A Little Loopy

FO: Bunny!

2011-04-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

I don't even want to think or look up how long it's been since I posted last! My knitting time has taken a big hit, so I haven't had much to post. But I want to get back into the swing of things. If any of our lovely readers are still out there and care, I actually finished knitting something, and I wanted to share.

Bunny
pattern: Rabbit by Susan B. Anderson
yarn: Spud & Chloe Sweater (55% superwash wool, 45% organic cotton) in 7500 Ice Cream - less than 1 skein
needles: US5
made for: Bean

So Bean is a couple days shy of 22 months and believe it or not, this is the first toy I've made for her! What kind of knitting mommy am I? (Don't answer that!) I've knit a few toys and each time I do I remember how much fun they are and tell myself how I should really make more. I really should make her more. I'll have to see how Bunny goes over, but Bean is into her stuffed animals now, so I'm hoping she'll like him!

Happy Easter and Happy Spring, everyone! :)

Happy (belated) Halloween!

2010-11-03T19:32:00.000-07:00

We hope you all had a safe and happy Halloween. We LOVE Halloween around these parts, as you might remember from years past. This year was no different!

Elliott and my costumes this year were totally inspired by the cutest Garden Gnome costume I saw over on Ravelry. I thought that was the cutest idea for a toddler costume and despite the fact that I already had two perfectly good costumes at home for him to wear...I couldn't help myself. I kept thinking about what I could do and pretty soon I just had to make it!

My costume was also born from my desire to be something pretty this year. If you notice from costumes from previous years linked to above, I am rarely a girl for Halloween and when I am, I'm not usually a 'girly girl'. So this year I was determined to be pretty :) When I saw that cute garden gnome costume it reminded me of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, so I took that and ran with it!

I ended up making myself a simple elastic waistband skirt out of cheap quilting cotton and modified a cheap $4 Joann's t-shirt into the 'bodice'. I cut out the neck, cut off the hems then added elastic to the bottom of my sleeves for a little poof. I also sewed up a quick red cape (also from quilters cotton) using the play cape tutorial over on Sew Mama Sew. I used a yard and a half instead of a yard and got a pretty respectable length cape.

And of course a black Hallowig! This knit up super quick using almost one entire ball of black Patons classic wool. I had planned to have it flip at the bottom like in the pattern photo, but when it grew after washing, I hemmed the bottom instead making a cute little bump. I finished it off with a bit of red ribbon.

Elliott's dwarf costume was crazy simple to put together. He wore a pair of brown cotton pants, an oversized long sleeve green shirt, and a pair of fleece 'boot' slippers as well as a 'belt' that I sewed together from a piece of black 1 inch elastic. (I tried to get him to wear a real belt...but apparently that was very traumatizing and involved lots of tears. Since this is supposed to be a fun holiday, I opted for a more toddler-friendly option ;)

I improvised a beard bib using some 'santa beard' fur fabric from Joann's. I just put right sides together traced the upper part of a bib directly onto the wrong side then made a beard shape at the bottom. I pinned, cut and sewed without messing with anything because this stuff shed like crazy. Once I turned it inside out, I added snaps and presto: a beard that a kid will keep on!

The hat was equally improved and easy. I sewed it together using some knit fabric with a tad of spandex. I measured Elliott's head, subtracted (maybe 3-4 inches) for some negative ease and used the natural tube of the fabric so I only had one seam to sew. I just made a straight tube for about 6-7 inches, then tapered it down to a rounded 'point', sewed the side seam and added a rolled hem. Easy peasy! And the best part? He actually WORE it! This kid hasn't kept a hat on his head for longer than 2 seconds for almost a year!

We had a great time this year and it was so fun to see Elliott start to get into it. He helped me carve pumpkins and really seemed to enjoy wearing his costume to my office potluck and his Gymboree class. All in all a super great Halloween!

Elmo's Baby Quilt and Pillow

2010-09-03T07:11:00.000-07:00

**dusts off cobwebs** Well, hello there! Long time no see. We certainly didn’t intend to take such a long blog break, but as usual life happened and we’ve been busy! After all, running after toddlers can really put a dent in your free time ;) But I am super excited about my latest quilting project and I couldn’t wait to share it with you!

As some of you long-time readers my recall, we are actually a threesome. But knitting had to take a sideline for Nasus while she went to law school, took the bar, and became a practicing attorney (Yay, Nasus!). However, we are happy to report that Nasus is expecting her first child, a little girl, this coming October…which of course meant a good excuse for a new quilt!

Last year at the Long Beach Quilt Show, I put together some Japanese import fat quarters from a couple different booths. I fell in love with the cute and charming little prints and knew that I wanted to feature them in a quilt project. I found some nice coordinating red prints to go with the cream character prints. When I got home I put everything away and promptly forgot all about them.

When we first found out that Nasus was pregnant, I immediately started scheming for an appropriate project. I had initially planned to use some of my Riley stash, since it is pretty girly, but when I went digging through everything, I came across the Japanese prints and instantly knew those were the prints for Nasus. I knew the red and cream with be a good fit for this project, since Nasus is a bit on the nontraditional side, like me, when it comes to pink=girl/ blue=boy scale of baby items. Plus, although in my heart I knew she was having a girl, Nasus hadn’t actually found out the gender of the baby when I started this project.

I played around with a stacked coin idea for this quilt, but when Oh, Fransson! re-released her Simple Modern Baby Quilts pattern, the stacked version was perfect for the fabrics I had.

In addition to the Japanese fat quarters, I added the primarily blue print (also a Japanese import) and the red with blue checks print for the binding and some of the red ‘stacks’. The solid is a red Kona solid, I believe in tomato. These additions came from Levine’s during my first ever trip to the L.A. fabric district. (So much fun! I was like a kid in a candy store!)

The piecing of this project was super easy, although I learned that I need to work on my ‘scant ¼ inch seams’. And with the extra bits leftover from the quick piecing method used to make the blocks for the quilt, I decided to make a coordinating pillow.

Now, I know babies don’t use pillows and when I received a similarly sized pillow for my own baby shower, I couldn’t imagine what I would ever use it for…until Elliott got close to a year and loved playing with our pillows. Then it dawned on me that he was physically mature enough that a smooth pillow was no longer a serious suffocation hazard. I put his pillow in his crib and the rest is history! It is now one of this favorite things and he falls asleep every night on his pillow.

I’ve never made a pillow before and thought it would be fun. I more or less winged the pattern, just playing around with my scraps. I also wanted to add a zipper so that the pillow could be washed when the pillow inevitable got blurped on or smeared with godknowswhat. I learned how to put in an invisible zipper and while it certainly isn’t perfect, it really makes it look more professional. B was very impressed ;)

So there you have it…Elmo’s baby quilt and matching pillow. I can’t wait to meet Nasus’ little girl and I hope she enjoys her gifties!

Finished Object: Liesl

2010-05-12T07:17:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned previously, Liesl has been my primary knitting project since January. Coming off the Christmas gift production rush, I was hungry for something just for me. I had some suitable yarn (Nature Wool) in an acceptable colorway, and was encouraged by the accounts of how quickly this worked up. And I can see now why if you are knitting more regularly than I am, why people make more than one Liesl. These really do fly off the needles. My knitting time has been patchy at best, but when I did work on it, the progress was remarkable!

My original goal was to make a full sleeve version and use up all my yarn. I managed to accomplish neither, but I'm fine with that. Due to the fact that I was brain fried when I was starting the first sleeve (it took me three sessions of looking at everything and estimating before I was able to actually get the pattern stitch started...no fault of the pattern, the pattern was great...this was purely a result of being too tired), I decided that actually starting the sleeve took more priority that getting up, getting out the scale and measuring my yarn.

As a result, I just decided to wing the sleeves. I knit the first as long as possible while still being confident I had enough yarn to knit the second. I also could have gone back and added more to the first sleeve once I knew I was safe on yarn, but again, by the time I got to that point, it was more important for me to finish this project than to eek out every last inch of yarn. While I LOVE using every bit of yarn for a project, and get a runners high just thinking about it, I also find the process of yarn "eeking" very stressful. And frankly, right now, I just want to enjoy my knitting time. So in the end, I ended up with 3/4 sleeves and I'm totally fine with that :)

I also made my Liesl with two buttons instead of three...mostly because I forgot about the 3rd button hole until it was way too late to go back. But given the size I ended up with, I think that worked out in my favor, since the third button would have pulled too much over my bust line.

And that brings me to the size. I failed to mark the size I was working up on the pattern...I also failed to realize I had noted the size in Ravelry. So I switched from working up a 38 to working up the size below when I split everything for the sleeves. Oops. Which is too bad because while it is very wearable as is, it would be even more so if it were a little larger.

I also highly recommend making this in a more squooshy or soft wool. The Nature Wool is great, but I could see how anyone with a sensitivity to wool wouldn't want this right on the soft parts of your arms. I opted for the Nature Wool because it was in my stash and, dudes, this economy sucks...so yeah, new yarn wasn't really in the budget. But, if you do have something like Malabrigo in your stash or can buy some for this project, it would be awesome!

And now for a gratuitous baby (I mean toddler!) picture...please focus on the cute baby, not the funny looking mom ;)

Elliott's Birthday Quilt

2010-05-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

In honor of Elliott's first birthday I held a little contest over on our family blog. Part of this was to help some of my family members get a little more comfortable leaving comments on a blog, but it was also a great excuse for a new project...this time a quilt!

Last year I visited the Long Beach Quilt Show where I scored four Moda Blossom charm packs for $3 a piece. I was even more fortunate to have an extra piece of a nearly solid brown print in one of the packs. As a result, I was able to use this extra square as the center of a radiating pattern that repeated the other fabric prints outward in a very deliberate patchwork layout.

Finished dimensions: ~46 x 46

I didn't use a pattern for this quilt, but just started from the center and laid out the prints in what I was hoping to be an appealing manner. As is usually the case, B was able to help me tweak my 'good' layout into something really nice. (I was originally going to have all 5 of the dark brown prints as an anchor in the middle...like a big plus sign. B showed me how by alternating the color themes of the prints and pulling those brown pieces farther out it didn't look so heavy. And trust me this looks SO much better!)

The back is pieced with Kona cotton.
(Excuse the askew photo - it's really hard to take full quilt pics by yourself!)

The back of the quilt ended up being a very happy accident. My original plan was to have a strip of the leftover charm squares running down the side and perpendicular to three solid panels of different colors and widths making up the rest of the back. (Un)fortunately, I cut my brown fabric the wrong way when I was cutting my binding fabric and no longer had a piece large enough to span the entire back. I was just going to buy more (which killed me!!), but then I thought I would lay out the pieces of the other two colors to see how much space was really left unaccounted for. Turns out? Not much. By making a 'T" with the leftover charm squares and using some of the brown that I cut incorrectly as sashing, I came up with my design.

(Un)fortunately, what this mistake also presented was a new challenge in quilting the front and back. I've only previously quilted straight on my machine. However, if I quilted in the ditch or even ran parallel lines down the squares on the front, I was going to have issues with my quilting lines matching up to the lines on the pieced back. Now under some circumstances, this wouldn't be a problem. But with the high contract colors of my quilt and the fact that I was using dark brown thread to quilt, those quilting lines were going to look terrible on the back. And it did...especially since I didn't have my back and front perfectly straight when I basted them together...which really would have been impossible under the circumstances (and maybe always? I'm not sure since I'm still a beginning quilter).

So what's a novice quilter to do? Learn something new! I watched and read a ton online about free motion quilting and finally used Oh, Fransson's free motion tutorial as a guide. Guys, this tutorial was so great! (If you like quilting and don't already know about Oh, Fransson!, you really need to go check her out. So inspiring!) Free motion was the perfect solution to my problem. I was able to mask the slight offset between my front and back pieces and I love the dimension the quilting lines added to the quilt. And it was so...much...fun!! This will definitely not be my last free motion project.

All in all this was actually a very cost effective project as well. The front cost $12 for the charm packs and the backing and binding totalled about $11.50. I had the perfect piece of leftover batting in my stash and used one and a half spools of 100% cotton thread at about $3.50 each. I love being able to make something so economically without cutting corners. I get a internal thrill whenever it works out so well.

And finally, this is my aunt who won the quilt and the contest honoree.

I had so much fun working on this project and I loved having a 'soft' deadline. I seem to work best on deadlines...and if I get to set them, its even better :)

Small Sewing

2010-04-17T18:13:00.000-07:00

One of the things that I like about sewing is the instant gratification factor. It's awesome that in an afternoon or in a couple evenings you can have something to show for your efforts. And lately, given the toddler situation around here, quick bursts of crafting time is all I really have. So it is no wonder, that I am going for my sewing machine a bit more lately. A couple of my more recent sewing projects, all though hardly timely, are below.

I made two of these 'He-Molly' Monkeys for gifts last Christmas. One I finished (in time) for my cousin's baby and the other was for Elliott...who got it closer to his birthday at the beginning of February. The pattern is basically a boy version of the Molly Monkey. I didn't realize at the time, given my more limited internet-investigating time as of late, that the designer has a boy version for sale, called the Mikey Monkey. Oops. I totally didn't meant to try and get away with not buying the boy pattern, I just saw this one, thought it was cute and thought I would improvise a boy one. However, because she does sell a boy pattern and out of respect to the designer's work, I'm not going to go into details here as to what I did to change things up. It will be more of a show and tell kind of post.

However, a couple of things I will tell you about is how I put the face and head together. Since I knew I wanted to embroider the face (easily), I decided to attach the face pieces first and do the embroidery flat, then sew the whole head together rather than the other way around. I also used some Wonder Under on the face panel and ear panels to stick them to the face and ear pieces really well, then embroidered the details on top.

I was able to get some remnant flannel at Joann's for the body and face, but otherwise his clothes are all from the scrap bin. I think the two monkeys together cost a whopping $4. :)

Another relatively quick and cute sewing project was a pair of Cutie Booties for Nonnahs's little girl, Bean. These came from Amy Butler's Little Stitches book and were pretty ingenious to put together. The only trouble I had was due to my decision to work on these after Elliott went to bed and being a little brain fried. With clear thoughts, these probably would have taken me half the time they did.

I made the six month size since she was approximately six months at the time these were gifted. And in looking through the scrap bin again for appropriate fabric pieces, I discovered the perfect selection: scraps left over from Nonnahs's wedding quilt! I especially like the red on the inside :)

Anyway, I can't comment at all on the fit, but they are super cute and would make a great shower gift for someone special.

Speaking of shower gifts (nice segue don't you think ;), I recently put together this set for a co-worker of mine. She LOVES (seriously, in all caps) Tinkerbell. She had even contemplated making a Tinkerbell bedding set for her baby's crib before deciding it just wasn't something she was willing to take on right now. She ended up opting for purple butterflies and I had a great time putting a little set together with 4 Tinkerbell print flannel burp cloths and a Tinkerbell "Cora blanket" (flannel on one side and regular cotton on the other). For both the burp cloths and the blanket I was able to pair a Tinkerbell print with something else so it wouldn't be 'too much' and also tie into their purple butterfly theme.

And I have to say, I think I may have turned a corner in my crafting. I used to rarely, if ever, make something for someone else that I didn't also really like myself. Not to say that I didn't make something specifically for them, just that I had to like it, too. Mostly this was because I had to enjoy the process of making it and if it wasn't something I liked, I used to have trouble getting through it. Anyway, I am far from a Tinkerbell person. I don't have any problem with Tinkerbell, I'm just more of a Winnie-the-Pooh kinda gal. But, I can't tell you how much fun I had with this project. I was so excited about it the whole time I worked on it. I just knew she would really like the prints and I think the fabric prints came together well. And the best part? She (and her husband!) ended up being as excited about them as I was! :)

Dabbling in Embroidery...

2010-03-23T16:54:00.000-07:00

Long time, no see! I certainly haven't intentionally been neglecting this blog, but I have just come off a busy month at the family blog celebrating Elliott's 1 year birthday. Can you believe it? I'm still in shock that he's a year (well, over 13 months, at this point) already! Anyway, all my limited blogging energy and time was focused over there, but now I need to play some catch up over here. And frankly, I miss you guys!

busy boy!

I've been splitting my crafting time primarily between sewing (Wednesday night is sewing night at my house) and knitting (mostly one focused project at a time. Right now: Liesl). But I recently dabbled a bit in some embroidery. In working with my grandma's embroidery quilt pieces, I got a bit of the embroidery bug. And given that I recently lost my grandma, I suppose it was fitting that I've been experimenting with something she loved so much. So, I worked up some kitchen towels for a few Christmas gifts this year.

First up was a Bambi airstream trailer from the Camp Out set of patterns by Sublime Stitching for my Aunt who just so happens to live in a Bambi! I was originally inspired by the ribbon How About Orange designed a while back, then a friend pointed out the perfect embroidery pattern to go with it!

The Bambi was the only project where I followed a traditional pattern. After that, I started playing around with inspiration, drawing my versions and stitching up those ideas. For example, I knew I wanted to make cherry blossoms for my friends that live in Japan, so I looked around on the Internet and Ravelry until I found something that looked like what was in my head. In this case, I got some inspiration from a purse (sorry only a Rav link). And here's my towel version:

I also got this idea for Nonnahs, which makes sense to those of you who know her name before and after she got married. Anyway, I found a cute picture from the plethora of Google image options, then changed him up to make him hold flowers.

I also used the flowers as a chance to practice some different techniques, including satin stitch, back stitch, french knots and stem stitch. By the way, I found a great online resource for how-to embroidery videos at Needle 'n Thread because I have to admit, my embroidery books left a little to be desired.

I also stitched up a towel with Japanese characters for Nasus and her husband's last names. For this I had them give me the hand written characters, then had a Japanese friend at my office put them into the computer and print out a nice block font that would be easier for me to embroider. Here's a taste:

This was a little more challenging in practice than in concept because I don't read Japanese! I was often questioning if the little dip or flange here or there was just a font variation or if I was making a fundamental change to the meaning of the character. Luckily, I think I made it through the experience without mistakenly calling either one of them a bad name ;)

I had a lot of fun playing around with embroidery and it was so amazing to see the designs come to life as I stitched them in floss. Embroidery definitely won't become my primary crafting activity, but I like that I feel a bit more comfortable with the basics and have plans for a couple more projects in the future.

Get Bob!

2010-03-05T14:57:00.000-08:00

Public Service Announcement for anyone who has or knows a wee one: Ravelry now has adorable baby bibs! Bean was happy to model one. :)

The bib, which is made out of really soft, 100% cotton, obviously has Bob's cute mug on the front and is solid kelly green on the back. It has a generous neck opening and a velcro closure in back, which makes it a perfect fit for babies of all sizes. And, it's Bean-approved! You should get at least one, seriously.

FO: Oscar

2010-02-28T21:51:00.000-08:00

Yes, you read that correctly. Oscar, the longest WIP ever in the history of the world, is an FO with a capital F. As in Finally Freaking Finished! And I love him so.

Oscar
pattern: Tangled Yoke Cardigan by Eunny Jang (Ravlink)
yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed in 155 (Pickle)
needles: US5

You may be aware that I started knitting this sweater about a hundred years ago. Okay, roughly 2 1/2 years ago. Either way, it's been a ridiculously long time. So I hope you'll forgive this brief post, but it's been such a long journey and I'm tired! It's worth noting the obvious- that there's no good reason why it should take any normal person this long to knit this sweater. I just clearly have issues. I would get all excited about knitting it during the fall and winter months, but would then get side-tracked by other projects, babies, etc. ;) Naturally, I wish I'd finished this sooner, but the most important thing is that its finished now!

I always envisioned this to be a comfy, throw on over anything, not-confining-in-any-way sweater, which is why I purposely knit the next size up. And while it turned out a tad larger than it could be, I'd much rather it be a little too roomy than a little too tight, so I'm happy with it.

