If It's Fiber...

2008-09-30T14:10:00.002-04:00

vintage puppy embroidery
Originally uploaded by arm_3

I made this jumper as a trial for my 1 1/2 year old daughter. I used a vintage pattern found in the Hoop Love Vintage Transfers group on Flickr. Unfortunately, one washing later, the neckline seam is fraying. That's what I get for using a cheap fabric for my trial! Hubby has the idea of adding bias binding to the neckline. What a smartie! This garment is now in my stack of mending. Hope it is ready for spring next year!;)

Embroidered toddler jumper

2008-09-30T14:07:00.001-04:00

embroidered toddler jumper
Originally uploaded by arm_3

2008-06-04T20:54:00.002-04:00

Georgina, or Georgie to friends
Originally uploaded by arm_3

I made Georgie from Wee Wonderful's Olive Pattern. We gave her to one of my son's classmates from his Tae Kwon Do class for her birthday. The pattern really does make the cutest doll. I had a hard time deciding which of my fabric scraps to use for her dress and shoes. I made her hair and coloring like the girl we gave it to. Here, Georgie is playing with a Fisher Price Jetliner that my mom had still in storage ready to give as a birthday present. We have quite a few new toys from the 80s that she kept on hand for emergency gifts. With 4 kids, I'm sure there were birthday parties to attend often. She gave this one to my son last fall, when he was interested in airplanes. (He was disappointed that it wasn't orange, for all of his planes will be orange when he grows up.)

Icarus Shawl

2008-06-04T20:45:00.001-04:00

Icarus Shawl
Originally uploaded by arm_3

This is the Icarus Shawl from Interweave Knits that I made for my SIL for her wedding in early October of last year. I must say that I loved this pattern. I was easy without being boring. I finished it in about 3 weeks of working on it in the evenings after the kids were in bed and the dishes were done. I used the JaggerSpun Zepher. (I don't think I spelled any of that right and with a glass of wine in hand and a 16 month old screaming upstairs, I'm not going ot check it.) That yarn is delicious. The shawl was a fun time making and the wedding was a wonderful one. I love my SIL dearly and am so happy that she found someone to share in her life. My sincerest hope is that my little Flora will not be like her mom, but will be just like her Aunt Catherine! ( I think the wine is making me a bit sentimental - sorry about that!)

Rodney Copperbottom Costume

2008-06-04T20:38:00.001-04:00

Rodney Copperbottom Costume
Originally uploaded by arm_3

This is my son's Halloween costume from 2007. He wanted to be Rodney Copperbottom of the movie "Robots". He planned almost all of the costume himself. He knew how he wanted to make it and we did it together. Cardboard, paper, crayons, fabric, stapler and elastic - that's what we used! He was very proud of his costume. I think I may have a little crafter in the making!

2008-05-12T21:13:00.003-04:00

So... I know it's been a long time and I've lost all of you by now. But, now that Em has moved back to Tennessee, I must do something to keep her up to date on my kids and crafts.
Maybe this will get me posting at least once a month.
Above is a picture of my now 5 year old son on his birthday, wearing his chain mail set that I knitted for him. It's a tunic, a hood, and a couple of fingerless mitts (or, as I like to say, gauntlets).
I've been busy while not blogging. We've been working hard to be more eco-friendly. We use our own bags at stores as much as possible. We hang up clothes to dry as weather permits. We're walking even more to and from work and playschool.
I'm doing some sewing for Tailored Tadpole. Check out her stuff. If you get a blanket, it may be one that I made. It's been nice to get some extra money.
Hopefully, I'll get some of my own ideas and toys out there before too long. I'm working on it. Until then, check out my friend Tina's Etsy shop. She's just starting it up. She makes some great hairbows, hooded towels, and monogrammed pillows. She's on dial-up, though, so posting is a challenge.
My little girl is almost 16 months old and just now starting to do some walking on her own. I'll post some pictures of her next time.
Until next time...

2007-09-16T21:02:00.000-04:00

The first of the bridesmaids' shawls is complete. I have only to block it. I've already started the second one. With a month to go I think I will be okay.
I found some great retro space kids fabric. I made two pillowcases out of them. One for Bruce and one for my neice, who wants to be like Bruce. Pillowcases are something that I just love. If there is a fabric that I can't stand to be without, I know that if I get a yard, I can always make it into a pillowcase. That way, the fabric is still whole and if I ever want to make anything else out of it, I can easily do it.

LAst here is a backpack carrier I made for Flora. The basic pattern is from Piecework Magazine's Jan/Feb 2005 issue. Actually, the shawl above is form there too. But in the pattern it is a garter stitch shawl, and I thought it would do better as stockingette stitch. I bought the hardware for the clips at REI, an outdoor store. I'll have to get someone to get a pic of it in use for me.

Pointy Kitty is almost done, and I have a dress for Flora for the wedding in the works. I've also been learning some Italian Smocking. I'll have to tell more another time. Now it's late and I'm pooped!

2007-09-10T10:52:00.000-04:00

Even though it's been long times between postings, I've been doing quite a bit of crafting. I must get more pictures of what I've been doing, if only for myself. I have some plans in my head for many other projects, but here is some of what I've been working on lately.
First, the robot. I've been planning a robot for a bit now. I began my prototype and when I was this far in the process:

I decided that it would be fine and I made one to give as a birthday present for a four year-old. Notice the prototype above is not even sewn together. I have learned a lesson from this. Next time, I WILL just go ahead and sew it together. The end result is below. It's not bad, it's just not what I was wanting. His body is too wide, his arms are too skinny. All of this could have been avoided if I had just sewn the first one together. Then I would have known.
I just becaome too excited about the control panel and wanted to get started on it.

So it's back to the robot drawing board. I have some ideas of changes, and this time I will sew up the structure first. Detail embroideries, though fun, must be put on hold. I can't decide if I will still give it to the boy or not.

The first bridesmaids shawl will be finished tonight. It took three weeks with many nights of no knitting so I should have more than enough time to complete the second one by October 13th.

Below is Bruce's very first real writing ever. He wrote Emily on her present. Can you see it?

We're both very proud.

2007-08-18T08:53:00.000-04:00

Icarus is finished!

(as of around midnight last night)

Now for the blocking.

2007-08-07T14:33:00.000-04:00

I've been working as much as possible on the Icarus Shawl for my sister-in law for her wedding. I thought I would have finished by now, but I also thought I would have knitted a whole bunch more than I did while we were on vacation at the beach. It ended up I hardly knit at all. Only 36 rows left, but with the number of stitches rising into the 500s, each row is taking around 30 minutes to complete.

I love the way it is looking though. I can't wait to see it finished and blocked!

Then I will start on the shawls for the two bridesmaids. They will be garter stitch with a feather and fan edging. And smaller. And on larger needles. I hope I can get them both done by October 13th!

And now, I give you a picture of one of the unexpected wonders of having a baby girl:

baby girl clothes hanging out to dry on the clothesline

So much cuter then baby boy clothes hanging out there. I know. I've now done them both. Those pinks, purples, yellows and greens are just too lovely hanging there in their diminutive state. It is a perk of a daughter that I didn't foresee.

2007-07-13T20:56:00.000-04:00

Here I am at a Tuesday night midnight showing of the OotP movie. I sported my lovely Ravenclaw (book colors) socks from BlackRayne, and my Azkaban style scarf that I made a few years ago. I had a great time and hope to post some more pictures later that NeighborKnitter's hubby took.

This next week I will be vacationing at the beach with much of my family. I'm hoping to get some people to take some pictures of Flora and me with some of the items I've been sewing lately. I've made a backpack-like carrier for her, an older baby sling (with fabric from Sew Mama Sew. That store is inspirational. They have some incredible things there. They will also probably be acquiring more of my money too.), and I should have finished an outfit for my almost 2 year-old neice, but lacking sleep me forgot to add seam allowance to the pattern. That's what taking such a long break from sewing and having a baby will do to a person.

Here are some more of Bruce's photographic adventures:

2007-07-08T20:59:00.000-04:00

I have been knitting and sewing in any free time I have lately. (which isn't very much) At night, after the kids are in bed and nightly chores are finished, I knit on my sister-in-law's Icarus Shawl. I'm really loving this shawl. I hope to finish my the end of July.
During the day, when Mr. Fiber is not around, I try to squeeze in some sewing. I've been working on a baby backpack carrier, and an outfit for my neice. I hope to give my neice her outfit next weekend. We'll see. I don't have any pictures to show yet, so here are some pictures from my garden.
First up: grape tomatoes
yum.
We planted a bit late, so that speck of red in the bottom of the picture is actually our first ripe tomato of the season.

Beside them, we find the yellow crookneck squash. It's a beautiful plant, but I must admit that after eight - yes, eight - plants last year, I'm a bit squashed out. This year we have four and one unknown, volunteer, squash-looking plant.
Going over to our fence we find one of the rose bushes that I have not yet killed. It is blooming again. This bloom has a little friend on him.

Then we get into my exotic veggies. Here is a Parisian Pickling cucumber. It's so cute and little!

At the corner of the fence that is closest to the back door is my favorite rose. It doesn't bloom too much, even though it is the biggest rose bush in our yard. I do hope I am able to keep this one living. The blooms are a pale, blushing pink and creamy off white. Some of them get huge - larger than my fist.

Another of my exotic plants is below. This is a Plum Granny melon. It is about 1 1/2 inches in diameter right now. I just don't understand why mine is bearing green fruit. They are supposed to be orange. Maybe they will turn when they ripen.

Like I said, we started very late this year. Our okra is hardly a foot tall right now. There are other veggies growing, but they aren't yet picture-worthy.

I hope to have some pictures of my sewing next time. It is really great to be sewing again. That's my first love.

I think of Book Seven obsessively often. I'm looking forward to the 5th movie, but it pales in comparison to my internal excitement over the book. Rowling is incredible.

2007-06-29T21:24:00.000-04:00

My package from the Hogwarts Sock Swap arrived today!!! It is fabulous - tons of goodies that I love! I must say that it came at a perfect time. Bruce and I have been at each other's throats. I had just sent him upstairs to his room for yet another time out when I went to check the mail. Seeing this turned my extremely sour mood into one of excitement. Two bars of excellent dark chocolate, four different kinds of teas, some Knit Picks size zero dpns, a really neat bookmark, ICe Mice and Bertie Bott's Beans, lovely stitch markers, and - best of all - a pair of perfect Ravenclaw socks. All of this is from Black Rayne. The socks are very nice. Apparently, these are her first pair of socks, and she hand dyed the yarn to be self-striping! Incredible! I showed the socks to my husband (he really knows a well knit sock when he sees one) and he is very impressed with them too. I must admit that when I saw these posted on the Swap site, I was really hoping they were coming to me!

Close up of the stitch markers.

Perfect Fit!

I look forward to wearing them to the movie and the book release!

She also included this cute as can be card. I had to include a picture of it.

Thank you Dee!!!

The package to my swap pal was mailed off today. Here are the stitch markers I made for my pal. I had some problems with my son this morning when I told him we were going to mail the package to England. He threw quite a fuss and demanded that he go to England also. I told him I could tape him up into a box and mail him. He didn't find that funny. He just began rolling on the floor in tantrums.

Oh when will the ferocious fours become the friendly fours?

I've been listening to Mugglecast lately. I wish I had started listening to them earlier. I'm enjoying their obsessiveness with the series. It's so refreshing.

2007-06-21T19:15:00.000-04:00

Long time, no posting, but I have been extremely busy. I just don't know how all these people make having two kids look like a piece of cake. I can hardly keep my sanity, much less my house clean! Yesterday, Bruce and I made some pomegranate jelly. This was my first foray into jelly-making. I hope it turns out well. It sure does look pretty though!
My Hogwarts Sock Swap pal's socks are finished. All of her goodies are ready too, with the exception of the stitch markers. Those should be finished mid next week. I've enjoyed making them and collecting gifts for her!

Once I finished them, I began work on the Icarus Shawl. I'm making this for my sister-in-law's wedding. The wedding is mid October, so this may come in handy during her reception.

Bruce has taken over my old digital camera. Here is one of his recent shots of Flora. She is his main subject matter.

Busy weeks ahead with summer traveling and the release of Book Seven and the movie. I'm so Harry obsessed lately. I don't think an hour goes by without my thoughts drifting to the subject one way or another.

I hope to really whiz along on Icarus. Progress pics will be shown. Have a great weekend!

2007-05-26T21:46:00.000-04:00

Alice Gertrude Hayworth Macon

December 16, 1906 - May 26, 2007

My grandmother died today. She was 100 years old. She taught preschool for 60 some years, retiring in her 80s. She loved music. She played the piano, harmonica and ukelele and may have played other instruments.

She could fry up some chicken so well that just thinking about it makes me drool. She also enjoyed making cakes and pies to give away. I took so many german chocolate cakes with me to college. My dorm-mates benefitted greatly.

Here are a few pictures of her life:

In the above picture she is being courted by my grandfather. I know you can't see much of either of them in this picture, but it is one of my favorites. (Check out those shoes!)

Below is a picutre taken in the early 40s, before my Aunt Judy was born. My dad is the one with the anchor on his sweater. He reminds me of Popeye in this one. It's neat to see your grandparents as young parents.

The last picture is how I mainly remember my Grammommie. She is with my older brother on his graduation. This was sometime around 1990.

She was an active, spry, and very stubborn lady. When her hip broke in the mid 1990s, she lost a lot of her drive. She's been in a nursing home for many years, her health steadily declining. I've missed the old her for some time. Now I just miss her. I'm glad I was able to know her for so much of my life.

2007-05-11T11:38:00.000-04:00

We're a bit late again this year in preparing our garden, but I think by Sunday night we'll have plants in and seeds sown.

Bruce loves tillers. He wanted us to buy him a little tiller just for him last year. We said no. We borrow a tiller to get our garden node. Bruce just has to be content with pretending his umbrella stroller is a tiller. Which he does perfectly. When Hubby cranks up and adjusts the big tiller, Bruce pantomimes cranking up and adjusting his tiller. Here's a shot of the two of them working on the garden.

It's so cute to watch because everything his dad does, Bruce does. I've been letting him stay up a little later than usual this week so that he can spend this time with his dad.

