Knit me somethin' good

Come on over...

2006-10-16T14:21:00.001-07:00

Hey, you all! I'm finally moving. Come on over to www.thatsillygirl.blogspot.com and check out my new digs. That's where I'll be from here on out. This blog will be left up only for archival purposes. Be sure to change your bookmarks and/or bloglines subscriptions. Thanks! :0)

There have been a lot of you stopping by to look at the Eid greeting. Asalaamu Alaikum! Those of you stopping by for the Eid Mubarak greeting, I got it from here. Also, if a muslima crafting (sewing, knitting, etc.) at all interests you, you can find me here - ...that silly girl. Asalaamu Alaikum and may you have a blessed Eid!

Blogger's Breakfast recap

2006-10-14T13:16:00.000-07:00

Well, hi!

Yesterday, Natasha and I and anyone else out there, had our Bloger's Breakfast. Of course, it was dinner, but that's okay.
The Menu:
Pumpkin soup
Cheese Scones
Apple Crisp

Well, let's just say that the only thing I didn't mess up was the apple crisp, maybe because I've made another version of it before.

-The pumpkin soup, though good, was not our thing, we found out. I was surprised at how much cream I had to use and ended up watering it down a bit with skim milk. I also wasn't completely sure how it was to turn out, so it might not have been done.

-The cheese scones were too sticky to roll out, so we had a mix between a scone and a biscuit. They were good, but I guess that's what happens when I let a two year old help me measure the milk.

-And the apple crisp was really, really good, but I was amazed at how much butter I had to use. I cut out some of the butter because it just seemed so unnecessary. I forgot to get some vanillas icecream for the apple crisp, so I just poured a bit of cream on it.I also cooked up some turkey sausage links and we had some green beans to round it out.

As for the set-up, we usually eat on this vinyl tablecloth from Land of Nod and eat on the floor. We have a small house and didn't want to clutter the space we do have with a dining room table, so we eat on the floor or on tv trays.

The best part of the experience:

-Taking the kids to the pumpkin patch, letting them play and pick out the pumpkin, and ride around in the wagon
-Having Mr. M help me cut off the top of the pumpkin and dig out the insides
-Knowing that I was sharing the experience with at least Natasha, thinking that if we were really eating together, she would be such a great hostess and that I'm sure it would taste scrumptious.

Now, there are some things I want to change for next time. I think next time the meal with be less fattening or maybe there can be some people who cook the meal less fattening so that we can experiment and see if it can be done, I think I also want to include some element of storytelling. Well, I have lots of ideas and need to get them together first and then I'll let you know.

Knitting: I just need to sew up S's hat and make i-cord strings and it's done. Hope to finish it today.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Pumpkin patchs and things I love

2006-10-13T06:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, so later this morning, we're off to the pumpkin patch to get us a pumpkin for the first Blogger's Breakfast! Mr. M loves pumpkins, the look of them, and so it should be fun. This is just a reminder of the Blogger's Breakfast. It looks like a small turnout this go-round which, I'm sure, is to be expected. I hope those of you who are participating have great fun and I look forward to sharing a meal with you!

Things I'm loving right now:

A slice of Jiffy cornbread cut in half with margarine slathered on each side and then melted. So. Good.

Britax Marathon carseat and Traveling Tikes - I got one of these carseats for Mr. M and have not once regretted how expensive it was. It has and continues to serve us very well (should last until he's 65lbs). We ordered one for S last week and I was so excited because I found the Traveling Tikes website where they had some on sale for $40 less than the regular price, plus free shipping! They had the best sale price I had seen and they had free shipping. I don't even think there was tax. It was such a blessing. I seriously recommend this carseat. I feel the kids are very safe in it and it's comfortable, too. Oh, and it looks nice! And for those who may wonder about ordering it online as opposed to getting it from an actual store - it was still cheaper due to the sale and the no shipping.

Martha Stewart Living - I had not truly appreciated the greatness that is this magazine until I started going through some picked up from a used bookstore for collages with the kids. As I flipped through them, I found so many great ideas and recipes that I found it hard to tear things out. Such a great magazine!

Vienna Teng - such a beautiful sound(though I've only listened to samples, she sounds incredible).

Have a wonderful weekend!

Some knitting!

2006-10-10T11:27:00.000-07:00

I have been able to get some knitting done recently.

the debbie bliss cardigan - just needs to be seamed up and she's ready to go::my husband's sock - just turned the heel::a hat for S - not so sure on the colors, but it was from stash, so I'll be happy with it::my almost finished wall pocket

It's a dreary day here, which I love, love, love. Hope your Tuesday is what you want, too.

psst...

2006-10-08T14:39:00.000-07:00

If you plan to participate, take a button! (Save to your hard drive, please.)

Hey! The menu for the Blogger's Breakfast is up. Go on over and check it out. We've set the date for Friday, October 13th. Please join us! See FAQ in the sidebar on the blogger's Breakfast blog if you are new and want to know more.

And for those of you who check this blog for my wonderfully creative endeavours( :0) ), I have some stuff to show you tomorrow, including knitting (gasp!).

Will you join us for a Blogger's Breakfast?

2006-10-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

Hello! Natasha and I thought it a wonderful idea to share a meal together. But how could we? She lives in England and I, in the midwestern United States. But what if we cooked the same meal at about the same time, ate at the same time and shared our experience with pictures on our blogs? It would be almost as though we were there!

Well, we shared our Blogger's Breakfast back in April and ever since have been thinking of how we could have others share this wonderful experience with us. There are many bloggers I would love to sit down with at a table and share food and good conversation, but since that's not possible, how 'bout a Blogger's Breakfast?

Natasha and I have come up with a menu, something you can add to if you would like or modify the recipes, but one that would connect us all. I mean, what better way to connect than over food! Then you leave a comment here, linking us back to your blog, sharing your experience and pictures. And then, in a few days, we'll gather pictures from some of the different participants to post on this blog, giving everyone a chance to see with whom they shared their meal. Though it's called Blogger's Breakfast, this first meal is not a breakfast. We will do breakfasts, teas, lunches, etc., but this first go round, we wanted to do something that went along with the changing of the seasons.

If this sounds like something you'd like to do, please go on over to Blogger's Breakfast and leave us a comment.

Please join us for the first Blogger's Breakfast. We'll set the date once we see how many are interested and will post the recipes in a day or two on the Blogger's Breakfast blog. Remember, you can do it another day that week if you would prefer. If there are fellow bloggers in your city/area, try to get together with them. I'm sure that would be a lot of fun.

If you have any questions, I've got some FAQ's over on the Blogger's Breakfast blog. You can also leave a comment here and I'll get back to you.

As for the recipes, well, I'll just say that they involve pumpkin, cheese and apples, not necessarily together. :0)

Blue is just a lively color...

2006-10-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

This is a postcard for a family friend. I love how this turned out. I've been wanting to use the material on the outsides for a while, but it had to be the right project. And, truth be told, I was a bit afraid to cut into such pretty fabric. But it turned out well, I think.

There has been some knitting. As a matter of fact, I'm about to turn the heel on my husband's sock. I did that knitting on Saturday while in the van on a roadtrip to see my BIL play a football game.

I was also able to finish reading Morningside Heights by Cheryl Mendelson, author of Home Comforts, a book that is at the top of my list to add to my bookshelf, and I was really impressed with this book. Mendelson did an excellent job of weaving together the characters and their separate stories, talking about some of the characters professions and what they were working on (opera singer, pianist, science, psychoanalyst, writer, lawyer) without making a layperson feel completely inept, and I really loved how she would have a character rehash a conversation and while rehashing, would go from 3rd person to first and then back. I loved it. Now, it may be that only an English major would recognize that and appreciate it, but I did and I thought it was great. I think this is a book to put at the top of any to-read list you might have going.

I also recently read Prep by Curtis Sittefeld and I must say that I have mixed feelings. It was extremely well written and she had such an excellent grasp on the nuances of teen relatioships and friendships, and what private school(boarding school) education can be like. But, there was a bit too much of the angst and unsurity that I sometimes felt while a teenager for me to be able to finish it. I saw a bit of myself in the main character, but that wasn't the real problem. I just had this horrible sense that she was never going to figure things out, that she was never going to become comfortable in her own skin, that she would always feel she was a nonentity. And though I can be quite pessimistic at times, I have this irrational need for books and movies to end happily, or at least end satisfactorily. And I just didn't think this one would for me. So it put it down with about 100 pages left. Yes, I did read the last few chapters, but I don't want to give it away to anyone who might read it. I recommend it for excellent writing, but that's about it.

And I'm glad I can cross off a couple of books from my reading list.

On the verge...

2006-09-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

We're on the verge of many things around here and that is pretty much why I haven't posted in a week. Here, let me lay it out there for you:

- S is teething
- S is about to stand (actually between the time I started this post and now, she is standing up for a few seconds on her own!)
- S is about to walk (she walked with me holding only one of her hands yesterday)
- S is babbling a lot and I think her first word is just around the corner (she kind of says momma)
- I can feel my first night of uninterrupted sleep in a month or so is coming very soon (actually happened last night)
- Mr. M is right on the verge of speaking and being understood. His pronounciation is getting better every day. He's currently working on the alphabet song.
- I'm almost ready to switch my blog over to a new blog I've created. I've been thinking for a while that my blog is no longer just about knitting, but also about crafting and sometimes motherhood; my blog title should reflect that.
- I'm in the process of setting up an etsy shop with the same name as my new blog. I know, you're probably wondering what have I made that I could sell. Well, I've been doing some work behind the scenes, trying to figure out what I can and can't do, if what I make is really creative and worth trying to sell, and trying to make sure I have enough ideas to put in the shop. I've come to the conclusion that I might be able to and it's worth a shot. So, I'm working on that.
- I'm about ready to decide how I want to save and print my blog. I'll let you know how I decide to do it.
- I'm also working on copy/pasting my blog entries over onto my new blog. I might just put a link on my new blog back to this blog for archival purposes.

Um, well, if that's not enough, I'm almost finished with S's sweater. The green is a bit more vibrant than the picture shows. I'm not sure about the yarn I'm using around the collar. We'll see.

I've also started making a wall pocket with this bulletin board. I love the bulletin board, but would really like to have some pockets on it, so I'm working on it. The bulletin board is half cork and half magnet and I hope to preserve those aspects once it's made into the wall pocket.

And we're right on the verge of autumn, which means switching out the summer sheets and comforter for the cold weather one's.

And finally, Natasha and I have been pondering over and playing with this idea for quite some time and are just about ready to announce it. Just a couple of last minute things and it should be good to go and then we would like to invite you to participate. It has to do with cooking and eating, both wonderful things in my book. :0)

Speaking of Natasha, I got to talk to her for the first time on the phone this week. Really a fun time.

And, of note, we're into the first week of fasting for Ramadan. That gives me about three more weeks to figure out what I'm going to cook for Eid al Fitr at the end of Ramadan.

Oh, and I just have to say that all my college football teams OU, OSU, TU, and Arkansas won last week, and my high school football team, too. This hardly ever happens, so I was pretty excited. Oh, and my BIL's football team won as well, in a come from behind victory. Love it.

A gift...

2006-09-19T12:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, I've got some things to share with you. First, here is a composition book bookcover that I made for a friend, who happens to read this blog.

Second, I did get some knitting done this weekend. I'm almost to the heel of my husband's sock. And I finished the body of S's sweater. Now I just need to knit the collar, but I think I might make some changes to it. We'll see. I'll show pictures of the progress tomorrow.

Third, there have been a couple pf recipes I've tried out recently and I think you'll really like them. First, I tried these pancakes a few weeks ago, and, honestly, they were the best pancakes I'd ever had. Of course my experience with pancakes is basically the Bisquick mix, so nothin' special there. But try them. I added blueberries instead of the bananas and made buttermilk by using regular milk and adding vinegar to it because I don't normally have buttermilk in my fridge. Also, I finally got around to trying these chocolate chip cookies that Crystal mentioned on her blog, and man are they good. They are the best choc.chip cookies I've ever made, even the one batch that got a little brown.

just a note...

2006-09-15T19:14:00.000-07:00

So tomorrow is OU vs. OU. Of course I'm going to be a homer and pick Oklahoma, although they could easily lose. Go Sooners!

And this song by John Mayer, Waiting on the World to Change, sums up how I think a lot of my generation, including me, feels about what's going on in the world today. It's a bit like Marvin Gaye's Mercy, Mercy Me. I often feel so helpless, and it is so easy to just bury myself in my everyday; sometimes that seems easier, waiting on the world to change, because I feel we've come to such a sad state where we feel we can't do anything, that our protests will fall on deaf ears. Anyways, listen to it for a good song, but also listen because maybe it might just inspire you to not wait on the world to change, but, rather, be the change. Maybe one day I'll feel that way.

Knitting progress and some other crafts sometime over the weekend.

I finally found a quilt!

2006-09-14T06:56:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm going to talk about some of my thrift finds. I was so happy to come across an old quilt. It does have a tear and is pretty worn, but it is exactly what I wanted. I wanted to get a quilt that I could use outside in the yard when S is out and about so I won't have to carry her all over the yard and so she won't get chigger bites. These are some of the fun squares I like on the blanket. And I'm not sure what was used for padding, but it gives a bit of texture to the quilt, but little padding. Maybe it was a summer quilt?

Also, I found some clothes for Mr. M and S. Some of S's clothes look brand new, maybe only having been washed once. And I found a Gymboree coat for S that is in really good condition, for $3.00! I was very happy! Now, I just hope it fits her throughout the winter. Oh, we also found a tennis raquet that Mr. M loves and so we've been "playing tennis," with any ball available - basketball, baseball, but no actual tennis ball. Funny. :0)

Finally, it has come to my attention that some people have not been able to leave comments. And I do love to receive comments; I've felt that I've been blogging in a vacuum for the past few posts. So I'm trying to figure out what to do. Will let you know soon.

just because...

2006-09-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

you inspire future generations, hold somebody's hand, travel to the most exotic places, sow seeds of romance, you can cha-cha, and mamba, and samba - just put on your L'eggs and go...just because. (Does anyone else remember this L'eggs pantyhose commercial from the early '90s? I used to sing along every single time it came on, lol):0)

<--Market Bag from the Summer Magknits, I think, but with major modifications from here and my own little to-do.

Well, I had a pretty productive and fun weekend. On Saturday, we went to the zoo. We’ve been meaning to go for quite some time, but between my husband’s schedule and the hot weather, it just hasn’t happened. It was really neat to see Mr. M taking in everything. His eyes were so big and you could just tell he was excited, despite the serious look on his face. He gets that way when he wants to see and try new things. He walks determinedly from one thing to the next, never staying too long. We made it in time to get to the petting zoo where he got to pet the goats and sheep and get really close to the llama. S was there, too, but was incredibly busy munching away on one of those biter biscuit things to introduce babies to real food. She was a mess, but she looked content. We’ll go again soon, God willing.

Then, we went home and gorged ourselves on college football. Yes, Oklahoma won, Oklahoma State won, but poor University of Tulsa lost, badly. And Texas, yeah, needs some work.

We also bought a partial furniture set for S’s room from a garage sale. It needs to be repainted and I will need to line the drawers with some fabric because I don’t want any splinters in clothes. I want to get rid of the ugly drawer pulls and get new one’s. I think it has potential. Now, all we need is a dresser.

Sunday, my MIL took the kids for a while, which allowed me to get some work done. I finished one of the curtains for the three widows in the living room. Now I just have to figure out how I want to hang it. We haven’t had much success with curtain rods there because it is really hard to get them to stay up. I think I’m going to use hooks or something. Also, I am making progress on S’s sweater. I’m making modifications as I go to make it a bigger size so she can fit it next winter, as well. My girl is not small, y’all. At the last check-up, she weighed almost 22lbs. and was in the 95th percentile for her height. She’s already in 12-18 month clothes, despite only being almost 10 months. So, I had to add quite a bit in the length and width to accommodate the growth. I hope it works.

I also got some work done on the pennant banner I’m making for Mr. M’s room. I think it will look pretty neat once it’s finished. I’m still trying to figure out a sweater to knit for him. I really just want a plain raglan sweater, but don’t really know where to look for a sweater pattern for toddlers for a plain raglan sweater. Any suggestions?

Up this week: try to finish S’s sweater, work on my husband’s socks (I think I’m figuring out I’m not a sock knitter; they just seem too much of a novelty. They will wear down too quickly for the amount of time and money put into them and I think I might just rather knit a sweater, which will take longer, and be more expensive, but will last much longer [I say that and then the new Knitty comes out with a couple of sock patterns I wouldn't mind knitting]), finish pennant banner, get some yeast and bread pans so I can try out some bread recipes, and try to read.

On a final note, is it just me or do kid movies, even G rated one’s, contain too much violence? I watched The Incredibles the other day, without Mr. M (he really watches very little TV at my house [this is not to say he doesn't watch tv, we just try not to let him watch very much]), and I was just amazed at the violence and adult humor mixed in. Granted, it was PG, but still. I especially didn’t like the part when the villain gets his cape sucked into the plane engine and then he, too, gets sucked in, though that is merely insinuated, not actually shown. Even when my kids are older, I would feel the need to have to really explain what happened and why. And what was wrong with the villain’s thinking. I love when Mr. M wants to play outside, help my husband mow the lawn with his play lawnmower, really a wagon with blocks in it that he pushes around the yard while imitating my husband’s every move, and when he wants to paint or just pull all the books off the shelf and leave them there. I love, too, that he likes for me to read Charlotte’s Web aloud to him (I skip over talk of death and that kind of thing because I just don’t want to expose that to him, yet). (Did you know they made this into a movie with Julia Roberts, Dakota Fanning and Oprah Winfrey contributing their voices? It's supposed to come out sometime this year, I think.) This, to me, is childhood. I did like The Incredibles, just not as a young kids movie.

I have to show you some of my thrifting. Very happy!

Just because I really like this picture.

Please, also, remember all those who were and continue to be affected by the terrible events on this day five years ago.

Wednesday - winning, watching and walking

2006-09-06T05:51:00.000-07:00

As I was stepping out the door yesterday afternoon to run a few errands before the stores closed, I found a wonderful package from Marianne. Back a while ago, Marianne decided to give some goodies away and I happened to be one of the names drawn from the hat. Well, it came, and I've got some wonderfully soft, new yarn to play with and some wonderful material to sew. I already have ideas traipsing through my mind. We'll see if I can actually harness one and turn it into something.

She also sent along a cute cuddly lamb that can be embroidered (I plan to give this to S) and some wonderful trim and buttons. Thank you do much, Marianne!

Oh, my husband and I came across this great documentary on PBS last night on their POV(Point of View) series. It was called Hardwood. We came in towards the end, but it basically was about the a former Harlem Globetrotter and how his life, his influence or lack thereof, affected his family back at home. At least that's what my 15 minutes got me. The cinematography was incredible and the stories were moving. I wish I could have seen it from the beginning. I found out it was also nominated for an Academy Award, which doesn't surprise me.

Finally, some pictures from our morning walk.

Library books and grocery shopping

2006-09-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

<--I want to get these.

I have just discovered Freecycle and Craig's List and have to say that they are great ideas. I plan to reference them first when I need something. Like right now I'm keeping an eye out for a rocking chair for S's room. I've got some cushions on the floor, but my back has been bothering me of late and her like clockwork bottle feedings at 1:30 in the morning are not helping.

I've been working on a knitted market bag the last couple of days. I hope to finish it by Friday. I've been so into that and dealing with a few family things, that I haven't really had much time to knit or do much of anything else. I am desperately trying to get myself organized in terms of household chores and find it is a slow process.

I've also realized the library is an amazing resource. I have a growing list of books requested and feel so good that I'm not bringing in extra books that will only be read once, then put on the shelf to take up space. I'm really trying to pare down and give away things we just don't need, which isn't all that much because we've moved so many times that we really don't have a ton of stuff. But I'm just feeling that I don't want to consume so much. Which is one reason why I'm only going thrifting once a month. It doesn't make any sense for me to go and look when I can't or won't buy that day and don't have something I actually need to buy. And I truly don't see the sense in bringing more stuff into my house simply because it was really cheap and it looks nice. I have come to the point where things must have a purpose in my life. If it's simply going to create more clutter or make it more difficult for me to dust, which I already have difficulty remembering to do, then what's the point. Plus, I've noticed that the more things I bring into my life, whether thrifted, hand-made or brand new, the more my life seems cluttered and chaotic. Like my life has lost focus and the things that should be important to me, like my faith and my family and friends, have been pushed aside for material things. Life is too short for that.

Another thing that I'm trying to tackle is our grocery bill. With two young kids, it seems incredibly difficult to get our monthly bill within a reasonable amount. We can afford it, but it just blows me away how much we consume in a month. And how much that costs. I'm looking into making more things from scratch like bread, bagels, any type of baked good, I got the powder mix for Gatorade instead of buying the bottled kind (this cuts down on the amount of waste, as well), I've been trying to buy the store brand where the quality really doesn't matter in the product, but then all of that effort seems to be offset by my desire to buy more organic products. Organic meats and fruits and vegetables are not cheap. But I desperately want us to eat as healthy as we can, so I buy it. This leaves me trying to find other ways to cut back in regards to grocery shopping. Does anyone have any suggestions, tried and true tips that have helped you?