I love its crazy green-that-sometimes-looks-yellow color. I really love its tweedy goodness. I especially love the awesome buttons I found that pick up the colors in the tweed so nicely.

Most of all, I love, love, love that this sweater finally out of the WIP basket and on my body!

Knitters are awesome!

2010-01-18T19:21:00.000-08:00

I mean, we already know this, right? This community that we are a part of is made up of generous, caring people. In the relatively short time I've been knitting, I've witness numerous occasions where knitters have stepped up to help with different causes and people in need. Our community is coming together again now to help with relief efforts in Haiti. In addition to individual groups on Ravelry raising donations, many of your favorite designers are committing to donate proceeds from their pattern sales on to Doctors Without Borders.

This is Sunset Glow, my Simple Things shawlette-in-progress, designed by my friend Mary-Heather Cogar. Mary-Heather is donating 75% of the purchase price of her patterns (including Simple Things) sold between January 15-31 to Doctors Without Borders.

I've been so moved by what Mary-Heather, Marnie, and others are doing that not only have I joined the cause, I want to mention it here in hopes that even more people might join in as well. So if you are so inclined, please check out the Help for Haiti patterns on Ravelry. There's a good chance that you'll find some of the patterns you have queued or favorited on these pages. Not to be an enabler, but I'm just saying- if you're thinking about buying a pattern or two in the near future anyway, if you purchase them now, a good percentage of the cost of the pattern will be donated. :)

At a time when finances are tight for so many of us, I realize it's more difficult than ever to make charitable donations. However, I am so grateful more than ever for what I do have, and I would still like to be able to help others, if even in the smallest way. No pressure of course, but if you feel the same and can afford to do so, please consider buying a pattern or two. This is a way that we can each do something small that, when combined with everyone else's help, will make a big difference.

Remembering Grandma

2010-01-14T20:01:00.000-08:00

I have to apologize for the unintended blog silence, I had grand plans for ending the year on a crafty note. I was (am) making almost all of my Christmas presents this year and thought I'd be sneaky by sharing them here as regular FOs as I went along. I then planned to have a nice wrap up post explaining where everything went and with new photos with their recipients. One word can explain how that all went: ugh.

I mentioned briefly in my last post that my grandma was ill over Thanksgiving. Things ended up taking a turn for the worse the week or so before Christmas and she passed away on the 28th. I am going to miss her so much, but I am so thankful that she went peacefully and painlessly. I compiled a few more recent pictures of her here.

Yellow roses were her favorite flowers, so it was fitting we left some for her

She was not only a source of creative inspiration for me, but as a 'maker' herself, she was always so tickled by anything I made her. I think that's why it seems appropriate to share her passing here. This will obviously change the dynamic of the quilt project my mom and I are working on for her, but we know she loved that we took on this project and remembering her while we continue to work on it will be such a pleasure for us both.

Needless to say crafting (and reporting on said crafting) had to take the back burner while we grieved and began the hectic planning necessary to get all of us to Salt Lake City last week for her funeral. Despite the circumstances, it was lovely to spend some time again in a city of which I have only a child's memories. And being in some snow was a nice unexpected bonus (we went from 75 to 80 degree weather to snow and temperatures in the 20s and 30s!).

It would have been nice to spend some more time there, especially given that I actually know a fair number of people in Salt Lake City, both in person and virtually (hi all!). But a short time with family was all that was in the cards this time around.

This also marked Elliott's first plane trip, which he handled most excellently

As for what's next, I have many things to show here and plan to do a couple themed posts given 2009's Christmas gifts were either sewn, embroidered or knit. So stay tuned!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and I am slowly but surely making my way through everyone's holiday blog posts. Its been a lot of fun to see what you were all up to and your 2009 retrospectives!

2009: A Knitty Retrospective

2010-01-10T21:35:00.000-08:00

It's pretty obvious from looking at last year's FOs that my preoccupation was with babies and baby knits. I had fun knitting for my own Bean, as well as Dis' Elliott, Annie's Macadamia, and my civilian friend Heather's Ryan. And judging from the number of Flickr friends alone who are expecting babies this year, it doesn't seem like the baby trend is going to end anytime in the near future! Fine by me- I love me some baby knits!

Sugary, Peacock, Green River, Ryan tee
Ryan mocs, Pine, Pine socks, Blossom
4 Month Socks, Hershey, Bean Bonnet, Slate
Coal, Mr. T., Cabernet, Bean's First Christmas Hat

2009 also allowed me to participate in a couple of special swaps between good friends. First, a cowl swap with my dear knitty girls, in which I was able to knit a cowl for Kat, and more recently the beret swap I did with my girl Margaux. I thoroughly enjoyed both swaps and look forward to round two of both!

As usual, my knits were predominantly gifts for others. I managed to finish a whopping two knits for myself. What is wrong with this picture? ;) I really hoped that Oscar would make it into the 2009 FO group, but alas, I got sidetracked by the holiday knits. He will be done soon though! Definitely in time for 2010's recap. Swear!

Looking ahead to this year, I'm also planning to learn how to crochet. Finally! I've been wanting to learn for years now, and I decided this was the year I'm going to do it. Or well, I hope. Wish me luck!

FO round-up (a bit of housekeeping)

2010-01-03T22:07:00.000-08:00

So here I was, putting my 2009 knitty retrospective together, when I realized that I failed to post not one, not two, not three, but four FOs! What?? Goes to show where my head has been this year (in Beanland)! So for record-keeping's sake, instead of one-offing it, I give you a mass post of the lost FOs of '09.

First there was one of my favorites- a bonnet for Bean.

Bean Bonnet
pattern: Baby Bonnet by Joelle Hoverson from Last Minute Knitted Gifts (Raveled)
yarn: Rowan Kid Classic (70% lambswool, 26% kid mohair and 4% nylon) - less than 1 skein
needles: US7
made for: Bean

Mod: My gauge was off using the called for size 8 needles, so I used size 7 needles instead. Besides, at the time Bean was a little younger than the 6-24 months outlined in the pattern, so it worked out well and fit her perfectly. This is one of my favorite knits-we use this all the time!

Bean wasn't the only one who got a new hat from me, B got two! This one:

Slate
pattern: Turn a Square by Jared Flood (Raveled)
yarn: Cascade Yarns 220 Heathers (100% Peruvian Highland Merino Wool) in 8013 and Noro Silk Garden (45% Silk, 45% Kid Mohair, 10% Lambswool) in 227 - less than 1 skein each
needles: US6 and US7
made for: B

And this one:

Coal
pattern: A Hat Fit for a Boyfriend by Stephanie Nicole (Raveled)
yarn: Mission Falls 1824 Wool in 004 (Charcoal) - less than 2 skeins
needles: US8
made for: B

And I finished a simple red scarf for myself:

Mr. T.
pattern: my own, using mistake rib and knitting for a long time
yarn: Rowan Kid Classic in 847 and Lana Grossa Baby Kid - 2 balls each
needles: US11
inspired by: Mr. Tumnus

Okay. Whew! Now that that's done, retrospective to follow shortly. :)

FO: Cabernet

2009-12-29T09:08:00.000-08:00

Recently, Margaux and I decided to do a little beret swap. This is the one I knit for her:

Cabernet
pattern: Meret (Mystery Beret) by Wooly Wormhead (Raveled)
yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted (100% Merino Wool) in 501 (Cabernet) - less than 1 skein
needles: US8
made for: Margaux

As much as we both love cables, I wanted to knit her something that was a little different from other berets she already has, so I chose this pattern. We've often discussed a shared love of Malabrigo...and wine...so this yarn choice was a no-brainer. I knit the medium size, with one inch of ribbing, and one extra repeat for extra slouch, figuring that would look good with her gorgeous curls, and look- I was right!

Neither of us know why it's taken us so long to do a swap, but we both now know this won't be our last - and that's fine with me. I have mad love for this girl and I had an absolute blast knitting for her! Look at how freaking cute she is! (Hey, M- can you model all of my finished knits?) :)

Now I know you want to see the one she knit for me. Here it is:

Am I lucky or what? It's seriously gorgeous! And it's Koigu! 'Nuff said. :)

Oh no wait, I have something else to say: I LOVE IT!

FO: Bean's First Christmas Santa Hat

2009-12-23T09:44:00.000-08:00

Hey, you gotta love last-minute holiday knitting, right? Who's with me? Ha! Yeah, not so much. Unless it's a baby noggin-sized Santa Hat of cuteness. In which case it's perfectly alright!

Bean's First Christmas Hat
pattern: Wee Santa Hat by Debbi Young McNeer (Ravlink)
yarn: The red one is a mystery, found in stash, the white fluffy yarn is Jo-Ann Sensations Beautiful in 01 (off white) - just a smidge of each
needles: US8

I whipped up this baby in a day- talk about instant gratification! Bonus: pompom action!

With most of my holiday knitting behind me (I'll be posting pictures of those later, once I get modeled shots), it suddenly dawned on me that Bean *needed* a Santa Hat. I mean, right? I found some red yarn in the stash which would most certainly do, but I didn't have any white yarn in sight. So off to Jo-Ann's we went, in search of "fun" yarn. I mean, if I'm gonna do this, I need to do it right, right? I must say that the yarn I found is perfect! So people, there is a time and a place for "fun", fluffy yarn. :)

Happy Holidays from me and Bean to you and yours!

One-Out/One-In Damson

2009-11-29T12:24:00.000-08:00

First up - I hope you all had a very wonderful Thanksgiving! We had a few ups and downs relating to my grandma, but she is now doing well and we are again so thankful for the time we are able to share with her. However, the surprise quilt project my mom and I have been working on, is no longer a surprise. It would have made me so sad if she would never have seen what we'd been up to, so we decided to share our plans with her. We've been making good progress and I plan on sharing an update soon.

Anyway, I'm here to share a little FO with you! I'm calling this my One-Out/One-In Damson because while it was originally going to be a stash project, I ended up having to acquire another ball of sock yarn to finish it.

I knit this on the recommended needles and used an entire hank of Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino in Moody Blues. I thought I would probably have enough yardage since the pattern calls for 440 yards and I had 420 in my Cherry Tree Hill. It seemed like Ysolda had made notes in the past if something was going to run close to the recommended yardage, but it was a risk I knew I was taking when I started the project. It just didn't work out in my favor this time around. I made it to the end of row 103 when I officially ran out.

I went stash diving again in hopes of finding something that would be a nice complement, but I didn't want to just make due. I'm not big on stash projects like that. I also consulted with my knitting group and it might have turned out that I could have traded something that would have worked, but we don't meet all that frequently and I really didn't want to stall out so close to the end.

After lots of internet searching and thorough perusal of The Loopy Ewe site, I decided on a solid navy to bring out the navy in the Cherry Tree Hill and the Cascade Heritage seemed to fit the bill. I had a few moments of second thoughts, mostly related to how the spin of the yarn would match, but when it arrived...it was perfect, so soft and smooshy. Not shiny like the Cherry Tree Hill, but since I was matching the darkest blue, I don't really think it matters. Plus there is a ton of yardage (437) for $12! I even have plenty left for another project.

I love the darker accent in the cute little edge loops, so in retrospect, I'm super happy that I ran out of yarn. Other than the yardage issue, this was a great project. Ysolda laid out the pattern beautifully with a chart and written instructions (although, the lace is completely memorizable, so you really don't need either once you know where the pattern is taking you) and as you can see by all the different versions on Ravelry, the pattern lends itself to different interpretations well. I think this would also be a great first lace project for someone. It is very simple lace, but very lovely. And I have to agree with the pattern summary, that the edging is deceptively simple.

Anyway, I am super pleased with how it came out and I'm looking forward to knitting another project from the Whimsical Little Knits 2 collection...most likely the scroll lace scarf (which doesn't seem to be listed on her website, but you can see it here (on Ravelry).

FO: Hershey

2009-11-23T23:44:00.001-08:00

First up, I finally got a shot of Bean in her 4 month socks. Promptly at a day past 5 months. Ah well.

And now, for the FO...

Hershey
pattern: Star-Crossed Slouchy Beret by Natalie Larson (Ravlink)
yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted (100% merino wool) in 512 (Chestnut) - less than 1 skein
needles: US10 and US11

This was kind of a spur of the moment knit. I wanted to knit something quick and something for me (for a change). A beret is never a bad idea, and I had this yarn in the ol' stash, so voila!

And hey, guess who else just made one of these? Yes, my girl Margaux! I think this makes our twin knits count at three (so far)? It's a testament to this cute beret that it's good for both dull-n-straight and gorgeously curly hair. So go make yourself one- you can't go wrong!

Changing gears, I want to take a moment to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. I am truly grateful for this blog and all that it has brought to my life, including you. Even though we don't post as often as we used to we really do appreciate you still taking the time to check in with us. So thank you, for being a part of our lives. I hope you have a wonderful holiday with your loved ones!

FO: 4 Month Socks

2009-11-11T09:12:00.000-08:00

I've got a few FOs to show, but I'll spread 'em out, to keep things interesting. ;) First up are a pair of socks I recently knit for Bean. It's getting chillier, and her cotton socks seem insufficient, so I thought it only right that I knit her some *real* socks. :)

4 Month Socks
Pattern: Baby Socks by Bianca Boonstra (Ravlink)
Yarn: Koigu KPPPM (100% merino wool) - way less than 1 skein (leftovers from my Tiny Chicklets socks)
Needles: US1
Made for: Bean's feet

I LOVED knitting these! The colorway, first of all, makes me all kinds of happy. And I can't think of a more gratifying way to knit socks - these are so small, they knit up so quickly - no second sock syndrome here! Last but not least, if there's anything I love more than wee baby feet, it's wee baby feet in wee baby socks.

So. Tiny. What's not to love?

I can't wait to knit another pair!

DIY Halloween

2009-11-03T07:03:00.000-08:00

My office has a great tradition of dressing up each year for Halloween...even when it doesn't fall on a work day. We usually get at least 60% to participate. And given we are an office of attorneys and legal staff, I say that's pretty good!

I've dressed up every year for the last nine (gulp) years. I'm a big fan of found costumes. I usually either raid my closet or B's closet, or incorporate something I have into my costume (like the year I used my graduation gown to be Harry Potter). I've also sewn costumes a couple times (like the year I came as a tea bag).

Anyway, this year (after a lot of deliberation - I decided on our costumes the week before), I decided to come as a Zookeeper from the San Diego Zoo. Only this zookeeper's had a rough time with it. I had planned to make Elliott the bear to my keeper, but B came up with the idea of making me the bear cub surrogate. (I still love the idea that it's someone's job to be 'mom' to a bear or a gorilla or a cheetah. So cool!)

For my costume, I added an old khaki work shirt to some green cargo pants and hiking shoes. B made me some awesome stickers to serve as zoo patches. Then I had fun 'beating myself up'. I drew red lines on the back of my shirt with a fabric pen and cut slices into the shirt to make a couple paw strikes. I put fake blood on some bandages and wrapped my head and my arms a couple times. We also had an old leg brace from when B broke his knee a few years ago, so I wore that and added some camo bandages...because if I really were a zookeeper, I'd wear camo bandages.

As for Elliott, I basted some homemade felt to the front of his brown jammies (mostly to cover the rock and roll dinosaurs on the front) and added some felt toe pads to the feet. Then I knit him a Teddy Hat (Rav link) from stash yarn. Elliott really needed a new hat for our San Diego winter, so this was a good two-purpose knit.

Although, how much Elliott will enjoy wearing a bear hat for the rest of the winter remains to be seen. See below for a couple notes (* and **) about this 'photo shoot'.

The hat pattern is really for an adult, but I knit it on smaller gauge yarn to make a smaller hat. I also knit the hat about an inch shorter than the pattern called for. All in all, on size 7 needles, I knit it with just under one ball of Knit Picks Main Line in Cocoa. I added the felt ear tufts to tie it into the bear suit.

And guess what!?! I won the contest for most original costume! This is the first year I've won anything, so my ribbon and smurf lunch bag prize was especially sweet ;)

Hope you all had a very happy (and safe) Halloween. I love seeing all your costumes!

* First up, the cute embroidered onesie is courtesy of Mamieknits. So cute!
** Second, right before I took this photo, Elliott, Jenny and I were getting settled on our blanket during one of our weekly visits to Balboa Park when a couple of strangely familiar faces began crossing the grass in front of me. It took a couple seconds for all my neurons to fire, but then low and behold, I realized it was Lolly and Kris! She stopped about the same time and we were both like - hey is that you? Talk about a small world and such a totally random encounter! They had spent the day at the zoo and, I have to say, I can't wait to see their pictures!

Modeled Shot: Blossom

2009-11-01T20:56:00.001-08:00

It fits!

Hooray! :)

FO: Blossom

2009-10-25T21:57:00.000-07:00

I started knitting this sweater for Bean when I was pregnant. She just turned 4 months old last week and I finally got around to finishing it.

Happy 4 months, sweetheart!

Okay, back to the sweater! My goal was to finish it...well, when she could still fit into it. I haven't tried it on her yet, but it will still fit, so yay! Given how crazy life has been over the last several months, I consider this a pretty big achievement. :)

Blossom
Pattern: Baby Sweater on Two Needles (February) by Elizabeth Zimmerman (Ravlink)
Yarn: Rowan Wool Cotton (50% merino wool, 50% cotton) in 943 (Flower) - 3 balls
Needles: US6

I decided to knit the sleeves in the round (I mean, why not?) and go with just 3 buttons at the top only. I was excited to find these little pearly buttons that had just a tinge of lavender/pink. Perfect!

I wanted to knit a special baby sweater for Bean (well, at least one!) and I think I succeeded. Then again, how can you go wrong with EZ? You can't! I'm looking forward to seeing her wear it this fall and winter, and I look forward to knitting her more sweaters in the future. :)

What do you think about that, little lady?

Three Months, One Post

2009-10-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

I know posts around here have been few and far between as of late, but between diaper changes, feedings and other demanding duties of a couple new moms, I'm proud that we're still here to say 'hey' now and then. Thank you again to those who still stop in to see what we are up to. I'm still reading what you are up to and I do miss being a part of this community more. So in an effort to bring you up to date on what's been going on around my neck of the woods, I thought I'd share a few photos*.

Our summer was pretty much engulfed by what we are now referring to as 'the flood'. The short version: a woman two floors up broke her toilet and didn't tell anyone. The four units below took on the resulting water (hundreds of gallons, people)...which made our kitchen and bathroom look like a scene out of E.T.:

FOUR weeks later our place looked like this:

Needless to say this was a very stressful summer and it took two and a half months for us to get reimbursed from the insurance company. I still tense up whenever I think about it. But its over now and we don't talk about it much because it still hurts. (They paid me 1/2 the value of my damaged craft books because they were 'used'...despite the fact they could have been sitting on a store shelf...but again, we've moved on. Ugh.)

We also sold my old car (a very 'practical' two-seater Miata ;) and after lots of searching and too many used car salesmen later, ended up with my 'new to me' blue beauty:

Speaking of blue...after my previous musings about wanting some lace, but settling for knitting toys...I lost my toy knitting mojo. BUT, I found my lace mojo in the perfect lace pattern for me right now: Damson (Rav link).

I initially picked out this Moody Blues Cherry Tree Hill from my stash because it was one of the few hanks of sock yarn I had with *nearly* enough yardage. But I have become completely enthralled with the colors. It really is gorgeous yarn and it is showing off the pattern nicely as well. It was a perfect way to start off my vacation at the end of August, which focused heavily on starting a pretty little knitting project just for me and very little on actually going anywhere. (I refuse to call it a 'staycation'.)

Things have also turned a bit upside down in the baby department since Elliott decided to start crawling just after turning 7 months old.