I'm knitting away on sock for my Hogwarts swap pal. I really like how they are looking, and would love to keep them for myself, even though I'm not a Hufflepuff.
I have her needles, will be meeting a friend that is going to help me with the stitch markers soon, and have been gathering up other special treats to go into her package. I can't wait to finish off the socks and get them in the mail! Sending out presents is as much fun as receiving them!

2007-05-06T21:01:00.000-04:00

I've been reading up a storm lately. I have set up a nice place for me to read while I feed the baby. I sit in the rocking chair feeding her, while I read a book that is held open with a heavy weight of some type - remote control, scissors, whatever works. I have the books open on a nightstand beside the chair. It always stays open to the page I am reading, so no time is lost opening and setting up at each feeding. I have really been whizzing through them. I thought I would list the ones that I can remember I've read since the baby was born.

Mists of Avalon
Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter
HP and the Sorcerer's Stone
HP and the Chamber of Secrets
HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban
HP and the Goblet of Fire
Ender's Game (North Carolina Author!)
The Mummy Case
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
The Day My Butt Went Psycho
Eragon
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal - Hilarious. One of my favorite parts was it's description of the origins of Judo. I'll give you a hint: think Jew-doh)
Lion in the Valley

I feel like I'm missing something. I've been trying to get through Jude the Obscure still. I started it months ago. It's the book that I read when I am in bed. I tried reading while feeding her, but it takes much more concentration then I can give at 3 am.
I just started Komantcia, by Harold Keith. He also wrote Rifles for Watie, a Newberry Award book. I'm sure you've noticed that many of these books are juvie fiction, but I've borrowed many from my elementary school librarian friend. Also, as a upper elementary teacher (well, not right now since I'm staying home with the kids, but one day I may go back.), I can use that as an excuse to read these great works for 4th -8th graders.
Okay, so The Day my Butt Went Psycho is not a great literary work. I don't think I would say it is a good litereary work. I think the rating on the back of the book says it best "Rated G for Gross. Immature audiences only." It's a book that a 4th grade boy would just love.
It's really been wonderful having time to read so much. Flora eats at least 6 times a day, for at least 15 minutes each time, usually we're there for 25 minutes or so. It's even made me not mind it so much when she gets up to eat during the night.
I htink I'll be sticking with more of the youth classics for a little while, then maybe move into either adult classics, or some good scifi and fantasy. But I will continue to read about Amelia Peabody Emerson's adventures by Elizabeth Peters. They are great fun!
(And, of course I'll finish working my way through the Harry Potter books in anticipation of the movie and the book release. I now have my voucher for Book 7.)

Book Seven!
(said in a high sing-songy voice like the one on a Spongebob Squarepants episode where Mr Krabs gets a plastic treasure chest and you hear: "Plastic!")

Knitting talk to come next time. I may have recently committed to the impossible.
We'll see.

2007-04-29T21:12:00.000-04:00

Last year, a couple of hawks nested in one of the trees in our front yard. We so enjoyed watching them go about their lives, and then trying to catch glimpses of the babies once they were born. Last year we saw as many as three babies at one point, but as they grew older, we only saw one. I was very excited this year when we began to see them back at the nest again.
This year, unfortunately, we were able to see one of the babies up close. It had fallen out of the tree and was lying dead at the base of the tree when Mr. Fiber found it. They are still pretty small - his body was a little smaller than my fist - so we can't see yet how many others are left.
It just makes you think a bit. That's just a part of their lives. Not all of the babies make it. These guys are birds of prey and they still have it hard.
We've been having some, let's say, challenging times here lately. I guess it makes me glad though that my babies haven't fallen out of any trees. Things aren't great, but they could be worse.
Another sad thing to happen recently is that my local yarn shop has closed. This past Friday was its last day. I think I'm still in denial. Read NeighborKnitter's post about it. She's better with words than I am. I am really going to miss having a source of yarn nearby (5 minutes from my house), but even more, I'm going to miss meeting up with all of the amazing ladies that I have gotten to know through the store. I hope we are able to continue meeting every now and then.
Back to the hawks. I was able to get a picture of one of them (I think it's the male, but not really sure about that) the other day. I set my camera to it's highest resolution and took this picture:

The hawk it standing up on his nest in the center of the picture, right beside the roof. Below you see the zoomed up sample of the hawk. It makes me really wish I had a lens with more zoom. I've not been able to identify it yet, because the books mostly show you their differences when they are in flight with the wings and tail spread out. I don't usually get to see my hawks that way. They are generally sitting on the nest, on a nearby branch, or sometimes even on the roof of our garage. One of my mother's friends is a big birder. Mom has relayed as much info about it as she can to her. She feels that it might be either a Cooper's Hawk or a Sharp-Shinned Hawk.
If any of you out there know birds and can identify it, I would appreciate it!

2007-04-19T21:18:00.000-04:00

Finally posting a picture of my Brea bag. I still need to find a belt for the handle. I have the button that I am going to use for the closure. I am quite happy with it.

Below is a picture of a fabulous little corduroy outfit for Flora that my friend, Lindsley, found for her. She won't be able to wear it for another year or two,but I can't wait! It looks like the kind of thing I wore and loved when I was growing up in the 70s. I may have to make up a pattern to make a smaller pair for sooner.

2007-04-16T10:56:00.000-04:00

Weekend before last we went for a long weekend visit to Mr. Fiber's 98 year old grandmother's house. She still lives on her farm out in the eastern part of the state. We always love our time there and wish we could just live there with her. During this visit, we cooked her fish stew, oyster stew, and fried oysters. It was just yummy!
Here is Bruce riding an old trike that is there. Here is my older post from a visit there last year.

This is the bag in which my younger sister put my birthday present from her and my older sister. It's a Victoria's Secret bag. I love the t-shirt that she made for the model.

This past birthday (I'm a Pisces) was just fabulous. I recieved so many great things from friends and family. Beer, pottery, and a plethora of dvds. We don't get cable and our plaster walls deter good reception form rabbit eras, so we usually give each other dvd collections for birthdays. This year, Hubby went all out. He says I deserve it for being pregnant and giving birth this past year.

We tend to be a bit Anglophiles, much like NeighborKnitter, and this year my presents reflect that. I received the Upstairs, Downstairs collection, the Jeeves & Wooster collection, and Edward the King. My sisters gave me the Monty Python's Flying Circus collection.

Who needs cable with such great weekend tv viewing possibilities?

Would like to type more, but Flora is screaming. Knitting is occuring, as well as some sewing plans. Hope to have time to tell more soon.

2007-04-06T14:07:00.000-04:00

WooHoo!!!
Another Potter themed activity to keep me busy while I wait so impatiently for Book Seven's release!

I have joined up with the Hogwarts Sock Swap, hosted by the most ingenious Rebecca. She has included in the fun a house contest where we can earn points for our respective houses.

The first challenge is to answer the swap questions ASAP.
Here it goes:

Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionnaire

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into?

Ravenclaw (The raven, by the way, is an extremely intelligent bird. Take a listen to this Diane Rehm interview with John Marzluff, the author of "In the Company of Crows and Ravens". Scroll down the page to find it.
Fascinating.

2. Shoe size?

7 1/2 - 8 (one's a bit too big, the other is a bit too small)

3. Foot Length?

9

4. Foot Circumference?

8 1/2

5. List your three favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length.

I'm happy with just about any brand. I usually prefer metal because the points tend to be a bit sharper. I've been interested in Knit Picks new dpns. No shorter than 5 inches and ranging in size from 0000 to 0. I like to make my socks on small needles. They tend to last longer that way.

6. Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length?

I really am up for trying out anything, as long as there is a decent point on them. Any materials would be welcome!

7. If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Do you have a strong preference?

As a Ravenclaw, I strongly prefer the house colors as described in the books - blue and bronze.

8. Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Pal?

I would love to!

This swap looks like it is going to be a lot of fun! My younger sister (a 5th grade teacher) was just this morning making fun of me for my interest in HP and HP knitting. I love being able to let her know that there are other adults out there with the same - shall we say - passion.
I can't wait to get my swap partner and begin her socks!

2007-04-04T07:38:00.000-04:00

Brooke tagged me for a meme last week. I just haven't been able to get to it since we took a long weekend out to Granny's farm. (pictures to come)
So here it goes:

Seven Things To Do Before I Die
1. Enjoy my grandchildren
2. Watch my children become parents
3. Get organized
4. Learn to be a good housekeeper
5. Visit Scandinavia
6. Have a few-months-long trip in the British Isles
7. Find something I can make at home in my spare time, enjoy making it, and sell it for a reasonable price to many, many people.

Seven Things I Cannot Do:
1. Watch scary movies
2. Separate myself from the characters I read about in books
3. Trust "The Man"
4. put things back where they belong (I try, really I do)
5. Live in my hometown with the rest of my family
6. Leave a short message on an answering machine
7. Take the Bible literally

Seven Things That Attract Me to…...North Carolina
1. Mountains
2. Piedmont
3. Coastal Plains
4. Some great history (interesting fact: NC is the site of the first documented discovery of gold. We were known as "The Golden State" for a while before California had their gold rush.)
5. trees
6. wild daylilies (or "outhouse lilies" as my great aunt used to call them)
7. Intelligent men with North Carolina accents

Seven Things I Say
1. Come on, Bruce
2. Socks and shoes on Bruce
3. Let me finish this row
4. Pooters
5. Are you finished with your breakfast?
6. Hurry up Bruce!
7. Please, girl, don't spit up again!

Seven Good Books
1. Orlando by Virginia Woolf
2. Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake
3. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
4. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
5. Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody mysteries
6. Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis
7. The Godfather by Mario Puzo

Seven Good Movies:
1) Dreams - Akira Kurosawa
2) The Seven Samurai - also Kurosawa
3) My Man Godfrey - William Powell is just so fabulous! Carole Lombard was hilarious!
4) The General - Buster Keaton
5) Strange Brew
6) M - Fritz Lang
7) After Life - Hirokazu Koreeda

There are so many more books and movies I could list. It's so hard to stop at seven.
I've finished up my Brea Bag - all but finding an appropriate handle.

So much going on here and not enough time to tell. Should really go clean house.

2007-03-26T10:48:00.000-04:00

Finished the caterpillar! Here's B with him. He did make some design changes. He wanted his caterpillar to have a mouth and he left off the i-cord stripe since the yarn ended up striping anyway. Great to have that finished - I'll have to get a closer picture of it at some point.

Okay, I know I have all of these other, more time pressing projects to start, but I have already started and finished the first side of my Brea bag. It knits up so quickly! I hope to have the whole thing finished by the end of the week.

2007-03-19T07:48:00.000-04:00

Thought I would post a couple of recent pictures. Above is Flora, taken on Saturday. She is now two months old and doing more and more smiling and talking.

Below, is a picture of Bruce getting his haircut. This was done a week and a half ago. The man cutting his hair is in our downtown. Mr. Fiber has been the one to take him there, I've never seen the man in person. Bruce does very well for him for some unknown reason. He fought in WWII.

I've been knitting on a caterpillar for B. Miz Knotty made one for Flora, (pic here) and he liked it immensely. He even went into my yarn stash and picked out the yarn he wanted me to use to make it! (Note to self: Change stash hiding place) I kept thinking he would forget about it, but no. So we borrowed the pattern. As I was getting out of the car to get the pattern, B said that I could then "cast on stitches" for it. Whe did this boy learn that you have to "cast on" to knit?! Maybe I should get some needles in his hands before too long.

So much is happening over at the KALs I'm involved in. I'm really enjoying them.

Knitters of Avalon

Harry Potter and the Book 7 KAL

2007-03-11T21:06:00.000-04:00

Here we are this afternoon, doing some garden housekeeping that should have been done long ago. Flora in the hand-me-down Baby Bjorn, Bruce in his bicycle helmet (we had just returned from a walk/ride), we pulled up the basil carcasses and cut back the lemongrass.

While cutting back the lemongrass, my boy makes me proud. He says,

"I want to have some Tom Kha Gai."

It makes me proud because:

He knows he is cutting back lemongrass.

He knows lemongrass is an ingredient in Tom Kha Gai.

He likes Tom Kha Gai and wants to eat some.

Maybe one day he'll be a great chef.

2007-03-08T10:15:00.000-05:00

A knitting picture!

This is a sock I've knitted with Brooke's Avalon colorway. Her yarn knits up so lovely! It really is great to knit. Go over there and pick yourself up some!

I wish you could see the stitch pattern better. I'll have to try another shot sometime.

2007-03-07T09:21:00.000-05:00

Life around here has been trying to find some sort of schedule, to no avail. I'm finaly getting used to the fact that Flora won't be nursing. I've found bottles that I like and feel safe about, and that she likes. I've determined which formula seems to work best on her. And I've stopped pumping. She has enough of my milk in the freezer to give her 6 oz everyday for about a week and a half now.
Because I'm not nursing I am taking advatage of all the foods and drinks I've been depriving myself of while pregnant - sashimi, liver, a hot dog (I never eat these, but when you can't have them, it makes you want one), sake, and wine. I look forward to a nice corned beef dinner.
I stay away from all sorts of things when pregnant and nursing: alcohol, liver, nitrates and nitrites, raw fish, rare meat, soft yolk eggs, etc.
Last night I made Cooking Light's Veal Osso Bucco. (My FIL gives me his issues after he gets them. What a sweetie!) It turned out great - though I didn't have shanks, I had chops so I braised them intstead of letting them cook for 2 hours. It really was quite simple too. Mr Fiber liked the house smell when he came home.
I've been knitting whenever I can. Bottle feeding does not lend itself to knitting the way nursing does. You have to use hands when you bottle feed.
I've been dreaming of patterns that I want to start. Most of them involve yarn I already have, which is good since formula will be taking up my yarn money for awhile.
I'm reading the Harry Potters over again and completely loving it. I think I dream in wizard world now.
I took a couple of "which character are you" tests. I must admit, I really just wanted to be Neville. In many ways, I think I am much like his character. But you will see that one test had me as Hermione. I do tend to be a bit of an overachiever and goody two shoes when it comes to classes. I think those who attended the fair isle class with me can attest for that.

Which HP Kid Are You?

