Itchy Stitchy

Double blog action!

2009-02-12T23:27:00.002-05:00

So, it's not that I haven't been posting. It's that I've been posting at my other, brand-new, totally awesome photography blog. It even has my name on it!

http://www.veronicamachak.com

I am really excited to have a fancy new web presence for my photography. I'm really looking forward to having plenty to say about portraits, wedding photography, and all things crafty and DIY related to those things! Check it out and tell me what you think. And if, say, you needed or wanted photography, I'm at your service. :)

And don't worry, I've begun a Clapotis in Noro Silk Garden Lite (in one of the most gorgeous-and discontinued!- colorways), so there will be plenty of knitting content once I get back from Las Vegas. Mommy is taking a little trip by herself!

FO: Adamas shawl

2009-01-16T20:50:00.002-05:00

Conceived in 2008, but not born till 2009, I present to you: Adamas. This thing has been in progress since April, but it got balled up when Vivienne came along and didn't get brought back out till I needed something to do in class this fall. I fully support Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's notions about knitting being important work for achieving fancier brain-waves and all that- I concentrate so much more on the discussion at hand in class when I have something to knit while I listen and talk. If only I could knit while reading...

Anyway, here's the shawl. It's knit with pagoda red hanpaintedyarn.com laceweight on size 4? 5? (it's a fleamarket circular, and my gauge is missing). The pattern is the beautiful Adamas, and I am looking forward to trying another of Mim's designs.

Here's one more picture which captures all the gloom of the subzero, sunless weather we have in a Michigan January:

Cold weather, warm quilts

2009-01-13T15:13:00.005-05:00

So, what do you do when you get a sewing machine for Christmas? You go out and promptly begin hoarding fabric, of course! This is the year I build my quilting skills, after all. I have an idea all planned out in my head for these cute prints:

this is also the inspriration for the blog redesign

This is roughly $12 of fabric from the big box store, and I think it's really cute, honestly. I am already worried that I will finish the top and then freak out about quilting it perfectly, thus stalling the project.

But it's 2009, and I'm not! doing! that! This is a practice quilt, after all. It's going on the couch to get gnawed on by dogs and puked on by the rugrat. Good enough will be good enough.

Although maybe I will back it in chenille. We love fuzzy things at my house.

New Year's Plans

2009-01-08T13:37:00.008-05:00

I'm not calling them resolutions. I'm not. They're more like... goals. Things I'm hoping for. Things that I will try to do. With resolutions I feel there is a predestined failure waiting to realize itself. Maybe if I don't call them resolutions, they won't act like resolutions. It feels a little like trying too look at something in my peripheral vision, and I'm scared that if I turn my head, it'll disappear.

That's a little depressing. Perhaps what I mean to say is that if I try too hard to schedule my life, the fun goes out of the task, and nothing gets done. I want to have fun, and what follows are things I hope I'm doing when the fun happens.

Anyway, here we go, in no particular order:

Sew more: I got a sewing machine for Christmas, so I am hoping to make some strides in my abilities. I want to make a couple of little quilts before I conquer the spaceman quilt- I bought those materials before Viv was born! Free motion quilting is on the list for 2009.

Knit things I will actually use: Let's face it: I am a process knitter. It took me a long time to realize that, but now that I know, I need to tailor my projects to reflect that. No more knitting non-superwash socks (ack!), no more sweaters I won't wear and felted bags I won't use. I like lace, I like cardigans, and I like fancy schmancy knee socks. These are the things I will make... oh, and baby stuff, if it's fast and I think it will last. I want to try Socks that Rock this year, and I want to make one or two orders to handpaintedyarn.com or 100purewool.com.

Stop kidding myself about gardening: I can't do it. I am bad at it. If Dan wants to try, fine. But no more planting tomato plants that I water all season to not get a single freakin' tomato (seriously! bad! at! gardening!).

Redecorate the house on a budget: I need to paint, which my lovely landlord covers, but beyond that, I need to fix my house. I have been inspired, but I can't afford the sticker price on some of the things I love (mid-century furniture, bold graphic stuff, etc.). Watch the blog for some revealing photographs about my space as it transforms from crappy to ...less so. Fortunately, IKEA and Target hear me loud and clear... but I am conflicted about buying too much stuff from big-box stores. It reminds me too much of the narrator's apartment in Fight Club.
and the big one: Start my photography business! This is going to take time. I am already booking some small weddings for the summer, so if you are looking for an affordable and friendly photographer who is super crafty and appreciates DIY weddings, I'm your girl. And I am willing to travel outside Michigan! I hope to have a nifty new blogsite up and running in the next week or so, and I'm heading to WPPI in Vegas in February (with big ups to my husband for watching the baby for, like, five days while I'm gone).

Whoosh

2008-12-15T00:48:00.004-05:00

That's the sound of anyone's interest in my blog flying out the window.

Seriously, though, it's been busy. Between the baby, the two jobs (yes, I took another job at school... yeesh), school, the doped up (but still alive!) dog, and the other (normal) dog, things are really, really hectic. Oh, and did I mention that my husband is also working full-time while in school, and Christmas is 10 freaking days away?

So, um, busy.

I have done a little teeny tiny bit of knitting, though. All I have left is the bindoff on my Adamas shawl, and it looks gorgeous, if I do say so myself. I was going to give it away for Christmas, but with the amount of my oh-so-precious time that it took to make, I am keeping it for myself. I don't think there is anyone in the world who could really appreciate how much went into it but me, anyway. All the stolen moments, the pleasure of a couple stitches here and there, slowly crafting something just for me.

Right now, Christmas is a horizon of laziness and presents and giggling babies and eggnog and too many cookies that doesn't feel like it's getting any closer, despite the pressure of the dates on the calendar. All I have to do to get to Christmas is finish the paper I am currently writing and slide it across the conference table tomorrow night. And I mean slide- this desk is some kind of paper skating rink- anything you push in front of you glides gracefully and effortlessly across the desk. It has its own special physics. We spend a lot of time sliding rather than passing papers as a result. But that's not until six o'clock tomorrow and the paper's not done, and I'm getting more and more frazzled! Focus!

So, yeah, I'm probably going to be incommunicado again for a little bit, but it will get better. I'm only taking one class next semester, and I think that I'm going to start blogging from work, provided I can remember to post pictures to flickr when I am home.

This is from Halloween- peanut didn't really like the loud music

Think good thoughts for Viking

2008-11-01T08:15:00.002-04:00

My little pup is sick. Really sick. Her epilepsy is ramping up to a point where medication might not be able to protect her at all from the Seizure Monster. We're having a hard time breaking the cycle of seizures she's currently in, so she's not really sleeping (neither are we) and even large doses of valium don't seem to help. We can't afford a trip to the neurologist (it's as much as a semester of college for D!) for what would probably be a dark prognosis anyway, but I feel like there must be something that will fix this, something I can't see, something we haven't tried yet. But who knows. Honestly, there probably isn't anything, but I can't give up hope yet.

I love my little Viking so much, I just want her life to be a good one. We're not sure what's coming next for her, but if you could keep her in your thoughts... yeah.

I swear I'm still alive

2008-10-27T00:29:00.003-04:00

I just have been so BUSY! V is now FOUR months old, which blows my mind. She's babbling now, and army crawling around in her crib. She's long and svelte- certainly not the gigantic, fat baby I was expecting. She's so alert and inquisitive- every day is an adventure.

I have shot my first weddings as a (semi) pro, and I LOVE it. I am looking forward to Friday- my cousin is getting married, so I have a particular investment in photographing that wedding. :) If you're looking to hire a wedding photographer in the Midwest, I am willing to travel and I work for cheap (we're talking less than $500 for all day coverage!).

I just got hired at school to work as a student assistant for one of my professors from last year. I am nervous to be out of the house more, but I think it will do wonders for my time management and sanity to be away from V a little more.

And surprise of surprises, I've still been knitting despite the whirlwind of activity (class is good for something!). I am getting near the end of the Adamas shawl I started in the spring. I have memorized the lace repeat (doesn't usually happen), and it's really coming along swiftly, considering the amount of time I work on it. I am hoping to be done by Thanksgiving, but we'll see. I only get to work on it at school because V demands to be held when I am at home.

Gratitude.

2008-09-12T14:42:00.003-04:00

Thank you, Alex, for such a beautiful gift. As you can see, Viv's a little peanut, so she'll be getting plenty of use out of your hat before the winter's over (which will be next May- this is the Mitten State, after all!).

This was the best picture I could get- it's still pretty warm here, so she didn't abide the hat for long. :P Fortunately, she's finally figured out how to soothe herself. I'm convinced that thumbs truly are nature's greatest invention.

I am grateful for the kindness you've shown me and my little girl, and I hope it revisits you a thousand times over.

Month two

2008-09-04T17:24:00.003-04:00

Smiles! We got smiles in month two. And laughter!

(smiles are hard to photograph!)

She's learning how her digestion works, and she doesn't get so angry and scared at tummy rumblings anymore.

She has begun sleeping five to six hours at night, which is awesome (what a good baby).

She made it to CRAFT and boingboing. W00t- she's my Katamari baby (hello to everyone who found the blog through links to the Katamari bonnet!).

Month two saw Viv's first vacation- we took her to Gencon in Indianapolis. It was a lot of fun. She loves people and feels totally content in a crowd.

Well, almost.

She and her dad entered the costume contest and won Weirdest Costume, an award given by Andy Hopp, a totally cool artist/author/game designer.

(she is crying from gas- as soon as she got on stage, she was all smiles and giggles... I think she liked the lights)

She's finally getting cool with being put in her lounge chair, which really frees me up to work (hooray!).

All in all, a pretty good month- and she just keeps getting more awesome every minute. I can't wait to detail all of month three's epic successes (and we're only halfway there, people).

FO and Pattern: Katamari Damacy Prince of All Cosmos Baby Hat!

2008-08-13T10:44:00.002-04:00

Katamari Damacy Prince of All Cosmos Baby Hat

Size

infant (it fits my 2 month old daughter with PLENTY of room to spare, and it ties on, so it is somewhat adjustable)

Materials

worsted and sport weight yarn (I used Red Heart Designer Sport and scraps of acrylic worsted):

-spring/medium green (RH Designer Sport)- if you use worsted for everything, there are numbers in parentheses for you to use instead.

-neon/light green

-forest/dark green

-yellow

-red

-polyfil stuffing

-tapestry needle

Hook

US size F/G (you want a firm fabric- the hand/drape is more crucial than the gauge)

Gauge

approx 3 sc/inch in worsted (sides and antenna), 4 sc/inch in sport (bonnet part)

PATTERN

Bonnet

Top and sides

With medium green, ch 56 (42), and turn. Starting with 2^nd ch, sc back across chain. 55 (41) st.

Sc back and forth through both loops for 18 (14) rows, break yarn, and fasten off.

Back of bonnet

The bound-off side of your crochet is where you’ll be resuming your work. Imagine it divided into three sections: 18-19-18 (14-13-14) st. You’ll be working the center 19 (13) st, crocheting the st from the side sections together with the last st of each row to make a half-box shape, like a cube with the front and bottom missing.

On 19^th(15^th) st in, attach yarn and ch 2. Sc for 16 (12) st, and then dec (insert hook into next st, yo and draw loop through; insert hook into next st, yo and draw loop through, yo and draw yarn through 3 loops on hook- 1 st decreased). *Ch 1 and turn. Sc back across the row you just did (it’s 19 (13) st total), but when you get to the last st, dec, using the last sc of your row and the st from the row below. * Repeat from * to * until you run out of st from the row below- it’s going to get box shaped as you go. This is the same concept as turning a flap heel on a sock, if that helps.

Antenna

With yellow, ch 4, sl st in first chain. 6 sc into loop.

Sc around for 2 rows (6 sc)

dec, sc around (5 sc)

Sc around for 1 row

2 sc, dec, sc (4 sc)

Sc for 1 row

Dec, sc around (3 sc)

Switch to red:

2 sc in each st (6 sc)

*sc, 2 sc in 1 st* repeat around (9 sc)

Sc around

*sc, dec* around (6 sc)

Dec around (3 sc)

Sc, dec, break yarn and draw through loops.

Bonnet bumps

With dark green, ch 4, sl st in first ch to make a loop.

6 sc in loop (6 sc)

*2 sc in one st* around (12 sc)

*sc, 2 sc in one st* (18 sc)

*2 sc, 2 sc in one st* (24 sc)

*3 sc, 2 sc in one st* (30 sc)

*4 sc, 2 sc in one st* (36 sc)

*5 sc, 2 sc in one st* (42 sc)

Sc around for 5 rounds.

Switch to light green and sc around for 4 rounds.

Switch to med green (held doubled if you’re using sport weight) and sc around for 5 rounds. Sl st in next st and fasten off.

Assembly

Using whip st, sew antenna to top center of bonnet with yarn tail.

Lightly stuff head bumps and sew to sides of bonnet, using photograph to help center them. They will overlap onto the back panel a little bit.

Strap

Using yellow yarn, ch 30, then sl st around front opening of bonnet, starting on left side (facing the hat), ch 30. You should be working across the right side of the bonnet. Sc back over ch and sl st through back loops- this makes the ties and frames the front of the bonnet.

Weave in ends and enjoy! My baby loves wearing her hat and enjoys bopping the padded sides against things- it’s like a little baby helmet.

Sizing considerations

In order to make the bonnet wider, ch more than 55 st to start. To make it deeper, work more sc rows before fastening off and crocheting the back. In order to make a grown-up size, make a bonnet to fit the recipient’s head. Make the antenna a little longer, and continue crocheting the end of the head bumps using *x sc, 2 sc in one st*, increasing x on each round by 1. You’ll increase the length of the ties, too.

Happy Halloween!

None of us are free until all of us are free.

2008-08-08T12:41:00.002-04:00

Not just some, or a few, or the ones at the top, or them but not me, or me but not them.

And certainly not just the ones with the fucking guns.

