project.

FYI- I updated the other as well too. Check out my time lapse video.

Holy Crap it's a New Year!

When did this happen?!?!?

I think I'm going to follow the path of many out there and say that my new year starts on Monday. I'm off vacation then. It seems more like a new beginning. I'll be going back to a mess of a shop but the opera is finished. It will be a chance to clean up and perhaps do a few of the shop projects on my list. I'm heading into a HUGE show...but that's fodder for another blog. (note to self: update other blog)

I usually count my birthday as the new year but I think Monday is a better day. Wow, 2010. Arthur Clarke was WAY off, wasn't he. But then again I'm reminded of 1984, and we can never be quite sure what year it is. So for the sake of clarity we'll call it 2010.

What are my hopes for this year? Goals? Projects? and dare I say it, Resolutions???
Well, for one, I want to get back to blogging on a regular basis. (I know, I know, when the hell did I ever do this on a regular basis). I'm hoping by doing so I can switch out of Mom mode every so often. Now that the Little Dude is growing more independent, perhaps I can have some time for my own projects and have something to blog about. I also hope to do a little redecorating around my little corner of the blog-o-sphere. It will require me gaining some more computer knowledge (and I have a feeling that will involve a lot of swearing on my part) but I think it's time.

I'm determined to knock of several projects on the to-do list for the house. We've been in stasis for so long on many of them. In the last few months we have done more than in the last year or two. My love put in the new staircase to the basement and took out the old one. The transition for the cats has been slow and arduous, and they still get very confused. I hope to knock off a few big things this year (new roof, switch out the french doors, install the new exterior lights, install the new bathroom faucet, the basement plumbing fiasco). The roof we might not have a choice with, considering I discovered a new water spot on the ceiling yesterday (which I have yet to disclose to the husband). And that's in the newest part of the house. I'm looking at faux slate instead of asphalt shingles. I'm also formulating a plan for a new look for the front door. My time spent on the faux forum and The Steampunk Home have given me quite a few ideas. I also want to finish the decorating in J's room.

My knitting has dropped off in the last year or so and I intend to get back into it. I've been working on a few things here and there. My goal is to work only from stash this year. If I buy yarn it is only to supplement a stash project. I plan to dive headfirst into my stash of sock yarns. I've got some great yarns in there but I've been hesitant to use them. I'm not sure why. I need to move beyond my basic (safety) sock pattern and go for it. (though I do need a few more pairs of my boot socks to get me through the winter. I need enough to get thorough a week of work without having to do laundry)

To find myself a working space. The studio in the basement slipped away from me. (remember the damn orphan cats) Now it's becoming a gaming room, which is fine, but I need a space of my own. Plus my husband has been locking the cats up there at night, which means there is a litter box in there. I've apparently have developed an allergy to something they put in the litter. I can't be around the stuff. If the cats have just been in there, I can't have them on my lap. So the box being in there pretty much means I can't. I think I know where my sanctuary will be but won't say for the moment. My husband has the office. J has much of the rest of the house (oh did I mention he figured out the lock on the baby gates? Smart boy. too smart). I need something.

Where was I....oh there's the usual eat better and exercise. The eating better isn't all that hard. After being pregnant and breastfeeding for so long that has become the habit. I barely drink now either. I was doing well with the exercising until illness and extra jobs (yeah, I've been pulling in a bunch of extra painting jobs-one excuse for the lack of posting) cut into that. Again having a space of my own will help with the exercising. So will it not being winter. Little Dude does keep me going though. Man, he's fast.

Blah, blah, blah. I'm sure there's more but I've got a knitting pattern sitting next to me calling my name. You won't blame me for running off to start it...hey, it will give me something interesting to post about.

I'll leave you with the standard cuteness. (how could I not). You'll see my baby is a little man now.

On Borrowed time

That's what I am on at the moment.

J has decided that he only needs one nap a day (though most of us don't quite agree) so I get far far less done these days. He's faster than ever and his Go-Go-Gadet-Baby-Arms reach higher and higher. I tried explaining to my Mom the other day that I love the candy bowl she sent me, but I have no where to put it. Not, I'm not sure where to put it. Seriously no physical surface to put it on. Everything out of his reach is covered with stuff we want out of his reach. Things slowly move higher and higher in our house and we're running out of higher places to put things. And it doesn't help that I'm short anyway.

Very little knitting has been happening and even less sewing. I started another pumpkin hat for J and what should have taken a day or two is taking weeks. I've been sick for going on two months now but I think I'm seeing the end of that.