I really liked the results of the second test I took. Just look at that. I scored and Albus. Next up was Lupin, then Luna. I love all of those characters, but I don't know that I really am like them. I'm glad Percy was so far down on the list.

You scored as Albus Dumbledore. You are very wise, observant, and analyctical. You have a very "well-organized" mind, which makes you function in a calm and fair manner. Though you get angered easily, its rare of you to ever act our of temper. You are constantly seeing the good in people and are naturally forgiving because of it. You're easy to please and a great person to learn from.

Albus Dumbledore

81%

Remus Lupin

72%

Luna Lovegood

66%

Ron Weasley

63%

Oliver Wood

59%

Harry Potter

56%

Sirius Black

53%

Hermione Granger

53%

Neville Longbottom

50%

Bellatrix Lestrange

47%

Lord Voldemort

41%

Severus Snape

41%

Percy Weasley

38%

Draco Malfoy

Harry Potter Character Combatibility Test
created with QuizFarm.com

I'm lucky to get much free time nowadays, so my postings will not be as often. I do hope to get up some kntiting pictures and more baby pictures before too long.

2007-02-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

I'm involved in two new KALs. One is the Knitters of Avalon KAL, hosted by Em and Brooke. IN this one, we read Mists of Avalon, have some good discussions and then knit something inspired by the book. And there will be prizes. I must say, I zoomed through this thick book. I enjoyed it so much.

The second KAL is one that I am co-hosting with Em. (Actually I'm head of Ravenclaw house. Yep, that's right, I've ousted Flitwick.) In this KAL we are reading one HP book each month until Book 7 is released. That way, we'll be refreshed on all that has occured in the wizarding world for the past six years. There will also be projects and prizes in this one too.

I admit that I made these two buttons and that they are utterly basic. But there is only so much you can do with one hand while the other arm is holding, feeding, and trying to calm a 4 week old baby. And you are working on about 3 hours sleep a night on average.

I've started the first book again. It's great to be back in the Wizarding World. That's one thing I will miss when the book is released - the excitement of a new book and new adventures.

2007-02-05T08:09:00.000-05:00

No knitting pictures yet again, but a better baby pic. I just took this one this morning. She had quite an awake night last night (~3:15 - 5:00). Then her brother comes into our bed just before 6 am and goes back to sleep (he's still asleep), cueing the baby to wake back up and have a nice wide awake time from 6 until now.

When's a mom to sleep?

I know that I soon as I lay my head down, Big Brother will wake up, or Little Sister will begin to cry. They just know.

I''m working on some socks right now. I really like to stitich pattern I'm using for them. It's the reverse side of the Seaweed pattern in Barbara Walker's "A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns".

I'll try to get a good picture soon.

Until then, here's one of my favorite pictures we've taken since Flora's birth. It's the Daddy holding Big Brother and Little Sister.

I think it's just plain cute.

2007-01-26T10:22:00.000-05:00

Just a few pictures of our new little girl. We went with the name Flora. I like it because in my mind it is old-fashioned, simple, a bit Earth Mother lovin' (my tree-hugging self loves plant, tree, and other nature names), and I think it suits her. Bruce has been lobbying for the name since I read him out our lists a month or so ago.

Above, you see him, the Big Brother in his Weasley sweater, holding his little sis. I'll need to make one up for her in the next year or so!

As a newborn, she is not awake very much. So here is a squirming sleep picture.

And last but not least, a cute little baby foot.

I've been swatching some laceweight yarn for the shawl I will make for my sister-in-law's wedding. I must decide on the style shawl and lace designs to use. There are so many beautiful patterns! I also have my pattern worked up for the socks I'm making out of Brooke's yarn.

This past week was much harder than I expected due to Flora not being able to nurse well. I've been stressed and out of the regular world. Maybe I'll bore you all later with details, but now, I've adjusted my expectations and all is going well. Now I have time to shower, read and knit!

(Just think of all the cute girl clothes I get to sew, knit, and crochet now!!!)

I hope to catch up on what everyone has been doing in the next few days. I'll be checking into blogs when I can. (and I'll try to get a better baby picture) Have a great weekend!

2007-01-14T16:15:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting to make the leggings from Elizabeth Zimmerman's "The Opinionated Knitter". I found a full skein of TLC yarn, a cotton acrylic blend, (from either Caron or Red Heart, I can't remember which) that was left over from some baby blankets that I had made for my church back home. So in keeping with my commitment to use up as much of my stash as possible this year, I made the leggings from them. But, the skein wouldn't last for the entire legs, and I didn't want to go out and buy more, so they became shorts. This actually will be much more usuable in my climate.
Bruce likes them too, but he thinks they look better as a hat.

My sister-in-law has decided upon the dresses that the bridesmaids will be wearing. You can see it here. (The colors will be Mallard for the dress and mocha for the sash.) The wedding is in October, so I think the lace shawl that I have been wanting to make will be great at the reception. Now the question is - Which color yarn should I use for it? I have a white, a pink, and a burgundy.

I'm excited that I have a definite use for the shawl. It gives me a deadline, which is something I usually need if I am actually going to get something done.

Still no baby. We have a scheduled delivery for this coming Thursday if it won't come out on its own by then. I'm doing what I can to help it along. I keep having false alarms. How frustrating!!!

Maybe tomorrow will be the day...

2007-01-10T15:17:00.000-05:00

Although it is chilly, the sun has been shining nicely today, so I was able to get a couple of pictures. The first is of the hat I mat for myself out of the Noro Iro. I love the colors in it! The wool/silk belnd feels great too. I think, though, that since I have such a large head, I might shouldn't use a bulky yarn in the future. Now, I'm still wearing this and think is looks fine, but - just saying, big heads don't need big yarns.

Next up is the other part of my order from Brooke. I added to the cart because I just liked it, but my main purpose in the order was the yarn. Once I saw the bag in person, I think I began to be more fond of the bag than the yarn.
I must think of a way to have it with me often. Maybe it can carry some baby necessity in the diaper bag? But I'd hate for it to get messed up. Hmmm... No baby yet today, though LB about sent me into labor with a struggle we were having today. He's in his room for an extended time out and I went straight for my secret Dagoba chocolate stash to calm down. In my haste to break off a piece, a chocolate shard broke into my skin. I must say, wounds inflicted by chocolate are well worth it.

2007-01-09T16:53:00.000-05:00

I have quite a few items to share today, and I am saving some for another day because I don't have good pictures of them yet.
Last week I made some infant spiral socks. I've seen them in a few different of the vintage 1940s and 1950s baby books. They are heel-less, so they start out more like stockings for the baby, then end up being socks as a toddler.
LB has tried them on and I was surprised at how well they fit him. -Though he tells me he wants a heel on his sock. (How great is that that my boy knows some sock anatomy?!)
They were a quick knit - I used some leftover Patons Kroy that I had laying around.

Next up is the yarn that I received from NeighborKnitter's Festival of Blogging. She gave it to me for sticking in there and blogging straight on until the end! It's a hank of Brooke's hand dyed sock yarn. I completely love it. I actually have a pillowcase (for my cuddling pillow) that has the some colors in it. It is great - I look forward to knitting up some socks for myself with it!

The last is the yarn that I obsessed over for a couple of weeks before buying it. It is also from Brooke. These colors hypnotised me and made me want them. I thought about them constantly until I purchased them from her store. The colors are so tranquil and calming. I am in love.

As much as I love the yarn, I ordered another item from her that I will show later that has completely captured my heart. I have also made a hat from the Noro Iro that I bought at my lys's big sale. It's been so warm lately I was starting to be afraid I would never get a chance to wear it. Today has been chilly, though, and LB and I spent the afternoon at the park, me wearing my wonderfully warm toboggan/hat/toque/whatever you want to call it.
I hope to get some good pictures of these two tomorrow to share.

Still no baby. I am very ready for this to be out, though I also know that a baby is SO much easier to take care of when it is inside the belly, than when it is out!
I still have 7 hours to go to get this one born on the 9th!
Anybody have any castor oil?

2007-01-02T20:59:00.000-05:00

Here is the one completed Wine and Roses mitt. I tried taking a picture of my hand modeling it, but that turned out to be a bit harder than I had thought. Also, since my thumb bind off was a little tight, my thumb kept looking a nice shade of purple. If I keep this, I must redo the bind off.
Today was a gorgeous and sunny day, but I took advantage of it by getting LB and I outside, instead of taking pictures of my work.

I've decided to list out the projects that are on my agenda for this new year. I may be joining Miz Knotty's stashalong, because everything I have listed to make, I have yarn for already, except for one item.
Many of the projects come from the yarn that I just purchased at my lys's big sale.

1. Some Elizabeth Zimmerman baby leggings. These would be the only garment for which I may need to purchase yarn. I have some things that might work, but gauge, fiber content, and yardage come into play somehow with each of my options.

2. I think I may make Stella out of the Noro Lily Multi that I won last year in the Knit the CLassics group. I definitely want to make something out of that yarn this year.

3. I bought some worsted weight alpaca a couple of years ago and have yet to do anything with it. I have enough for a sweater. I'm working on some design ideas for it now, using Ann Budd's The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns. (libraries are so nice) I'm considering some type of cabling or lace. Not heavy, just a touch.

4. A hat out of the Noro Iro that I bought at my lys

5. The Brea Bag

6. A couple of moebius baskets out of the yarn that I dyed over the summer. I want these done by easter, as I think the colors are quite appropriate for that holiday.

7. At least one lace shawl of my own design, using the laceweight yarn I bought last week.

8. I would like to make something from the Weldon's Practical Needlework Volume 1 that I found at a used book store. ( I bought it for $18!!!) Ideally it would be one of the items that they don't have a picture for. I just like the idea of making it with no clue as to it's outcome. Kind of like a mystery.

9. At least 3 pairs of socks! I have more than enough sock yarn for that now.

That does it for the knitting. I also want to try my hand at some self-striping yarn. I have two skeins of undyed worsted weight yarn, but I would prefer my self-striping yarn be for socks. We'll see. I like the whole idea of figuring up the math for it. That's just too enticing for me.

On the sewing end of things, I really want to do more sewing in general. I know I won't really be able to make any clothes for myself, seeing as how it's 9 months in and 9 months out when your having a baby. But I would like to make a bedspread for LB and some big ol' floor pillows for him and the new one. I have had the fabric for these for awhile now. I just haven't gotten to them. The same goes for drapes for our bedroom and LB's bedroom.

2007-01-01T10:59:00.000-05:00

I've been waiting for a nice sunny day to get a good shot of what I purchased at my lys's big sale, but it's been overcast pretty much every day since. I should have taken advantage of the sunshine that same day, but no. Ms. Procrastinator always thinks later is a better time.

It really doesn't look like much in the picture, but it feels like a lot to me.

I bought 3 books:
Traditional Scandinavian Knitting by Sheila MacGregor
Folk Socks by Nancy Bush
In Sheep's Clothing: A Handspinner's Guide to Wool by Nola and Jane Fournier

And then I bought some yarn:
2 skeins JaggerSpun laceweight in pink and 2 in burgundy
2 skeins of a Cascade in grey to make the Brea bag
2 skeins of Brown Sheep's Wildfoote in Blue Flannel
1 skein Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn in purple
1 skein Noro's Iro in blues, greys, and browns to be a hat for me
2 skeins Katia Jamaica in a blues, greens and aquas colorway. (okay, so the Katia I bought the day before when it was on sale for 50% off, but I'm still counting it in my spoils. I plan to make something summery for the baby in it.)

I finished the first mitt of the Wine and Roses mitts, but don't know if I'll make the second. I like it, but am unsure if I'll really ever wear them. It was my first time really following a lace chart. It was a lot easier than I expected.
The past few nights I have done no knitting or crafting whatsoever. I need to get inspired again. I feel as if I am wasting so much time while we listen to old radio shows or watch our Star Trek:TNGs or Poirots.

Happy New Year to you all!

2006-12-28T19:20:00.000-05:00

I am quite excited this evening.

Tomorrow, at my local yarn store, everything is going to be 40% off.

Everything.

I plan to be there as soon as they open.

I will share my findings.

2006-12-24T20:32:00.000-05:00

FOB #1

If Santa could really bring anything at all, what would it be?

1. I know it sounds cheesy, but it would truly have to be peace. I mean, just like the song says: "People all over the world, join in. Join the Love Train. Love Train."
Or
"All we are saying is give peace a chance."

On a purely personal level, I would have Father Christmas ensure that the baby be healthy, wealthy in the ways that really matter, and wise.

Or just let LB wake up tomorrow morning without any of this sickness that has been dogging him for almost a week now.

Merry Christmas everyone!

2006-12-23T21:38:00.000-05:00

Finished the cover for the body pillow today. LB loves to "help" when I use the sewing machine and he had a good time with this. THe fabric is some older upolstery fabric from either my 1oo year old grandmather, or Hubby's 98 (on Christmas Day) year old grandmother. I can't remember in which person's stash I found this. My love of yellows, greens and blues is happy when I look at it. It looks very grandmotherly. I like that too.

I think today is supposed to be FOB #2 and so I give you my list of two items. I have decided it will be the names that LB has chosen for the baby. I read him out our long list of names for boys and girls and these are his choices:

1. Angus Scott (His father watches AC/DC concert videos while rowing on our Concept2 rowing machine. LB loves to be in there, watching his dad row and watching Angus Young play the guitar. I think this may have had some influence on his name choice. I don't think we've mentioned Bon Scott's name much, but, you never know.)

2. Flora

He insists that it will be a boy and not a girl now. A month ago, he was insisting just the opposite.
We have a very Scottish last name, so I think either of these choices go quite well with it. If only my husband and I could figure out which names we like. Even if we could take some time to narrow it down to 8 or 10 for either gender, it would be helpful.

LB is sick again. I thought he was getting better at my last posting, but I was wrong. He still has a fever of around 101 and congested sinuses.
And today Mr. Fiber is sick. I'm hoping he will fight this off with a good night's sleep and be better tomorrow.
Two years ago, we all had the flu for Christmas.
Not much fun.
Why don't 3 year olds realize they are sick and act that way? It would be so much easier if he would just lay in bed and rest.