I will be enjoying the Olympics this year. I mean, it's the Speedo Olympics, after all. Also, I have a soft spot for the indomitable human spirit, and the Olympics brings it out all day, every day. But I will not forget that no matter where the games are held, any place on Earth, there is a contradiction between the spirit of the Olympics and the actual opportunities and rights of the people who live in the host nation. Or anywhere, for that matter.

Here comes the preachy part (I never get preachy, either... maybe whiny, or grumpy, or angry...):

So get your popcorn and your Olympic-branded beverage of choice (sigh) and enjoy the thrill of watching some of the most talented athletes on Earth continue to best each other and the generations of humans who came before. But maybe think about the people of Tibet a little, too, and what we can do to make the indomitable human spirit a little more like the indomitable humans, period.

Also, check out this blog if you want sweet yarn that screams Free Tibet!

FO: Bibstravaganza

2008-08-05T19:13:00.002-04:00

Well, I did it. The knitting was done a while ago, but it took time to sew on the velcro (without a thimble- ugh.).

Bibstravaganza (lime green bib not pictured)
US size 5 needles
Sugar and Cream yarn, lots and lots (less than a skein per bib)

I based these on the Bibs O' Love from Mason Dixon Knitting. I didn't have the book, so I improvised. I got about 4 st to the inch, so I cast on 36 stitches and knit till there were 30 garter ridges. I bound off till there were only 9 stitches left (25%) and knit till the strap had 36 ridges, or until I could fold it diagonally across the bib itself. Sew on a little velcro and tada!

I didn't want to do buttons because the dogs are button fiends, and I fear I can never sew a button on tight enough to prevent them from eating it. For sweaters, this is not an issue, but bibs get tossed around and torn off and dropped on the floor enough that I was a little concerned.

I love the stupid kitchen cotton, although it's a little splitty (even for me). I really like the hand of the finished fabric, and the garter ridges are great for wiping spit/gunk/baby-ness off of Vivienne's face. I might embroider on these, or maybe make little felt appliqué patches. The orange one is just crying out for a little black bat or a Jack 'o' lantern. I highly recommend this project to anyone who needs baby accessories and who could use a little garter stitch therapy.

Month One

2008-07-24T22:35:00.004-04:00

Firsts

First meal
courtesy of Mom
First cry
it wasn't as strong as it is now, but I remember it as if it were the loudest noise I've ever heard

First lunch out
with Aunt Tracy and Grandma, and then with Dad and Mom at Raja Rani (they catered our wedding, too)
First smile
they're not just gas anymore
First car ride
home from the hospital
First diaper blowout
all over Dad!
First trip to a friend's house
to Keenan and Carrie's
First party in her honor
to meet Mom's family
First neighborhood stroll
warm summer evenings
First prescription
silly tear ducts

First baby

First time parents

FO and pattern: Goldie Dress

2008-07-18T11:31:00.002-04:00

a dress or tunic for sweet babies aged 3-6 months (give or take)

Yarn

Joann Sensations Kashmira, one skein (284 yards)- sample is dyed with Kool-Aid and food coloring. You may need another skein, depending on length- the dress shown is knee length on a 1 month old baby

Needles

size 4 US circular and/or double point needles, or size needed to obtain gauge

Gauge

6 stitches and 8 rows = 1 inch

Abbreviations/Skills Necessary

k- knit

p- purl

k2tog- knit two together

kfb- knit front and back of stitch

CO- cast on

BO- bind off

pm- place marker

slm- slip marker

garter st- k every row (k 1 row, p 1 row in the round)

Finished Measurements

9.5” across at underarm

7.25” from underarm to hem

(measurements are approximate, but remember- it will fit the baby at some point!)

Dress

Starting for collar, CO 54 st. Starting with a RS row, work in garter st for 1”, ending in RS row.

Row 1: K4, P6 (front), pm, P9 (sleeve), pm, P16 (back), pm, P9 (sleeve), pm, P6 (front), K4.

Row 2: *K to 1 st before marker, kfb, slm, kfb* and repeat from * to * till end of row.

Row 3: K4, P till 4 st before end, K4.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 till back has 44 st or desired width.

At the same time and after about 8 repeats of row 2 and 3, increase for the puffed sleeves (you can leave this part out if you don’t want puffy sleeves)

RS row: slm for sleeve, kfb, *k4, kfb*, repeat from * to * till last stitch before marker (don’t worry if it’s not totally even, just k remaining stitches), kfb, slm. Repeat this for both sleeve sections.

WS row: follow row 3 above

Repeat this till desired puffiness is achieved (I did three inc rows), or till back has 44 st.

Join fronts and back: on a RS row, K across front to first marker, remove marker, CO 4 st, pm, CO 4 st, slip sleeve st onto a piece of scrap yarn, remove marker, K back st, , remove marker, CO 4 st, pm, CO 4 st, slip sleeve st onto a piece of scrap yarn, remove marker, K to end. The markers are the sides of the dress and are where you will increase to create the A-line skirt.

Join to work in the round (don’t twist your knitting!) and continue in stockinette st. You will keep the four stitches on either side of the join in garter st (p a round, k a round) for 10 rounds or so, and k all the rest of the st. After that, k those 8 st every round (like the rest of the st).

At the same time, increase for the skirt. Every seventh round, increase as follows: k to one st before marker, kfb, slm, kfb. Repeat at the other marker. Repeat this one round every seventh round (or more if you want a more flared skirt, less if you want less flare). Knit till you want to stop- the dress shown extends past the baby’s bottom, but not quite to her knees.

For the border, k in garter st for 1” or so, and bind off in pattern. I would recommend starting and ending the border and bindoff at one of the markers, rather than in the front center of the dress.

For the sleeves, pick up 8-9 st where you CO at the armpit, and k the st around the arm. Join your work (don’t twist it) and k 3 rows in stockinette. To decrease the puffy sleeves:

Row 1: *k4, k2tog* and repeat from * to * around

Row 2: K

Repeat this till there are fewer than 40 st remaining (it will depend on how much you increased). Knit in garter st for ¾” and bind off loosely. I used EZ’s sewn bindoff for extra stretch- infants are wriggly!

Weave in your ends and have a fashion show.

Size Considerations and Variations

In order to make this dress larger, you have a couple of options:

CO more stitches, 1-2 more per section, increase the armhole depth (do more increases), and lengthen the skirt.

Knit out of thicker yarn at a larger gauge.

If you wanted, you could leave off the puffed sleeve increases and side increases. You could then knit it to a shorter length for a cute knitted t-shirt. To make the skirt flare out more, increase more frequently.

version 1.0- July 18, 2008

Please don’t sell this pattern or things you make from this pattern.

Think good thoughts.

2008-07-15T23:35:00.002-04:00

Viking had another seizure this morning. We're weighing our options- to medicate or not. We want her to have the highest possible quality of life, so it's hard to choose. On one hand, the seizures are, well, seizures, but on the other hand, the medication could have a (permanent) sedative effect and could also tax her liver. She seemed to have a pretty good day, though- about an hour was spent being nervous and aggressive, but then she mellowed out and was back to her old self.

But the fun didn't stop there. Oh no. I went to the dentist today. And then I worked a full day with a screaming infant on my lap. Ergh, it was not the best day, all around.

But I did finish Viv's dress, and I'm almost done drafting a pattern. Hooray.

And there's a new Venture Bros. to watch. And last night we laughed our way through Wizard People, Dear Reader (seriously- you NEED to watch this thing, even if you don't care about Harry Potter, which I certainly don't). Well, I made it half way, and then fell asleep in a pile of blankets with my darling Viking (Vandal was nearby). And I redesigned the blog and changed around the comment system so I can finally reply to folks. So there's that.

And then there's these photos, which make the stress melt away. I am so glad that when I get to the end of my life, I'll be able to look back and remember how beautiful and tiny and precious and soft my daughter was at the beginning of hers.

It's been emotional.

2008-07-11T04:51:00.006-04:00

Terror...and elation

special needs = especially needy?

So, Viking had a seizure. It was the scariest moment of my life, rivaled only by Dan's first panic attack (the 'heart attack'). We heard her scrambling in her crate, and when she wouldn't respond to our voices, we thought something was in there, biting her. Dan opened the crate, and she wouldn't come out. We panicked, he tore the top off the crate, and there she was- wild-eyed, twitching, and drooling so much she was foaming at the mouth. After an eternity, she snapped out of it, but she was so disoriented and scared (probably from Mom and Dad screaming and crying...shoot) that she limped around the room as fast as her front legs could take her, peeing on the rugs and barking at Dan.

A trip to the doggie ER and $200 worth of tests concludes... she's epileptic. Huh.

Then, five days later, she stops eating and starts vomiting, which, for this dog, is utterly out of character. We get more panicked- was she poisoned? Is it an obstruction? Are the problems related? Another trip to the vet, another $200 (x-rays, more bloodwork, stool exam...so, so broke) and... nothing. It's not an intestinal blockage, as far was we know, it's not an endocrine disease (she had other symptoms that could have just been incidental?)...it's maybe something she ate, but she was vomiting so much, there wasn't anything in her tummy to examine, poor girl. She got some medication for nausea, and three days later, she's on the mend. I spend a lot of time these days thinking about poop, and I'm pleased to report my dog's is getting back to normal. Yipes. I am grateful for our (new, less-expensive-than-the-old-one) vet, though- he called three days in a row to check that she was improving. He seemed to really care, and even more importantly, he seemed to take into consideration that even though we're broke college kids with a newborn, we love our dogs like family and want to keep them healthy. He was methodical in his approach and was willing to go one test at a time to rule out problems. He's a keeper.

Accomplishment

everything is more interesting with babies!

I have actually been doing quite a bit of knitting! I've got nine bibs done (ends woven in and everything!). They just need velcro and embellishment before I can start strapping them to Viv. But because I procrastinate when it comes to finishing, I cast on for another project. I have a single ball of yarn I dyed with Kool-aid, and I looked and looked for the perfect pattern to use it. When I came up with nothing, I thought what the hell and decided to write my own. I will have details in the next day or so- I am almost done! If you need a pattern for a cute baby dress, watch this space.

Ennui

I am back to work (as we speak!). It's not easy getting back to the grind, but the vet bills blindsided us, and we're already taking a hit from the time off for the baby. I just got an email; apparently I've been at this job for two years now. Huh. I am not one for hanging on to jobs (I have no career yet, so they're all just jobs), and I normally would have gotten the wanderlust by now. Maybe it's because I'm not waiting tables? Not dealing with the public does wonders for my job satisfaction, apparently.

Catharsis

Songs I listen to if I want to have a good, healthy cry:

Arcade Fire - Keep the Car Running
Sufjan Stevens - Casimir Pulaski Day
Ben Folds - The Luckiest
Suzanne Vega - World Before Columbus
Bjork - Joga
Aimee Mann - Wise Up
Belle and Sebastian - The State I Am In
Catatonia - Valerian
David Bowie - Conversation Piece
Talking Heads - This Must Be the Place

I'm kind of shocked that I have been feeling so good. I was a prime candidate for post-partum depression, and I'm still waiting for the shoe to drop. So far, though, I have been feeling great, despite some frustration and adjustment. I still feel like I have a lot of emotions to process, though, and so some cathartic tears have been in order. It's kind of hard to explain to friends and family why I would listen to things that make me cry, especially songs that make me cry so. damn. hard. But they're good tears, they're cleansing tears, they're tears of joy.

Anticipation

Viv's 0th birthday is in a week (we decided to have a meet-and-greet party rather than entertain the 40+ family members on my dad's side individually). We're going to Gencon this August (nerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrd!). And there are two people in this house who are really looking forward to the end of pelvic rest (nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more).

Also: Batman. And Hellboy. And X-Files.

Gratitude

2008-06-28T20:13:00.003-04:00

Things that make me feel good, right now:

new baby smell
two hours of sleep strung together
lanolin- for knits, and for my tender, tender bits
garter stitch- it's almost impossible to screw up at 4 am (bibstravaganza continues!)
backrubs, footrubs, and hugs on demand from a fantastic partner
my fantastic partner (he gets his own bullet point)
not needing anything but motrin for discomfort (and not even that)
thunderstorms
dreaming of knitting something not-too-girly for my little girl
watching them sleep

Welcome to the world

2008-06-23T06:36:00.001-04:00

Vivienne Beatrix
June 20, 2008
12:00 pm
7 pounds, 15 ounces
20.25 inches
beautiful

FO (just about!): Nursery

2008-06-18T19:16:00.004-04:00

Well, here it is. I'm a little disappointed in the photos. It's been so stormy and gray in Michigan this last week, but I wanted to get something posted before what I assume will be radio blackout starting on Friday. :P My parents want to know what I want for my birthday (last week!), and I think a better wide-angle camera lens just shot to the top of the list.

Dan painted the walls, and I did the sewing and crocheting. The crib is vintage (it was mine, when I was a baby), and the art on the walls I put together from things from the Martha Stewart aisle at Michaels. We were aiming for a gender-neutral theme based loosely on Katamari Damacy, one of our favorite video games. We had a limited budget- I'd estimate that I spent about $60 on fabric, $15 on craft supplies, and $60 on furniture (the rocker and the changing table)- the rest we already had and repurposed or were given.

The crib bumpers and the quilt are in the bed (now with a mattress!), ready to take over for mommy as the baby house (although it's going to be a long, long summer before anyone in this house needs a quilt!).

The house next door has really reflective siding on it, so even though it's a northern exposure, there is a lot of light thrown on the crib. I made these curtains from scraps from the bumper project and some broadcloth to match the green wall. Now it's really dark in there with the curtains closed! I'm a little shocked that they match as well as they do- I was winging it, and I have been fighting the sewing machine all week (more on that later, though).

This is what happens when your budget is exhausted (and small to begin with). These are alphabet cards scored on clearance at Michaels (that Martha Stewart craft aisle is killer), strung on black satin ribbon.