It snowed the other day. Snow. Before Halloween. NOT COOL. Kris, I love you, but that's not a good thing. It has been so cold here we haven't been playing outside much. I'm hoping it warms up some the next few weeks so that he can experience the joy of running through and jumping into the leaves. He loves leave. Every time he walks outside he grabs a big oak leaf or two and just walks around with it. They are scattered all over my house and car.

Lots on the work front and the pictures will be going up soon.

Well enough for my break. Back to the grind while he naps.

Next project?

Now that I'm done with the socks I'm trying to pick my next project. I always get stuck at this point.

I may start J's sweater. For this I picked Windsor Tyrolean by Design by Louise. I might wait another month or so to see if a growth spurt hits. He's in a weird place size wise. I've got the main color (the green I just used for the socks) and think I have some stuff in stash for the contrast colors.

I've narrowed down my shawl project to one of these three.
Shetland Triangle
Seraphim Shawl
irtfa'a faroese lace shawl

I like the back panel on the third one. I think I need to spend an afternoon with the yarn and some Jasmine tea to make my decision.

As far as sewing I've only come as far as cutting everything out.

Not much else to say at the moment.

The spirits are not amused

So being a mom has opened a whole new world for me. I am aware of a whole different plane of existence. I am now very aware of which bathrooms have baby changing stations. I shop new aisles at the grocery store and spend a lot more time at kid stores.

In the last several trips to Toys R Us I've noticed a new and disturbing trend. By now most of you know my motto is No Pink Without Skulls. It seems that companies are taking this trend of pink for girls to a whole new level. Almost every toy has a pink "girl" version. Even Tinker Toys. Yes , pink TINKER TOYS!!!! (because girls wouldn't want to build anything unless it was pink) This has even bled over in to the realm of board games. Pink Scrabble and pink Life but what really got me was this:



Seriously? Pink Ouija. Somehow I don't think the spirit world is going to be too keen on this.

Random stuff

This summer hasn't progressed exactly as I had hoped.
Frequent rain and thunder storms thwarted many outdoor plans. Weeds have once again infiltrated and overrun my planting beds. June 26th a tornado went through my town as I was driving to get my son from daycare. It was small and short as tornadoes go, but here in Connecticut we aren't very used to them. We were incredibly lucky. We lost leaves and branches and power for about 24 hours. The hail did a lovely number on my hostas and the rhododendron is several feet shorter. Others were not so lucky. Six houses had to be condemned, one of which was bisected by a tree. Many old and large trees did not survive. Some look like snapped toothpicks, many others toppled, their roots giving away with the wet ground and high winds. Amazingly no one was hurt. I was in the car during the brunt of the storm and was completely terrified. My son, who I was desperately trying to get to, fared much better. While the other kids at daycare were crying during the storm, he was in the jolly jumper bouncing and laughing away. Did I mention he shows signs of being an adrenaline junky?

The Opera job that we do every spring turned out to be a much longer project, cutting into my summer free time. Once that was on the truck, we then took a road trip to visit family. I've learned much on the road with a 10 1/2 month old. I've also gained a new skill...the car seat diaper change which is done while the child is still strapped in and the car still in motion. (note: this only works on pee diapers. Do not attempt on poopy diapers!)

One of the highlights of the summer has been the Green Day concert. I cannot gush enough about this. It is up there with last years NIN concert in the best I've ever seen. The Bravery opened and then Green Day played for THREE HOURS!!!! At one point Billie Joe (*sigh*) pulled a girl out of the audience and had her play guitar on Jesus of Suburbia on his own guitar. I was hoarse and deaf and very, very happy at the end of it all. The concert was a much needed release. It reminded me why I used to go clubbing. There are no good clubs here and now I've got a very active little boy who keeps me rather busy. The whole night just added fuel to the fire of my fan-girl crush on Billie Joe Armstrong. I'm insanely jealous of my friend Lisa who is the head scenic on the theatrical version of American Idiot. If I were only closer...

I have managed to get a bit of knitting done in the midst of work, home improvement projects, and running after my little dude. I finished 3 socks on the road trip; a second sock for my husband and a pair for my physical therapist.



The blue ones are for my husband, who wanted some more warm socks for work. The green ones look much, MUCH better in person. I'm having a hard time photographing them and getting the real color. I'll keep trying. The blue ones are Patons Classic Merino and the green are Cascade 220.



I also made a shower gift for a friend of mine. This picture doesn't include the blue ribbon over the elastic but you get the idea. What I love best about this, besides being a very fast, easy knit, is that the yarn is called Seduce. I find that absolutely perfect for a bridal garter. The pattern is

Courtney's Bit of Blue by Susan Valent. The yarn, Seduce by Berroco.