This has been very exciting for us, but also a bit unnerving as we seeing our cramped quarters with a whole new set of eyes. Guys, we have stuff everywhere. So consequently we are in constant baby wrangling mode. Good thing we opted for the 'dirt is good for his immune system' philosophy or else we'd be in big trouble right now! ;)

Elliott is now a little over 8 months old and is really working hard at learning to cruise. He surprises us every day with something new. And generally entertains us to no end.

As for what's up next in the crafting department, I've got several projects mapped out for the next couple months, so hopefully I will have a little more to share here in the coming weeks. I am swimming in inspiration right now.

I daydream pretty much all day long about projects, everything from sewing to knitting to quilting to embroidery. I have plans!! Now the trick is making them a reality! With any luck (and hopefully enough yarn!) I'll be back soon to share a finished Damson.

*This summer, I also started a little photo project of my own. I'm taking a self portrait, a photo of Elliott and a photo of something else each week.

Grandma's Quilt, Part 1

2009-09-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

I come from a long line of 'makers'. The women in my family have all had very special talents, whether is was sewing, quilting, crocheting, or painting. So I guess I come by my drive to create and make naturally. I am never without inspiration, but these days the time to act on that inspiration is few and far between. I think that's why it's fitting right now to apply my limited project time to something that honors my own history. Specifically, my grandma's quilt.

My maternal grandma is by far the grandmother I have known the best. And at 94, she continues to amaze us with her wit and sense of humor. Unfortunately, time had not been as kind to her hands and she had long ago been forced to put away her embroidery needle and floss. However, she had one project that she was unable to finish. A quilt comprised of embroidered blocks that each feature one of the 50 U.S. states. She had thought it was a shame no one in the family quilted, so this project was slated to be donated to her Church group for finishing. Many years ago I had told her that I would be interested in learning how to quilt so that I could help with the project. It's taken some time, but my mom and I have decided to finish the quilt for her for Christmas. We thought she would enjoy seeing it all put together and we hope that it can serve as some decoration in her new home, a lovely private board and care home run by the most wonderful people that may have ever walked this Earth.

In the last couple of weeks, my mom and I got out the quilt materials and took a look at what was there and what work was needed. My grandma had everything together, the pattern, the quilt blocks and the material she had picked out for the front borders and the back. It was so much fun to open up the pattern and see all of her notes.

The pattern envelope

You can tell from the recycled return address label that she had mailed away for the pattern. And from there, she used the pattern envelope to complete her yardage calculations. We looked all over for a date or something to age the start of this project. We know at least that she received the pattern while she was still living in her home in Salt Lake City...her home that I grew up visiting as a child.

Quilt layout and embroidery transfer

The quilt pattern itself is slated to be a queen size quilt of significant size to not only contain all fifty state blocks, but also a rather large embroidered map of the U.S. right in the middle. Each state block contains the embroidered state as well as its state flower, state bird, the year it entered the Union and the order it joined. Fortunately for my mom and I, she completed all of the embroidery work (save a couple unfinished numbers or unknotted state capitals here and there).

Finished block
PS the rooster is intentionally gray in honor of the revolutionary soldiers

It has also been very interesting to finish someone else's project and to decipher what she did compared to the pattern requirements. The first thing we noticed was that the blocks she embroidered are not the size called for in the pattern. She had arranged them to use as little fabric as possible and thus was planning for a somewhat smaller quilt. Since she really isn't in a position at this point to tell us why, it has been fun to guess. Was this a stash project and she was trying to only use the fabric she had on hand? Was she a conservationist and hated any potential fabric waste? Did she read the dimensions wrong? What I do know from reading all of your blogs all these years and from my own experience, there was surely a reason.

I'm currently leaning on the stash theory as there is one panel of blocks with a clearly different shade of backing fabric. I had originally thought it might have been due to age, but that panel is consistently the same color, rather than only on the top or some other gradient to account for exposure.

Sample of finished blocks

Now this isn't exactly a pattern I, or my mom for that matter, would normally pick out for ourselves. Its very 'intense' but sparse at the same time (because of the large white blocks and the large central US map). And frankly, it is rather huge. This kind of quilt also walks a fine line in the patriotic department. We ultimately decided that we didn't really need to follow the pattern to the t. Rather, I drew out a new layout of 60 blocks for the front, 50 states and 10 patterned blocks of fabric, and we decided to move the large US map to the back and piece it with the backing fabric. Finally, we also decided that the red fabric she had picked out for the front borders could use a little updating. So, with some sketchy yardage requirements and pattern notes, my mom and I headed for the fabric shop.

Next time: the new fabric and cutting 50 blocks.

Sugary (Now With Added Sweetness!)

2009-08-25T23:17:00.000-07:00

When I knit Sugary, I was still pregnant, and as much as I tried I couldn't even begin to picture the little girl who would eventually wear it, or imagine what she would be like. All I had was excitement over the little life I was growing and the anticipation of meeting her for the first time. I knew she would eventually be able to wear this top, but when? And how would she look in it?

I waited to try it on her for the first time until we were amongst the knitty gals (it seemed only appropriate), and wouldn't you know, it fits!

Sugary, as modeled by Bean (a smidge under 8 weeks at the time)

This makes my heart smile on so many levels. Knitting gifts with friends or family in mind always makes me happy. Seeing the recipient wear or use the items makes me even happier. Knitting a sweater for my own child and then seeing her in it? Well that just bumps up the happiness quotient to an all time high!

Bean, now two months old, is the most scrumptious morsel of sweetness- beyond anything I could have imagined. She brings indescribable amounts of joy to my life...and she looks pretty darned cute in handknits, too!

Thanks Bean, for making mommy's knitting look good. :)

FO: Peacock and Cowl Swap

2009-08-18T22:32:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post my knitty gals and I participated in the most wonderful secret pal cowl swap recently, with the big exchange taking place this past weekend. Kat was my cowl pal. She is a wonderfully warm, funny, and talented woman who is beautiful inside and out, and I was honored to knit a cowl for her.

I have to admit I was initially a bit intimidated to knit for Kat. After all, I needed to knit something worthy of this amazing woman! I had originally wanted to design a cowl for her, but seeing as I wouldn't even be starting this until the latter part of my pregnancy, I soon realized that designing something was not going to be in the cards this time around. So then I embarked on a hunt for just the right pattern. I knew I wanted to knit something lightweight, delicate, and pretty. I came across this pattern on Ravelry and was immediately drawn to the stitch pattern and, considering the new phase in my life that I was about to enter, the name. ;) From there, I decided on the type of yarn and the color, and everything fell into place. I'm really happy with the end result.

(Note: The true color of the yarn is a deep peacock blue)

Peacock
Pattern: Good Luck Cowl by Christianne Gerstner
Yarn: Koigu KPM (100% merino wool) in 1050 (Peacock) - 1 skein
Needles: US5
Knit for: Kat

I found the pattern enjoyable and I found it especially fun to knit for a friend...and an inspiring friend at that. I am in awe of Kat's talent and creativity - and not just as it applies to knitting, because everything she makes is inventive and lovely - I adore her paintings, and am in love with her crocheted pins and jewelry as well. (Even her design sketches are beautiful!) I thoroughly enjoyed knitting this cowl with Kat in mind, and I'm tickled that she likes it, too!

As for my cowl, MJ made mine, and it is perfection! The stitch pattern is both lacy and cabley (could there be a better combination?), the fiber is fabulous, and the color is amazing!

I have been completely spoiled by MJ! If you'll recall, not only did she knit this gorgeous cowl for me, she also made that amazing quilt and booties for Bean! I don't know what I did to deserve all this, but I do know that I love and appreciate it all. I heart that girl...and I heart my cowl!

This swap was the first one we've done, and it was a big success! Thanks, Julia, for organizing! We all enjoyed the process of choosing a pattern for our special pals, and we all ended up loving the cowls we knit, as well as the cowls that were knit for us. I guess that's the fun of doing a swap between friends. It's also fun because when you swap, you also have an excuse to hang out!

Gathering at Julia's over a big table of food, drink, and chit-chat is one of my favorite pastimes. Mary-Heather was even able to join us (with her cowl) via Skype! It was so great to have her *there* with us again, just like old times. :)

Yay, technology! We all loved being able to see and chat with MH again...Felix especially. :)

Thanks again, ladies- for supplying the impetus for a really fun and gratifying knitting project, and for some much needed dedicated girl time. I heart you all! *mwah*

Showered (more like a downpour)!

2009-08-16T22:01:00.000-07:00

My knitty gals threw me a baby shower this past weekend, and boy was I ever showered- with love, friendship, and lots and lots of crafty goodness! What made this shower all the more special was the fact that, unlike most baby showers that are thrown before the baby is born, Bean was able to join in the fun and meet the ladies!

Okay now, fasten your seat belts- you're in for a parade of seriously awesome crafty goodness coming up here! Starting with...

From MJ - The most amazing quilt and adorable baby booties:

I mean, seriously...just look at it! I love the pattern, the fabrics, the colors, every single thing about it. She couldn't have sewn a more perfect quilt for us.

And the booties. Recognize the pattern? It's the same one I used for Green River- so you know how much it. And you may also recognize the yarn. That's right, it's the same colorway of Koigu that I used to knit my very first pair of socks! I had an extra skein, which I gave to MJ at our yarn swap earlier this year. Who knew she would use it to knit a pair of booties with it for Bean? Makes me love them even more!

From Kat - A fabulously colorful and stripey kimono sweater and equally fabulously colorful and stripey beanie. I love stripes on babies and kids!

From Jillian - This super soft baby bolero and hat set. Seriously, I wish you could touch these. Yum!

From Amiee - A most squooshy sweater...

...and pants! (!) If there's one thing I love more on babies and kids than stripes, it's polka dots!

From Lori - This adorable stuffie and onesies. This stuffie makes me so.very.happy!

From Julia - Two great books and the cutest knitted bird ever!

Bean likes her birdie already! :)

Ladies, I can't thank you enough!

And while I'm on the subject, I want to take this time to share a few other fantabulously hand-crafted baby gifts that we received. Well, you've already seen the most awesome collection of crafty baby goodies that Dis made for Bean, but it's certainly worth revisiting!

Now check out this redonkulously cute beanie crocheted by Marnie:

and this amazing sweater from Karen:

I really cannot express how touched I am that my friends would take the time to make gifts for Bean. I am overwhelmed by the generosity and thoughtfulness, and I'm so very appreciative. We are so lucky to have friends like you in our lives. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!

PS: We also got together this weekend to say goodbye Lori (boo!) and a cowl swap (yay!). So stay tuned for a recap on the rest of the festivities! (How's that for a teaser?) If you want a sneak peek, you may check out Amiee's post. :)

Dying for some lace, settling for some toys

2009-07-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

Given that most of my knitting time is sporadic at best, I've had to carefully select projects. They either need to be massively long basic rows like the November Ruffle Wrap or simple enough that I can always tell where I'm at. Unfortunately, I've really been itching for a good lace project. But the thought of repetitious lace doesn't do it for me right now and I just need to be realistic about anything too involved. My solution? Knitted toys.

I know apples and oranges, but they really have done the trick!! I've been cranking these suckers out like there's no tomorrow. They've really turned into great low attention span knitting projects. They are usually in small pieces that require enough shaping to make the simple stitches interesting. So its helping to reconcile the challenging with the realistic.

It all started when my aunt was flipping through my Charmed Knits book and spotted the Errol pattern. She, like me, is a big Errol fan and I had totally forgot that pattern was in the book. She hadn't knit in quite a few years, so she asked if I'd help her get reacclimated. I realized the easiest way for me to do this is by making it myself. I talked her through the pattern and we both knit up the parts separately. We then got together for a 'making up' party...during which we laughed hysterically at the wonky birds we came up with. This is my Errol:

definitely more penguin than owl

Pattern: Errol from Charmed Knits
Yarn: Cotton Ease in Violet and Lime
Needles: 6 and 7

and this is hers:

way more owlish if I do say!

I'm not quite sure what happened but we both ended up with crazy big bum pieces and large beaks. She opted not to use her beak and I opted to make my crazy bum piece into bird hips. Mine is also wonky because I didn't worry about gauge. I knew I was using a smaller gauge yarn, so I tried to proportionally correct my row counts, so he didn't end up crazy tall and skinny...it didn't really work, but it doesn't really matter. Errol's wonky and Elliott really hasn't complained:

After the wonky bird, I wanted to make something 'cuter'. I picked out the Grumpasaurus pattern and got to work with some stash leftovers.

Pattern: Grumpasaurus by Kat Lewinski
Yarn: Lamb's Pride Worsted in Wild Mustard and Oregano
Needles: 6

It came out great because this time I followed proper knitted toy technique and knit tightly and stuffed firmly. But it also came out 'spikier' because of the Lamb's Pride. And well, Elliott didn't want anything to do with it. Fortunately, Mr. Grump wasn't homeless for long...Daddy decided he was pretty cool, so he now is living comfortably amongst the Star Wars toys on B's desk.

So, given the success of Errol and the less than stellar reception Elliott gave Mr. Grump, I opted to recreate the Cotton-Ease-easy-on-the-stuffing knitted toy formula. In looking through Ravelry, I came across Fred the Friendly Monster and ended up making Melvin:

Pattern: Fred the Friendly Monster by Yvonne Boucher
Yarn: Cotton Ease in Taupe, Stone and Maize
Needles: 7

And almost as quickly as I was done with Melvin, I cast on for a Happy Sock Monkey courtesy of Rebecca Zelt. For those who know me, you know I have a thing for monkeys...and sock monkeys are high up on that list of cool monkeys. I have even had a fantasy of knitting replica socks then cutting them all apart to make a sock monkey...fortunately, I've found a more 'sane' option in this pattern. I also realized how much I liked knitting the Taupe Cotton Ease, so I'm making a more stylized sock monkey with Stone and Taupe Cotton Ease with Terracotta for the red bits. So far, I have one leg done and I'm about 1/4 way through the second leg.

Best part? ALL of this projects have been from stash yarn and most have been from remnants of other projects. Do you recognize my Celtic Tote in Mr. Grump? ;) So these have also been great projects for our 'reduced-income lifestyle'. I take that back...the best part is making fun things for this little man:

Who (by the way) just happened to turn 5 months this week! Man, where did the time go?

FO or WIP?

2009-07-01T22:03:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of blog posts, but I have a good excuse! I was away making this...definitely my most gratifying project by far! :)

birth day photo

"Bean"

June 22, 2009
1:04 pm
7 pounds, 4 ounces
19.25 inches

FO: November Ruffle Wrap

2009-06-16T18:10:00.000-07:00

First off, I apologize in advance for this NOT being the post from Nonnahs that you've been waiting for. But do please continue to send her your 'baby-get-a-move-on-it' thoughts! She needs them!

As for me, I have a little FO to share my November Ruffle Wrap (Ravelry link) by Kate Jackson. I started this at the tail end of my own pregnancy and finished it up over the weekend. This was one of those knits that I really wanted to own...but didn't particularly want to knit. But then I realized I would need something super easy on the needles with a newborn around the house, if I was ever going to knit again. As soon as I was off bedrest I made a trip to one of our local yarn shops to find some wool to go with the Alpaca With a Twist Baby Twist I had in my stash from my tragically demised attempt at Coraline. (I thought I had a moth issue when my Coraline WIP came up with some serious holes, but turns out it was carpet beatles! Seriously, people - who knew!?!)

Despite the meager selection of wools at this yarn shop (that was previously known for its over abundant wool offerings, I might add), I ended up finding a perfect shade of Malabrigo. I wanted to maintain the brown/charcoal combination of the original so that it would have a nice wrap to keep at the office and would thus go with everything. I ended up picked out Malabrigo in Black Forest due to its nice warmth, which made it easy to pair with my Baby Twist in Rose Gray. All in all it took nearly 3 hanks of Malabrigo and about 650 yards of my Baby Twist.

The pattern was very simple and well written. My only modifications being to up the needle sizes to 10.5s and 11s to compensate for Malabrigo's lack of drape. I also added one more stitch to the ruffle so that the front side began and ended with a knit stitch (pet peeve). Other than that, it was crazy simple and super easy knitting...and yes, it was ideal for life with a new baby...and the hours I spend every week pumping at the office!

I'm super excited to have it done and it feels so amazing against my skin. Both yarns are butter soft and very luxurious. I'm actually kind of excited to be cold at the office again!

FO: Green River

2009-06-11T11:59:00.000-07:00

Hey lookit- two posts in two days! And now with actual knitting content! We already know how much I enjoy knitting for friends, and for babies, and for friends' babies. So it shouldn't come as any kind of a shock that my latest FO was knit for my friend Annie's most special and adorable baby boy.

Green River
Pattern: Magic Slippers by Caroline Dlugy-Hegwer (Ravlink)
Yarn: Koigu KPPPM (100% Merino Wool) in 514 - less than one skein
Needles: US2

I've had my eye on this pattern for a while, because they're so cute and wee, and because it seemed like such a great way to use up some sock yarn. I was completely sold after seeing MJ's! (Clearly, these beg to be photographed in trees!)

These little things really are magic...and fun to knit- no seaming whatsoever! All you need is a little bit of sock yarn and some DPNs (or your circular knitting needles of choice) and you end up with the cutest pair of booties you've ever seen! The only thing cuter? The booties being modeled by perfectly nom-able baby feets!

(photo courtesy: Anne-Marie)

Aah, baby feet...something tells me I should knit another pair! :)

I'm still alive...and knitting!

2009-06-10T18:04:00.000-07:00

Though, sadly, I don't have knitting photos to share at this time. I have an FO, but I'm waiting to post about it until it arrives at its destination (it's a gift that seems to be lost in the mail- the horror)! My other project is for a cowl swap with my knitty girls, and as it's to be a surprise, I can't post any WIP pics of that either. Doesn't make for good blogging, I'm afraid. :(

My other big WIP is, of course, this baby I've been growing now for 39+ weeks. Yes, you read that right. The supposed "due date" is June 13th, so I suppose the term "any day now" would be accurate. I can't believe how quickly time has flown by! I'm officially on maternity leave now, which means I've been sticking close to home, nesting away, and trying to rest up as much as possible before the baby comes...whenever that is!

I'm terribly behind on my blog reading, despite my time off. I'm slowly catching up, so don't be surprised if you receive mass comments to old blog posts from me in the near future! Thanks for hanging in with us- I know our posts have been sporadic as of late. We do appreciate that you're still reading! :)

Refashioning...of Sorts...

2009-05-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

Okay somehow we missed ANOTHER milestone around here...our last post was post 800!!! How crazy is that!

Anyway, one of the things I have always loved to do, but seldom do myself, is refashioning! I love the idea of making something new from something you already have. (I do this almost every year for my Halloween costume). My sister-in-law in France is particularly good at this and the Wardrobe Refashion blog has a ton of ideas. I have grand plans of doing this on a larger scale someday, but I don't have much space around the houseright now to keep the 'supplies' until I'm suitably inspired. (Although, given how practically every shirt I own is now stained from various baby emitting substances and we don't have any money for new clothes right now, I have a feeling you may be seeing some stain hiding refashioning sooner than later!) But in the meantime, I've completed a couple 'refashioning' of sorts projects to spiff up some previously generated projects for new recipients.

First up, I had made the Debbie Bliss Shawl-Collared Jacket from Baby Knits for Beginners as a baby gift for my niece...only at the time we didn't know if she was going to be a niece or a nephew. My sister-in-law offered to mail it back to me so that we could use it for Elliott, since my niece has long since out grown it. My niece had gotten quite a bit of wear out of it. In fact, not only had she worn it...but she had worn the buttons right off of it! I loved these little buttons. They were super cute, but (note to self) plastic novelty buttons may not always hold up to the demands of a toddler. Since its easier to get notions here (rather than in the small town in France where my niece lives), it came back with just one little button still attached. I wish I had taken a picture before I took off the button and the rest of the broken button backs. But after all I am a bad blogger, so no before shot, other than to show you what it looked like on my niece:

By the way, she may actually be the happiest child...EVER!

