Finishing Up

I finally got around to blocking Branching Out (yes, I know that I finished it in April. I just didn't get around to it!). I love what blocking does to lace. This particular scarf could have lived without blocking, but I think it's so much nicer now!


I also had a chance to try Reasonably Hip out on a person. I LOVE IT!!! I'm positive now that Michael will also love it.


I have very little desire to do anymore Christmas knitting. I want to finish my February Lady Sweater and get on to the baby knitting!

Speaking of baby, I had an ultrasound yesterday, and baby girl is doing just fine. It's SO COOL to get to see her! She has the same profile as the other little ones, so I have a feeling she's going to look more like me than like DH. Poor hubby! He hears all the time how much the kids look like me.

We don't have a car today, so I've kept the little ones busy crafting. We've done cut out ornaments and baked them, and we'll paint them after naps. The kids have also glued down triangles to make tree shapes and colored decorations on them. They have also asked to watch "Frosty the Snowman" later, so I think the afternoon will fly by.

Happy knitting!

Completed Christmas Gift

Way back in April, I started knitting Reasonably Hip (Rav. link) for my nephew for Christmas. The pictures in the pattern totally look my nephew, and I really thought he might like it. Today, I FINALLY sewed the brim to the hat. It's kind of ridiculous - I think the actual knitting only took a few weeks of occasional attention, but the finishing....well, I just wasn't that motivated I guess. Overall, I'm pleased with the hat, and I hope that Michael is too. (And really, even if he's not, he'll totally fake it when he opens the gift. He's good like that.)



Supposedly, I have 4 more washcloths to knit to include with the bath salt scrubs that Big Boy made for his teachers, his mom, and his aunt. Ummmmm, I'm thinking they're not going to get done. So, I'll be keeping my eye out for bath scrubbies at the dollar store. Seriously, I just want to knit baby stuff now, but I totally have to finish my February Lady Sweater, or it will never get done. Not to mention the silk scarf that should be done too. Where does all the knitting time go?

Maybe to activities like this:



Take 12 kids under the age of 4, throw in 84 graham crackers, 2 pounds of sugar, and a ton of candy, and you have a pretty good time! (And I have to say, this whole experience was a lot less sticky than I had anticipated.)

I hope you're having as much fun anticipating Christmas as I am!

Happy Knitting!

Christmas Meme

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Depends on the gift. I prefer wrapping paper though.
   
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. I like that certain ornaments go in a certain place every year.
   
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the first weekend of December, but this year I did it right before Thanksgiving. Only because we're not home for Thanksgiving, and we leave the day after Christmas for my parents' and it feels like we lose out on quality tree time.
   
4. When do you take the tree down? A day or two after New Years
5. Do you like eggnog? Not sure. I did make a chocolate eggnog this year that was good.
   
6. Favorite gift received as a child? That's a toughie. I know I loved my kitchen.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My brother.
8. Easiest person to buy for? The kiddies.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Several. A Little People one for the kids. A nice looking/inexpensive one for now. A white porcelain one that was my parents to put out when the kids are old enough not to break anything, and a cardboard antique one. The real question - do you put baby Jesus out right away, or wait until Christmas?*
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A comic book I got from a White Elephant exchange
    
12. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I wouldn't mind starting on Jan. 2nd.
13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes.
14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Chocolate Crinkles!
15. Lights on the tree? Many! Colored ones mostly.
    
16. Favorite Christmas song? Oh, Holy Night
17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home for Christmas eve and Christmas. Off to Buffalo (which is REALLY home) the day after.
    
18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yes, I can.
19. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning.
20. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Trying to convince my husband he can start his shopping a before December 22nd.
21. Favorite ornament theme or color? I like a lot of variety on the tree
22. What do you want for Christmas this year? A house.
23. Angel or star on top tree: Angel, but only because that's what we have. No objections to stars.
24. Favorite meal: Turkey Dinner! (Although, when I'm not pregnant I do enjoy the seafood feast my BIL makes on Christmas eve)
    

* I put him out right away.

Winter White Tam

Last night, I completed a Christmas gift! The Winter White Tam was a pretty easy knit, and the Prima Alpaca yarn is just a DREAM to knit. Overall, I'm very pleased with this hat, although I'm concerned about the size. It seemed kind of small last night, but I blocked it, and hopefully, it will be ever so slightly bigger. I'm really hoping that my sister-in-law likes it. She's a crocheter, so at the very least, she will appreciate the effort. Last year, she got a beautiful white winter coat, and I thought this would go with it perfectly!

