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Wednesday, September 09, 2009
I'd Like A Sick Day, Please!It has been SO much fun chez-Musings these last few days thanks to our lovely littleBut there has been knitting. Mostly finishing, as I want to finally clear the decks and get out from under some long-unfinished projects. So first, I finished Dad's 2009 Vest. It still needs a blocking, but all knitting and finishing is done!   I also finally finished sewing up my long-neglected Union Square Market Pullover. I was really close to finishing it 2 years ago, but then it started getting warm and I knew I wouldn't be wearing a cashmere sweater in the spring. Then last year I was pregnant, so knew I wouldn't fit into anything I had knit. My hope is that I can finally wear it this winter!  The yarn is recycled cashmere that I dyed brown and lime green. I haven't decided what to do with the neckline yet - maybe I'll just leave it loose! And finally, I'm finishing Wild Apple. I'm mostly finished with the knitting - I have to decide what to do with the cuffs and the hemline, so I'm sewing it up for a try-on and I'll make my decision then. I'm leaning towards hems rather than ribbing, but I'm not sure. I might do a small colorwork motif on the wrists.  And on deck? A plain, raglan pullover in stockinette out of yarn I thought I wanted to give away. Nope, I can't explain it either!  And Baby A? She's now mobile (when she wants to be). She still prefers standing to crawling, so may not ever be a very accomplished crawler. But she doesn't stay where you put her anymore, leading to fun times with drawers...  ... and a lot more exercise for poor Abby.  Labels: Baby, Dad's Vest, Union Square Market Pullover 0 comments || # Friday, July 10, 2009 In Bed at 7:30????Baby A does not, as a rule, have a "bedtime." Mommy and Daddy have a funny idea that there is a "bedtime," but Baby A decides when she'll fall asleep, and absolutely nothing Mommy or Daddy can do will change that. Mostly it's 9:30ish, which sucks. Sometimes I hit the lottery, like tonight (fingers crossed), and she goes to sleep at 7:30, giving me time to do things like update the blog, or knit, or watch a movie...In reality, I should continue taping up the basement in preparation for painting tomorrow, but that sucks, so I'll avoid it. Instead, I'll show you pictures of my dad's 2009 vest:  It's based on AS's "Erin Cardigan" from Celtic Collection, except that I more or less changed the colors all around. I was trying to make them a bit more masculine, and I was also using Jamieson & Smith Shetland instead of whatever crazy yarns she called for. I'm not minding this one, but I think next year I'll go back to a more traditional fair isle pattern in blues and greens - I'm a little tired of the extra long floats in this one!  Right, so that's the knitting out of the way. I guess I should explain that even though I'm failing at establishing a strict bedtime, I'm definitely running a tight ship in other ways! Baby A has to follow a strict exercise regimine:  ... she has to study VERY important subjects ("Tails are Not for Pulling" is a core coursebook)...  ... and, if she has done ALL of her chores, she is sometimes allowed to relax for a few minutes!  Labels: Baby, Dad's Vest 0 comments || # Sunday, June 21, 2009 Leaving TomorrowIt's hard to believe that the trip to Minnesota is almost over - good thing S gave me his "lovely" cold so I could "enjoy" every last minute! But before my nose plugged up and my sinuses started throbbing, we had a lovely couple of cruises on the boat... ... and S caught quite possibly the biggest fish EVER. See? HUGE!!!  Baby A decided it was worth all of the driving to bring Abby with us... she loves her doggy!  But no one gets a free ride around here. If Baby A wants to stay in this family, she has to pull her weight in the knitting-modeling department. Here she is showing my progress on my dad's 2009 vest:  And here's a close-up. It'll eventually be the Erin cardigan (well, the charts anyway) from Celtic Collection, with quite a few color modifications.  Labels: Baby, Dad's Vest 0 comments || # Friday, December 12, 2008 Counting DownSo as of yesterday, I'm 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. Hopefully this means the Little Monster is preparing for a timely entrance, because being 38 weeks pregnant is not at the top of my "most fun things ever" list! I'm currently fantasizing about some sort of spring-powered bed that will allow me to get up without looking remarkably like a large sea lion attempting to maneuver across land.But at least, regardless of the Little Monster's timing, I've finished the 2008 Edition of Dad's Vest!!!  Ok, so technically it's not quite blocked. But in my defense, I was going to block it yesterday... but the weather was so nasty (low 40s and driving rain ALL DAY) that even Abby didn't want to go outside! And since the blocking board is in the shed, I decided it could wait. Cricket concurred that the idea of "going outside" is entirely overrated, especially when there is a heat vent available!  I also whipped up a Little Monster hat... I was at Target stocking up the nursery with onesies and so forth when I thought to myself, "that sucks that they don't have any cute baby hats!" DUH! Sometimes pregnancy brain can be stunning in its stupidity. I'm a KNITTER. Why would I buy a hat?  