So my sole refashioning task was to add new buttons. But given that this was one of the first crafty things I did after giving birth, it was a large enough task at the time. I was inspired by the wood buttons Nonnahs had added to the BSJ she knit for Elliott, Pine (here), so I picked out some appropriate wooden buttons for the Grandpa Sweater (as I call it) and came up with this:

Now I am anxiously awaiting for Elliott to be big enough to wear it!

The other little 'refashioning' project I did, was to up the style factor on some burp cloths I made 'en mass' prior to Elliott's arrival. I had a couple unused pink ones that I thought might be perfect for Nonnahs' Bean. I had originally left them without any additionaly decoration, but thought Nonnahs would like a little bright ribbon accent:

So with the help of a long nap time, I was able to sew on a strip of ribbon to both sides of each cloth for a complete 'Shannonizing' of these burp cloths:

You may have noticed the colors in this ribbon are very similar to our blog colors...and that was very intentional. Originally I had planned to use a brown and pink ribbon as an accent, but the ribbon was misplaced the day I went to work on this project, so the ribbon was substituted...and I'm actually much happier with this version. Nonnahs loves bright, happy colors, so I think this color combo suits her more.

And finally, since I can't really post a crafty post without sharing a current photo of my favorite 'project' ever, here's Elliott enjoying his Baby Einstein excer-station-saucer-thing:

He's growing up so fast! He turned 16 weeks yesterday (*gasp*) and I'm amazed at his finger and hand control. (I could literally watch his hands move all day!) He is truely fascinated by the world around him and what his body can do. I've also been back to work for the last 4 weeks, which is still an adjustment, but I think its going as well as it could. Elliott spends his days with daddy (who is a student) and then I take over when I get home late afternoon. Fortunately, I'm only working 4 days a week right now (way to go bad economy! ;) so that's making it a bit easier, despite our painfully reduced income. All in all, I consider us truly blessed and I couldn't ask for anything more. Take care everyone and more projects to come!

Return to Crafting

2009-05-15T07:05:00.000-07:00

Wow. So there was a blog silence for you! Things have certainly been busy around these parts, so unfortunately blogging has been a bit slow on all three of our ends. And we managed to miss our blogiversary yet again. I still can't believe we've been keeping this girl going for more than 4 years! But I have to say its in large part because of all of you. So thank you for stopping by and sharing your comments, experiences and lives with us over the last 4 years!

As for what I've been up to, I can finally share some of the crafting that has been taking place at my house. After Elliott's birth in February, it took me quite a while to feel adjusted enough in my new role to take on crafting projects. But things have settled in, I feel great and Elliott is an awesome little man. So beginning in the middle of April, I started up some projects. However, since they were for Nonnahs' baking-Bean, they were top secret! Well, I was able to gift the gifties last weekend and can finally share them here.

First up is a little skirt, Caiden's Skirt (Rav Link), that I started mid-January and finished up a few weeks ago.

It was a great little project. It knit up quick, on size 8 and 6 needles, and I think it is totally adorable. As soon as I saw it pop up in my Ravelry friend's activity, I knew Bean needed a little skirt. After my experience getting more than plenty of blue clothes for Elliott, I also knew that this skirt would not be pink. I happened to have a ball of Lime Cotton Ease and paired it with some left over Violet Cotton Ease I also had on hand. The little tie at the waist is optional, but I liked the stylistic detail of it. However, it looked a little lonely hanging out there once I was done. So I improved some little florets:

I made these by crocheting the contrast yarn onto the end of the tie, then chaining up about 4 or 5 stitches then reattaching the loop to the base. I repeated this about 4 or 5 times for each floret. I'm not sure what all the proper crochet terms are, but hopefully I described it well enough.

I also wanted to gift Nonnahs a set of these little Gerber long sleeve wrap shirts. I LOVED these shirts for Elliott. They are perfect for Southern California as little cardigans over onesies or other short sleeved tops, since most of the time you don't need to be bundled up, just have something on your arms to keep the breeze off. But the plain white 'cardigans' were aching for some embellishment. These took on many different incarnations in my head and ultimately I decided that some appliques were in order. I was inspired by the lady bug that Melissa did here for this one:

Elliott was kind enough to model them for me :)

Only I made it a little more stylistic using some scraps I had leftover from Nonnahs' wedding quilt. I also used some of the leftover black to make this bumble bee:

I used some yellow scraps from this quilt and repurposed a little shear scarf for the wings. They were both super fast and easy little projects and I was able to do all the applique work during one of Elliott's nice long afternoon naps. (I love when these happen! I just wish you could count on them!)

Anyway, I have a few more 'refashioned' projects to share as well as a couple new knit projects but clearly given the amount of my blog content lately, I'll be posting about those separately!

Blossoming

2009-04-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

I knew I wanted to knit a special sweater to commemorate Bean's arrival, but I wasn't sure what it should be. In the end, I figured I couldn't go wrong with a February Baby Sweater. I mean, right? Classic, timeless, cute... I'm calling it Blossom.

I'm using Rowan Wool Cotton, and it's knitting up pretty quickly. I finished the yoke and one sleeve. I decided to knit the sleeves in the round- a good move, if I do say so myself. Of course this won't be the only sweater I ever knit for her, but I think it's getting me off to a good start.

Also blossoming...

Bump at 31 weeks (and a crazy shadow!)

I hadn't taken a full-length bump-showin' photo in a while, so just in case you're wondering what 31 weeks looks like, here you go! Yes, I said 31 weeks. Which means 9 weeks (give or take...we all know this is not an exact science) to go. I can't believe it! How did this happen??

When knitted gifts are worn: Ryan

2009-04-07T14:52:00.000-07:00

There is no satisfaction quite like seeing your knitted gifts being worn and enjoyed by its recipients. Dis recently posted a pic of her Elliott in the BSJ I made for him and he couldn't be more adorable! And another good friend just sent me a photo of her little guy in the baseball tee sweater I knit for him. Check out this cutie!

And my heart melts just a little more...

And before you think the baby knits are done, fear not! I've only just begun! I started knitting a February Baby Sweater, and I've got a couple other small projects in the queue. Fun times!

Well, knitting in between cleaning and eating non-sugary foods and and picking out baby things and trying to sleep and trying to not stress out. Yup, the reality is sinking in. Thank goodness for knitting!

FO: Sugary

2009-03-26T08:13:00.000-07:00

I couldn't think to knit anything for Bean until I knew whether I would be knitting for a little boy bean or a little girl bean. Then, once we found out, I was in the throws of (happily) knitting for friends' babies. And so it came to be that I finally got around to knitting for my own. First garment for Bean knit by me: check! Just looking at its stripey goodness makes me happy. :)

Sugary*
Pattern: Country Kiddie by Pixie Purls (Ravlink)
Yarn: Lana Grossa Meilenweit 100 Cotton Multiringel in 2210 (45 % Cotton, 42 % Pure New Wool, 13 % Polyamide) (Ravlink) - less than one skein
Needles: US3

This is a seamless, top-down baby tee. Super fast, super easy, super cute. There. You know me, I'm not a fan of the plain stockinette, but thankfully babies are mini, so I was able to get through this without a problem. Plus, I'm easily amused, so the stripes kept me interest. It's also a great project for stash-busting extra sock yarn. If you have any babies to knit for, you should make one of these, seriously.

I've officially entered my third trimester, so just about 3 more months until Bean is here. I can't wait to see her in this!

* Named because the colors remind me of some kind of sweet confection, and also because I knit this through testing for and diagnosis of gestational diabetes. I'm okay, we're okay, but I will be on dietary restrictions and undergoing blood glucose monitoring for the rest of my pregnancy to ensure that my levels remain under control. This involves omitting refined sugars and carbs, carefully measuring out all my meals and snacks, calculating my (complex) carb intake, and testing my blood four times a day. It's time consuming and, let's face it, a bit of a drag (I'm not gonna lie), but as long as it keeps me and Bean healthy, I will gladly do it! (And I will be looking forward to that first postpartum cupcake**!)

** Marnie thinks Postpartum Cupcake would be a good band name. I totally agree!

6 weeks!

2009-03-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I checked in here. First of all, thank you all for your wonderfully kind words of congrats for our new addition! Life is crazy with a newborn, but we are slowly but surely settling in. Although, I'm sure there will always be a settling process with kids...always the next step or phase.

Mama and her babies

Its hard to believe Elliott is now 6 weeks old! This also means that my leave is 1/2 way over, but I'm not dwelling on that, yet. Elliott is becoming more and more of a little man every day. He can already do so many things he couldn't do just weeks ago. And he now weighs in at a whopping 9 lbs! (He likes his milk! :)

Benjamin Button

I wish I had some crafting to share, but I just haven't been able to manage any yet. It's been a challenge just to get the laundry done sometimes. Instead, you'll have to settle for an action shot of Elliott in one of Nonnahs' FOs: Pine. It was the perfect garment for our now weekly trek to the San Diego Zoo (lots of hills, which are great for mama). And he looked mighty cute...if I do say so myself. ;)

Stretching at the zoo

I hope you are all doing well! I've been able to steal away some blog reading time here and there, but not nearly as much as I would like, so I'm dreadfully behind. But I do look forward to checking in to what you are up to soon! I miss you guys!

Let the Bean knitting commence!

2009-03-09T08:17:00.000-07:00

So we know I've been all about the baby knits as of late, but I had been concentrating my efforts on knitting baby gifts for friends' babies, not my own. Until now. So exciting! I'm planning to knit a February Baby Sweater for her soon, but I'm starting out with a cute little tee. The pattern is Country Kiddie (Ravlink) by Pixie Purls and the yarn is (now discontinued) Lana Grossa Meilenweit Cotton Multiringel.

I bought this yarn - I don't even know when, but it was years ago - from Knit Cafe. I fell in love with it on sight and it's been sitting patiently in le stash all this time, just waiting for the perfect project to be paired with. Many months ago, I came across this pattern on Ravelry and bookmarked it immediately. A cute, simple baby top, that you can knit with a small amount of sock yarn (of which I have a plethora) - I knew it was only a matter of time before I would knit one of these for someone. Little did I know it would be for my little one. But wouldn't you know, everything fell into place and I think it's the perfect coming together of pattern and yarn for a very special recipient. I'm really enjoying this project for all of the above reasons. The colors are bright and cheery, the stripes keep my interest, and picturing little Bean wearing it one day makes fills me with happiness.

I must have been really inspired by this garment over the weekend, because at our weekly trip to the market yesterday, I picked up a colorful assortment of gerber daisies in much of the same colors.

Oh and speaking of babies and knitted gifts for friends, you may remember that I knitted a toy snail for Julia's baby shower last year. Well, Griffin is now 6 months old, and I'm overjoyed to know that he loves Snailsace- he even *reads* to him! Yay!

Honestly, knitting for babies - whether for your friends' or your own - does it get any better? I really think not!

FO: For Ryan

2009-03-02T08:28:00.000-08:00

It's baby knits central over here! Another FO, another baby shower gift. I have absolutely no problem with this, mind you. Baby knits = happy place knitting. Here's a set I just gifted to a dear friend and her new baby boy.

Ryan Tee
Pattern: Baby Baseball Tee by Tracey Ullman and Mel Clark (Ravlink)
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Sport (60% pima cotton, 40% modal) in Leapfrog (1 skein) and Willow (just over 1 skein).
Needles: US5 and US3

I wanted to knit a little sweater, but nothing to bulky, as this is for a SoCal baby. I also wanted to give an easy to care for knit for my non-knitter friend, hence the machine washable yarn. Check and double check. This knit up pretty fast, as I knit the front and back pieces at the same time, and then both sleeves at the same time. You know me, knitting anything twice is like pulling teeth, so anytime I can double up, I'm there! The part that took the longest- seaming. Ugh! Now, I've come a long way with seaming. I almost enjoy it, some of the time. But for some reason this one kind of killed me. But whatever, it's done now, so why complain? I love how it turned out.

Modification: I decided to lose the pocket in front. No biggie, I think it looks just fine and dandy without. :)

Ryan Mocs
Pattern: Baby Moc-a-Soc by Bekah Knits (Ravlink)
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Sport (60% pima cotton, 40% modal) in Willow and Knit Picks Risata (42% Cotton, 39% superwash merino, 13% nylon, 6% elastic) in Buttermilk - less than 1 skein each
Needles: US2

I've had this pattern on the brain since I first laid eyes on it. I just had to wait for the perfect occasion to knit a pair, and I'm so happy to have found one. The pattern was wonderfully well-written and fun to knit up. And come on with the cuteness. I mean, really. If you've had this in your queue for a while, too, go ahead and knit up a pair- you'll love 'em!

Side note: I guess these were a hit at the shower, since I was approached by both my friend's mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law for these patterns. Well, this after I was solicited to knit a couple extra pairs of the booties. I don't know how you guys feel about knitting for hire, but personally speaking I am not down. First of all, I really don't think people are aware of how much time and effort (aka blood, sweat, and tears) goes into knitting, and I certainly don't think most people have any idea of how much hand-knitted items would cost them (I know I wouldn't have any idea what I would charge, but it wouldn't be cheap). Also, I have a hard enough time knitting something more than once to begin with. Also, deadline knitting? Not a big fan. Also, and this is a biggie- I really think it would be a sure fire knitting mojo killer. I knit for myself, and for my close friends and family, which brings me joy. I fear that knitting for hire would take away at least some of that enjoyment. And given all the other things I've got going on (even when I'm not 6 months pregnant!), my knitting time is precious as it is. I'm not ready to give that up, not even for some extra cash. And anyway, I haven't even knit a stitch for Bean yet- sheesh! I'm so excited to start little Bean projects, I can't even tell you! So yeah, no knitting for hire just yet, but I was flattered, and glad these knits were such a hit. :)

De-stashing (and Re-stashing)

2009-02-18T07:49:00.000-08:00

During tough economic times such as these, who wants to be buying more yarn? Uh, wait, let me rephrase that. Who can afford to keep buying more yarn (without guilt)? Not me. Especially when I already have an overflowing stash lurking in the corner. So what's a girl to do? Turn to her friends, of course!

This past Sunday, spurred on by Julia, a bunch of us got together for an afternoon of de-stashing, and yes, re-stashing. Upon arrival, I was greeted by hugs from good friends and a mountain of fibery goodness, to which I promptly contributed a bag full of yarn. The result:

I have no idea exactly how many skeins, balls, and hanks were here, but trust me, it was a lot!

And we're talking good stuff, people! It was like Christmas! I'm not quite sure how it happened, but I ended up leaving with even more than I brought. Julia sent me home with a couple of pregnancy/birthing books, a copy of Goodnight Moon for Bean, some maternity clothes, and yes, I took home some yarn:

My haul of (interestingly) pastel-paletted softness: Rowan Cotton Glace, Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton, RYC Cashsoft Baby DK, Misti Alpaca Lace, Blue Sky Alpacas 100% Alpaca Sport, Valeria di Roma 100% Angora, and I'm not sure, but I think it may be Lornas Laces.

In my defense, 1) it was less than I brought with me and 2) they made me do it! Seriously. I was surrounded by professional enablers. *cough*MJ*cough* Kat specifically brought the Blue Sky and Cashsoft goodness with me and Bean in mind, Julia saved the Angora for me after remembering that I fell in love with a beret she knitted out of it a couple years ago, and I was *forced* to take the Cotton Glace because "it's perfect for a baby girl!" As for the Misti Lace, well it's just beautiful and I know I could knit a pretty shawl with it, and the sock yarn is just gorgeous and *had* to go home with me.

Incidentally, it just occurred to me that I don't think I ever mentioned here that B and I recently learned the gender of our baby. Bean is a girl! I had a feeling this was the case all along, and this was confirmed a few weeks ago. We're at 23 1/2 weeks now, and Bean is growing - and moving - more and more each day. And yes, I'm growing as well- the bump is in full effect!

Do these horizontal stripes make me look pregnant?

I must say, I love it. I absolutely love being pregnant. Despite some of the usual discomfort associated with being nearly 6 months pregnant, I've been really lucky thus far, and I feel great overall. And I'm oh so excited to be adding a girl to the mix of recently born baby boys. :)

So now- what to make?? All I know for sure so far is that Bean will be getting a pair of angora booties, but other than that, I really have no idea. Any suggestions?

Elliott Lloyd...

2009-02-10T19:38:00.000-08:00

...was born on Friday February 6th at exactly 9:00pm. He was 6 lbs, 1.5 oz and measured 18.5 inches long. He was healthy and bright and more than either his dad or I could ever imagine.

His labor ended up being a perfect end to a pregnancy full of ups and downs...it was 4.5 hours of some of the most physically intense work of my life.

Elliott at 4 days

He is by far the best thing I/we have ever made.

Perhaps the thing I find the most charming are his little hands...my hands.

Mine have been very good to me. They have allowed me to be creative and expressive and I hope his version of my hands serve him just as fully throughout his life.

Here's also a little video I was able to catch of him this afternoon:

Thank you to everyone for all their kind words of encouragement throughout my pregnancy. This community has been so wonderful in helping us through a very challenging time. You guys are the best! I couldn't have done it without you!

FO: Pine

2009-02-02T08:10:00.000-08:00

Yay, as this was just gifted, I can finally show you my first FO of the year, and one that I completely adore, too!

Pine
Pattern: Baby Surprise Jacket (Ravlink) by Elizabeth Zimmerman (pretty obvious, but hey)
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Lightweight (100% superwash merino) in Beryl - less than one skein.
Needles: US4
For: Dis' soon-to-be-born baby boy!

This was my first BSJ - actually my first EZ project - and I can say with complete confidence and certainty that it won't be my last (of either)! I thoroughly enjoyed knitting this little sweater. I loved working with this yarn, watching the subtle shades of green and specs of brown emerge, and I loved knitting this pattern, watching as a non-descript blob magically turned into an actual garment.

I know I am late to the party (understatement) but that EZ: genius! That being said, I found all the extra information on the BSJ incredibly helpful. My brain can comprehend only so much even without the presence of pregnancy hormones- so I found everyone else's notes on Ravelry very useful. Again, yay Ravelry!

I'm especially in love with the little wooden buttons I found. This was, however, not without some frustration. I headed over to my local fabric store (which boasts, in addition to the usual rounders, an entire wall of buttons), thinking I'd have no problem finding just the right ones. Silly rabbit. I looked up and down, through rounders and bins and little tubes and nothing spoke to me. Nothing. Seriously?? Then, when I was just about at my wit's end, I spied a tiny section of wooden buttons, including these which I immediately fell in love with.

So.cute. They definitely completed the sweater!

I also decided to knit a pair of socks for the baby. May I present what may just be the teeny-tiniest socks ever.

Pattern: Playful Pairs (Ravlink) by Diane Soucy
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Lightweight (100% superwash merino) in Beryl - way under one skein.
Needles: US2

This is a really good, easy pattern/formula for basic baby socks- I definitely plan to use it again. It doesn't call for a lot of yarn, so it's great for using up leftover sock yarn (who doesn't have that?) and they knit up ridiculously quick- I would start one and before I knew it, I was finished!

I can't wait to see Dis' little one decked out in these! :)

Bedrest Yarn Challenge

2009-01-28T16:14:00.000-08:00

Bedrest will do some crazy things to a normally sane person...which I'm not really claiming to be. I have in the past decided to do semi-irrational or bizarre things with my crafting projects. And being confined to one's house for more than 6 weeks will certainly fuel such behavior.

