Baby Bonnet Blues

I've just about finished the baby bonnet. I'm still supposed to pick up some stitches around the back edge, and add some ribbing. I'm waiting until this weekend to have my mom look at it (my parents are coming to town for the 3 kids' birthday party. We like to do just one family party - it's much easier.)

Anyway, here's the bonnet.


It's not bad from the front. It's the back that's an issue.

I know some babies have a cone shaped head, but I've never seen one with a cone in the back. I'm quite certain that the decreases should have stopped much earlier. I searched for errata for the book, but no luck, and no one else had done the pattern on Ravelry. Hopefully, mom will know what to do!

I realized that today is March 31st, and I have not knit a single thing for charity yet this month. I've cast on for the Baby Squash hat from 101 Designer One Skein Wonders, using the same yarn as the bonnet. It probably won't get done tonight, but at least it was started in March. I found a local organization that distributes hand knit items, and have decided to donate through them - they take all kinds of items and distribute them locally where needed.

Happy Knitting!

Knit Night FO

Last night was my monthly knit/craft/chat/snack night. 5 friends, a newborn baby, and chocolate in assorted forms. Let me tell you - holding a newborn makes me think about how wonderful and fun babies are. And then, I get woken up at 4 a.m. by little boy, and think about how much I like to sleep. Baby Eli was a trooper though - he slept quite a while and let him mommy knit.

My friend Wangeci learned to knit at K/C/C/S night a couple months ago. Her first project was a garter stitch scarf, and she's been working on some easy fingerless mitts (you knit a rectangle and sew it together, leaving a place for the thumb.) It's done in 2x2 rib, and she finished one of them last night. Here it is:



I'm so proud of her!

I'm finally done with 3" of the baby bonnet, and it's time to start the decreases.

Also, it turns out Branching Out doesn't really call for laceweight yarn, so it's back to the yarn store for me to exchange it for a dk weight.

Sunny but cold today here in metro Boston. When does the warm come?

Happy Knitting!

Ickies and Ouchies

Last night, DH told me my cough sounded different and I should go to the doctors today. Isn't he so sweet to worry about me? I took his advice, and it turns out I have bronchitis. The doctor gave me two different inhalers to help me breathe better, and recommended cough syrup. The good news is, except for the gross hacking cough, I feel okay.

In other not so good news, yesterday I confused my thumb with part of my sandwich and sliced it open. My mom bought me Cutco knives when I finished my masters' degree - those babies are sharp! This has slowed up the knitting. It turns out I can knit, but it makes pushing purl stitches off my needles rough. I've been working on the baby bonnet. It doesn't look much different than the last picture you saw.

However, there is an April KAL on Ravelry for Branching Out, and yesterday I bought my yarn. The Fabric Place in Woburn is having 25% off EVERYTHING! I'm sure I could have found other things I wanted, but I went with $10, so that I wouldn't buy anything but what I needed. Their lace section is pretty small. They have Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace and Malabrigo Lace. I know, you're all going to groan, but I bought the Classic Elite. It's a color my sister-in-law will love, and I think I'm going to make the scarf for her. However, I have double the yarn I need, so I'll have to find some other scarf to make too!

I hope you're all having a wonderful Thursday! Happy Knitting!

Let's Catch Up

It seems like I haven't talked to you in FOREVER. Just those quick little check-ins to let you know I was alive. So, let's catch up, shall we?

I spent most of last week knitting on the lace shawl like crazy, and getting sick again. Fever, chills, bad cough and cold. Pretty much the same as last time, but not quite as severe. It's really annoying. I'm tired of being sick - I have things to do!

I spent Easter Sunday pretty hyped up on cold medication. It's not a bad way to spend a day, but it's disappointing not being able to taste all the good food. Although, the good news, I'm not really tempted to eat the kids' candy! The Easter Bunny brought me a Jodi Piccoult book, in an attempt to help me stick to eating healthier, and lose some weight. I'm not obsessive about my weight, and I generally stink at dieting. But, I'm still carting around a bunch of extra pounds from my pregnancies, and I'd like to lose them. I've been doing Pilates at home while the kids nap, and I'm trying to walk a few times a week (which means putting both kids in the stroller, which is new to them. They're used to walking. But they walk very slowly, and that's not conducive to my own aerobic activity.) I've lost a few pounds, and if I could lose a few pounds more, I'd be pretty happy.

Knitting, by the way, also does not help my aerobic activity. I've started to focus on a baby bonnet. The picture doesn't show much, I know.


I'm co-hosting a shower for the mom-to-be in May, and I'd like to have this, a bib, and a washcloth or three done. We'll see... There's also a wedding shower next month, for which I had hoped to have a dozen or so dishcloths. That's not happening. I'll be hitting the stores for that gift instead!

So, that's what's been going on with me. What's been happening in your life?

Happy knitting!