2006-12-23T08:53:00.000-05:00

This is what happens when men are in charge of the child care while they do yard work.
LB loved it.
This was on Monday this past week. The next day, LB became quite sick. Thursday he seemed to get a bit better, then that evening was sick again with something different. That same day, I became sick with who knows what. (37 week pregnant lady with insanely moving baby constantly kicking her upset stomach. Not fun.) Now we both are better and I will make my FOB #4 post, and make up my own #3 post.

FOB #4 What's off your to-do list

1. present buying - This was finished completely earlier in the week.
2. gift knitting - I finished this a little while back. I kept my list reasonable this year due to the pregnancy.
3. I know this wasn't on my list, but being over these sicknesses from this week is a great relief!
4. Figuring out our Christmad Eve and Christmas Day meals. (We have to do the grocery shopping today, but we have the meals figured out.)

My FOB #3 Three projects that are happily now on my to-do list

1. Wine and Roses Mitts from the current Interweave Knits (halfway through the first one)
2. Cover for my big ol' body pillow that is great back help when nursing (fabric washed and ready to be cut and sewed. Hope to get to that today.)
3. Top Secret Wallace and Gromit paper puppets that will be taken to the office store today and laminated. Then I shall affix them to popsicle sticks for LB. I may make them into stocking stuffers.

These are all projects I am excited about doing. It's nice to have things like that again.

2006-12-20T22:04:00.000-05:00

FOB #5 Senses

How do I experience the season with my senses? This is a great list idea led by Knatty Knitter.

1. Sight - I just have to drive by someone's over the top Christmas yard display. It just doesn't feel like Christmas if I haven't seen the multitude of lights, blow-up Santas, manger scenes, and in recent years some "God bless America" slogans.
Not that I would ever do it, but I just have to see it. THere is something strangely comforting in the fact that some people do this.
I think it may be a feeling that is akin to the one I feel when I watch this guy. (Thanks Glaistig for exposing me to that one!)
2. Sound - In the past few years, my two Ultra Lounge "Christmas Cocktails" cds have put me in the holiday mood.
3. Touch - The pine needles of our Christmas tree. So kind of hedgehoggy. But if you touch the wrong places, you get a bit of sticky sap. That part is not so fun.
4. Taste - Red Bird peppermint candy sticks. They are NOT the same texture as candy canes. These are not so hard at all. When I was real little, we would stick these into an orange and suck the juice out through the stick. Yummm...
5. Smell - Walking into our house to smell a real tree. Mr. Fiber used to work for a tree service before going into law school. The "eau d'arbor" was quite nice. The tree smell at Christmas reminds me of those times.

And, I feel I should just mention after my last post, I married the hubby in spite of the fact he had red hair, not because of it. I was never attracted to red headed guys. Just didn't want y'all thinkin' I was obsessive about that.
I do love the Weasleys, though.
:)

2006-12-20T09:42:00.000-05:00

Cat tagged me with a meme that I haven't gotten to yet, what with all of the FOB going on.
I am supposed to list 5 things you may not know about me.

Here goes!
1. I am a red-head, married to a red-head, with a red-headed son. My maternal grandmaother was a red head. One of my father's uncles was a red head. I have 3 red headed first cousins.

2. I could eat a jar of marshmallow creme with a spoon in no time.

3. Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout is the best beer I have yet tasted. Mmmmm.....

4. I am utterly ungraceful, but took ballet for 3 years when I was a little girl

5. I enjoy doing math problems

Know that is not much, but it's a start!

I'll post again later today with the FOB!

2006-12-19T09:38:00.000-05:00

FOB #6 When do you Procrastinate?

1. Anytime I have a deadline. For example, I was up Sunday night making the batter for muffins to take to LB's playschool Christmas party (the batter really needs to sit overnight before baking), then had to get Hubby to take LB to school in the morning and find out what was the latest that I could bring in the muffins. I just made it with about 10 minutes to spare.

2. Housecleaning. This is where I am the worst. I know there are others out there who are much worse than me - I've roomed with them - but I do have a problem with this.

3. Putting stuff back where it belongs. Be this the mail, a kitchen appliance I'm using, or just my towel, wherever I am is usually easier to put it than where it should go.

4. Calling my friends and family. This sounds like something I would want to do, and I do, but I just keep waiting for "the right time" and that time never comes. I haven't called my cousin Abby in months. And her birthday was in November.
What a slacker.

5. Paying bills. I go through phases with this one. Some months, I pay it as soon as it comes in, others will sit there until their due date.

6. Finishing projects. I have a couple of skirts and pairs of pants that just need hemming to be finished. I have a few knitting projects that just need ends woven.

Procrastination is a true problem in my family. I inherited the trait both from nature and nuture. My fam is quite bad about that stuff.

2006-12-18T09:22:00.000-05:00

FOB #7: What knitterly items would you most like to receive this holiday?

Now, this doesn't mean you expect to get them. I know that I won't be receiving anything on my list, but it sure is nice to list out items that I would like. Maybe, just maybe, a family member will read this and come through for me on my birthday next year. (Who am I kidding?)
And maybe you can send your own family and friends towards your blog to give them some good present hints!

So - indulge yourself! Maybe your lists will make me see things that I would like too!

1. "Hands on Spinning" by Lee Raven
2. Some more excellent sock yarn from Brooke
3. Some cobweb weight lace yarn
4. Sock It To Me sock sizing chart
5. Ann Budd's "The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns"
6. Ann Budd's "The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns"
(I've checked both of these books out multiple times from my library wen making items for others. They have been very useful.)
7. Women's Knit Fashions Vol. 1 - I just love these older patterns!

There are others, of course, but these are the ones that came to my head first off.
I look forward to seeing what others are coveting!

And Parisa - I've been trying to comment on your blog for at least a week but it won't let me! Blogger won't let me switch over to the new version yet, I think that may be the problem.
Please don't think I'm not reading!

2006-12-17T21:06:00.000-05:00

FOB #8 My Knitting Pattern Would-Like-To-Make List

1. Rogue - This would require me buying the pattern, which is why I haven't done it yet.
2. Anouk - If the baby is a girl, this will be on the needles before too long
3. Nautie - I just can't resist these for some reason
4. Hush-Hush - I'd never wear it much at all, but would love to make it
5. A vintage lace glove pattern - not found the right one yet
6. A challenging lace shawl pattern - May just make this one up myself
7. Bayerische socks - I just love that cable pattern!
8. Two-Color Arch-Shaped Stockings - The arch entices me so!

There are many other items on my list of items I would like to make at some point. Many of them are things that I wouldn't really wear or use much, but just want to make, to learn the process of making the item - like an Aran sweater. Others are items I would like to make but just keep putting off becuase I don't really need them, but would like them - like a vintage tea cozy pattern for my teapot that Little Boo broke and I now get to replace.

So many patterns, so little time and money!

2006-12-16T22:21:00.000-05:00

FOB #9 The Number 9
Below are my own personal thoughts and loves of the number 9

1. Three is the best number in the world. Nine is three threes. You just can't get any better than that. It's like the Narnia inside Narnia in "The Last Battle".
2. I am the third of four children
3. I was born on a ninth
4. My brother was born on a ninth
5. My son was born on a ninth
6. John Lennon was born on a ninth
7. When doing your nine times tables, here's a trick that will work with 9 times 1-10:
Hold out all ten fingers. fold down the finger of the number you are multiplying by nine, and the answer appears on your hands. For example, 9 x 4: Hold out your fingers. Fold down the fourth finger (left hand's index finger). That leaves you with three fingers before the fold down and six fingers after. 36.
So cool.
8. I was born at 4:14 am. 4+1+4=9
9. Nine, in my way of thinking, is just so wonderfully circular and stable. It's sort of infinite in my view. It's just a superb number.

Those are just some of the reasons that I love the number 9.

2006-12-15T11:32:00.000-05:00

FOB #10 Instructions for Life

1. Moderation in all things
2. The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
3. You can't always do things to please others, make sure you please yourself too
4. Keep emotionally clingy people at arms length. These people are constantly in crisis mode and will take all to positive energy you give them, without sending any back your way. (I've worked hard on this one in this past year.)
5. Stand up for yourself
6. Sometimes, the best way to let your child be an independant individual is to let him make mistakes, as much as it hurts you to see it happen.
7. Remember the embarrassing mistakes you made as a kid? You were a KID. Get over it. (I'm still working very hard on this one)
8. Many times, things you remember as being incredibly bad and embarrassing, others don't remember at all until you mention it to them.
9. "Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me."
10. One little step is how every journey begins. Inertia will help with the rest.

I know I will be thinking of this more throughout the day. There are so many words that can help out for so many different situations. Some of these have come from the fact that I have been putting my family's old home videos onto dvd for a Christmas present for my folks. It's been trying watching my earlier years and how I interacted with my family and friends. It's brought up some very uncomfortable, unhappy memories. Nothing truly bad, just made me remember that I was brought up to be my dad's little boy, instead of the girl I was. It made the preteen years difficult. But I know those awkward years are difficult for everyone.

Anyhoo, there's my bit of therapy for the day.
I really look forward to reading what the others write for today's FOB!

2006-12-14T21:08:00.000-05:00

FOB #11: Favorite Holiday Movies

1. Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode of "Jack Frost" - This is truly one of my favorites. It's a Russo-Finnish production. I love the clothing, the landscape, and Mike, Crow and Servo's witty remarks. I would like the movie even if they weren't making fun of it.

2. Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes episode of "The Blue Carbuncle" - Christmas in Victorian England. Just plain charming. And a mystery. Even better.

3. A Christmas Story - This has got to be on just about everyone's list. You just can't beat it.

4. A Charlie Brown Christmas

5. Used to, they would play "The Sound of Music" just before Christmas. I always looked forward to that.

6. The same thing used to occur with "The Wizard of Oz". I grew up associating both of these with Christmas because of that. Of course, this was before everyone had VCRs and movie rental places everywhere.

7. On one of my family's cruises that I attended, the boat showed a 70s movie version of Dickens' Christmas Carol that was a hoot. It was a musical, and in the scene where Scrooge is looking forward at people taking his stuff, everyone ends up in the street dancing and singing joyously. Someone is dancing on his coffin too. They played it over and over on Christmas day. It was quite funny. People did some weird stuff in the 70s.

8. "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" - Boris Karloff did an excellent job narrating this one. I also have an audio copy of him reading "The Hunting of the Snark". Little Boo loves it.

9. MST3K's episode of Santa Claus and the Martians. Martians want some of the Christmas action too.

10. Now I must haed over to my Old Time Radio Holiday Favs. We have a radio production of "Miracle on 34th Street". THe was done about the time the movie was out.

11. My very favorite Christmas media item is an old radio version of "The Blue Carbuncle". Sir John Gielgud is Holmes and Sir Ralph Richardson plays Watson. This year, since we must remain home for Christmas due to the baby, We will be roasting a goose for dinner and then listening to this one afterwards. A Christmas goose plays a very important part in this mystery.
I'm really looking forward to it.
Here is a link to the collection with this. Amazon lists it as an audiobook, but it is not. It was dramatized for radio decades ago. Radio dramatizations are way different from audiobooks.

I have many pictures to post of completed projects and of some wonderful items I ordered from White Willow. I've been putting all of the comptuer stuff on back burner lately as we try to get ready for Christmas and the baby. I hope to find some time this weekend for showing some knitting content!

Later Edit: After checking out White Willow Market's entries, I was reminded of two other movies that I just love for the holidays - "The Bells of Saint Mary's" and "The Bishop's Wife" (The Cary Grant one).
How could I have forgotten them?!?!?!?

2006-12-13T22:19:00.000-05:00

FOB #12 Annually Broken Holiday Resolutions

1. I won't get upset that my family chooses to cruise rather than be with their children and grandchildren over Christmas.
2. I won't be sad over the fact they they aren't a part of the actual holiday.
3. I will do my best to keep Hubby's present a secret from him until he opens it.
4. I will easily go to sleep Christmas Eve. I'm an adult now, I need to get over it.
5. I will not spend Christmas Eve with my husband looking for presents for his family. (Actually, this one might not be broken this year. Might not.)
6. I will be organized and have Christmas cards sent out before too late.
7. I will not stress out over all of the little things and then take it out on those around me.
8. I will not be bitter during my family's Christmas, which may occur as late as the middle of January. (They only live 1 1/2 hours away) -Actually, this will be happening this coming Sunday this year. Much closer to actual Christmas, but still, they stress me out and I get all crazy and bitter usually.
9. I will not overdo my baby sister's present. I've always spoiled her, continue to do so, and complain about how spoiled she is. (She's 27) It is SO easy to buy things I know she will like.
10. I will try to not feel uncomfortable during picture taking moments
11. I will not wake up super early, anxiously awaiting the time when everyone can open up the presents I have found for them.
12. I will not get upset that most nativity scenes are full of very Anglo-looking characters.

There we go! I could add a new one for just this year that says I will have everything ready for the baby before Christmas Eve. We have all we need, we just don't have it put in the right places and cleaned up yet. Maybe we will be able to accomplish that this weekend.
I hope so.

2006-12-12T21:01:00.000-05:00

FOB #13

Things I believe through no real reasoning

1. Whichever line I choose will be the longest one.
2. I've never seen a platypus in person, only pictures. The same applies to dragons.
3. There are other aspects of our world/universe/existence that we know very little about
4. LB has some sort of sixth sense.
5. Referees at Duke games are all biased
6. I could make just about anything I want to
7. I could play any instrument I wanted to decently, if not proficiently or passionately
8. I lived in Japan in another life. My current mom and sister were there and were deeply affected by a tsunami that we experienced in those lives.
9. My friend Hillari was an acquaintance in that life too.
10. This new baby is already a black belt
11. The underdog is usually the good guy
12. When in doubt, rip it out.
13. Each year, I will get Christmas cards out easily and ahead of time.