I've been attempting to do some sewing as well. I'm not making much progress. I'm working on seat covers for shopping carts and restaurant high chairs for the little dude. I've only gotten as far as washing the fabric and cutting it out. Isn't this the best flame fabric you've ever seen though?

I plan on incorporating this into his room with the dragon theme. I think it works as dragon fire.

I want to offer a moment of silence for John Hughes................
His death came as a shock and brought about much discussion and reminiscing. The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Weird Science and Sixteen Candles are among some of my favorite movies and all bring back fond memories of my youth. Ferris Bueller is responsible for my crush on Matthew Broderick.

Most of my time not working is spent babyproofing and chasing the little dude. I should have forseen things with all the movement in utero, but I still wasn't expecting to have a 10 month old who walks. And shortly after his first solo steps he discovered he much prefers to run. Now at 11 months he's increased in speed and experimenting with climbing. The cats, much to their dismay, are of incredible interest. But perhaps they will finally lose some weight. J is a ball of curiosity and laughs. He took great delight in my ball winder, working it quite adeptly. We'll have needles in those hands soon enough.

A dainty dish to set before the King

So I thought I would share a few of the things that have kept me from blogging.

On of the biggest has been J's foray into solid foods. It sounds simple enough but I swear I did less research in the whole of college. There is so much to know about what foods they can have at what age, reactions to look for. We make our own baby food for the most part (except peas. I HATE peas and they are a pain to make so we get that jarred) We are attempting to keep him organic as possible so that has meant some extra hunting for just the right foods. Luckily we have a fabulous local organic farm that does online ordering. They email me a food list, I reply with what I want and then Friday evening I go pick it up. Urban Oaks...check it out. I think more neighborhoods need something like this. A fabulous plan for those empty lots.

This site: Wholesome Baby Food
and this book: Super Baby Food
have been my bibles as well. This is where I've been getting the bulk of my information on what to feed him when, and how to make it. I freeze the food in ice cube trays and thaw them as I need them. It's very convenient and I know what's going into his little body. And so far he's liked everything (though the last few days he's been rejecting the green beans). He's just starting to get the hang of finger foods. We have to give him one Cheerio at at time because it takes great concentration to pick one up. Otherwise they are all over the floor.

I also spend a fair amount of time on the American Pregnancy Association forums. These ladies helped me through my infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy and motherhood. They've been a big help with my early struggles in breastfeeding. I'm not one of those psycho breastfeeding Nazis and I'm not going to lecture here. I will say that it has been one of the most difficult but most rewarding things I have ever done. J has been breastfed from the start and I can proudly say he's never had formula. (not that there's anything wrong with formula feeding. It just is important to me to avoid it if I can. And so far, we have). Here's a few sites that I found immensely helpful in this particular journey:
La Leche League International
Breastfeeding Online
Drug safety during breastfeeding


And now what you've been waiting for with this post...cute messy baby pics.

Holy Crap...a new post!

I figured I'd say it first.

A lot has happened since my last post. Shortly after posting we went through a 3 week run of illness. J had croup and a few cranky days after his 6 month check up vaccines. Then he developed a double ear infection paired with pink eye. My little guy was sweet enough to pass along the pink eye to me, and then I got strep throat. My husband just escaped the strep. It was a yucky horrible time for all. Oh and J cut his first two teeth at the same time.

From there I had to deal with more theatrical fiascos...anywho. Life happened. No posts.

Here I am. With some fiber related content.

Last Saturday was the Massachusetts Sheep and Wool festival. It was a lovely day with my knitting ladies and my little one. Da (as we now call my husband) had to work so the little guy went to his second S&W. (the first was the Connecticut S&W...not much to write about. Didn't buy a thing) Amy brought her little girl who is a few weeks younger than J. They got along swimmingly. He kept trying to hold her hand during lunch, it was the cutest. I have pictures of the day but they are on an actual film camera, which means I need to take them to be developed.

I do have pictures of the yarn I bought...which I believe is the first yarn I've bought in nearly a year. (holy crap indeed). We went to Webs after the festival and I scored some skeins of Cascade 220 for a great price due to the anniversary sale. These are going to be thank you socks for my physical therapist. I also bought the pattern for the Blue Sky Alpaca Audrey Coat. I hemmed and hawed on the pattern but the girls talked me into it. I adore this pattern and hope that I'll actually get enough knitting time in to make it...some

My big score at the actual S&W was some Super Sock from Ball and Skein. I really love their colorways. This one is called Bramble Berry. The picture doesn't do it justice. It is rich and subtle and luminescent. It is destined to be a shawl for me. I have it narrowed down to about eight different choices:
Sagittaria Shawl by Vilma Vuori
Seraphim Shawl by Miriam L. Felton
irtfa'a faroese lace shawl by Anne Hanson
Shetland Triangle by Evelyn A. Clark
Spring Things by Susan Lawrence
Pangea Shawl by Sarah-Hope Parmeter
Midsummer Shawl by Renee Leverington
The Clovers by Sylvia Cannizzaro

Any opinions??