Drumroll Please...

The blue jeans lace leaf shawl:




(I know the pictures aren't the greatest. I tried!)

I LOVE this shawl! It kept my arms warm during church yesterday, and I got lots of compliments on it from DH's family.

I was a little nervous when it first came off the needles. I had added 3 extra repeats to make it longer, but it didn't look like it was going to be close to the size I had wanted. I was praying that blocking would make a huge difference. DH was skeptical, but, it WORKED! Big boy was at his mom's house, so I blocked it out on his bed, and left it overnight. I'm so excited to have finished my first lace project.

The Ravelry group is doing a KAL for April too. I think I might really love knitting lace, but I have a lot of catching up to do on other projects (mostly baby gifts.) I guess I'll wait and see how much I love the pattern they choose.

FYI - Anne is having a contest. Go check it out, and be sure to tell her I sent you!

I hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Easter.

Happy Knitting!

Hallelujah!

Christ the Lord is risen today! Happy Easter to all, and may God bless you!

If you're wondering what all the hype is about, or you just like stuff that's free, read this.

Have a wonderful day!

PS - I finished the shawl! I'm hoping to have a picture taken today.

Hurry, hurry, hurry

Hi all!

Frantically knitting, trying to get shawl done for Easter. 54 rows to go. Averaging 8 rows a day - must increase knitting time! Told DH I would be neglecting most household chores and perhaps even the children. Isn't he great? He said, "okay"! Did request children to be fed once in a while. DID complete about 16 rows yesterday.

Will post pics when done, or too exhausted to continue knitting.

Have a great day!

Tink, Tink, Tink

Last night I was rolling along on the blue jeans lace shawl, thinking that there is a slim possibility that it would be done by Sunday. And then, I noticed that my leaves weren't lining up. I tried to take a picture, but it keeps coming out blurry. Suffice it to say, the leaves have all shifted slightly to the left. I contemplated leaving it, but I know it will bug me. I'm enjoying knitting lace, but it sure does take a lot of time!

If you're looking for me, I'll be taking out 1300 some odd stitches.

Malabrigo March

Mari is having a contest. The prize - MALABRIGO! Don't forget to tell her I sent you!

In honor of Malabrigo March, I have finally cast on for the long-awaited Easy and Elegant Cable Mittens. Malabrigo is so soft, I may just sleep with my mittens! So far, the pattern is going well. Interestingly, it uses the same stitch technique as the Cross-Stitch Scarf I did to make the cuff. Cool Stuff.

I'll try to get a picture up later today! Oh, and the movie meme is still open! If you're a movie quote fan, check it out!

Happy Knitting!

Movie Meme

I found this, and I LOVE random movie quotes, so here we go! (Edited: I've added quotes to the movies no one has gotten yet.)

Behold, the rules:
- Pick fifteen of your favorite movies.
- Go to IMDB and find a quote from each movie. (I supplied my own quotes)
- Post them on your blog for everyone to guess.
- Fill in the film title once it's guessed.

This part is for the reader
- No Googling or using IMDB search functions.
- Leave your answer(s) in the comments.

Movie 1:
"[Name] can we borrow money for a pizza?"
"I don't have any cash."
"Dominoes takes check."
"OH! Ta da! We're going to eat gas."

Additional Quotes:
"I am not under any obligation to make the world a better place."

"Just you, me, and 5 bucks."

And still more:

"I'm just here to pick something up."
"Mission accomplished."

"Welcome to the maxi pad!"
"With the new dry weave, it really draws moisture away from the body."

"I'll make them take out the pizza thing."

"[Name], next time you make microwave brownies, you might want to consider using the microwave."

(Reality Bites - no one)

Movie 2:
"It's Romeo and Juliet, the dyslexic version"
...a little later: "Two words not in her vocabulary: Milk Money"

Additional Quotes:

"I dunno, she looks sorta like you."
"Sorta?"
"Exactly."

"I just want something beautiful."

"4 words. Good night, sweet girl. I'm easy, I know."

"You've spurned both my sexual advances and now I have no choice but to reach deep into my bag of tricks. You wanna go ice fishing?"
"Absolutely."

(Beautiful Girls - Ursula. This is probably one of my all time favorite movies! My friends and I saw it multiple times in the theater.)

Movie 3:
"Waiter, I would like some pepper on my paprikash."
When Harry Met Sally (Deb)
Other memorable lines: "How much worse can it be than him pulling out a strand of my hair and flossing with it?"
"You made a woman meow?"
And many others, most of which are not appropriate on a family-oriented blog! :)

Movie 4:
"What about the RUSs?"
"Rodents of an Unusual Size?"
(The Princess Bride - Anne)

Movie 5:
"Remember what Monty Python says - nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition"
(Sliding Doors - Miss Me)
Other memorable lines: "Wow, that was some lapse in concentration!"
"Bullocks!"
"I'm trying to be your girlfriend!"