2006-12-11T21:33:00.000-05:00

FOB #14: These are a few of my craftiest things

1. Preparation time and clean-up time for crafts generally take longer than the actual craft itself.

2. If you try to short-cut the prep time, you'll rue it later

3. When sewing garments, go ahead and wash the fabric the way you will be washing the end product.

4. Don't sew garments for people that don't live nearby and can't try it on during the making.

5. DON'T do small work in low lighting.

6. Look up from your work at the end of a row, seam, or whatever. Give your eyes a break.

7. I completely enjoy projects with a challenge.

8. It is often all about the process for me.

9. Acetone is good for getting superglue off of skin

10. One great thing about knitting/crocheting is that you can always rip it out and make it into something else.

11. If you have cut the crotch seam wrong in sewing a pair of pants, your chances of being SOL are quite high.

12. Remember to make something for yourself every now and then too.

13. Use quality products in your crafting. Nothing sucks more than to have made something, then never wear it because the fabric/yarn feels terrible. If it's worth your time, it's worth your money.

14. A slight repeat of the above one: If something is worth doing, it is worth doing right.

2006-12-11T09:33:00.000-05:00

I decided to take my own picture of the blanket and washcloths that were made for the baby by many different, talented, and thoughtful yarn-loving hands.
I just love it all!

I missed out posting yesterday due to being out of town for Spamalot. I will make up for that now.
Yesterday's FOB topic was "The Wonder Moments"

Here are 15 of mine:

1. The Christmas morning that I received National Geographic's "The Adventures of Archaeology" big ol' coffee table book. I think that was in 4th grade. I was entranced. It was not something I had specifically asked for, but Santa knew just exactly what I wanted anyway. I went on to get my degree in socio-cultural anthropolgy with a minor in folklore. (Even though I had started out in college wanting to be a french teacher. I just completely loved my anthropology, classical archaeology, and folklore classes. I enjoyed homework most of the time.)

2. Rock climbing with a fellow camp counselor, Brandon. He was good, and very safety conscious. I was scared at some points, but once I reached the top it was incredible!

3. Sitting one night in high school with my friend Laura in her old convertable fiat spider, eating some Bojangles and listening to my folks' Johnny Mathis album "Heavenly" that I had put onto tape. I was drinking Cherry soda. It was just a nice night.

4. My best friend from growing up, Holly and I trying to prick our fingers so that we could become blood brothers like Grizzly Adams and his friend did. (Although they slit their hands. We weren't into it that much.) We never succeeded in getting any blood out.

5. WHen Hubby asked me to marry him. Fabulous restaurant. (Since burned down, unfortunately) Excellent food. Incredible wine. We knew the waiter, he knew what I would like and what would best compliment it. Then, at the end of the night, the couple at the table beside us left about half of their Dom Perrignon in the bottle. Mark, our friend/waiter, shared the rest of it with us. Unfortunately, I now know what GOOD champagne is like. One day we will have some again.

6. A short day hike in Switzerland. Heavens that place is gorgeous!

7. Waking up in the mornings just as dawn was starting when I was a camp counselor. Our cabins were quite open air, and it was great just listening and watching everything wake up.

8. The time I put Baby Ann's head on the stove. She was my baby doll, not a real child. I just like remembering my logic for doing that. I think it helps me in dealing with LB now. I like remembering a lot of that kid logic. It helps in life in general sometimes. (There's a great "This American Life" episode about children's logic. Click here, then search for "kid logic" it will be the first one to come up. I couldn't link directly to it.)

9. The time one of my fourth grade students told me that she never liked social studies until having me as her teacher. She said I made it really interesting and fun.

10. Spending the night with my friend Lindsley at a house she was sitting, along with it's dogs, and her teaching me to crochet.

11. Finishing and trying on the regency style walking dress and undergarment that I made for it. I used reproduction fabric from the time period that was woven on an old mill. I had just gone through a big Jane Austin reading binge. I love that dress.

12. The Hubby reading from the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicles" for me. It is interesting, but puts me to sleep in no time.

13. The evenings during LB's colicky months when Hubby would come home from work, change clothes, put "Danke Schoen" by Wayne Newton on repeat and take LB away from me.
It made me feel like I wouldn't need leave LB outside for the wolves that night.

14. My recent surprise baby shower. I truly was not expecting it, and have never had a surprise event like that before. It was incredible seeing how many people did things for it.

15. One of my UNC professors telling me that he liked my style of writing. Every other professor hated it completely.

That was an extremely hard list for me. I'm sure after a few days I'll think of memories I should have put in instead.

I must add my comments on Spamalot.
As one who enjoys watching the Flying Circus episodes more than watching the MP movies, I was a bit disappointed. I should have expected it, seeing as how it was made for Broadway.
My parents saw it earlier in the week and just loved it. I should have taken that as a sign, because they don't enjoy Monty Python normally.
It was very... well, Broadway.
I would say it was majority Broadway and minority Monty Python.
I have been watching Monty Python episodes and listening to skits for over 20 years now. I've seen the movies. Spamalot wasn't bad. It just wasn't as Pythonish as I would have liked.

Our dinner beforehand at 300 East was excellent. I had the Fall Salad which consisted of mixed greens, port-soaked cherries, goat cheese, pine nuts, chicken (not usually a big fan of that in my salads, but it was nicely done), and some other things that I can't remember now with a wonderfully light and flavorful dressing.
I also tasted Hubby's Guinness.
Mmmmmm.......
Stouts.

2006-12-09T08:41:00.000-05:00

Okay, this will be the first time I have written a list of names I think I might like for this baby. This is just a quick thinking through. I know there will be some that don't get put in, and some that I put in that may not really be serious, but ones I wish I could name my child.

FOB #16. Baby names

Boys
1. Scott
2. Hugh
3. Angus
4. Ross
5. Ewen
6. Magnus
7. Calvin
8. Fred & George if it happens to be two
Girls
9. Agatha
10. Clara
11. Smithie
12. Rose
13. Susan
14. Carol (kind of Christmasy, huh?)
15. Sarah (I know this one has already been taken by a friend, but it is a good name!)
16. Julia

Middle names are being quite hard this time too. Don't know what to do about it all.
I must be off to go see Spamalot. My folks purchased us tickets for it!
We go, they babysit.
How nice.

2006-12-08T09:35:00.000-05:00

Last night, I was tricked into a baby shower at my LYS. I had been told by Neighbor Knitter that it was a Christmas party for those that come to the knitting time. Apparently, She and Miz Knotty orchestrated this whole thing, even going to the extent of emailing everyone that I had emailed with pictures of LB and the ultrasounds of the baby. (How sneaky!)
They sent out yarn to those who could knit and/or crochet and received squares back, which they then seamed together into a blanket. Other ladies that come to the knitting time at the store made squares. Cathy, Linda, Shelby, Toya, Sarah and Cindy all made squares for it.
There were also a few extra squares so I now have some most excellent baby washcloths to go along with it!
Neighbor Knitter has pics.
They received squares from people they have never met, but have big importance to me in my life. People like Lindsley, Darcie, Duke, and Andrea.
When they told me some of the squares came from these women, I was stunned.
And very touched.
I have definitely not been expecting a shower for this second one. I was very surprised.
Women friends are great. I think they are one of the things that I could not do without.

And speaking of things one cannot do without, I give you

Neighbor Knitter's FOB #17: Possessions you would not like to live without

1. Old radio shows - detectives, mysteries, and especially the scifis

2. Old movies about rich people - most of these end up having been made in the thirties. The women were just plain glamorous, the men oh so debonair.

3. Baby Ann - I received her as a kid, put her plastic head of plastic hair on the stove and turned it on to see what would happen (black hard mess that I had to cut out), and she still stays around even after such abuse

4. Beatles albums

5. My Ultra Lounge cds

6. The old record player that was a school discard

7. My first boxed set of the Chronicles of Narnia. Read these in elementary school and many times over and over ever since. (I have a newer boxed set that I used to let my students use in the classroom.)

8. Right now, I must say the one pair of maternity pants that actually stay on, don't ride up or down, and stretch along with me. They were bought during my pregnancy with LB, and the brand doesn't make them anymore.

9. Also maternity related: Maternity underwear from Mimi Maternity. It is SO worth the money. The best maternity underwear out there.

10. My $50 yard sale Necchi sewing machine that Lindsley encouraged me to buy. It's from the 1950s, metal parts, closes up to look like a small chest of drawers. Stitches like a dream. Straight stitch and zig-zag. You really don't need any more than that in a machine.

11. Cable internet. Every penny is worth it.

12. A few small boxes of special things collected over the years. Some costume jewelry that belonged my great aunt and some that belonged to each of my grandmothers, coins from other countries, sticks, stones, a feather etc. All the kinds of items that mesmerized me as a child.

13. The cut glass crystals from my grandmother's kitchen that I mentioned in yesterday's list

14. My books. I've had to live my married years with them packed up until we moved into this house last year. It's such a wonderful feeling to have them around me and there when I want to read passages again.

15. pencils and pens. black ink only please.

16. My cookbooks. even when I don't plan on cooking, I still love to read them

17. And, I must agree with Neighbor Knitter and have the Harry Potter books in this list. JK! Please finish the last book now! I must know what happens! (Then my Gollum voice rises up and says "NO! once I've read it, it will all be over! I must keep my theories of Snape's innocence and the Weasley family safety - except for Percy - alive! Book 7 is my Precious. Reading it would be like throwing it into the fires!)

After writing this, I realize there may be a difference between things I would not like to live without, and items that I would try to save were we forced to grab something and go due to fire or some apocalyptic event.

One bind off row left on the babyjacket!

2006-12-07T13:31:00.000-05:00

My rendition of Neighbor Knitter's #18. What's in Your Kitchen?

1. A cassette audio book of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"
2. An old portable stereo radio/tape/cd player in which I am playing the above tapes. (I think, at the time this was purchased, about 15 years ago, people called them "boomboxes".)
3. A newer, smaller radio/cd/tape player (4-5 years old). The older one no longer plays cds, the newer one no longer plays tapes due to some tinkering by a certain 3 year old.
4. LB's playschool's holiday schedule
5. A Grundig Yachtboy shortwave radio (We enjoy listening to other countries' broascasts. Voice of Iran has been interesting in the past few years. Also Radio Havana, Cuba. I enjoy Radio Japan most of all. There is something there at night and early mornings from so many countries. Really interesting.)
6. The book "Passport to World Band Radio 2004" (We really need to purchase the newest edition.)
7. A homemade peppermint foot scrub that one of my husband's clients has given us. She has other good body things too she gives us every now and then. She's a massage therapist.
8. 3 Fuyu persimmons (when you think they have gone bad, they are good.)
9. A Motto Calendar (12th listing down on the page) from an Amish group. (Hubby's mother used to give these out as Christmas cards. They are full of great quotations. Many seem to be quite a bit liberal in their political view.)
10. A string of cut glass crystals that used to hang in the window of my paternal grandmother's kitchen. Now it hangs in a window in my kitchen. When the sun shines in, it sends little rainbows everywhere. She, by the way, turns 100 years old this December 16th.
11. A wooden frog toy that you pull the string and his legs and arms flop. (My best friend from college gave this to me some years ago and it has moved into every kitchen of mine since. The greens and blues in it are just to my liking.)
12. some permanent markers that were put out of LB's reach and need to be put somewhere else.
13. A map of Greensboro, NC
14. A 7 inch tall Tyrannasuarue Rex
15. An 18 inch long Diplodocus
16. A small Simple Human trash can full of kitchen scraps that MUST go out to compost today.
17. Some Oxford gargoyle magnets that Hubby brought back from Oxford for me when he studied there for a summer. This was before we started dating, back when we were just friends in college.
18. Framed, signed photograph of Wayne Newton. (We're not Wayniacs or anything like that. It's just that "Danke Schoen" saved our sanity during LB's colicky months.)

There you have it!
I should be able to finish the Baby surprise jasket either tonight or tomorrow night. I look forward to seeing it completed!

2006-12-06T10:48:00.000-05:00

Here are the pictures of my finished Christmas presents! The stocking ornaments each have the initials of my sister's family on the other side.
Here is Little Boo in the Elvis wig that I made for my brother. I plan on posting a picture of my brother in it when I give it to him. LB thinks he looks like Victor Quartermaine from W&G's "The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" with this wig.

Trying to meet up with Neighbor Knitter's Challenge, I give you:

19 movies/shows I like
(This is just a very small listing)

1. Monty Python's Flying Circus
2. MST3K's "Jack Frost"
3. Orlando (Gorgeous movie)
4. The Third Man tv show starring Michael Rennie
5. The Day the Earth Stood Still (The message is still applicable today!)
6. H.R. Pufnstuf
7. Brigadoon (Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse...wonderful!)
8. Pirates of Penzance (Kevin Kline as the Pirate King was one of my first childhood crushes)
9. The Crawling Eye
10. My Man Godfrey
11. The Thin Man
12. One Way Passage
(notice a William Powell connection in those last three?)
13. Grand Hotel
14. Dinner at Eight
(excellent actors, good stories in both 13 &14)
15. Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes
16. David Suchet's Hercule Poirot
17. Double Indemnity
18. Dreams (visually stunning. meaningful stories.)
19. After Life (What one memory would you choose to save from your life?)

Man, there are tons more that I didn't even get into. There are many other foriegn films I just love. Also some great silents. And I left out some cheesy 80s movies. More British tv. More comedy - "Strange Brew", anyone? More childhood favorites.

Maybe I should have chosen something else to number. Thankfully, each day there will be smaller lists. I should have been cleaning this whole time while LB is in playschool.

2006-12-05T13:33:00.000-05:00

So - I have finished the stocking ornaments and the Elvis wig. All of my planned Christmas knitting is now complete.
I have taken pictures.
But - on our trip last weekend to Fayetteville, I left my favorite maternity jacket which had the cord that connects my camera to my computer in it.
Pooters.
And when we went this past weekend to Granny's farm, a place where I just love to take pictures, I forgot the camera.
Pooters again.
At some point I will just suck it up and buy another card reader (I have misplaced my former one). Maybe that will be today or tomorrow.

I have begun working on a Surprise Baby Jacket for the baby. I have also started a pair of mittens for a friend. (She would like ones like those in a Laura Ingalls Wilder book where the girl gets red mittens for Christmas. If any of you know which book that is I would appreciate it. As much as I read as a little girl, I never read those books.)

And speaking of books, I finished reading Da Chen's "Colors of the Mountain" a few weeks ago. It was excellent. I highly recommend it. Also, due to wakeful, pregnant nights, I just finished Agatha Christie's "Elephants Can Remember". I just love Poirot. (I also love the name Agatha. Always have. Ever since I saw The Electric Grandmother. My poor children. Little Boo is lucky he escaped the name Angus - though it is on the possibles list once again for this next one. Along with Agatha.)