So the background on this challenge is this: Last April or so, I started the Jo Jo Basic Crew Sweater from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms as a shower gift for my boss who was pregnant at the time. I picked up 4 hanks of Bernat Soy Natural Blends (two Flax, one Seasalt and one Celery) at our local Michaels. The idea being that I would knit the sweater from the Flax and Seasalt (she was having a boy) and then knit booties or something else with the Celery. I picked out this yarn because it was 'non-knitter-friendly' (i.e. washable and soft to the touch). It was also on clearance for $2 a ball (i.e. a bonus). The problem was that I ended up hating the yarn. It was crazy slippery as well as had the occasional knot or strange over-spun bit that I couldn't splice together like wool. I had to start new strands each time I came across one of these blemishes. It was a pain. Around this time, I also started having major problems with my hands. So I decided to sew her gifts instead and retire this sweater.

I previously mentioned that since I'd been home, I was busy finishing up stalled out projects. I looked at the 3/4 finished Jo Jo Sweater...realized I was also having a boy...and decided to finish it up.

Pattern: Jo Jo Basic Crew Sweater from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms
Needles: 4 and 5
Yarn: Bernat Soy Natural Blends in Flax (1.5 balls) and Seasalt (.75 balls)

But then I realized I had a full ball of Celery left as well as some decent leftovers in the Flax and Seasalt. Now, normally, (given my *love* for this yarn), I would have just donated the rest of it. However, I needed something to preoccupy myself so...I decided a hat for our boy was was in order. I flipped through my books until I found this lovely three-color option, which I made 'newborn' smaller using my smaller gauge:

Pattern: Bobbled Topper from Boho Baby Knits by Kat Coyle (by the way...this was the first time I knit out of my lovely signed copy of this book and I can't wait to knit more! Thanks Kat for a great book and thanks Nonnahs for getting it signed and giving it to me!!)
Needles: 4 and 5
Yarn: Bernat Soy Natural Blends in Flax (.3 balls), Seasalt (.25 balls), and Celery (.2 balls)

Now obviously this didn't use up all the Celery, but it did get most of the Flax and Seasalt out of the way...but not as much as I'd hoped! So back to Natural Knits and I knit up a modified stripe beanie hat like so:

Pattern: "Modified" Boy Beanie Hat from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms
Needles: 4 and 6
Yarn: Bernat Soy Natural Blends in Flax (.2 balls), Seasalt (.04 balls), and Celery (.4 balls)

This used up the Seasalt and was left with a couple yards of Flax and about .4 balls of Celery. The bootie pattern from this book is cute and I thought I would have just enough Celery for the booties and could use the rest of the Flax for the contrasting tie, so again, I cast on...

Pattern: Boy's Booties from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms
Needles: 5
Yarn: Bernat Soy Natural Blends in Flax (1.3 yards) and Celery (.25 balls)

But gosh darn it! I still ended up with Celery leftovers!! ARG!! The next pattern in the book was for mittens. Now (and B will most certainly agree with me on this point) this is really where I started to loose touch...just a bit. We live in San Diego. The idea that this baby of ours will ever need mittens...while not on a snowboarding trip...is practically nill. But, I was on a mission! So, I knit a mitten and then got through the ribbing on the second one and ran out of yarn! Dude. I was so close! B was like, well, I think your project is over...and I did very nearly toss the mitten and a half in the garbage...but well, I'm somewhat of a conservationist...and the idea of throwing out a whole mitten did not sit well. So, believe it or not, I ripped out what I did down to the ribbing section on both mitts. Since the ribbing was meant to fold over, I shortened the ribbing section so there was no fold and thus saved that yarn...which was enough for me to make the two mittens:

Pattern: Mittens from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms
Needles: 3 and 4
Yarn: Bernat Soy Natural Blends in Celery (.15 balls)

And that left me with this:

Trash. And if you were paying attention, that also meant that I made a sweater, two hats, a pair of booties and a pair of mittens for $8! Plus, it kept me (in)sane while I was cooped up in our place for the last couple weeks. All in all, a fun and productive little game. The best part being...I don't ever have to knit with that yarn again! Ha!

Boleros for Moms and Babies

2009-01-23T11:54:00.000-08:00

Thanks everyone for all of your nice comments on my Tilted Duster! I was actually able to wear it out yesterday and I felt so stylish and cute :) And given that I more or less haven't left either a hospital room or our condo for the last 8 weeks, haven't had a hair cut since the beginning of November (those of you with short hair will understand what a big deal this is) and waddle when I walk...I would call that a success! ;)

37 weeks and counting!

As for me and baby, yesterday marked the beginning of our 37th week! This means that he is officially full-term! *big sigh of relief!* This also means that my doctor has released me from bedrest! While I certainly didn't immediately jump up and run a marathon...8 weeks of laying around does a number on your body let me tell you!..I am gradually upping my activity level. B's been able to take me out a little the last couple days...even if it is just for quick trips to the library or store and it feels amazing! I'm slow and exhausted, but I really don't care :)

In the knitting front, I used a good portion of my time at home to complete some long languishing projects and begin a little personal yarn challenge (a post to come on this soon). First up is the Two Tone Shrug from Fitted Knits that I began a year ago December.

Nothing super intriguing to report on this one. Its a simple, pretty basic pattern that I knit on the recommended needle sizes (8s and 5s). Although if I were to do this over again, I would knit the ribbing on larger needles. I was able to block them out for width, but lost some in length, so it lost a bit of its dramatic effect I think.

The yarn is Manos 100% wool with the body knit from a hank and a smidge of the multicolor brown (112) and the ribbing knit in a little over a hank (literally 3 rounds out of the new hank) in chocolate brown (G).

I also knit up a Baby Bolero from One Skein (on size 8 and 9 needles) with about 2/3rds of a hank of Rio de la Plata Lana del Artista, which is a nice handspun combination of Aqua Green, Chinese Violet and Ceylon Yellow (at least according to the label).

This was a special little project because I bought this yarn from the Green Thread knitting store on our way back from our snowboarding trip to Mammoth last March. That week we had decided to start our family and I picked up this cute gender neutral yarn to make a little something for our prospective baby. I fell in love with the colors on the hank and it continued to delight me as I knit the bolero. I added the picture below so that you could see the color range a bit better. However, the natural light we've had lately is making it difficult to capture the yellows and greens, which are brighter in real life.

I guess that's it for me for now. I will be back to talk about by strange yarn compulsion project as soon as its finished...which should be any day now. In the meantime, have a wonderful weekend!

The Company of Friends

2009-01-19T07:52:00.001-08:00

I love my friends. I know I say this every time I get together with my knitty girls, but it cannot be overstated. Each time I'm able to hang out with the girls makes me appreciate them, and their friendship, even more. The Ravelry crew (sans Bob) were in town last week for an event at Unwind, so the rest of us jumped on the opportunity to meet up. Happily, Jess, Casey, and our long-lost Mary-Heather were able to join us for a quick bite to eat before heading over to the event.

Julia, MJ, Lori, Amiee, and me

After a couple of potato balls (you'll just have to trust me on this) and scrumptious desserts at Porto's Bakery, we headed down the street to Unwind. It was my first time visiting this cute (and spacious) LYS in Burbank. At least, I think it was a pretty big space, but it was kind of hard to tell, since the place was packed! What a turn out! We met up with Maurene, Kat and her beautiful mom there, and I was so happy to see Jillian again!

This is what happens when 5 knitbloggers (3 Project 365ers) set their camera timers at the same time. Silliness!

It was just a really great evening, visiting with old friends, and meeting some new girls. I met Laura Birek, author of Picture Perfect Knits and designer of this amazing Obama sweater (Ravlink) and I especially loved chatting with Kelly and Dawn from Namaste. Now I know why I love their bags so much- those girls are awesome and such a blast!

Not so surprisingly, we didn't have time to knit, but an especially cute knitted item did make an appearance! We (Bean and I) were lucky enough to be gifted this super sweet hat from Amiee. Lookit!

Gah!

Bean's very first knitted item! And it couldn't be more precious. Thank you so much, Amiee, for knitting this adorable hat- I love it to pieces and I can't wait to try it on Bean. :)

All in all, it was a completely wonderful evening. I look forward to doing it again soon, while we still have our MJ in town!

Tilter Duster - First FO of 2009

2009-01-11T18:00:00.000-08:00

When I first became pregnant and realized I would be my biggest in the winter, Norah Gaughan's Tilted Duster was one of the first projects I picked out. I loved that it could be a maternity sweater as well as a regular sweater. Plus with our mild San Diego winters, I knew I would have plenty of opportunities to wear an open wool sweater like this.

I ended up starting the sweater at the end of September, but made the majority of the progress since I've been on bedrest. This was also a perfect bedrest knit...at least for me...since I haven't been able to handle anything complicated at all. Because while it may look a little 'different' to knit, it is actually a very simple pattern and very straightforward.

(I swear my sweater isn't tripping on acid...I have no idea why my camera decided to do this, but since I was cheating (by standing up) while taking these photos in the first place...I unfortunately won't be retaking them.)

I knit the sweater on size 8 needles with less than 7 balls of Rowan Magpie in Boggy (690). The yarn was a good basic wool yarn. Although it tended to be a little splitty, which I wasn't expecting. However, it blooms nicely once washed, easy on the hands and blocked wonderfully.

The only thing I modified was the neck line. When I reviewed other finished sweaters in Ravelry, it seemed that most had trouble staying closed where the neck band overlapped in the center. First of all, I knit mine down a needle size (7). I also started my button holes at the one inch mark and only used three buttons. (There are actually two more buttons inside to hold the neck closed, but my modifications meant that the two lowest buttons would end up on top of each other. So, I eliminated the lower hidden button.) I also only knit 4 inches of the collar, since I didn't want mine too high up my neck. Finally, I added a hook and eye closure to the center of the front to help the neck meet nicely in the middle.

Finally, the only other complaint I read about in Ravelry was the tendency for the bottom of the stockinette sides to curl. I figured Norah Gaughan knows what she's doing, so I just made sure I bound off in the direction she recommended and hoped blocking would solve any issues. I wasn't overly concerned because I had already seen at this point how well the Magpie blocked out...and I was right. There is a slight 'tip' to the stockinette portion, but certainly no more than in the publication photos and definitely not enough to bother me.

So I guess bedrest does have its 'perks' ;-) I haven't knit so much in a long, long time! Its not exactly comfortable knitting given that I have to lay propped up and sideways, but because I'm not working on the keyboard all day long, I've been enjoying seeing some knitting progress. Also, as you can see in these photos, I am making good progress on baking this little baby boy of ours. He is currently at 35 weeks and I am off all my medications. I plan to continue to take the rest of my pregnancy easy so that this little guy will be born as close to his due date (February 12th) as possible! Thanks again for everyone's well-wishes. Your support has meant so much to me and my family!

A New Year

2009-01-08T08:46:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes, everyone! You guys are awesome! So, 39. No discernable difference from 38, really, or any of the mid-30s, for that matter. Although I will say this birthday was worlds better than last- most likely due to all the good (and great) happenings over the past year (let's see how the next one is- yikes).

On the knitting front, I didn't accomplish much in terms of volume or complexity of projects, but I am pleased with what I made. Looking back, I realize that a great majority of my projects were knit as gifts for friends and family and I only knit two things for myself, but I lovelovelove both of them, and it makes me happy that I was able to share my handiwork with some very special people in my life.

2008 FOs, from top left: Greyscale, Luke Hat, Luke Booties, Bunnies
Diana, Grassy Pants, Espresso Soaker, Snailsace
Ruby Red, Oatmeal mittens, Oatmeal sweater, Halekulani Wedding Shawl
Rex, Paprikash, Guri Guri hats, Rex II

On the homefront, 2008 was one of the most life-changing (in a good way) of all my years to date (hmm...I guess that could explain the lack of knitting)! And the best part is, I didn't see any of it coming this time last year. 2008 brought into my life among other things- marriage to the greatest guy I know, the blessing of pregnancy, the hybrid car I've been wanting for years, and a very promising new president! I can hardly wrap my puny brain around all that has happened (and is happening) to me, and to all of us Loopy Girls. Dis is also expecting her first baby (in the near future) and Nasus graduated from law school and passed the bar exam! I am so profoundly grateful I look forward to 2009 and all this year will bring, including of Bean (nickname for the proverbial bun in the oven).

On the extracurricular front, I embarked on the 365 days project on flickr, and it has been such a wonderful experience, better than I ever could have imagined. First and foremost, I'm so happy that I've been able to document so many of the events in my life, both big and small. Who knew, when I started the project, all the exciting events I would soon be documenting- I love that I will have this to look back on for years to come.

A few shots from my 365 set

I've also been learning more, not only about photography, but also about myself. Taking a self portrait on a daily basis can be a daunting task at times. I certainly don't feel like documenting myself every day, but it's really taught me a lot about self-acceptance. And last but certainly not least, as with blogging, I never expected, but am so very pleased about all the connections I've made with other crafty gals who knit, crochet, sew, and embroider. I'm just at the halfway point and I've *met* some of the most supportive, talented, and funny ladies- I truly treasure the new friends I've made there. If you have any desire to explore photography more, or just want a fun way to journal, I recommend giving this a try.

Finally, I rarely make resolutions outside of the standard "eat better, work out more" basics, but I came across this list on Jillian's blog and really, really love it. I will consider these things to do more of in life:

12 Rules to Live By -- Robert Louis Stevenson

1. Make up your mind to be happy, learn to find pleasure in simple things.
2. Make the best of circumstances. No one has everything and everyone has something of sorrow.
3. Don't take yourself too seriously; don't think that somehow you should be protected from misfortunes that befall others.
4. Don't let criticism worry you. You can't please everybody.
5. Don't let your neighbor set your standards. Be yourself.
6. Do the things you enjoy doing but stay out of debt.
7. Don't borrow trouble. Imaginary burdens are harder to bear than the actual ones.
8. Hate poisons the soul, so don't carry grudges. Avoid people who make you unhappy.
9. Have many interests. If you can't travel, read about new places.
10. Don't hold post-mortems or spend time brooding over sorrows and mistakes.
11. Do what you can for those less fortunate than yourself.
12. Keep busy at something. A busy person never has time to be unhappy.

Well, Happy New Year, everyone! As always, thanks for stopping by to see what we're up to and offer your kind words of support and encouragement. We appreciate it so much! Here's wishing you all a wonderful year ahead! xo

Happy Birthday Nonnahs

2009-01-05T11:45:00.000-08:00

Please help me in wishing Nonnahs the very Happiest of Birthdays today! She should really be here:

From Nonnahs' 365 day pool - original photo here

But instead she is at work...the first day back from vacation...on a Monday...and our office isn't letting anyone have any days off this week, so yeah...I do believe super happy birthday wishes are in order! We love you!

FO: Guri Guri Hats

2008-12-22T08:24:00.000-08:00

More holiday gift knits, if you can believe it! I'm surprising myself with the rate at which I've been cranking out these things. Of course, they're hats, but still.

I decided to gift my sister's entire fam with hats this year. One for Rex, one for LA, and then I couldn't leave out the Peanuts!

Guri Guri Hats
Pattern: Children's Cotton Hats (Ravelry) by Kim Hamlin from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: Queensland Collection Rustic Tweed (63% wool 27% alpaca 10% donegal) in 908 Rose - less than one skein for both hats
Needles: US7

Modification: To make up for the different gauge, I CO for the child size, which came out to be around the toddler size.

These hats make me happy. I hope it fits their little Peanut heads!

And if those weren't enough, I knit another Turn a Square for a good friend of mine, who hopefully isn't reading this post right now. Woo-hoo - two FOs for the price of one!

Rex II
Pattern: Turn A Square by Jared Flood
Yarn: Cascade 220 Wool in 9475 (Sage) and Noro Kureyon in 178 - less than one skein of each
Needles: US6 and US7

Modification: This time I knit 4 inches in the main section, instead of 5. Much better.

Now that I have knit two of these, I can officially say that, yup, this pattern is a winner! And for those of you who like bargains, know that you can make two of these with one skein each of Cascade 220 and Kureyon. Fun! I'm already planning to make more. (And for me to want to make more than one of anything- if that's not a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is!

Alright well, that wraps up the holiday knitting for this year. Good thing, too, because I've also been spending time in the kitchen whipping up this stuff:

Snowball cookies, cranberry-pistachio biscotti, spiced mixed nuts,
cinnamon candied walnuts, and two different kinds of semisweet and white chocolate swirled bark- one with peppermint chunks and one with peanuts.
Not pictured: Pumpkin-cranberry bread and fudge.

Yeah, I'm pretty spent. Luckily we're winding down here. Whew!

FO: Paprikash

2008-12-11T08:31:00.000-08:00

First off, thank you so much for all your congratulatory comments to my preggy post! People keep telling me that I've got "the glow." Well, I don't know about that, but it is nice to be "out" after having kept it a secret for so long, and your well wishes make me all the happier, so thank you!

Now onto knitty business. I told you I finished a couple of gift knits so far. Rex was one and here is the other:

Paprikash
Pattern: Foliage by Emilee Mooney from Knitty, Fall 2007
Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted in 102 (Sealing Wax) - less than one skein
Needles: US5 and US7

Another fun, quick knit! What can I say? I lucked out on finding two great hat patterns. I can definitely see why Foliage is such a popular hat to knit. Knit from the top down, the pattern was fun to watch emerge, and working with Malabrigo...well, come on now. The word "yum" may be overused to describe this yarn, but why fight the urge? It is totally yummy!

I whipped up this sucker in two days over Thanksgiving weekend, so I can vouch for it as a perfect last-minute gift knit. Plus, you have the excuse to play with some Malabrigo for a while. It's a win-win!

I'm also almost done with two more hats- hopefully I'll have those to show next week. If I'm still alive after the marathon baking session I am subjecting myself to all day tomorrow (and quite possibly deep into the weekend), that is. I was off to a slow start on holiday stuff this year, so I'm now trying desperately to catch up. A little extra to ask of a woman who wants to sleep all.the.time., but I'm gonna give it a go! Wish me luck!

No, it's not a baby blog, but...

2008-12-09T07:38:00.000-08:00

I do have some news.

Yes, I'm pregnant! (Whew, saying that out loud is still a little jarring!)

But, yes. There you have it- B and I are expecting an addition to our little family! I'm just a tad past 12 weeks now, and the baby is due next June. I'm sure the next 6 months will seem slow and fast at the same time! As far as the early stages of pregnancies go, I'm happy to report that I think I've had it pretty easy thus far (knock on wood...always gotta knock on wood). I haven't had any morning sickness or food aversions to speak of, so I really can't complain. I've been a little achy and my allergies are killing me (but that's just normal for me) and I've been feeling damn exhausted, but other than that, good. I'm really looking forward to that 2nd trimester burst of energy I keep hearing about!

Anyway, I just wanted to share the happy news with you guys, since I have also had to share some not-so-happy news in the past. But lest you think this will become an all-baby, all-the-time blog, not to worry! I have some knitty FOs to share, which I will post soon. I just wanted to spill the beans about...well, Bean (the baby's temporary nickname). :) It's been hard to keep it a secret, people!

While we're still on the baby topic, however, I do want to thank everyone for their comments in support of Dis. What she's going through is not easy, but she is handling it incredibly well- with all the strength and positivity and grace one would hope to have in a mom. Her little one is a lucky guy!

Quick Update

2008-12-08T09:37:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for all of your kind words and thoughts. It has meant so much to me and B (and I'm sure our little boy as well :-). This has been a very challenging time for us. So many things have happened in the last two weeks that sometimes we are just in awe and wonder if it is possible to handle anything else. But, when the next thing happens, you just do. And it helps to have so many people, both those close and those we've never even met, sending you positive thoughts and strength to get through the next hurdle. And for that I can't thank you enough.