The rest of the week I have washcloths to knit to accompany Big Boy's teacher gifts (he made bath scrub) and I'd like to finish up my February Lady Sweater. At this point, all other knitting is off the proverbial Christmas table. Once the FLS is done, I'm moving on to baby knitting.

Happy knitting all!

Crafty Saturday

Saturday morning, I attend our church's annual Women's Magi Moment. Basically, we had brunch (DELICIOUS!), a time of singing Christmas Carols interspersed with scripture, a dramatic presentation about Mary, and a craft. I signed up for jewelry making. As you know, I've made some stitch markers before, but I thought this would be something I would enjoy.

I was right! The woman who taught the class was great - I feel like I could make just about anything right now! She is also a knitter! Who blogs! (You can find her here.) And Jknits has similar taste in projects as I do - she's recently made a Calorimetry and a Lace-edged Women's Hat (can I just say, she had the hat with her on Saturday. It's beautiful! Way nicer yarn than I used, and she added some beads. I didn't even recognize it as the same pattern.)

Okay, so in the class I made this:

I also made matching earrings. They are in the box of beads that we received. In what is becoming a more and more common occurence, I have no stinkin' idea where I put the box! I remember taking it out of my bag. I remember showing it to my husband. After that, nothin'! This preggo brain thing is REALLY irking me!!!!!!! I have a great memory! I remember everything! (Anyone else remember that Meatloaf song????? I REMEMBER EVERYTHING AS IF IT HAPPENED ONLY YESTERDAY!) Anyway, I'm tickled with my new jewelry, and I have something in mind to make someone for Christmas. I just have to get to a craft and/or beading store to find all the materials.

I'm really glad I attended this event. Like I said, it's an annual thing, and every year, I feel like I'm too busy, or it's too much work to get there. This year, I just decided I was going, and I have a feeling, it's going to become a tradition for me.

Saturday night, we had family craft night. This is something we do every Christmas, and we try to have one or two other ones throughout the year. This year, we painted window ornaments. Here's a few of them:


The hubby did the snowman. He's very detailed oriented. The boys decided their wreaths should be green, and then painted red over them. Not really sure why. I will say, this was a case of the 8 year old imitating the 2 year old. Sibling dynamics are weird.

Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and the little ones are proud of the ones that are hung in the windows. The rest will get hung up today. Saturday night, after the little ones were in bed, we watched "White Christmas", the first of a long line of Christmas movies I hope to get through before Christmas eve.

Still knitting on SIL's tam. I'm hoping to finish it early this week. Today is SUPER cold (13 degrees right now), so maybe I'll sneak in some knitting time after I have a tea party with the kids. Which is what I'm off to do right now!

Happy Knitting!

Belated Thanksgiving Post

It seems impossible for me to post on a regular basis lately. There's been some stress around Chez Mommy Knitter. Nothing too serious, but issues that need attention. There's also a shocking lack of knitting going on. The Oriel Lace Scarf was moving along slowly, but the deadline to get in the mail came and went, and it's not done. Thus, that has moved to hibernation while I attend to Christmas knitting that might actually get done in time.

The first thing on my list was to create a wreath for our front door. I used the miniature hat pattern from the holiday issue of Knitsimple, and my mom helped me to create the wreath. I'm really pleased with it, and hope the neighbors smile when they see it on our front door.


I also knit a dishcloth for my mom's knitting guild. They are sending them to people who receive Meals on Wheels this holiday season. Today, I cast on for a tam for my sister-in-law. At this point, this is the MUST GET DONE item for Christmas. We have at least an 8 hour drive ahead of us tomorrow (and probably a significant longer one with holiday traffic), so I'm hoping to get a great jump on it. Sadly, the double pointed needles I will eventually need are at home, so I won't be finishing it. Of course, I still have the sleeves of the February Lady Sweater to knit, and I do have the appropriate needles for that. Obviously, there is no shortage of car ride knitting.

Since Thanksgiving is the traditional time to reflect on the things we are thankful, I thought I would do a little bit of that here.