My sister and I made these. Dan wanted a Katamari-themed room, and this is where it came out in a more literal sense. They're printed on glossy paper, mounted with puffy tape (you know, the 3D stuff) on scrapbook paper in those Martha Stewart shadowboxes (on clearance for $3!). These were a lot of fun to make, although cutting out the little Katamari cousins was not easy. They're only an inch tall, at most, and my scissor skills can be rivaled by any dexterous third grader.

Bibstravaganza continues apace, although I did stop to finish stuff for the baby's room and then got sidetracked by sewing diapers. I was all set to just do prefolds and rubber pants or butt sweaters, but then the nesting instinct blindsided me. I was transported to the flannel aisle at Joann Fabrics, where I proceeded to throw caution to the wind. Once I have more done, I will show them off. They really are cute... I hope they fit.

I have to go clean the house. Apparently my in-laws are coming down tomorrow, not Friday. Which means, of course, that the night before the birth, the night before major surgery, the last night Dan and I have as a couple (ahem) will be spent entertaining houseguests. Sigh. I leave you with one of the last pictures of the baby on the inside. The bump really only is visible from the side in a lot of my clothes, even now. I'm kind of shocked. I think it means I'll be back into my old clothes relatively quickly, but it probably also means I'm going to look like the old me with a rapidly-deflated beach ball taped to my front. :)

Bibstravaganza

2008-06-14T18:52:00.003-04:00

I can't believe that in less than a week, I will no longer be pregnant. That seems like a feat in itself, but on top of that, Dan and I will be fumbling with a newborn baby! I have been dragging my feet in packing for the hospital, but Friday is looming ever closer and I don't want to be caught at the hospital without my favorite nightgown (that's part of the problem- I don't want to pack something I want to wear all the time!).

Scheduling the c-section was hard. Really hard. It is so strange to have the mystery and excitement (and everything else) taken out of the experience. I cried a little after I got off the phone with the OB's office. I cried even more when I rewrote our birth plan. It was so hard to replace things like "We wish to have our parents present for labor, and for delivery if we desire" with "I would prefer my arms aren't restrained, and that oxygen not be delivered through a mask, if possible." I wish it weren't the case, but I am terrified of this surgery, and there isn't a damn thing I can do about it. At least Dan is being a real friend and advocate, and our midwife spent about an hour in the office with me, going over the entire procedure and giving me a lot of reassurance. I'm better than I was a week ago, but I don't know that I'll be ready, even when it's happening.

So, I engaged in a little retail therapy. Sugar 'n' Cream yarn was on sale for a dollar a ball at Michael's, so I bought $10 worth (hey, it was my birthday, after all). And I cast on for a bib- a simple, garter stitch bib loosely based on the one from Mason-Dixon Knitting (but I don't like buttons on baby clothes, and my gauge is never going to be their gauge). And when that one was finished, I cast on for another.

And another- I'm on to the orange ball. I can't wait till I have nothing but bits and bobs, and I am making little Frankenbibs and embellishing the solid-colored ones. I'll probably go back and get more yarn, too- I actually like the feel of the cotton, and it doesn't wear my hands out, at least not on size 6 needles (knitting the soakers on 1s was killing me! sometimes I don't like being such a loose knitter). And seriously- that's a lot of meditative garter stitch for the low, low price of ten bucks.

My birthday, by the way, was nice. I was feeling pretty damn depressed, so our plans changed in the middle of the afternoon from a movie to a walk around the Henry Ford Museum (one of my favorite places to loiter). We had fondue for dinner, and although I got oil on my silk blouse (just a little) and the cake I made wasn't so great, the day ended up much better than it started. I even had the pleasure of falling asleep during a massage and reading a little from a Terry Pratchett novel. It was a welcome respite from all the baby fretting.

FOs: Baby Butt Sweaters

2008-06-13T19:27:00.003-04:00

Pattern: Curly Purly Soakers (size small)
Needles: US 1,2,3,5
Yarn: Lion Fishermen's Wool, dyed with Kool-Aid

These were pretty fun to make- I enjoyed the dyeing process, although it's kind of obvious that my sister and I were working on the same skeins, but from different ends and with different objectives. She also thought that we shouldn't waste the Kool-Aid, and made sure that every drop of the howevermany colors we mixed ended up on the yarn somewhere*. Sigh.

The pattern is really straightforward, although I need to use tiny needles to get gauge, or something like it. I don't enjoy weaving in ends or picking up stitches, so these took a little longer than an evening apiece. They're really adorable, and I hope they keep the pee in!

*And she's the one with the art degree. :P

A finely attuned sense of gravity

2008-06-08T20:18:00.003-04:00

This is a long, long baby-related post, with no pictures and no knitting or sewing. I have finished objects that need to be photographed, so feel free to skip this post and wait for the next one.

So, it's a c-section for me. I even went through the manual external version, and it just wasn't enough to convince the kid to move.

We had it performed on Monday at the hospital, in L&D (just in case...). I was up early, and ate a small breakfast (I'm used to this being a big meal), even though they didn't want me to. I was pretty nervous, but optimistic. After all, the midwife said the baby had plenty of room to move, right?

We got registered and shuffled around and eventually put in a bed in recovery. On the other side of the room, a man was standing over a wailing baby in a bassinet. She was only about fifteen minutes old and so! tiny! He told his visitors that she was six and a half pounds. Her mother was wheeled in about an hour later, and it was then I made Dan promise not to leave me in the operating theater- I am terrified of being alone in there. I was getting more nervous as time went on, but it helped to sneak a peek at the baby on the way to the bathroom.

They shuffled nurses around and eventually took a history (in stages), and the doctor came in to talk to me. I haven't met her (there are a ton of OBs in my practice, and I've been working with the midwives, so...), but she seemed nice. She went, and a nurse put in a heparin lock and took some blood. I realized that I was exhausted and thirsty and dizzy from the blood draw, but I couldn't have any water. She brought me three ice chips in a styrofoam cup.

We waited an hour, because a c-section trumped my procedure. By then I was nervous, tired, thirsty, dizzy and hungry, and the nurses started flitting about, looking for my consent form. I hadn't signed one yet, but as they're looking for it, a nurse injected me with the muscle relaxer/stimulant stuff and then they shoved the consent form in my face. Which I proceeded to read and sign, even though I was nervous, tired, hungry, thirsty, dizzy, and my heart was racing from the drugs. In retrospect, I should have spoken up, but I haven't been in the hospital since I was seven, so what did I know? Next time, I'm not getting into a hospital gown until that form is produced, my questions are answered, and I sign it in a (relatively) calm state of mind.

The OB came back with her medical student, and they gave me a nurse's hand to squeeze. Dan was told to stand at the foot of the bed, and he gently held my left foot. They talked for a minute about the procedure, mostly for the med student's benefit (she had never done a version before), and then it was one-two-three push. Dan's hand squeezed my foot so hard I thought I was going to lose toes. I closed my eyes and breathed as deeply as I could, trying through the jitters and fog to be relaxed and not inhibit the process. It wasn't that uncomfortable, although it was nerve-wracking. Only twice in the six attempts did I feel like I was pushed hard enough to leave a mark. The med student was tentative in her actions, which is understandable, but the OB was really giving it all she had. The baby, unfortunately, was like a rotary phone. They'd move it down into position, but once they let go, it would dial its way back and land with a thud and its head wedged under my right ribs (which are still sore).

Like I said, they tried six times. They went clockwise and counter-clockwise. The baby rotated on every axis but the one they were aiming for. Fortunately, I felt like I could take it, and the baby's vitals remained strong, so they kept going. In the end, though, it didn't work. At one point, I heard the nurse tell Dan there was a chair behind him, and I almost laughed. When I opened my eyes and saw him, he looked so pale! I assured him that it probably looked worse than it was, and that earned me a weird look from all of the staff attending to me. I think they were a little shocked that I didn't make any noise- I get the impression they're used to more screaming and cursing.

Eventually they stopped trying, and everyone left but the OB. She told me to schedule a c-section and apologized that there wasn't more she could do. She told me that two of her children were breech, so she understood some of what I was feeling. She also told me that if a version didn't do it, chiropractors/standing on my head/moxibustion probably wouldn't either. Those were the magic words. She let me off the hook.

She let me off the hook! Ever since the baby has been found out to be right-side up, everyone and anyone has been telling me what to do to turn the baby. I have been feeling a lot of guilt and frustration because I thought that maybe the baby hadn't turned because of the way I sit in a chair, or where the waistband of my super-comfy maternity jeans hits my abdomen, or because there was something that I didn't do that other people did as a matter of course. Well, guess what- it's not my fault, any more than mothers of babies who flip over deserve congratulations for a job well done. It's something that just happens, and for most breech babies, there are no discernible reasons for their breechy-ness. If you have stumbled on this page because your baby is not a spinner, then I'm letting you off the hook, too. Your baby has a finely attuned sense of gravity, and that's all there is to it. Don't let it get you down, and hope if you want to (or, if you're like me, let it go, don't bother with hope, and prepare for what is the next step). Being the mom of a breech baby is tough, especially if you have had a healthy pregnancy and have been planning for a natural childbirth. It feels like being disqualified from a race I've been training to run for a year while I'm standing on the starting block. But I will get over it. I read up on c-section awareness (which is frustrating, because most of the advice is "don't let them cut you!" and doesn't really address breech births, or only does as an afterthought to all of the proselytizing), and I will be talking to my midwife about maximizing my potential for a VBAC in future pregnancies. Like my baby, I am looking upward and forward.

FO: Crib Bumpers

2008-06-06T12:18:00.002-04:00

I used the pattern that came with the crib bumper batting, which was already cut to size (yay!), but needed to be shortened to fit the sides of my (totally standard) crib (boo). The ends of the crib are closed, so the bumpers need to be tied a little differently than the pattern assumes.

I used a crazy six-patch motif based on this ingenious idea. There are twelve fabrics in total, from Joann and Reprodepot, divided into two stacks of fronts and backs, and I figured the seam allowances in to the total dimensions required for the bumper pattern (so... I expanded the long dimension of the base rectangle by 2", and the tall dimension by 1", assuming .5" seam allowances). The pattern suggested making 17 yards or so of bias tape for the ties. I bought twill tape and hand-rolled and tacked the ends- way easier.

They're a little lumpy in parts where my impatience won out over ripping and trimming, but I don't think the baby'll mind too much. I love love love the Alexander Henry paper doll people fabric- it's so sweet and creepy at the same time!

Start of summer

2008-06-02T18:55:00.002-04:00

I went to Houghton Lake with my parents over Memorial Day, which was a nice distraction. I promise, the lake is there, beyond the trees.

The dogs went with me, although Dan stayed home. Vandal was pretty sick the whole time we were there, but she still seemed to enjoy trotting around in the yard and sniffing all the things we don't have at home.

I wish my husband could have come up there with me. I was pretty nervous about the dog being sick, and I wasn't feeling great either, and I felt a lot of pressure to make the most of it because I'm not going to get a vacation for a while. In the end, I tried to have a good time, and we came home early.

At least I got two pairs of shoes for five bucks at the outlet mall in West Branch. Score!

Baby acrobatics

2008-05-29T20:29:00.005-04:00

Well, it's not scheduled yet, but we're going forward with an ECV- it's the "flip your baby from the outside" procedure. I'm certainly not thrilled that it has come to this., but it's the last-ditch effort to prevent a c-section, something I most certainly do not want and have been grappling with since we found out that the baby hasn't turned in any direction since about 28 weeks (stubborn little mutie!). There's a chance that there's something tethering the baby in an upright position, but our midwife remains optimistic about our chances- for a first-time mom, I still have a lot of room in there for the baby to float around in. She was able to get the baby to do a quarter turn in the office, although she didn't want to chance it because of the potential for complication.

This whole thing reminds me of a three-day field trip I took with the bio class in high school to Traverse City. Like good Michiganders, we took canoes out on the Crystal River. My partner and I got separated from the group (I hate canoes!) and took our sweet time going down the river. At one point, we came to a road that ran over the river, with the water flowing through a small steel tube that looked like it would barely fit the canoe, but certainly not us. We did what we thought we were supposed to do- we lugged the damn boat out of the water and dragged it across the two-lane highway. When we finally (finally! it seemed like days- I hate canoes that much) met back up with our class, I commented to someone about the ludicrousness of a tube interrupting the process.

"But you're supposed to go through the tube."

I looked at my partner. "Through... the tube?" We both erupted into a fit of laughter- the idea was seemingly insane. The only way through was to squash your torso flat against the boat. What do you do if you get stuck?

From that day forward, we used the phrase "through the tube" to mean anything that sounded absurd to us, but apparently normal to everyone else.

I think my baby might be observing the situation and trying to figure a way to carry the boat across the road rather than go through the tube. Too bad, kid. The tube is the way, and yes, it is designed so that you might get stuck. I know, I'm not thrilled about it either, but we're in this together.

35 weeks

2008-05-21T15:47:00.003-04:00

and a new haircut

and a new Photoshop action (Urban Acid).

I really want to learn more about Photoshop- I look at my photos a lot of the time and wish they had the zing of a little post-processing. Maybe that's what this summer will bring- sleepless nights, baby on my lap, glow of the computer screen...

FO: Baby's First Quilt

2008-05-21T15:40:00.002-04:00

I sewed the top/did the quilting (in one step) while watching the Grammy awards with my mom (when was that, February?), and it's been folded up in a shopping bag ever since. The idea of binding the thing was really daunting. I've never been a very good finisher, and lately I have been feeling so down that I didn't want to risk stitching a bunch of negative vibes into the quilt (like the opposite effect of a prayer shawl, I guess). Yesterday I was feeling pretty good, so I folded over the backing, figured out the zigzag stitch on my mother's machine (without the manual!), and stitched it down. And it's done.

I used a technique for sewing the quilt top directly to the batting and the backing. I have the material to make another quilt, and I'll most likely post a tutorial when I make that one.

Here's a closeup of the "binding" and my novice zigzag skills:

Growing

2008-05-09T15:00:00.002-04:00

herbs are the new flowers

I hope these are good- I picked them for the name (who wouldn't?)