As for an update. The doctors felt by Friday I had been doing well enough that they felt comfortable discharging me from the hospital. So, yay!! I'm home!! This means they also felt comfortable that I would be good and do what I'm supposed to...which is stay in bed. B's been taking care of all the food and basic cleaning and my mom and aunt came over to help get all my sewing stuff put away and my knitting stuff organized. B's mom is also flying in today to help take care of me for the next two weeks, until B's schedule opens up again. So all in all, I am feeling very fortunate.

I won't say that it is easy to sit here though. I'm not someone who is used to being waited on. I like to do things myself and be efficient, so I feel bad when B is running around trying to get everything handled, when it would be so much easier for me to stand up and help out. I just have to remind myself, I have one job right now and that is keeping this baby in!!

Anyway, my crafting posts will probably few and far between over the next couple of months, but I will try to post updates whenever I can. Thank you again for all your support. I couldn't do it without you guys!

"in bed at the hospital"*

2008-12-03T18:46:00.000-08:00

So in a matter of about an hour or so last Wednesday, my perfectly normal, healthy pregnancy took a rather unexpected turn and I am now hospitalized as a result of a high risk pregnancy. If it weren't for our follow up ultrasound that day, I probably would have delivered our baby this week (at week 29). Fortunately, they found what was going on when they did and we've been able to keep things under control for now. I'm on full bed rest until I deliver (which will hopefully been in many weeks!!) and we are just now trying to figure out whether that bed rest will need to be here in the hospital or if at some point I will be allowed to go home. For now, we are looking to stabilize things and then the doctor will be able to make a better recommendation. Although the thought of spending Christmas in the hospital is certainly not appealing (I've already been here through Thanksgiving), I'm more than willing to do everything I can to extend the residence of our little boy in my womb as long as possible.

I hope you are all well...and now that I have access to the internet from my room, I'm looking forward to seeing what you have all been up to the last week. Anyway, sorry for the random downer post, but sharing is important for me right now and we could certainly use the additional positive thoughts!

*needless to say these Hospital Beds lyrics by the Cold War Kids have been going though my head quite a bit lately ;-)

FO: Rex

2008-12-01T08:04:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving weekend knitting, part one. I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. Ours was pretty low key, which in turn allowed me to be a surprisingly efficient knitter this weekend. I casted on... and binded off (!) not one, but two gift knits! First up, this fab beanie:

Rex
Pattern: Turn A Square by Jared Flood
Yarn: Cascade 220 Wool in 9475 (Sage) and Noro Kureyon in 178 - less than one skein of each
Needles: US6 and US7

This hat was much more fun to knit than your standard beanie, due to the fun striping from the Noro and the square-turning part at the crown. (We already know I'm easily amused.) I think this is an awesome guy hat. It's subdued enough so as to not freak out pattern-shy boys, but has a little something fun going on with the stripes. I knit this for my brother-in-law, and I would definitely knit it again. Especially now that I know how quickly I can crank one out! I might shorten the hat next time, depending on the intended head, but that's the only modification I can think of. I can see this knit in a ton of different yarns. Go knit one - it's fun!

Totally unrelated, but worthy of mentioning: today is the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. Millions of people around the world have died from HIV/AIDS and millions more are living with it today. I would like to take a moment to remember Pat, a very close friend of mine who passed away ten years ago. Pat was a talented artist and graphic designer, a soft-spoken and gentle spirit, and a caring friend. He always made me feel special and loved, and the void he left in my life will never be filled. For Pat and so many other friends and family members who we've lost or who continue to fight, we must never stop working toward increasing awareness and finding a cure for this devastating disease.

Escape From Sleeve Island

2008-11-24T09:33:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posting lately, but slow knitting progress on two sweater sleeves doesn't make for compelling blog posts. That said, I'm back because Oscar finally has sleeves! I think I may have jacked up the stitch count somewhere along the way, but ask me if I care. Sleeves, people! They are done!

You'd think I've just finished knitting some grand project, but no, just two sleeves. That's how pathetic I am. However, they are now done and that's all that matters! What this means is I can now allow myself to (temporarily) put this aside to work on a few small holiday gift knits. I wouldn't let myself start anything else until I finished these sleeves, but now- I'm free!!

In totally unrelated - but equally as exciting - news, a longstanding dream of mine has recently come true as we are now the proud and, in my case- very happy, owners of a Prius! In case you don't know, I've been wanting one of these for years, but I couldn't really justify a car payment when Darby (my old car) is still running (for the most part). But thanks to an awesome incentive program at B's work, we were provided with the perfect opportunity to take the leap. This is how I feel about it:

Our first day together

So, the plan is to sell B's car (if you know of anyone who wants to buy a 2 year old Acura TL, please let me know!) and keep Darby for B to use during the week, if he needs to drive anywhere. Since he walks to work, this won't be very often, but it will still be good to have a second car just in case. And since I drive a hellacious amount every week, this car (named Linus) will now be my primary car. Yay, yay, yay! IloveitIloveitIloveit!

One final note: Please join us in congratulating Nasus on passing the California Bar Exam! Nasus, we are so proud of you! Bravo!! :)

blender bread, booties, and other misc. crafting

2008-11-11T08:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come a little early here. Last week we received our Christmas present from B's folks: a new blender...and spent last weekend blending all manner of foods. One of the things this handy dandy machine lets you do is make your own whole wheat flour and then make dough for fresh wheat bread.

Here's the flour after the blender pulverized the whole wheat berries:

And the dough...which is nothing more than the fresh flour, water, yeast and some honey:

And here's the bread, which was super tasty!:

I've also been doing a bit of knitting, which you probably wouldn't have guessed given my more recent sewing posts. I made a pair of Saartje's Booties (free pdf and on Ravelry here) for a co-worker's baby girl. I knit them out of about a 1/3 hank of Knit Picks Sock Landscape yarn from my stash. These were super fun and fairly simple to knit. The best part was when the little toe took shape - it made me super happy.

I also started a Tilted Duster (Ravelry link) made out of some Rowan Magpie I've had in my stash for a very long time. I think it will be a perfect during-and-after-pregnancy sweater.

I've already knit the back and the fronts and almost one sleeve. I didn't bother with progress photos because nothing is blocked and frankly all the pieces look like nondescript gray rolled tubes at this point. I'm trying to power through the sleeves so that I can get to the skirt as fast as possible. It seems like people have been able to knit this sweater pretty quickly and I really need some longer sweaters now that my normal ones are starting to look short over my maternity shirts.

However, I've also been distracted by the cutest of flannels on sale at Joann's this week:

These are destined to be more burp cloths and bibs...I just can't help myself...They are so cute and so cheap to make!

Oscar...the saga continues

2008-11-03T07:40:00.000-08:00

Now, I know I tend to let WIPs linger (Carmelita and Stripey Tweedy Knee Highs come to mind), but this is just ridiculous. This is not a habit I endorse, but it just seems to happen. Some projects coma and go, while other projects just sit there in their sad little project bags for months on end. Poor Oscar (aka Tangled Yoke Cardigan). I'm appalled to realize I started this sweater over a year ago. But, blog dates don't lie. I haven't even been working on him. I completed the body, up to the sleeves, and the sleeves is where I left off. Stupid sleeves. I just have not bring myself to work on the sleeves. Until recently.

I started on them in Hawaii. I didn't have as much time to knit as I thought I would (I know, but I did actually think I would have time!), but I did manage to at least start them. And I've been working on them since we've been back. Evidence:

I'm not gonna lie. It's been a struggle. That said, I spent lots of quality time with Oscar's sleeves this past weekend, and...I feel like we've bonded. :) At this point, I have two half-completed sleeves. Woo-hoo! I have a thing about working on pairs of things at the same time. It's really the only way to ensure I end up with a completed pair of anything (I am being realistic). I mean, seriously.

And so, the saga continues, but at least progress has been made. I think we have turned an important corner in our relationship, and I look forward to spending more time together. I can't wait to be able to wear this thing! Rowan Felted Tweed - you are so smushy and wonderful!

smushy, tweedy love

On a different note: Tomorrow is Election Day! Please, please vote, people (if you haven't already) and make sure everyone you know does the same!

Baby Sewing

2008-10-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...'not more baby projects!' But, yeah, that's what I got. I've been meaning to share these for a couple weeks now, but I've been spending more time in front of the sewing machine and less time in front of the computer.

First up, I made a couple pairs of cloth baby shoes. I was originally inspired by these since I had scraps of the same line of Heather Ross fabrics leftover from this quilt. The inspiration shoes use this tutorial, which looks like it puts out a very nicely made finished project. However, since my scraps were smaller than I thought and I didn't have any of the fleecy stuff for the soles, I ended up using the tutorial here for 3-seam baby footies.

The finished product

I also wanted to show photos of the insides, since I added little 'details' with some of the smaller-scale images on the fabric:

"Leetle Doggies"

"Leetle Froggies"

These came together really easy and I was able to use stash for everything but the gripper fabric for the bottom of the shoes, which I had purchased on sale when I originally thought I would be making the other cloth shoes. (I'm notorious for only reading instructions half way, I read about the gripper fabric but not the fleecy stuff and I didn't feel like going back to the fabric store right then.) I still plan to make the original shoes, but I also want to make some like the booties from the Little Stitches book. You can see some nice ones here.

I also made a bunch of bibs out of scraps from various projects. I followed this tutorial. In some cases, I even sewed fabric scraps together to make pieces big enough to make the bib front or back pieces. Here are the fronts:

And I matched each front fabric with a back piece of flannel in one of these three prints as best I could:

The only cost associate with the bibs was the remnant of monkey flannel I bought for $2 (I'm a sucker for monkeys :) and the pack of snaps...The snaps are key by the way. I opted for the hammer-in kind and I'm glad I did. They look more 'professional' and seem like they will actually hold up to lots of on and off tugging and use.

Anyway, that's all for now. I'm currently looking into tutorials for baby slings and hope to have one worked up pretty soon.

Happy Birthday, Nasus!

2008-10-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

Wishing our beloved Nasus a very Happy Birthday. She's the wonderfulest woman and the greatest friend we could ever have asked for.

Our other beloved friend, MJ, and Nasus at a certain wedding

Hope you're enjoying every minute of you day! We love you!

Amy Butler Patchwork Throw

2008-10-22T14:42:00.000-07:00

One part of the reorganization effort going on around our house is finishing up partial crafting projects. And one such project taking up valuable baby-conversion space was the Amy Butler Patchwork Throw from In Stitches that has been in the works since July 2007. I got through a good portion of the project on vacation that summer (farther than I actually planned), but it sat in a bag with all the leftover fabric on the floor of our bedroom since then...and yes, we are a tidy folk ;-)

Over the last year, I've thought about reviving this project many times, but I knew that it wasn't going to be pretty. There were a lot of problems with it when I put it away and I kept envisioning the nightmare that quilting on a jacked up quilt top was going to be. The positives were that since beginning the original quilting, I had since purchased a walking foot for my sewing machine and completed a ton more quilting and sewing projects. I knew this would help with some of the pulling and puckering issues...but nothing was going to erase the poor sewing on the top of the quilt. And like most things, it pays to have the right equipment for the job and the quilting ended up going much smoother than I had envisioned.

A word of warning for those attempting to make this project...it's a bit strange at least in my limited experience. You don't actually piece the top together like you would for a normal quilt. You sew a large piece of muslin together then attach the patchwork top pieces according to the pattern. Then you (basically) applique another layer of smaller patchwork pieces to the throw top. Then you sew it all together. I'm sure you can see now all the room for error in this project when you have a novice sewer without the proper equipment.

Another issue that caused even more inconsistency problems was that I hand cut each fabric piece with scissors...not a rotary cutter and mat. I also pin basted the throw together...which I will never do again. While I'm generally one for the less gimicky option when it comes to things, I really do love my adhesive basting spray. It keeps things so smooth and wrinkle free, which really helps in eliminating puckers and other problems.

Now, lets talk about the fabric choices for a moment. I saved a ton of money on these. Mainly because I actually figured out how much I needed rather than going by the generous recommendations in the book. This saved me about 1/2 of the fabric requirements! I also got them online and on sale. I did my best to pick out things that would work together, but there are a few that I would not have put together if I had been selecting these in person. The good thing is that because they came from an Amy Butler line that was current at the time (Belle), the colors do coordinate. For example, the same robin's egg blue is seen in almost all the prints. However, there are a couple 'spotlight' fabrics that dominate a bit. I'm not worrying about this issue, since the patchwork nature of the throw is more hodge-podge than matchy-matchy.

As for the quilting itself, this is where I stopped looking at the pattern. I just randomly quilted lines on each piece of fabric in alternating directions using the guide bar on my walking foot. In a couple places, I mixed it up even more and made slanting quilt lines or lines in alternating sizes. I didn't worry about being crazy precise here, but the guide bar does help you fake symmetry really well ;) Finally, I backed and bound the throw with the same fabric. You can see a better representation of this particular fabric here.

This is a project that I am happy to be done with. Given all the problems, I am very happy with how it came out. I'm also very happy with the leftovers that I am now in the process of turning into bibs...wonderful bibs of many colors!

FO: Wedding

2008-10-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

September 28, 2008
Halekulani Hotel
Honolulu, HI

The trip started off not so great- I caught a nasty cold! Like, two days in! I don't even remember the last time I was sick before this, and then to get sick the week of my wedding? Are you kidding me? It was so horrible. I was a disgusting mess. I'm pretty sure grossing out one's future husband isn't on the wedding planning guides' "to-do lists," but I couldn't do anything about it. Oh well. May as well break in that "in sickness and in health" thing early, right? ;)

Thankfully, I recovered enough to enjoy the wedding day completely. Despite having to wake up at 3:30am (downside of a morning wedding - future brides, take note!), it was a wonderful day! B and I were surprisingly (or not so surprisingly) calm - no stress - and the whole day just flowed. The wedding was casual, intimate, and low-key. I was overwhelmed by the love and joy I felt from our friends and family that day. My family is made up of, not only my biological parents and their families, but also my step-parents and their families. And the greatest thing is that they are all friendly and get along. I sometimes joke about my "crazy" family, but I am really so proud of it. And my friends - those who were at the wedding and those who were there in spirit - I am truly blessed to be surrounded and supported by such amazing people. I was especially overjoyed that my loopy girls were able to share in the event. It wouldn't have been the same without them there!

photo courtesy Dis

The ceremony itself was short and sweet, and performed by my brother-in-law, who became ordained just for this event. It really meant a lot to us to be married by someone special who knows us well. It was perfect. The reception was really fun, filled with lots of chatting and laughter, and a ton of yummy food. Our friends and family remarked at how much fun they had, which made me really happy. Yes, it was supposedly "our day" but it really did mean a lot to me that our guests had a good time, too. Especially since some had traveled quite a way to be there.

I really couldn't have asked for a better day. Of course, it goes without saying that I would have loved for my mom to have been there, but she really was, in spirit, and in all those who thought of her that day.

post-wedding self-portrait on the balcony of our hotel room

Memories:
- Getting ready in the morning with my sisters, stepmom, and B's mom and sister.
- Steve and Lisa, our fabulous photographers, cracking us up during the pre-ceremony photo session, which really put us at ease from the start.
- The weather, the reception room filled with light and Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head in the background.
- Rex's added humor to the ceremony, especially the vows to include where B promised to wear all the knitted items I make for him and where I promised to stick with B through all his skateboard, snowboard, golf, etc. injuries. Nice touch.
- More than one of my dad's relatives commenting on how much I looked like my mom (my parents divorced when I was little).
- The flowers- my bouquet and the centerpieces - flowers in all shades of green - arranged by my stepdad. (My stepdad was a florist.)
- The very sweet toasts from my sister Ash and our friend Chris.
- Our friends all laughing and having a good time.
- The food. The bacon-wrapped scallops, the side of Kobe beef, the scrupmtious Sunday brunch buffet, the coconut cake, the cupcake tower, the champagne...
- Taking my bouquet to my mom's grave after the wedding. (Only to find out that my stepmom had already dropped off flowers from one of the centerpieces. I have the best stepmom in the world!)
- B and I reminiscing about the day. "We're married!"

It's a....

2008-10-02T06:43:00.000-07:00

So, I'm sure you are anxiously awaiting the details of Nonnahs' fabulous wedding last weekend, but except for confirming that it was indeed most fabulous, I'm going to let her share the details once she returns from her honeymoon. In the meantime, my plan is to fill in with baby news and baby projects!

We had our 20 week ultrasound last Wednesday and we did find out the gender...Final guesses everyone?

It's a boy! Here is one of my favorite photos:

I love his little frog legs :) Everything seems normal (and boy does this little guy move!) except he has ever-so-slightly enlarged kidneys, so we will probably need to have a follow up ultrasound in another couple months. We've also had the privilege of being stuck in the cycle of 'abnormal' Down Syndrome screening results, which sounds scary, but is really just a probability game. In the end (after a genetic counseling appointment and another more detailed ultrasound yesterday), we've decided that we aren't going to do any further testing and just go with it. I'm not stressing about it and our guts tells us he is healthy. Besides, if his current activity level is any indicator, we are going to have our hands full once he is out and about! Ack!

I also thought I would share a little 20 week tummy update. I took this in Hawaii at one of Nonnahs' favorite beach spots:

As for projects, I finished up my version of the Get Ziggy sweater (Ravelry link here).

I knit the 12 month size with one hank and a little more (maybe 1.1) of Dream in Color Classy in the colorway Spring Tickle on size 8 (and 6 for the ribbing) needles. This was a great pattern! It was also the first baby knit I've finished that actually seemed to be fast to me. Not really anything else to say about this one since everything was straight forward and the yarn was fabulous!

I've also finished up some sewing projects. I made up half a dozen burp cloths using my leftover fabric from my quilt class quilt (btw - I bet these colors make a lot more since now that you know we were thinking about starting our family at the time!) and cloth diapers.

I used this tutorial but without any embelishments (it was hard to find ribbon or bias tape to match all three color sets and I didn't want to buy something different for each one...this was a stash busting project after all!).

I also made another half of a dozen burp cloths from this tutorial (burping cloths) with two flannel prints.

I had planned to follow this other tutorial originally, but was going to modify them without the batting and without the fringe, so when my sister-in-law forwarded me a link to the other tutorial, I just followed that one instead (since it didn't require me actually re-making the pattern piece).

I also made a little travel blanket (instructions courtesy of my friend Cora) with the rest of the duck flannel and a piece of complementary print cotton. Again, I left off any embellishments and just kept it simple.

And while we now know that this baby will be a boy, I'm still planning to continue to make unisex projects because like I said before...you never know what will come next!

Nonnahs' Wedding Quilt

2008-09-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

I knew I wanted to make Nonnahs a wedding quilt as soon as they decided to get married this September. It just took me a while to pick just the right one. I knew I didn't want it to be too busy and more classic looking, but I also wanted to take advantage of some of the great contemporary fabric out there. I hit pay dirt with the Cutting Corners pattern from Last Minute Patchwork & Quilted Gifts.

It is simple, yet interesting and offers a great combination of straight lines and floral 'roundedness'. For colors I had two main inspirations: Nonnahs' fairly neutral living room and, of course, the Doogles. So I went to the fabric store and shopped the black florals until I found the perfect one: plenty of black but enough cream and taupe to give me something to work with in picking out the border fabrics. The rest came together pretty effortlessly. I was also inspired to add the red binding because there is the tiniest of red in the floral print on the inner cream border fabric...plus red is such a 'love'ly color! I opted for a solid black backing mainly for the practical purpose of living with a (mostly) black dog.

