Merry Christmas!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday, filled with family, friends, and blessings too many to count.

GRRRR!

I finished the Pi Hat that I've been working on, and was very excited until I tried it on. Ummm, it's WAY too short. Like, doesn't even hit the tips of my ears. And it's a little tight. I'm sure the tightness is from the colorwork - I tried to keep the floats loose, but need to get better at this. It's so tight that it can't be worn, but it's definitely too short. So, I'll be unknitting to where the decreases start and adding some stockinette rows. This seriously cramps my Christmas knitting though, so I've decided to put it away for now, and work on other things (like Little boy's Fair Isle hat, the fingerless gloves and scarf I decided to add to my to do list, and baby girl's sweater that's been on the needles since September.)

I'm starting to think it won't be getting all done....

Fourth Trimester

My church is restarting a ministry to new moms called Fourth Trimester. Each new mom will receive a visit from an experienced mom, and each new baby from our church will receive a gift bag that includes, among other things, a handmade item. I've volunteered to coordinate this ministry (which really involves spending time knitting stuff with other knitters, and an email here and there to coordinate a visit - no biggie!) We kicked off the knitting portion last month with a knitters luncheon. One of the knitters who came is Joan. Go check out her blog - she's working on a really cool afghan, and she's already finished a sweater for Fourth Trimester. (I've barely started mine - Christmas knitting still getting in the way.....)

Earlier today, baby girl took her first steps that didn't result in an immediate fall. When she did finally fall, she totally clapped for herself! I love that she knows to be proud! Right now she's playing with two spoons. It cracks me up how busy she keeps herself!

I'm off to work on more knitting that hopefully I'll get around to showing you soon!

Happy Knitting!

The Cool Quotient

I am not someone that the general population would consider "cool". I've known this for quite sometime in my life, and am pretty comfortable with it. In fact, I embraced my geekiness years ago, and accepted that in the sitcom of life, I might get to be the fringe friend who shows up once in a great while. But now, I've knit this hat, and I've seen hats like it in stores everywhere, and I'm pretty sure that wearing this hat ups my cool quotient considerably. (Of course, since I was taking the pictures myself, and I'm not very good at it, these phots probably diminish that quotient a tad - but I don't care.)




The pattern is here, and I used Cascade Baby Alpaca Chunky, which was like knitting with butter. Wearing this hat keeps my head warm, makes me look stylish, and could convince people who don't know me that I go out on Friday nights to hip places with fabulous people. And if you substitue hip place for my living room and fabulous people with entertaining children and a loving husband, they'd be right!

So Much to Say...

I have SO much to update you on! Projects started, projects completed, a new knitting friend, a knitting ministry at church, cute kid things, Black Friday shopping...where has November gone? I won't get everything into this post, but hopefully I'll be able to catch you up over the next week or so.

I'll start with this:

Baby girl's December hat. I used this newborn sized pattern, but used larger needles and knit more rows between decreases. I did this on the 10 hour car ride to Buffalo last Wednesday. It was a good match because we were in the dark most of the trip, but I don't really need to see very well to knit and purl. Although, at some point I had to unknit and used the glow of my cell phone to see what I was doing (I forgot my book light.) I did not knit bobbles for the ornaments, but used pompoms I had, and I also added two large bells under the yellow pompom. Baby Girl jingles!

In kid news - Big boy has some really cool things going on! On Monday, he was tested in his karate class, and is now an official yellow belt. He'll be competing in his first competition on December 12th. To get ready, we've watched The Karate Kid - I love that movie! On Veteran's Day, Big boy attended a poety workshop through the Chamber of Commerce. His poem is one of 8 poems selected to be read during the city's holiday pops concert this Friday. The Navy Band is playing the concert, and the kids will be reading their poems between songs. We're really proud of him!

A Little Action

A group of knitters from all over the world have been knitting hats and scarves for orphans in Estonia. These are my contributions:

Both are knit with Paton's Merino Wool. The red is just a basic hat, and the blue is the Waffle Hat pattern. (I really like this hat, and plan on using it for one of my kids in the future.) I felt good while knitting these hats - I got the same feeling I have when I knit hats for my kids. Because of my efforts, small children will feel warm and loved.

Little girl is really contemplating the idea of "orphan". We've told her that sometimes, Mommys and Daddys can't take care of their children, and they don't have anyone else in their family to take care of them. (We then covered what would happen to her if anything happened to her Mommy and Daddy.) A couple of days later, little girl brought up the orphans again. She wanted to know if we could send her a card, and maybe some stickers, to make her smile. She wondered if we could call her, and she wondered if maybe Santa would bring her something special for Christmas. I'm really proud that my little four year old wants to take some action to make life brighter for someone else.

Today, we'll be making some cards to send to an orphan or two in Estonia. What are you doing to make life brighter for someone else today?

FYI

1. I've knit a couple of cup cozies for an event at church next month. I forgot to take pictures of them before I brought them to church to be displayed. One of them is cabled, and I think it's really cute. I don't really know why a mug with a handle needs a cozy, but I sure like the way it looks.

1a. I'm thinking about designing a cozy with some colorwork in it - just because.

1b. I'm not sure where I'll find the time to do that, given my already ambitious Christmas knitting list.

2. I spent the afternoon knitting with ladies at church - we're making baby items to bring to new moms. It was really a nice time!