I am so thankful for my husband. He is truly my best friend, and is so wonderfully supportive. I'm thankful for my kids - I think they are the most fun kids on the planet, and I love all of their hugs and kisses. Lately, our family has experienced some trials, and I am even thankful for those. God has been teaching us so much, and I'm really learning to trust that all things really do work out for the good of those who love Him. In the meantime, we have a lovely home (even if we rent), wonderful friends, and lots of extended family who love and support us. I am truly a blessed person. I try to remember that on a daily basis, but I figured now is a good time to let the rest of the world know it.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I pray that you have a blessed Advent season.

Charity Sit 'n Knit

The Sit 'n Knit in Melrose has started to host a time for charity knitting the second Sunday of every month. Best of all - it's free! You just show up and knit! I went on Sunday, bought a skein of Encore DK and knit up a baby squash hat to donate to charity. I'm excited for a few reasons.

1. I don't have a local yarn store with knitting friends that I hang out with. There were some very nice ladies knitting away on Sunday, but I have to say, in case you didn't know, New Englanders are very different than Buffalonians. It's not that they're not friendly, they're just not as gregarious. I'm hoping if I go every month, I'll get to know them better.

2. I've fallen short of my charity knitting goal for the year. Being sick every time I looked at needles really made it difficult to knit an item every month.

3. Um, I get to go and knit quietly for a couple of hours without any children interrupting. It's nice.

I've started the Oriel Lace Scarf. The first repeat went slowly, but now it's moving along nicely. Still to knit on the Christmas list: a tam for my SIL, and 2 sweaters for dolls. And of course, finishing the February Lady Sweater before Christmas would be nice.

Happy Knitting!

Christmas Decorations

I was thinking about knitting a bunch of these:


And attaching them to this:


What do you think?

Get out and Vote!

Regardless of how feel about the campaigns, or about the candidates, please don't take your right to vote lightly. We so often forget that this right we take for granted is ours because people fought and died for it. Honor them by taking the time to vote today, and celebrate the fact that we have a say in our government!

(Steps down from soapbox)

Last night I finished the body of the February Lady Sweater. It was slow, but worth it! The picture isn't great, but it was hard to show the length and the detail. Today, the length is what's important. I still have to weave in the ends and knit the sleeves, but so far, I'm VERY pleased!


Besides this sweater - things to finish before Christmas: Lace Scarf for a friend, Tam for my SIL, coat for little girl's dolly and a sweater for little boy's dolly. (BTW - why are boy doll clothes so hard to find????) Also, I'm hoping to knit some miniature hats for our front door wreath and for ornaments to add to gifts. We'll see if it all gets done.

Happy knitting!

Halloween

We made crafts.



(Hubby gets the credit for the great faces on the ornaments).

We ate monster food.


We Trick-or-Treated.


We had a great time.

Mail Call!

Last week, I received some goodies in the mail!

The first was a dishcloth from dishrag tag. The race is over, and our team came in fifth.

Huh, not sure why it's sidewise.

The second is this book:

I won a blog contest on Andrea's blog. I have to say, I've been pretty discouraged as a parent lately, but this book and some good Bible reading and prayer time has been helping. Thank you Andrea!


On the knitting front, I'm still slogging away on the February Lady Sweater. I finished something for the Misery Knits Swap I'm taking part in, and today I brought a baby sweater to the doctor's office. I'm still not sure how all the Christmas knitting I want to get done will get done, but we'll see.

Happy knitting!

Little Girl's Second Hat

Last year, I made little girl Ela's Favorite Hat from the original One Skein Wonders book. This year, she got her purple spiral hat. But, three days later we bought her snowsuit (at a GREAT price at Sears), and it happens to be pink and brown. And I happened to have this pink and brown wool in my stash. And I needed an easy project to take to see the Yarn Harlot. Thus, here is little girl's second winter hat, once again modeled by Annabelle. (Where is Ruggles?????)


Last night, I actually worked on the February Lady Sweater. It's so slow, it's unbelievable.

My Knitting Mojo is Back!

At last, I'm back in the knitting groove!

I spent last week with my parents. I love Western New York. If any of you are thinking about moving, I promise, it's a great place. On Thursday, I went to my mom's knitting class at Have Ewe Any Wool, and I worked on little girl's winter hat (she wanted a purple hat.) (BTW, the Thursday group at the shop is full of the nicest, most encouraging fellow knitters you will ever meet.) The hat pattern is from 101 Designer One Skein Wonders, and it worked up super quickly. Sadly, right at the last minute, just when I was sewing up the top, I dropped a bunch of a stitches. A BUNCH. Thankfully, my mom fixed it for me. (Aren't moms great?)