Movie 6:
"I'm scared of what I saw tonight. I'm scared of what I did. And most of all I'm scared that I'll walk out of this room and never again feel the way I feel when I'm with you."
(It's NOT Jerry Maguire - sorry Anne) Try this extra quote to help:
"Nobody puts Baby in a corner"
(Dirty Dancing - Miss Me)

Movie 7:
"FRAGILE. That must be Italian."
(The Christmas Story - Anne)

Movie 8:
"Katarina!"
"Arturo!"
"No, Madame! I can't allow it. Not without a life jacket!"

Additional Quotes:

"You said moms don't leave!"

"You're my Annie and you always will be."

"You're that sweaty carpenter who hates me."

(Overboard - Ursula)

Movie 9:
"I"m not going to go to work anymore."
"You mean you're quitting?"
"No, I'm just not going to go."
Office Space (Ursula)
Other Memorable Quotes:
"Is today the worst day of your life?"
"Yeah"
"Wow, that's messed up."

"We think he's management material."

Movie 10:
"Drinking and driving don't mix. That's why I ride a bike."

"His name is Blane? That's not a name! It's a major appliance!"

"You know, I've gone out with a lot of girls in this school. I don't see what makes you so different."
"I have some taste."

Additional Quotes:

"You know what an older woman does to me?"
"Changes your diapers?"

"We don't have none of this stuff in the boy's room! Wait a minute! We don't got none of this... we don't got doors on the stalls in the boy's room, we don't have, what is this? What's this? We don't have a candy machine in the boy's room! "

"You said you couldn't be with someone who didn't believe in you. Well I believed in you. I just didn't believe in me. I love you... always."

(Pretty in Pink - Ursula)

Movie 11:
"I think I was conceived in the back seat."
"It's still sticky."

Additional Quotes:

"I think the reason I hang out with you guys is that I'm completely and totally in love with you....We won't remember any of this tomorrow."
"It is tomorrow."

"I always knew he was a Republican!"

More Additional Quotes:

"Red drives men wild"

"I always though we'd be friends forever."
"Yeah, well, forever got a lot shorter all of a sudden."

"Men. Can't live with 'em...Can't shoot 'em."

"Love, love, you know what love is? Love is an illusion created by lawyer types like yourself to perpetuate another illusion called marriage to create the reality of divorce and then the illusionary need for divorce lawyers. "

(St. Elmo's Fire - no one)

Movie 12:
"Who put you in charge?"
"You did, when you killed my boss."

Additional Quotes:

"Yippeaykayai, MF."

"Who said we're terrorists?"

(Die Hard - Ursula)

Movie 13:
"You're not making a joke?"
"I have not yet learned how to joke that way. I think now I never will."

Additional Quotes:

"Womb to tomb?"
"Birth to earth."

"Now I have hate!"

"When you're a Jet you're a Jet all the way, from your first cigarette to your last dyin' day."

(West Side Story - Ursula)

Movie 14:
"She's not depressed! She's wearing a dress."

Additional quotes:

"Strikeouts are boring. Besides that, they're fascist."

"Honey, would you rather I were making love to him using your name, or making love to you using his name? "

"How come you don't like me?"
"Because you don't respect yourself, which is your problem. But you don't respect the game, and that's my problem."

(Bull Durham - Ursula)

Movie 15:
"We should tell them Mommy and Daddy love each other differently now."
..."Am I supposed to jump up and down about how excited I am that we love each other differently?"

Additional Quotes:

"It is physically impossible to French-kiss a man who leaves the new roll of toilet paper resting on top of the empty cardboard roll. Does he not see it? DOES HE NOT *SEE* IT?"

"Let's face it. Anybody is going to have annoying traits. Why shouldn't it be YOUR annoying traits?"

"Isn't this the moment where one of us is supposed to say: Look, this is ridiculous, we love each other, all couples go through this, let's give it another try. "

"Tonight, I saw myself through your eyes, and I just wanted to say, I'm sorry.....At some point we should discuss how we're telling the children."

"[Name], you're seeing somebody."
"I'm not seeing him. We're just talking."

"I can't remember the last time Stan and I made out. I mean, really just made out."
"Doesn't that bother you?"
"No."
"Don't you think it should?"

(The Story of Us - no one)

Good luck!

Dishcloth Package has Arrived!

This morning, I had a package on my porch! It is from Stephanie, who lives in Munich, Germany, which is why the package took so long to get here!

Look what was inside:


THREE pink, very soft dishcloths, and some wonderful coffee soap. There's also some tea (I really only remember "Ich habe kein geld" [I have no money] and "Ich habe keine zeit" [I have no time] from German class, so I can't translate the box. Oh, why didn't I study more???) I think it's rose flavored - I'm going to have some after the kids go to sleep! There's also a gorgeous Chinese tea box stuffed with candy, a small black bag and change purse, and some bamboo needles. And of course - yarn! Two skeins of striped cotton. I think the green "camo" colors would make a great washcloth for Big Boy.