Until I can put up some pictures of my completed works, please go to Yoga Beans for a good laugh. Be sure to click on some of the Previous Poses in the right hand sideber.
It's a good break from holiday stress.

2006-11-21T14:58:00.000-05:00

The washcloths are finished with ends woven into them. I'm not yet sure how I will wrap them. Something simple.
The soaps I purchased for the gifts are beside them. They are "Calico Rose", a nice, light rose scent and they are marbled red and white in color.
It's good to have these finished.

I'm realizing how close it is getting to time for the baby to be born and starting to freak out a bit. We haven't even really talked about names at all yet.
We also haven't set up any furniture either. The crib is still together in LB's room. Not that he still uses it at all. (Except for trampoline purposes) It has just been easier to leave it there than to take it down and put it somewhere else.
I need to get out the baby clothes, wash them up and have them ready to go.
Maybe we should get onto that stuff.
Maybe I'll start trying after Thanksgiving.

2006-11-19T13:42:00.000-05:00

LB attended his first college football game Saturday. It ended up being a great game, and our team won. It was a game between two big rivals, UNC-Chapel Hill vs. NC State.
I must state that I am no big football fan. I'm just not really a big sports fan in general. I don't want anyone thinking I know a lot about these things.
But, Hubby and I met at UNC, my mom and dad met at UNC. LB also has two aunts, a great-grandfather, three great uncles, a great-great uncle, and many cousins who have attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
I will not be pushing it on him, (I made good grades so I could get into UNC, not so that I could be in a career of any sort.) it's just that this was a big moment in LB's life, as far as his two grandfathers are concerned.

After about 15 minutes, he said we were all done. I haven't told and won't tell that part to my father or father-in-law.

On the creation front, I have finished up knitting all of the cotton chenille washcloths for Christmas presents. I have only to weave in the ends. I bought the soaps that will accompany them at the Greensboro Farmer's Curb Market Saturday.
I will now allow myself to begin work on my brother's Elvis Wig.
It looks like I will be finished with all of my Christmas knitting by the end of Thanksgiving!
(I hope I didn't just jinx myself.)

2006-11-13T10:01:00.000-05:00

What you see (or don't see due to low lighting) at the left is what has been the bane to my crafting existence lately. I did not knit the sweater. It is not my style. But I am lining the sweater jacket for my LYS. Now, densely knitted items that don't have very much stretch are not that bad to line with non-stretchy fabrics.
But this...
This is a bit heavy and stretchy. I have added 6 inches of ease into the back of the lining now so that it would have a pleat.
There is no pleat.
This thing is like a liquid that shapes itself into the shape of it's container.
I am cursing its existence.
Hopefully, I will have completed it by tonight at the earliest, tomorrow night at the latest.
Then, I can continue on my regularly scheduled creating. There is so much I want to knit before the baby gets here.

2006-11-03T07:13:00.000-05:00

I finished these guys on Halloween, but Blogger has been giving me some incredible troubles for quite awhile now, so I was not able to post them.
Little Boo and I went to a fabric store Sunday, and their anti-pill fleece was on sale. I asked him to pick out any color he wanted for a monster, and he chose the "medium purple".
He has named this tall guy Spooks also. I tried to get him to choose a different name, but he says that he now has two Spooks.
The little short one has four stubby legs, six long tentacles, and two tentacle eyes. LB calls him his spider. I made him without much of a plan, which is hard for me. I often like to over-plan my creations. In my sewing, cooking, traveling, everything, I want to have it all planned out ahead of time. I'm a bit of a control freak that way.

Small household tip I have to share here. Last week, (I wanted to post it last week, but kept having problems with blogger) I made a 90 minute Coq au Vin from the current Cook's Illustrated issue. It was good, and I actually made it in the 90 minutes. (Rachel Rays' 30 minute meals take me at least 45, if not an hour. I don't like to rush.) As good as it was, it left the house smelling like it. Every room seemed to be infused with the reduced pinot noir sauce. So, I took out my handy gallon of white vinegar, poured a bit in a casserole dish - enough to cover the bottom, and set it downstairs. Then I did the same in a smaller dish and set it upstairs. By bedtime, the smell was almost gone, and by morning, it was completely gone.
I learned about the deodorizing effects of white vinegar from a custodian at an elementary school where I worked. She would set out a dish of it afterschool in rooms that were, let's say, less than fresh. I've even seen it (smelled it?) get rid of weekend dead hamster smell quite quickly.
White vinegar is amazing.

For a great tip on how to store those plastic bags, go to Sweet's blog. Since she shared this, our bags of bags are much more managable. It's easier to store them and carry them back to the store for recycling this way.

2006-10-29T07:36:00.000-05:00

I finished converting the bib form crochet to knit. I like the results, and love the yarn, but I don't think I will make another one out of this yarn. The two just don't go together very well. I plan to redo the pattern in a regular kitchen cotton kind of yarn.

(My cutie-pie niece is modeling the bib when we met them in Greensboro to go to the Children's Musuem and take advantage of Earth Fare's 20% off EVERYTHING Customer Appreciation Day.)

Here is my Monster-In-Progress. Not quite sure what I will attatch yet. Tentacles? Wings? No arms at all? We'll see what happens tonight. While trying to take a well-lit picture of this guy (obviously, I was unsuccessful at my attempts), my son wanted to get a picture of himself with the pumpkin he made at playschool and with the card that Lindsley sent him. He preferred showing the inside of the card to the outer, Halloween decorated part. The words inside are more important to him. How sweet!

So, LB woke up the morning, bounding into our room at 7:30. I was irritated that it was so early. Then I realized that it was actually 6:30 instead. Cursed daylight savings!

Yesterday was a crazy day. I taught the second class of the two-at-once, toe-up, magic loop socks class. All I have to say from the experience is this: I think I should shred my teacher's license. Can I anull a Master's in Teaching? Or maybe I should list prerequisites to my class next time. (DUH!)

Then I raced back home to get LB dressed for a Halloween party. I tried to find my Revolutionary War re-enactment outfit, but could not. I should find it before Tuesday. Those things were designed to work when pregnant too. If not, one of the moms at the party suggested I give out treats with my hair up in pink sponge curlers, an apron and housedress, and barefoot. Hmm....

After the party, we came home, cooked dinner, and went to a local high school to hear a concert on the old theater organ they have been restoring and installing there. It was lovely! I look forward to hearing more performances on it. Check out the Piedmont Theater Organ Society's website here. LB had a good time. He was the only one there under high school age I think. He behaved wonderfully, putting down his ticket and clapping after each song. At intermission, he told me he wanted to go to bed. Seeing as how it was after 8:00, I consented.
I just love organ music. If you do too, check out "Pipe Dreams". Maybe it comes on in your area.

2006-10-24T13:52:00.000-04:00

I've finished my Bajoran emblem inspired socks! Here is a scanned in image of the cable emblem that I made up for the back of the socks. The greens and oranges in the yarn made me think of Kira and Bajor in general.

Below you will find the pattern for the emblem.
Just know that only I have worked it, and double-checked the pattern, so there could be some mistakes in there. I also have never really done a cable pattern before, so I don't really think I used the proper cabling lingo, but i think I get my point across.
The cable emblem is worked in the round, so if you do it back and forth, you will have to reverse every other row.
In row 5 you work a bobble back a forth a few times in one stitch.
I think you could repeat row 8 even more times to give it a more elongated oval look.

Bajoran Emblem Cable Pattern
(worked in the round)

Row 1 - p9, k2, p9
2 - p8, k4, p8
3 - p7, sl 1 st to cable needle and hold in back, k2, k cable st, sl2 sts to cable needle and hold in front, k1, k2 cable sts, p7
4 - p6, sl 1 st to cable needle and hold in back, k2, p cable st, k2tog, sl 2 sts to cable needle and hold in front, p1, k2 cable sts, p6
5 - p5, sl 1 st to cable needle and hold in back, k2, p cable st, p1
yo, k5 sts into next st, turn
sl 1 pwise, p5, turn
sl 1 kwise, k5, turn
p2tog 3 times, turn
sl1 kwise, k2tog, psso, p1, sl 2 to cable needle and hold in front, p1, k cable sts, p5
6 - p4, sl 1 st to cable needle and hold in back, k2, p cable st, p2, k2 into next st, p2, sl 2 sts to cable needle and hold in front, p1, k2 cable sts, p4
7 - p3, sl 1 st to cable needle and hold in back, k2, p cable st, p3, k2, p3, sl 2 sts to cable needle and hold in front, p1, k2 cable sts, p3
8 - p3, k2, p4, k2, p4, k2, p3
9-18 - Repeat row 8 10 times
19 - p3, k2, p3, k4, p3, k2, p3
20 - Repeat row 19
21 - p3, sl 3 to cable needle and hold in front, p1, k3 cable sts, p1, k4, p1, sl 1 st to cable needle and hold in back, k3, p cable st, p3
22 - p4, sl 3 to cable needle and hold in front, p1, k3 cable sts, k4, sl 1 st to cable needle and hold in back, k3, p cable st, p4
23 - p5, M1 purlwise, k2, k1, slip next stitch over last stitch, k2, sl 1, k1, psso, k2, M1 pwise, p5
24 - p6, m1 pwise, k2, slip next stitch over last stitch, k2, sl 1, k1, psso, k1, M1 pwise, p6
25 - p7, M1 pwise, k1, slip next stitch over last stitch, k2, sl 1, k1, psso, M1 purlwise, p7
26 - p8, k4, p8
27 - Repeat row 26
28 - P9, k2, p9
29 - Repeat row 28
30 - p24
31 - p24

The socks as a whole look a bit like this:

The picture is dark, I know, but you should have seen when I tried to take the picture myself during the day! 7 month pregnant woman trying to do a modified back bend while aiming and shooting a camera. Should have been a Marx Brothers skit.

2006-10-24T08:46:00.000-04:00

My good friend, Lindsley, flew down from NYC this past weekend. She stopped by my house Sunday, then LB and I went to Chapel Hill to meet up with her there yesterday. While there, I made two wonderful finds.
The first, was this book at my favorite used bookstore, "The Bookshop". I have been checking out "The Craft of Lace Knitting" by Barbara Walker from my library (actually a library farther away, but I do the inter-library loan thing) quite often for the past year and a half. I've even considered trying to buy it from them since it is out of print.
So I about flipped when I saw this - and for cheaper than I've seen online!

Next up, we went to an excellent fabric shop, that we sadly discovered is closing on November 4th. Upside of that is everything was on tremendous sale. It was just too much for me to process, though, and I left with Sandra Betzina's "Fabric Saavy" - excellent sewing reference - for 50% off AND
(drumroll please)

LB left with this:
The owner had a great section of kids toys to keep the wee ones entertained while the moms spend time and money on fabrics and notions. She charged me $1 for it. I felt like I was cheating her, and I think she felt bad for charging me that much. Perfect.
No batteries.
No lights.
No songs.
Just a barn with two big bottom doors and a hayloft.

LB's animals have already moved into their spaces.

Three great buys and an afternoon with a good friend.
It was a nice day.

2006-10-22T16:31:00.000-04:00

It seems it has been a long time since my last post. The weather here has been mostly grey and rainy, though we have had some nice sunny part days also. I've been wanting to get some pictures of the roses in my garden to post, but every time I can get out there, it is overcast. So I've gone ahead and taken some pictures anyway to share. Here's a little grouping of some of them.
I have definitely been feeling quite pregnant the past week and a half. Hard time getting up, belly in the way when doing dishes, no lap to catch crumbs when eating in the car...
I can also tell that I need to cut back on some activities. Saturday, LB and I got up and spent the morning doing yardwork - cutting back ornamental grasses, and trimming one of our hedges. Then I had a quick lunch and sped off to my LYS to teach a two at once, toe-up, sock knitting class. Came back and was with LB while Hubby went back into work for the rest of the evening.
Makes for a LONG day. I think mainly, I should have cut out some of the yard work. I really wanted to get it done, but I am feeling it today. Just pushed myself a bit too hard in the morning.
I look forward to beginning a new monster tonight. I've been quite wiped out this week and not done much crafting.
Hope to have more to share this week!

2006-10-16T19:33:00.002-04:00

Meet Spooks, our newest resident monster. For more details on his making go to the Monster-A-Long site. Here, I will give a description of WHY we made him today.
This morning Little Boo and I met some of our friends at the children's museum. LB insisted that he take his Tigger with him, which he did. He kept up with him the whole time very well. That is, until we were leaving and I asked him to put Tigger down so that he could use some sanitizing goop on his hands. As sson as the goop was on and dried, I rushed him out of the doors and into the parking lot. About an hour later, while we were at the Barnes & Noble playing with the Thomas trains, he asks me where Tigger was.
I realized I was in deep s*#$t.
Tigger has been quite close to his heart for about a month now. Unfortunately, the museum is only open until 12 noon on Mondays. We left when they closed, and there was no one there to answer phones or the door that afternoon.
He cried the whole 30 minute drive home.
I thought the creation of a new monster might help distract him from his sorrows. It seems to be working quite well so far. We'll see what happens at bedtime!
Of course, we will be back at the museum as soon as the doors open in the morning.

2006-10-12T15:09:00.000-04:00

B and I made his Wallace pants yesterday, completing his Halloween outfit. I finished knitting the vest last week and he has been waiting patiently for the pants ever since.
When I let him out of rest time, we cut them out and sewed them together. he likes helping with the sewing. His job is to press the reverse button so we can backtack at the beginning and end of a seam.
I feel I can relax a bit now that I have made his costume.

2006-10-11T14:38:00.000-04:00

The other day, while Little Boo and I were watching "The Curse of the Were-Rabbit", I discovered that our dvd had dvd-rom features on it. One of these is a set of Wallace and Gromit t-shirt iron-ons. So I made him a shirt with Wallace saying "I'm just crackers about cheese!" on it.
He loves it.