OK, that's enough for now.I'm hoping it won't be several months before I post again. Oh and here's some more cuteness...

And the answer is....

Alfred Hitchcock it is!





The resemblance tends only to be there when he's sleeping. At least it is a celebrity I admire. Hitchcock is one of my all time favorite directors. For those of you who don't see it, here is a comparison.









No knitting yet. This evening will be dedicated to packing up and baby-proofing thhe living room. Someone figured out today that he can roll to places, even if he can't crawl yet.

celebrity look alike

So you know how some babies can look like celebrities. Well, J does at times. For example:

This is J sleeping:


Who do you think he looks like? Tune in tomorrow to find out.

No rest for Mom

It has been very crazy here. Work has near imploded due to a putz of a designer, and our household was recently struck with the stomach flu. My love has been working lots of long hours (too bad he's salary) which means I'm on my own with the little dude. That leaves no time for knitting and even less for blogging. So to distract you from my blogging neglect I will blind you with sheer cuteness.

This is important, people!

I'm not one for pushing issues but this is very important.

Due to all the lead laden products coming in from China, especially childrens' toys, our government decided to react. And in typical form it is wide sweeping, over the top, legislation that will kill small business. I'm all for safer products (I won't get on my soapbox about toxic chemicals in everything around us) but to not consider all the small homegrown businesses, especially in this economy, is highly irresponsible. So please click the link and help save the creative people on Etsy and elsewhere.

Learn more here and download a letter to send to your legislators.

when art imitates life

I recently noticed a color theme in my work shoes and the piece I was painting. Apparently I'm in my yellow-orange phase.



Check out more photos and the process of the drop here.

merry christmas to all

Holiday Meme

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Depends on the complexity of wrapping the gift and how late we are to the party.
2. Real tree or Artificial? I love the smell of real but I can't bring myself to murder a tree for mere decoration. Plus we use our fireplace and that's too much of a fire hazard for me.
3. When do you put up the tree? My love won't let me do it before December 1st, so the first chance I get after that. I usually want to do it following Thanksgiving.
4. When do you take the tree down? Depends...some years not until New Years day, some years the day after Christmas
5. Do you like eggnog? Not especially, but I like the rum I thin it with.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? I would have to be the year I got my play kitchen. It even had a little water dispenser in the door.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My husband's family
8. Easiest person to buy for? My little brother
9. Do you have a nativity scene? no...I do have the one from my childhood in a box somewhere waiting to be repainted.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail...I usually do handmade too if I can swing it.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? apparently I've blocked it out.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? White Christmas or Die Hard
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Far later than I should
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? maybe
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? cookies...certain ones only get made this time of year.
16. Lights on the tree? Yes. All one color or separate strands of single color. I abhor multi-color lights on a single strand.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Traditional: Silent Night
Parody: Twelve Pains of Christmas
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? It depends
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? yes
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning...after tea, before breakfast.
21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Being a child of divorce the fighting over visiting who when and the fact that it seems everyone dies this time of year.
22. Favorite ornament theme or color? Blue and white/crystal
23. What do you want for Christmas this year? I don't know.
24. Angel on the tree top or a star? Really cool vintage star that has spinning color action.
25. Favorite Christmas dinner? Goose or Roast beef of some sort.

What we've been up to...

I did finally finish the Baby Yoda Sweater. I had to sew the sleeves in twice. Next time I'd make the sleeves shorter. The yarn is Moda Dea Washable Wool. I scored a bunch of it on clearance at JoAnn's a while back.


This is the Sally Melville scarf that I knit as a thank you for my doula. I couldn't have gotten through the birth without her. It's knit out of Berroco Comfort. I liked this pattern so much that I'm knitting myself one out of some lone Malabrigo in my stash.













And I finally did something about my hair. Saturday was spent at the Angry Chair going from this:


to this:


What you really can't see in this photo is the purple hilights. Yes, I finally dyed my hair purple and I love it. I also got a job out of the trip. I'm going to be repainting the salon and they're giving me free reign.

And if you didn't notice in the picture above my little one is wearing his NIN onesie made by Jenny.












And because he's just too cute here he is in his skeleton sweats (thank you Rachel and Jack).

Inspiration

I'm almost done with the Yoda Sweater. I'm in the process of seaming it at the moment. I hope to have it finished tonight.