It's not easy photographing your own pregnant belly- next time I'll enlist Dan's help

FOs: Ripple Blankie and Naked Bunny

2008-05-09T14:49:00.002-04:00

Hello!

Pattern from Mr. Funky's Super Crochet Wonderful
size F hook

How cute is this? I want to make something in particular for the baby, so I needed to dust off my crochet skills. I actually made this in less than a day (while at work, mind you), and although I don't like finishing, I did quite enjoy the crochet process. I can't wait to make more.

Pattern: Easy Ripple Afghan
size G hook

I started this in January, and then let it slide as the semester got hectic. It wasn't a very portable project, so I dropped it in favor of class knitting. My gauge loosened quite a bit by the end, so it's more of a trapezoid. I was going to keep going, as I am trapped under a mountain of white acrylic yarn, but it's just the right size for car rides and impromptu picnics. If Mutie decides that this is the blankie, then I don't want it to be too big to drag around.

May showers bring... June babies?

2008-05-07T15:30:00.003-04:00

I actually have multiple FOs to show off, but it has been so overcast and rainy lately that I haven't had the opportunity to take pictures of anything. It's kind of frustrating, really, because all of this weather feels a month late and is coming at precisely the wrong time for my mood. I have been so down in the dumps lately, and although I know that it is definitely pregnancy-related, there still is no getting around the crying jags, the listlessness, and the multiple naps a day (not because I'm tired, but because I don't want to be awake. sheesh). We have been making appointments with all the other midwives at our office, and one of them suggested therapy. It was a well-intentioned suggestion, but obviously this woman just met me and doesn't know anything about me. It reinforced for me that I definitely picked the right midwife of the group- Trish is clinical, straightforward, pleasant, and happy to explain (in technical detail, if necessary) what she wants to do for me and why. She shares information and helps me decide for myself what I want, without making me feel like she's trying to sell me on one course of action. She didn't get a look of pity on her face (like some) when I said that I wasn't interested in hypnobirthing (seriously, it's a real thing. amazing) or similar techniques because I know in my heart I wouldn't believe what I would learn, and I don't want to invest in something that will probably fail me in the moment I actually need it to work.

If only the people at the front desk could get their collective act together and stop billing me for a co-payment I don't have. That's enough to get my blood pressure up- we've been jerked around enough this year with a forced transition to another insurance provider, which was done in stages for maximum confusion.

We had our first childbirth class on Monday. I really, really wanted it to be something useful (I am, after all, paying money to be there, and I can't give birth where I want to without the class), but, alas, it is geared toward the lowest common denominator* and has a seriously cheesy slant. The instructor kept asking what felt like questions for self-reflection (What do you do to relax? Why do you want a natural childbirth?) and then CALLING on someone to respond. I refused to answer at one point (the instructor wanted me to share what I've read about childbirth), and I'm sure I looked like a total crankypants, but I came to class for information, not to hear a bunch of strangers talk about themselves. I don't care about them, and they don't care about me, and that's how I want it. It sounds selfish, but I am the kind of person to get really wrapped up in what other people think, and I can't spend my energy on that when none of those people are actually going to help me birth my baby. It's in the interest of self-preservation that I have become a bitch, I guess. From what other people's responses were, I had nothing in common with them anyway.

If that weren't enough to make my head explode, we learned a relaxation technique that involved visualizing breathing in the colors of the rainbow. Yes, you read that right. A young couple across the room burst into a fit of laughter and had to leave the room. I was red in the face from trying to suppress my own urge to laugh or to break something, and I spent the entire exercise thinking of the group therapy visualization scene in Fight Club.

I am Jack's contracting uterus.

I feel like there isn't a place for me. I don't want a traditional hospital birth because I don't want the kinds of interventions that come routine, and I want a shot at getting through without a C-section (although the baby doesn't want to turn over yet, and I'm trying to get used to the possibility now rather than later). I don't, however, think that hypnobirthing or rainbow visualization is what is going to get me through childbirth, and more and more I am getting the impression that it's one way or another. Is there a middle ground between epidurals & episiotomies and doulas & self-hypnosis? I don't have an appointment with my (real) midwife for a few weeks because I'm rotating through all the other ones, but I'm starting to lose heart about this whole natural childbirth thing.

*The instructor seriously said that putting together a carseat is "a dad's job." Um, sexist much? And this is the ALTERNATIVE birthing center. I love the Midwest!

Finals Week is OVER!

2008-04-26T13:34:00.003-04:00

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod I can finally, finally slow down. I can't believe I survived writing that much in one week- 40 pages! It came as no surprise that the papers I actually wanted to write were the easiest and most fun, and the one I didn't care about was excruciating. Dan was my trusty proofreader, and everything got turned in on time, and to good reviews (at least so far). In fact, it looks like there is the possibility of a grant, some collaborative research with the head of my department, and a bitchin' MA thesis about the word fuck in my future (seriously. complete with brain scans and other science-y stuff).

Here's a recap, in pictures:

Here's the "before" picture- this is the paper I didn't enjoy, which is a shame, because I quite like Old English. I also wrote about what swearing says about the continuity between animal communication and human language. The last paper was about Eddie Izzard's bilingual stand-up comedy and its general awesomeness.

This (well, two of these) happened instead of writing on Saturday- this is my first pie crust, and it turned out great! Keep your Crisco in the fridge, folks. I gave this one to my dad for his birthday on Sunday. It was delicious with frogurt. Now that I know how to make a pie crust, my ass is in danger of never returning to my pre-pregnancy clothes.

Instead of writing on Sunday (I think?) I went shopping for fabric for the crib bumper. I intend to supplement with ultra-cute (and expensive) Japanese cotton prints and some broadcloth to match the nursery (which is painted!).

I also procrastinated by sewing a dress (it's not quite done), watching the Star Wars trilogy, throwing popcorn at the screen during American Idol, and knitting (only a little, though).

Somehow I made it through the week, and still managed to put in part-time hours at work. And clean the house yesterday (the laundry is another matter). I feel like superwoman. I think I'm going to go work on the ripple blanket that stalled out a couple months ago, now that I have a nursery to stash it in.

FO (times two): Baby Booties

2008-04-26T13:11:00.002-04:00

Pattern: Becky's Baby Booties
Yarn: an endless supply of Microspun
Needles: US 4
first pair: January-April 19, 2008
second pair (stripes): April 10 (the knitting)-20 (the sewing)

So, they're baby booties. There isn't much to say, except I made the first one in January, and then sat on the project FOREVER. They're the larger of the two sizes, and really quick to knit flat. The tedium comes when you have to weave in a brazillian little ends and seam up the bottoms and sides (yeesh). At least I perfected my mattress stitch abilities- I can now seam stockinette, garter stitch, and I can graft two cast on/bound off edges to one another. Yeah!

This project finally spelled the end of the Microspun from Holly. I actually quite like the finished fabric, and would consider using it again- just not in these colors. They're a little early-nineties-friendship-bracelet for me.

This week shall surely blow. Hard.

2008-04-20T17:12:00.003-04:00

Ugh. Three term papers due over the course of three days. And here I am, the weekend before the maelstrom, just getting started actually writing the damn things. I did most of the research, and have outlines prepared, but the process of really putting the words to paper (or keyboard/screen) is daunting and long overdue.

I've got about 35-40 pages to write. And I've only got about 3.5 done. Eeesh. I'm writing the one that's least interesting to me first, and I'm glad I'm doing it this way- I spent the entirety of yesterday evening slogging my way through quite a few moldy old papers before my eyelids got too heavy to hold open (I'm convinced it's the baby trying to get me to give up). Once this one is finished, though, I think the way will be a little clearer.

I hope.

I have to just keep telling myself that I've done well enough over the course of the semester that I can sandbag at least two of these papers (the one I'm currently writing included) and still walk away with a 4.0.

No matter what, by Thursday night, I will be done and watching Lost on the sofa... with the laptop- we finally installed a wireless router!

I'm here for the yarn program, 2008

2008-04-12T13:53:00.002-04:00

For whatever reason, that's what the librarians at the Ann Arbor Public Library call Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's presentations/book lectures/motivational speeches? I suppose there isn't a better name. "Yarn Program" is good enough, I guess.

Anyway, I kept to myself, as usual- Holly and I spent some time catching up before the talk and after, which was great. I really, really don't like being so busy that I can't see my friends. There were a lot of pregnant women in the overflow room, and we all seemed to sit on one side. Weird. I actually kind of prefer it up there. I feel a lot of pressure when I'm an audience member, and for this kind of thing, I just want to sit and knit and laugh, you know? I don't want to stop counting in the middle of a row of lace to clap, as silly as that sounds. I'll surely lose count (for example, I reknit the same row three times while listening). Perhaps I should try tapping my needles together- they're aluminum, so they'll make some kind of sound.

We didn't stay for the book signing, because we were both too broke to get a book at the moment. I find myself more inspired by the Yarn Harlot's blog, anyway. There's something less rehearsed about it (obviously), and I think that's when she's at her absolute finest. Not that I would ever want there to be fewer knitting humor books out there, just that sometimes it's the things that she can't/won't say in a book that resonate most with me.

I managed to get two repeats done on the shawl while I was sitting there, which was nice. I am almost to the point where I won't need the chart for constant reassurance. I sense that this lace knitting attempt is going to go a lot quicker than previous ones. The larger needles are a start (lace is supposed to be full of holes, right?), and the purl-only wrongside rows are also helping.

A lot.

Ugh, it's dreary and I have to finish the taxes. Every time I sit down to do them, I realize I'm missing a crucial piece of information. Perhaps this time they'll get filed. At least we're getting a refund.

Tiny stitch obsession

2008-04-07T14:16:00.002-04:00

the first repeat of the Adamas Shawl

a new obsession- cheaper than knitting

FO: Offset Baby Sweater

2008-04-07T14:08:00.003-04:00

Pattern: Offset Wraplan
Yarn: Red Heart Sport, Baby Blue and Yellow, 1 skein apiece
Needles: US size 3
Size: 9-12 month?
March 20- April 6, 2008

The finished product is really cute, but the yarn is kind of scratchy (vintage Red Heart) and the collar instructions were just... wrong. I made that part up myself, but followed the rest of the pattern pretty closely. The buttons are from Joann's- they were having a 50% off sale, and I don't have a button stash, like most crafty people.

The fabric underneath is some yellow quilter's cotton and Alexander Henry's little dots print. They're for the nursery. Dan and I decided on a loosely-applied Katamari theme. The curtains and the cabinet pulls will be the only thing that get full Katamari treatment (and perhaps some toys). I intend to embroider a border of Katamari balls and cousins on the valance and cafe curtain.

Viking-dini

2008-04-02T14:26:00.003-04:00

My dog somehow managed to slip her collar and make it disappear- I've been all over the back yard (it is finally SUNNY out!), and I just can't seem to find it. She is just dumb enough to eat the thing, but I can't even find the tags. She wouldn't eat those, too... would she?

The baby sweater I'm knitting is almost finished- I've got one more sleeve to go, and I think there's just enough yarn to do it. I really want to move on to the next project because stripes in the round are a recipe for tangles and ladders. Ugh.

The view from above, the view from before

2008-03-26T12:29:00.002-04:00

this is me at 27 weeks

This is a baby post, and a long one at that, so skip it if you don't want to read about baby stuff.

Yesterday was a pretty intense baby day. Dan and I actually began a baby registry, and we spent a kind of exciting, kind of frustrating two hours in Babies 'R' Us looking at a bunch of stuff that seemed kind of plasticky and totally necessary. We figured out high chairs, play pens (excuse me, play YARDS), baby Bjorn carrier thingies, and diaper bags without incident... well, almost. There was only one front-facing carrier that fit Dan! He's not a gigantic dude by any stretch, and I can't imagine a man (or woman) with a larger chest circumference than him (he wears an XL tall) fitting into any of this gear. It was kind of discouraging, but at least we found a front carrier and a back carrier (which looks like a kid-backpack) that we liked.

Then we tried to look at carseats and strollers. I really, really despise the corporate scare tactics manufacturers use to get me to buy as many expensive (and yet totally cheaply made) devices as possible in the shortest time frame. They want to make sure my kid goes through a minimum of two strollers and carseats, and that I am too scared to use either one on another kid or, gods help us, hand them down to another set of parents. You'd think with my child's safety at stake and the word SAFETY and QUALITY splashed all over the packaging, they'd at least test their products enough so that every seat wouldn't eventually be recalled for some reason or another before they reach their 'expiration date' (which I am certain is just tacked on to make sure you need to buy another seat before your kid is big enough to go without, or that little brother/sister has to get their own seat). We were set to scan a Graco SnugRide and be done with it for the day when a woman walked up to the display, holding a totally adorable baby. She sighed dejectedly and turned to her partner, saying, "They [Graco] don't make a rear facing seat that'll fit him. He's only six months old." This kid wasn't even that big, either, and when I asked, she told me he weighed 22 pounds. I looked around with her, bewildered that this seemingly normal kid was SOL in the carseat department, and we found a front/rear convertible seat that would fit her son, which was a relief. We looked at the seat for ourselves, but the convenience of the infant carrier moving with ease from car to car still has us thinking that we need both. Or at least, we need to buy 2 convertible carseats at minimum- one for my car, one for my parent's car, and one for his car (although that'll probably be the least frequently used one). So we're STILL stuck buying eight million car seats. ARRGH.