3. You're probably starting to think that this blog will never have pictures again.

4. The girls have colds. I'm disinfected just about everything.

5. I have a cold. I had one last weekend too.

6. I was supposed to be volunteering at little girl's school tomorrow. We won't be going.

7. Hopefully, I'll get lots of knitting done instead!

On Mothering

Mothering is hard. Mothering is so hard that I am convinced that a large reason mothers exist is to help their daughters when they become mothers. I'm beginning to think it's unnatural to not live in close proximity to your mother (I understand that for some people, their relationship with their mom is not all that, and they will think I'm crazy. Bear with me...) I truly believe that God intended for young mothers to have their own mothers there to help them. The Bible says in Genesis 2:24 "For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." Do you notice how the man leaves his family, but the wife does not leave hers?

This week, I've felt terribly alone in parenting. Thankfully, my mom is only a phone call away, and offers encouragement. But she is too far away to come over and watch the kids for a few minutes so that I can have a few moments to rejuvenate and recover (or, you know, go to the bathroom by myself.) We all imagine having children of our own. Usually, they are perfect children who listen the first time, and naturally fall into routines, and lavish love and affection on us. Real children, of course, do not listen the first time, need constant reminders to do everything, and sometimes, they make it very clear that they don't like us.

Mothers, of course, are only half the equation. But it's interesting to me how very different fathers are from mothers. I'm sure that much of that difference (at least in our house) has to do with the time present. My husband is a wonderful father. He's willing to change diapers, feed children, wash dishes, discipline, check homework, and take over so I can take a nap. But he works two jobs, and he has a hard time remembering what day the science test is, or when it's yellow day at school, or what skill we're working on with which child when. These are tasks that fall to me, the mother. I think these are tasks that are meant to be mine, and I want to take them on and do them well. This week, I think I'm failing.

Mothering is hard work. It's hard and exhausting and sometimes, it's not nearly as rewarding as I think it should be. Thankfully, there are big baby smiles, and hugs and kisses from small children, and chocolate and ice cream. And mothers; my mother to help me through these times and remind me that someday, I will help my daughters be mothers.

Hi there.

I feel like I owe you (whoever you are) a good long post. A little bit about the knitting I've been doing, and little bit about the mommy life in general. I've been having a hard time focusing on things lately though, and I'm not sure I can muster up much at the moment, but I'll try.

I've started the Fair Isle hat for little boy - I've been working on it here and there, and have the border done. I've knit a hat for an orphan in Estonia. It was going to be kind of girly with some cables, but then there was some confusion about whom was knitting for whom, so it's just a basic unisex hat instead. However, it's bright red and hopefully the color will be cheery enough. I cast on this morning for a bright blue hat for my other orphan. This one will have a little bit of texture, but again, I'm hoping the color brightens up his Christmas. I also have a sweater hanging out on the needles for the baby, which I hope to pick up again sometime this year. I should probably take some pictures to jazz up these posts, but that sounds like so much work right now.

Mommy-ing has been a little stressful the last few weeks. Big Boy can be a challenging, and lately, I just feel like I lack the energy to be on top of everything. I'm hoping that prayer and love will overcome all my shortcomings in this area. Little boy has been struggling since his sister started school - the number of friends available for playdates has reduced a lot this year, and unfortunately, we just don't know a lot of boys. I have a meeting later this week with the school district to see if he qualifies for any of their preschool programs. I have mixed emotions about this - he's only 3 - but we'll see what our options are and go from there. Little girl is loving school, but has developed a little attitude which we are encouraging to disappear. The baby is wonderfully happy, and very much enjoying the world of solid food. I gave her the tiniest piece of chocolate chip cookie the other day, and she looked at me like I revealed a little piece of heaven. Score one for Mommy!

Today was in the mid-60s, so we've been outside most of the day. Hopefully, everyone will go to sleep nice and early!

Happy knitting!

Keeping Score

Annoyances:

1. 9 year old boy who seems bound and determined to be obnoxious 24/7

2. The fact that a LYS was hosting a Noni Bag Workshop with the designer for $150 this weekend, thus making it impossible for me to attend, has now announced that it will be a FREE workshop. A little too late to rearrange DH's schedule tonight, my in-laws 60th Anniversary Party tomorrow, and soccer and hockey on Sunday. (I can't help myself, I like that Bobble Bag!)

3. My in-laws anniversary party - I still have nothing to wear. For that matter, neither does little boy.

4. To find something to wear before 7 p.m. tonight, I'd have to take four children with me. I went this morning with 2 - that was rough enough.

5. Yes, I should have thought about this last week, but I didn't.

6. I planned on making soup for dinner tonight. I have the broth, but have yet to do anything with the vegetables. I'm debating about making Kraft Macaroni and Cheese instead.

7. My feet are cold.

Good things:

1. My in-laws have been married for 60 years, have 6 children, and 12 grandchildren.

2. Last night we had a dinner for friends home from Africa. It's always good to spend time with friends.

3. My friend Terri really seemed to like the Oriel Lace Scarf.

4. The dinner was potluck style, and someone brought the BEST hummus. I licked the bowl.

5. I'm still making progress (albeit slow progress) on the Christmas knitting.

Hmmm... Annoyances 7, Good things 5 is not the final score I was looking for.

Browser Issues

I've tried to post a couple of times the past few days, and my browser(s) keep acting up. Grrr!

I'm knitting SLOWLY, when I should be knitting quickly. Christmas is totally on my mind, and there's a sense of urgency there. I have a lot of other random thoughts running around my mind, but can't seem to find the time or focus to post them. Hopefully, after this weekend, things will get calmer.