Okay, a bit of blogkeeping here. Because I'm on the beta blogger system now, when you leave comments, the link back to your blog doesn't work unless you have a blogger account. This means that if I don't have your email address and I don't know your blog, I can't really get back to you. So, I am going to start commenting to comments in the comments section, unless it warrants a more detailed response, and then I'll email you if I know your email address. Blogger is supposed to be fixing these gliches, but until then I must deal with the inconvenience. I hope this doesn't discourage you from commenting as I do enjoy getting comments and really do appreciate those who read this blog and do comment. You know how to make my day. Thank you! :0)

Also, instead of doing reviews of movies, I'm starting a section over on the sidebar for movies I've watched recently. If it's made it to the sidebar, it's a darn good movie. One's that are really special, I will do a little write up about. It's funny. I thought as S got older, I'd have more time to blog. But I'm finding that as she gets older, it just puts more of a demand on my time because she doesn't sleep as much and needs stimulation, etc. Mr. M is great because he does entertain S a lot, but she still needs me to help her stand up, help her learn to walk, feed her, etc, etc.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading. :0)

Oh, one more thing. I finally went on a bike ride with the kids today, just me and them, and it was a lot of fun. It also helped me realize that though I'm not really overweight, I'm definitely out of shape. Need to ride the bike more.

What's cooking - the knit's that are on the needles

2006-09-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

From left:
husband's sock (it's in black and in stockinette, so it's boring to photograph which is why you probably won't see it again for a while::formerly hoodie for Mr. M, now sweater for S::bookmark
Sizzle is still around, just not being worked on right now.

Funny: Mr. M has taken to climbing into his old Entertainer/exersaucer, now S's. He just climbs in, sits there and plays with the toys on it. He also has taken to building with blocks. S is scoot/crawling and already getting into a lot.

Oh, some of you may remember the crib bumper I made for S's crib. Well, this is just a note to report that it has held up well and I really do think it was an extremely cost-effective way to do a crib bumper. The only thing I would do differently would be to add ribbon to the top and bottom to tie to the railings so that it won't slump over quite as much.

My so-called felted sweater hot water bottle cover :0)

2006-08-30T08:28:00.000-07:00

Just real quick...
Nita! I am so glad you got in touch. I have really missed you. I'm not sure I have the right email address for you, so email me back (check uder my profile for it). I want to talk to you about your website. Oh, and happy belated birthday to R!

Okay, regular blogging will commence.

True perspective...

Here's my so-called felted sweater hot water bottle cover. Say that three times fast. :0) Did I really need a hot water bottle cover? no. Did I need to find something to do with the felted sweater? yes. There you have it.

Ribbon Mobile

2006-08-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

I came up with the idea to make a ribbon mobile after I saw something kind of like this in a PotteryBarn Kids catalog* and decided I really wanted to make it for S's room. And, here we are. I really do love it and S loves to stare at, especially when the fan blows it a bit.

Speaking of S, she is just about ready to crawl. Yesterday, while doing some dishes, one minute she was on the far side of the rug and then I turn back around a minute later and she's practically in the kitchen, which was a bit of a distance. I was quite surprised; it seems she's progressed from the scooting backwards bit and has realized that it's forward motion that gets ya' places. Oh, and she loves to stare at her hands. It is really funny because she gets so fascinated with them.
Mr. M served his stuffed animals breakfast today on a little plastic dish set that I got from the thrift store for $.99 a little while ago. He loves it.

*One thing I do is study the rooms and layouts of catalogs like PottryBarn Kids and Land of Nod. You can find some neat crafts and decorations that you can make yourself or that will give inspiration for something.

Works in progress, even though I haven't actually joined the group...

2006-08-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

::green sweater/hoodie for Mr. M, but my husband thinks the color is too girly(it's really a kind of granny smith apple green) so I'm probably going to start over in some other colorway from stash::my Sizzle in red - haven't made much progress::a hot water bottle cover from a sweater I felted - the felting didn't go as planned and I ended up with a lot of scrap wool coming off of the sweater which I used as stuffing for Sasha::a bag/purse I'm practicing on in this floral print and an attempt at repurposing some waytoobig sweatpants into a skirt.

I have a couple of recipes I need to recommend and a book to review, so look for that soon.

Wednesday, dears, means I seriously need to fold the pile of clothes before they take over my bedroom floor...

2006-08-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

...seriously, you'd think being 29 and all and six years removed from college that I would have moved away from the huge pile of clothes in the middle of the floor and the digging therein to find clothes to wear, allthewhile hoping they don't need ironing. Sheesh!
Moving on...

So here are the Specs. for Nothin' but a T-shirt sweater:

Pattern: Nothin' but a T-shirt sweater from Magknits
Yarn: Rowan Calmer (cotton) in Tinkerbell(light blue) and Slosh
Needles: 8s US
The low down: Some of you may remember that I started knitting this back in 2005, but I had to rip it out because it definitely didn't fit. Now, if I were thirteen again...
Anyways, I started it over again a few months ago, I think in May, maybe, and am so glad I finally finished. It turned out pretty nice. I need to work a bit more on picking up stitches for the collar and counting my stitches because I somehow ended up with a couple more rows on the sleeves than were needed, but overall it was a good success. And I think my friend will like it. She's also getting this. Oh, and this fabric postcard that I'm really digging.
I love that the ribbon matched exactly and even that I had the ribbon idea. But she deserves it, she's been my best friend since 1997, so you know.

Oh, and here's Mr. M's contribution for the day.

Oooo, knitting bags and the thrifty goodness...

2006-08-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

I am back from being extremely lazy the past few days with some wonderful knitting bags that I've received recently. A couple of months ago, I put a call out to anyone who might be interested in making me a bag for my knitting. Well, Heather and Renata both offered to make me one. And, really, who couldn't use two knitting bags because I've got three knitting projects going right now and can obviously use the bags.

First up is Renata's. Renata made this great navy blue bag with a pocket on the inside of some wonderfully vibrant Kaffe Fassett material. I really love the shape and the strechiness of the material. And it's a great size for a smaller project like my husband's socks. Renata also gave me this really great bracelet and a really beautiful card that I'll put pictures of in my Flickr photoset. Thank you, Renata. Oh, and Renata is just starting college. I'm excited for her!

Next is Heather's. Heather has a wonderful Etsy shop that currently includes beaded jewelry. But she is hoping to expand it to include knitting bags. She offered to make a bag if I wouldn't mind being her guinea pig. Robyn to the rescue! And now I have this lovely knitting bag that is a perfect size for the Sizzle sweater I'm working on.

Things I love about it:

the fabric is so beautiful - I love blues, especially robin's egg blues and browns together
I love that I have lots of room and could fit everything I would need for my knitting project in the bag
I love that there is a pocket with slots just for holding my needles and any other knitting notions
I especially love that it has a drawstring top so that my project won't fall out and I can work on my knitting project while the bag is closed because the yarn can be pulled through the closed drawstring opening. Isn't that great?! And my cats can't get into the yarn!

So, I really think that if you're into knitting, you should get on over to Heather's blog and let her know you'd be interested in one of her knitting bags. I really like the quality, craftmanship and the design. Thank you, Heather!

Onto my own knitting. I started a sweater for Mr. M, but was then told by my husband that the color green I was using was a bit girly. So, I'm going to check my stash to see if I can't use something else. I'll have pictures tomorrow of my completely finished Nothin' but a T-shirt sweater and all the specs on it. Then it will be sent off to Chicagoland.

Oh, my niece got her Wee Wonderful kitty and bag I made. According to my brother, she loves it and was running around the house with the bag on her shoulder.

Finally, I went thrifting today and I think I've found my thrift store. They had so many great clothes, especially for little girls. Not a great boy's selection, though. The lady at the counter thinks it has to do with the idea that boys seem to be a bit more rough on their clothes than girls. I think I agree. But, as my husband stated last night, it is so easy to say that it doesn't really cost that much, but then you end up buying a whole bunch, which obviously ends up adding up. And that is what happened today, and that is why I am making a rule that I can only go to the thrift stores once a month and I really need to have a purpose for going. There's my way to avoid an addiction.

Anyways, I'm off to do laundry.

There are things and then there are things...

2006-08-18T06:19:00.000-07:00

Mr. M taking pictures while sitting in my lap at the computer.
You know, I would participate in the Works in Progress group, but honestly, I have too many going on to put here. And they're in bags. Not a very interesting picture. And right now my craft space has very low lighting and is covered by knitting, sewing projects and just stuff. I have this problem. While I'm working on a project, I keep everything related to it in a bag for easier access, etc. Well, when I'm finished, I have a tendency to just let the remaining materials just sit in the bag or I take them out, but they sit on my table taking up space. So my space is a mess. And I'm not motivated to clean it, yet.

Anyways, I've been doing things, but I've had a major lazy week and things such as Mr. M having to go to the doctor to make sure he didn't have a broken leg (he jumped off of a table and landed really hard on our wood floors) and me having a jar of adobo sauce fall out of the cabinet and hit me right on my top lip, almost knocking a tooth out and leaving my lip extremely swollen and bleeding, did not really help. But, I'm almost finished with this ribbon project that I am really excited about, I'm almost ready to send off my package of scarf and sweater to my best friend in Chicago and I received two very wonderful knitting bags from two really great people. I will post pictures some time this weekend.

On the Knitting front -
I'm making progress on my husband's socks. After looking at a tutorial for a turkish cast-on using two circular needles, I taught myself how to do the cast-on using double-pointed needles. Not so hard. I might make up a tutorial when I cast-on for the next sock. As for Sizzle, it's been frogged several times. First, I messed up the seed stitch, then I realized my guage was off and had to drop down to size 6 needles, thn I was knitting one night when S decided she wanted to yank on the yarn and grab the needles out of my hands, dropping several stitches in the process. So, I have yet to start it over after all of that. Will get to it, though.

Oh, one thing that has helped make this week an alright week is seeing my two kids interact. Now that S can sit up and is trying to move around all over the place, Mr. M likes to bring every single toy from his toy box and place it around her so that they can play together. It's so cute. But what is funny is that when S goes for a toy, Mr. M takes it after a couple of minutes and puts it back in this pile he's created. It's like, I want to play with you, but you can't actually play with the toys, Okay? Funny! And even though, I can't always understand him, Mr. M is spewing out words left and right and is putting together three word sentences.

Anywho, movies, I've watched recently:
Empire of the Sun - an amazing movie, gret cinematography, an incredibly sad story, one that really made me think about war and how it affects kids and what if my kids had to go through that.

High Fidelity - it had some redeeming qualitites, but overall I wanted John Cusacks character to grow up and be a man; he annoyed me, but I enjoyed Jack Black's performance.

In Her Shoes - maybe it's because I don't really enjoy Cameron Diaz's acting, but I wasn't all that impressed with this movie that turned out to be pretty predictable. Toni Colette and Shirley McClain were pretty good, though.

One last thing. I might be changing my template again because the new Blogger has templates that let you categorize your posts, like in Typepad and I really want to do that, but I think I have to switch to obe of their new templates. So we'll see.

Me, I'm a part of your circle of friends and we don't see you much around*

2006-08-16T20:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry that I haven't been able to thank all of you for the wonderful comments on my Sasha kitty. I really do appreciate them and will get thank you's to you. Things have come up, nothing so bad, and I've been a bit lazy. I do just want to say that I've switched my blog over to the new beta Blogger. I believe you should still be able to view my blog in bloglines as usual and I still have the same blog address. But if you should have any problems getting to my blog or anything, please let me know.

ETA: If you want to leave a comment, and you are a Blogger user who has not yet switched to the beta format, apparently you will have to comment as anonymous until Blogger gets all the gliches worked out. Please don't let this prevent you from leaving a comment. If you'd prefer to just email me, that is fine.

On another note, I do have projects, including knitting, going, but no pictures yet. Will be back in a day or two.

*Edie Brickell

Meet Sasha!

2006-08-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

Here she is! Hillary's Wee Wonderfuls Put-together Book Kitty.
Sasha is made from a thrifted skirt and I made a bag with the leftover material. She is a gift for my niece and I hope she likes it. You can see more detailed pictures of Sasha here and check out other's from this pattern book here.
Sorry my pictures aren't the greatest. Poor light and a shaky hand do not make for a crisp picture. Oh well.

We have fittage!

2006-08-10T15:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is a finished Nothin' but a T-shirt sweater. Well, I still have ends to weave in, but for all intents and purposes, it is finished. I'll tell more about it and take a couple of close-ups later.
On another note, I had to go to the dentist today. Not so bad, except for getting up at 7am. Oh, and the cleaning. But I did get to knit for a bit there and then I stopped off at a cafe on the way home and enjoyed some coffee and a chocolate muffin. I mean, isn't that what you'd do after you've been told your mouth looks great, just need to floss? It was so nice to sit and knit for a bit and actually enjoy a nice cup of coffee. I'll have to do that more often, maybe one day on the weekends.
Probably be back tomorrow with a finished kitty.

Progress on the knits and some movie reviews...

2006-08-07T12:33:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the door to our garage. I liked the doorknob, so there you have it. It's here simply because I didn't want to leave you without a picture.

Man, when I get into a zone, I just want to finish. That has been the case for the past week. I finished the front of the Nothin' but a T-shirt sweater on Sunday as I'd hoped and am now seaming the front and back to make sure it fits. Yes, I know I'm supposed to knit the neckband first and then seam the shoulders, but I really need to check for fittage first (yes, I know it's not a word, but couldn't it be? and isn't that great alliteration?). Will let you know once I'm finished, hopefully later today.

Also, kitty is so almost finished. I just need to add the hair and I want to make a little bag for it to go in for my niece. I want to have it all finished by Wednesday. Because of these two almost finished wares, Sizzle has been on hold, as well as Witterings and my husband's socks.

Movie Reviews:

Now, I owe you some movie reviews. I want to preface them by explaining the types of movies I like. I would say I have an eclectic taste. I enjoy silly movies and romantic comedies, but I also enjoy a movie that is challenging; movies that have excellent cinematography, excellent character development, excellent stories, great supporting casts. I really enjoy independent films because they are unexpected. But, again, I really enjoy a movie that will make me cry I'm laughing so hard or that is just a feel-good movie.

Rounders - starring Matt Damon and Ed Norton
Basically, Matt Damon is a very skilled poker player and idolizes those who play in the World Championship of Poker. He is a good friend, but has his priorities seriously backwards, which is what gets him into trouble. His loyalty to Ed Norton's character drags him into a fight for his life. He must use his poker skills to save himself from some unsavory business.
Though it was moving along a bit predictably, there was a bit of a twist that changed it for me. The supporting cast was a really good one and I really enjoyed that it wasn't necessary to know anything about poker to enjoy the movie. Though Matt Damon's character would explain moves and things along the way, it wasn't necessary to get it to understand what was going on in the scene. I think what I enjoyed most was the development of Damon's character.

Croupier - starring Clive Owen
Owen's character is a struggling writer in need of money so he takes on a job as a croupier in a casino. It is there he realizes his story is right there in the casino. For some reason, he is a straight-up guy in an environment that doesn't really care about integrity. And that is what helps him get his story. A ne'er do well father and pretty women with baggage also play a part.
I really wanted to give this movie five out of five stars, but I just couldn't. I can not stand gratuitous sex scenes and nudity. The nudity in this movie was just so unnecessary. It only happens twice in the movie, but it was enough. But please don't let that deter you from a really clever movie and a quite unexpected end.

The Salton Sea - starring Val Kilmer and a few other people I know you'd recognize.
Kilmer's character is a tweaker (someone who tweaks out on meth), but he is also working for the police as an informant. Being an informant puts him in some perilous situations. Situations that slowly help us see that he chose to be a tweaker and an informant to get revenge or justice, whichever way you see it.
I don't want to say too much, because I don't want to give anything away, but my husband and I had to give this movie five stars. This was truly a character study and I enjoyed the narration. The supporting cast was incredible. There were some very memorable characters. I truly enjoyed that the story was not completely linear. Oh, and the cinematography was really incredible in places. I will warn you that there is major drug use and gun violence, but it's not excessive; it is not anything beyond helping to move the story along. If you don't mind those things, I think you will really enjoy this movie.

Next up is Empire of the Sun with Christian Bale.

Hopefully next time I'll have some pictures for you of some finished wares.

Note to self, quit using "really" so much.

Maybe it's a Peploe?. *

2006-08-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

Husband to Mr. M in a rather surprised, but happy tone: Did you paint these?
Mr. M: just smiles
Me in the other room: I painted one of them.

Now, the question is, should I have actually said I painted one of them? I mean, my husband did think that my son painted them both, so what does that say about my painting skills? And should I have claimed it at all? Maybe this is why I should have stuck out that painting class my senior year in high school. I'll let you figure out which one is mine. :0)

Anyways, I am so close to being finished with the Nothin' but a T-shirt sweater and the kitty from the Wee Wonderfuls put together book. When I do finish, I'll show pics, God willing.

I've had the chance to watch a few movies that I hope to review for you sometime this weekend. Until then, have a great Friday, and a great weekend!

*If you've read 44 Scotland Street, you'll understand the reference.

Rags to resourcefulness

2006-08-01T09:49:00.000-07:00

In coming up with this title, I remembered a show called Rags to Riches that came on NBC in the late '80s. Does anyone else remember that show? I liked it, but I have a feeling I might be alone in that.

On a crafty note, thanks to Jasmin, I made some rags from my husband's old under shirts. She had suggested to do this in a post awhile back and I finally did; what a great way to repurpose something. I like the feel of them, I like my wonky sewing to give them some color and stability and I like that I will more than likely use them instead of paper towels and quit wasting all that paper. I think they would make great housewarming gifts (well, in addition to other things) to friends who might not have a boyfriend/husband to use their old undershirts.

Nothing all that great happening on the knitting front. The front of Nothin' but a T-shirt sweater is coming along. I decided to try Nona's left-slanting decreases and I think I think I like them better that the slip-slip-knit decrease. I would really like to be done with the front by this Sunday. I had planned to get a lot done this past Sunday, but Mr. M was really puny and just didn't feel well at all. He kept rubbing his neck under his ear and whimpering like it hurt. Poor thing. I gave him some children's Motrin and later on in the day he was much better, but still not his normal energetic self. He seems to be back to normal and it has me thinking that maybe he is getting ready to cut his two year molars. So, I say that to say that I am a bit behind where I wanted to be on the sweater, but I think I can get it done.

I also received my yarn for Sizzle in the mail from Webs last Thursday. I want to cast-on for it soon, but I've never knit a sweater in the round and so am a bit intimidated by it.

What else? I'm working on my husband's socks. There won't be too many pictures because it's stockinette and it's black and it's pretty boring.

And finally, Sunday night I stayed up incredibly late and watched the replay of Mystery!'s Inspector Lewis while I worked on Nothin' but a T-shirt. I love this show/movie and I want to see more. For those who don't know, it is a spin-off of the Inspector Morse series that ran for quite a while and that I need to get from Netflix. I enjoyed the way the story developed, that I never knew who was really the killer because they did a great job of moving suspicion from person to person, I loved the scenery of Oxford and now I think I've figured out why those who speak the Queen's English say 'mum' instead of 'mom'. I think it's because when they say 'ma'am', it sounds like 'mom'. Anyways, I do hope they continue to make more of the Inspector Lewis series; I really enjoyed it.

The Orange Scarf is done, now should I block it?

2006-07-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

I finished! And I really have to say that I like it, a lot. If I wore scarves, I might be tempted to keep it. But it is going to my best friend who lives in Chicago and will need it a lot more than I would. (click pictures to enlarge)

Specs:
Pattern: Last Minute Knitted Gifts Purl Scarf
Yarn: Rowan Kidsilk Haze (1 skein on sale), Debbie Bliss Cashmerino SuperChunky Biggy(3 skeins on sale), Joann's Sensations Dolcetto(about 2 skeins)
Needles: 13 US circulars ( I didn't have any straight needles and wasn't going to buy any, so I made due with the circs which was just fine.
Crochet needle US K 10.5
Notes: This was an incredibly easy pattern. The only problem I ran into was how long a scarf can be and take to knit. It just goes on and on, my friends. Oh, and trying to tuck in the ends. Since I crocheted the flower, which I decided to add after seeing her do it (I honestly just realized that I used a very similar color to her scarf, oops!), and attached it, it gave a front and a back to the scarf so I just let any ends that wouldn't tuck very well hang out on the backside. I opted not to do the fringe. I didn't think I'd have enough yarn and I really saw it as getting tangly and being too much of a maintance issue. Also, the pattern called for the scarf to be about 104"; well, I didn't have the yarn nor the patience, so this scarf is about 86" which is still a really good length.
I was a little ify about the color combo at first, but it really is more of a burnt orangey color in person, and so I love it!