And that doesn't even begin to touch the problem of a stroller. The "travel system" is out right off the bat- too heavy, too unwieldy, too cheap feeling, and frankly, I have never seen a person pushing a kid around in one of those who wasn't in the infant seat strapped to the top- I think parents trade them in for a smaller stroller as soon as they can. What a waste! Does anyone have a recommendation of a relatively lightweight/smallish-folding stroller we can use with a snuggly, reclined little baby and an infant who is sitting up on their own? I drive a Civic, and while the trunk is a decent size, I don't know if we can fit all of this baby crap in it if it doesn't fold up a little smaller. I really like the idea of the infant seat carrier frames, but the shelf-life of that product isn't going to be that long (we both come from a long line of high growth percentile babies).

what it looks like from here- except I need to stretch to see my shoes

After the registry ordeal, we went to dinner and then a seminar for the Alternative Birth Unit at Providence Hospital. If you're in the Detroit area and shopping for hospitals, go to this seminar! Their approach focuses on natural childbirth in a home-like setting (although, never fear, they have some pain meds available, and you're down the hall from the regular L&D). If we want (and we do), we can use a hot tub to relax (although they don't do waterbirths), have any visitors we want, eat/drink what we'd like, and Dan can even catch the baby. It's the kind of birth experience we're looking for. Granted, I've never had an epidural, but numbness makes me uncomfortable, and I'm the kind of person who listens intently to my body. For example, I don't take medication for cramps, in general, because I rely on them to tell me what's going on with my cycle- when the cramps start, so does my period (we're talking a five-minute window- it's pretty cool, actually). I am hoping that labor works in a similar fashion (body awareness, not speed, of course), but who knows. The unit does have some pain medication if I opt in, but they also have a number of other things available to help ease the discomfort that aren't available in the regular L&D (a jacuzzi being one such option). They also don't generally administer Pitocin or perform episiotomies (they stress preparatory massage and perineal support during birth), and their C-section rate is about 6% (same as my midwife). 6%!

Your mileage may vary, of course, and I'm not pretending to really know what I'm talking about. All I know is that hospitals scare me, the insurance will cover something in the hospital that doesn't feel like the hospital, and the rooms are totally posh (well, that last one isn't essential, but it's pretty sweet!).

FO: Box Bags

2008-03-26T12:17:00.002-04:00

I have been sewing. It's a miracle! I still haven't finished the baby quilt, which just needs to be cut to size and bound, but I managed to procrastinate a little this weekend and make a couple of project bags. I used tutorials from Dragon[knit]fly and small hands as a starting point, but I think I made enough innovations to the designs to call them my own creation.

I made the amber one first, and the insides are pretty raw, but cute. I don't care, but if I were to make one of these for someone else (of if I were to, say, open an etsy shop), I would want to follow what I did on the second bag. I did a decent enough job that I am willing to show off the insides, but I want you to remember that I only started using a sewing machine about a month ago, and I have been doing this without much supervision at all. Things are a little rough, and I am more likely to sew over/through a mistake rather than rip it out at this point... I'll get over it.

The blue and yellow stripey thing is a baby sweater in progress, and the red laceweight wool is going to become a shawl before May 10- I have a wedding to attend, and I can never regulate my temperature in formal wear without a little help.

FO: Monkey Socks

2008-03-21T15:46:00.003-04:00

Pattern: Monkey Socks, by Cookie A.
Yarn: two skeins of Crystal Palace Panda Cotton, fall herbs
Needles: US size 1 DPNs
September 2007- March 20, 2008

I put these away for a little while when the nausea was really bad in the first trimester and I couldn't concentrate on anything, let alone tiny knitting. The lace chart was actually pretty easy to memorize, and this was the project that finally, finally cemented Kitchener in my mind (hooray!). I can see why this is one of the most popular patterns on the net- Cookie is a brilliant designer, and the instructions couldn't be easier to follow. I really want to try more of her patterns.

The yarn is a little splitty, but I don't generally split yarn so it wasn't a problem for me. The colors really are this vibrant, and the finished fabric is fantastic- smooth, soft, and cool. They ended up being a little short for me, so I gave them to my mom as an early Mother's Day gift (she wears socks year round, but usually only thin cotton anklets in the summer heat). I will most likely need three skeins for socks of my own, either with or without contrasting heels and toes. I can't wait to buy more of this once the yarn famine is over.

99 days to go

2008-03-14T13:32:00.003-04:00

Here we are. Less than 100 days till the baby's due. I'm cruising toward the end of the second trimester, and I am really starting to feel it. Getting out of a chair is more than just an automatic movement now, and I am simultaneously thirsty and needing to pee all the time. The baby's pretty active, and Dan is able to put his hand on my belly and feel little kicks and punches whenever he wants. The baby and the dogs are already jealous of each other- Viking spends a lot of her evenings trying to squish the baby back into my spine to recreate the lap that was formerly hers, and hers alone, and the baby spends its evenings kicking Viking in the back for trying. Vandal has learned to lay on my legs.

Everyone wants to know if it's a boy or a girl. Everyone. Waiters, supermarket cashiers, family and friends, the women in the office I temped in yesterday (that's another story altogether). One woman even said, "Why don't you want to know? How are you going to know what clothes to buy it?" It's hard to keep an even tone of voice when people say that to me, but I suppose that a lot of people just don't understand or realize that gender is a cultural construction, and a problematic one, at that. The baby isn't going to be born pink or blue (probably more like a blotchy purple color). An old coworker of mine was complaining that it gets even more difficult to find neutral clothes after 6 months, especially for boys. Little girls can wear the robots/insects/puppies stuff, but the little boys can't usually pull off princess ruffled rumba pants. She also told me that a lot of people would ask her, "What is it?" when they saw her son in the stroller.

"Oh my god, it's a baby! Why, what do you see?"

Really, stranger- why do you need to know the sex organs of this random baby?

Fortunately, there are plenty of people who are willing to respect the fact that Dan and I don't want a princess- or sports-themed nursery (it doesn't suit us, even excepting the gendered connotations), and it's a relief to know that we can say no boy/girl stuff, and for the most part, it'll be okay. We also made a pact that if any of that stuff comes our way, we'll thank the giver graciously, and put in the Salvation Army bag (do not pass go, do not collect $200), so that some other child can use it.

I didn't intend for this to be a rant, but I feel pretty strongly about this. Also, I tend to feel pretty strongly about everything these days. :) It's been mostly awesome, but there have been a few bad days in there, too. At least the weather is turning around, and there will be sunny days AND thunderstorms (yay!) ahead.

FO: Ribbed Lace Bolero

2008-03-08T22:21:00.002-05:00

Pattern: Ribbed Lace Bolero
Yarn: GGH Samoa, a little over a skein, and Summer Tweed, a little over a skein
Needles: US size 6 and 8
February 22- March 7

I cast on 98 stitches as the author did, as I feel gauge/fiber choice might make this a little big (I’m more like 18-19” in the shoulders). I used Samoa for the ribbing and Summer Tweed for the lace because I saw them together in the stash and thought what the heck. It’s a little bigger in the shoulders than I would like, but it’s drapey, and I really like how the tweed and the cotton play off of each other. The Samoa makes a considerably less stable fabric than Cotton-ease, and I’m not sure I like it more. It was $3 a ball on clearance at my LYS, but I think if I make another one of these (and I might) I would use Cotton-ease. Still, a nice little stashbuster.

Taking pictures of yourself is difficult. Also: hello, pregnancy boobs!

Snow day!

2008-03-05T11:09:00.001-05:00

You read that right. My class (and midterm!) is canceled today due to SNOW. In March. I love you, Michigan.

I think I'm going to go build a snowman.

FO: Squatty Sidekick

2008-03-01T21:49:00.003-05:00

Pattern: Amanda's Squatty Sidekick (from Knitting Daily)
Yarn: 3 skeins of Lamb's Pride Worsted in black, held doubled
Needles: US size 15, from the Needlemaster
February 18-22 (knitting), February 29-March1 (finishing)

I knit this to use up the black wool I had in my stash. It was a straightforward knit, and I thought that I'd make the bag bigger by knitting it on larger needles with the yarn doubled. It turned out BIG. It's about 20" across, easily. I felted it, and it didn't seem to get any smaller! I don't really care for Lamb's Pride when it's felted (especially compared to Paton's classic merino) but I quite liked the fabric when it was knitted up- I could see myself making a rugged little sweater out of it. Well, if it didn't shed worse than my two mutant Corgis.

My finishing skills are not so hot, but I like the way the lining and strap turned out. Instead of knitting a strap, I knit little nubs to indicate where the straps should go (and then blocked it crooked so they don't quite hit the sides. duh). I sewed D-rings on after it was felted with the 18" of yarn I had left (seriously!). For the strap, I cut a width of the fabric in both the yellow and the print cotton, sewed the long edges, right sides together, and then turned them inside out, folded in and topstitched the edges, and then topstitched the long sides. I tied the ends to the D rings, so I can adjust the strap if I want to. For the lining, I cut the lining pieces roughly the size of the bag laying flat. I added a pocket, using the same general techniques as the strap (so it's lined), and sewed the lining pieces together along the bottom and sides, right sides together. Then I turned the felted bag inside out, turned the lining inside out, put the felted bag inside the lining, folded the raw top edge of the lining down, and tacked it into place with black thread and big, ugly, childish stitches (I'm impatient and I'm also learning how to sew!). After I turned the bag back the right way, I sewed on a snap on the inside (not worrying about the outside because the thread is black and the bag is hairy), and ta-da! Dan's impressed, and I think it's cute, too. It took about a 1/2 yard of the lemon print and a little bit of the yellow quilter's solid cotton.

Now we are one.

2008-02-25T21:29:00.003-05:00

Peanut butter birthday cupcakes with peanut butter bones

As you can see, Dan was poised to hold them back if necessary. The 50mm proved too long for the living room.

We sang to them while they frantically choked down whole cupcakes with treats sticking out of them. They were very impressed, and spent the next twenty minutes gratefully belching.

Viking never eats as fast as Vandal, and so she ran away with her cupcake to Mommy. She didn't take her eyes off of it while she was chewing (she got most of it- Vandal broke free of Dan and got the crumbs).

Their actual birthday is tomorrow, but we wanted to celebrate today. They got new dentabones, and tomorrow I'll give them their new rope toys (to replace the throw rug they claimed and had been fighting over for months).

February is a work-in-progress

2008-02-20T15:38:00.004-05:00

and I am actually kind of impressed with my ability to keep up with everything. The baby is very active (more so, I'm told, than other babies its age), and I am feeling pretty damn good (but TIRED). I've been knitting up a storm, and although I would rather focus on that, this week is kind of busy school-wise, and I am going to be up late tonight, writing a paper (yuck- at least it's only three pages... in grad school. yeah, I know). I've got a couple of weddings that I might be photographing (I'm in Detroit, but I'm willing to travel. And I'm cheap! Hire me!), and I am actively searching for a new job before I get so big that there's no way that I'll get hired, discrimination laws be damned. I know the second everything slows down, a baby comes out, so I'm trying to just go along with everything that's happening and simply focus on making an effort. It's not easy to keep from feeling overwhelmed.

But when I do, I get out my camera, and take a few pictures of works-in-progress:

ooh, a black felted bag. Exciting!

That's more like it- Dan thinks it looks like Fruit Stripe Gum (it's odd that he'd liken a hand-knit item to a gum, but whatevs)

It's not perfect, but it is cute- I want to bind it this weekend (and then it's done!)

FO: Bunny Blanket

2008-02-20T15:27:00.002-05:00

Bunny Blanket
Pattern: Blanket Buddy (obviously without the head)
Needles: US 11
Yarn: Lion Homespun
February3-16

I took some liberties with the project when I realized that I was going to have a lot of leftover leftover Homespun if I didn't make it bigger. It's kind of pink, but in a neutral way. I decided against the stuffed bunny head, and opted instead to join an equal number of stitches in the round when I got near the end, and do matched decreases (like a sock toe) to make a little bonnet top. I might put bunny ears on it, but then again, I might not. The yarn is (once again) from my stash, so I wanted to use as much of it as possible! I am loving this FO streak, especially since it is clearing out my weird collection of hoarded yarn (much of which was freecycled).

The photo is in the nursery, and as you can see, there isn't a lot of afternoon light in February. It is peaceful in there, though.

(Bunny gender is simulated- actual baby sex may vary)

FO: Buttony Fade Sweater

2008-02-20T15:16:00.003-05:00

Buttony Fade Sweater
Pattern: Buttony Sweater (inspiration)
Yarn: Samband of Iceland Lopi, and some Lamb's Pride for the sleeves
Needles: US 11
January 31-February15

Because of gauge differences, I cast on 76 stitches, with 27 on the back, 10 on each arm, and 17 for the front. I made it a crop length when the yarn gave out (I knew it would). The buttons are from Big Box craft store, and the yarn is totally stash. I am on a yarn diet, after all.

I had a phone interview today, and I have been given a real, live in-person interview (for a job that will quadruple my salary-man, am I poor!). Holy crap! Fortunately, I can actually still fit into my old interview clothes- I went to a job fair this weekend, and when I was honest about my pregnancy, the general response was, "Really? You are? I can't tell." I am five months, people.

Obviously, this sweater is for showing off my belly, not concealing it.

FO: Limari Scarf

2008-02-13T15:35:00.004-05:00

pattern: Bulky Cabled Scarf by propertrappings (ravelry link)
Yarn: Aruncania Limari, two skeins and a bit
Needles: US size 13

This was satisfying. I actually finished it a couple weeks ago, but just got around to weaving in the ends this afternoon. The hat I made of the same yarn is getting a little fuzzy, but it's so soft, I don't care! I would knit with this again, although I don't know what I'd make with it.

And since I'm past the halfway mark, here's a photo of my 22 week belly:

Please excuse the background- I have no full length mirror, and so I used the 70s wall-tile one that's hidden behind the bookcase in the front room. :)

Knitting for class: a dilemma

2008-02-12T15:46:00.000-05:00

Well, it's quarter to four on a Tuesday, which is precisely the time that I get to thinking about class this week (which starts at 6pm tonight. I am a procrastinator!). The requirements are simple, and yet I struggle to figure out what to bring with me. In order to qualify as "class knitting" the project needs to be:

simple and relatively mindless
a single color (even stripes make me look like I'm not paying attention)
devoid of techniques that require a pattern/reference book
large enough that I won't finish it in a couple of hours
not so large that it doesn't fit in my bag
made of stashed materials (so, so broke!)