Thought I would also update you all on our MonsterFest.
Last year, we began on October 11th, but this year, we have started much earlier. Last Friday we watched "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" - 1936.
Saturday was "Dracula" - 1931.
Sunday: Agatha Christie's Poirot with David Suchet "The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb"
Monday: "Mad Love" - 1935, with Peter Lorre and Colin Clive
And last night was "The Bloody Brood" - 1959, with Peter Falk

I know I sound crazy, but we take our Monsterfest seriously. The Peter Falk movie had some terrible acting in it, but wasn't terribly bad. I quite enjoyed "Mad Love". Peter Lorre really was great. The emotions he was able to express without even opening his mouth are incredible. Too bad he looked kinda creepy from the getgo. He could have done much more if he had not been typecast as a psycho. If you ever get a chance to watch him in "M", the german movie, it is well worth it. It is an excellent one.

2006-10-10T21:04:00.000-04:00

I love finding old cookbook pamphlets from various manufacturers at thrift stores, library book sales, and the like. This is one of my more recent acquisitions from Swift Meats.
What I love the most about it are the party plans they have listed. You have "The Slumber Party" with a Hobo party theme, "The High School Hop" with a Balloon party theme, "The Couple's Potluck" with a Backstage Theater Party theme, "The After-five Hostess" for the After-five Hostess Entertains theme, and, my favorite, "THe Stag Party with a Stag Party theme.
Each party plan has a full menu listed along with decorations you can make and games to play during the party. Recipes for the menu items are in the rest of the pamphlet. Almost all of which involve some form of Swift Meats product.
An interesting note about his one is that it has a page with some sample calorie breakdowns and the average caloric intake that it bases its listing on is 1,800 calories. Most things today use a 2,000 calorie diet as its base. And let me tell you, these recipes are not very low fat!

2006-10-09T09:49:00.000-04:00

October 9, 1940 - December 8, 1980

2006-10-04T11:16:00.000-04:00

To continue on with my recent purchasing ventures, here are the yarns that I acquired yesterday at a trip to my LYS. On the right, ou have 6 balls of Crystal Palace's Cotton Chenille that will become Christmas presents before too long. And one birthday present.
On the left are four balls of Patagonia's Nature Cotton. This stuff is beautiful. I am considering making some of the bibs that I posted about earlier from this stuff.

On the Monster front, I began a zombie leg last night and only got about 1/2 inch up before I just couldn't do any more. I am sick and I just had to lie down and rest. Sounds pretty wimpy, huh?
Not much crafting going on right now due to this illness. Hopefully I will be better in time for tomorrow's knit night at my LYS.

2006-10-03T15:19:00.000-04:00

I have been on a little bit of a buying spree lately. But then, spree connotes it was not thought through, and all of my purchases have been way over thought - to the point that thinking about whether or not I should buy them has kept me up at night.
I first saw this pack of Amy Butler fat quarters at Piece Gardens in Asheville, when I was up there for my younger sister's wedding. I loved them when I saw them, but was not in a buying mood. So I left town without purchasing anything. It stayed on my mind for a few days until I was about to burst, kicking myself in the pants for not purchasing them! SO I called them up - they still had them - and bought them over the phone.
BTW - Piece Gardens is the most amazing quilting shop I have ever encountered. Usually I have to searcha nd weed through bolts to find anything I like, but not there! I could have bought yardage off of almost every bolt! If you ever are in downtown Asheville, drop on in!
Then, I went ahead and bought the lace blockers set form KNit Picks. I've been eyeing them for quite some time, going back and forth as to whether or not it would be a good investment. As I have become more and more obsessed with lace knitting - I am planning a laceweight or cobweb weight shawl to begin as soon as I finish all of my Christmas crafting - I decided I should go ahead and get them.
As I was adding them to my cart, I discovered they had Knitorama on sale. By adding that, my total just broke the free shipping mark, so I threw it in for good measure. It is a funny book, I've just begun looking through it. (okay, so that part of the purchase was impulse)
Then today, I went to my LYS...
But more on that trip later. I'm sick and must rest while my boy is resting.
(I finished B's Wallace vest and will begin creating a zombie tonight!)

2006-09-28T07:52:00.000-04:00

As if I don't already have a very long list of items I want to make for Halloween and Christmas, this bib keeps popping into my head. I just love it.
What makes me obsess about it right now is that my LYS has all of their cotton yarns on sale right now. I think I could adapt this pattern to whatever cotton size I find that I like. I may even try to switch it over to knit instead of crochet, but densely crocheted items are much more stable. (While also taking longer to dry out. Hmm...)

My socks are coming along very nicely. I have finished the whole foot and am about 4 inches up the leg. I still have quite a bit of yarn, so I will keep going until I can go no more. Before working the cuff and finishing, I will add a Bajoran cable emblem that I created at the back of the calf.

The socks are on hold right now as I work on Bruce's green vest so that he can be dressed like Wallace, of Wallace and Gromit. (He told me the other day that I "need to get to work on his vest"!) I am knitting it in the round and last night I realized, at about 7 inches up form the bottom, that it was too small. My swatch gauge had been much larger than what I was actually knitting, by about 1 stitch per inch. So I ripped it out and started over.
I am now about 1 1/2 inches up.
Pooters.

2006-09-20T07:36:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine is selling these most excellent books on ebay right now. If you are interested in hats and bags from the 1940s go take a look. Click on the pic above for a closer view of them. They really are great! Here is her site.
The books are in great condition. All of the patterns are there and legible.
I am just learning how to work Photoshop, so there is one book she is selling from 1938 that I wasn't able to figure out how to fit into the mosaic.
Just gorgeous!

2006-09-16T07:32:00.000-04:00

I recently found a Star Trek personality test thanks to The Knitting Glaistig. I thought I would share my results, as I am quite happy with them!
Your results:
You are Deanna Troi

Deanna Troi	90%
Chekov	60%
Beverly Crusher	60%
Jean-Luc Picard	55%
Uhura	50%
Mr. Sulu	50%
Worf	50%

You are a caring and loving individual.
You understand people's emotions and
you are able to comfort and counsel them.

Click here to take the Star Trek Personality Test

I've been working on trying to get those spaces out of it. I would say those are some of my favorite characters from Star Trek. I was quite happy that Chekov and Crusher (go redheads!)made it up there!

2006-09-14T21:32:00.000-04:00

Here is my first button! I've created it for the Monster-A-Long. Go over there and check it out!

For Halloween, my husband and I enjoy creating our own MonsterFest. We used to watch AMC's Monsterfest, but then, it really started going downhill, and so we started our own. (The climax of AMC's MonsterFests was when they had Roger Corman host it as Dr. Gorman. It was INCREDIBLE that year. After that, they went downhill fast.)
Last year, I wrote down all that we viewed and listened to (we include old time radio shows) for the event. We started on Oct. 11 and ended our festival on October 31st. I've begun planning for this years Monsterfest. To do so, I got out last years list. I thought I would share it with you.
The Lodger (1926 Alfred Hitchcock silent)
The Giant Gila Monster
The Atomic Brain (1964)
Mystery Science Theater 3000 - The Screaming Skull
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (I highly recommend this Vincent Price film)
Dementia 13 (Francis Ford Copolla's directorial debut - 1963)
radio show - "The Bedsheet" from The Black Museum
Phantom from Space (1953 B-grade, gotta love it)
Scared to Death (Bela Lugosi)
Werewolf of London (1935 Henry Hull & Warner Oland - I love this one)
The Crawling Eye (One of our favorites)
The Last Man on Earth (Vincent Price - good idea, disappoointing ending)
The Mummy (1932 Boris Karloff)
Dracula (1931 Bela Lugosi)
Frankenstein (1931 Boris Karloff)
Godzilla Versus Mothra (1964 - I love Mothra)
Bride of Frankenstein (1935 Boris Karloff)
House on Haunted Hill (1958 Vincent Price)
War of the Worlds (Orson Welles' original radio broadcast - fabulous!!!)
Night of the Living Dead (1968)

We have many new old movies to watch for this year, but I want to include some of my old favorites. I must get to work on my schedule. It will make for great Monster-A-Long creating!

2006-09-09T08:19:00.000-04:00

The club covers are finished. What a fun, quick project! I recommend these to anyone who is or knows a golfer with an appreciation for the, might we say, vintage things in life.
The pattern is from "Bernat Gift Bazaar", circa 1956, in the Women's Knit Fashions Volume 2 from Vintage-Knitting-Patterns.com. I have purchased a few of her collections and they really are great for those who enjoy the older fashions.
The pom-poms at the tops of these are bigger than the ones in the picture, but hubby likes them that way.

Next in line is a pair of Universal Toe-up Socks for me. I have already completed the calculations and ready to begin. I'm using some Sock Garden yarn from Knit Picks that was discontinued a while back (that is when I bought it on sale). THe color scheme is called "Daffodils" and is a mix of oranges, greens, yellows, and browns. I really just love the colors in it. I hope it turns out well and doesn't pool in a way with which I am unhappy.

After that, I will probably make a Wallace-like vest for my Wallace obsessed son. I have the yarn already - it was supposed to be for his Weasley sweater two years ago, but then I found something I liked better so it went into the stash.
His doll has already had an arm re-attatched, his head removed, neck restuffed, the head re-attatched with a shorter neck, and given a new tie. He has done pretty much everything my son has done since we gave him the doll Wednesday afternoon.

Monsters are constantly on my brain, though. My inner mad scientist is yearning to be unleashed!

2006-09-06T14:46:00.000-04:00

A boy and his Wallace.
My son had his first day back at playschool today, and as I finished Wallace's slippers last night, we gave him his doll today after lunch. He seems to like the doll and carries Wallace around with great care.
I wanted them to be in a different pose and in a different light, but my boy insisted that Wallace sit right there beside him for the picture. Maybe I can pry the doll away from him when he sleeps at night to get a better picture.
It's great to have it completed.
Now I can focus on the club covers. Which, by the way, had to be put on a slight hold since I discovered that I somehow have put a fracture into the clover bamboo circulars I was using. I expect it was from one of the times Bruce jumped onto my knitting bag in the past day or two. So, darn it, I had to go to the yarn store today and buy me a pair of Addi Turbos to replace them. ("Excellent." in a Mr. Burns voice)
My goal is to have the club covers completed Friday evening. We'll see if I can accomplish that.

2006-09-04T11:11:00.000-04:00

The ulrasound was last Wednesday and here is a part of one of the profile shots.
I know it looks ghostly, but hey, it's still kinda cute.

Wallace is almost complete. I am now doing the detail stitching on his slippers then he will be ready for presenting to the little one. I think we'll give it to him Wednesday, after his first day back to playschool.
I have begun a couple of golf club covers for my husband's older, persimmon headed clubs. They are moving along well. I hope to have them finished by the end of the week.

I have decided to host a Monster-A-Long for Halloween. It will be a place where knitters, crocheters, and other crafters can share their mad scientist longings with the world. I'm still finding many good inspirational and instructional sites to link up to on the sidebar.
I need some good monsters to hang out at my house to help get me in the holiday spirit.

2006-08-31T08:32:00.000-04:00

I have been a bit slow at my crafting lately. By the end of the day I am bout as worn out as can be and can only manage about 30 minutes of work before falling asleep.
Luckily, B's first day back at playschool is next Wednesday. Then I will have some time - three days a week, three hours each day - to get all of the things accomplished that end up taking my evening craft time away from me.

The picture here is of some wonderful handmade goodies that my friend Darcie sent me. They are some of the items she offers for sale at her Etsy store, Dream Land Treasures. She sent me a couple of her shoebags and a cute crcheted tote. Check her out, she has some nice items.

2006-08-21T05:40:00.000-04:00

The pieces of B's Wallace doll have now been cut out and sewn, but not stuffed or attatched. After I complete that step, I get to make his clothes - a pair of brown pants, a white shirt, a red tie, green vest, and brown plaid slippers. My son has been obsessed with Wallace and Gromit for quite awhile now. He IS Wallace, according to him. (Luckily, he tells me I am Gromit! He also says his dad is the penguin from "The Wrong Trousers".)
I spent a some months with this inmy mind and searching for the right type of pattern and the guts to go ahead and cut the felt.
I ended up using the Nekomimi doll pattern from Runo the Dollmaker's site. There are so many great patterns there. If you scroll on down you'll see al types of doll patterns. It's a wealth of information and instruction.
So this is what one can accomplish in the middle of the night when one is pregnant and going through the whole "I really need to sleep, but I am wide awake and need to do something" part of the 9 month journey.

2006-08-13T13:19:00.000-04:00

Hubby's socks are finished. It's great to have them completed. The pattern is from Nancy Bush's "Knitting Vintage Socks". I changed it up a little to be a gauge that I prefered, fit my husband's feet, and to make them work for doing both at the same time using the Magic Loop method. I wish they could have been longer, but I used almost every yard of yarn as it was. I think the next socks I do will be toe-up and two at once with the Magic Loop technique.
I have quite a few projects that would like to be next in line. I want to make a Wallace doll for my son (he is obsessed with Wallace of Wallace and Gromit), a vest for him similar to the one Wallace wears, golf club covers for the hubby, socks for me, and various Christmas presents.
Where to begin?

2006-08-03T07:31:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I canned all of the tomatoes that we had from our garden. We've been eating tomatoes everyday since about July 10th or 12th. I really don't mind eating tomatoes everyday. But, we were getting more than we could eat, so we decided to can all we had. It ended up processing into one gallon of canned tomatoes ( 1 quart and 6 pints).
This is the first time I have canned on this size scale. In the past I have made my grammommie's red pepper relish in half pint jars. There has only been three to four jars, so I never needed any big deal canning equipment.
Yesterday, I went to the local hardware store in downtown Graham and bought a big boiling water canner with rack, a pack on pint jars, and the super useful tongs to lift the jars out of the boiling water.
I came home, cleaned the kitchen, washed peeled and cut the tomatoes, then had to stop for dinner. Wonderful hubby brought dinner home from BB-Q and Ribs Co.. We don't eat there often, even though it's not far away. It just seemed to go with the process of canning tomatoes to me.
Then I gave the kid a shower, read him his stories, came downstairs and started the cooking and canning of the tomatoes. I started the whole process at around 2pm in the afternoon and finished it just after 10pm with a break for dinner and bedtime. Whew!
Hubby and I are now looking quite forward to some of his grandmother's recipes that just aren't the same unless you use home canned tomatoes. Mainly, he likes her stuffed peppers and her spaghetti. (Spaghetti from a Scots/Irish/English descended family living in the sandhills of North Carolina. It's not very Italian. But it's good.)
Bruce handled all of the afternoon neglect with his usual destructive tendencies. We had to have a clean-up time after dinner. ( this is where my mom would say "Just put him in front of the TV!" - but that;s another post.)
Hopefully I'll have some creation pictures to share before long. I've a couple of things in the works.
If anyone has any good pickled okra recipes, let me know. I love my okra, and I'd hate to waste it on a recipe that ended up not being very good.