(Ruggles seems to be missing, so little girl's pal Annabelle is modeling hats today.)

The following day I started little boy's winter hat. No published pattern here (that I know of) - just your basic hat. I love the colors, and it looks fabulous on him! I think I will make matching mittens, and if there is enough yarn leftover, add a pompom on top. (Oh, btw, both hats were made with Plymouth Encore.)


I also brought the February Lady Sweater. Sadly, I had to rip back 8 rows or so because of a mistake. I'm now one row ahead of where I was when I got to my parents, but now I have a load of stitch markers to help me keep my place.

I also bought some yarn for a baby sweater and some LOVELY alpaca to make a tam for my sister-in-law. Remember my short list of Christmas knitting? The one I made so I wouldn't stress myself out? Yeah, that's out the window. I'm back to wanting to knit for all the babies, and make two tams, plus the Oriel Lace Scarf I want to do. And finishing my sweater sometime this year would be nice too.

I pretty much plan on knitting whenever humanly possible - but I feel great about it!!!!

Lucky me, I got back to town just in time to go see the Yarn Harlot in Cambridge. How convenient that she was speaking just 10 minutes from my house! I love hanging out with knitters! Within seconds of sitting down, we were showing each other our knitting, pictures of our kids, and comparing LYSs. I don't know if you know, but in general, strangers sitting next to each other do NOT speak to each other in New England. It's been a hard lesson for me to learn, and one that I love does not apply to other knitters.

(Sorry about the picture quality - I should have replaced the batteries in the camera before I left.)

Anyway, back to Ms. Pearl-McPhee. If you haven't read of her books, read them! She's funny. She's smart. She's an amazing knitter. (Best advice so far - It's only yarn.) If she is coming to a place near you, go see her! She's just as funny in person, and you feel like she's a really approachable person.

While there, I worked on a second hat for little girl. Not that she needs one, but her new snowsuit perfectly matches a half-ball of yarn I've had sitting in my stash, and knitting a hat didn't require too much attention. I hope to finish that today, and work on my sweater. I will have to decide what the rest of the week's playground knitting will be - but rest assured, there will be knitting!

P.S. Did you notice the counter up top? I'm in my 20th week. Halfway there! Last night, Daddy was able to feel a couple of kicks!

Linda's Hat

My friend Jeff's mom has cancer. She had been in remission, but recently, it came back. Her husband died of cancer a few months ago. It's all very sad.

Cancer.

I can't even imagine....

Anyway, our bible study is sending her a care package, and so I knit up this chemo hat.


The pattern is called Lace-Edged Women's Hat, and it is a free Ravelry download. Little girl particularly liked the hat, so I might make one for her (for snow time, as she said.) The hat was REALLY easy, and the lace pattern, which isn't showing up so well on my picture, is really pretty.

The kids and I are leaving tomorrow morning for Western New York, to spend time with my family. Things have been a little stressful here at casa de Mommy Knitter, so I'm glad to run away from home for a while and relax. And obviously, I'm psyched to be around another knitter or two!

Hopefully, the February Lady Sweater will be complete (or close to it) by the time I get home next week!

I have an announcement...

It's a GIRL Baby!!!


(I found some really Cute Blogger Layouts at Doobix.com)

Little girl is VERY excited, as up until a few days ago, she didn't want another baby ("I don't need another baby. I already have little boy") However, then she decided that though she didn't want a boy baby, she would like a girl baby ("Because I'm a girl.")

She has gotten her wish! We are all very excited!

Ribbed Cap

I've spent a lot of time this week at the playground. It's been nice out (until this afternoon when it poured cats and dogs), and the kids have been having so much fun playing Fireman together. I LOVE that they are playing little games together now. Anyway, since I'm not going to bring the Celtic Knot Stole or the February Lady Sweater to the playground, I needed a take-a-long project.

I shopped in my stash and found a skein of wool that I had bought to make a hat to match a mistake rib scarf I made in the spring. The set is meant to be a Christmas gift. I chose a pattern from One Skein Wonders (I STILL love that book!), and it knit up super quickly and easily.

The Ribbed Cap took no time at all, and since it required hardly any attention, it was a great knit while watching the kids kind of project.


Although Ruggles doesn't do a great job showing it off, I really like it. And, I think it's perfect for a guy. (BTW - Ruggles got a big kick out of modeling.)