Truthfully, though, I've been spending more time with the sewing machine than with the needles. I whipped up a super-cozy flannel and fleece blanket... it's 2 layers, so the flannel is paired with a layer of fleece on the back and vice-versa. It's very warm and cozy, and I'm hoping it'll come in handy for car rides and other outside times! I also made a ring-sling, and even practiced a bit with a big bag of rice as the "baby"... I think I'll get the hang of it! I still have to sew another crib sheet, another sleep sack, and a couple of pairs of baby pants... and then I think that's all I thought of. But the fabric store is right up the street, so no promises that I won't pick up more fabric!  And finally, I've been trying to finish the tree-decorating. I have one more round that I'll hopefully finish tonight, and then we'll be done! As you can see, I get a LOT of help from my crack team of tree decorators...  Abby also moonlights as a "cookie decoration supervisor." Apparently, she thinks I'm incapable of glazing sugar cookies by myself!  I guess she does have a point - that huge tummy keeps me from getting as close to the counter as I'd like!  I glazed cookies with red and green glazes for Christmas. S got his hands on teh food coloring and made his own "special" color...  Somehow, he thought that the addition of sprinkles would improve his "oil spill man" cookie...  Luckily, though, it still tasted good. And yes, he WAS that little kid who always ended up with the brown easter eggs because he dipped them into way too many colors... Labels: Baby, Dad's Vest 0 comments || # Saturday, June 21, 2008 Living for the WeekendsI've survived my first week of "oh my god I've got to step it up enough to avoid getting fired" at work, and I think it went ok. Not spectacular, but given the physical demands my body is facing from the little one, I'm just not capable of spectacular right now (and perhaps would never have been regardless!) But I think I'm doing enough to extend my employment until October (to make it a full year), or even Thanksgiving (when I was planning to start my maternity leave). We'll see how the next weeks shape up. Right now, I'm already counting down the days until next weekend.Speaking of weekends, a few weekends ago, it was really hot here in DC. Really REALLY hot - heat index about 110 hot - so hot that neither fuzzle would spend more than a few minutes outside. Coincidentally, both discovered the box fan we've set up in front of one of the air conditioning vents.   Luckily, the last few weekends have been much more mild, resulting in lots of outside time for both Abby and Cricket. This has been especially key as I very much need their combined squirrel-repelling skills. In past years, my attempts to grow tomatoes have been repeatedly foiled by squirrels who make it a point to munch on each and every little green tomato I grow. This year, thanks to the vigilance of the fuzzles, everything seems to be going well...  Another reason to look forward to the weekends is our trip to the local farmer's market - it has turned into a lovely tradition. A sampling of my haul from last Saturday -  MMMMMMMMMMMM. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to be able to look out on the back porch and see this for breakfast:  Oh yeah - I suppose there has been some knitting. In an effort to kick-start my knitting mojo (which has been sadly lacking these last few months), I let myself cast on for a pretty, shiny, new project... Dad's 2008 fair isle vest. Yummy. I predict I'll chug right along on this one, despite my questionable decision to knit a shetland wool vest during the very hot, very sticky summer months. But right now, fair isle is exactly what I needed!  I also needed some time this weekend to relax with the family - we took a short field trip to a local park and gave Abby a chance to pee on completely new and different trees. Happy doggy!  Since it was a little bit hot, Abby had to employ her "carrying assistant" to give her a ride back to the car (well, almost back to the car - she saw a squirrel and miraculously was able to run after it).  Hopefully this week will somehow fly by, and it'll be Friday evening before I know it! Labels: Dad's Vest, garden 0 comments || # Monday, June 02, 2008 A Long-Overdue UpdateWow.... I think I only managed three posts in May. Hopefully things will get back on track soon - the main problem, as usual these last 8 months, is my job. The hours have eased up, but I still just fundamentally don't like it, and I've found that my negative attitude is infecting other parts of my life. I'm fighting this as much as possible, but sometimes it's tough to shake off the bad mood that starts when I get out of bed on a weekday. This past weekend, I headed off to the beach in Florida for what should have been a wonderful summer associate retreat... and it was lovely, but it was really hard to overcome my "anti-work" feelings enough to relax and have a good time. I couldn't help but think to myself that, by the time these summer associates start in Fall, 2009, I will be long gone from big law. In fact, my current goal is to be on my way out starting December 1, 2008. So far, things are right on track to make that realistic. So only six more months to go!Of course, it's not just my attitude that interferes with posting. Sometimes, certain members of the family decide that there are more important things to do instead of sitting in front of the computer. For example, perhaps a snuggle or two are in order?  I just wish Cricket weren't so subtle about getting my attention! We made it camping a few weeks ago, and Abby proved that, if you look cute enough, S will pick you up and carry you. S apparently calls this a "puppy walk." I tried to point out that he seems to be a little confused about the "walk" part, but apparently Abby always gets what she wants!  