I've got a couple of things on the needles right now (a sweater and a baby blanket), but neither of them seem to fit my criteria. I'll probably throw one of them in my bag anyway, and see what happens. Don't get the wrong idea- my classes are really interesting, but I need something to do with my hands when I'm listening or... I stop listening. It's just who I am. The knitting prevents doodling, or the creation of shopping lists.

I made a quilt for Mutie over the weekend- my first! Once I bind it and take pictures, I'll post information. I am officially a sewer now!

FO: Oldest UFO in my stash

2008-02-08T15:09:00.000-05:00

Pattern: Something I made up, hoping it would be big enough for a bedspread (wrong!)
Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver, Baby!
Hook: H?

I have had this thing since, oh, I don't know, 2000. My mother commissioned it when my parents bought the cottage, and I have worked on it here and there ever since. It's been unfinished for so long that the thought of it was always too overwhelming to even give it a try, and it has been moved to THREE different residences and stowed in a closet. Wellllll... its most recent closet was the one in the nursery, and I suppose the spring cleaning/nesting instinct combination finally got to me, and I pulled it out. I crocheted until I ran out of the colors for the stripes, bound it off, and did a simple dc border. My mother was very pleased (and surprised!) to receive it. Don't ever commission an afghan from me, unless I'm pregnant!

It's absolutely HUGE! -probably about nine or ten feet long and six feet wide. It fits over the back of the sofa and is large enough to cover a grown human completely.

In other news, I've been working on this:

It's lopi, and so it sheds worse than the dogs and isn't as soft, but I'm bustin' stash and I think it'll fit despite the baby bump, which is less a bump and more a smuggled exercise ball (and I'm only 5 months!).

FO and pattern: Limari Hat

2008-02-07T11:58:00.000-05:00

Made this in class on 20 January 2008. It’s big and sqooshy, and not the style of hat I normally wear, but I impressed a ton of people when I started and finished a hat in class.

I wrote this to go with this totally cute scarf (Ravelry link), which I have made out of the same yarn.

Yarn: Arucania Limari, in some kind of peach colorway (it's on closeout at Webs right now for about $8/a skein!)

Needles: US size 13, or size to get gauge- I'm a really. loose. knitter. and the fabric isn't too tight (I don't like stiff hats), so you may need to experiment to get a gauge that suits you

Gauge: 1.5 stitches/inch, measured across a knit rib (I know, not too accurate, but hey)

Cable Rib pattern:
Round 1-3: *K2, P2* repeat ** around hat (9 repeats total)
Round 4: *K2, P2, CL (slip a stitch to the cable needle and hold to the front, K1, K stitch off cable needle), P2, CR (slip a stitch to the cable needle and hold to the back, K1, K stitch off cable needle), P2*; repeat ** twice more (3 total repeats)
Repeat rounds 1-4 for pattern.

Hat:
CO 36 stitches. Join to work in the round (don't twist it!). Knit in Cable Rib pattern for 7" or until the hat is almost deep enough (I made mine to cover my ears), ending in row 3 of pattern. To decrease for the top:
First row: *k2, 2tog, CL, p2, CR, p2* repeat around hat
Second row: *k2, p1, k2, p2, k2, p2* around hat
Third row: *k2, p1, k2, p2tog, k2, p2tog* around
Fourth row: *k2, p1* around
Fifth row: *k2tog, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1* around
Sixth row: *k1, p1, k2tog, p1, k2tog, p1* around
Seventh row: *k2tog* around
Eighth row: *k2tog* around, k1

Thread live yarn through the stitches and pull it shut. Weave in ends and enjoy. You probably don't need to block it.

P.S. taking pictures of yourself is tough!

Tiny Kicks

2008-02-01T20:34:00.001-05:00

Dan felt his first baby kicks last night while we were watching a mini Dexter marathon. I didn't realize that the baby had gotten strong enough to make its presence known externally, but I felt a jab in the arm that was across my torso (there is no good way to lay on the couch anymore), and Dan was able to experience a couple of little kicks before the baby settled down.

There is a living being growing inside me. I am growing a person.

It's pretty awesome when that realization hits.

FO: Dan's Fuzzyfeet

2008-01-30T14:46:00.000-05:00

Before
Pattern: Fuzzyfeet
Needles: Clover bamboo 16" circular, size 11 (and some aluminum circular thing for the toe)
Yarn: Patons Merino, a little bit in an oatmeal color, and most of a skein of deep olive

After
(the magazine is for size reference, although I also wanted to share the insanity of a granny square hooded poncho!)

These were fun, fast, and long overdue. They're my third pair, and I can totally see the improvement in my sock abilities over time. I almost felted them too much, but Dan was able to stretch them out a little bit while they were damp. He wants me to paint on puff paint treads in red (nice choice, I think). I have the pattern memorized now, so I will be casting on for my own pair at some point... I think.

The dogs have been extra cute lately, which almost makes up for the fact that they chewed up a string of Christmas lights and gave us quite a scare (we're not out of the woods just yet, but things have been progressing normally... down below. ahem). Someday, someday they won't be so recklessly chewy, right?

Baby Pictures

2008-01-28T10:27:00.001-05:00

In the top one, you can see a profile on the right side, facing up. The middle one is... something I forgot, and the bottom one is of Mutie diving in an effort to obfuscate its organs from the tech. Silly Mutie.

FO: Sweet and Simple Baby Hat #2

2008-01-23T15:16:00.000-05:00

What can I say? It's really cute. I started some booties with the leftovers from the hats, thinking there wasn't enough for a third, but if the first boot is any indication, this Microspun is like the jar of Vaseline in the medicine cabinet- no matter how much I use, I can't seem to make a dent!

So I started something else to take with me to class:

Even with cables, it's relatively mindless and knits really fast. The only thing that makes it less than ideal is the scraping sound the aluminum needles make when I'm knitting. Oh well.

We had a baby appointment today, and everything looks great. We'll have another ultrasound in four weeks because the technician didn't get the best angle of the blood vessels surrounding the heart (Mutie kept diving out of the way!), but everything else is right on track, which makes me wonder: what on Earth can I worry about now? It's too soon to start fretting about labor, and the baby's fine... sheesh. We got to take home a profile shot of the baby, and even in fuzzy black and white, it's still really, really cute. Then it was donuts and a nap- I am worn out!

FO: Sweet and Simple Baby Hat #1

2008-01-18T14:01:00.001-05:00

Pattern: Sweet and Simple Baby Hats
Yarn: leftover balls of Lion Microspun from Holly
Needles: size 3 circs

Wow, what a cute little hat. It was perfect for class knitting. So perfect, in fact, I'm making another one:

It's a lot like the Umbilical Cord hat from SnB, but with gauges calculated for different yarns (nice!). Dan thinks they look like rainbow acorns, and that's good enough for me. It seems a little big, but as my mom said, it'll fit the kid sometime.

Here's another preview of the craft room. This is where I keep my inspiration for amigurumi and ripple afghans:

FO: Bainbridge Scarf

2008-01-16T16:26:00.000-05:00

Silky Wool, $3 odd ball at Neighborhood Knits
size 3 needles (yipes)
Knitted 5" instead of 4" width (to cover my chin; next time I might just go with the pattern)

And here's a little preview of the new craft room:

Feeling Good

2008-01-16T11:53:00.000-05:00

Now that the morning/evening sickness is finished, and I am cruising through my seventeenth week, I am feeling good. Not just good, but great. I've got more energy, I sleep better at night, I feel I can focus on reading and work, and the urge to knit has returned (I just need to photograph some FOs!). I have this feeling of camaraderie and love for the people around me that almost feels... drug-induced, which isn't to say that I didn't love my husband before, but that I find myself thinking specifically about it and saying it out loud a lot lately. It's great. It feels like when we said our first I-love-yous, with butterflies in the stomach and the whole shebang. Best of all, those butterflies are genuine baby movements! Little Mutie has been flopping and kicking and practicing Tai-Chi and wiggling and who knows what else, and finally, finally I am tuned into it. I realized once I felt it that I had probably been feeling it earlier, but just so faintly that I thought it was just indigestion/mild cramps (sorry, little one!). I am a natural-born worrier, and so every moment that passed between the last midwife visit left me wondering if everything was okay. I mean, there was no proof that the baby was still kicking... but now there is. All the freakin' time. The baby wakes me up in the morning, and kicks me goodnight in the evening. And yesterday, a totally cute baby/dog moment happened- Vandal jumped up on the baby gate (I had corralled the pups temporarily in the living room) and kissed my belly. I just about melted, although I realize that I had probably just wiped a potato-chip hand on my shirt. I suppose I can dream of a harmonious family where dogs love babies and nobody gets jealous...

In the next 24 hours I will have a project photo and the reveal of the new craft room, for anyone who doesn't care about babies.

Craft cyclone

2008-01-13T19:33:00.000-05:00

I am in the midst of moving my craft room from one spot in the house to another, and there is stuff. EVERYWHERE. It's already looking great, and I'm really excited for how it will turn out. In the meantime, there are no FOs (one coming soon, I hope!), but there are some dogs who have been very, very patient during all the madness.

Camouflage!

The coldest, snottiest snout in all of dogdom

Four days and 600 square feet later...

2008-01-07T16:22:00.000-05:00

Well, the house is torn up, but the new floors are in the living room(s) and kitchen. I can't wait to post finished pictures, but, for the moment, furniture is everywhere, shoe molding litters the floor, everything's in boxes, dogs are sliding...

Buuuuut, once that's done, then I can start on Mutie's nursery. I ordered fabric for my First Quilting Project of Some Consequence, and UPS assures me that it will be here any. moment. now. Alas, I have no craft room, and no sewing machine set up, but when the package arrives, I will hug it and kiss it and name it George. The quilt is a retro space theme, with lots of polka dots and muted, Eames-era primary colors.

There's a bloglines button in the sidebar. I've recently discovered the joys of blog subscription, and I wanted to share!

What I got for Christmas

2007-12-28T20:47:00.000-05:00

...none of it was knitting. None of it. But that doesn't mean that I won't be getting something knitting-related for myself... sometime.

The breakdown:

Prime lens and bracket for my 10d (hurrah!)
kitchen goodies- pyrex refrigerator dishes, silicone spatulas, wooden spoons, a stainless frying pan, an 8-quart pot, and an old-fashioned popcorn popper
Deadwood, season 3, The Simpsons, season 5, and Carnivale, season 2 (and the lost episodes of Ren and Stimpy)
his and hers Nalgene bottles
a 4.0 (that one I snuck under the tree for myself- I'm not grade-driven, but I like to look good on paper)
a super-comfy robe (that doesn't have pockets that the puppies chewed to bits, might I add)
a fine blend of gift cards
my grandmother's Christmas tree- this was her favorite time of year, and the tree gave her so much delight that she put it up before Halloween (no joke). This is the tree my baby will see at its first Christmas, and the thought of it brings tears to my eyes- the bittersweet kind.

All in all, a pretty good haul. We spent a lot of time with family, and that is its own gift. Our trip to Chicago is canceled (or rather, postponed indefinitely), so Dan and I are going to enjoy each other's company as we rip out linoleum and berber instead. Happy holidays.

Next up: New Year's. A most dreaded holiday for the former party girl turned pregnant lady. Our solution: we're staying in. It's veggie sushi and a Lord of the Rings marathon. Not everyone's cup of tea, but we will enjoy it.

Woah

2007-12-20T14:18:00.000-05:00

I got 100% on my acoustics final. Seriously. Apparently I guessed right on everything. And there was a lot of guessing.

Go me. Let's just see if I can repeat that performance tonight on the Syntax final. Yeesh.

Back on knitting!

2007-12-12T14:24:00.001-05:00

Hurrah! And even a little crochet, too.

I had the itch really badly this weekend when I should have been working on a final project for school (damn you, acoustics), so I made myself one of these neat headband things that everyone on crafster called a panta. I used up the Kureyon I had left over from when I made the Hurry Up Spring Armwarmers. Like, two years ago (sheesh). Well, at least now I have a matching set, and an insatiable lust for Noro that can't be satisfied on the current (baby/school) budget. Yarn philanthropists: email me and I'll send you my address!

Then I started to crochet a Totoro for the baby, and when I looked around my disaster of a craft room, I realized that I had a lot of acrylic everywhere, and that I could make a lot of toys (really, what else is it good for?). After I finish this crochet project, I promised Dan I'd make a bunch of Katamari cousins for Little Mutie.

Then I started an elephant.

Dan's painting the front bedroom, eradicating the floor-to-ceiling royal blue in favor of a light, lemony yellow for the new and improved craft/guest room. Then it's on to the living room, and then the nursery (and then new flooring- yikes!). But I can't help him, and although I'm relieved for not having to labor with a brush, I feel bad for feeling so lazy, and I really want to be a part of improving our house. Oh, well. I'll sew some curtains or something. I am tired and nauseous, and although I am showing a little, I don't feel pregnant, and it frustrates me to not be able to do some things that I would be able to do normally.

There are tradeoffs, though. Last night, for example, I think I felt the baby move. It was a fluttering feeling, not like gas (of which there is a lot!) but... unique to my experience. Maybe it was Mutie, practicing its dance moves.

Baby's first picture

2007-12-03T11:42:00.000-05:00

Here's the Little Mutey (mutant). Dan and I have been calling the baby that the whole time, and since we've got proof that it's a little alien, we're sticking with it. We don't want to know the gender, and unlike some folks, I have no problem calling the baby "it" for now.

It was not the most comfortable procedure, but the technician was a pro, and we even got to see the baby wave its arms and legs. The still images don't really capture the experience. Dan even teared up a little when we saw Mutey's heart beating. With a little luck (and the power of positive thinking), we'll be having a summer solstice baby.

I emerged from NaNoWriMo victorious, although the same can't be said for everyone who started the month with me. I have one more gigantic paper to write and a couple of tests, and then the semester. is. FINISHED.

