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Monday, May 11, 2009
2 Nights Down, 5 to GoSaturday was S' birthday. He celebrated by getting on a plane to Kazakhstan for a week-long business trip. Sunday was Mother's Day. I celebrated by cleaning up baby poo. See, Baby A has recently discovered how to roll over from her back to her tummy. So when I put her dirty little butt on the nice waterproof pad on top of her crib sheet so I could run the bath for her, I really shouldn't have expected her to stay put. But in the 5 minutes it took for me to prepare the bath, I returned to find her poopy little butt had rolled over right OFF of the nice waterproof pad, her leg was stuck through the crib slats, and she was grinning at me. Oh, and she peed on the sheet for good measure.It's ok, though - S got me a massage for Mother's Day, and my mom is coming to Baby A-sit on Wednesday to give me a chance to get pampered for an hour. But I'm still counting down the days until S comes home! In knitting news, I'm apparently really bad at taking pictures, because I've since finished the first Bex sock and am well on my way with the second. Again, like the Rick socks (also from Cookie A's book), I'm not thrilled with the way these fit - a little loose around the ankles. I deliberately shortened the leg by a couple of inches, though, and I think the socks are stiff enough with all of the cabling so they won't slouch down. Regardless, these are really interesting to knit, so I'm not really concerned. I hope I'll finish the second one before the yarn arrives from Shetland for my dad's 2009 fair isle vest!  In Baby A news, we've discovered the best baby toy EVER - a $3 mylar balloon (don't use the latex ones in case they pop... big scary noise and chokeable pieces of latex everywhere). Lately, we've been standing next to it and hitting it, but you can also tie it loosely to baby's leg... baby sees the balloon, gets excited, and kicks... making the balloon move... making baby excited so she kicks... making the balloon move... ah, great fun.  And know what else is great fun? Sitting like a big girl and playing with the stacking rings. 
0 comments || # Thursday, April 23, 2009 Knitting? KNITTING!Thanks to Baby A's habit of cluster-feeding for literally hours at a time, I'm managing to get some knitting done. Specifically, the Rick socks in koigu kpppm. I loved knitting these (even though they were top-down!) and I wore them yesterday. Actually, they aren't my favorite socks to wear - they are a little big around the ankles so they slouch a little bit. It does appear, however, that they don't slouch down into my shoes, so I'm happy. Plus, the fact that I have a pair of socks is a bonus - I just knit these for the entertainment value! The color in the first picture is a little more true, but Abby couldn't resist a chance to help me model them:  What next? I just placed the order for the yarn for my dad's 2009 christmas fair isle vest, but that won't arrive for a bit (seeing as it's coming from Shetland!), so I've cast on for the Bex socks. I'm still a little skeptical about how they'll fit, but I'm only 6 rows into them, so I can't really judge yet. So that takes care of the knitting. How's Baby A doing? She's learning lots of important lessons from Daddy...  ... getting all dressed up for Easter Sunday...  ... and having a blast in her exersaucer. 0 comments || # Tuesday, April 14, 2009 Where Does the Time Go?I have, indeed, been knitting... but only because Baby A has taken to cluster feeding for several hours each evening. On the one hand, being pinned down on the couch from 6ish-9ish is rather frustrating, and I'm rather tired of eating dinner off of a plate balanced above a nursing baby. On the other hand, she usually makes it until 6 or 7 am ... that's right, SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!! So in the end, I think the marathon of nursing in the evening is totally worth it!That's right - knitting... I finished the socks for my neighbor, who promptly went on vacation just before I delivered them. SIGH. She came back yesterday, though, so hopefully I'll run into her soon. These are the Fancy Silk Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks, and they were an entertaining knit. In hindsight, I should have cast on more loosely, but I think they will work. The yarn is some superwash Blue Faced Leicester I originally dyed for S.  After the successful sock knitting adventure, I was at loose ends, as it were... I didn't want to cast on for a big project, because I just didn't have the energy for all of the planning. In fact, I need to get off my butt and start crunching the numbers and ordering the yarn for my dad's 2009 Christmas Fair Isle Vest. Plus, S had treated me to a new sock pattern book that hadn't arrived yet. What to knit? Bibs, of course!!   Cricket must have been forewarned by her friends... as soon as the bibs came off of the needles, she was nowhere to be found. Luckily, for a chicken strip, Abby is up for any modeling gig! The only change I made to these bibs was to sew velcro on the straps instead of using a button. I find it's a little easier to adjust the fit and to get the bib on a squirming baby with the velcro. And it was perfect timing - as soon as the bibs were off the needles, my new book arrived, and I cast on the Rick socks from Cookie A's book. So far, I am loving these. Challenging without being too difficult, and really interesting. I've also been sewing - Baby A outgrew her sleep sacks, and I really didn't want to fork over the $$ for new ones. 2 yards of fleece, 2 zippers, and a lot of "sewing by the seat of your pants" resulted in 2 perfectly functional (and MUCH larger) sleep sacks.  And Baby A herself? She is growing like a weed, and is so much more interactive each day. Here she is helping her Daddy install a new doorknob...  ... helping Mommy eat Easter Brunch at Grandma and Grandpa's house...  ... showing off her new Easter Bunny from her Oma and Opa...  ... and helping Abby train for the synchronized sleeping event by subbing in for Cricket. Abby seems pleased with how well she's doing (for a beginner!) 