My new take-a-long project - a Chemo cap for a friend's mom.

Happy and Sad News

Happy news! I have finished a knitted item! The first item I have finished since July. Sad, and pathetic. However, today, I knit a whole entire dishcloth!

That's the good news. Now, here's the bad news. My LYS, which is really a fabric store with a GREAT selection of yarn, is going out of business! I went there today, hoping to score some Encore for the little ones' winter hats, and there was NONE on the shelves. NONE! I've loved going to The Fabric Place - it had such a large selection of yarn, many brands that you find in actual yarn shops - Cascade, Malabrigo, Galway, Elisabeth Lovland, etc, etc, AND they send coupons! Or, rather, they sent coupons. Goodbye The Fabric Place. I will miss you!

Okay, so if I can't buy Encore at a discount, what kind of warm, washable yarn can I buy at A.C. Moore to make the little ones' hats? OR, is there a LYS around me that sells Encore and has carts to strap my kids into?

Finally, can someone work out a way for me to have two whole days dedicated to knitting? I feel like I might actually accomplish something besides a dishcloth.

Go Team!

I've spent the last two nights at Fenway Park, watching the Red Sox play the Cleveland Indians. I'm happy to say that my Indians won a game, and the Sox won last night, cinching their place in the playoffs. (If the Sox play any other team, I totally cheer for the Sox. But the Indians' farm team is based in Buffalo, and I just can't cheer against players from Buffalo!) Needless to say, Boston-boy Hubby is beyond excited!


The funniest part of last night was by far, this sign:


Poor Katie Holmes.

I have been knitting, but everything is going really SLOWLY! I'm just about ready to start the lace pattern on the February Lady Sweater, and am knitting about six rows a week on the Celtic Knot Stole. At this rate, I should finish it in about 60 weeks.

Overdue Thank You

Last week I received these in the mail:

They are rubber gloves, beautifully embellished by Shawnee. I won them as part of her birthday contest. Don't you feel inspired to scrub the bathroom? I know I do! Thank you, Shawnee!



BTW- Shawnee makes the most adorable aprons you've ever seen. Go check out her blog!

Also, I have been knitting. Slowly, but surely, the February Lady Sweater is starting to look like something besides a lot of garter stitch. It helps that I finally am understanding the raglan increases. I just couldn't picture how it was going to come together.


Yesterday, I went button shopping (a big premature perhaps, but I was in the same town as the knitting shop that carries lots of buttons.) I couldn't decide between two buttons, so I bought them both. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a clear picture so that you could give me your opinion. I'm sure I'll decide when the whole sweater is done and I'm ready to actually put on the buttons.

I've also made a decision about knitting projects. I think I'm putting too much pressure on myself to knit projects that I'm not really going to have time for. Thus, I've decided that all the new babies around me do NOT need handknit items for Christmas. It would be nice, but I just don't think I have the time. I've also decided that our new baby does NOT need a whole wardrobe worth of knitted goodness. Instead, I've decided to limit myself to a few hats and a sweater at each size.

Between now and Christmas, my goals are as follows:

• Finish the February Lady Sweater
• Finish the Celtic Knot Stole
• Knit a stole from the silk lace yarn I have (this is a Christmas gift)
• Knit another Wonderful Wallaby for little boy
• Knit both little kids hats and mittens

That's it. Anything else that gets done is nice, but I'm not going to pressure myself!

In pregnancy news, I've finally stopped puking, although I still have iffy moments (particularly after the candy corn I ate last night - I love candy corn!) Baby seems to be doing well, and I'm trying to get as much as sleep as possible now.

I hope everything is sunny in your corner of the world.

Happy Knitting!

Saturday Morning

I've thought about blogging. I've considered taking pictures of stuff, and posting about what we're doing. However, none of that involves knitting. It's not that I haven't knit at all, it's just that I've knit so little.

I have approximately 20 rows done on the February Lady Sweater. I've started a cotton kerchief for a friend. I've looked at the Celtic Knot Stole, but haven't knit a stitch, despite the fact that it's this month's KAL for the Scary Lace Group on Ravelry. And I voted for it!

My parents were visiting for a week. We went to the Franklin Park Zoo, Rockport (cute little shops on the sea), and to the beach. I went body surfing for the first time! And, of course, I've puked, and puked some more, and then, yup, puked some more.

It's less than four months until Christmas, and with three new babies around me, I have A LOT of knitting to get done. I'm a little nervous if it's going to happen.