Still no knitting, sadly. But I've been less nauseous lately, so who knows? Maybe a baby bonnet is in my future.

Happy Thanksgiving; moving on...

2007-11-22T21:37:00.000-05:00

We're vegetarians. So Thanksgiving isn't our most favoritest holiday. So we get through it.

We drove 4 hours today (I say we, but it was Dan behind the wheel) and visited both of our families. We worked out the plans for Christmas, which is always a pain in the butt to get nailed down, and we made vegetarian stuffing. All in all, it was a success.

I will probably go out tomorrow to get a pecan pie, if there are any left in the stores. I didn't get any pecan pie this year.

So we got through it, and we're moving on.

It must be the hormones, but I have been singing Christmas carols for weeks, and the tree has been up since the beginning of November. I guess this year is going to be a good old-fashioned Griswold family Christmas (I've already watched that movie a couple times!).

Here's the yarn, secret pal. Sorry it took so long to get a picture of it! I am feeling a little better, but still not knitterly.

wee tiny knits

2007-11-12T11:47:00.000-05:00

Well, I haven't been knitting lately. Not even a little bit. I'm hoping to get back into the swing of it soon, but when I do, it probably won't be for me. I'm thinking things that are a little bit smaller. Like way smaller. Like baby-sized. Although I don't know why I should knit for a baby that's been giving me morning/evening/all day sickness that is so bad I can't knit because I can't focus on things that close to my face.

Oh, well. The baby's due in late spring, and that means that it won't need too many hand knits right off the bat. Even if I make it to the end of the pregnancy without having knit a stitch (heaven forbid!) at least I will have a couple of months before cool Michigan weather sets in.

Thanks, Secret Pal, for the yarn. As soon as there's a little more light outside, I'll take a few pictures. :)

Ugh.

2007-11-03T16:45:00.000-04:00

I am feeling a little out of it lately. The worst thing about it is that the thought of focusing on knitting, something so close to my face, is a little nauseating. I have put those projects on hold for a moment, and I have been working on something a little easier on the eyes (and tummy).

If you've never heard of NaNoWriMo*, there's still time to join (I didn't get going till the 5th last year and I still pulled it off). The race is on to produce 50,000 words toward a novel before the clock runs out on November 30th. It's a lot of fun, and stress, and this year I roped both my husband and my sister into it with me.

Happy noveling!

*The website is a little overloaded at the beginning of November, so if it doesn't load, it's not because I made this up.

Fall fall fall- hooray!

2007-10-26T19:56:00.000-04:00

It's here! It's here! Let me shout it from the rooftops!

Check the shoes- they have little foxes on them. Adorable! (and yes, my feet are this big- it's not a trick of the lens)

This yarn is even squishier than it looks on the screen. It's the tiniest bit splitty, but I'm generally not a yarn splitter anyway, so I haven't noticed. Bamboo and cotton are a match made in heaven.

Goodbye Jaywalkers, Hello, Monkeys

2007-10-21T22:02:00.001-04:00

Yep. I did it. I finished the seemingly endless Jaywalkers. I'll have a photo soon. I haven't felt like pulling out the camera. I haven't felt like doing much of anything except sleeping and eating lately. And sleeping. Miraculously, Vandal has been quite a friendly puppy lately, and has been snuggling up to me on the couch in the evening. I sometimes wake up because her insulatory (um, is that a word? poof-it is now) powers have set my feet on fire! She has also been accepting belly rubs, something I thought I'd never see from my little alpha.

It was almost 80 degreed today. What gives? Are we ever actually going to have sweater weather?

If I thought it was funny, this title would be a joke

2007-10-11T23:44:00.000-04:00

So my dear, dear husband parked his manual transmission car on a hill today. This car has no parking break, mind you, because it is very, very old (but compact and fuel efficient, you see).

He just called to say that when he saw that it was missing that he knew that it probably had rolled down a hill.

HE KNEW WHEN IT WAS GONE THAT IT HAD PROBABLY ROLLED DOWN A HILL
HE KNEW WHEN IT WAS GONE THAT IT HAD PROBABLY ROLLED DOWN A HILL
HE KNEW WHEN IT WAS GONE THAT IT HAD PROBABLY ROLLED DOWN A HILL

Why oh why would anyone park their car when they knew that it was probably going to flee the scene? Is it really worth being a minute early to work rather than five minutes late? Let's do the math on this:

How much is it going to cost to get it out of the tow yard and pay the minor traffic offense? THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS.

That's THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS that 1. we don't have and 2. I can't believe he's three bills worth of airheaded. We're broke college kids, people!

Let this be a lesson to all: please, learn from his mistakes. Don't let your car get away!

It just keeps coming

2007-10-06T14:10:00.000-04:00

The weather is still pretty warm this week, but it doesn't seem to have stopped fall from trucking along.

I am almost done with the Jaywalkers, which is good, because I am ready to get started on a new sock project. It's almost the kind of weather where I would wear socks, and so far I only have one finished pair!

And for my secret pal: here's the lovely circular case, with some honest-to-goodness Michigan apples. Love it!

Fall!

2007-09-27T16:21:00.000-04:00

The weather is starting to turn a little in Michigan. Acorns are falling out of trees onto the pavement like machine-gun fire, it rains in the evening, and the leaves are just beginning to turn. Tracy and I went to the Renaissance Festival last Sunday (another sign of fall), and I took a few pictures:

I've almost turned the second Jaywalker heel, and I'm making slow but steady progress on Petal. I have finally broached the knitting-in-class idea, and so far my profs don't seem to mind. I am still participating, I'm just doing something with my hands (that isn't doodling, playing with my hair, checking my email, or texting). In fact, my acoustics instructor walked past me as I was pulling out my bag and remarked, "Huh. Another knitting linguist." Who'd have thought?

Brian and Beth get married tomorrow, and I am taking my (big bad) camera along. I bought a new (and jeebus! expensive) flash and I can't wait to try it out- the man at the shop (Eric) assures me it's fully auto. That'll be good till I get the hang of it.

Hey, Secret Pal, here's a shot of the soap- the body wash ran out this morning so I am looking forward to giving a full review.

Heartbroken, and other emotions

2007-09-18T09:22:00.000-04:00

This weekend was bad. Grandma Mae passed away on Friday, while I was at work. I really wanted to go visit her recently, and I have been thinking about her a lot, but I let stupid things like work and doing dumb stuff on the computer prevent me from driving the whole mile and a half to see her. I suppose it's a wake up call- I only have so much life to do what I want and to spend with the people I care about, and I am not going to live anymore in the service of anyone but me and the ones I love. I am sad because she is gone, but she had a long life and was surrounded by her family. She was the last of her generation in our family, even though she wasn't the youngest. She was a stubborn woman (a stubbornness that granted her ten years of life after beating aggressive breast cancer), so if she thought it was time to go, I believe her. The family has planned a fitting tribute- we're going to rent a hall, eat till we burst, cram some dessert in on top of that, and sit around, looking at pictures and laughing about that time she made grilled cheese sandwiches with the plastic still on the cheese. (But seriously, she was a really good cook, by Midwestern standards. Her magic bars were better than your grandma's.)

So that was tough, and I was already feeling pretty low on Saturday when my sister called to tell me that the dog died. The family dog, my childhood pet, called it quits after sixteen years. She was a good dog, and old. When I look at my puppies (or, rather, when I am being pinned to the ground and kissed by my puppies), I am reminded of the boundless energy she had as a pup. When we adopted her, the previous owners had said that she needed more room to run than they had for her. She was never a particularly athletic dog, but she loved to bound up and down the fence until she was pooped, and then she liked to sleep under the ping pong table in the garage. She never lost her puppy fur, and even as a big old smelly dog, she was still bunny soft, and she loved to be patted on the head. At the end, even my father, who used to joke about giving Angel her "monthly pet" would sit with her and stroke her fur. She was gentle, friendly, and patient. I loved my fuzzhead. I am glad that she lived a long life, but I'm sad to see her go- it's like watching the end of my childhood pass me by.

Secret Pal: I owe you some glamour shots of the soap you sent (I think my husband is going to steal it- he is a soap connoisseur). I've got some progress to show on the Jaywalkers and Petal, but it will wait till I feel like knitting again. Right now I just want to sit around and watch baseball with my family (yes, you heard me- I have watched a number of collegiate and professional sporting events on television. Alert the authorities- I've gone mad!).

Plugging along

2007-09-08T14:02:00.000-04:00

The first week of school is ovah! I met some of the other grad students. They seem pretty nice, although they tried to scare me a little about the syntax class I'm taking. It's not going to be hard. I have had syntax before. Minimalist syntax. With a guy who wrote his dissertation on noun phrases.

I'll be okay.

I've been taking the bus when I can to and from work. Dan really wants to fix the Impala's break lights on his own, so I'm letting him fiddle. The Detroit bus system is kinda crappy, but the route I take comes reasonably close to my house and to work. I hate the stigma that the bus is only for the poor and those who have lost their licenses to irresponsibility, but I guess I have to ask myself: will I continue to ride the bus when I have my car back? On one hand, it's damn convenient to drive. But on the other, gas is expensive, and standing at sketchy bus stops at quarter till midnight makes me feel like a badass.

Nevertheless, commute=commuter knitting!

I'm a little sad that the green only appeared near the heel and toe. I think that means there'll be a lot more in the second sock, which will make them similar but not matchy.

This is too much to lug on the bus now. You can see Stefanie's trademark raglan increases, which I really like. I'm almost to the part where I join the body, and let me say, I am not loving the purl rows right now. I think I will ultimately make the sleeves longer than called for in the pattern because I am using a wool blend, but we'll see. Dan and I have been watching the second season of Twin Peaks, and this makes for great mindless knitting.

Blogging from school

2007-09-06T15:39:00.000-04:00

Surrounded by kids who think the world is their playground and that their behavior is so adult... and for the most part it is. I don't believe for a second that the lack of restraint is something that fades from most people as they age from just-old-enough-to-drive to office-lackey to middle-management; rather, you have it or you don't, and even if you have it, it's an effort every day to use it. I will say, however, that I prefer the bravado and the boisterous performance of the student union to the weird, silent in-grouping in my speech acoustics class.

But hey: free wifi. We've come a long way since undergrad. I, for one, can't wait to be high enough on the food chain to get an office.

Chicago Anniversary

2007-09-05T12:00:00.000-04:00

Dan and I love going to Chicago. It's not so far away, and even after all the trips we've made, there's still a lot of fun touristy stuff we can do. We loved this trip so much we would hope that anyone going to the city would at least check out some of the things we did. You won't be disappointed!

This trip we took the bus, which, despite small setbacks, was a wise choice (and cheap!). I love love loved not having to drive or park in the city. I am a major proponent of mass transit, and I hope that someday Detroit will have something worth riding (but I'm not holding my breath).

We saw the CIA and the Museum of Contemporary Art (free on Tuesday) this time around. I preferred the art institute- the works there are a little more tried-and-true, by my tastes. I really liked the Jeff Wall exhibit, but unfortunately there were no photos allowed. His is the kind of art I would pay to have a real live piece of it in my home. Insightful and disturbing.

We ate at some really tasty restaurants that even our Chicagoan friends hadn't tried. For our anniversary, we got (veggie) fondue at Geja's Cafe- they have half off bottles of wine on Monday. Dan loved the ambiance. Some folks might find the candlelight and cave-like walls cheesy, but we had a blast. Service was lovely (and that means something, coming from a fine-dining server!). We also ate at Cafe Iberico, which had some mighty fine tapas (I didn't dig the paella- but we got the veggie version) and pitchers of sangria. I recommend taking friends here, and be prepared to wait- we stood outside for 30 minutes on a Tuesday. The real gem of our dining experience was Irazu. It was a hole-in-the-wall place in a neighborhood a tourist would probably never go, but I encourage everyone to hop on the blue line and get there! The potato tacos sounded absurd, but I ordered them (and laughed when they came with rice AND plantains- starchy!). They were delicious, delicately spiced morsels, and they were accompanied by a knockout mole and a cabbage and cilantro slaw. Order a plate of potato tacos to share (they're a lot on your own), and on the way out the door, grab an oatmeal shake to go. It's like a liquid cookie and it was the perfect thing to sip as we walked around. And hey- it's got fiber to boot.

And, as in all knitting blogs, here's the obligatory action shot, courtesy of my husband, from the lounge on the 96th floor of the Hancock Building at sunset:

All the yarn I buy in Chicago I get from Loopy Yarns. This time they were way understocked, but I still managed to drop a little cash. They send out birthday coupons for folks on their mailing lists, and they let my use mine two months late. Thanks!

Happy anniversary, babycakes.

Back from Chicago!

2007-08-30T22:45:00.000-04:00

And we had a great time. I'll upload photos eventually- they're almost finished. What I do have to show, however, is the cute gift my Secret Pal sent me while I was gone:

Gorgeous! Thanks a lot, pal!

More on this later:

Well, now there's too many

2007-08-21T12:16:00.000-04:00

I have cast on too many projects. It happened so fast! I found a ball of red Wool-ease and realized I promised my sister I would make her a devil hat. So I knit the hat, but I need to put on the horns. My friend saw me knitting the hat, and somehow I agreed to knit some children's hats for the women's shelter in Ann Arbor. Then I agreed to test knit Stefanie Japel's new pattern. And my poor Jaywalkers might as well be in that bin with all the sweaters that need their ends woven in.

It's bad. Damn you, Ravelry. I blame Ravelry. Yeah... Ravelry.

Behind the times

2007-08-18T14:46:00.000-04:00

No, the blog is up to date, but my taste in projects is way, way behind.

Observe:

I'm taking today for me, so I might just have a finished sock by the end of the weekend!

Finally Raveling

2007-08-17T21:39:00.000-04:00

Here. Stop by if you want to- I really want to know who reads the blog!

Holy cow- I won something!

2007-08-16T11:29:00.000-04:00

Yeah, so I am the winner of Craft's little birthday contest. How cool is that? I get a t-shirt and an issue of the magazine. Neat!