0 comments || # Tuesday, February 17, 2009 Whew!!Good grief - I started this post on Friday. And it's not even that impressive. SIGH.Actually, the only reason I was able to start a post at all was because of my new Valentine... meet Mr. Swingy. I LOVE Mr. Swingy. Mr. Swingy has enabled me to do such amazing things as use the bathroom, eat breakfast, and even knit sometimes! We had put off buying a swing until we had a sense of whether Baby A would use one... but after a few nights of Dad serving as the human swing, we decided it was worth the $$. I was all set to order one online, but S suggested we swing by Target just in case they had one in stock (saving himself a few nights of sore arms!) So we did, and there was Mr. Swingy... on clearance for 75% off. It was meant to be.  Thanks to Mr. Swingy, I was finally able to finish the second pair of socks for S (baby included for scale). I am so tired of knitting socks that I absolutely had to take a break, even though S still needs several more pairs to refill his sock drawer.  So I've started a sweater. It's a Cobblestone (IK Fall 2007) for S, knit out of some blue faced leicester that I dyed at least 3 times until I finally got a color that I liked. I hope it turns out well - I'm about halfway done with the first sleeve, and so far S still likes the way it looks!  Labels: Baby, Cobblestone, Socks 0 comments || # Friday, January 23, 2009 Knitting!I feel GREAT this morning because Baby A finally decided to break the "only sleep for an hour at a time" habit of the last few days and slept for a bit over 2 hours at a stretch this morning... it's amazing what a little bit of sleep will do for a person! The last time she slept that long at a stretch was on Wednesday, when I took her to Knit Happens and she passed out for a good long stretch. So Holly... any night you want to come over and hang out with Baby A and do your "baby whisperer" thing, you just let me know.I'm trying to ride the energy wave and upload some photos... of course, it's snacky-time for Baby A again, so my productivity is limited to tasks that can be done from the rocking chair. Luckily, uploading photos and updating the blog are such tasks. And look - I finished a pair of socks for S! I dyed the yarn in early December, and had finished the first sock waiting for Baby A. I cast on for the second in the hospital, and many hours of nursing later, there's another sock! And just in time - S wore out another pair of handknit socks last week. His sock drawer is practically empty!  And in other Baby A developments... look! Holding up her head!  So let's all hope for some more sleepy-time today, because I have a couple of sewing projects I've been desperately trying to work on for DAYS, and I'd love to take a nap. 0 comments || # Thursday, December 18, 2008 Riding the Nesting WaveEveryone send "Little Monster Eviction" vibes this way... I'm trying to convince it that a birthday BEFORE Christmas is so much better than a birthday AFTER Christmas. The wonderful folks at Knit Happens all made very encouraging noises last night, complete with testimony about people who have birthdays on either side of the holidays. So, Little Monster, any time now!!In the meantime, I'm just continuing to "get things done" thanks to the wonderful world of nesting. I finally dug out my "mending basket" and sewed up everything in it - many of the items had been languishing for well over a year! Poor Shawn - he had almost forgotten he owned the shirt and sweater that had been hanging out in the basket. In the process, I found a pair of socks I finished about a year ago...  ... another pair of socks I finished months ago, but didn't bother to weave in the ends...  ... a lovely feather-and-fan scarf knit out of the most amazing handspun from Carolina that I wore all day yesterday, even though I was kinda hot and had to change into a t-shirt...  ... and a pair of socks that I knit SEVERAL years ago, and then overdyed with kool-aid. I'm toying with overdying these so they're not quite as, ummm, bright, but then again... I'm not sure I care!  So after that whirlwind of productivity, I sewed the last crib sheets and the final little sleeper sack... today or tomorrow I'll finish the sewing by whipping up a few pairs of little pants for the monster, and then I'll put away the sewing machine in preparation for the arrival of the in laws, who apparently need to sleep somewhere, and don't really want to have to step over all of the crafting supplies I've got in the basement!  Oh, and while I was at it, I took a picture of S' fingerless mitts. I swear I ended up knititng these about 15 times to get the fit right, but what's the point of custom-knitting something if you don't get it right? And yes, they are Cormo... but less than half a skein. I didn't go crazy and knit him a Cormo sweater or anything!  Today I'd like to bake cookies, finish up my thank you notes, and get my weekly doctor's appointment out of the way. I'd also love to keep updating my Ravelry projects (lots of old projects to add), go through photos, and all sorts of other stuff... so hear that, Little Monster? I have PLANS! Your arrival will mess up those PLANS! So it would be INCONVENIENT for you to come now! (I'm totally not above using reverse psychology on my unborn child). 