Tonight, we're hosting a dinner for missionary friends of ours who are home from Africa. They're only here for a month, and we're hoping to get some great quality time with them. But today, that means I'm cleaning and not knitting. I would rather be knitting. Cleaning has really gone downhill since the knitting started, you know?

I'm off to dust. Happy knitting!

Happy Halloween!

My little Trick-or-Treaters - Batman, a cowgirl, and a pirate. (The baby was a pumpkin.) I hope you all had a fun Halloween!



I haven't knit much in the last few days, which is all kinds of bad because Christmas is less than 2 months away! I did finish Big Boy's stocking, except for his name. I have to go back and duplicate stitch it on the top band. The pattern is from Annie's Woolens, and there are a whole series of them. Hopefully, by next Christmas, the whole family will have coordinating stockings.

I plan on starting the first of two hat and scarf sets for orphans in Estonia today at Little girl's soccer game (provided she has a soccer game - forecast says rain.)

Happy knitting!

Charity Knitting for Orphans

If anyone is interested in doing some charity knitting for Christmas, please check out this Ravelry thread. We're looking for hats, scarves, or socks to send to orphans in Estonia.

Thanks! Happy Knitting!

Baby Viking

First of all, I just reread my knitaversary post. Um, so I wrote it after feeding the babe at night, and was on the verge of falling asleep. I think I had a lot more to say, and just kind of lost it. I'm sure if you're reading this blog though, you get what I was trying to say: Knitting has brought me fun and joy, and has expanded my friendship boundaries. Yea, knitting!

I finally finished the baby viking hat. I LOVE IT!!! It looks ADORABLE on the baby!


(Yes, the hat is on a Pepsi bottle. No worries, I'm still totally a Diet Coke drinker. It's just that Pepsi was on sale for 88 cents.) (If you don't drink Diet Coke, DON'T START! Diet Pepsi drinkers just don't have the cravings us Diet Coke people have.)

Tomorrow morning, the little kids and I are off to visit my parents. I should totally be packing and finishing up laundry, but I just don't feel like it. I should also consider taking a nap, but that would require getting all the laundry off the bed, into a suitcase.

And now the baby is crying...

3rd Knittaversary

As of today, I've been a knitter for three years.

(I wish that I had a finished object to show for it!)

I love knitting. I love knitting as much as I love playing softball and reading. That's a whole heck of a lot. But there are things that knitting gives me that sports and books don't - I love that knitting keeps my kids warm, and allows me to create something beautiful from something simple like yarn. Knitting has brought people into my life that I would never otherwise encounter - people from all over the world.

I love knitting.

Oriel Lace Scarf

At long last, I've completed the Oriel Lace Scarf by Anne Carroll. The pattern is in 101 Designer One Skein Wonders (you know how much I love those one skein wonders!) Although this project has often taken a back seat, I've really enjoyed working on it. It's far from perfect - one end is obviously wider than the other (maybe because it took more than a year to complete) and I need some more practice blocking. Oh, and maybe some work photographing lace! :)

Even with the imperfections, I think the scarf looks great! I hope the recipient loves it as much as I do!

Rainy Day

What you do when you have a nifty umbrella and it's raining and Mommy won't let you off the porch.

Updates

Apparently, I'm a no picture blogger these days.

Little girl had a GREAT time at school. She loved the craft, and outside time, and felt very independent.

The Chronicles of Yarnia, my dishrag tag team, came in second. It all came down to which box was put in the mailbox first. I confess, I would have preferred the sock yarn, but I'm super proud of our team and am totally content with the final outcome being in the mailperson's hands. :) I can't thank Emily enough for all of her work in making this such a fun annual event.

I have just a few rows of the Oriel Lace Scarf. This weekend did not provide the knitting opportunities I had hoped. I'm really savoring the last few rows - I've had a good time with this knit.

I've finished the body of a second viking hat. This one just needs horns. I'm feeling pretty good about the Christmas knitting right now.

It looks like on Wednesday after school, the little kids and I are going to Buffalo to see my parents. Big boy is going to Maine this weekend with his aunt, so that makes it a little easier for me to leave him here. I thought about taking him out of school, but it doesn't feel like the right thing to do given that we have plenty of other opportunities to go when school is not in session. Unfortunately, my sister-in-law's mother is quite ill, and trip plans may have to change if things get worse. Please keep Kay in your prayers.

I promise, the next post will have some pictures. :)

Happy Knitting!

School Daze

Tomorrow, little girl will start preschool. I know, it seems late in the school year. She's going to a lab program at the high school, so beside the two teachers there are also a number of high school students who come in and work in the program. School starts in October so that the high schoolers have time to be trained. One of the students is Lauren, our friendly neighborhood babysitter. Little girl is VERY excited that one of her favorite neighbors is also one of her teachers!

I can't tell you how happy little girl is to be going to school - she's been asking for over a year! She loves to learn and socialize, and I know this will be a wonderful, positive experience for her.

All the same, I'm a little sad. For the first time, a very significant portion of her life will happen separate from me. I won't be there to watch her face as she discovers something new, or to see her approach a new classmate and make friends with them. I won't get to hear her sing the goodbye song with the group, or find her in the middle of the morning just to give her a hug. And this is just the very beginning of so much of her life being different from my life. I know that all of this is healthy, and normal. It's part of the process of independence that began when we got her to hold her own bottle, pick up her own toys, and put on her own socks. I'm so proud of the little four year old person that she is, and am just as excited as she is for this next part of her life.