I haven't talked about the kids much recently, so here's an upate. Mr. M is just picking up words all over the place. He doesn't always say them clearly, but he tries them and remembers them well. On the potty training front, that was put on the backburner for awhile. We started out great, but then we both got tired of his sitting on the toilet forever, waiting to go. So I decided to wait awhile until he had more of a grasp of when he really needed to go. I think we'll probably start back up in a month or so. Oh, he loves his tricycle that he calls a bike. He can't peddle yet, but gets around anyway. And he loves basketball and running. He carries his basketball with him pretty much wherever we go and he loves to pretend he's at the starting line on a track and races across the room. So cute. We're kind of working on colors and modes of transportation. And I have a Wee Wonderfuls doll planned for him. Hopefully that will come soon.
S is just growing so fast. She is just a big girl, long and probably already weighs 20 pounds at 8 1/2 months. She babbles a lot and even babbles while she cries. Maybe words will be coming soon. She has 1 and 1/2 teeth now and sits really well. S does the scooching backwards thing, but I think will get the crawling thing very soon. Oh, and she loves to stand, with assistance of course. And she tries to pull herself up, but just doesn't have the strength yet. Last thing, she loves to clap. I have a wee Wonderfuls doll planned for S, as well.
The two of them are so wonderful towards each other and so cute. I pray that they will always be good to each other and loyal.
I'll try to say more about the kids so that it doesn't all pile up into one long post because I just know you want to know more about my kids. :0)

Now, on to blogs I read: You really must check out these blogs. There's a wealth of great ideas and just crafty eye candy.

Chocolate a Chuva - do check out her shop - it has some wonderful book covers, bags, softies; she is extremely talented. Oh, and she knits!
Hello My Name is Heather - Oh, Heather just has some incredible ideas. She is getting ready to introduce a line of her own materials and has some very cute free patterns available.
High Energy Knits - she is expecting a baby - go congratulate her!, and she knits at an incredible pace. She is a talented knitter and she starts almost all of her posts with song lyrics, a lot from the '80s.

A pretty bookmark

2006-07-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

Specs:
Pattern: bookmark adapted from this
I really like how this one turned out. Doesn't it remind you of lemonade?

Something else I am working on - a smock, pinafore type thing. I'm using some thrifted sheets that I wasn't incredibly fond of to practice on. Once I figure it all out, I'll make one in some nicer fabric. I borrowed my mom's sewing machine so I could finally sew some things. I really do enjoy hand sewing, but not an entire garment. So hopefully you'll see this pinafore soon. I think we've decided to put getting a sewing machine on hold for a while, so I'm glad my mom is letting me borrow her's.

I've started the front of Nothin' but a Shirt sweater, the dreamsicle orange scarf is coming along and the Witterings hat is seeing some knitting time.

This past weekend we rode to the river with the kids in one of these Chariot bike trailers because the weather was finally bareable. And S is getting better about not crying. She starts out crying, but then settles down after about five minutes. She's so funny because she leans over onto Mr. M and he's so sweet and doesn't mind at all. By the way, if you've ever thought about getting a bike trailer, this Chariot bike trailer is really great!

Oh, and here's a funny picture for you: imagine two parents, one with a massive headache, the other really not wanting to go and shell out over $200 to the vet, two small children both woken up early from their naps, and two cats who hate riding in carriers, all crammed into an exam room the size of a big walk-in closet. Pretty funny, huh? Yeah, it wasn't so bad and the cats are both very healthy, so that's good.

Blogs I Read: The knitting and crafting on these blogs is absolutely amazing.

Knit and Tonic - check out her knit patterns (I'm getting ready to start Sizzle)
Mason-Dixon Knitting - they have an amazing knitting book out, tell some great stories and make some great dishrags
nonaKnits - she knits so fast, does great tutorials on different knitting techniques and has a great sense of humor
Bella Dia - oh man, talk about eye candy; you must check out her shop and see all her wonderful pincushions that are truly works of art; she also has a great library of Japanese craft books and, get this, she home schools her three, or is it four, kids while working part time.

Oh, it might rain!...and some knitting updates :0)

2006-07-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

Well, first, I have two sleeves down, and the front to go. I am getting excited because I can kind of see the finish line. (Nothin' but a Shirt sweater)

Look, another book scarf. I have one more to make and then I'm using the needles to cast on for some socks for my husband. Again. It's a different pattern now. In black. And not so long.

And, I am knitting Anna's Witterings for my MIL. This will be so neat to see when it's finished.

Finally, I have joined this Design a Calendar Project set up by Marianne. There are fouteen of us, each making a page for a 14 month calendar - so we each have to make 14 copies of our individual page. I am really excited and a little intimidated. I don't normally think of myself as creative, but then I surprise myself quite often. So I'm hoping I'll surprise myself here. There are some great people involved in this and I do think the end result is going to be really wonderful. I'll give sneak peaks and updates as I progress. It needs to be completed by the end of November.

Um, that's about it for right now. Movies to watch - Croupier, Rounders, and The Salton Sea. Time to watch them - very little before we each fall asleep.

Blogs I Read - I want to say more about each, but I just don't have the time. Just know that I really enjoy them, otherwise I wouldn't recommend them. You might like them, too.

Oldies
Twelve22 - craft blog, illustrator, working on publishing a craft book, incredibly talented knitter, sewer, quilter
sixandahalfstitches - soon to be mom to two, architect, an amazing crafter of quilts, has impeccable style, amazing perspective in all sense of the word, meticulous and amazing knitter
What-Ho, Good Egg! - daughter, sister, soon to be college student, knitter, lover of sock yarn, newby quilter, amazing whit, maturity beyond her age, yet unafraid to be young

Newbies
fig and plum - studying for her bar exam, lives in nyc, great knitter, great humor, soon to be traveling to Morrocco
dogged knits - teacher, great knitter, has recently ventured into the world of quilting, participating in the Amazing Lace, just turned me on to Izze juice drinks (go try one - yum!)
Pink Chalk Studio - an incredibly supportive mother and wife, wonderfully talented quilter and sewer, creative, great corresponder(is that even a word?), has a utilitarian yet aesthetic sense

Short Post

2006-07-20T10:35:00.000-07:00

This will be short because I just don't have much time right now, but I want to post. So, here is a picture of my knitted square I submitted to Nichola's Wall of Yarn.

Specs-
Yarn: Sensations from Joann - about half a skein
Needles: #10.5's US
Pattern: just knit on the bias with a crocheted ribbon flower; an old card was used on the back to give it support.

Three days without kids? What will I do?

2006-07-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

Where have I been? Well, I got to go on a bit of a trip for three days, without the kids. The only other time we've been without both Mr. M and S since S was born was way back in March when we went on a dinner date to P.F. Chang's. So this was long overdue, though we really di miss the kiddos.

Where did we go?, you might ask. Nothing too exciting, just up to Lawrence, Kansas, home of KU. There was a track meet that we endured for Friday and Saturday. Okay, it was hot, but I didn't get burned. And there were some good races. But, most importantly, I got some knitting and reading done. The knitting of which I promptly had to rip out on Monday and reknit when I found out I misread the pattern and had too many stitches left. But the first sleeve of Nothin but a Shirt is now done and I'm already onto the second. I also started and am about 3/4 of the way through another bookscarf. I've been tweaking the pattern a bit. Question - how many changes need to be made to a pattern before you can call it your own? This bookscarf should be done in another day or two. I would have worked some on the orange creamscicle scarf, but I forgot to bring more yarn. Is it me, or do scarves seem to go on and on?

One more thing on the knitting front - I was able to go to The Yarn Barn in Lawrence on Massachusetts Street, the main drag, and I really must say it was a nice visit. They were very friendly and there was a huge selection of yarn. They also sell spinning wheels there and were in the midst of a dyeing class when I stopped in. If you're ever in Lawrence, you should check it out.

I have an idea for another "quilted" postcard and some stationery to make. Oh, and one last thing. I've been sewing up my first kitty from the Wee Wonderfuls put together book. I hope to finish it this week. There are more pictures of our roadtrip here. The picture above is of a park in Garnett, Kansas where the is a VFW building. Not the greatest bathrooms, but it's a pretty view.

Personality and me not getting much done...

2006-07-13T05:28:00.000-07:00

One of our crape myrtles.

So, where to begin? Let's see. There hasn't been any knitting the past couple of days. Well, scratch that. I did start one of the sleeves for Nothin' but a Shirt. But I put it aside to do some reading. I'm really enjoying 44 Scotland Street. The author initally wrote it as a daily series in the The Scotsman and has now compiled the stories into a book, so that means the chapters are short and he leaves you hanging a bit with anticipation at the end of each chapter. I haven't even finished the book yet and I'm already recommending it.

So, that means the scarf is still unfinished, no finished sleeves for Nothin' but a Shirt and I'm not sure what I'm gonna start next. I have too many ideas of knitting patterns, postcards I want to make, maybe some stationery, trying to decide what sewing machine to buy (Pfaff, Janome, Brother), finishing my Wee Wonderfuls kitty cat, and so many other things on the brain. I do hope to get lots done in the next few days, though.

In the mean time, I know you've been anxiously waiting for Things To Know...
-I was voted as Best Personality in my high school class. Now, I do think I have a pretty good personality, but I was a bit surprised by this because I didn't know so many had payed attention. Of course, I had been going to school with the majority of these kids since 6th grade (grade 6 for others outside of the US; truth be told, I kind of prefer the grade 6 to 6th grade), so that was over 200 kids who knew me. I just remembered this honor when I came across my senior memory book.
-I am in love with office supplies. I have entirely too many pens, but I want more. I have notepads all over the place, several staplers, lots of different and cool paper clips. When my best friend and I would got to Target while in college, I had to stop every single time on the office supply aisle and almost always left with something I didn't need and couldn't really afford.

Blogs to Read:

Oldy but a Goody
My Fashionable Life
Anna has a wonderful knitting blog. She is so incredibly talented and sells her own designs on her blog. I really want to knit Cherry and the summer hat, Witterings, but have too many other things right now. She also gives wonderful knitting tips and really is a sweet person. I love that she returns her comments despite having a big readership. Go, enjoy!

New to Me
Angry Chicken
Many of you know of this blog already, but it wasn't until last month that I finally read Amy's blog. And I must say that I was missing out. She is majorly talented - check out her Kingpod store for quilted postcards, quilts, and her mail order club. The mail order club has had some cute crafts in it. She is a mother of two living in the Northwest, vegetarian, and a makes some great cakes. Oh, she's also the mind behind Tie One On, the apron along.

If I owe you an email, God willing I'll get to you before the week is out. I leave you with a picture of some plant/flowers growing in our backyard. Pretty. Go see more of my pictures here.

Reviews...

2006-07-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

This post will mostly be reviews on movies I've seen recently and how my summer reading is coming along. If you're not interested in that today, I understand. Come back next time. :0)

First, the movies I've had a chance to see recently.

The Secret of Roan Inish
This movie is a children's movie, mostly. Kind of like The Whale Rider, except Whale Rider was much better. It is a story of this family that lives in Ireland and their family is wrapped up in this legend. Supposedly an ancestor fell in love with a selkie - a seal that can turn into a human - and they had children together. Well, Fiona, the main character and a young girl, has been told this legend and soon comes to believe that her brother Jimmy, who has been missing for a few years, is now being raised by the seals. It is Fiona's quest to bring her brother home, but no one believes her.
It was difficult for me to suspend my disbelief on this one. But the cinematography was beautiful, the costumes were great, who doesn't love an Irish accent, and there was even a bit of knitting in the movie. Also, there were some amazing fair isle sweaters and all-around cute clothes that Fiona wore.

Intermission
This movie was along the lines of Thirteen Conversations About One Thing (an indie film), sort of, except this one was funny. The idea is that this one couple breaks up and the film chronicles how this break up affects those around the couple. It is interesting how everything is connected. And there are moments when I found myself laughing at scenes that just shouldn't have been funny, but were. If you watch the movie, the first scene is a perfect example. It stars quite a few people you'd recognize including Colin Farrell and one of the girls that was in Bridget Jones' Diary. It is one of those films that lends itself to having a moral to the story, but it doesn't force it on you at all. In fact, it puts ideas out there, but if you're not inclined to be analytical of a character's motivation or the ill's of society, the movie isn't ruined for you. I recommend it.

Memoirs of a Geisha
Finally, I saw this movie. I really must say that those of you who have not seen this yet, should read the book at some point, either before or after; it doesn't matter. I really enjoyed the visuals, though there were moments when I felt the scene was on a set. There were some scenes that were spectacularly beautiful like the one where Chio is running on this bridge that has orange arches overhead. Or her dance scene. The music was also nice, but I got to thinking it reminded me of Schindler's List, and then I saw the credits. Not only was the movie produced by Steven Spielberg, but I am almost certain the person who wrote the score for List also wrote the score for Geisha; I think his name is John Williams. I thought the acting was good and, though I was at first surprised by some of the actors they chose, it ended up working out really well. The actress who played Chio/Sayuri was just beautiful. And so was Mahmeha.
Now, having said that, I really do like the book better. The book was so beautifully descriptive that I was able to form visuals in my mind. At the same time, the story was so encompassing and drew me in so much that I almost couldn't see these people's faces. I didn't need to; the emotion of their story was all I needed. So when I saw someone else's interpretation of my book, I was a little disappointed. This is why I think you must read the book. I think it will give a true appreciation of the story, of Chio, of Sayuri.

Books:

I have put aside Rebecca and Pride and Prejudice for a little bit. Not because I don't like them. I really do like both of them. However, I am just not in that mood right now. Though I really enjoy the bantering back and forth and the idea of girls only really having one aim in life, marriage, and how antiquated that is*, in Pride and Prejudice, I have seen the BBC movie and know what happens and I just need to take a break from it for a bit.
*Maybe it's not so antiquated; more like it's taken on a different form. More and more girls go off to college; girls outnumber guys in college; the guys our society teaches us to want are in college; where did you meet your boyfriend/husband/significant other? I met mine...in college.

Rebecca is a really good read and there are so many things I enjoy about de Maurier's writing style, but she gives so much description, description that often doesn't move the plot forward, and there is very little conversation, and that makes it difficult sometimes to get motivated to read it. Also, it is way overdue at the library. I will definitely finish it, though, because I do rather enjoy the main character who's name we never do find out.

So now I'm onto 44 Scotland Street, which I am really enjoying. This is more of what I want to read right now. Of course, I'm only on chapter 4. Oh, and I did finish the Yarn Harlot's book, At Knit's End. I loved the quotes, really enjoyed her anecdotes and think every knitter should have this on their shelf for a good laugh.

Knitting and things tomorrow. :0)

Patterns for days and a couple of questions...

2006-07-10T09:35:00.000-07:00

On the Knitting Front...
We have a finished back, people. Yes, I finished the back to Nothin' but a Shirt. I know, I know...you're thinking, so? Well, this is big because, as you might remember, I knit this sweater before, but had to frog it because it was waaaaayy too small. And I'm so glad I didn't give up on it because I've got gauge still, my knitting is much more consistent, though there are some spots where my knitting is a bit loose, and I'm knitting at a faster pace so it's not taking me as long. It gives me hope that I can tackle this and
this (um, I'll being wearing a shirt under that, thank you) and get them done quickly because, have you seen the fall preview for Interweave Knits? I want to knit almost everything in there! Man, I have patterns for days! Now if only I had the yarn. I would show you a picture, but apparently I took pictures and they're in iphoto, but they're not showing up as being on my hard drive.
Oh, I have a request. I have been carrying my current knitting project in a big ziplock bag because I just don't have anything else that would really do the trick. I want to knit one of those felted bags like over at the Mason-Dixon blog or sew some kind of bag that could hang on my arm, but I don't have time to knit/sew that and the current thing I'm knitting. I really want to use up some yarn I have, even though it's not great yarn. Is there anyone who would be willing to knit or sew a bag for me with some of my yarn I'd send you and I'd pay you what you think it's worth for you to do it? I am really tired of my needles poking through and ripping the ziplock bag and I don't really want to just go buy a bag, although that might be the cheaper route. Just leave a comment or email me if interested.

Postcard

I finished a postcard. It's for a friend who has been really good to us and gave us a nice house warming gift when we moved into our new house. I do hope she likes it. I thought about getting a shadow box and framing it, but then I decided to let her do with it what she wanted.
On a related note, I've been thinking about creating different things and maybe selling them. Your honest opinion, do you think I could sell postcards like this and like the one's on my sidebar? I also have a few ideas for some stationery, but I'm still toying around.

In Sports...
So howcome I was wrong on all three of my sports predictions. Well, they weren't really predictions, more like wants. So France lost, and what was that head butt stuff with Zidane? I played soccer for a long time, my brother played for a long time and now in college, and honestly, I have never seen anything like that before. But I'm happy for Italy.
In Wimbledon, I was initially pulling for Rafael Nadal, but then when I started watching and saw that Federer lost to him like four times already this year, I wanted Federer to win. I was disappointed to see Justine Henin-Hardenne lose. But I was happy to see that Tiger Woods seems to be back in form after his father died.

Blogs I Read:
Oldy but a Goody
Wee Wonderfuls
Hillary has swept craftland with her wonderful softies put together book. She is so incredibly talented, makes some wonderful quilts, has a site about thrifting, ThriftCraft and just seems an all around good person. Even if you've never made a softie before and have no desire to make one, I can almost bet that you'll enjoy looking at her pictures.

Newby
Worsted Witch
I don't know what the witch part is all about exactly, but this blog seems to initially have started out as a knitting blog and then somewhat abruptly became an amazing resource on all things environmental. Jasmin does a great job of finding environmentally friendly products, researching ways in which we can be better to our environment and I really have to say that this blog has helped me tremendously. She highlights different artists and designers who use recycled or earth friendly products to make their art and she even gives home-made recipes for cleaning products, hair products, etc. Please, go check out Jasmin's blog. I think you'll feel better for it.

I'm a nut in a rut, I'm crazy...crazy productive, babeee!

2006-07-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's a lame title. I think I'm just going to start titling my posts with song lyrics, even if they hav enothing to do with the content of the post.

Last Minute Knitted Gifts Purl Scarf
I know it looks peachy, and it is a bit, but it is more of a sherbety orange. It's still growing on me, but I think I'll like the overall effect.
Check out the other things I've been working on this week - another postcard and materials for the Wee Wonderfuls pattern book which came last Wednesday. It is so incredibly cute and I can see myself making more of these in the future.

Things to Know:
-When I'm with people I like, I really enjoy their company and can have a lot of fun, but I mostly prefer to be by myself. I am also a major homebody.
-When I was little, my brother and I would mix peanut butter and brown sugar together for a sugary snack. We rarely had sugary snacks in the house, but never ate too much of the peanut butter/brown sugar mixture in one sitting because it was so incredibly sweet.

Of Note:
- Mr. M turned two over the weekend. I am amazed every day by his thoughtfulness, kindness and genuine good character. We are blessed.
- We've been watching the World Cup on the local Spanish channel. We don't have cable, so we're really glad to have the Spanish channel that comes in fuzzy. Oh, the commercials for the telenovellas are a good laugh.
- Go France! I would pull for Italy in the World Cup, but the way they flop and roll around in agony when there is nothing wrong with them just really irks me. This is not to say that other teams don't do it, but Italy seems to be the worst. Plus, I like Henry and Zidane.
- I want Justine Henin-Hardenne to win the women's Wimbledon championship and Rafael Nadal to win the men's.

Blogs I Read
Oldy but a Goody
Knitorious
I really enjoy reading Vicki's blog. Her's is a knitting blog, and she is a talented knitter. I also enjoy her thoughtful posts, her optimism, the family memories she shares, her daughters, her beautiful yard and garden, etc. Vicki is incredibly sweet. Oh, and she had 1 year quit smoking anniversary a few months back. I think that is incredibly cool.

Newby
Paperclips
Don't you just love the name of Heather's blog?! I came across Heather's blog from the Knit the Classics blog. Since then, I have come to find that she is a science teacher, is incredibly talented in quilt making, knitting, etc., has a beautiful dog, and a great eye. Oh, and she's really sweet. I really enjoy her blog because it has such a peaceful feel to it. Stop by. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Sorry I've been absent for the week. The creative juices and the desire to make things really hit me, and I've been using a lot of my free time making stuff. Oh, I've been making more changes to my sidebar, too. If you haven't noticed, there's the flickr badge. I also added my list of books from Library Thing, which I think is a really cool site. I've rearranged the sidebar so that my Finished Wares and things I'm working on are more towards the top, and I've added a section for my postcards because I think they're kind of cool. Finally, I've been adding blogs to my growing list of reads.

To Come - I hope to have a finished back to Nothin' but a Shirt in a few days; I'm at the arm shaping. Also, I really think I can get the scarf done by Monday or Tuesday. The postcard should be finished in a day or two. Finally, I need to do a post about what I've been up to with the kiddos.

Have a great weekend!

Finished Ware and Things...

2006-06-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

Finished Ware - Book Scarf
(it's a ware because the book "wears" it.)

SPECS:
Pattern:Book Scarf
Yarn: Mouline/Madeira six strand embroidery floss
Needles: size 1's bamboo; size 2.10 crochet needle
Notes: I really liked the idea of this book scarf and even am pretty happy with it overall. However, I have some reservations about the pattern. First, who in their right mind would knit something so small in the round? I had such difficulty getting the needles straight that I finally gave up and knit it flat. This meant I had to seam, which wasn't too bad. But I really don't enjoy seaming, so, even though knitting the book scarf in the round seemed impossible, I'm going to try it again because I just don't want to have to seam. Second, who knew tassels could be so hard to make? I will probably skip the tassels next time; it still looks nice without them. And look at how wonky my tassels look?! They don't lay flat! Oh, well.
Modifications: The pattern called for knitting the entire book scarf in stockinette stitch. Well, when I got to the contrast color lines, I simply knit them in moss/seed stitch. I like the effect. I'm not sure if you can see it in the picture very well.
Final thoughts: I will make this again. I think they would make great little gifts and have some planned for that purpose.