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 || # Saturday, April 19, 2008 A Day for FinishingOn Thursday, I took the day off to recover from the high-stress work environment I've been dealing with for the past few weeks. It turned into a day of endings and beginnings.While watching the last in a long series of shows, I finally finished the "metro socks" that I've been working on seemingly forever. I'm going to send these to my mother-in-law as a late birthday present... I'm not sure they'll fit, so they might be coming back if I guessed wrong on the foot size.  After finishing up a few other chores, I spent much of the late afternoon sitting on the back patio, listening to All Things Considered, and knitting on my new sock. I did, of course, have company on such a stunningly beautiful spring afternoon... Cricket decided to inspect our garden turtle... found at Ross for a few dollars, he's totally my favorite part of our new landscaping projects.  The finches stopped by for a little snack...  ... and Abby, worn out from all of the abuse heaped upon her at Knit Happens on Wednesday night*, collapsed in the grass.  * Wednesday night was tough on Abby - I dragged her to the knitting store and then everyone force-fed her baby carrots while telling her she was cute. Some people even gave her scratches and pets. Poor doggy! I took advantage of the beautiful spring flowers to stage some artistic shots of the new socks... the heel:  ... and then the heel, a few minutes later, after I had realized that they were going to be too small and needed to be re-knit slightly larger. For the record, that would be 56 stitches.  I've made quite a bit more progress since then - these are the Heel-less Sleeping Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks, and I realized that, as well as making these toe-up instead of top-down, I could also knit them inside out. That way, the stitch pattern is k3p1 rather than p3k1. And since I knit faster than I purl... speedy!  Labels: Socks 0 comments || # Thursday, April 17, 2008 Knitting? Really?Hopefully both horrible projects at work are finally done for awhile. I'm taking today off as a recovery day - I needed a day where I just DID NOT WORK. It's supposed to be a beautiful day, and I'm going to enjoy each and every minute. I may even manage to get some knitting done!Speaking of knitting, I've been chugging away on my sheepie squares...  14 ends.  32 ends. I've finished 4 of the center squares, and have woven in 96 ends so far. I'm not really sure why I'm keeping track of the ends - but I guess I'm always curious when I do intarsia (shudder)... so this way I'll know when the blanket is all finished! I'm forcing myself to weave in as I go along because I know I could never face all of the squares at once. I'm hoping to finish up a pair of socks today, so I'll be able to start on a new pair... I've been carrying around these same socks for what seems like months (and probably is!), so I'm anxious to have a new metro project. I've picked out some beautiful, spring-colored koigu, destined to be another pair of heel-less sleeping socks for my mother-in-law. After I wound the yarn this morning, Abby helpfully assisted with the photography!  mmmmmmmmmmmmmm - koigu!  Labels: Sheepie Blanket, Socks 0 comments || # Wednesday, December 26, 2007 Still Here!!Blogging has been a casualty of my current overwhelmed mood - it's reminding me strongly of that first winter break of law school - when I couldn't quite believe that a semester was over, and I couldn't quite imagine how I was going to make it through 2.5 more years. But it got better, and I made it... and I will make it through this adjustment to the new job, to my new life as a married lady, to the purchase of our first home, and to everything else life throws our way! Speaking of, S' step-dad had a heart attack on Christmas Eve, so everyone think good thoughts - he's doing well and should make a full recovery, but he's still in the hospital.Luckily, I've been able to knit occasionally, even if I hardly ever make it to Knit Happens to hang out with my girls. But see? Finished socks!  And clean laundry! Or a kitty bed. Or S' lesson in what happens when you aren't prompt about putting away your clean clothes!  Abby, meanwhile, continues to be a team player by helping us recycle the bone from the pork shoulder we made last weekend.  And yesterday, we tried to teach her how to open presents by wrapping up a treat for her to open on Christmas morning - she wasn't tremendously entertained by the extra steps required to enjoy her yummy!  Meanwhile, Henry came over for some Christmas fun and was well-received, so successful vest yet again! Plus, my dad resisted the urge to behead his subjects throughout the day.  Abby also helped alert us to the great danger of smoked salmon on the kitchen counter. She offered to help neutralize the threat, but apparently my parents thought the smoked salmon would be better off utilized in the breakfast omelettes.  And last but not least - there may have been some dyeing of the recycled cashmere, and there may have been some swatching for the Union Square Market Pullover. {innocent whistling}.  Labels: Henry VIII, Socks, Union Square Market Pullover 0 comments || # |
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