The play is finally, finally done. Put to bed. The postmortem was last night, and I filled up on pizza and candy and Lenny's lemon punch. We didn't stay late or go out because the girls were spayed yesterday and we wanted to keep an eye on them (read: we wanted to watch them wobble around high as kites). They each have little tattoos now. It's official- I'm less hip than my dogs.

I'm really glad that I threw my record shots in an album, because the photographer never showed with the "official" photos. After a lot of post-processing, these are a few of the pics:

Socks are forth-coming, as is Ravelry and new yarn.

Here we go again!

2007-08-08T12:22:00.000-04:00

Hello, Secret Pal! Here's the questionnaire. You might want to flip through the old one, too, if you want to see what I wrote last round (I swear I haven't changed that much). If I may just whisper in your ear a single word to describe my current knitting obsession: socks. That is all.

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

Right now, superwash wool sock yarn. I am in love! For regular-style knitting, I also like Noro, for the color, and Mission Falls wool, for the hand. Paton's wool for felting. I am open to trying a lot of things, but I shy away from mohair (allergy).

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I have a couple of needle rolls, and a vase for my straight needles. My circulars are on a hook, and they fall down. A lot.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

It's been a while, a few years? I'm a middle-of-the-road knitter. I fear colorwork, but I can do lace no problem.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

Amazon and etsy are in the sidebar.

5. What's your favorite scent?

Right now I'm on an essential oil kick. I desperately want soap/lotion that's all natural with EO scents. I really like the combination of grapefruit and mint, as well as ginger.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

CHOCOLATE. I love it. All kinds. I especially like Vosges chocolate with hot pepper in it.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I like crochet, photography, candle making. I would like to learn to spin, but I have no equipment and have no idea what I'm doing. :)

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

At the moment: Gogol Bordello, Magnetic Fields, Scissor Sisters, ohmygod. I love mp3s, and I love discovering new music. Bring it on!

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

Green, orange, brown. I don't like pink and blue together, and thus avoid all sock yarn and Noro like that (unless it's RED, blue (aqua), and pink, and then it's my kitchen!).

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I have a husband.

And some monsters.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

No ponchos. It's like drawing a knitted arrow to my (ample) ass.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

SOCKS. I never thought I'd say it, but there you go. I also love top down raglans- no seaming. Yay!

13. What are you knitting right now?

um, SOCKS. :)

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Yes please.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

I prefer cheap ol' aluminum and plastic. Seriously. A big box of grandma's hand-me-downs gives me shivers. I knit mostly with circulars and dpns. I think I could learn to love bamboo, though.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

Sadly, no.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

Ugh. Too old. And it predates my knitting career.

18. What is your favorite holiday?

Halloween- costumes + candy = bliss. Also, Christmas for the family whirlwind. I don't generally like my birthday because I don't like being the center of attention, and I don't like Thanksgiving because I'm vegetarian.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

White milkglass vases. Someday I'll photograph what I have. It's nothing special- mostly from the Sally Ann, but I like it.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

Fitted knits. Knitting Nature. Vintage Socks. Socks That Rock. Hell, any sock yarn, especially handpainted stuff. I have no subscriptions.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

Colorwork.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

I'm a size 9-9.5. My foot is 9" around at the ball and 9" long. Surprisingly, my feet got smaller when I lost weight. Weird.

23. When is your birthday?

June 10

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?

I wish. Soon, my pretties. I've already begun the stash organization.

Finished: First Socks

2007-08-02T13:46:00.000-04:00

Well, well, well. I told myself that tech week would see the end of these socks, and the recent dearth of reports to edit has left me with enough free time to actually finish them up. Of course, the compulsion to wear them immediately after the ends were woven in didn't last long- it's 95 freaking degrees outside.

No drinking and no smoking makes Veronica knit socks, I guess.

There's even enough left over for a matching pair of wee tiny socks... should we have a use for them around here.

Fleece Artist Nova sock, using the pattern on the ball band
8 stitches=1 inch on Boye size 0 needles (I love love love aluminum needles)

It does not stop because I'm tired.

2007-08-01T12:34:00.000-04:00

Oh, August. It's the busiest time of year for me. And here I am, in the middle of tech week for Bye Bye Birdie. It's been going deceptively well- I didn't cry myself to sleep last night, which is a first for a Tuesday of tech. Actually, I have been sleeping in quite a bit lately, and Dan has been kind enough not to disturb me, even if I fall asleep in the middle of conversations or stay asleep till noon and he has to deal with the morning dog mayhem alone. (Un)fortunately, the training for Fusia is only in the evenings this week, so Mike and I are missing it. Oh, well. It's not like we've never waited tables before. It takes a little pressure off, though, knowing I don't have to deal with that this week, and if I were a betting girl, I'd say the official opening is going to get pushed back again, probably for the menu. But I don't know.

I weighed myself this morning: I hit the original goal weight I set for myself. That's 25 pounds in exactly 4 months. I am quite proud of myself, and as soon as the play is over, I am going to get started on weight training and cardio. The treadmill is calling (blecch!). Walking the dogs will also provide some of the exercise I desperately need- I'm a little... doughy.

The socks are almost finished. I have about an inch of foot and then the toe to do. I'll have something to show by the end of the week. It's official- I am a Sock Knitter.

I have SOCK.

2007-07-25T16:10:00.001-04:00

Just one. But it's great, and the second one is moving right along.

Also, I have COLD. Blecch.

Note to Self: Performance Art

2007-07-21T15:51:00.000-04:00

Some guerrilla theater ideas we came up with (this is mostly for me, so I won't forget):

Maury Povich: "Oh Jesus, show me that there is a causal relationship between my actions and their consequences!"
guerrilla theater for parties: blood packs, collapsible knives, and calling cards

Busy Busy

2007-07-18T10:05:00.001-04:00

This whole work-two-jobs-while-you-start-a-third thing is a little stressful. Each of my days are divided into AM and PM, and each of those shifts is filled with one of the jobs. And it's just going to get more crazy from here on out! Tech week is in two weeks, and if I feel stressed now...

But from the craziness (and despite the humidity) I bring you THIS:

I've cast on three times, but I think the size 0 needles are doing the job. I'm using the pattern on the ball band, despite the vague small-medium-large sizes. I haven't touched it in a few days, but the stress release when I do is awesome. Sadly, it's so good that I usually fall asleep after a couple of rounds.

Yay first sock!

Gypsy law

2007-07-08T17:39:00.000-04:00

I'm back from vacation, and feeling quite refreshed. We blew off quite a bit of steam, and I feel like I can get back into real life for a little while. Some images I like:

Happy birthday to you! (don't worry, we bought him a new tent- it is, after all, gypsy law)

Their first swim wasn't a disaster, but it is going to take a little more work. I'm still getting the hang of the new camera, but I've still gotten a few good shots.

I'm almost done with the red spiral top, but there is some finishing stuff I'll do when I feel like (which probably means never- that's my curse). In the meantime, I'm starting a sock!

PS If you wanted to know where the box bag tutorial came from, it's here.

Almost free

2007-06-27T11:41:00.001-04:00

Dan and I leave for our little camping trip on Friday (and we're actually going for three days without the dogs!). Even though the quarter is over for my editing job, things have been frantic around here! Since the last post, I have:

decided on a school
registered for classes
left a job
started a new job
learned how to use a sewing machine
and much, much more!

I'll be gone till the fifth, and when I come back I hope to have vacation knitting projects to show. The forecast insinuates that it'll be cool enough to knit with wool, but we'll see about that.

Dear Secret Pal,

2007-06-17T13:23:00.000-04:00

Thanks for the lovely birthday gift.

Did you make the cases yourself? They're fabulous (and I'm not just saying that because I have a fear of sewing machines)!

I am totally ready for portable summer knitting now.

I haven't decided how to use the yarn you gave me during the swap, but when I do, expect lots of pictures (I have recently upgraded cameras to the Canon 10d, which will be coming in the mail any day now).

Thanks a lot!
Veronica

Life is good.

2007-06-12T22:40:00.000-04:00

The weather has been glorious lately. On my birthday I got to spend some time in the yard with my girls:

And I've even got some knitting to show (and some marigolds, too- the hanging baskets are only five bucks at Meijer right now!):

Have a good day!

Congratulations are in order

2007-06-10T09:44:00.000-04:00

belatedly, to my friends Joe and Michele, on their marriage:

and to me, for attaining the ripe old age of 26.

Have a good day.

All of these photos were manipulated to make them look a little more like lomography (frankly, I'd rather take spontaneous photos with a decent camera and let the serendipity happen in post-processing, but that's a debate I'd rather not have...)

I'm just too loose.

2007-06-05T13:56:00.000-04:00

I have tried three different times to knit a sock this week, and I have come to the conclusion that I am the World's Loosest Knitter. I think that I'm going to have to go down to US00 to get gauge for the yarn I've got (Fleece Artist and Lana Grossa both!). I was hoping I could stay in the positive integer range for needles, but probably not. Now what do I do with this size 1 Addi Turbo?

I finished the shawl, blocked it, wore it, stretched it out, and haven't reblocked it, so I have no photographs yet. I'm also working on a freeform kind of project with some recycled red cotton tape yarn. We'll see if it fits.

They've got these cartoonishly big balls of Sugar 'n' Cream cotton at Michael's in my kitchen colors- robin's egg blue and a pink/red variegated. I should pick some up as a birthday gift to myself.

But then again, everything I buy this month I consider a gift to myself. Case in point: the Bath and Body Works semi-annual sale. :)

Could it be?

2007-05-29T16:42:00.001-04:00

Could I have been TAGGED?

It's true. For the first time in this blog's history, I have been included in a wacky internet meme. Thanks, knitting blogring neighbor!

The rules of the game are that I must reveal 7 random facts about myself. I then need to tag 7 others & list their names on my blog. I also have to leave those I tagged a note in their blog comments letting them know they have been tagged & to direct them to read my blog for the rules of the game.

I have been a vegetarian since high school. I am not a preachy vegetarian- I don't care what you eat as long as you don't care what I eat. If, however, you try to convince/coerce me to eat meat or deride me for my decision, then I will preach at you at every opportunity. But I do not mind a meaty joke now and then. :)
I have played all of the Pokemon games for the Gameboy. As an adult. And I did collect them all, thank you very much. It should be noted, though, that all of this predates my relationship with my husband (which puts it in early adulthood, but still).
I voted for Nader in the 2000 election. I was so naive. :) I don't regret it- Gore still carried my state with a wider margin than the votes cast for Nader.
I am returning to school in August for graduate work in linguistics, but it is my secret dream to be a wedding photographer.
I graduated at the top of my high school class. And I graduated from University of Michigan with highest distinction. And I got perfect scores on the SAT, ACT, and GRE verbal tests. School is the one thing I have always been really good at.
I have never, ever been able to do even a single pull up. Phys ed is something I have always sucked at. (#5 + #6 + love of Star Trek = dork)
I bought a letterpress last month, but damned if I have a clue how it works.

I elect to tag the following peeps:

Mike
Holly
Tracy
Erin- my knitting blogring neighbor on the other side (hi!)

And that's all you get.

Color + Light

2007-05-21T13:02:00.000-04:00

The rides have been pulled down and the carnies have fled. But this is what St. Sebastian's parking lot looked like on Saturday night:

More are available here. Tracy and I walked around and took pictures. We splurged on an elephant ear that has effectively fucked up my digestion in a way I haven't experienced in a while. But at least the pictures turned out- my little point and shoot is doing the trick for now, but dreams of a real camera have been shelved for the moment. Vandal had a digestion problem that effectively fucked up the money I had potentially saved toward my new toy. But at least I know that $120 means that blood coming out of a puppy is not always the end of the world (but man, did it feel like it at the time!).

To cheer myself up, I poked around at yarn on the Internets. And I found this:

This is the most gorgeous yarn I have ever seen. It makes STR and Lorna's look a little, well, bland to me. This is what I think of when I think of vibrant. This is the beginning of an addiction.

This is what I want for my birthday.

Good boy, Carson

2007-05-20T14:30:00.000-04:00

Carson passed away yesterday, on my aunt's birthday. She had to put him down because his health had deteriorated and he was suffering.

He was a good boy. Early in his life, he would bark incessantly at men (I remember a weekend my parents were dogsitting, and my dad just decided not to be around the house after listening for a couple of hours), but as he aged, whatever abuse of fear from his past faded, and he became affectionate and docile. My grandmother called him Barrymore because of his dignified profile which he showed to everyone (especially if you were petting him).

He was a loyal companion and a gentle pet. When it comes to dogs, that's all that really matters.

I get up early, and I go to bed late.

2007-05-15T21:18:00.000-04:00

Such is the life of a woman with not one but TWO puppies.

The neighbors are playing Nelly. We HATE Nelly.

But I have had a little progress on the shawl. I don't know if it's going to get done, but there are almost two repeats done, and I'm starting to get the hang of it. I think it's going to get the bejeezus blocked out of it in order to get whatever I get done before the wedding into a shape I can wear.

There has been quite a bit of mail lately, and some of it was Secret Pal related. Thanks, pal!

This stuff smells so good, and I love the tin! I can't wait to have dry skin.

The journal is awesome and totally beats the wadded up yarn list I have tucked in my purse.

Love the yarn, love the color. I never thought pink would be my color this year!

Just a couple of pictures before I go to bed

2007-05-09T00:31:00.000-04:00

I am going to sleep with my knitting tonight. Maybe I'll get some done. :)

In the meantime:

Introducing

2007-05-03T14:58:00.000-04:00

Viking and Vandal!

After an 8-hour car ride, Dan and I finally have not one, but two little bundles of fur to call our own. It's already been exhausting, but we're adjusting quickly to the lifestyle of twin toddlers. We love them heart and soul already, and we're so excited for our life with them to really get started. They're settling in and checking things out- which means peeing on the carpet and eating every little particle the vacuum left behind!

Here's some more cuteness:

Complete cute overload available here.