Nothin' But a Shirt is coming along. I'm almost finished with the back. I guess since I've knit it once before it should go much more smoothly this time around. Let's hope.

Things to Know:
-I drink tea every night before bed and my favorite tea is licorice tea. Now, I was skeptical at first because I don't really like black licorice, but there is something about this tea that tastes so good.
-I'm idealistic and optimistic most days, but it's not hard for me to be cynical. Really, though, I prefer to call it realistic.
-I had a crush on Lion-o from the Thundercats. :0)

Blogs I Read:

Oldy but a Goody
In The Pink

I have been reading Cathi's blog since last summer. Her's is a knitting blog, but she has recently taken up running and just started her training for her first marathon in October, I think. I really enjoy reading about her knitting (she's quite talented), the Little Pinks, and I really enjoy her sarcasm and wit.

New to Me
Posie Gets Cozy

I finally decided to check out Alicia's blog, having heard about it all over the crafty blogs, and I was not disappointed. She is so incredibly talented, creative and inspiring. She makes just beautiful things - purses, crocheted dresses, so many whisical things. Alicia has her own store online and in Portland, OR and I think that you should check her out. I know many already know about her, but for those who don't, I'm certian you will enjoy her insight.

Okay, finally...

2006-06-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

I think I've been able to figure everything out with the template and you should be able to see the text now. The problem seems to be that Internet Explorer isn't picking up the cool template change I made. Or, the last time I checked while at my mom's, it wasn't. What I did was change the background color to a slate-ish blue and uploaded this picture to run down the left side of the blog. If you have Firefox or Safari, you should be able to see the changes. I so don't even know what html stands for let alone know what it is I did wrong, so I'm just going to leave it. As long as everyone can read it and it looks pretty good, I'll stick with it.

I finally finished a fabric postcard. I had been toying with the idea to make a log cabin postcard and this is my interpretation. It is the same material, but pieced together so that it doesn't match up. I really like how it came out. I even taught myself how to blanket stitch the edge, even though you can barely see it because I used a really light thread. The backside is a birthday card from my 16th birthday; rather than throw it away, I just reused it. I took way more time on this than I really needed. It's not that it was difficult; I just got lazy and put it asie for awhile. I've got to get over this laziness; how am I ti be all crafty and knitty and stuff and I'm lazy?!

I have also been working on Nothin' but a Shirt, but I'm not showing pictures until I've at least finished the back. Maybe in another week. I hope to cast on for the Purl Scarf in Last Minute Knitted Gifts tomorrow. We'll see. Oh, and one more thing. I finally sent off my Dulaan hats last Thursday. I'm pretty sure they'll get to Arizona on time.

Finally, look at my moon flower! This is an amazing story because this flower should be dead. When I initially planted the flower, I had no idea how big it would get. Well, it got really big very quickly. The bad thing was that I planted it too close to the edge of the flower bed and the plant was just so big and hanging over the side that I had to move it. Well, I think I might have missed some of the roots when transplanting it because within 30 minutes the plant just shriveled up! I was so sad! And yet, it seems to be hanging on. I don't know what it is, but I'm glad I got to see it bloom even if the rest of the plant looks all shriveled.

*You can see more pictures here.

Changes...

2006-06-26T21:38:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I've been playing with the template. Please, if you have any difficulty reading the text, any of the links, or have a suggestion for a better color for the links, let me know. I'm not sure I'm completely satisfied with it yet.

Also, I have a fabric postcard I've taken entirely too long to finish that I'll show tomorrow.

Things to know and some really pretty thrift store finds...

2006-06-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

Things You Should Know(about me)
-When I need a chocolate fix, and the only chocolate in the house is a packet of hot chocolate, I'll pour the packet into a mug, add just a bit of water, stir and then eat the nice chocolate mush I've created. Love it.
-I have big feet, size 10's baby! Yup, and they're a tad bit wider since having two kids.
-I got to go to the San Diego zoo one time and actually go back behind the animal exhibits and see some of the animals. I was with a friend who's aunt worked at the zoo.
-My uncle took us to the beach one time and I refused to go in the water because of all the seaweed. It scared me and there was a ton of it in the water. So, instead, I took a nap.

I was going to have a finished ware, but I forgot how time consuming seaming can be. I'm aiming for tomorrow.

In the mean time (I just really thought about what that phrase means - "mean" referencing the mathematical mean, or at least that's what I think), I'll show you pictures of some fabric I've picked up. The first picture is of some sheets, pillow cases and a little zipper bag I picked up at a couple of thrift stores. The other picture is of some material I bought at Joann's awhile back. I have no true plans for any of it, but I just couldn't resist. Love them, especially the stuff from the thrift store.

I also ordered this lovely booklet from Wee Wonderfuls' Hillary.
I am very excited.

Recommended blogs tomorrow. No time right now.

This and That...

2006-06-21T06:58:00.000-07:00

Well, actually my 100th post was the last one, but I can still commemorate it.

So, I was wondering why Mr. M was having problems with these bath paints I bought him. He has trouble with some dot paints I got him, as well. I couldn't figure out why he couldn't just press the tip of the paints against the tub and paint. Then I looked at the box. Recommended age: 3+. He's not even two for, like, two more weeks. But maybe this is good; maybe it means I don't put any limitations on his learning? Whatever. The paint have been put aside for a bit.

My Summer Reading Challenge is coming along. I am currently reading three of the books at the same time - Pride and Prejudice, Rebecca(which I am really enjoying), and At Knits End (pretty funny for knitters and I'm almost finished). I'll keep you posted as I know you all are waiting with bated breath for me to finish. :0)

Knitting News: I should have a Finished Ware tomorrow, nothing too big, though, so don't get your hopes up.
I'll be sending off my Dulaan hats today, so I hope they make it before the July 1st deadline.
I have been organizing my work space, so I'll show some pictures soon.

Blogs I Read:
Oldy but a Goody
My Fashionable Life
Anna is an incredibly talented knitter/designer living in England somewhere. I love her sensibility which is reflected in her posts as well as in her knit designs. One thing I really enjoy about her is that, even though I'm pretty sure she has lots of readers, she still replies to comments. That's pretty cool in my book.

Newby
Whispering Pine

I've just discovered Blossom's blog in the last two weeks. I first came across her from her participation in Sew? I knit!. I have come to find that Blossom is a very talented knitter and she also sews up some nice clothes. I love the design of her site, and I enjoy finding out what new project she is going to tackle. I am still learning about Blossom, but I enjoy what I've seen thus far, and I think you will, too.

Red

2006-06-16T21:03:00.000-07:00

Things to Know ( a couple of days late)
- Starboard is right and port is left.
- I had a penpal from Japan when I was in 4th grade. She had this really beautiful, long hair. And she always wrote on this great stationery.

Blogs I Read

Oldy but a Goody
Soulemama
Amanda's blog has been such a source of inspiration. She got me started on hunting for great finds in thrift stores and really appreciating the story behind an article of clothing or an object. She is into homeschooling and unschooling stuff, has three wonderful children, sews up these wonderful purses, bags, etc. Amanda comes across as this incredibly loving and caring, supportive mother. She shares great ideas and takes great pictures. She seems a sweet person and I am most certain that you will enjoy sharing her world.

New to Me
Cotton Strudel
Adriana's blog is inspiring. She has great creativity, takes wonderful pictures that really seem to capture the essence of a thing, knits, crafts, has great ideas for organization, and she's an English teacher, too. Why wouldn't I love it.

Oh, my goodness. Yarn! And books! And me rambling a bit...

2006-06-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, I've been spending money. And, yes, this is it for a while. I have been building my stash. But I realized that I can't go into a yarn store, especially one that is having 35% off of everything sale, without patterns for which I will be knitting the yarn I buy. So, with patterns in mind, I went. Now, if you've been reading my blog long enough, you know I'm not the quickest knitter out there. So, this yarn is going to last me a while.

I bought a rose colored Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran for a sweater for S, Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino in green for Mr. M, Cascade 220 in a variegated blue to make some leg warmers, one skein of Rowan big wool that I'll probably combine with some other wool I have in stash for a hat for Mr. M, Debbie Bliss cashmerino superchunky in an orangish color and Rowan kidsilk haze in burnt orange to make a scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, and some Sensations Dolcetto in a peachy color from Joann's to combine with the Rowan yarn to maybe make a hat to match. Oh, I'm really excited to knit all of this.

Also, I finished my second Dulaan hat. Same pattern as before, but this time I double-stranded some wool I had leftover from making S's wool diaper cover to make the hat. Because I had to double up the yarn, I didn't have enough to make the hat as long as the pattern says and then fold it in on itself to make it thicker. So I have a roll-brim hat instead. I did cast on 45 stitches instead of 40 so I could make sure it fit an older child. It fits my head, but is small so that means it should fit an older child. I really like this easy, easy pattern and plan to make Mr. M one.

Oh, and I finally cast on again for Nothin' but a Shirt sweater. My guage is much better, but it is slow going to make sure my knitting doesn't tighten up on me. Will show pictures when I have way more progress.

I also went thrifting this week where I found the library table pictured yesterday, some fabric and a little cosmetics bag I'll show sometime, and some young adult fiction books. If you have any pre-teens or girls between the ages of 9-13, I think they will love these books by Lois Lowry, the Anastasia series. When I saw them at the thrift store, I just had to get them. They are stories about a girl named Anastasia Krupnik, her angst and woes of growing up, having a younger brother added to the mix, her first love interest and date, etc. and I just found out that Lois Lowry continued the series beyond the three or four books I've read and now I must get the other ones. Seriously, I have read these books several times and even though the first book is written in 1979 and is a little dated, I think the experiences are timeless and any girl would appreciate them. And this is a much better avenue than those horrid Gossip Girls books that are entirely too racey. My mom flipped when I came home with Sweet Valley High, though I did read quite a few. They got old after a while, but I can only imagine what she'd say if I'd brought Gossip Girls home. Oh, and Lois Lowry has a blog! How neat if you are into writing and like to see how authors get their inspiration, etc.

Notes -
-The skirt pictured in one of the pictures with yarn is a skirt from Boden's, but it's one that I think I might try my hand at making. I'll need to get some scrap material to play around with and borrow my mom's sewing machine, but I really want to make it.
-Some mints I bought from Joann's because of the knitting girl on the front.
-Red later today.
-Blogs I read and Things later today, more than likely tomorrow.
-Would you mind sharing what sewing machines you all use? I want to get a used one, but have no idea what is good beyond Singer. Please help!
-Sorry, being lazy and not numbering the picture. You can click on them to make them larger, though.
-Oh, also pictured are Weekend Knitting and Vintage Knits that I think I really want to buy. I checked them out at the library first. Doing this saved me from buying Stitch N Bitch Nation. I really didn't find anything in there that I would knit.
-And, in writing my blog and how long-winded my entries are, I've come to truly realize that I talk too much. :0)

Am I Blue?

2006-06-15T15:02:00.000-07:00

Blue - Container of Mr. M's sand toys that sits outside on the patio.

Blogs I Read

Oldy but a Goody
VintagePretty
Natasha first left a comment on my blog and that started a quick friendship. Her blog is kind of about many things vintage; not so much store finds, but more living a vintage lifestyle. She has this amazing garden that she shares pictures of quite often. She is environmentally conscious and has shared many ways in which, we too, can make a difference in our own environment. Natasha has shared recipes, both for cooking and for cleaning, and she has a love for knitting and reading. We've become friends outside of our blogs and I really do think you'll like her. Take a stop by. Oh, also, she is getting married in 6 days! Yes, she is a bit stressed and things are a bit frantic, so you should go by and wish her well.

New to Me
Huffmania
Hannah's blog is new to me, though I know many other's know of her. I finally got caught up on her archives and have to say I'm so glad I found her blog. Hannah is a mother of three and works in a paper store. She's also an archaeologist, which I find really neat. She has true love of creating, and yet has not been afraid to show how hard it's been sometimes to drum up the creativity. I like that because many blogs come across as though they have this never-ending flow of creativity, when we know that can't be true. (And I'm sure that's not their intention for it to come acoss that way.) Anyways, she seems really down to earth and I really do think you'll enjoy reading her blog.

Oh, I bought yarn this week at my LYS. They were having a sale. Yes! I'll show you the damage soon. I also finished the second Dulaan hat and I'll need to show it to you before I send it off. Hopefully tomorrow.

I know today is Blue, but I give you Gray and Brown instead

2006-06-15T06:37:00.000-07:00

"Gray/Black" - One of our cat's. They're sisters.

"Brown" - My son, insisting he must take the picture. I had this great idea to take a close up of Mr. M and S holding hands. It would have been great contrast because he is darker than she, but he must always take the picture, so that didn't happen.

An 80 year old library table I found at an antique/furniture thrift store yesterday. It really needs to be dusted, but I think I'm going to use it as my work space. Fianlly, I'll have some.

How do you read your Blogs?

2006-06-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

How do read your blogs?

I have been wanting to do this for a while. I'm not sure if someone else has already had this idea, but I thought it would be neat to see how other's read their blogs. So, please, do share on your blog how you read the blogs you read. Be sure to let me know that you've done it so I can check you out.

How I read Blogs

Well, before I had Bloglines I simply bookmarked all the blogs I read. That got really tedious after a while because not everyone updated every day or even weekly, so I put the blogs in folders by daily reads, biweekly reads, and every once in a while reads. Then, within those folders I had to separate the knitting from the crafting, the mommy blogs, etc. As you can see, this was not the most efficent way to read my blogs. But then Bloglines came along! It is so nice to not have to check every blog every day to see if someone has updated. My Bloglines is divided into categories of Craft blogs, Knitting Blogs, Mommy Blogs, Muslim Blogs, and I have to create a category for Other.
Now, as for how I go about reading the blogs that have updated, I read my must reads first, which are becoming more and more. There are some great blogs out there. There are some people's blogs that I love but I know they have long posts and I might not have the time then, so I'll save them for later. Also, if there is someone's blog post I know I'll probably want to comment on, I'll either wait to read there's or I'll open up their blog in a separate window and leave it open until I can get back to it.
Now, there are some blogs that, for some reason, Bloglines can't pick up their feed. So, I just bookmark those and have them in a Blog folder on my browser. But then there are also new blogs that I come across and I want to give a good read through the archives before I decide to stick with them. They're in the Blog folder, as well. It used to be that when I found a new blog, I'd just automatically add it into my Bloglines. But then I felt bad if I decided I didn't really want to read them and deleted them out of my Bloglines. I felt bad because I thought about those people who keep track of all the people subscribed to their blog through Bloglines and how disappointing it would be to see they have fewer readers. So, that's another reason for the Blog folder.
Anyway, now you know how I read my blogs; well, really, your blogs. :0)

Please do share how you read your blogs if you have the time!
I'll be back later with my "brown" and "gray/black" and some stuff and thangs! :0)

No brown today, but there's a finished ware in there.

2006-06-13T11:36:00.000-07:00

I just happened to come in second place in a contest over at Fricknits a few weeks ago and look what I won - the cute little ladybug tape measure sent along with the
"Domestically Disabled" postcard. Also pictured is a pretty skirt from Boden's that I want, among other things. :0)

Finished Wares

Specs:
Pattern: Potholder from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: Blue Cascade 220, White Lion Brand Wool(about a 1/4 of the blue and half or so of the white)
Needles: 10.5 US
Notes: Yes, it felted! This was my first time to felt/full anything and I like how it turned out, though I think next time I will add stripes to the design. I hate that you can see the imprint of the push pins I used to block it. Oh, well. Now that I know what I'm doing, I will definitely knit this pattern again. The only true difficulty was figuring out that I needed to twist the yarn when changing colors, so not that difficult at all.

Blog Reads

Oldy but a goody
Nikkishell

Nichola is probably one of the first blogs I came across. I loved that we were about the same age and were pregnant at the same time. We both have two kids and they're very close in age (her oldest is about three months older than Mr. M and her youngest is a little over a month older than S). She's been great for mothering advice and has given me much inspiration in creating new things. Now, I haven't really been able to follow through on that end, but once I get a sewing machine, the ideas are just flowin'. Anyways, she has become a good friend and she's got such great ideas, you can't help but support her and stop by. She is almost always the first blog I check when I see she's updated. And she's got a great etsy shop and a lounge in Melbourne and if I'm ever there, I so plan on stopping in. Read her if you don't already.

New to me
I Knit and Watch Movies"
I think I came across Jenna's blog from a comment she left on someone else's blog. What caught my eye was that she had a blog about knitting and watching movies. I love the concept. She is a great knitter and does a great job of reviewing movies she's seen. I think you should check it out. It's one of those concepts that's like, why didn't I think of that?! She did, and she does a great job!

All Quiet on the Western Front Book Review

2006-06-13T07:04:00.000-07:00

I finished reading All Quiet on the Western Front last Friday for my summer reading. I wanted to do a review, but feel that these quotes can say so much more than what I could. Also, though one could see how these quotes apply to the war in Iraq, they seem univeral to war. Please do not think that these quotes represent my opinion of this current war. War is too complicated for that. They simply seem to represent the tone of this novel.

All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque
Fawcett Crest 1975 edition

"A word of command has made these silent figures our enemies; a word of command might transform them into our friends." 170

"Then what exactly is the war for?"...
"There must be some people to whom the war is useful."
"Well, I'm not one of them[.]"
"Not you, nor anybody else here." 180

"The dead man might have had thirty more years of life if only I had impressed the way back to our trench more sharply on my memory. If only he had run two yards farther to the left, he might now be sitting in the trench over there and writing a fresh letter to his wife." 194

"I see how peoples are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another. I see that the keenest brains of the world invent weapons and words to make it yet more refined and enduring...Through the years our business has been killing...Our knowledge of life is limited to death. What will happen afterwards? And what shall come out of us?" 228-29

*Please forgive my rusty memory of siting quotations.

p.s. - I'll be back later with pictures of brown, a finished object and some blog reads.

White

2006-06-12T15:41:00.000-07:00

White - bloom on a tree in my backyard. Maybe it's a crate myrtle?
Thanks for doing the color week, Stephanie!

Summer Reading List Republished w/Links

2006-06-11T22:08:00.000-07:00

ETA - I added links to all the books. I also added a couple of books. I'll place a link to this post over in my sidebar. Now, can anyone tell me how to put a line through a word on the blog?

Here is my Book List for the Summer Reading Challenge 2006:

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton
The Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
The Glass Menagerie - Tennessee Williams
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
A Yellow Raft in Blue Water - Michael Dorris
Darkness at Noon - Arthur Koestler
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
Prep: A Novel - Curtis Sittenfeld
Second Helpings: A Novel - Megan McCafferty
Charmed Thirds: A Novel - Megan McCafferty
Arthur and George: A Novel - Julian Barnes
Borkmann's Point: An Inspector Van Veeteren Mystery - Hakan Nesser
Theft: A Love Story - Peter Carey
Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
Morningside Heights - Cheryl Mendelson
Portland Hill Walks: Twenty Explorations in Parks and Neighborhoods - Laura O. Foster
Pretty Birds: A Novel - Scott Simon
The Nanny Diaries - Emma McLaughlin, Nicola Kraus
All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque
At Knits End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much - Stephanie Pearl McPhee
44 Scotland Street - Alexander McCall-Smith

The books in italics are books that are on my bookshelf, or rather in a box waiting for me to find space on a bookshelf. (ETA: I also just bought a few of them with some gift cards to Borders. Love those things!) The bolded book is one that I have and that I've read, but really want to read again. If this looks like a list straight out of your high school AP English class, that's because it is, sort of. My MIL was cleaning out closets in her house and found several books her kids, including my husband, had read in high school. She asked me if I wanted them and so I have them now.

Some of these books are sort of teenage/young adult books, but to be honest with you, I seriously never tire of reading about teenage angst. I do, however, cringe, close my eyes, hide my face, or set the book down for a bit when a character is getting ready to do something incredibly stupid or something that I've done before. It really does make me cringe.

Anyways, I am almost 100% certain that I won't finish even half of these, but I am seriously going to try. I'm already half-way through All Quiet on the Western Front and I'm into the first couple of chapters of Rebecca. Some of these books are new and would require me to buy them or find them at the library. The buying is probably not going to happen since they are more than likely in hardback. And I have no idea how quickly the library gets new books on the shelves.

My plan is to check in weekly on the book/books I'm reading and to let you know how I'm progressing. If anyone would like to read a book along with me, please let me know. I think that would be so great! Or, if you've read any of the books I've read and would like to comment on it, that's fine.

Finally, I plan to come back and add links to these books. I'm going to also add this list to the sidebar, God willing, so you can access it easily if you'd like.
The Challenge starts Thursday!

Things, Blogs, and pictures, oh my!