But at the same time....my baby is going off to school, and I'm a little sad.

Impatiently Waiting....

So, it totally looks like my Dishrag Tag team, Chronicles of Yarnia, is going to place in the top three. In fact, it looks like the determining factor will be whose box is put in the mailbox first. I've been checking pretty regularly today to see who will emerge victorious. But can you blame me? These are the prizes! I would gladly take any of them, but I confess, I've been thinking of a sock pattern that mimics the dishrag pattern for this competition that would go just perfectly with the sock yarn!

Go Chronicles of Yarnia!!!

Viking Hat

IMG_2883
Originally uploaded by dorriejean

When I started this hat, it was meant for baby girl to wear in November (since she'll be wearing the pumpkin hat in October, and the yet to be made Christmas Tree Hat in December). Gauge and I seemed to have a little disagreement though, so instead, this hat will go to my cousin's daughter for Christmas. That side of the family is very Norwegian, so I'm sure they'll get a kick out of the hat.

The pattern is free, and can be found here. The yarn is all leftovers in my stash - both the brown and gray are Galway wool, left from my very first two knitting projects (scarves), the yellow is dishcloth cotton, and white is leftover from the Reasonably Hip hat I made my nephew.

I REALLY like the hat, even though the horns aren't perfect. Both boys have asked for a hat like it. I told them after Christmas.

I've already cast on for another hat, this one without braids, for the recipient's brother.

Yesterday

1:11 p.m. Am sitting in armchair, nursing the baby, when the mail person slides the Knitpicks catalog through the mail slot, and then leans down and leaves something between the doors. (BTW, I'm in love with the mittens on the cover, and may need to purchase the kit.)

1:14 Put baby in crib, realize I should have woken her and let her fall asleep in her crib, so that she learns to put herself to sleep. Decide I don't really care, because I HAVE to see what's behind the door.

1:15 THE DISHRAG TAG BOX HAS ARRIVED!
Open box, dump out contents, sit down and start knitting.

1:15-3:28 Knit, knit, knit, ignore kids - who totally cooperate by playing tea party, then lounge singer (they call it singing with the keyboard and microphone, but little girl totally has the banter of a lounge singer) - thank the baby for being generally happy. Nurse her again for the last 10 rows.

3:29 Print out label, pack box, find shoes for small child, remember to lock the front door, and encourage children to run to the van.

3:31 Pull out of driveway to drive to Post Office.


Snap this picture of the box while at a red light.

3:36Park two blocks from post office. Assign little girl important task of carrying box, while I carry baby. Kids run to the post office to keep up with my fast walking.

3:37 Find insane line at post office. Bribe kids with Dunkin' Donuts if they stand quietly in line with me.

3:51 The box is mailed!

3:53 Buy two donuts, one muffin, and one iced mocha latte at Dunkin' Donuts.

4:07 Arrive home to discover the husband has not picked up Big Boy from the after school program because he thought I was getting the lad.

4:09 Walk with little boy to school to pick up big boy.

4:18 - 6:49 Do a variety of house related things I should have done instead of knitting, make dinner, deal with cranky baby, cranky girl child, and give babysitter last minute instructions so I can go to Open House.

6:50 Walk to school for Open House

8:35 FINALLY, get to check out wonderful goodies in DRT box from Pam.


Besides the lovely dishrag, there are locking stitch markers (which I ALWAYS need, the coolest sheep emery board EVER, and some dessert tea (trying to figure out what kind of special dessert to make to go with the tea.) I don't know why this picture is so blurry.....

It looks like the Chronicles of Yarnia team has a great shot at winning the race, and I am SUPER excited! Go Team!

What's Going On....

Oriel Lace Scarf - 49" done


Meghan's Braids Hat for little girl (she picked out the color all by herself!). Pretty much just working on it while sitting at the park as kids play.


Viking Hat - horns need to be stuffed and attached. This is the second set of horns - the first set was too big, and I attached them to close to the top of the hat - they looked like bunny ears. Actually, this hat was supposed to be for the baby, but my gauge was horribly off, and it will be a Christmas gift instead.


What's going on with you?

Lil' Pumpkin Head

A few days ago, I finished this cute pumpkin hat for baby girl. (The pattern is here.) The yarn is leftovers that has been hanging out in my stash for quite a while. I cast on 72 stitches and used a size 8 needle. The hat is SUPER cute on the baby, but I hope it still fits her in October.

I've started Big Boy's striped hat, and HOPE to work on the Oriel Lace Scarf tonight. I think it's currently 34" inches, unblocked. I'm not exactly sure if I should knit a full 60", or less because it will stretch when it's blocked. (The person to whom it will be gifted is not exactly tall). Any thoughts?

Happy knitting!

Road Trip!

When I was a kid, my dad would stand at the back door, yell out "Road Trip!" and my brother and I would come running. A road trip usually meant stopping at three or four stores (almost always a book store was in there!) and some kind of treat. With my husband, the phrase "Road Trip" usually means driving for ice cream. Today, we drove out to Kimball's Farm - this is everything the hubs looks for in an ice cream place - lots of yummy flavors, and HUGE portions. It's a bright, sunny day, and seemed perfect for an end of summer trip. Today's trip also included a stop at yarn shop! The Woolpack has a very nice selection and friendly staff. Big Boy was excited to pick out some yarn for a winter hat.