2006-07-31T08:30:00.000-04:00

THis is my first and only piece of embroidery. I made it about 6 or so years ago. I really only did it as a practice piece, thinkning it would not look very good. I took the design from "Japanese Design Motifs". I just love this book. The family crests are so inspriring. I just flip through it and think about all of the different ways they could be used.
I've been wanting to do more embroidery, but I just haven't made it a priority in my creating time. I must put it up higher on the list.
My friend Darcie, is fantastic at embroidery. She has been doing it since she was six years old. Her stuff just inspires me to do more.
She has a website for her other creations on etsy, Dream Land Treasures.
Hopefully, some embroidery will work it's way ito my creation list soon.

2006-07-28T07:59:00.000-04:00

These are the socks that I have been working on for my husband. They are from Nancy Bush's "Knitting Vintage Socks". I wanted to make both socks at the same time, so I have been using the "Magic Loop" method. It's been quite nice, though it does seem to take longer. I just keep reminding myself that I'm making TWO socks right now, not just the one, so my progress will seem slower. Once I finish one, though, I'm finished with both!

2006-07-25T21:04:00.000-04:00

So, we go off to Holden Beach, NC for over a week, return home, and this is what we find in our garden.
Monster Okra.
This stuff is as long as my forearm. The one on the left is an okra pod at the largest stage that I feel it should be eaten. We have MANY that are between the sizes of the one on the right and the pod in the middle. The pod in the middle is about 12 inches long.
If you think you're on my Christmas gift list, be prepared for some extra large okra Christmas ornaments.
Or an Okra Lizard.

On the knitting front:
Didn't accomplish as much on Hubby's socks as I expected. I'm on the gussets right now.
Also didn't get to read as much as I expected in "A Passage to India", this month's selection for Knit the Classics.
Chugging slowly but steadily through them both.

2006-07-14T07:07:00.000-04:00

Here are pictures of the shawl for my younger sister's wedding. She's getting married in September in the mountains and will have this for after the ceremony. The Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aram feels wonderful.
I thought it would take me much longer to knit it up than it actually did. Now I can pick the socks I've been working on for my husband back up. Hopefully they'll be done before too long. Then I can make the Moebius baskets out of my KoolAid yarn and then move on to whatever I think of for next!
I've begun thinking about Christmas presents. I'm thinking the gift de jour for this year will be a luxurious washcloth out of Crystal Palace's Cotton Chenille, paired with a bar of fancy handmade soap from my local farmer's market.

2006-07-10T20:42:00.000-04:00

This is the result of my first attempt at handspinning. I took an introduction to handspinning class this past Saturday morning at Yarns, etc. in Greensboro. The teacher, Tina, was wonderfully patient. I really enjoyed the process and hope that I can continue to practice and get better.
I was bitten by the spinning bug in mid-January, and just have gotten to take a class this past weekend.
I hope to post more pictures of my spinning as it happens!

2006-07-09T20:51:00.000-04:00

Here are the dyed yarns after having been wound into center pull balls. They look much nicer this way. I think I have decided what I will make with them. I have recently checked out Cat Bordhi's "A Second Treasury of Magical Knitting" from my library. I like the moebius baskets and think this yarn will be perfect for them.
I finished all of the knitting on my younger sister's shawl last night. I hope to have the ends woven in by bedtime tonight, and then block it in the next few days. I'm not fully sure just how I will block it. I've seen a few different techniques, but don't don't which way would be best and/or easiest for this type of shawl. The scalloped bottom edge is what puzzles me.
I'll will post pictures of it while it is blocking!

2006-06-27T21:21:00.000-04:00

I've tried some Kool Aid dying techniques! A new knitting friend, Emily, came over this afternoon and we tried out two different methods for Kool Aid dying.
First, I tried the casserole dish of yarn in the microwave method, which resulted in the pink, orange, yellow, and green yarn. I put the yarn in a circular dish and divided it into quadrants for the colors. It worked pretty well, but next time I'll try harder to get the dye on the bottom.
For the second batch, I laid the yarn out on plastic wrap, dyed it in strips (Artic Apple, Lemon-lime, grape, Berry Blue, and Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade), then wraped it up in the plastic, rolled it up, and steamed it for about 45 minutes. Here's where I learned that one.
I definitely feel the plastic wrap and steaming method produced and more saturated dying.
I can't wait until they have dried and I can put them in hanks and see how the colors look that way.
They aren't super-great, but they are my first ones, and I like them!

If you drink your tea from loose leaves, take a look at this book, Tea-Cup Reading and Fortune-Telling by Tea Leaves, by a Highland Seer. Choose the html version. It has some picture examples of tea leaves in the bottom of cups.
I just love it.
Especially that it is by "a Highland Seer."

2006-06-26T16:55:00.000-04:00

Here is what I have accomplished so far on my younger sister's wedding shawl. I have just started ball four of eight balls of yarn. I'm using Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran weight. It feels dreamy and knits up so easily. The Debbie Bliss yarn has about 10 yards more per skein than the yarn called for in the pattern, so I may only use seven balls instead of eight. We'll see how it is looking when I get there!

2006-06-22T21:15:00.000-04:00

It has been a VERY long time since my last post, and I feel I must explain part of the reason for my absence. My last post was about three months ago and now I am about three months pregnant. The baby is due at the beginning of January. I have had some medium level morning sickness, (but it isn't just at the morning!! Why in the heck do they call it that!) and computers and crafting just seemed to make it feel worse. So I haven't been doing too much of either.
I did finish this octopus for Bruce by mid-May. I made up the pattern and have it written down on a notepad. I plan to get it typed in to share before too long. (along with the Hogwarts House Unity Hat pattern)
I've started on the shawl for my younger sister's wedding and am halfway through yarn ball 3 of 8.
My playground knit has been a pair of socks for my husband from Nancy Bush's "Knitting Vintage Socks".
It really has only been recently that I have been doing more knitting again. It just didn't feel good to my stomach earlier.

Please, all of you softie creators, read this page on Stuffed Animal Rights. Think carefully before you create.

2006-04-14T14:59:00.000-04:00

The last of the Easter amigurumi that I set out to make are finished!!!

I will be delivering this one to it's owner's mother this afternoon, who will then place it in the Easter basket on Sunday morning.

My right hand has begun to hurt some due to all of the crocheting I have doing lately. I think I need to take a break from it.

But, I have the two skeins of Mystery yarn that have been screaming out to me ever since I received them, so maybe I'll have to do one more before go to knitting again.

I have ordered some sock yarn and look forward to starting on some new socks!!!

2006-04-11T13:12:00.000-04:00

These are some of the gifts I received for my birthday a month ago, but wasn't able to post.The top picture is of two Japanese crochet books that my younger sister bought fro me when she was in Hawaii. They are both pretty cool. I love all of the motif patterns in the one on the right.
The second picture is of the presents I received from my wonderful friend, Lindsley. She sent me vintage glove and sock darners, as well as some lovely stationery.

My yopunger sister has picked out the shawl she wants me to knit her for her wedding in September. She picked the Aran Weight Victorian Lace Shawl from elann's free patterns. I think I'm going to knit it up in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran. Unfortunately the yarn the pattern calls for that elann sells does not come in white.
So I'll get the yarn ordered and start to work!
I've just ordered a slew of sock yarn. I hope it comes in soon so I can knit up a pair for my husband and a pair for me before too long.
I'm working on the last of the Easter amigurumis. After this I think I'll be done with crochet for a little bit. I think I've over done it!

2006-04-10T14:47:00.000-04:00

Poetry Monday

One of my favorite comedies is "The Pirates of Penzance" by Gilbert and Sullivan. The older I get, the more of the humor I get. It makes me laugh almost constantly. I've chosen a very small part of the operetta to post here. For those who are not familiar with the play, here is some background to lead you up to this excerpt. Fredierick was apprenticed to a group of pirates until he turned 21. He's now 21, left the pirates, and just come upon a group of young ladies. The first he has ever seen.
That is an obscenely short synopsis, but it will have to do. Just remember, he has never really been around young ladies. Here's how he tries to woo them.

Oh, is there not one maiden breast
Which does not feel the moral beauty
Of making worldly interest
Subordinate to sense of duty?
Who would not give up willingly
All matrimonial ambition,
To rescue such a one as I
From his unfortunate position?
From his position,
To rescue such a one as I
From his unfortunate position?

Oh, is there not one maiden here
Whose homely face and bad complexion
Have caused all hope to disappear
Of ever winning man’s affection?
To such an one, if such there be,
I swear by Heaven’s arch above you,
If you will cast your eyes on me,
However plain you be – I’ll love you!
However plain you be,
If you will cast your eyes on me,
However plain you be – I’ll love you,
I’ll love you, I’ll love, I’ll love you!

More Pirates of Penzance

2006-04-07T15:13:00.000-04:00

Three of the four Easter critters are ready for a little Easter egg hunt today. I just finished them, and the party starts at 4:00. The fourth one will be finished in time to be included in his future owner's Easter basket. I've just got to decide what kind of critter to make!!!

2006-04-03T21:58:00.000-04:00

For Poetry Monday:
(April's theme is Humorous)

Before I start the poem I have chosen, I must state that I do not smoke, dip, or chew. This poem just cracks me up every time I think about it.

Tobacco

Tobacco is a dirty weed:
I like it.
It satisfies no normal need:
I like it.
It makes you thin, it makes you lean,
It takes the hair right off your bean,
It's the worst darn stuff I've ever seen:
I like it.

Graham Lee Hemminger

2006-04-03T14:38:00.000-04:00

The top is a picture ffrom the side porch of my husbad's grandmother's farm. That is where we spent most of our long weekend. (Remember you can click on them to see them in more detail!) The second picture was taken halfway through her fields. The clump of trees in the way back middle is where the house is. She is 97 years old and still lives on her 55 acres of land by herself. She rents the fields out. She cooked us up some fried oysters and oyster stew, and fried shad while we were there.
It's a truly quiet place. She is truly an amazing woman. We love being there and wish we could get there more often.

Wayne Newton's show last Thursday night in Fayetteville was great. He's an over the top guy that puts on an over the top show. You gotta love it.

I worked on several amigurumis over the weekend. I forgot to take the stuffing, though, so they are unfinished. I hope to get them all done by Friday. I've crocheted 2 1/2 out of the 4 that I want completed.

2006-03-29T21:10:00.000-05:00

I'm headed out of town for a long weekend but wanted to sum up what I accomplished during the stashalong.
Here it goes:
crocheted cat
3 Mini Weasleys
Baby Cardigan
Postcards for swap
Itty Bitty Bear (I do not recommend this to anyone)
Vinter Lue
Pot holder/hot mat
House Unity Hat (i do hope to post the pattern for that before too long)
Womb
Another, but different, crocheted cat
Finished my circular shawl

My plans for the future are:
Socks: for me and my husband
Shawl for my sister for her wedding in September
Fingerless gloves/mittens
Many more amigurumi creatures
Some type of sweater with the alpaca yarn I have in my stash
Some type of top in the Noro yarn I won
A shawl for my aunt
I want to Kool-Aid dye something and make a hat or mittens... (maybe the fingerless ones!)

Most of these will require me buying more yarn, but I hope to not just acquire yarn without a purpose. That's why I'm stuck with this alpaca. It really weighs heavily on me.

I also hope to get my sewing area set up and begin doing more sewing again. It really is my first love.

Unfortunately, my out of town trip will take me near no yarn stores (But I may see Wayne Newton in concert!!!). I will have to wait until next week to buy the sock yarns of which I am dreaming.

2006-03-28T13:15:00.000-05:00

These are pictures of some of the great items I received in the mail while my computer was down. First one is my present from the Knit the Classics Mystery Swap. My swapper was Jennifer from Craftlilly. The yarn is so appropriate for the swap! I've already formulated some plans for both skeins. The book she sent me was a lot of fun to read. It's one of those mysteries where if you really pay attention while you read, you can keep your own notes and try to figure out who did it. I really enjoyed reading it. A murder on a plane and everyone on board is a suspect. One thing I found interesting is the language used. Every the word "plane" was always spelled " 'plane". Only once in the book was the full word "airplane" used.
Thank you Jennifer!

The second picture is of the womb that I made with the 10 skeins of Noro Lily Mulit yarn that it won! Over at Knit the Classics there was a project contest for our March reading. My womb won! I was bouncing off the walls for days, and still get all giddy when I realize I have won something. (I think the last time I won something was back in 3rd grade at a Burger King party where we had to stack up burger boxes to see who could make the tallest tower.) I'm going through a few different ideas on what I can make with the yarn.

I must say that the womb has been a big hit with all women I've told about it. My friends took turns taking it home, showing it to their husbands and seeing if they knew what it was. My mom wants to have it for a bit to show her friends. She had wanted to take it to a baby shower, but I couldn't get it to her in time.
Knitting the womb has been quite an experience!

2006-03-27T17:10:00.000-05:00

For Poetry Monday:

This is from the book, "Recitations Old and New for Girls and Boys" by Grace Gaige. (copyright 1924) It contains so many good poems.
This one stood out to me today because we have so many little wild violets in our backyard right now. I love the color they add to our grass!

The Violet

Down in a green and shady bed
A modest violet grew;
Its stalk was bent, it hung its head,
As if to hide from view.

And yet it was a lovely flower,
Its color bright and fair;
It might have graced a rosy bower,
Instead of hiding there.

Yet there it was content to bloom
In modest tints arrayed;
And there diffused a sweet perfume,
Within the silent shade.

Then let me to the valley go,
This pretty flower to see;
That I may also learn to grow
In sweet humility.

-Jane Taylor

See what poems others have chosen for today.