Main Print - Michael Miller for Fabrics LLC
Cream Inner Border - 19th Century Backgrounds II for Marcus Brothers
Taupe Outer Border - Floral Damask by P&B Textiles
Binding - Little Red Riding Hood for Red Rooster Fabrics
Backing - Black Solid Kona Cotton from Robert Kaufman Fabrics

I also knew that I wanted to add some kind of inscription to the back. I went back and forth about embroidering their names and/or the date of the wedding. But, nothing seemed 'just right'. I was also mildly afraid that by adding their names and date it would turn more into something that's kept in a closet vs. something that is used...and if its up to me (ha!), I'd rather it be something that's used! Then a lightening bolt stuck! I could add feng shui love birds to the back! Again, this idea went through many incarnations and it didn't materialize into the final product until I was putting everything together (mostly because of trial and error):

I used the side bird template from the Bird Ornaments pattern, also from Last Minute Patchwork & Quilted Gifts, on fabric treated with iron-on fusing. I used a 'fancy' stitch from my sewing machine to applique the birds to the backing (also fused). Then I invisibly hand stitched the patch to the quilt back (like when you attached binding). Considering this was completely winged (no pun intended ;), I really love how the patch came out.

And finally, what would a quilt project be without fabric leftovers...which were promptly turned into a set of Quilted Coasters, again from Last Minute Patchwork & Quilted Gifts.

I do believe Nonnahs will be an absolutely beautiful bride, don't you think!?! :-)

FO: Halekulani Wedding Shawl

2008-09-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

So you may recall that I started a wedding shawl just a little over three weeks ago. It felt like a crazy move at the time, but I hoped that the fact that it would be for our upcoming wedding would propel me to finish it in time, and what do you know? It worked! With The Big Day less than two weeks away (two weeks, people- two weeks!), I now have a shawl to wear to wedding-related festivities.

Halekulani Wedding Shawl
Pattern: Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark
Yarn: Malabrigo Lace (100% baby merino wool) in 63 (Natural) - one entire skein and just a tiny bit of a second.
Needles: US4

Modification: I chose to knit a larger shawl, because it would have been miniscule otherwise. No, really. Like SO tiny (it is still on the smaller size, even with the mods). Thankfully, Minty posted the mods she used while knitting her Swallowtail, because I really wouldn't have been able to handle figuring all that out with my time issues. Her instructions were fabulous. (Thanks, Minty!)

For the record, I absolutely loved knitting this shawl. Maybe it's because the charts were so easy to memorize and knit. Maybe it's because it knit up so quickly. Maybe it's because the Malabrigo lace is...just as fabulous and yummy as you might think it would be to work with. Or maybe, just maybe, it's because this knit is to commemorate a very special day in my life and I felt truly inspired. I am so pleased with the outcome, and looking forward to having this always as a reminder of our wedding.

Segue to...I am also pleased as punch about a recent purchase- my new Macbook! I've been coveting one of these cute little things for some time now, but have been holding out because B and I have been trying to save money. That said, I discovered that when planning a wedding/honeymoon, sometimes you just do crazy things (I'll get to our brand new camera some other time)! In my defense, this is not a completely frivolous purchase! It will definitely come in handy on our trip, which is why I decided to take the plunge now. And can I just say- I freaking LOVE this thing! If you couldn't tell.

This is my first laptop, and my first Mac. I am far from a tech person- gadgets rarely excite me- but, I am super geeky over this thing. I'm not exactly sure how many times is normal to hug one's laptop, but at least once daily seems to be working for me. I am officially a convert! Love(1).

And speaking of love, Julia's adorable baby boy was born last week and I couldn't be more thrilled for her and Moxie. I'm bursting with joy and cannot.wait. to meet little Griffin in person!

A February Sweater for a February Baby

2008-09-12T06:43:00.000-07:00

Wow! I had no intention of taking such a long blog holiday! First and foremost - thank you so much for all of your kind comments and well wishes for this little growing baby that is slowly but surely taking up more and more space in my mid-section. I'm currently at 18 weeks and we are set for our 20 week ultrasound in about a week and a half. Initially we were going to wait and see how we felt at the time of the ultrasound to decide whether or not we'd find out the sex. But seriously, picking out names is hard and stressful! So, at this point, we are planning to find out!

Anyway, over the last few weeks I've been busy, busy, busy. Given that a certain someone is getting married this month, my biggest project has been unbloggable. But, I was able to give Nonnahs her gift last night, so expect another finished object post in the near future!

I've also been knitting again. I've discovered the secret to Dis's Happy Hands is continental knitting...exclusively. I had tried to go back to knitting with my right hand after my last break and it was just too much. I now use my left hand for everything, except binding off (I still can't get the yarn out of the way - how do you people do it!?!). I also used the excuse of baby knitting to pick out some fabulously squishy worsted wool yarn - Dream in Color Classy, which has also been very hand friendly.

The product of my latest knitting efforts has been a February Baby Sweater for a certain February baby of mine:

This was my first experience knitting an Elizabeth Zimmermann pattern. While I appreciate that she doesn't spoon feed you line-by-line instructions, I am glad I didn't try to tackle this one as a new knitter. There were several things you just have to know how to do. She provides the ingredients, but you need to put the recipe together. It was a great pattern and otherwise pretty straight forward. I did get a little bogged down with the lace for a while, but I got my mojo back once I realized how close I was to finishing!

I used just about exactly one hank of Classy in the color Cocoa Kiss on size 6 needles (for the main body knitting). I did have to shorten the body by about a 1/2 inch to do this though. The yarn is wonderful! The colors are so great and the mottled nature of the variegation is very subtle and not distracting, but still just as enchanting to knit. I picked out this color first because I've loved it for a long time (and needed a good excuse to buy it!), but secondly because I thought it would be nice for either a boy or a girl. The color would look very elegant on a little girl, but also tone down the lace for a boy.

I've already decided that all the baby knitting I will be doing will be gender neutral because even though we will be finding out ahead of time what we are having, we certainly don't know who will be coming next. And I would like to use these hand knits for more than one baby! So along that line, I wanted to show you the other wee little sweater currently on my needles:

You probably recognize this as the Get Ziggy (Rav link) sweater that Nonnahs did such a lovely job on here. It is such a great little sweater and in this fun green (also Classy in the color Spring Tickle), I think it will be great for a boy or a girl. But I think my favorite part of this project is that when Nonnahs and I were talking about potential baby projects one day, we IMed each other the link for this pattern at the exact same time! Great minds must think alike ;-)

Just keep knitting...just keep knitting...

2008-09-09T07:32:00.000-07:00

When I got an email this morning letting me know that my dress is ready, it really hit me - I am getting married in 19 days (and we leave in 11 days)! Holy crap! We still have a few details yet to nail down, but I'm sure it will work out. In the meantime, I just keep knitting away at my shawl. In my haste, I misread part of the instructions for the nupps section, so despite the progress shot last time, I had to rip out and re-knit the last 2 charts over. Which set me back a little, but now I'm back on track. I'm on to the first of 2 border charts. Getting close!

So yeah- this is pretty much what I've been doing in my free time. Shawl knitting. Fast and furious. Well that, and cooking veggies like they're going out of style. I've been on this kick for a couple months now. Cooking up a huge batch of veggies on Sunday (or Monday, as the case may be) and feeding off of it for as long as it lasts. (It usually carries me well into mid-late week). I've been steaming, braising, oven-roasting, sauteing. I try to vary the veggies every week, although there are some staples. And I always make some brown rice with lentils and/or black beans to go alongside. I've been pleasantly surprised at how filling these meals are, and how much healthier I feel. And most pleasing of all - I haven't tired of eating this way at all (yet)!

This week I also made a batch of Grandma's Grain, from the fabulous 101 Cookbooks. (Sorry, no picture this time.) These grains can be eaten with savory or sweet, for breakfast or substituted for rice in other meals. This morning I had some for breakfast with a little bit of brown sugar and rice milk. It was quite tasty! I look forward to experimenting with it more and incorporating this recipe into my repertoire.

I am far from what I would consider to be a healthy eater, but I do try, and I've been trying extra hard lately, for various reasons. As with most everything else I try, instead of making sweeping statements that I'm committing to something (which invariably provokes failure), I like to say that I will try to keep with it for as long as possible and see how it goes. So far, so good!

Are there any dishes/recipes you've been hooked on lately?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to shawl knitting!

We Have Nupps!

2008-09-02T07:27:00.000-07:00

The extra long weekend was just what I needed! I have been knitting on this damn shawl like crazy. And, I even decided to do extra repeats on the main body of the shawl. Partly because it was looking teeny tiny, even when I fake blocked it (stretched it out), and partly because I was stupid and miscounted my repeats and ended up doing a whole extra one...and then didn't quite feel like tinking back 6 rows of lace. Call me crazy. So, as per many other Swallowtail knitters on Ravelry, I followed Minty's lead and extended 5 extra repeats. At the time, I thought I was just asking for trouble, given the time sensitivity of this project, but seeing how fast I was able to bust out the extra 5 repeats, I'm glad I did it. I am now on the second of the "nupps repeats." As per all of your comments to my last post, I am knitting them loose! Thanks for the advice everyone!

And so, I will just keep knitting along...26 days left...no pressure!

Switching gears, I recently completed 60 days of the my 365 days project. I can hardly believe it. Some days are easy, some are really challenging. Some photos are pretty good, some are- not so much. But I'm still having a lot of fun and I'm learning a lot. Here are days 31 - 60:

Happy short week, everyone (in the US)!

Get out the straightjacket

2008-08-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

Because I am clearly insane. I decided, just last week, that I wanted to attempt a wedding knit. Well no, I take that back. I'd been thinking about a wedding knit for a while now. In fact, way back, before we were even engaged, I thought about knitting a wedding shawl to keep for whenever the time would come (wishful thinking at that point). I even bought some aahmazing Malabrigo lace yarn, and started a shawl. When it didn't seem as though a wedding was eminent, I went on to knit other projects. Then, as life happens sometimes, this whole wedding thing came as a surprise, and a quickly approaching one at that. I didn't give the shawl much thought, dismissing it as an impossibility- after all, I had been knitting gift after gift and didn't have time to consider knitting a shawl under such a time constraint.

Halekulani (AKA: Insanity in Ivory)

But then, a little over a week ago, I found myself with nothing on the needles, the earmarked skeins of Malabrigo lace sitting in my knitting basket, and a desire to knit something special to commemorate our wedding. I decided to browse Ravelry for ideas. And Ravelry, kick ass as it is, led me to Evelyn Clark's Swallowtail Shawl. You know the one. I noticed that people had knit this shawl in a short amount of time (so I knew it *could* be done).

That said, with the wedding on September 28th, that gives me only a little over a month. And given how redonkulously long it took me to knit my Icarus Shawl, this month-long deadline seems like certifiable crazy talk. I asked Dis and Margaux to tell me that I was crazy, but instead they encouraged me like good friends do, and so I'm giving it a go. I won't kill myself if I don't finish it in time, I'll just knit along and see what happens. It's not like I have anything else going on right now! :p

Who does this??

Pura vida!

2008-08-17T11:31:00.001-07:00

Hot springs at Arenal Paraiso. Ahhh....

I just returned from my belated honeymoon-postbar trip to Costa Rica and it was fun, fun, fun! The country is lush during rainy season. K planned our trip beautifully - from the mountains to the beach, back to the mountains, then a last stop on the coast again. The highlights of our trip: lots of hiking, unpaved roads (thank goodness for 4WD!), beautiful beaches, ziplining/tarzan swing, waterfall rappelling, outrigger paddling, snorkeling (among other things, we saw a shark, sting rays, mating turtles and a couple of blowfishes), dipping in the hot spring pools in the rain, volcano eruption sightings, and last but not least, highway robbery (had to pay a cop $150 for four tickets - (i) passing in a no-pass zone (ii) speeding (iii) failing to stop and (iv) evading an officer.) I fought the law, but the law won... And luckily for me, I got food poisoning on the very last day we were there - K and I think it was the jugo de guanabana con leche drink that I had. Ironically, this was my all-time fave drink in Costa Rica (can I just add how much I enjoyed Coca Cola Light there? Much tastier than Diet Coke here in the States...)

The view from our room at Hotel Sugar Beach

Zip-lining in Monteverde

Canyoning or waterfall rappelling (yup, that's me)

Our view from our room in Manuel Antonio.
K and I spent an entire day reading and doing sudoku puzzles on this balcony.
How can anyone NOT want to be lazy here?

The scariest thing we did: waterfall rappelling. At the mid-point of a 100+ foot waterfall, I had so much water pounding into my face that I seriously thought I was going to die. A split second after the occurrence of such a thought, I firmly told myself that I was the only person to save myself and I needed to climb down the waterfall! Second scariest: the tarzan swing (not pictured above.) During our ziplining tour, we climbed up a series of ladders, hooked ourselves onto a rope and were pushed off a platform, swinging Tarzan-style. I couldn't stop screaming.

Culinary thoughts: If any of you decide to stay in Monteverde, I highly recommend Sofia, a "Latin-fusion" restaurant. Kanji and I had probably one of the best steaks there - the grilled tenderloin. Its sister restaurant located nearby, La Chimera, serves delicious tapas and drinks, notably the passion fruit caipirinha. If you visit Manuel Antonio, do not eat at Coconuts - the worst sushi we ever had in our lives, although a particular sushi spot here in San Diego may compete for that position.

FO: Oatmeal for Henry

2008-08-11T07:29:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to get this wrapped up and shipped out, but I couldn't let it go without first sharing it here. I had originally only planned on the sweater, but there was some leftover yarn, so I just *had* to knit a little something extra. I certainly hope little Henry will be able to use at least one if not both of these, come this winter in Massachusetts. I certainly had fun knitting them for him!

Oatmeal - the sweater
Pattern: Get Ziggy by annypurls
Yarn: Vermont Organic Fiber Company O-Wool Classic (100% certified organic merino wool) in 7100 (Oatmeal) - less than 2 skeins
Needles: US6 and US8

I really enjoyed knitting this sweater. I'd definitely recommend this one for a baby in your life. The pattern was well-written, and it so quick to knit. Seaming took me a while, but then again, I am a slow seamer, so take that with a grain of salt. This was my first time working with O-Wool, and I loved it. I will definitely use it again.

With some of the leftover yarn, I decided to knit a little something to go along with the sweater. I couldn't easily approximate just how much yarn there was leftover - would it be enough for booties? Perhaps, but not seemingly. A hat? Maybe. But I decided on a little (and I mean little) pair of mittens. I mean, baby mittens - how cute!

Oatmeal - the mittens
Pattern: Mittens (Ravelry link) from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms by Louisa Harding
Yarn: Vermont Organic Fiber Company O-Wool Classic (100% certified organic merino wool) in 7100 (Oatmeal) - way less than 1 skein
Needles: US4 and US6

Not much to say about these besides the fact that they are super duper cute.

...and on a final note, speaking of babies, Julia's little guy seems almost as eager to join us as we are to meet him! J, I'm thinking about you (and the puppy pads - thanks, M). ;) Just give me the word and I'm there!

Pieces and Meal

2008-08-04T07:43:00.000-07:00

Well, Oatmeal is practically an FO. I finished seaming over the weekend- no small feat. While I am still not a "yay, I love seaming" type of gal, I must admit this was probably the best seaming job I've done thus far. That isn't to say it's phenomenal, but - let's put it this way - it doesn't totally suck. Which, in the end, is all I can really ask of myself at this point. The assembled Oatmeal had a bath yesterday and is now blocking. I had some leftover yarn, so I decided to really milk this East Coast baby thing and knit a pair of mittens to go with it.

Only four pieces, but man was there a lot of seaming.

I cooked another ginormous batch of veggies yesterday. (Note to self: we really need to acquire an outdoor grill. It was f-ing hot in the house yesterday from all the cooking.) Lest you assume that I am a vegetarian, don't believe the hype. I ate a smorgasboard of delish food (chicken, beef, veggie, and shrimp kabobs, and mashed potato bar, among other such deliciousness) on Saturday night at my friend's birthday party. I just felt really good last week, toning it down and sticking with mostly veggies and grains that I thought I'd try for another week. Thanks, not only to that one stop at Real Food Daily over a week ago that jump-started me, but also to Alice Waters (another long-time source of culinary inspiration) and my Chez Panisse Vegetables cookbook for some of this week's ideas. Again, I have no delusions that I will keep this up, but why not ride the wave for as long as it will take me?

Lentils and rice, sauteed broccoli, sugar snap peas, and baby bok choy, roasted eggplant, zucchini, crookneck squash, mushrooms, and red onions, braised swiss chard.

I totally forgot about the asparagus and cauliflower, so I think I will roast some of that tonight to add to the mix, along with some corn on the cob. Yum! I love cooking up a big batch of food on Sunday that will last me for days- I heart leftovers!

The following has nothing to do with anything, except it looked so cute just lying in the middle of the bed, that I had to take its picture. This smushy, much licked and slobbered on, mangled, soggy, and much loved thing is Dakota's bear. He has other toys, but aside from playing catch outside, he only likes (LOVES) this one. He's very cute with, too. He holds it in his front paws and licks it, chews on it a little, but not enough to do any severe damage (although, the bear lost his stitched-on mouth long ago).

I bought a back-up bear, in anticipation of when this one dies, but so far so good! He takes a lickin' (literally) and keeps on tickin'!

And Baby Makes Three

2008-07-31T09:06:00.000-07:00

The night before I met B for the first time (nearly 14 years ago), his old friend from high school was showing me yearbook photos of the people that were going to be at the party the next night. B was the last photo he showed me and when I saw him I got chills. I won’t say that in that moment I knew I was going to marry him. But I knew that something special was going to happen. As we approach our 11th anniversary (this Sunday), I am once again reminded of how right I was that night.

I can’t imagine my life without him. He is truly my best friend. He makes me laugh, he is my shoulder to cry on, he is my anchor in times of uncertainty, and knows me to my core. I can’t even tell you how many times I have fallen in love with him over the last 14 years. It makes my heart hurt when I think about how much I love him.

And now we are about to embark on a new journey in our lives together…growing our family. For the last 10 years, this has been our family:

(Those of you with ‘licky’ dogs may recognize what has just happened here.
In fact, you can still see the culprit’s tongue sticking out of her mouth!)

But in February next year, we will add a new member! Yes, I am pregnant! Officially 12 weeks along today :-) Although it’s still kinda hard to believe there’s something growing inside of me sometimes! We are super excited, a little nervous (after all, neither of us has ever changed a poopy diaper and we have joked that we may be doing a lot of coin flipping for the job in the future), but excited none the less!

(This is my 9 week sonogram where we were able to see

the little guy's heart beating for the first time.)

I won’t be bogging you down with pregnancy details here, I’ve started a family blog for that, but I will be sharing plenty of baby projects in the coming months. I also wanted to take a moment to say that I know how fortunate we are to have been able to conceive this growing little baby. I know that for some it can be very difficult, so I wanted to acknowledge that we are not taking one moment of this pregnancy for granted. We truly understand how special and miraculous this gift is for us. So far things have been going well and I really can’t complain about any discomforts I've experienced so far, but as I mentioned to Nonnahs yesterday, this has been the slowest fastest time ever!

The Past 30 Days

2008-07-30T07:35:00.000-07:00

No, I don't plan to start doing monthly retrospectives. It's just that I'm making knitty progress, and I got through the first 30 days of my 365 days project and the latter feels like kind of a milestone. People, taking a self-portrait everyday isn't easy! After all, my everyday life is pretty mundane. On work days my routine rarely varies- during the daylight hours I am either driving to work, at work, or driving home from work. Then I'm at home for a few precious hours at night. This schedule does not make for interesting photos each day, let me tell you. Which is part of the reason I'm glad I decided to embark on this project. It has made me look at my day, or parts of my day, in a different way, and has forced me to find at least one picture-worthy moment to capture. I kind of like that. On the flip side, taking so many SPs really makes you more self-aware about how you look - for better or worse. Sometimes, I've been pleasantly surprised - other times, literally shocked (not in a good way).