I keep adding to my knitting list - so much to do before Christmas! Here's the current hope to do list:

- Finish the Oriel Lace Scarf (Finished!)
- Finish pumpkin hat for baby girl (cast on last night while nursing. Side note: Baby girl has her first tooth. Never nursed a baby with teeth before - we'll see how long it lasts.) Finished!
- Striped hat for Big Boy Finished!
- Viking hat for baby girl (finished.)
- Hat with braids for little girl (finished!)
- 2 Viking Hats for cousin's kids (Finished!)
- Fair isle hat for little boy (started)
- Math Geek hat for friend (finished, but it's too small. On the waiting list for now)
- Hat with braids for friend's daughter (finished)
- Something for friend's wife, so she doesn't feel left out
- Christmas Stocking for Big Boy (almost done, just need to add his name)
- Estonian Orphan Charity (Two hats finished)

ETA: Oh yeah, I forgot...
- matching sweaters for the girls

I keep telling myself this list isn't crazy, because I can knit hats while at the park. We'll see......

I did finish the Ribbed Cap I was making, so that's one Christmas gift down. I don't want to count how many there are to go.....

Happy Knitting!

February Baby Set

I finished the February Baby Sweater and matching hat yesterday. I bought the yarn from Ellen's HalfPint Farm while at the NH Sheep and Wool Festival. Although I did a gauge swatch, I think the sweater is a little smaller than Elizabeth Zimmerman intended it to be (or Baby Girl is just really big.) The sweater fits, and the fabric DOES have a lot of stretch, but it looks like she's going to outgrow it soon. Which means she wore the whole set out for a walk this morning, even though it was a little warm for a wool hat. Thankfully, Baby Girl didn't complain.


Hmmm....these pictures aren't great. Maybe I'll take one outside later....

Last night, I got three or four rows done on the Oriel Lace Scarf, and started a basic hat for a Christmas gift. Onward, Christmas kni

Summer of Socks

Last night, I finished my only official pair of Summer of Socks socks. I LOVE them, and I'm not even minding that I only finished one out of my goal of two pairs. The yarn (which I bought here) was a dream to work with!

I have quite a bit of yarn back, and I'm considering making a pair of baby socks - because my knitting list isn't long enough! :)

Today I'll be working on the February Baby Sweater. What are you knitting?

Updated Christmas Knitting

Last January I joined a group on Ravelry dedicated to doing one project a month in preparation of Christmas. I made a list, I had a plan, I've done.....none of it. Not one single Christmas project. So, as soon as the Fancy Pants Socks are done (just the foot of the second sock to go, and it has to be done by September 1st to qualify as a Summer of Socks pair - that's another goal not reached....) and Baby Girl's February Sweater, it will be all Christmas knitting, all the time.

Here's the items that need to be done:

1. Pumpkin Hat for Baby Girl (okay, NOT Christmas knitting, but I want it done anyway.)
2. Stocking for Big Boy (He's ASKED, and there's not many things I can knit a 9 year old that he'll really love. Pattern is ordered)
3. Norwegian Hat for Little Boy (from kit my mom gave me for Christmas)
4. Oriel Lace Scarf (because I've been working on it for two years.)
5. Hat for my SIL's brother
6. Matching sweaters for Little and Baby Girls
7. Celtic Lace Stole for friend
8. Christmas Tree hat for Baby Girl (because I'm a knitter, and my kids should have cutsy hats!)

The bold items are non-negotiable, and MUST be done! I confess, the list is ambitious, but I'm hopeful......

Oops, I forgot!

The beautiful sock yarn you see in the fancy pants socks below is called "Cherry Blossoms" and it was hand-dyed by Rainbow and Her Magic Dyes. I totally recommend checking out her store!

Fancy Pants Socks

I signed up to participate in Summer of Socks 2009, with the goal of completing two pairs of fancy pants socks. (The only socks I've knitted have been boring stockinette.) As with all my knitting goals since Baby Girl was born, I'm super behind. However, I'm pretty pleased with what I have accomplished so far:

The pattern is from the Ann Budd book Getting Started Knitting Socks. It's a basic sock pattern, with a lace motif pattern added (the motif is in the back of the book. I don't have the name handy at the moment.) This is the best picture I managed to take of the lace:

I've got Christmas knitting on my mind - nervous about meeting those goals. So, I'm amending my SOS goals to finishing a pair of socks by the end of September. I also need to finish the February Baby Sweater I've started for the babe. After that, it's all Christmas (except for the Pumpkin Hat I'm planning for the baby, and whatever other little novelty knits cross my path.) It's moments like these I wish the laundry folded itself. Or that the kids were old enough to fold it for me - except they would be too old to want to wear the cute little knits I'd be making them.

Life's rough sometimes.

Happy Knitting!

International Bloggers

Way back in July, I received a blog award from Nina, Under the Rainbow. I know Nina through Ravelry, and had the good fortune to receive some of her hand dyed sock yarn for my birthday. (Check out her etsy shop!)

Thanks Nina!

There's some rules to this award, but the babe is starting to fuss. Posting time is still nil, but I'm trying to get back into the habit of blogging (and knitting too!)

Why, Hello Again!

Long time no see!

We've been without a computer for almost two months! Thankfully, we now have a new hard drive and tech help Dad has everything set up for us.

Sadly, I have virtually no knitting content to show for the past two months. I'm almost halfway through one sock and have started the February Baby Sweater for baby girl. Actually, I DID finish the cotton kisses cardigan, but haven't taken any pictures of it yet.