2006-06-08T11:32:00.000-07:00

A post in pictures:

1. A sunflower in our neighbor's yard, if you can call it that since it hasn't been mowed since we moved in at the end of February. The sunflower is pretty, though.
2 - 4. Begonias my MIL gave us to plant in our front yard flower beds. We have lots and they are coming along quite nicely.
5. Have no dea what this pretty orange flower is, but we have several growing round our tree in the front.

I think plants are such blessings!

6. Someone tell the Yarnharlot that I bought her books! This is me at Borders with S in hand, explaining the lovely picture quality. I love gift cards to book stores!
7. The potholder from Last Minute Knitted Gifts just waiting to be felted/fulled. Look at those unnecessary ends!
8. A new Dulaan hat on the needles.
9. The lovely Schwinn my husband got so that I can bike. Now all we need is a bike trailer for the kids and we'll be good to go. Anyone have any recommendations on a brand you liked?

Can I just say how bummed I am that Blogger has been acting so wonky. It takes me forever to even get signed in, and then once there I can’t actually create a new post. It’s frustrating. I think it might be time to move on. What are your thoughts on the free-based Wordpress? What about the downloadable Wordpress compared to paying for Tyepad? If I blog at least twice a week, is Typepad worth it? Any thoughts you have would really help as I’m going to have to convince my husband that paying for a blog is justifiable.

Things Thursday #3
- I almost made it to the final round of our school spelling bee in 5th grade. To get to the spelling bee, I spelled ‘necessary’ correctly. What got me the boot? ‘Appreciate.’ I spelled it with one p instead of two. I just got really nervous.
- Two magazines you should know about:
Domino – It’s a lifestyle magazine, kind of like what Martha Stewart is trying to do with her new mag Blueprint. I like Domino, but as someone who helped edit and publish a high school magazine, I have to say that it is a little crowded. I love the content, but the design is too busy. Granted, the high school mag I edited was a bit on the minimalist side, but still.

Real Simple Family – This magazine is truly great. It’s like Real Simple in it’s streamlined approach and it seems to be taking over where Martha Stewart Kids left off. Now, if they added some crafts, they will have taken over that Martha Stewart Kids need that I have.
- You can donate old tennis shoes to www.nikereuseashoe.com. I got that from Domino. I’m all about that.

Blogs I Read #3
Oldy but a goody
Luckybeans
Luckybeans is a blog written by Katurah, an amazingly talented mom of three who lives in Zambia. Her blog is about her wonderful children, the amazing crafts she comes up with, her writing, the big move that just happened a couple of weeks ago, life in Zambia, and so much more. I always look forward to reading her blog and I hope that you will enjoy her, as well.

New to Me
Kidding Around
I found Carol's blog last week and immediately went through the task of reading her archives. I think I finished after a couple of days. Love it. She is a baker/part-time caterer, mother to three really beautiful kids, and just incredibly creative. She made these really great abc blocks for her son, I think it was. She's been on a sewing kick lately and has been sewing up skirts and pants for her daughters. She talks about some of the wonderful places she takes her kids in the Chicago area. There's a lot there. Please check out her blog. I do think you will find her inspiring and her ideas refreshing.

A Meme and things since the weather's gloomy

2006-06-06T11:36:00.000-07:00

*Blogger has been such a mess today. Can you click on any of my links? I haven't been able to and I can't figure out why.*

**Okay, I figured it out. Sorry for the multiple posts.**

I would post some pictures, but we had an amazing thunderstorm early this morning and it has left the sky quite gloomy. But I love it! However, that means pictures would be horrible and so none for today.

Blogs I Read #2
(Instead of listing the blogs I like, and read, only once a week, I'm going to list two every time I blog.)

Oldy but a Goody
Yarnstorm
I have been reading Jane's blog for quite a while. I love, love, love her sensibility, her creativity, her baking, her quilts, her embroidery, how she includes her kids in so much of her creating, her little jelly bean knitted pillows, her use of color. She seems a great woman and I love to see what she's got brewing.

New to Me
Wisecraft
I just found Blair's blog last week some time and I still need to go through her archives. But what I've seen thus far has me crushin' big time( how'd you like how I combined "thus" with "crushin'?" Old meets new.)! Seriously. She used to be in the textile industry and that is reflected in her sense of style and the obvious attention to detail. Her kids are great and she's made some great quilts and patchwork bags. Check out her about page. I think you'll like her, if you haven't already found her.

4 Things Meme
(This is the first meme for which I've been tagged. Thanks, Heather!)

4 jobs I’ve held
telemarketer for the University I attended
office clerk
English teacher
rowing coach

4 movies I never get tired of watching
The Goonies
Sixteen Candles/Breakfast Club/Ferris Bueller
Bridget Jones' Diary
While You Were Sleeping

4 places I’ve lived
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
(all in the same city - such an exciting life, I know)

4 TV shows I like
Law and Order/ Law and Order SVU
The Amazing Race
Globe Trekker
Waiting for God/Last of the Summer Wine

4 places I’ve vacationed
Palo Alto, California
Orlando, Florida
Kansas City, Missouri
Denver, Colorado
(do roadtrips count?)

4 websites I visit often
bloglines
yahoo mail
Quran-cast(a daily podcast of different chapters of the Quran being recited)
blogger

4 special treats for me - this is the hardest one!
getting new books
getting yarn/finishing a project
sleeping in
spending time with my husband and kids

1 place I’d rather be right now
in bed, asleep with a guaranteed 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep

3 bloggers (I'd tag Nichola, but I know she's way, way, way too busy for this) I’m tagging with this meme
vicki
julia
natasha

Finally...
I know most of you have never heard of the singer, Robyn. I think she's from Denmark. Well, she had a couple of hits here in the states back in the mid-90s and I found this one song that I just love called "Play". I think it was released in Europe in the late 90s. If you go to this site, you can download the song free. Great song, with a truly great message. Plus, I love that her name is spelled like mine. A long time ago, I had aspirations of being a singer and so it is kind of nice to live vicariously through her for a minute.

A Frog in the Hat and the Blogs I Read...

2006-06-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

**Thanks, Vicki, for mentioning me on your blog. Those of you who came from her blog, thanks for stopping by. And, Vicki, I'm glad you enjoy it here :0).**

Well, I bring you tidings with a finished object to boot. This is the Dulaan hat.

Specs -
Pattern - Double-Thick, Super-Warm Dulaan Hat Pattern
Needles - 13(US) 16' circulars (Clover Bamboo)
Yarn - Classic Elite Paintbox Merino Wool in Windsor Violet ( 1 skein)
Notes - This was my first completed hat and I am happy with it. The problems I had were simply with my knitting ability. The hat is supposed to fit a 2-8 year old, but my hat fits my almost 2 year old very well. As a matter of fact, I had to roll the brim down. So I think I knit a bit too tightly with this yarn. It is a very thick hat, as was the intention, and it is pretty stretchy. I did use the entire skein of yarn. If I were to knit the pattern again with this yarn, I would need to either add a few stitches to the cast-on or loosen up my knitting.

I love the colors and Mr. M will definitely be getting one of these very soon. He loves it and wanted to keep it for himself, but I explained that it was for another boy or girl who didn't have a hat to keep them warm and he seemed content with that explanation. I so want to teach my son the importance of giving to others as this is one of the pillars of Islam called zakat - charity. But I don't just want him to give because he thinks he has to. I want him to give because he feels in his heart a connection to those he's giving to, that he somehow cares for those he is helping.

Anyways, I also really liked this Classic Elite yarn. This was the first time for me to knit with Classic Elite. Also, the first time I knit with bulky yarn. It was a lot of fun and I hope to knit another hat before I send off the package to Arizona to be sent to Mongolia. I will have to use some other wool, though because I'm sort of on a yarn diet. So I'll use what I have in stash.

Oh, have some other stuff to tell you about, but not a lot of time today. So, let me just get to this.

Blogs I Read Week 1

Kerrie's Place
I think this is probably the first blog I ever read. It took me about a week to get through Kerrie's archives, but I finally did. It has been so neat to see her kids grow, how she's gone from just knitting her own patterns (and others) for fun, to running her own online yarn store and magazine. She has taken on a lot and does it so well. I always enjoy checking in on Kerrie to see what she's up to now.

And a new to me one that I need to add to my sidebar:
Fricknits
I came across Julia's blog after reading Vicki's post, and instantly fell in love, so to speak (cliche). She is a woman after my own heart. She's a 6th grade Language Arts teacher, a mother and has a love of knitting. She's born in the same month as me and even started an after school knitting club for her kids. I wish I still taught so I could do that. She's great to read because she reminds me of what it was to be a teacher and also let's me peek in on her knitting.

Please, if you haven't already checked out these blogs, you should. I plan to highlight an "oldy but a goody" blog and a "new to me" blog each week until I've gotten through all of the blogs I currently read.

Things Thursday #2

2006-06-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

First, knitting news.

I have been working on my Dulaan hat. Because it is knit on such big needles (13's US) and because the yarn is chunky, it knits up very quickly. I love the colors and just might have to get more of this yarn.
Have you seen the new Magknits? Oh, there are a couple of patterns in there that I would love to knit!

Now, Things about me...

- I sometimes read the end of books before actually having finished the book. Actually, I do this quite a bit. If I'm reading along and I really like the book, but can't wait to get to the end, I'll read it just to see what happens. It doesn't spoil it for me because I still don't know how they got to that point, so I still have to read the book. I'll also read the end if the book is not all that great and I'm not sure that I want to continue to the end. So it doesn't bother me when people talk about the books they've read. Or even movies because I'll still watch them.

- I love looking at Pottery Barn Kids catalog and the Land of Nod catalog to get ideas for art projects, decorations, etc. I actually very rarely buy anything just because they're usually a bit out of my price range.

Okay, that's all for today. Have a great one!

Twiddlely Dee

2006-05-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

Well, this is just kind of an all over the place post, so, yeah.

I think I mentioned in a previous post that I had decided to knit something for The Dulaan Project.
Well, I'm going to knit this hat; it seemed the easiest to knit for this inexperienced hat knitter and it seemed the fastest to knit in the short amount of time I have to knit. I have the yarn, I thought I had the needles (a visit to the LYS is on tap for today), and all that's left is to get started. I'll let you know about it as I go.

Also, I decided to join the Summer Reading Challenge 2006. I've found that since I've become a mother and also a knitter, I have made very little time for reading. Well, this summer I decided to try and read more. I'm working on a list that I will post in the next couple of days. The Challenge starts June 1st.

What else? Well, I didn't get my package off to Nichola Friday as I'd hoped. Then I was going to send it Saturday, but realized it was a three-day Memorial Day weekend and the package would just sit for three days. So I decided to send it today.

My knitting is coming along, mostly on the pot holder, which is looking better. I can't wait to felt it. No pictures today, though.

I have come across some great blogs lately. Some are crafty, some are knitting related, some are about being "green." I'll share some of them with you soon. As a matter of fact, I think I'm going to highlight a blog or two a week from my blogroll list. I've got quite a few, many you would find interesting. I haven't been able to add all the blogs I read to my sidebar yet. That's coming soon.

Oh, I'll also add the icons for Dulaan and Summer Reading to my sidebar in the next few days.

Two final, frivolous things. First, if you haven't come across the Johnnie Boden clothing catalog, you are missing out. It is what I like to call the new J. Jill. I used to love J. Jill, but then the last couple of years have left a little to be desired. I came across Boden and instantly fell in love with the style, the way the clothing is presented, and so much more. I could only buy these clothes when they're on sale, or if I've saved up for it, but I really think the craftmanship looks sustainable and would last for a long time, thus making a purchase worth it. Check it out.

Also, I like Grey's Anatomy and I'm sad it's in re-runs for the summer, though that will give me time to catch up on what I missed. Yes, it is a little on the oversexed side, and I change the channel then, but the stories are really gripping. And this just isn't your ER. I think Grey's does it much better. Plus, it's got Patrick Dempsey from Can't Buy Me Love (loved that movie) and With Honors (liked it) and Isaiah Washington from Love Jones(loved that movie) and Sandra Oh from Arliss.

Have a good Tuesday!

Things to Know (about me) Thursday #1

2006-05-25T05:33:00.000-07:00

ETA: I've added the lyrics to the Alana Davis song for those who haven't heard it before and wonder how it pertains.

I've been thinking that some of you might like to get to know me better and some would like to hear some silly or interesting things I've done, learned, etc., so we have Things to Know. I plan to make this a Thursday thing, in addition to any other posting I manage in the week.

Things to Know #1

-I once tried to walk up the down escalator. And my best friend just stood there and laughed at me! I think we were in Sears maybe, and I wasn't really paying attention, saw the escalator, and went for it. The thing is, you all, that I tried two or three times to go up it, all the time wondering, "what is wrong here?" Yeah, so why don't they put the up and down escalators side by side?!

-I've worn contacts off and on for several years now. Well, I once lost/broke my right contact in the sink in my dorm (at 5 a.m., right before rowing practice or right before leaving on a rowing trip, I can't remember) and continued to only wear the left contact for several months. (I can see out of both eyes, it's just that my left is more dominant, and so going without the right contact wasn't quite as bad as one might think.) I was a college student with no income, and my glasses prescription was way off, so I just made do!

-I don't show distinguishable pictures of my family on this blog. I feel better in the end.

-And finally for today, I just have to say that I love the song "32 Flavors" by Alana Davis (originally by Ani Difranco) (scroll down on the website to hear a bit of the song). I wish I had heard this song in high school when I was struggling so much with how I looked, who were my true friends, who I was and what I was about. I've come to think of myself as pretty now, and now think I was back in high school. But at the time, I was so unsure of myself and where I fit in. Because I am biracial (black/white as Alana Davis is), it was so hard to find my niche. Should I hang out with the white kids, the black kids, anyone else? I never felt white enough despite being raised by my white mother for my first 9 years, nor black enough despite being raised by having a black step-dad from the age of nine on. And it's not that I didn't have friends or people who accepted me, I just was never truly accepted, then, by the people I thought I wanted to accept me. I do want to say that there are plenty of biracial kids who never have problems being accepted; both of my brothers are in that category. This song, among many other things and people, helps me realize that I was special then and am special now.

ALANA DAVIS
32 Flavors

Squint your eyes and look closer
I'm not between you and your ambition
I am a poster girl with no poster, I am 32 flavors and then some
And I'm beyond your peripheral vision so you might want to turn your head
'Cause someday you're going to get hungry and eat all of the words that you just said
I am what I am, I am 32 flavors and then some
God help you if you are an ugly [girl]
Course too pretty is also your doom
'Cause everyone harbors a secret hatred for the prettiest girl in the room
God help you if you are a phoenix and you dare to rise up from [the] ash
A thousand eyes will smolder with jealousy while you are just flying past
I am what i am, I am 32 flavors and then some
I'm taking my chances as they come
I am 32 flavors and then some, I'm nobody but I am someone, someone...
I'd never try to give my life meaning by demeaning you
And I would like to state for the record...
I did everything that I could do
I am beyond your peripheral vision so you might want to turn your head
'Cause someday you're going to be starving and eating al the words that you just said
That you said
I am what I am, I am what I am
I am 32 flavors and then some
I'm taking my chances as they come
I am 32 flavors and then some
I'm looking for truth and there is none
32 flavors and then some
I'll never forget where I came from
32 flavors and then some
I'm nobody but I am someone
32 flavors and then some
I'm taking my chances as they come
32 flavors and then some
Looking for truth and there is none
(lyricscafe.com)

Now, onto other things.
Here is a picture of my husband helping Mr. M out on his new tricycle, courtesy of my MIL. He still has to figure out how to push the peddles, but it is really cute!

Knitting Content

Oh, you all. I have projects coming out the wazoo, and a couple of them I am not too pleased with. Well, not really out the wazoo, per se, but I have quite a few planned projects in addition to the four going currently that it seems like a wazoo, you know?
First, we have the Felted Potholder from Last Minute Knitted Gifts (I know, I forgot to tell you I bought this. I bought it back in February, maybe. I am a little inclined to think the book is a bit overrated and that I jumped on the bandwagon, but we'll see).

Right now, it just looks like, well, ugh to me. I keep telling myself that my colorwork will look better once it's felted. The whole thing will look better once it's felted, but I'm not so sure I'm convinced. I really like the blue. It is such a vibrant blue, but against the white, it reminds of a really bad, ugly crochet project from the 70s or something. I've also had to learn how to do color work and twist the yarn. Well, I'm just not sure I'm doing it right. It seems to me that the transition from one color to the next should be smoother and not so obvious. Unless it is because I'm knitting in garter stitch which might make the transition noticeable?

Second is my attempt at a Book Sleeve(bookmark).
I am knitting it in embroidery floss, which, while making a lovely fabric, is not all that great to knit with because it splits so easily. Also, the color combo is just off to me. You might be able to tell that there are two blues. That wasn't the intention. I just didn't buy enough of the first blue, went back to the store, couldn't remember the color, fudged it, and came home with the wrong color blue. In addition to this mishap, I had to teach myself how to do a provisional cast-on. It was not the smoothest thing ever, let me tell you.

Third is my knitted square for Nichola's Wall of Yarn that I so need to finish and get off to her for it to be there by the 9th of June.
I was supposed to embellish it with something, but that something makes the yarn heavy and droopy, so I need to sew on a backing. I'm using the front of an old birthday card or something to stabilize the square (aren't I being resourceful?). Right now it is pinned, waiting for me to hand sew it. My goal is to do that today and get it sent off today or tomorrow. I'll show you the finished project once Nichola's got everything all set up at her Nectar Lounge. But I taught myself how to knit on the bias as well as how to crochet with ribbon.

And finally, there is this.

Yup, balls of yarn that some of you might remember as being knit up into the Nothin' But a Shirt pattern.

Well, this is the perfect lesson for those of you who knit without doing a gauge swatch - KNIT A GAUGE SWATCH! I knit up that whole sweater, knit the collar, seamed the shoulders and thought to try it on, just to see, you see. I could barely get the thing over my head. It was like it was knit for a 13 year old! I figured this out back in December, I think. I was so just not pleased about it that I just now got around to ripping out the whole thing a week ago. But, it wasn't as simple as all that. See, my seaming leaves a lot to be desired and, well, let's just say that my ripping also involved cutting. :0( I was resourceful, though, and tied all the cut ends together to make a ball for knitting the guage swatch. Which is why my swatch is striped and has wonky ends hanging out the backside. So, anyways, God willing, I will be starting this sweater over very soon, now that I've got gauge.

Oh, and the Jaywalkers are just waiting for me to make a label. I made one, printed it out, and found that we are almost out of color ink. So, I'll either buy a new cartridge or go to Kinko's. Once I get all that done, then I'll show you the final product.
Scratch that. Apparently, if you shake the ink cartridge really hard, it will print. Look at the pictures!

God willing, I'll send it off tomorrow! I'm pretty happy with how everything turned out, despite one sock being a tad bit shorter than the other and some of the mistakes I made in knitting the pattern or that I had to use more than one skein and therefore can't knit another pair with the Socks that Rock unless I get another skein. But I am happy with the overall effect of them and the little tag I made. I even made a wonky pom pom and a gift card that has "to" and "from" in four different languages. Fun! I hope my SIL likes it all. I do just want to say that as I become more crafty, I am trying to incorporate that in my gift giving. I am trying to put thought into how a present looks. I remember I always loved to receive gifts from my aunt who lives in Colorado because I could always tell that she had really thought about what I would like and the aesthetics of how to present it. So, I hope that comes across in this gift, even if my pom pom does look a bit homely.

Okay, you all, if you've made it this far, have a great Thurday and weekend, if I don't get around to writing again this week.

Rant, rant, rant - not pertaining to knitting

2006-05-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know I'm supposed to be showing you pictures of my knitting, and that is coming. But I just really have to rant for a minute. If you don't want to hear me on my soapbox, now's the time to stop reading. Come back next time. But, I hardly rant, so you know I must think it's important.

I will preface this by saying that I am a religious person (a muslim for those who haven't been reading for very long). What is up with Nelly Furtada releasing a song called "Promiscuous?" Granted, I haven't heard the entire song, but from the bit that I did hear, man, it just made me so sad. Yes, it has a good beat, but the lyrics are talking about a promiscuous boy and a promiscuous girl and how they're trying to hook up and who really has "game" and if your game is as good as you say, then bring it.

Yes, I understand hookin' up. I also understand that more and more people are promiscuous now a days, or at least it is more out in the open than it may have been at one time. But wow! At least when I was growing up, songs that were talking about hookin' up weren't so blatantly obvious. They were sweet. This is just so in your face, let me screw you (I am so sorry that was really crass), I don't really care how many people you've slept with, how many kids you might have, or even if you have a disease. This is so overthetop. And little kids will be listening to this. Of course they'll hear it on the radio.

It is songs like this, and the direction mainstream media has been heading in for several years, that has me steering clear.

Shoot, Madonna's "Like a Virgin" almost seems, well, virginal in comparison.
Give me songs like "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel or "Head Over Feet" by Alanis Morissette.

Okay, end of rant. Sorry, this will probably never happen again, especially now that I've alienated some readers. Sorry for that, but I just had to say it. There will be knitting content next time, God willing.