Generally speaking, it's been a great learning experience, both for the reasons I've already mentioned, and also because I've been learning a little more about, and gaining more interest in, photography. I hope to improve my photography skills over the year. And, it's also been fun to play around more in Flickr. It's interesting to see everyone else's SPs in the group- one picture a day really does provide a unique glimpse into a person's life.

Recently, I've also been thinking a lot more about food and, more specifically, the food I eat. I've been trying to eat healthier for various reasons, and it seems like my friends are going through a similar thing as well. Dis and I have been having many discussions about food, and a few other friends are reading Michael Pollan books. First Lolly posted about this one, then Lori told me about how she's reading this one, and now Amiee is reading this one. I plan to order and read these soon. I'm sure they will be enlightening (to say the least).

Last week a friend was back in town visiting from New York and I met her for lunch at an organic vegan restaurant called Real Food Daily. I had driven by so many times, but that was the first time I'd eaten there. Let me tell you - yum! I got the Real Food Bargain, which included soup, corn grain bread, and this masterpiece, the Real Food Meal:

Real Food Meal: From the RFD website, "Based on the principles of macrobiotics, the ‘Real Food Meal’ is a balanced selection of foods representing the five elements of Eastern health philosophy. "

"Bargain," indeed. I had enough leftovers to last me for 2 whole other meals! And, like a gift that keeps on giving, that meal inspired me to cook up a whole mess of food on Sunday, which I've been eating for days since. My dinner on Sunday didn't rock nearly as much as the RFD meal, nor was it nearly as colorful, but I was still impressed at the variety and simple deliciousness of my creation.

Fake RFD Meal: Kale, roasted asparagus and mushrooms, rice pilaf with lentils, steamed broccoli and snow peas, black beans, roasted zucchini, yellow squash, and onions.

I doubt I can keep this up for long, because I know me and I can't stay away from fat, carbs, and meat for any extended length of time, but I will make the most of this inspiration for as long as I can sustain it, and just do the best that I can. That's all we can do, right?

And finally, thank you, Mother Earth, for helping me culminate the first 30 days of my 365 days project with an earthquake. I don't care how long I've lived in California, I will never get used to these things. Scary business! At least everyone and everything seems to be fine. But yeah, way to disrupt a day!

Positive Thoughts for Nasus

2008-07-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

For the next 3 days, please send your positive thoughts Nasus's way as she is currently sitting for the California Bar Exam...as we speak!!

We are super proud of her and even more happy that she will finally be able to relax and go on vacation soon! She has worked so hard to get here!

Three cheers for Nasus!

FO: Ruby Red

2008-07-28T07:53:00.000-07:00

I just love when I can roll out an FO. This one is special because it is for a friend/co-worker's birthday. It's a milestone b-day, but I won't disclose the number. Even though you don't know her, it doesn't feel quite right to out a gal's age, you know? ;)

Ruby Red
Pattern: Silk Purse by Veronik Avery from Knitting Classic Style
Yarn: Tilli Tomas Disco Lights (spun silk with sequins) in 179 (American Beauty) - less than one skein
Needles: US1

I had a little bit of trouble finding the right yarn for this project. I wanted silk and I wanted red, since red is the recipient's signature color. I finally saw this in a LYS and, although the sequins intimidated me somewhat (I'm not a sequins kind of girl, though this wouldn't be for me, so) I decided to try it out. And you know what? I like it! And I think my friend will like it too. She is all about accessorizing. Okay, so it would just end up being a glitzier bag than originally intended!

Modifications: Thanks to everyone who commented and made me feel okay about turning this sucker inside out, that's just what I did. (She'll never know! Shh...) The stitch pattern is just so much more defined when seen this way, and I really like the texture. I also lengthened the main section of the purse a little. This little purse actually makes me happy- sparkly little thing that it is. I hope the birthday girl likes it!

And moving on to the WIP Report section of the day's affairs...I finished all the pieces to Oatmeal. Now I just need to psyche myself up for seaming (easier said than done)! Added motivation, however, is that the recipient of this little sweater was born just last week Wednesday and he is adorable! Don't worry, Henry (ps: is this a redonkulously cute name, or what?), your sweater is almost finished!

Oh, and what's this? Yes, I started a new project. I decided that I needed an easy take-along project, one that can live in my super cute Ravelry veggie bag and travel with me at a moment's notice. And, I decided, it was high time I knit something for myself! And so, I started a pair of Tidepool Socks by my ever talented and fabulous friend, Mary-Heather Cogar.

This drool-worthy yarn is Lori Lawson's Capistrano Fiber Arts Studio Hand-Dyed superwash merino that I purchased from last year's trip to the SoCal Fiber Festival last year. I'm at a loss for words on the colorway. Love (1) doesn't even scratch the surface!

I'm calling these Pupukea, after tidepools I used to frequent as a child back home. They will always remind me of summers at the North Shore and of my friend MH. Fond memories all around.

PS: My mom's birthday was yesterday, she would have been 62. Just thinking about her (as always).

one more mosaic!

2008-07-24T05:56:00.000-07:00

I've been going back and forth about answering this meme, mainly because I was thinking: is three too many for one blog? But, then another friend of mine posted his responses and it got me inspired all over again!

So here are the rules yet again:
- Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
- Using only the first page, pick an image.
- Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

The Questions:
1. What is your first name? Jenifer
2. What is your favorite food? sushi
3. What high school did you go to? Rancho Buena Vista
4. What is your favorite color? teal
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Matt Damon
6. Favorite drink? basil martini
7. Dream vacation? deserted island
8. Favorite dessert? fresh berries
9. What you want to be when you grow up? my own boss
10. What do you love most in life? my little family
11. One Word to describe you? real
12. Your flickr name? Disentangled

(The photo credits are in the links to my answers.)

More Gift Knitting

2008-07-14T07:23:00.000-07:00

It just dawned on me that, aside from Grayscale, the Endpaper Mitts that I finished in January, I've only knit gifts this year. How crazy is that? There have just been so many people (babies!) to knit for this year. Not that I mind one bit - I love knitting for babies, and for friends. I have plenty of time to knit for myself later- for now, special occasions take precedence! I have two more on the needles as we speak.

The first is Oatmeal, a Get Ziggy sweater by annypurls. She seriously has some of the cutest patterns and has knit some of the most adorable pieces. This is for a dear friend's first baby, who is due to arrive well, anytime now! I've been friends with his mom for almost 20 years. She was the first friend that I made in college - actually, during summer orientation before freshman year. She transferred back east during our second year, but we've remained good friends all this time, mostly through handwritten cards and letters. Which I truly treasure. Anyway, given that she is due this week, I don't have any delusions of grandeur that this will be done by then, but I am flying through it, so I should be able to send it off soon enough. Oh, and in case you're wondering, I'm using O-Wool, for the first time, and I love it.

The second gift is for a friend and coworker, for an upcoming very special birthday. It's the Silk Purse from a book I absolutely love, Knitting Classic Style by Veronik Avery. And the super sparkly yarn is Disco Lights by Tilli Tomas. I'm calling this purse Ruby Red. The shades of red are impossible to photograph with any kind of integrity, but you have to take my word for it that it's gorgeous. Personally, I could do without the sequins, but I (am boring and anyway I) think it makes for quite a stunning evening purse that I think the recipient will love. Hope so, anyway!

Is it an offensive faux pas to gift something that is inside out? Because I may be doing just that. The stitch pattern is a trinity stitch, which is reversible after all, no?

"right" side out

Just with this yarn, the inside is more visually appealing to me:

"wrong" side out

Care to weigh in?

Another book meme

2008-07-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

Since my two current projects are still a little secret right now, I thought I'd take a little time to answer this book meme I saw over at Indigo Mouse:

1. One book that made you laugh: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. I think this goes without saying and his readings are hilarious as well.
2. One book that made you cry: I've cried during lots of books, so I'll just list the most recent, which was the end of The Amber Spyglass, the last in the His Dark Materials trilogy. Regardless of what you thought of The Golden Compass movie, the trilogy is wonderful!
3. One book that you loved as a child: Anne of Green Gables - I wanted to be Anne for the longest time.
4. One book you’ve read more than once: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. This is a rarity since I usually read something once and then return or give away the book. But Bilbo was such a great character! In fact, I have plans to read it again after recently finishing The Lord of the Rings trilogy for the first time.
5. One book you loved, but were embarrassed to admit it: Hmmm, I'm usually pretty good at owning up to my guilty pleasures, so I can't think of one at the moment.
6. One book you hated: Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson. This remains the only book I didn't finish in school. In fact, I faked a whole book report (and was caught at it too, I might add).
7. One book that scared you: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski - This is an amazingly crazy book that chronicles the mental breakdown of 'its author' while he edits a story about a house that is bigger on the inside than the outside...The best part? The book is printed as if you are watching the mental deterioration. If nothing else, flipping through it at the library is entertaining.
8. One book that bored you: I would have to list Kidnapped again. There was a reason I never finished it.
9. One book that made you happy: I'm going to list the His Dark Materials trilogy here again. It was such a complex story line with so many characters but it made me so happy and the character evolution over the course of the three books was very endearing.
10. One book that made you miserable: She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. Great book, but made me so angry. I was tense the entire time I read it.
11. One book that you weren’t brave enough to read: While I'm not brave enough to watch a lot of movies, I can read anything. In fact, I was quite the horror book junkie when I was in Jr. High and High School. So, I've never not read a book for lack of bravery.
12. One book character you’ve fallen in love with: Gilbert Blithe from Anne of Green Gables.
13. The last book you read: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
14. The next book you hope to read: I'm in the middle of The Constant Gardener by John Le Carre and plan to read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami next.

I'd love to see what books have affected you!

My Life in Pictures

2008-07-06T22:07:00.000-07:00

Or at least 365 days of it...or, at least 7 days of it to start with.

With an optimistic outlook, I decided to participate in the knitterly and crafty version of the 365 days project on flickr. I got the idea from Mary-Heather, then Lori and I talked about it and she started, then I started right around the same time as Ms. Lick My Sticks and Ms. Lotus Knits. It's so much fun to be jumping in "with" friends! If anyone else is interested, it's never too late!

There are many incarnations of the 365 project. The one that appealed to me the most is 365 days of self portraits. I have to be in the photo somewhere and I have to be the one taking the photo- though tripod* and self-timer assistance is allowed. I don't especially like photos of myself (does anyone?) so this will be extra challenging, also so because for the most part I feel like I lead a pretty mundane, routine life. I look forward to finding at least 365 interesting "me" shots, glimpses into my day to day life to document in photos. So far I've come up with these.

First row, left to right: 365.1 - my daily commute, 365.2 - i'm home!, 365.3 - pointy, 365.4 - so sleepy. Second row, left to right: 365.5 - a simple bow, 365.6 - sara's party, 365.7 - workin' on the invites, and a bonus: NOT a fan of fireworks.

re: the bonus pic...(I'm not sure how well you can see it, but that dark mass is the backside of Dakota, sticking out from behind B.) Our next door neighbor's kids lit fireworks all day on Friday, some alarmingly close to our house. Poor Doogles. He was so scared, more so than usual. He was literally trembling, trying to find the smallest possible space to crawl into. This is where he seemed the most "comfortable," although I use that term very loosely. *sigh* Poor guy.

Sorry for the bad quality. Over the next 365 days the plan is to develop and improve my photography skills, to include among other things, indoor/flash situations. Hmm, maybe if I get really good, I can justify an SLR! :) Anyway, it should be interesting, and I've definitely been enjoying it so far. Wish me luck sticking with it...365 days, after all, is a long time!

* Many thanks to MH for not only inspiring me to give this a whirl, but also for leading me to a most excellent gadget, my new gorillapod! I love this thing!

FOs: Snailstace and A Soaker

2008-07-02T07:26:00.000-07:00

It's no secret, I love knitting for babies. What has been kept secret until now (post-baby shower) are these two projects, knit especially for Julia and her baby. Now that they have been gifted, I am free to share them here! And so, it is my honor to first introduce you to Snailstace:

Pattern: Garden Snail by the incredibly talented Hansi Singh of Hansigurumi
Yarn: Cascade 220 (100% Peruvian Highland Wool) in 9455 (Turquoise Heather), 2452 (Turtle), 7826 (California Poppy), 7822 (Vandyke Brown) - far less than one skein each
Needles: US5

Where do I start? I LOVE this pattern. This was the first of Hansi's patterns that I've knit, but mark my words- it won't be the last. Her designs are so creative and amazing- I had a difficult time choosing which of her lovely creatures to knit for this special occasion, but for some reason the snail just spoke to me. (Not literally, but almost!) I just had a feeling Julia would like him.

Anyway, I can't say enough about this pattern. Honestly. The way it was constructed- I wasn't sure what I was knitting at times, unsure of how it would come together, but I trusted and what do you know- it eventually morphed into a snail! I could gush for days. This was so much fun! I love this little guy. And I hope Julia's little guy will love him, too!

The other knitted gift (which ended up coordinating very well with Mr. Snailstace) is a soaker. Julia had mentioned her plan to use cloth diapers on the baby, so I immediately thought to knit a soaker.

Pattern: Curly Purly Soaker Pattern by Marnie Ann Joyce
Yarn: Cascade 220 (100% Peruvian Highland Wool) in 7822 (Vandyke Brown) - less than 1 skein
Needles: US4, US6, and US8

This is a great pattern. As evidenced by the myriad of Curly Purly FOs on Ravelry. And for good reason. It's easy to follow, quick to knit, and well, the cuteness is undeniable. Now, I am not too up on how the whole cloth diaper thing works (yet - I plan to have Julia teach me), but I do know that wool soakers are useful for this kind of diapering regimen. Interestingly, there really seems to be a trend back toward using cloth diapers these days, which appeals to me in theory, at least from an eco-minded point-of-view. I'm not sure if I could do it, but again, I hope to learn the ins and outs from Julia and see what this is all about. It would be pretty cool to have fun soakers, in any case. ;)

I'm glad I had a reason to knit one of these! Julia is my first friend to try cloth diapers, so I snagged my chance to knit one. Hopefully there will be other opportunities in the future. :)

Shower the people you love with love

2008-06-30T17:29:00.000-07:00

So, this past Saturday was just one of those truly wonderful days. Any day I get to spend with the girls is fabulous and memorable, but this day was even more special, as we gathered for Julia's baby shower! Thanks to Ellen for bringing us all together!

photo: Marnie MacLean

I must say- I have never seen such a parade of adorable hand-crafted items in my life. From Ellen's beautiful quilt to Mary-Heather's February sweater, mobile and sleep sack to Kat's blanket to Mames' washcloth, blocks and bibs to Loriz's handspun & knitted vest to Marnie's Alsace le Monstre...not to mention all the other ridiculously cute gifts bestowed that day. Suffice it to say- the "oohing" and "aahing" was in full force! The talent of these women astounds me!

photo: Marnie MacLean

Thanks to everyone who took good photos, some of which I'm borrowing here. (Thanks again, Marnie and Mames!) You can see more photos of the day and of these women's awesome projects on their blogs. (You might even catch a glimpse of one of the gifts I added to the mix!) As for my (formerly top-secret) projects, those will come in my next post. :)

photo: Marnie MacLean

All in all, a fabulous day. No shower games, just lots of crafy goodness and being surrounded by a bunch of warm, funny, and super talented women. I am truly grateful for these friends. Love you ladies!

PS: Here's a photo of me posing with one of the stars of the day, Marnie's creation, Monsieur Alsace le Monstre. As you can see, he stole my heart. Then again, how could he not?

photo: Amiee Yates

Meme II

2008-06-29T18:03:00.001-07:00

Meme
Originally uploaded by sushi1026

Yikes, after two attempts...

1. What is your first name? Susan
2. What is your favorite food? sushi
3. What high school did you go to? Esperanza
4. What is your favorite color? ruby red
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Keith Urban
6. Favorite drink? water
7. Dream vacation? New Zealand
8. Favorite dessert? Japanese parfaits
9. What you want to be when you grow up? full-time world traveler
10. What do you love most in life? sharing happy and beautiful moments with people I love
11. One Word to describe you? Fearless (or so I keep reminding myself)
12. Your flickr name? Nasus (POL...fond memories...sigh)

I've Been Knitting, I Swear!

2008-06-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

You may or may not believe me at this point, but I assure you I'm telling the truth. And I'll have the photographic evidence to prove it shortly. In the meantime...

You have, no doubt, been seeing the mosaic meme all across blogland. I've enjoyed being a spectator - it's so interesting to see into people through visual images - and now I become a participant. If you haven't jumped on this bandwagon yet and want to give it a try, here's what you do:

- Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
- Using only the first page, pick an image.
- Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

et voila!
The Questions:
1. What is your first name? Shannon
2. What is your favorite food? (garlic) roasted crab
3. What high school did you go to? Leilehua
4. What is your favorite color? green
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Clooney
6. Favorite drink? margarita on the rocks
7. Dream vacation? Santorini
8. Favorite dessert? hot fudge sundae
9. What you want to be when you grow up? self-employed
10. What do you love most in life? family and friends
11. One Word to describe you? work-in-progress (ok, so I cheated a little)
12. Your flickr name? Nonnahs*

photo credits:
1. On the River Shannon, 2. Roast Crab, Thanh Long, San Francisco, 3. sunset at leilehua high school, 4. Green apple, 5. George Clooney, 6. Happy Cinco de Mayo!, 7. Santorini - Σαντορίνη, 8. extreme sundae, 9. Stairway to Heaven, 10. Peace Love Happiness Friends 63/365, 11. 365 / 212 - 320 pieces of Felt, 12. Nonnahs

40th Anniversary Slippers

2008-06-24T05:55:00.000-07:00

This year marked my parents' 40th wedding anniversary. In anticipation of this (as well as the surrounding holidays of Mother's Day, Father's Day and my mom's birthday), I decided a joint gift was in order. Now to put my choice of slippers into perspective, I thought a little back story is in order.

When I first learned to knit, my entire family received a scarf and a pair of booties for Christmas that year. The booties I re-engineered from a pattern that my friend's grandma would crank out for their family (of which I was also the recipient of the abundance of booties). I made these out of Lion Brand Homespun. Now, the obvious problem was that they instantly grew and flopped around as soon as you wore them for more than about 10 minutes and it was really only a matter of time before the holes started showing up. Consequently, they were largely abandoned by myself and my family members...except my Dad. He babied his pair. He even had me add a tie to the ankle to help keep them on and would routinely, over the course of the next few years, provide ideas about ways they could be armored to lengthen their lifespan. What he needed was a pair of felted clogs.

By looking at yardage requirements, I discovered that if I used Cascade 220 and flip-flopped the color combinations of their slippers, I could cut the amount of yarn I needed to buy by about a 1/3. I ended up picking out 9428 (sage) and 9426 (forest green). By the time the knitting was done, I used about 2.6 hanks of each color. One thing that was interesting, is that the dye for the forest green yarn didn't seem to be set very well and I ended up with green fingers every time I knit with it. (It also stained my Denise Needles.) I had never heard of anyone having trouble with the color-fastness of 220 and I don't have particularly sweaty hands, so who knows!

Now given that these are certainly far from a seldom-made knitting pattern, I'll spare too many details, since you've all probably made them already anyway. But I will say that the pattern is awesome, completely insane and wonderful all at the same time. How she thought up this pattern is beyond me! In fact, I still don't think my Dad understands that I knit them the good 'ol way. He thought that they must have been from some kind of kit because he said "they're constructed!" Hee, hee.

Now the knitting did take me awhile because I haven't been able to knit all that much lately, so I had to space them out, but when I did work on them, they flew off the needles. The most annoying part of this process was attaching the soles. That just sucked. But I knew it was worth it and something my parents would both appreciate given the large quantity of tile in their house.

So all in all this process was a success and they both really liked their slippers...and of course B wants a pair now too!