Tag Complete!

I didn't even take the time to take some pictures, but at 3:33 p.m. the dish rag tag box arrived at my house. The dish cloth is knit, the box is packed, and it will be at the post office first thing in the morning.

Go Cross-Country Knitters!

I Love a Good Sale!

The Fabric Place is having their semi-annual 25% off EVERYTHING sale. They also gave $5 to the first 100 customers in the store yesterday. And I had a coupon for $5 off a purchase of $25 or more. AND, here in Massachusetts, it's tax free weekend. So, for approximately 50% of what it would have cost me, I got this:


It's going to become the February Lady Sweater.

I'm really excited!

And how about Michael Phelps?

Happy Knitting!

Go Team #22

Dish Rag Tag teams have been assigned, and I'm captain of Team #22. (I'm not really sure how I got to be captain. I hope I'm up to the challenge.)

No knitting. Lots of throwing up. (However, I did knit 2 dishcloths at the end of last month, and I'm pretty sure flat knitting is going to be okay.) Besides the pregnancy stuff, I also have the most awful head cold. I feel like the summer has been a giant waste - I haven't done half of what I wanted to do!

I still haven't finished untangling the laceweight yarn I started winding last week. DH got so sick of looking at it, he gave it a try last night. I'm not sure, but I think he might have cut it. I'm too miserable to even care.

Happy knitting!

Swap Goodies!

I took place in a Dishcloth Prayer Swap through the Christian Knitters group on Ravelry. Besides two gorgeous dishcloths, I also received some chocolate and a great book by John Piper, Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ. Most importantly, Tina has been praying for something very important to me. Thank you, Tina!

In other news, I haven't knit a thing. Still. I did sit down the other night to wind some laceweight for the Adamas Shawl. It's a tangled mess, and I haven't gotten to untangling it yet.

Happy Knitting!

What A Mighty God We Serve!

We had a great 3 day vacation to Franconia Notch, New Hampshire last week. It was our first family vacation that didn't involve going to see Grandma and Grandpa. Our first stop was the Flume Gorge. I stand in awe of the awesomeness of our Creator. The kids did a great job hiking almost 2 miles, including up some pretty steep stairs. It was such an amazing, beautiful day, and a great time for our family.


The motel we stayed at had fishing, paddle boats, and an indoor and an outdoor pool. This came in handy since the second day we were there in POURED! The kids didn't mind though. We went out to breakfast, and then took a field trip to Chutters, the current world record holder for the longest candy counter.


Obviously, the kids were happy. I was happy too - I found Wonka Bottle Caps! They're not as good as I remember, but they're still pretty good! It stopped raining long enough in the afternoon for us to go out on the paddle boats and swim outside again. The kids were really just tickled with everything.

There were several thunderstorms during our trip, and I always find myself focusing on how powerful God is to control such forces! I'm so thankful that we were able to spend time as a family surrounded by God's creation.

Knitting accomplished? None.

Great times? Many!

Dish Rag Tag!

I arrived home from a 3 day stay in New Hampshire (our first real family vacation!) to be reminded that Dish Rag Tag sign-ups start today! And lucky me, I'm in! Sign-ups are limited to 300 people, and they opened at noon today, so if you're interested, hurry here and sign-up!

Four Things

First of all, there's a cool giveaway here.

Second, we're taking the kids to Franconia Notch for a few days this week. This is our first real family vacation that doesn't include a trip to grandma and grandpa's. We're excited, and hoping for nice weather.

Third, I've been knitting some dishcloths for a Ravelry dishcloth swap. They're supposed to go in the mail Thursday, but we'll be away. I'm hoping to get them in the mail tomorrow.

Finally, I'm tired of feeling nauseous all the time. I'm on some medicine that helps quite a bit, but it's never totally gone. I would like to go more than an hour or so without thinking about my stomach.

Happy Knitting!

Knitting Makes Me Puke

Well, it turns out not all knitting makes me puke. Just circular knitting. This gets reaffirmed every other day or so when I knit a few rounds on my sock, and continue until the moment when I feel my lunch start to revisit me. It's pathetic. This is my first Summer of Socks sock. You know, the thing that has been going on since June 21. The sock knitting extravaganza that has most people with 5 or 6 completed pairs already. Pathetic.