My husband directed me to this YouTube video and it completely blew me away. I love John Williams...I really wanted to walk down the aisle to one of his pieces but the priest was not so keen on that. My old priest, who died several years ago, would have loved it. But anywho, enjoy and then wrap your mind around how much work this must have taken.

hey you!

Get out and vote!

Still undecided? Try this quiz but please, please vote.

And if you don't, then I don't want to hear you complain about the outcome or anything related for the next four years! Here's a few images to ponder in your ambivalence...

The force is strong with this one

Happy belated Halloween.

It was a busy day here. I didn't get the Yoda sweater done in time but the hat was a go. We had a lot less kids than we normally do, which is odd because the weather was rather pleasant. We had family visiting as well.

Here he is:


There is a disturbance in the force.

I made something!

I had to make this for him. I couldn't resist and it's just too cute. Some day I'll be able to post a picture of him with his eyes open. My next knitting project is his Halloween costume which I hope to post before too long. I'll be dressing up as usual this year. Now I can coordinate my costume with someone.

I've been trying to figure out how to nurse hands free so I can knit at the same time. It's going fairly well. Life in general is feedings, diaper changes, laundry, figuring out which of the trifecta (eat, sleep or shower) I should do when he's asleep, and just sitting and staring at this amazing little person.

Rock...tech geek style

Here's an article about the setup at the NIN show I went to. We talked about this for days afterward. If you get a chance SEE THIS SHOW. It really is a sensory experience.

Introducing...

the new man in my life:

All in the Timing

That's more than just a collection of David Ives plays in my life. I had to make it to my anniversary date of September 4th to qualify for my short term disability leave. I wasn't too worried as I was due on the 17th and told I would most likely be late.

Imagine my surprise when my water breaks at 4 am on the 5th! My little guy waited just long enough and then decided to arrive....two weeks early! We were so unprepared. We had planned on the weekend as our time to finish up the baby prep. The joke was on us.

At 5:22pm on the 5th our little one was born. It was 13 1/2 hours from when my water broke. I had no drugs, no epidural...there was no time to really even consider one. Someone got a little stuck and I was almost headed for a c-section. But I did it...and he's wonderful.

For sake of privacy I'm not posting his name on the net but the initials of his first and middle name are JA. We just came home yesterday and haven't up loaded pictures yet.

So there it is...don't know when I'll get on next.

Takin care of business

Last week I went back to work and jumped right in and hit the ground running. So I've been utterly exhausted. I'm taking it easy as much as I can. I was sore as hell last week, but at least I am sleeping again. Though now I am dealing with swelling of my hands and feet. Luckily I took my rings off a few weeks ago. I was using a inherited ring as a substitute wedding band, but it is of too much sentimental value to wear at work. My hands go up and down so much I don't think any rings could be comfortable. Most nights I come home and crash on the couch with my feet up. Some day I hope to see my ankle bones again.

I did get some sewing done. The dust ruffle for the crib is nearly complete. My bag is all prepped, I just need to sit down and do a marathon sewing session. The earliest that could happen is Friday night. I've got a full week with my hospital tour, lactation class and a doctor's appointment. I've chosen a doula and I'm starting to get our little guy's stuff situated. I swear he already has more clothes then the both of us combined. He's head down now, which means he's kicking my ribs and stomach constantly.

We took him to his first concert...NIN. He loved it, but then who couldn't love Trent Reznor. The show was amazing. It was the most visually stimulating concert that I've ever been to. Of course we were getting our geek on by analyzing the equipment. It was my last concert for a while and what a memory to have to cling to.

My brain is fried at this point, I think I've updated on everything...I'm off to bed.

I'm just watched Serenity again and you know, I still can't forgive Joss Whedon for what he did to Wash.

Not quite sewing yet...

The weekend went well. My sew-fest today was slightly put off by a scheduled trip to the vet and the writing/addressing of thank you notes.

I have started cutting projects. I do need to pick up a tad more fabric, and plan to do so first thing tomorrow. I'll be a single girl tomorrow due to some ill-timed truck arrivals at the theatre, but that leaves me uninterrupted sewing time.

And today I realized I go back to work next week...where did my summer break go?

Trains

I'm hitting the rails again this weekend for a quick jaunt to the home town. Reason?; one of my baby showers. I have another there next weekend...long story, don't want to tell it. If you know anything about my family situation, that's enough.

When I return, Monday will be sewing day. I have these fabrics waiting in the wings:



I can't wait to get down and dirty with my sewing machine at last. I had planned on spending much more time with it this summer but life intervenes. I guess you'll just have to wait until Monday to see what they will be.