Oh, I've been a busy, busy bee

2006-05-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

So, wow, it's been a few days. Yeah, but I have seriously had so many things going on. I have so many projects going at the moment, some of them with deadlines, some I just really want to get done, and my head is spinning with the growing list.
Here, let me tell you:
- I need to finally send off the Jaywalkers to SIL before the weekend is over (I've been so lazy on this. I wanted to make a label for the socks and finally got around to that yesterday, but it's not exactly what I wanted.)
- I have a couple of postcards I've been working on.
- I have a couple of secret knitting projects. They're small, but I need to get them done soon.
- I signed up to make a hat for the Dulaan Project. And I have to get it to Arizona by July 1st. Now seeing as how I've never actually completed a hat before, this should be interesting.
- I had to go order some new glasses this morning. I got contacts a few weeks ago, but since I'm getting little sleep, for various reasons, my eyes are just too tired from wearing the contacts all day and I end up with bloodshot eyes. I should get the glasses next week.
- I've been trying to finish up my square for Nichola's Wall of Fiber. I think she's supposed to have it by June 9th. I taught myself how to knit on the bias and how to make a crocheted flower for this project(well, I had tutorials for both of those, but still, there was a lot I had to ad lib).
- I've been working on another secret project that is really going to remain secret until I figure out more of what I'm doing with it. I'm a little nervous about it, in a good way.
- I've been trying to tend to the begonias my MIL gave me. What you should know is that I have never considered myself the gardening type, and have only recently become interested. I'm just trying not to kill the begonias, as well as the cone flowers and lamb's ear my next door neighbor gave me.
- I've been reading up a lot more on conservation, recycling, being "green". I plan to try to incorporate some things into my life like curbside recycling, buying fruits and vegetables locally at the Farmer's Market, buying more organic food, using my microwave less, maybe hang-drying some clothes. I don't think those things are too difficult or drastic, but hopefully will help in some small way. Why the sudden interest? Well, I don't know that it's sudden, but I have been thinking a lot more about how my actions affect others and how I seem to consume so much stuff that it's ridiculous. And the majority of that consumption is one time use stuff.

I think that's everything.

So, today, as we're walking out the door to go to the eye doctor, Mr. M falls head first off the porch onto the concrete sidewalk. Yeah, I heard this thunk sound as I was trying to shut the door and turned around to see him getting up off the ground, crying his little heart out. There was, thankfully, only a minor scrape along the hair line. It didn't look deep enough to warrant stitches. I certainly hope that I'm right.
But that's not all. Mr. M ran ahead of me to the door of the eye doctor's. So I called him back because I was getting S out of the van. Well, like a good son, he listened to me, and proceeded to trip down the two steps and scrape his knee. Blood curdling screaming ensued. He is fine, with a fresh band-aid on. Nothing that a nap won't cure, which is where he and S are right now. Napping.
Hey, I should go do that, too. But the three piles of clean laundry, the six piles of dirty laundry, the unmade bed, the floors that haven't been swept in entirely too long, and the projects I still need to work on, are calling my name, vying for my attention. Anyone want to guess what it is I actually go do? I'll tell you next time, God willing.
Also, I should have some pictures of a lot of things next time and I have an idea for a weekly blog post that I think might be fun.

Oh, the goodness of it all!

2006-05-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I know I was *supposed* to talk about my finished Jaywalkers this post, but something came in the mail! It was a lovely, wonderful package from
Nichola. Nichola makes many things(really neat bags, baby bonnets, etc.), but specifically knitting and crochet needle rolls. Well, I have been wanting a knitting needle roll for a long time and finally bought one. That's the lovely green fabric you see in the pictures. No needles in it yet.

But that's not all Nichola sent me. She sent some really good Dogoba organic chocolate, a crochet needle roll (that's the blue, brown, and yellow fabric), some adorable vintage knitting/crochet pattern books, and some wonderful smelling soap from WAX bar, a store in Australia. I had to take the picture of the chocolate last night because I couldn't wait until today to eat it. So that's why you see the horribly lit chocolate picture separate from the rest of the goodies.

Anyway, thank you so much, Nichola, for my wonderful knitting needle roll and all the other great goodies. You are incredibly thoughtful.

And everyone else, please visit Nic's blog and shop to see more of her creativity. I think you'll like what you see.

*And it is "supposed" with the "d" on the end, not "suppose." As a former English teacher, I just had to say it. That one used (and it's "used" with a "d" on the end, not "use") to drive me crazy. That one, too! :0)

2006-05-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

Wait! Wait! What is that? Oh my, could it be a finished pair of Jaywalkers?! Why yes, yes it is.
That's right. I finally finished the Jaywalkers. And it only took about six months! As I was nearing the finish (sorry, sports analogy), I was bound and determined to finish before S turned six months. Well, I finished on Sunday! Now all that's left is to weave in ends (there are more than there should be; I'll explain next post), wash and block, package and send off! I'm giving them to my SIL who actually lives here in town, but I thought it would be a nice surprise to receive it in the mail.

I'll give all the specs next post. Oh, and I hope to have some crafting to report. And my little experience with planting begonias with two kiddos. :0)

2006-05-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

Do you see what I see?
Yeah, so it's a good thing I went ahead and bought two skeins of this yarn!
Oh, and last night reminded me of the Jimmy Buffett song, "I Love a Rainy Night." There was a major lightning and rain fest going on all night and into the morning. I love rain! It makes me sleep better.

Hi, this is Robyn with some fetching style from the thrift store...

2006-05-03T08:14:00.000-07:00

Please check out the goodies from the thrift(op) store. Why is it an op shop in Australia? Just curious. I love language!

The ladybug skirt is not really my style, but I love the cuteness of the fabric and the texture is nice. I see serious possibilities. The flower skirt is something I would definitely wear if it actually fit me. Well, it fits, it's just not at all flattering, so that's a no. So it's destined to become something else. Both skirts are made by Talbots and I got them for $3.98 a piece. I personally think that's a great deal. The pants, by The Limited, are also something I would wear, but again with the no fit. So, they will be used for something else. But I love, love, love each of them and plan to go thrifting again soon. Oh, I also found some shirts for Mr. M, about four of them, that were in great condition and very cheap. I don't know why I thought he might actually be able to fit the clothes he wore last summer.

*I know this is what you all really came to see...the serious lack of action this poor Jaywalker has received.* I have had so little time to work on it thus far this week. And I had such high hopes. But I love that the variegation is basically the same as the other sock (I'll show the two together when I finish this one) and that this sock has knit up much faster than the first.

*Just out of curiosity, well, and maybe a little to have my ego stroked, what did you come to see here? Why do you read this blog?
If you don't want to share, let me just say that I am really glad you do read. Sometimes being a stay at home mom can make me feel a little disconnected from the world and this here blog reconnects me, even though many of you live far away. Thanks for reading and take care!

My Monday May day...

2006-05-01T14:41:00.000-07:00

I wanted to be the first to tell you all about the scarf purse
on Martha Stewart today. Now, I know someone has probably seen this or made this before, but I've never seen it so it's new to me. Go, go check it out. I have to get some scarves so I can make a purse! It would be great if I already had some, but they just haven't been things I've collected thus far in my life.

Oh, and I went thrifting today. And lost Mr. M for a few minutes. Freaked me out so bad! Turns out he was playing in the toy area we had just left a few minutes before. Needless to say, I am so thankful that we found him pretty quickly. And I found a few things. I found some shirts for Mr. M because he has outgrown the one's from last summer. I also found these great skirts from Talbots for $3.95! I'm sure you all know that Talbots is not cheap. The only problem - they're not my size. I can fit in them, but they are not flattering on me. I would seriously need to lose about 15lbs. to look good in them, which probably isn't going to happen anytime soon, so what I'm really excited about is the the fabric the skirts are made of. The patterns are fabulous and I envision cutting up the skirts because, truth be told, they're not really my style. I'll post pictures next post.

Onto the knitting. Oh man, I so thought I was going to be able to finish the 2nd Jaywalker this week! I turned the heel on Saturday and was working the gussett yesterday when it hit me this morning that I completely mis-read the instructions. At first, I thought I could get away with it, but then I took a look at my other sock and realized there was just no way. Thankfully, I was only about 8 rows in. Now, I'm hoping to finish the gussett today/tomorrow and will have pictures next post.

Finally, she is such a great friend. Look at what she sent me! I got the package on Saturday, and barely remembered to take a picture of it all before I ripped it all open. In the rose paper package, there was a hand knit wash cloth, some beautiful Indian beads that my picture does do justice, and some fibre. Natasha also sent me some postcards and pamphlets about places in Northumberland, a place I've wanted to learn more about. Thank you so much Natasha!

Knitting and a movie - a lame review follows

2006-04-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like staying up until 2AM watching an okay movie to get some knitting done. Yup, that's what I did last night. I watched Elizabethtown with Orlando Bloom and managed to crank out a few rows on my Jaywalker. I think I have maybe about 1.5" left before I get to the heel. Maybe I'll get to it tonight, but I don't know that I can take another self-induced late night like that.

The knitting is coming along smoothly. I really haven't messed up much at all this time around. My knitting looks smoother and more even, which I am glad about.

Oh, and the movie? Let me see. For some reason I have a hard time liking Kirsten Dunst. She always comes across as a miss know-it-all. I liked Orlando Bloom, but I don't think it was a really strong performance. The plot seemed woefully underdeveloped, but then spent entirely too much time on unimportant areas. For example, why do I need a 30 minute opening about how Orlando's character failed miserably when he does a rather poor job throughout the movie of expressing how great that failure really was in the whole scheme of his life? And why was Kirsten Dunst's character, Clare, even interested in Orlando's character? She shows interest in him because he's like the only one on the plane, but why beyond that? She seems to have it so together, with only a hint that she might have some self-esteem issues, that the character was kind of unbelievable. And a bit stalkerish. And the "Kentucky" accent was really wack, in my opinion. Oh, oh, and how did she have time to put together the road map for him?!?

And yet, there was something about it that was a little charming. It reminded me a bit of Garden State in terms of an unexpected romance, a girl who has it together and the guy, not so much, and the sometimes melancholic music track. Oh, and the interesting friends/people along the way. But Garden State just did it better. I gave Garden State 5 stars; I have to give Elizabethtown 3 stars.

Sorry, pictures are really dark because it was late.

Calling all mothers - Seeking advice on potty training

2006-04-26T08:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, I need a little advice. I've started Mr. M potty training/learning, but only into the third day, I am beginning to wonder if it is too soon. Part of me really thinks he's ready - a lot of times he'll tell me he's peed, "I pee" as he says, while he's peeing or right after, he doesn't like to have dirty diapers on and a lot of times will pull at his bottom in discomfort, when I put him in underwear, he tells me almost immediately that he's peeing, and he's big for his age and pretty smart, though I know those two things don't equal a mature almost two year old.
But another part of me says that all the literature says I should wait until he's at least two and can really articulate that he needs to go to the bathroom. Yes, he can articulate going pee or poop, but if I ask him if he needs to go peepee, he'll look at me blankly and then five minutes later, pee. I sit him on the potty, but he won't go or I'll end up letting him sit there for 20 minutes or so and he gets bored. Then he'll pee five minutes later. So I wonder if he really is mature enough.
I don't want to start too early because this could take a long time, but I also don't want to miss the window of opportunity when he feels ready. And I know I'm only three days in, but I just see this taking the whole summer and then some.
Oh, I guess one good thing about this is it is forcing me to address my laziness regarding laundry. He's wets on himself so often that I have to wash clothes quite a bit, especially since he doesn't have a whole bunch of pants or shorts, just enough.

**********
And as far as knitting is concerned, the focus is all Jaywalkers this week. And I have a few craft projects that I'm working on. I'll show progress or just the results when I get finished, God willing.

Tea for Two...

2006-04-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

Oh, today was fun! Yes, I know this is a knitting blog, but who said I couldn't showcase a little cookin'? Which is why Natasha and I decided to start the Trans-Atlantic Bloggers Breakfast. I thought it would be a neat idea to share a meal with Natasha, but she lives in England and I, in Oklahoma in the US. How could we do it? Well, the cyber breakfast was born. The only problem was that there is a six hour time difference between us, so how could we "eat together" and what would we eat? Well, Natasha came up with the idea to have High Tea so that it could be around lunch time for me and in the late afternoon for her. Oh, how exciting! I've always wanted to have High Tea.

Today's Menu
Madeira Cake with lemon
Jane's Fruity Rock Buns
Scones
Tea Sandwiches
Te(of course)
Coffee

I won't mislead you into thinking I'm this wonderful cook. I can follow a recipe pretty well, but that doesn't mean it always comes out perfectly. And this High Tea was not without mishap. I told my husband that I was almost certain the Queen would laugh at my attempts. First, I made the Madeira cake last night, but didn't have any way to store it. Saran Wrap to the rescue! Second, I forgot to put lemon in Jane's Rock Buns, but they turned out fine just the same. I did add some walnuts to the recipe which was quite nice. Third, the second batch of Rock Buns got a little bit too brown, not burnt mind you, because I forgot to turn the oven down a bit after the first batch. Fourth, my scones became, well, scone cake. I'm not sure if it was because I used regular granulated sugar instead of caster(super fine) sugar or what, but it looked like cake mix instead of dough. There was no way I was going to be able to pour it out on the counter and knead it. So scone cake it was and I do have to say it was rather nice. When we ate it, we didn't even put anything on it because it tasted so good on it's own.

Overall, and despite the mishaps, it was a really nice experience. My husband really liked everything, even had tea though I made coffee as well. And Mr. M loved the Rock Buns. I have to say that it was a success and I hope to do it again soon, this time something traditionally from the southwest United States. Natasha has been such a great email friend and so wonderful to do this with me. Tasha, I'm glad to hear it made R's day better. Your food spread looked so delicious!

Here are some pictures of our morning and the spread. I was helped by Mr. M as you can see in the pictures.

The socks and why we should rent knitting needles

2006-04-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

Here's the knitting content.

I am about 3 1/2" in on the leg of my second Jaywalker sock. It is going a lot more smoothly than the first. I really should dedicate more time to it.

Also, I started the beginner sock pattern from Jo Sharp's Contemporary Knitting 2 book back in December, maybe? Of course, I set it aside for a while, but now it's back in full swing. I'm almost finished with the first sock. It doesn't look like much right now, but it is a quick, easy knit and I should be done with it in a few days. Maybe it's such a quick knit because it's only on two needles?

Finally, I bought the Green Gable pattern. Now I just need to get the yarn and the needles for it. You know, I think someone should come up with a knitting rental system. Instead of the yarn store selling the needles, they should rent them. In order for me to make Green Gable, I now have to buy three more circular needles that might not get used for a very long time. But if I could rent them for a set amount of time, then I wouldn't have paid money for something I would hardly use and it might encourage me to knit the sweater faster because the needles are rented. Just a thought.

Anyway, I hope you all have a good weekend!

Pictures of my homemade crib bumper

2006-04-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

This is my homemade bumper! Sorry the pictures are so blurry. I do feel I need to explain a bit more why I decided to make my own instead of buying a crib set. I did really want to save money. These crib sets are quite expensive and are used for such a short amount of time, and right now I just couldn't justify such an expensive purchase.

I really wanted S to have something nice, but I also had trouble finding a decently priced crib set that would match the color of S's room. As you can see in the pictures, her room is, well, the color of mud. I actually quite like it, but it left us with very few options as far as how to decorate it.(We rent our house, so the color was already there when we moved in.) We found a rug that went very well, but then couldn't find any crib sets to match the rug. Then one day while at Target, I came across this quilt and snatched it up. I went back later and got the two pillow shams after realizing the full-sized quilt would not be long enough. I am actually quite pleased with how it turned out. I think that it helps to brighten this dark room. I certainly hope S likes it when she's older.

Of note - I plan to remove the bumper or sew down the ribbon strings once S is able to move about in the crib so as to prevent a choking hazard.

My momma told me, you better shop around...

2006-04-17T06:52:00.000-07:00

Because I am a stay at home mom, I often have to find things for Mr. M to do. Though I'm not against an open, do anything experience for my kids, I feel that some structure is warranted. And so I've gone shopping around in search of ways in which I can incorporate some structure into our daily lives. Has it worked? Well, some elements of it have and others, well, I've been too lazy to enforce. Let me explain.

Problems:
Running out of food ideas for a toddler (are all toddlers picky eaters?)
Toddler running around aimlessly with nothing to do
Toddler underfoot so much that I often trip over him
Very little independent play by toddler
Independent play that does happen is potentially dangerous and/or destructive

Solutions(sort of):
Went in search of toddler menus online and found a few I like:
here and
here
These have really helped me see that there is variety in a toddler diet.

Looked on amazon.com for books with ideas for crafts and activities for toddlers, and found a few that I must buy. I checked them out from the library first to peruse. I still need to buy them, so I keep renewing them. I know. I need to turn them in. Bad library user.
The Toddlers Busy Book
Arts & Crafts Busy Book : 365 Activities
The Little Hands Big Fun Craft Book: Creative Fun for 2- To 6-Year-Olds

Have gone through toys, and plan to go through them again, to weed out the one's Mr. M doesn't play with a lot. I've put them away in his closet. I hope this decluttering will allow him to see more clearly what he has and play with them. I plan to do the same with his books. I also want to get a bookcase to set some of his toys on so he can see them better. I hope this will encourage him to play more independently.

Of note - Though I only let Mr. M watch Elmo's World on Seseame Street, The Teletubbies, and Jakers sometimes, I felt that I was being lazy when I let Mr. M watch a couple of hours of, sometimes taped, shows. I used to be a tv junkie and I don't want that to happen to my kids, so I have had to curb my laziness enough to only allow no more than an hour of tv watching for him. So I've really had to figure out what to do during the day.

Also, Mr. M has figured out how to undo his seatbelt in his high chair, and climb out of the high chair, thus making said high chair obsolete. This has caused quite a bit of frustration for us because now that he has this new-found freedom of eating at the table, he doesn't eat. As a result, meal time has occurred when I can get him to eat. Most days, I am lucky to get one decent meal into him. The size of this meal is nowhere near what he used to eat. It is so frustrating. He wanders while he is eating, getting his sticky hands on my furniture. Ugh! I know it is a phase, but in the mean time, I wonder how many times I'll have to cajole him into eating. Often times we'll sneak a bite of something in his mouth while he's climbing about. Silly boy!

As for S, she is getting so big(in a good way)! She is starting to scoot on the floor and almost has the rolling from back to front thing down. She babbles a lot, and adores her big brother.

Oh, and I finally got her crib done. I didn't want to spend the money on a crib set that she would only use for a short amount of time. So, after a suggestion from my MIL of sewing a whole bunch of stuffed pillow cases togewther, I decided to get a quilt and some pillow shams from Target, folded the quilt lengthwise so it would be the height of a bumper, stuffed the pillow shams with doll stuffing and folded them a bit to make them the same height as the quilt, sewed the quilt and pillow shams down about every 2"-3" inches along their length, attached this really lovely grosgrain ribbon I found at Hobby Lobby so I could tie the pillow shams and quilt together to make the "bumper" long enough, sewed some pieces of ribbon about every 5-6 inches to tie the "bumper" to the crib railings and, voila! a bumper that turns into a full sized quilt for when S gets older. And pillow shams that match the quilt. I will admit that it slouches just a bit and were I not lazy, I would correct the problem. But the slouching is not enough for me to be too concerned. Anyways, I think it looks pretty cute and saved me a bunch of money! Wish I'd done that for Mr. M, though I do really like the bumper set we used for him.

I will post pictures tomorrow of the crib as well as some knitting pics and news, God willing.

I want, I need...

2006-04-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

I know I promised mama stuff, but I just had to share this.
I want to knit just about everything in this magazine. Seriously. I think this is by far the best Interweave Knits I've seen.

2006-04-14T07:25:00.000-07:00

So, I have some knitting news. I present to you a Finished Ware from the collection of Robyn - The Wool Diaper Soaker (to cover cloth diapers for added leak protection).

Specs.
Started: I think it was early November 2005
Finished: April 13, 2006
Pattern: Little Birds Organic free wool soaker pattern
Yarn: Lion Brand Yarn Lion Wool Prints in Flower Garden
Needles: Size 5
Details: I started this back when I was just about to give birth to S. I got about a 1/4 of the way through, had to rip back for some reason I can't remember and then just put it aside. Life was so hectic and I was sort of working on the Jaywalker sock(still am - sock #2), so the wool soaker took a back seat. Well, once I just sat down and decided to finish it, it took me about two weeks. I'm not sure I like the colors very well; the camouflage look is a bit interesting. But I do like the frills on the leg openings. I have yet to try it on S because I still need to wash and lanolize it, but it looks big enough. It's actually sized for a 12 month old, so S will have some growing to do for it to fit properly. Anyways, I'm glad I'm finished and plan to make another one soon.
Oh, and just so you know, I had grande plans of only diapering S in cloth diapers, but I am too lazy when it comes to wash and would get so incredibly far behind. So now, I just plan to put her in them when I know we're not going anywhere for the day.

I have some momma things and activities for toddlers I want to talk about, but will save for next post. Oh, and another movie list. Now this weekend go rent one of my Frivolously Fun movies. If you loved the '80s, you'll love the majority of these movies. You've probably even seen them already.