I'm also beginning to realize, that nauseous or not, (lowers voice to a whisper), I just might not be a sock knitter. I don't think I really enjoy it. Which is sad, because I really enjoy the way hand-knitted socks feel on my feet. Maybe if my feet were a size 7 instead of a size 10. Maybe then sock knitting would be my thing.

Thankfully, flat knitting does not make me throw up. Unfortunately, both the baseball tee and the Monica Tank Top I've started, I've modified to work in the round. This means the Celtic Knot Stole gets quite a bit of attention in the evening after the kids are in bed, if I have the energy to stay awake. I'm pleased with how it's turning out so far. Only 425 some odd rows to go. Plus, the border.


Since I haven't felt like knitting much, I've been reading. Mostly, I'm reading what's around the house. The last few days I've been re-reading Laurie Notaro's books. Have you read them? The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club and I Love Everybody (And Other Atrocious Lies) have been this week's reading. Her books make me laugh so hard that I'm likely to pee in my pants at any moment. I saw on her website just now that a new book is out. That might be worth leaving the house for!

Happy Knitting!

Some Exciting News

You may notice the new ticker at the top of the page. Hubby and I are excited to announce that we are indeed expecting a new little one at the beginning of March. It is a little early to say anything, but we saw the baby's heartbeat yesterday, and everything seems to be going smoothly, and it's been really hard not to say anything!

Sadly, I have been pretty sick so far. I'm hoping that ends sooner rather than later - with little girl I was sick every night for 6 months. This is a lingering, not feeling well, feel like I could throw up at any moment kind of sick. ICK! I haven't even been able to knit very much - looking at all those stitches makes me nauseous!

However, I'm confident that I'll be able to knit again soon, and my Ravelry queue is full of all kinds of baby things. My husband is a little nervous that my excitement is related to the excuse to knit baby items. (I mean, maybe that's part of it....) I didn't learn to knit until after little boy was born, so neither of my kids had handknit baby items that I made. First up - a baby squash hat to wear at the hospital!

Happy Knitting!

It's been forever...

I know! We've been very busy this summer with.....um.....I don't know. We've just been busy doing summer stuff. I haven't done very much knitting, but yesterday I did 2 pattern rows of the Celtic Knot Stole.

However, I thought I would let you all know that I'm still alive, and to share this quote from little girl:

"Mommy, it's God's job to take care of Daddy and Big Boy, and it's your job to take care of me and little boy."

How cute is that?

Happy knitting!

Grown Up Clothes!

Here it is, my first adult sized garment -the Lillian Tank!

Although I'm not all that thrilled with how I look, I'm THRILLED with the tank top. It fits perfectly, it's very comfortable, and I think it looks just lovely!






This has definitely taken away some fear of investing in some larger projects, and I got to wear it on last Thursday to knitting class with my mom. I'm very proud!

I've cast-on for a pair of socks, a tank top for little girl, and a baby baseball tee. Not much done on any of them so far!

Happy knitting!

Teeny Tiny Top

I FINALLY have a finished object to show off! The Teeny Baby Top by Moondust Boutiques. This was a test knit for the pattern, which should be available to purchase in the beginning of July. It's super cute, and pretty easy. There's some tricky picking up of stitches for the sleeves, but it's so worth it. I was nervous at first - it just didn't look like anything! Once it was all seamed together though, it looked great!


I used two skeins of Tahki cotton, and size 2 needles (as opposed to the size 2.5 called for in the pattern.) I took the time to do the gauge swatch (applause for me!) My needles were very pointy and I had a hard time maintaining the same tension throughout. I don't think any babies will mind, and I realize I should have invested in a size 2 needle that was less pointy, and thus not likely to hurt my poor pointer finger so much. I was hoping the yellow would make it gender neutral, but it still might be a bit girly.

I'm making good progress on the Lillian Tank. I've split for the armholes, and am working on the back. I hope to have it done within the week. The Summer of Socks has been going on for over a week, and I still haven't cast on! Pathetic, I know. My goal of the summer was only two pairs, but still....

Happy Knitting!

Surprise!

I know I've been very absent lately, but I have a really good excuse - I've been planning a surprise party for my husband's 40th birthday. The party was Saturday, and it went off perfectly!