I took advantage of the slightly-slower doggy walking pace to snap a few pictures of spring finally arriving in the Shenandoah mountains:   Abby enjoyed the beautiful weather with a nice nap in the sunny spot in front of the tent. I just wish I could have this view out of my front door all the time!  Once we got home, however, Abby proved why she was decidedly NOT underweight after being on her own with a broken leg AND with puppies to feed. She's killed two more possums, and this morning she chased a bird across the street, leaped over a bush, and killed it too. She's definitely able to feed herself just fine should we somehow forget her extra-fancy gourmet doggy food! Oh, and there's KNITTING! I know, shocking. But really - I've been plugging away.... First up - an almost finished baby kimono! I just bought the ribbons for the closures last night, so it's not completely done - but the baby shower isn't until Saturday, so I should be ok.  And another pair of plain socks - socks that rock in pink granite, for me. I'm about 4 rows away from finishing, so I haven't bothered to take it with me on various metro trips etc... because I know I'll finish in about 10 minutes. Consequently, these have sat around for about a month waiting for me to spend those last 10 minutes finishing them. SIGH.  I dug out Wild Apple again for my metro knitting - I decided to just bite the bullet and plow through the stockinette sections so I can perhaps finish this in the next five years! I've done the back, a sleeve, and am almost done with the second sleeve. I haven't decided about whether to put in ribbing or a hem, so I've left all the bottom edges on waste yarn to decide later. I'm predicting that this will sit in a bag with the Union Square Market Pullover waiting for me to get a wild "seaming urge," which will probably never happen. Maybe I'll force myself to finish these up after the job bites the dust!  And lest you think I'm neglecting the Sheepie Blanket (which I have been, but no matter!), here's the fifth square I've completed -  12 ends. I may also have started swatching for my dad's 2008 vest. I'm really digging the muted colors, but next year's might have to be a riot of reds and golds.  So I should have no problem refraining from buying yarn in the next few months - here's a list of projects either in progress (and not just waiting for finishing!) or on deck, and for which I have yarn:
Whew! Maybe if I were to update more often, the entries wouldn't be such novels! One can always dream, I guess... Labels: Baby Gifts, Camping, Dad's Vest, Sheepie Blanket, Socks, Wild Apple 0 comments || # Thursday, March 20, 2008 Welcome, Spring!!Ok, so the weather today isn't exactly screaming spring, and I'm wearing a sweater. But the calendar says "Spring Begins," so WOOT!!!And what better way to begin Spring than with my annual shipment of Shetland for the 2008 version of Dad's Christmas Vest! I really only ordered 17 balls, but went through my stash of shetland leftover from past projects in case I decide to get creative and switch out some of the colors. I'm so excited! I think I probably will hold off starting until the summer, but who knows... all that shetland will be hard to resist!    mmmmmmmmmmmmm sheepie goodness! Abby, needless to say, was neither impressed by the yarn nor by the arrival of Spring. I took this picture last weekend, and Abby is not only on S' pillow, but she's all wet from her walk in the rain! It's a good thing that (1) she was on S' pillow, and not mine, and (2) it was change-the-sheet day anyway, so these were headed straight to the laundry!  Labels: Dad's Vest 0 comments || # Wednesday, May 23, 2007 Whew!!!It has been quite the week(s). Good news is that I'm almost done with the furniture refinishing, my roommate has moved out (boo!), and S is moving in (yeah!). But that has meant lots of time with various types of organizational/cleaning/relocation tasks, and not so much time knitting.Which is a shame, considering that this came in the mail last week:  It's the shetland yarn for Dad's 2007 Vest, and I am SO excited... Speaking of excited, I was lucky enough to get to visit with Lola last week at Knit Happens - she was either trying to walk herself, or just chewing on her leash. Either way, AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!  I've also been working really hard on my Indigo Ripples Skirt... I've actually finished the knitting and I've washed it a few times... now I need to take a few hours and have a finishing party! Maybe tomorrow?  Last weekend was my graduation weekend, so I spent a lot of time Chez-Parents... Abby helped.  Apparently she did a good job, because they gave me a diploma and everything!  After graduation, I watched my roomie of the last 3 years drive away (sniffle sniffle), and S and I got to work on transforming the apartment...  That, my friends, is a ridiculous kitty-tower. I got it on ebay for about $50... which is 1/2 of the price it was selling for other places! S thought that Cricket needed a kitty tower so she wouldn't feel so left out once we moved all of Abby's stuff over... Cricket, of course, preferred the box in which the kitty tower came...  ... but with a little coaxing, she gave the new (and completely ridiculous) tower a try...   She's slept in it multiple times since we set it up, so I think it's a success. In less successful news, remember all of that shetland? I got this far along with the 2007 Vest, and decided that the bright yellow just had to go.  I dove into my shetland stash and came up with this mushroom-y color... I think I'll have enough to substitute for the yellow, and it looks SO much better! Oh, did I not mention the 2007 Vest design? Here's a hint...  Labels: Dad's Vest, Denim Skirt 0 comments || # |
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