We've had a busy summer though! We've been to Buffalo to see family, my parents visited here, and the girls and I went to Pennsylvania for a family wedding, while the boys stayed home and did boy things. Little girl took swimming lessons, Big Boy has gone to a couple of weeks of day camp, and little boy has spent much time around the house helping Daddy put things together - namely two sets of bunk beds and a crib. Baby girl is growing QUICKLY! She's been inch-worming around the floor for over a month, and started to sit up a couple of weeks ago. I feel like she's growing up a little too fast, but I'm still celebrating every milestone.

I'm hoping to get back into the knitting groove and to be posting a lot more regularly! I signed up for Dish Rag Tag, so at least some kind of knitting will get done!

Happy Knitting All!

I Got an Award!!! (And a contest)

I was given a blog award for imagination! You can read about it here at A Day in the Life..... (and you can read about some fun kids, cool art projects, and other cool stuff too!) Thanks, Kristen! (Ravelry link).


RULES you must resend this to 5 bloggers and you must tell 5 things about your crafts you like the most...what inspires you to make home made gifts..

What inspires me:

1. I love that homemade gifts are personal. I've made them with a specific recipient in mind, and put a lot of myself into the project.

2. Nothing makes me feel better than knowing I've knitted something that is keeping my kids, family, and friends warm on a cold winter day.

3. To echo Kristen, a lot of prayers go into my knitting.

4. I like the tremendous sense of self-satisfaction I feel when I finish something.

5. I really like knitting. I really like finishing a project. Things I want to knit often don't correspond to something I want to wear. So, I give them away!!!

And now, to nominate others:

1. Moriah (who might not have time to respond - she's busy delivering babies on the L&D floor.)
2. Jen
3. The Yarn Harlot (because wouldn't it be cool if she checked out my little blog?)
4. Shawnee
5. And finally - YOU! Why do you like to make gifts for people?

Now, FYI - Sandra Singh is giving away a skein of malabrigo sock yarn. Go check it out!

Happy Knitting!

Goin' to the Chapel...

On Saturday, my best friend got married. We've been planning our weddings since we were young, and we have spent hours talking dresses, flowers, reception music, and every minute detail we could imagine. On Saturday, all of those little details were brought to life. The bride (obviously) was the most beautiful bride ever, on the inside and the out. I've stood up in a number of weddings, and never has a bride worked so hard to make everyone else feel so special. She selected personal gifts for her attendants, treated the children in the bridal party (3 of whom were mine) to special treats, and made sure everyone knew that she appreciated their love, support, and presence on such an important day. There were a million other personal touches - the groom's favorite color (orange) was represented in the attendant's bouquets, the bride carried her grandmother's rosary and a piece of lace from her great-grandmother, and the groom's mother (who passed away a few months ago), was represented by a bouquet of roses in what should have been her seat. The ceremony was perfectly lovely, and the reception was amazingly fun.

But none of that is really important. What is really important is this:

On Saturday, my best friend girl friend married her best friend....

for happily ever after.

FO Picture: Sun Hat

Here's a picture of the sunhat I made to match the Fiona Sundress. It's a little big on the baby, but she has some time to grow into it before summer.

I've tried a little spinning. It's not too pretty.

I've started a tank top for little girl. It's mostly stockinette, so will hopefully be done soon!

Tomorrow we're off to Buffalo for a wedding!

Current Score

Drop Spindle: 1 Dorothy: 0

Rematch scheduled during naptime.

Yarn Haul

Yesterday, I headed up to the NH Sheep and Wool Festival with baby girl in tow, while the Husband stayed home with the other kids. This way, I could browse to my heart's content without worrying about how things were going at home.

Here's what came home with me:


The pink is superwash wool meant for a February Baby Sweater for Baby Girl. The purple is just over a 1,000 yards of silk/merino laceweight. I have a few ideas for that one, but at the moment I'm leaning towards the Seaside Cottage Stole in the 101 Luxury One Skein Wonders book. Whatever it becomes, it has to wait for both the Celtic Knot Stole and the Oriel Lace Scarf to be finished. The white is also silk/merino lace - it's not meant for anything at the moment. It was just so soft and priced so reasonably that it jumped intom y basket!

You might notice the drop spindle and roving. This is something I've thought about giving a try since the first time I saw spinning done this way. Really, I want to learn how so that I have an excuse to buy some of the completely gorgeous handcarved spindles that I've seen. I found this spindle for $4, and the roving cost me $3. I thought $7 was a reasonable amount of money to spend on a potential new hobby.

Finally, the basket that it's all in - I bought that too. I LOVE IT! I especially love it filled with the yarn. Unfortunatly, it's not meant to be a knitting basket ('cause um, I have kids who would ruin the yarn and the basket.) Instead, it's going to be hanging on the kitchen wall, occasionally to be filled with chips, bread, and whatever else I can think of to use it!

Today I'm just chillin' with the kids - enjoying being their mommy! Happy Mother's Day to all you other mommies out there! And of course, Happy Knitting to you all!

Happy Feet - AGAIN!

The bonus part of having to sit and feed a baby who has a reasonable amount of head control is that it carves out a little knitting time each day as well. So, I've been plugging along on my faux fair isle socks, and FINALLY, after almost a year, they're finished!


I purposely didn't try to line up the stripes - for years all my socks were tie dyed, and I kind of liked that they didn't perfectly match. Looking at these socks though, I wish I'd given it a shot.