The DH thought we were having an afternoon/evening out by ourselves. Unbeknownst to him, my parents had driven into town the night before. The little ones and I left the house early (so Daddy could sleep in), drove to the hotel and spent time with my parents. I left the kids with them, and met my husband back at our house. I put him in the car, blindfolded him, and took him to the site of our first official date - bowling. Tons of fun, and SO NICE to be out without kids. I blindfolded him again and took him out for cocktails and appetizers - fried calamari that was super delicious, and wonderful garlicky mussels. Another blindfold, and driving around in some circles, and I arrived back at our house. The guests were all waiting outside the car, and DH got a huge surprise when I took off his blindfold. (I wish I had a better picture - can you see the surprised look?)


31 people, including his brother from Texas. I had a slideshow going on the TV - pictures from all different times of hubby's life (including several 80s prom pictures), personalized candy bars, and a picture of DH as an infant on the cake. It was well worth all the effort to see my husband surrounded by all the people who love him dearly. He truly is the nicest person on the planet, and I am so blessed to have him as mine!

But seriously, this whole thing has totally impeded on my knitting time. I have until the end of the month to finish a test knit. Plus, I have my tank top, and the Summer of Socks has started, and I have to even cast-on! I'm hoping to knit happily away this week!

Happy knitting to all of you!

A Knitting Picture

I know, I know. I haven't been around much lately.

I've been knitting a little bit each day, but not all that much. The little ones are busy with summer activities, it's hot, and I'm cleaning my house like mad. Partly because it needs it, and partly for reasons I'll tell you more about later.

But, since this is a knitting blog, I finally got up the motivation to snap a picture. Here is my Lillian Tank Top, so far:


I've tried it on, and it seems to fit, which is a huge relief! The color doesn't show well in the picture, but it's a pretty green. I just have the bust, neckline, and shoulders to do. The test knit I'm working on is going so slowly though - and it's on a deadline.

I wish I had more to share with all of you out there. Life is just good lately. Not exciting. Just good.

Happy Knitting!

1930s Wife

99 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Superior Take the test!

I LOVE THIS! The thing is, I love Donna Reed. I want my house to be that clean, and I want to be that charming and elegant. Don't get me wrong - I want to be that way because I enjoy it and want to, not because I feel like I have to.

But oh, I want to be Donna Reed.

Thanks Moriah for sharing this!

Tag, I'm it!

Angie has tagged me.

The Rules:

Rules are posted at the beginning. At the end of the post, the player tags 6 people and posts their names. Then the player goes to each of the “named” people’s blogs and leaves a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. If you’ve been tagged, you do the same, letting the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer. Your answer, of course, is the answer to the following questions. Here we go!

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

I had just graduated college, started dating my first after high school boyfriend (STUPID! STUPID!!), and was applying for teaching jobs.

2. 5 things on my to-do list today?

• Finish unpacking
• Laundry - it never ends
• Work on my Lillian Tank Top
• Write out a card or two to some friends
• Catch up on emails and blogs
  

3. Snacks I enjoy:

Chocolate cake, chocolate cookies, chocolate ice cream....I think you get the picture. OH, and popcorn - especially when my husband makes it on the stove.

4. Places I’ve lived:

Amherst, NY (right next to Buffalo), Boston, MA (proper and metro area.) I prefer Buffalo.

5. Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

• Buy a house, and create the perfect kitchen and entertain a TON!
• Buy my parents a house closer to me
• Hire a maid/mother's helper (thanks for that idea, Angie!)
• Donate time/money to charities - probably mostly to the Salvation Army
  
• Treat my friends and family to rockin' good times

The kids are fussing, so I'll tag anyone who wants to be tagged. But, leave a comment, so I know to check your blog!

Knitting Away

Hi there!

The little ones and I are in Buffalo visiting my parents. I'm also knitting away at a number of projects (how does that happen?)

I've finished the ridiculous hat, except for a pom-pom at the top. I've brought along Zoom and the Celtic Knot Stole (haven't worked on them though). I've cast on for the Lillian Tank top for me, and a baby top that is a test knit. I will post pictures when I can, which will likely be when I'm home the middle of next week.

Until then, happy knitting!

Ridiculous

I proctored my last exam today, and worked on a hat for charity that can only be called ridiculous. I thought it was a good way to use some oddball yarn. Yup, ridiculous.



On a happy note, I got a new T-shirt in the mail today.



You won't appreciate the graphic if you weren't around for all the drama, and I'd advise not trying to catch up - old drama isn't fun. HOWEVER, the graphic designer who did the graphic is amazing! Her ravelry ID is Kayjaydee, and when she opens up her own shop, I'll be sure to let you know!

Happy Knitting!