Frivolously Fun

2006-04-11T19:40:00.000-07:00

Here's just some fun stuff my husband and I decided to do. After watching Apocalypse Now, and learning that it was number 28 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies, we decided to come up with our own list. But then we realized we couldn't do that without categorizing them. So, for starters, here's our combined lists of Top Frivolously Fun Movies
Krush Groove
Breakin'I
Breakin' II Electric Boogaloo
House Party
Disorderlies
The Last Dragon
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Sixteen Candles
Adventures in Babysitting
Parent Trap (the original)
Liscense to Drive
Desperately Seeking Susan
The Breakfast Club
Big Trouble in Little China
The Goonies
ETA:
Rat Race(thanks for the reminder Tasha!)
Troop Beverly Hills

There are some like Dirty Dancing and The Truth about Cats and Dogs that I have to include in other yettobenamed categories.
Fun stuff! Actually, I think I need to put Adventures in Babysitting in my queue since I haven't seen it in a few years. And, based on our movie selections, you can definitely tell we grew up in the '80s.

Let me know if you've seen any of these movies and if they are your favorites.

Also, knitting content with a finished object in the next day or two. The allergies, they've been bothering me, so I'm recovering with some Sudafed. Thank you!

The Randomness that is my life...and that I love.

2006-04-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

Things are much better, now thanks for the support. It's nice that I can use this blog as an outlet to vent every once in a while.
Well, I decided to do some more work on this wool soaker that I started back in December, maybe. I'm almost finished with the backside and, oh my gosh, should have a finished ware for you pretty soon, hopefully. I still need to do the crocheted frilly edge for the leg openings. Should be fun. I haven't crocheted since finishing S's blanket last year. This picture makes it look like a wonky leg warmer. :0)

Oh, I went to Joann's a couple of days ago and saw this absolutely wonderful robin's egg blue print with brown flowers. I think I might have to go back and get some.

Mr. M's nose is actually healing up nicely, thank God.

Oh, I finally went to the eye doctor today; I haven't been in several years. I decided to go back to contacts. I used to wear them for several years. Then, when I started teaching, I was getting up so early and going to bed so late that it felt like my contacts(gas permeable hard) were glued to my eyeballs and my eyes were getting tired. So I switched to just glasses and have worn them for the past six years. But now that Mr. M has insisted on yanking my glasses off my face in a death grip that has left one of the arms of the glasses really loose, causing them to sit crooked on my nose, and the fact that S will be at this stage soon as well, it's time to go back to contacts. So I've got them ordered and we should be on our way. I remember the first time I went in to get fitted for contacts back when I was 16. I had the worst sinus headache to start with and then had to try on contacts and strain my eyes. Man, even though I used to get incredibly bad migraines that would last for days, that particular headache was truly the worst headache I think I've ever had.

We made a stop at the library last Saturday and picked up a few more books for Mr. M. These are the one's he really likes:(images from amazon.com)

He really loves the images. They are so real and the colors so brilliant.

I think he likes this book because the little girl jumps around in puddles of rain during a summer rain shower. I like this book because the pictures are such neat collages. And the colors are so vivid.

Finally, I will be changing my sidebar a bit. I'm going to try to weed out the blogs I no longer read, add some more that I've found recently, update the works in progress and completed objects section and also try to add a What I'm Reading section. This might take me a bit, so don't expect changes over night.

Okay, you all have a wonderful, wonderful day, weekend, etc

2006-03-31T13:36:00.000-08:00

This has been one of those days where nothing goes right and you come to understand why a parent must be flexible.

1. S took forever to go to sleep last night. Found out she was still hungry, even though she had just had about 8 oz. 45 minutes earlier. Then of course she woke up at around 1:30 this morning, again needing to eat. And I didn't sleep well after that.
2. I think I'm going to get both Mr. M and S down for a nap at the same time, but of course S must stay up 20 minutes longer and then wake up 20 minutes before Mr. M. And, you guessed it, Mr. M wakes up not too soon after because S is loud.
3. The toilet. It overfloweth. And gets all the rugs soaked. So I must mop the floor.
4. Let's not forget that while the kids were taking a nap, I was going to workout. I got about half of the workout done before S woke up. I was going to try to finish after feeding her, but then Mr. M woke up and well, finishing the workout was shot.
5. Oh, one more thing. I don't have to worry about when to give S a bath because she will sleep for ages at night(which is a good thing,) but then wakes up soaked. And this usually includes gross poop. So I have to give her a bath. This happens about every day to every other day. So that's when she gets a bath. Well, you know it. This happened this morning. And I'm about out of sheets.
6. I know I'm probably missing something. Oh yes, I had great plans of going to the library, the store, dropping off some things at the Goodwill, but don't know if that's going to happen now.
7. And can you cook chicken that has been thawing in your fridge for two or three days? Is it still safe?

I feel much better now, but while in the midst of all of this, and the huge pile of laundry in my bedroom, I felt like I was just hanging on. I was really trying to hold it all in, keep perspective, but there was a part of me that just wanted to scream at the frustration of it all. Thankfully, I held it together and S is down for what has been a nice long nap. So, I think things are looking up.

Oh, one more thing. Mr. M has a nice skinned nose. Yup, and it just makes me cringe inside every time I look at his nose. He tripped in the driveway yesterday and fell face first, no time for hands. Poor thing. I keep putting antibiotic ointment on it to help prevent majoring scarring. Does anyone have any other suggestions.

On the knitting, I am really ging to try to finish the wool soaker for S because I do think it will help control some of the leaking she has going on.

Okay, enough from me.

Jaywalker, Hobby Lobby and Pottery Barn

2006-03-30T09:40:00.000-08:00

I've started on the second Jaywalker sock, taking people's advice to start the next sock as soon as you finish the first. I'm already to the zig zag pattern. Cool beans! I do think this sock will go a lot more quickly than the first. S is older now and sleeps better. I actually know wht I'm doing now and am comfortable with such small needles and bamboo. I'll keep you updated, but I probably won't do any pictures until I have more significant progress.
I also went to Hobby Lobby the other day and came home with these:
I love Martha Stewart Kids. It's interestig to note that you can barely find her name on the outside of the magazine. It has some really cute ideas, as usual. The ribbon is for a project for S's room. I also let Mr. M pick some for himself. And then, there is some that I have no plans for, but just couldn't resist.
Oh, and I got the latest Pottery Barn catalog. They have these beautiful hand-blocked quits that I so want!
Okay, off to fold laundry! Have good times!

Poetry Monday

2006-03-27T14:03:00.000-08:00

Where I’m From by George Ella Lyon

I am from clothespins,
from Clorox and carbon tetrachloride.
I am from the dirt under the back porch.
(Black, glistening
it tasted like beets.)
I am from the forsythia bush,
the Dutch elm
whose long gone limbs I remember
as if they were my own.

I’m from fudge and eyeglasses,
from Imogene and Alafair.
I’m from the know-it-alls and the pass-it-ons,
from perk up and pipe down.
I’m from He restoreth my soul with a cottonball lamb
and ten verses I can say myself.

I’m from Artemus and Billie’s Branch,
fried corn and strong coffee.
From the finger my grandfather lost to the auger
the eye my father shut to keep his sight.
Under my bed was a dress box
spilling old pictures,
a sift of lost faces
to drift beneath my dreams.

I am from those moments–
snapped before I budded–
leaf-fall from the family tree

I taught a poetry unit each year. I always included this and had my students write their own "Where I'm From" poem. The last year I taught, I got some amazing poems. It was definitely a window into my students' lives. I still have yet to write one. Maybe one day.

2006-03-27T12:47:00.000-08:00

So much to say...isn't that a Dave Matthews song? Anyway, let me start with some knitting. The last two days, I've just said forget the laundry, I'm going to finish this sock. And so, tada! I present Jaywalker the first in all it's mistake-filled glory. When I finish the other sock, God willing, I'll tell you exactly what I did in alterations, mistakes, etc., but for right now I'm just going to enjoy the fact that I finished. My SIL tried it on, said it fits and it's now destined to be her bedtime socks. She said that it is really comfortable. Score!

And we went out to eat this past Tuesday, without the kids! This is the first time since S was born that we've been out without them. It was good for me. It wasn't as hard to leave the two of them this time as it was to leave Mr. M for the first time, but we did call in and check in on them. Mr. M cried for the first few minutes we were gone, as this was the first time we left him with someone other than a family member. And, I do have to admit that that aspect was a bit difficult at first. My husband was smart in not keeping this little night out a secret as I would have been completely freaked out if he popped this one on me the day of. Instead, he told me a couple of days beforehand, so I was able to prepare myself. We went to P F Chang's(I'd link to it, but don't feel up to it right now), and let me tell you, you have to try the crab wontons with the plum sauce. They were so delicious. And I ate duck for the first time. Tasted a bit like turkey, but richer. We had this Kung Pao scallop and shrimp dish that was so good; spicy. Oh, and a wonderful pumpkin cheesecake. Yum! I loved the atmosphere. You really must go!

Things I'm working on:
I have to start working out. Period.
I've almost got some type of menu and schedule set up for Mr. M. It should help to make out days a bit more structured.
I've cast on for the second Jaywalker and hope it goeas more quickly and with fewer mistakes.
Figuring out crafts for Mr. M. Any suggestions for an almost two year old?

Miscellany:
I got a SwifferJet and I love it!

It's probably not a good idea to feed cajun blackened fish to a toddler. :0)

Apocalypse Now is a really good, weird, wacked-out movie: "I love the smell of napalm in the morning...it smells like ...victory." A famous quote from this war movie.

Finally, if any of you follow the NCAA college basketball tournament, you might be interested to know that I had Duke picked to win it all. Well, that's not gonna happen since Duke lost, but I'm actually glad. I've never really been a Duke fan. All I know is that I hope LSU beats the pants off of UCLA. Not a big UCLA fan either.

Oh, one last thing. I love Save the Last Dance. I just got finished watching it while Mr. M and S took naps. If you like dance movies, check this one out. Ballet and hiphop, what a combo. Also, The Company with Neve Campbell and featuring the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. It has this incredible dance to "My Funny Valentine." The choreography is truly amazing and innovative. I took ballet long, long ago and absolutely love to see it, though I hardly ever do for many reasons. Oh, you could even check out the New York City Ballet workout, which is a good workout in it's own right, but has these great snippets about some of their principal(sp) dancers.

ETA: LSU beat UCLA and made it to the Final Four! Yeah!

This wouldn't show up where I wanted it to, so it is here. You really must see The Killing Fields. Such an incredibly sad story, a story that I fear not enough people of my generation are aware.

Why, tell me why...

2006-03-16T10:38:00.000-08:00

Why I've decided to continue blogging...because I enjoy it. I really like the idea of putting my thoughts and ideas out there for others who are interested to read. I just don't like it enough to make time every day, every other day or even twice a week, to write. So, I'm going to blog when I blog, which is pretty much what I was doing before. But now I'm not going to feel guilty about it. I know I shouldn't have felt guilty in the first place. This is supposed to be fun. But I did for some reason. But I'm not going to feel guilty anymore. And I am thankful for all you guys support, you know who you are.

I feel that I need to update you on how Mr. M and S are doing. Well, Mr. M is now sleeping in a toddler bed. After a few difficult days where he kept getting out of bed and we had to put a gate up in his door so he would stay in his room, he now sleeps very well in there. Sometimes he falls asleep in his chair, but most of the time he climbs into the bed and sleeps well. He loves our new house and that we can go out in the backyard pretty much whenever. He also loves to do wash with me and has a washing machine dance he does when the wash cycle is on. He loves to read, and likes this book called Book! Go figure! He also likes these books we got about basketball from the library and pays attention to any basketball game on tv. I think he's getting his two year old molars and has been chewing on everything and is a bit cranky. But he's doing well and growing so fast. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful son.

S is growing so fast. She was this round little ball, but now she is getting long and is already in 6-9 month clothes even though she's only 4 months. She can still wear some 0-3 month clothes because they were made longer. She can already roll over from her front to her back and babbles quite a bit. She watches Mr. M all the time, following him around the room with her eyes. It's so cute. And she sleeps through the night, thank God. Truly. So now they both sleep through the night and us parents finally get some sleep. S loves to stare into my eyes and loves to be read to. I think I'm going to have two very active kids, as S will try her darndest to stay up with Mr. M. It should be fun, and maybe I'll stay in shape. Somehow, I've managed to lose my pregnancy weight, though I'm pretty sure my stomach will never be the same. But I don't mind. S is such a joy, even when she's screaming at the top of her lungs. :0)

And now I've been looking at different breakfast and lunch menus online to change it up a bit for Mr. M. I'm also trying to get on a more structured schedule for the day for him. Sometimes I feel we just do whatever and it bothers me just a bit.

Well, the Jaywalker is coming along. No pictures today, but I am excited about the progress, despite the fact that there are more errors than I'd like to admit. It is my first sock, though, so I'm not going to be too harsh. I'll be harsh on myself if I don't correct the mistakes with the second sock.

Okay, I think that's it for right now. You all take care! Oh, and The Amazing Race is much better this time around. You should watch.

And I said what about Breakfast at Tiffany's...

2006-03-13T21:21:00.000-08:00

I love that song, so I thought I'd share.

This Is Just To Say: Poetry Monday(Tuesday)

Emily Dickinson (1830–86). Complete Poems. 1924.

Part Two: Nature

LXXXVIII

WE like March, his shoes are purple,
He is new and high;
Makes he mud for dog and peddler,
Makes he forest dry;
Knows the adder’s tongue his coming, 5
And begets her spot.
Stands the sun so close and mighty
That our minds are hot.
News is he of all the others;
Bold it were to die 10
With the blue-birds buccaneering
On his British sky.

I love Emily Dickinson! Oh, I got the poem from Bartleby.com

Also, quickly, I've decided to continue blogging. I'll explain why next time, as I hope to have more time. Here are some pictures of my Jaywalker. I hope you can see the mistake I made in the second picture. I had to rip back and accidentally dropped two stitches, added them back, and have progressed to about the middle of the foot. The picture doesn't reflect this recent progress.

Hi...

2006-03-11T13:03:00.000-08:00

I'm still around, though I've been contemplating the continuation of blogging. And, no, this is not some ploy to get the five people who have been reading my blog to re-affirm me and get me to stay. I don't do that sort of thing, nor do I need that affirmation. But thanks anyway. Really, the deal is that I feel a crunch for time constantly. And I sit and think every day about blogging, that I should blog something, what if people stop reading because I haven't posted in a week or so, etc. And these thoughts have really got me thinking about why I blog in the first place. So, I'm still thinking about what to do. I'm leaning towards continuing to blog, but I'd really like to find my camera cord so I can upload some pictures. Maybe that will make me feel better about the whole thing.
Anyways, you all take care. I'll be back definitely to let you know yea or nay.

Hello there!

2006-03-05T11:40:00.000-08:00

It's been a few days. I can't remember how many times I've been to Target this week getting stuff for the house. And trying to find a home for everything has taken, is still taking, some time. But it's coming along. I really do like the house and it's so close to the park, grocery store and library. It's exciting. Mr. M loves the wooden floors and S is finally sleeping through the night! :0)

My Jaywalker took a backseat to packing and moving, and so I didn't meet my goal of finishing by the end of February. Oh, I also made a mistake, ripped back, and somehow dropped two stitches. I've knitted about five rows without the stitches and just realized it last night. I had such a bad time ripping back the first time that I'm not going to do it again. Instead, I'm just going to increase by two and hope that it works. I took a picture of the mistake and my progress, but can't find the cord to upload the pictures from my camera. I'm hoping it shows up soon.

The Oscars. I sometimes watch, but mostly for the host. I'm looking forward to Jon Stewart. I think he'll do it justice. Most of the time I've only seen one of the movies nominated for Best Picture, and this year is no different. I saw Crash and really do hope it wins. It was an excellent look at race relations and had some excellent performances. I really do wish Don Cheadle could win an Oscar some day. Talk about a talented actor. And his roles are always thoughtful, and thought provoking. I do want to see Capote, but I'm waiting for Netflix, baby.

And finally, congratulations to all those Olympic Knitters, whether you finished or not.

well...

2006-02-23T22:17:00.000-08:00

We're moving on Saturday and, though I have pics of the Jaywalker, I just don't have time to load them. I'll post them, God willing, once we get settled in over the weekend. 'Til then.

Poetry Monday - "She walks in Beauty"

2006-02-20T14:24:00.000-08:00

I know this is supposed to be about love, but it sort of is. Plus, I love, love, love this poem. We sang it when I was in Jazz Choir and it sounded so beautiful, the kind of beautiful that sends chills down one's spine. Enjoy!

btw, I'll have knitting content tomorrow.

George Gordon Byron, Lord Byron. 1788–1824

She walks in Beauty

SHE walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that 's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

Find more Poetry Monday participants here.

Progress as promised

2006-02-17T10:50:00.000-08:00

Take a look at that sock! I've turned the heel and I'm on to the part I think is called the gusset. It would be so great to finish this! I can't wait. The best part is to see how the stitches I've knitted form the different parts of the sock and how the pattern comes together. There's still a lot I don't understand about how a particular stitch looks the way it does, but maybe that will come with more knitting experience.

Oh, I sent my best friend a knitting kit and she's taught herself how to knit, but is having trouble on the purling. I am excited for her!

Finally, keep it up you Olympic Knitters. Don't you think someone should do a news story? That would be awesome. Maybe I'll participate next Olympics because the kids will be older and I think I'll have a little more time.

Btw, there just doesn't look like there is enough yarn left to finish the second sock. I'm not even finished with the first! What do you think? Have a good weekend! :0)

Poetry Monday, except it's on a Thursday :0)

2006-02-16T12:49:00.000-08:00

Poetry Is A Trestle

poetry is a trestle
spanning the distance between
what i feel
and what i say

like a locomotive
i rush full speed ahead
trusting your strength
to carry me over

sometimes we share a poem
because people are near
and they would notice me
noticing you
so i write X and you write O
and we both win

sometimes we share a poem
because i'm washing the dishes
and you're looking at your news

or sometimes we make a poem
because it's Sunday and you want
ice cream while i want cookies

but always we share a poem
because belief predates action
and i believe
the most beautiful poem
ever heard is your heart
racing

nikki giovanni

The theme is a love/affection (I think) poem and this
poem is perfect for me. There is so much I could say
about how this relates to me and my husband, how
"poem" has more than one meaning here, about how true
this is, especially with kids, but I'll just let you
experience the poem for yourself. Ah, I love Nikki
Giovanni. I actually have a friend from high school
who writes poetry and has done a poetry reading with
her. In my head, Nikki and I are on first name basis! :0)

"What I am is what I am, are you what you are or what?" *

2006-02-14T08:46:00.000-08:00

Well, the Jaywalker KAL is over today. I didn't finish even one sock, but I'm almost to turning the heel of the first. I hope to finish the first sock by the end of this month. I am disappointed that I wasn't more productive, but the laziness just took over and I didn't touch the sock for a while. I was busy doing other things and didn't really make an effort to work on it. Now, I see that I probably could have almost finished the pair by today. Oh well, I'm not going to beat myself up. I'm just going to set some more goals:
1. finish first Jaywalker sock by the end of February
2. finish the second Jaywalker sock by the end of March (that might be a bit unrealistic, but it will push me)
3. rip out Nothin' but a T-shirt and swatch for it by the end of March
4. finish wool diaper soaker by the end of April
5. finish R's sock by the end of May

I really think I can accomplish these goals before their deadlines, so we'll see.

We've been out and about shopping for rugs, lamps, etc. for the house and found this great bargain at Home Depot. They had these two rugs we wanted marked down from something like $99 to $25. How awesome is that?! The house is really starting to come together, too, though we do still have quite a bit of moving to do.

I was so disappointed to see Michelle Kwan have to withdraw from the Olympics. I have always felt that she was robbed of gold, but she was an amazing, truly graceful skater. Also, I was glad to see the Russian and Chinese pair skaters win gold, silver and bronze, especially after what each team has had to endure.

Hopefully more progress to show later this week. (I was going to show my Jaywalker today, but I remembered that the battery in the camera needs to be charged, so that will have to wait until next time.)

*Edie Brickell

Friday, well actually Saturday, but who can keep it all straight?

2006-02-10T22:27:00.000-08:00

So. first off, I want to wish all those participating in the Knitting Olympics happy knitting and may your hard work pay off.

Next, I am just about an inch away from finishing the leg of my jaywalker. I love the colorway I'm using - Fire on the Mountain Socks that Rock. The foot scares me a bit, but it must be knit to have a sock, so I press onward.

I'm sure many of you watched the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. I loved the coats for Slovenia, as well as their beautiful green knitted scarves and gloves(did they have hats?). Then they had this lilac fleece vest underneath the coat and it was just lovely. Oh, I was also delighted by the acrobats that formed into a dove. That was so neat! I think pair skating starts tomorrow. I love ice skating. I remember having this dream that I skated and choreographed my own dance to The Unknown Soldier by Spyro Gyra. I remember that dream vividly. I think I first started dreaming it during the Lillehammer Olympics.

Anywho, the packing is going along smoothly. We've already got the key to the house so we're moving in gradually, which is nice for a change. Have a good weekend!

I'm making progress, people, but there might be a hitch...

2006-02-07T09:58:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I was wrong on the Super Bowl. Seattle lost, but I am still happy for Pittsburgh. I don't really like Seattle's quaterback anyway.So on to college basketball and the NBA. Oh, and track season starts soon!