The pattern is from the book Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd. It really is a great all-purpose pattern. Next time though, I won't make the leg 8" long - I think 6" would have been sufficient.
I can see that socks make excellent carrying around knitting, and am considering starting another pair - perhaps with some yarn I find this weekend?!?!?!

Happy Knitting!

Anticipation

I totally am hearing Carly Simon in my head right now.

Next Saturday is the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival, and I am SO EXCITED! Two years ago, I went for the first time. I brought the husband and three kids. They did enjoy the animals, the sheep shearing demonstrations, and the dog herding demonstrations. And then....well, they were done. I browsed the vendors for about an hour without them, but felt pressured to hurry. It was a fun day, but I left wishing I had more time to browse around. Also, as a festival novice, the yarn choices were overwhelming!

Last year, I brought some knitter friends (only of which is even potentially a serious knitter) and a list of potential projects. Again, I felt a little rushed. This year, I'm going by myself! (Although, I'm possibly bringing the baby, just because I'm a convenient food supply. She likes being outside, so I think it will be fine. And, if it's raining, she's staying home). I know my knitting time will be limited this year, but I'm developing a list of projects and yarns to look for while there. And you know what? I'm going to enjoy the sheep shearing demonstration all over again!

Will I see any of you there?

Happy Feet

Paula sent me a gift!

She also sent some beautiful booties for baby girl, and a lace square as part of the Misery Knits lovefest. However, I have a baby girl contentedly laying on my lap, and I'm not going to disturb her to get them and take pictures. (She's been fussy the last few days, and right now, she's quiet!) You'll have to take my word for it, they're gorgeous. For now though, my feet are HAPPY!

Easter Baby

Baby Girl wore her Ellis dress and Bunny Hat for Easter. As I knit the dress, I kept thinking she would wear it for Easter, despite the fact that she would only be one month old, but the dress was sized 3-6 months. Well, Baby Girl is already almost 11 pounds, and the dress, although slightly big, looked just fine on her. I think it is roomy enough though, that she'll be able to wear it for a few more months. :) The hat looks better when she's in her car seat - the ears stay where they should be.

Easter was good - GREAT food at my brother-in-law's house, lots of family, and a great church service. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

I have one sleeve left on the cotton kisses cardigan, and then I have to seam it all together. I'm taking a little break from that, and I broke out the sock I started last summer. I'm just about ready to turn the heel. My goal for the rest of the month is to make a serious dent in projects that have been started, but aren't finished. That way, I should be ready to buy more yarn just in time for the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival!

Happy Knitting!

Generosity

I'm always amazed at the generosity of people, especially when it comes to babies. We recently received this in the mail:


Gorgeous, isn't it? It's from Moriah. I know Moriah through our blogs. She's a medical student, in the middle of her internship - it's a LOT of work. She's at a hospital, learning by doing, plus studying when she's off. And she took time out of her busy-ness to knit this Baby Surprise Jacket for Sarah.

I've also received handknit booties, several cards, and even some money for Sarah's college fund from some Ravelry friends. It's just amazing how people I only know "virtually" have been so kind and generous to our little girl. Thank you!

Thank you to everyone too who has posted congratulations. We love that people are sharing in our celebration!

In knitting news - there's hardly been any. However, a couple of weeks ago, I did finish the Fiona Sundress. Here it is (Although it's still not pressed. I just never seem to get to the iron these days):

I'm really pleased with it, and hope to get around to a matching hat.

In other news - my cousin came to visit the other weekend, and we had a GREAT time! She ran some errands with me, and amused the kids, and it was just wonderful to spend time with her. She also helped Big Boy set up Guitar Hero for the Wii - it's one of our new favorite games!

Happy knitting!

Checking In

March is over today, and I've done NO charity knitting. Do you think it will count if I knit two baby hats in April? We've been a little busy here lately.

We're finally starting to see some sun, but it's still cool outside. Just the same, I think I'll take the kiddos for a walk this afternoon.

I have finished a sundress for baby girl, and as soon as I press the pleats, I'll post some pictures. Not real sure when I'll have a chance to press said pleats, but I hope it will be soon!

Happy knitting!

Red Sox Baby

So, she looks a bit like a boy, but the sweater looks GREAT (thanks Mom!) and Daddy's side of the family is VERY happy that we're raising another Red Sox fan.

Happy Knitting!

Baby Stuff

IMG_1790
Originally uploaded by dorriejean

Yup, I've been really busy, and blogging just hasn't been at the top of the list. But, I do think every day that I need to show off the Wave Jumper while it's actually being worn. Isn't it adorable?

Baby Girl has worn it several times, and I'm not sure how much longer it will fit her. The hat totally does NOT fit her - but I'm convinced this child has a really large head (as does her Dad, so no real big deal.)

I have been knitting a little on the sundress (like, three rows a day, maybe.) Most of my days have been consumed with Baby Girl, laundry, dinner, and dishes. My mom was here last week, and DH was home for two weeks. SO, tomorrow will be my first official day being home alone with 2 toddlers and a newborn. We'll see how it goes. You'll all understand if you don't hear from me for a while, I'm sure.

Happy Knitting!

Introducing...

Baby Girl!

She was born at 12:07 a.m. on March 2nd, weighing 9 lbs, 5 oz, and measuring 20 inches long. She is absolutely perfect!