Thank you so much Stephanie, I love everything!

No News

Thank you for all of the good wishes for Little Girl's birthday. She is quite proud to be 3.

I've been slowly working on the blue jeans lace shawl. And I mean, slowly. I'm averaging 3 rows a day. I'm not doing any other knitting at the moment. I think the lace is sucking up my knitting mojo. It takes a lot of energy! It doesn't look much different than the last picture - you're not missing much.

I'm still checking my porch in case any of my swap packages arrive...

Happy knitting!

Little Girl

At 8:18 this morning, little girl officially turned 3 years old! I just wanted to share a little bit about the amazing little person she is!

Little Girl's favorite phrase is "No, Mommy, by myself." I love that about her. She really wants to be independent. This could be a major fault too, but she often uses the phrase "Help me, please!" She's pretty good at recognizing when she needs help, but she always has to try first. Her mothering instincts kicked in around 14 months old, about a month after little boy was born. She continues to be very concerned about him and his needs (unless, of course, his needs interfere with what she wants!) Little boy doesn't say much, but he doesn't need to - his "lawyer" talks for him! When he is upset, little girl is sure to be found rubbing his back and speaking in a tiny little voice saying "It's okay. You're okay, buddy."

Little girl is quite the athlete, and wants to play soccer, football, baseball, and hockey. She's pretty good at stick handling, and spent a lot of time last summer trying to imitate the way mommy steps and throws (No one will ever say "She throws like a girl!") She can often be found jumping around the house, singing "Hop! Hop! Hop!" She also loves to read and color. And, she wants to be able to "yarn" like Mommy.

Her playgroup leaders are always impressed with her confidence. She marches in the room, and gives them big hugs. Then, she's off to explore what is out for the day. She likes spending time with her friends, and is equally good at leading and following (we'll see if it lasts!). Yesterday, as we were frosting her birthday cake, she told me when she is big, she'll make my birthday cake!

Little girl has no limit to hugs and kisses, and she is one of the brightest spots of my day, every day. I'm in total awe of the person she is becoming, and so thankful that God has entrusted me with such a special, spectacular responsibility.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Little Girl!

Finally - a picture!

I bought batteries today. Here is the blue jeans lace shawl. The picture is kind of blurry, but it's the best I can do right now. I actually haven't knit a thing in two days. (I know, it's unfathomable!) The downside of being sick is playing catch-up. Little girl's birthday is tomorrow, and I had gifts to get!

Little girl requested for her birthday a suitcase, a microphone, and a yo-yo. She's too young for a yo-yo, but how can you not buy one when asked? She also requested ravioli and chocolate cake for her birthday dinner. Unprompted. That's important, because I always have ravioli and chocolate cake for my birthday!

She received no knit gifts. Does that make me a bad mommy-knitter?

I was going to knit the Bitty Baby layette, but other, more fun things to knit have come up!

I'm off to knit a few lace rows. Happy knitting to all, and to all, a good night!

No Pictures :(

Since Anne asked, I was ready to take a picture or two of the Blue Jeans Lace Shawl. Unfortunately, the batteries in my camera are dead, and I don't have any more in the magic battery drawer. You're not missing much. I've only finished a row or two a day in the last week. The whole lace thing requires a lot of focus, and that means it only comes out when the kids are asleep.

I'm getting rather discouraged about swaps. I was in two swaps last month, and am still waiting for the packages. I never received a package from my upstream partner in the Christmas Around the World Swap either. At least this time, both partners said they've sent the package, so I'm hoping it's just a mail problem.

Little boy just woke up!

Hopefully, I'll get pictures up soon.

Happy knitting!

Quiz

What Kind of Knitter Are You?

You appear to be a Knitting Adventurer. You are through those knitting growing pains and feeling more adventurous. You can follow a standard pattern if it's not too complicated and know where to go to get help. Maybe you've started to experiment with different fibers and you might be eyeing a book with a cool technique you've never tried. Perhaps you prefer to stick to other people's patterns but you are trying to challenge yourself more. Regardless of your preference, you are continually trying to grow as a knitter, and as well you should since your non-knitting friends are probably dropping some serious hints, these days.http://marniemaclean.com Take this quiz! Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Second Sock and a Contest

Anne is having a contest - the winner gets some mmmMalabrigo!

I'm pleased to announce that second sock is done! I finished it yesterday while little people were napping. I wore them for the rest of the day, and they are quite comfortable!


Last night I wound my yarn and started on the Blue Jeans Lace shawl. I only did 10 rows, but at least I've started!

I am sad to report that little boy now has a cough and a fever. Pour little boy!