See my almost finished Jaywalker leg? Isn't it pretty?! Yeah, except I tried it on and it was extremely tough to pull over my heel. I'm hoping that since my SIL's foot is a bit smaller than mine, it will fit fine. I'm using size 1's, but can't go up to 2's because I've heard the socks look terrible knitted on them. I've got to go back to Cara's blog and figure out what others did to remedy this problem. I think I'm still on track to finish the sock by Feb. 14th. The second picture was taken by Mr. M, with a little help from me. :0)

Oh, does anyone know how to knit an afterthought heel? I really like how those look and would like to use it on the Jaywalker, but I can't find a tutorial. Help?!

Well, I like to try to keep you abreast of movies that are good and worth your while to see, so be sure to see Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Roll Bounce, if you haven't already. Lock, Stock... was so cleverly written and, as my husband put it, did what it was supposed to - it entertained, you didn't know what was going to happen, the ending was completely unexpected and original, got a few good laughs in, and the cockney slang was great! It reminds me a lot of Guy Richie's other film, Snatch. Oh my goodness. Talk about roll on the floor laughing! And Rollbounce is one of those cute feel good movies set in the '70s. Throw in some good roller skating and a believable plot, oh and lets not forget the soundtrack, and you've got yourself a good movie.

Books my son loves right now:
If you give a mouse a cookie -
Mr. M loves the ryhthm of this book and the pictures.
Goodnight Gorilla -
I add dialogue to this book because it is really simplistic in that area, but the pictures are wonderful and the colors are eye-catching.
Shades of Black -
I love this book because it shows that black people come in many different hues with many different kinds of hair and eyes, and, in a time when there is still prejudice amongst black people regarding our own skin color, it teaches that we are all beautiful, something I hope my children will learn and know.
Tails -
He's had this one for a while, but has just recently begun to like it.

Simply put, I don't talk politics here, but I will say this - Yes, the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) offended me as a muslim, but I don't agree with the way some have chosen to protest them and I am concerned that the right of free speech might be hindered as a result of all of this. There, that's all.

Lastly, I found that I do have carpal tunnel syndrome, but we have decided to treat it conservatively since it seems it was pregnancy induced. So I'm in a wrist brace and have exercises to do. I could also get a steroid shot, which apparently won't harm S through the breast milk, but I really don't want to chance it, so I just take over- the-counter stuff as I need it. In the mean time, typing with a brace over S in my lap resulted in a premature publishing of this post. So if you get a severely unedited version, I am sorry.

p.s.- the Olympics start this Saturday! Go Michelle Kwan!

Check out my word cloud...

2006-02-03T11:44:00.000-08:00

Progress disappointing

2006-02-01T11:39:00.000-08:00

Feb. 2

I'm knitting along thinking I'm making wonderful progress when it hits me - I still have about 4 more inches of leg to go before I get to the foot on my Jaywalker! Man! I will keep working on it though, God willing, and finish!

Oh, and just so I can get my take in now before the game, I pick the Seattle Seahawks in the SuperBowl over the Pittsburg Steelers 34 - 23. I like both teams, I just like the Seahawks better. I'm also hoping they have some good commercials this year. Last year's were a bit disappointing.

On the Knitting Front

2006-02-01T11:10:00.000-08:00

Here are some knitting pics. The first is the Jaywalker, of course. It doesn't really look like I've made a lot of progress, and I haven't. Only about 8 rounds since the last pic. My goal is to have the leg, maybe even the sock itself, completed by Cara's deadline of February 14th. The socks are really easy, but time isn't easy to find.

The second picture is of the door muffler. Whooptido, right? Right. The ends aren't even knitted yet and I still need to put velcro on it and the door so the muffler will stay on. But at least it works! No wind comin' under that door.

Finally, the swatch for the diaper soaker I'm making and the swatch for a pair of socks from Jo Sharp's Contemporary Knitting 2. The variegated yarn is already 1/4 of a diaper soaker. I really hope to finish it within the month. The brown yarn was going to be the Retro Rib sock from Interweave Knits Fall 2004 for my husband, but I decided this would be quicker, and it is. I'll show more progress soon.

I was going to show you pictures of the Nothin' but a T-shirt that must be frogged, but forgot to take the pic. Next time, perhaps.

Packing will commence today, once R brings the boxes home. I am excited for this move, but hope it is the last one for a few years. We have moved five times in the last six years, for various reasons. It's nice because it's an excuse to get new furniture! Yea!

Whip Up and whip it good!

2006-01-31T11:14:00.000-08:00

If you haven't already heard the latest in crafting news, there's a new website out called Whip Up! It is a compilation of many talented women sharing their crafts and knowledge of craft with the rest of us. I read quite a few of the contributors blogs aready and promise you won't be disappointed. I'm sure you'll come away inspired. It launches tomorrow, so go by and visit.

More later today!

A little bit of this, a little bit of that

2006-01-27T11:00:00.000-08:00

First off, thanks Nichola for your support! And Mom2Five, I would like to get in touch with you but don't know your blog address, if you have one, or your email address. I'm going to put my email address on my blog so maybe you can reach me that way. Rehab, thanks for the comments. I love that you read my blog. Would also like to get in touch with you, so email me.

I used to say that it must be my allergies, but after feeling so crummy, I've got to think it was a 48 hr. bug or a cold or something. I am feeling much better, thank God.

But let me talk about some thangs!
Okay, someone please tell me why I'm liking The OC? Is it because I'm longing for my youth when I watched 90210? Is it because I don't watch soaps anymore (although I had the tv on yesterday because I was sick and decided that One Life to Live is a lot better than it used to be and I still like Guiding Light)? Could it be that I like a pretty face? I long for high school again? I'm not sure, but I like the show for some reason. However, I probably won't watch it much. Just too many things going on in the evening to really watch television.

If I could deck S out in all Hanna Andersson clothes, I would in a heartbeat! Check out their spring line. I love it!

And even though I'm not a teenybopper anymore, I love the clothes at Delia*s.

I was going to show you pics of my too small Nothin' but a T-shirt, swatch for the wool soaker, and the finished door muffler, but I have yet to take them, so next time God willing.

Oh, and I got this wonderful doll
for Mr. M from Pottery Barn Kids. I love that store/catalogue. And I also got him some cute slippers from L.L. Bean. I love how they fit and he likes them too. Will have to buy more when he outgrows them.

And, the box! Isn't it gorgeous?! My pictures really don't do it justice, especially since I took the pictures on the first rainy day we've had in a really long time. The box was painted to my specifications. The top has a short chapter from the Qu'ran (Surat al Ikhlas) written on it in arabic script. I plan to use the box to store some of my yarn stash. If you like it, let me know and I can let my friend know of your interest. She can write Chinese script or anything else. I am so pleased with this box.

Finally, I am sad to see that Bob Woodruff from ABC news was seriously injured in Iraq, as well as his camera man. I had come to respect Peter Jennings as a journalist and was saddened by his sickness and death last year. But I was glad to see Woodruff help take over the anchor. I like him and respect him, even though I am very much a skeptic about truth in the news. That is one reason why I hardly ever watch it. I certainly hope that he and his camera man recover quickly and I wish them and their families the best.

p.s. - Some people thought that in the U.S. we don't have shopping carts like in other places because I wasn't very clear on my description of how I was using it. I had S in her car seat in the little seat that shopping carts have and then Mr. M was standing in the cart itself. I hope that is a better description.

Not fun!

2006-01-26T17:14:00.000-08:00

Not having fun right now. My body aches all over and my head and ears are throbbing. I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully feeling better.

I'm here!

2006-01-25T11:11:00.000-08:00

Hi!
It's been a while huh? Well, let me get to writing then!

I needed to take a break because so much was going on, still is, but I'm handling it better. Where shall I begin? Ah, the knitting! Well, I wanted so much to be able to knit and knit more than the one row a day I was doing, but I couldn't and still can't figure out when to get it done. So I got really frustrated with that, especially since I really wanted to knit the Jaywalker socks with everyone else and finish other projects as well. But I've come to realize that time is a precious commodity when you have two kids under the age of two, and I was wearing myself out getting frustrated about the knitting. So I've come to the conclusion that knitting is not going to be a burden for me. It's going to be fun! And a nice break when I get to do it. I probably won't finish the J's until April, and the Nothing but a T-shirt sweater(which I have to frog because my gauge was way off - that's why they say to make a swatch!) probaby won't actually get frogged for a few more weeks and finished until the end of the year, but I'm going to enjoy the process and not rush the outcome. So, on that note, the J's have been languishing, but the door muffler just needs to be stuffed and sewn closed. The wool diaper soaker I was making for S was frogged because I think my gauge was off. So I swatched (look at me, learning a lesson from prior experience) and am almost back to where I left off before frogging. I nixed the vintage socks for my husbad and instead am doing the socks from Jo Sharps' Contemporary Knitting Two. I am also sending off a package to my best friend with a learn to knit kit and some yarn, so she can talk about knitting with me. Does anyone have suggestions on a nice yarn, not too expensive, that would be a good practice yarn for her? I have some yarn that I'm not using, but it's pretty much because I don't like it and I wouldn't want to give it to her if I don't like it. But, overall, I'm feeling much better about knitting now.

Another thing that had been a bit overwhelming was that we decided to look for houses to rent. We finally found this adorable house with enough bedrooms for us and a cute yard and wood floors, which I've always wanted, and more closet space, a washer and dryer and a fridge. We like the neighborhood and it's within walking distance to a library, an elementary school, a grocery store, the gas station we use and it's not that far from my husband's work. We are excited and all that's left is to sign the papers, pack and move in by the end of February.

Ah, the sickies! We've had 'em. Every one of us has had any number of cold symptoms and keep passing it on. I think Mr. M is finally in the last stages, and S just has congestion, but that's mostly due to the fact that she has acid reflux and it's causing a lot of excess mucus to form in her nose. I've just got an itchy throat and a slight cough and headache, and my husband is just tired. God willing, we'll all be better very soon.

And because kids can grow so fast, we just got Mr. M a toddler bed since he's climbing out of the crib all the time now and gets his foot caught every once in a while. And then S is about out of her bassinet, so we'll be moving her into a crib soon. My question is, should we wait to transiton Mr. M to the bed after we move or try to get him settled into it before? We are also in the midst of potty training/teaching. I just don't want him to be too overwhelmed by all the change. Let me know what you think. S is sleeping much better, but still has her days( or should I say nights?) where she'll take forever to go to sleep.

On that note, I'll be posting tomorrow because I still have a lot to say. And there will be some pictures tomorrow, hopefully.

p.s. - why did I watch some of Boston Legal last night and like it, despite the fact that I've never liked William Schatner nor James Spader(is that his name?)? Oh, and the fast camera work bothered me a bit, too.

Give me a break!

2006-01-18T21:44:00.000-08:00

Hi!
Well, I've decided I need to take a break for a week. There's a lot going on around here, mostly good, but I'm feeling overwhelmed. So I'm going to take a week off from blogging to get things that desperately need to get done, done. I hope to read some blogs, but I might just check email. Of course, I decide I need a break right when a few more people start to read this blog. But, I hope you all will stick with me as I get things together. I'll tell you what's been going on when I get back.
In the mean time, take care!

The J's ... and some other stuff

2006-01-12T13:01:00.000-08:00

So me and the J's are makin' progress. Well, actually the J(jaywalker) since I am still on the first one. I'm maybe a 1/4 of the way and I really like how the color is turning out. At first I thought the yarn would stripe, but it hasn't really done that yet. I also had to rip back a round because I was actually in the middle of a round and couldn't remember which line it was. So now I've determined that I have to finish the round before I put down the J. I only get a chance to pick it up maybe once a day for about 10 minutes. Pretty limited on the time, but it'll get better as S gets older. (The paw in the picture is that belonging to Izzy. Fiona was there as well, but not in the picture.)

Oh, we went to the park today. The weather was really nice despite there being a fierce wind. I was a little shocked to see kids in shorts and short sleeves. It wasn't that warm, in my opinion. It's been a little while since we've been to the park and now Mr. M can actually climb on the jungle gym all by himself and can even slide down the kiddie slide, though I do feel the need to catch him at the bottom for fear he will hit his head. He also really loves the "baby" swings and could have stayed in it the whole time had I let him. S was strapped to me in the Snugli and covered with a blanket. She slept the whole time and was none too pleased when I had to put her back in the car seat. But S is getting more expressive, cooing and smiling a lot more. Wish she would smile when the doctor gives her her shots tomorrow.

Tomorrow will probably be a grueling day, though I hope and pray that it isn't. Both Mr. M and S have their checkups (with the same doctor) and both get shots. This is in the morning. Then at 3, I've got an appointment to get my hand looked at for carpal tunnel. My husband's going to watch Mr. M while I take S. I need to look into doing stem, as Nita suggested. It will probably be a cheaper option than surgery.

Oh, Renata got my parody a couple of posts ago - "So much depends on a blue and white diaper pail." It is a parody of William Carlos Williams' "The Red Wheel Barrow." I love his poetry.

"The Red Wheel Barrow"
William Carlos Williams

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

Don't the lines look as though they are wheel barrows?
Thanks, Renata, for playing!

A little 'bout me and my crew, you know how we do...:0)

2006-01-10T09:51:00.000-08:00

ETA: Those of you stopping by for the Eid Mubarak greeting, I got it from here. Also, if a muslima crafting (sewing, knitting, etc.) at all interests you, you can find me here - ...that silly girl. Asalaamu Alaikum and may you have a blessed Eid!

Eid Mubarak(arabic) means Have a blessed holiday.

Today is the Eid al Adha, a muslim celebration that marks the end of Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia that all muslims are to try to make in their lifetime. Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and if one is unable to go, one should at least have the desire to go and to make every effort to go. The Eid most importantly marks the remembrance of Abraham and his family, Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, and how God blessed him.

One thing that a lot of people do is cook a big breakfast for after the Eid prayer held at the mosque in the morning. Another tradition is to share with your neighbors as a gesture of kindness, celebration and sacrifice. So in honor of that tradition, I send virtual food! I made this delicious Winter Frittata and some cinnamon crumb cake. And later, I plan to make some cookies to take by my brother's house and for my MIL and SIL. Though most, if not all, of you don't celebrate this holiday, I hope you all have a wonderful day, even if it is snowing, as it is here. And enjoy the food!

Funny parenting/toddler moments.
I've turned into the mother that lets her kid stand in the shopping cart. I never understood why mothers allowed this(and I'm not trying to be judgmental or put anyone down; I just didn't understand), until I had two kids under the age of two. How else am I supposed to shop? Let Mr. M walk on his own and hope he doesn't get into everything? Fat chance! So yesterday, we were at Target and Mr. M was riding in the cart. He did such a great job of behaving himself, not pulling anything off the shelves, etc. And S even stayed asleep almost the entire time. It's fun to see Mr. M holding on to the back of the cart and looking around at everything. He has such wonder in his eyes.

And Mr. M can officially climb out of hs crib without falling. I was making our breakfast this morning when I heard pounding on his door. I started up the stairs, and when almost to his door, it started to open. I looked in, and there's Mr. M raring to go. I had to see for myself how he was accomplishing this feat, so I put him back in the crib and asked him to climb out again, which he did. So talented! But, now that he has this new skill, including opening the door, he wants to climb out all the time. So nap time entailed either me or my husband going in and putting him back into bed, Mr. M getting out (with his blanket, mind you) and sitting in front of the window watching the falling snow, throwing everything off of his changing table, banging on the door, etc. He's asleep now, but it looks as though it's time for a toddler bed and nap time is going to be fun!

Oh yes, and one more thing. The one night that S sleeps really well, Mr. M wakes up three or four times. Oh the joys of parenting!:0)

Sorry, no knitting update today.

ETA: Apparently it's delurker week, so come on ya'll. Out yourselves!

Knitting and some movies

2006-01-09T10:38:00.000-08:00

Knitting has been a little slow this weekend because my allergies decided to act up and now my head and nose are full of snot! Ugh! And I'm sneezing all over the place. Hopefully it goes away in the next day or two.
I was able to knit one row on my jaywalker and I finished the knitting on my door muffler. Now I just have to bind off, close and stuff it. I think I'm going to put some velcro strips on it and the door so the muffler will stay in place. As for the Nothin' but a tshirt sweater, I'm on to the seaming, the most tedious part for me.

Movies I've had a chance to see recently:

Othello - Lawrence Fishburne and Kenneth Branaugh- excellent movie. If it weren't for the sex scenes, I think this would be great to show in school to accompany the teaching of Othello. I love Kenneth Branaugh's scheming and that the audience was privy to his plans. However, I was left with this overwhelming need to understand why Iago(Branaugh) did what he did. And why was Othello so incredibly trusting of this one man when others who had never failed him before are all suddenly untrustworthy, according to one man, Iago. This movie also made me appreciate O a modern-day telling of Othello. They actually did a decent job. Oh, and if you're into modern-day Shakespeare, you have to watch Scotland, PA. It is the telling of Macbeth, set in Pennsylvania. It is truly hilarious and excellent!

Roll Bounce - Bowwow
I loved this movie. The soundtrack was quite impressive, and there was even a realistic plot. It did remind me of the Breakin' movies of the '80s (dance offs, representin' your side of the town). I thought Bow Wow was believable in his role and I was a bit surprised. And the rival skate gang was absolutely hilarious. My kind of fluff movie.

The Battle of Algiers - was an excellent movie about the Algerians battle for independence from the French. It was interesting and sad to see how many parallels could be made to incidents taking place now. It was filmed like a documentary. I love black and white films.

Gorky Park - William Hurt
I enjoyed this movie for the intrigue at the beginning, but then it turned into this love story that was a bit Romeo and Juliet-esque. Hurt's character falls in love with this girl after only a few days of knowing and protecting her. But I did appreciate that it gave me a better feel for the cold war. Being born in the mid-'70s obviously meant I missed much of the fear and apprehension that the cold war brought.

Guess Who - Bernie Mack, Ashton Kutcher
A comedic remake of Guess who's coming to dinner. This movie was actually quite different - the only real similarities seem to be in the premise of a black girl bringing home a white fiance to meet her parents and the breaking down of stereotypes. I was surprised that Ashton Kuttcher actually acted well, for the role. It was pretty funny, but if you're not up for off-color racial humor(used to help break down stereotypes in the movie) then this movie isn't for you.

Silkwood - Meryl Streep
Excellent movie. It is the story of how Kerr McGee(oil company) exposed it's employees at this plant in Oklahoma to uranium(I believe) without their knowledge and how the company took advantage of these people's need for employment. Streep plays Silkwood, a woman who trys to expose what the company is doing. I've grown up in Oklahoma, but was not aware of this story. I guess I was just too young. It is a movie that will make you bitter, but it is excellent nonetheless. Meryl Streep won an Oscar for her role.

Okay, now I'm off to write thank you letters for baby gifts before S wakes up.

I can't come up with witty titles; my brain is getting sucked out from breastfeeding! :0)

2006-01-07T07:53:00.000-08:00

So much depends on a white and blue diaper pail.*
Yes, and when they start to smell, you come to realize just how much. Well, the Diaper Champ has started to smell. I'm going to clean it this weekend to see if that makes a difference. But even so, I really do think that I can sacrifice my nose every once in a while for the savings we get in using trash bags instead of replacement bags. At least I hope that is true, otherwise I've sacrificed my nose for nothing. (Mr. M took the photo! With a little guidance, mind you.)

Well, I would have blogged sooner, but let me explain why I didn't. What seems to happen to me is that I'll get a post up early in the week and I'll be so proud of myself and the fact that some people actual read this blog that I'll forget how fast the days go. Before I know it, it's Saturday and I've only posted once in the week. It's not that I haven't been composing this in my head for the past few days 'cause I have. I know this isn't good for readership because not many people check their list of blogs on Saturdays. Oh well, here I am anyways.

Anyways, there has been progress made on the jaywalker! See?

And the Nothin but a tshirt has a bound off collar. Can I just say that I'm really not sure how this collar is going to turn out. The pattern said to pick up 84 stitches. Well, I had to go to knitty.com to figure out how to do this since the number of stitches picked up was less than the number of actual stitches on the collar. I just assumed you picked up all of them, and did that in the Debbie Bliss baby cardigan I made. My question is, why not pick up all the stiches? Does it have something to do with drape? And on top of this, unless I block the sweater really well, the thing might not fit. Darn!

S's colic seems to be going away with the aid of Hyland's colic tablets. I actually give her some before she starts having symptoms to try to stop them before they start. Well, that works a little bit. Her crying doesn't last as long and she seems to be in less pain. I still think I need to try gripe water and will probably get some this week.

Oh, I made zucchini bread yesterday for the first time. It's pretty good. I'm going to try chocolate zucchini bread next.

I've got to stop reading the comments on other people's blogs because inevitably I'll check out a commenters blog and then decide I like it and then add it to my list. The list is getting long, my people.

Oh, how 'bout those Texas Longhorns. As much as that pains me to say, being a Sooner fan and all, I am so glad they took down USC. Now I'm saying that it's going to be Seattle and Indianopolis in the Super Bowl, with Seattle winning. Go Seahawks!

*Does anyone know to what poem this refers?