I had been having contractions during the day on March 1st, but nothing too different than other days. I took a nap, and when I woke up, the contractions started again. These ones hurt a little more, so I took a warm bath. I didn't feel much during the bath, so I figured they had stopped. Not so much! We went to the hospital around 8 p.m. By 11:20 I was fully dilated, and by 11:30 I was feeling the urge to push. Thank goodness for the epidural! I was able to hold off pushing a little while. I pushed for the first time at 11:59, and three more pushes later, out came baby girl! She is much bigger than the other kids - beating them out by over 2 pounds, and her head is HUGE! None of the 0-3 months hats that I knit her fit her very well - they slide right off her head. I'm happy to say the wave jumper fits the baby wonderfully, and hopefully, we'll have a reason to wear it soon!

We are so excited to have her here, and feel that God has truly blessed us with such a beautiful addition to our family.

Still Pregnant....

Yup, the baby is still cooking. My husband keeps pointing out that I'm not due for a few days yet, and shouldn't have expected to deliver in the middle of February. I keep pointing out that I've been having contractions for weeks, and since he doesn't have to carry this thing around on the inside of him, and has no way of comprehending the experience, he should really just SHUT UP.

I'm very blessed in that my husband is a wonderfully understanding human being. :)

In the meantime, I've been working on the Fiona Sundress and the Cotton Kisses Cardigan. I've also continued to do some rows here and there on the Celtic Knot Stole. So, yeah, I'm not really focusing on anything in particular....

Sunday is Big Boy's birthday, so he's really hoping the babe comes tomorrow or after Sunday. Little Girl's birthday is the 9th. She's having a very small princess tea party with friends, so I've been planning the menu (and am very thankful to have friends who won't care if I'm in pajamas with spit up on my shoulder during her tea party!)

I'm also thinking about knitting some socks. For me.

Happy Knitting!

Yarn Splurge!

I went to a yarn store yesterday. I went mostly because I still haven't had the baby, I got some money, and I began to think that I might not get to a yarn store for quite some time. I had a few projects in mind, but I came home with this:

to make this.

I've cast on, and knit about an inch. Today though, I broke out the Celtic Knot Stole and worked a dozen or so rows. I'm hoping to have it done by May - we'll see.

I'm really just sitting around and waiting for baby girl to make an appearance.

Happy Knitting!

Easy Sweater

This sweater was so fast and easy, I'm considering making another one in a bigger size. It's knit from the top down, and the sleeves are knit in the round, meaning that there are NO seams! LOVE IT! I'm going to make a matching hat. I used Plymouth Dreambaby DK that I got in a swap, and it took about one and a half skeins. The pattern is here.

Today I will continue to work on a hat to match the Red Sox Tee (and yes, I know that a navy blue hat, with a red and blue sweater will mean baby girl is mistaken for a girl. But, at least she'll look like a Red Sox Fan!) and possibly the hat to match this sweater.

Tomorrow....well, I keep hoping to be in labor, so we'll see.

Happy knitting!

Generosity of Others

On Friday, I came home to find a pair of size 7 DPNs waiting for me. A gift from Judy, the mom of a friend. I hope to finish the baby sweater today.


On Saturday, I went for a pedicure, a gift from a friend to get ready for the baby.


Later that day, a box from my parents arrived full of Valentine's gifts. Included - my mom's size 7 DPNs to borrow, and the Baseball Sweater that she sewed together for me. (Incidentally, this is a raglan sweater meant to be knit flat. I knit the body in the round, and my mom had a REALLY hard time sewing it all together.)


Yesterday afternoon, Big Boy had a hockey game. His grandparents and aunt, and all of us were there (which is much easier when the game is at noon, and not 6 a.m.) He played really well, and loved having everyone there. Last night, hubby and I went out to dinner, using a gift certificate from his brother. A friend volunteered to watch the kids for us.

We are blessed.

Cotton Bonnet

I made this bonnet to match the Ellis Dress. The pattern is from Claire Montgomerie's Easy Baby Knits (a go to book for me). I changed the seed stitch straps and ribbed back to garter stitch to match the dress. I'm trying to decide if I have enough yarn to make some booties.

I keep forgetting to post a picture of the finished booties from my last post. I'm REALLY happy with them, and I made the matching scratch mitts. I would like this to be my next project, but it requires a trip to the yarn store, and money to spend there (yarn allowance - good idea, hard to live with).

The baby is still cooking away. Last night I woke up with some painful contractions, but they faded after a few hours. :( Today, the little kids painted onesies for her. We used make up sponges and stencils, but I'm still impressed with what a nice job they did!


Happy Knitting!

The Magic of Short Rows

I decided to knit a pair of booties. Not for any particular reason, except I had suitable yarn, the right needles, and I figured they would be kind of quick. I used the pattern from Claire Montgomerie's book Easy Baby Knits. I've finished one bootie, and it was super easy! As I was reading over the pattern though, the last instruction is to seam it up - and I just couldn't picture what the flat-knit bootie would look like. I figured it would be obvious.

And boy was it!

As you can see, by photo of bootie #2, the part that is the toe is totally obvious - all through the magic of short rows. It just amazes me what can be done in terms of design elements to lend a project shape. It amazes me even more that designers have the ability to visualize the use of short rows to make something.

I might make the matching scratch mitts, just cause.

I finally finished the hat I made with the leftover yarn from the Wave Jumper. The pattern is the Baby Wood Nymph Hat and I really like that it's nice and stretchy. I think baby girl will look adorable in it. (And when she outgrows it, Bitty Baby can claim it as her own.)

Baby girl seems to enjoy just hanging out, and has given no indication that she plans on being born soon. Mommy, on the other hand, is quite ready.

Happy Knitting!