How much lumber can you fit inside a Ford Focus?

It turns out, a lot.

I try to do a big project every time Lawyerboy goes out of town on business. While I do miss him, a week here and there isn't that big a deal and it does free up some extra time for crafting. Monkey is thrilled if we have pancakes for dinner-we even had green eggs and ham turkey bacon earlier this week.

This weeks project was constructing a bed for Monkey; he has been sleeping on a mattress on his bedroom floor for...maybe a year now (we are so ghetto). I took apart his crib/toddler bed conversion last spring because he kept falling out of bed. For his birthday I gave myself a present and bought him a twin mattress, because it was terribly uncomfortable to snuggle on the tiny crib mattress. So this week I finally got together the courage to build him a bed, greatly inspired by this guy. Monkey helped drill holes. I got to use every single power tool I own. The whole thing was designed to house the blue bins under the bed for storage. It is sturdy, (hopefully) should move easy, and made me feel really tough to go buy all the lumber.

Jammies

The shorts Monkey used to wear to bed suddenly look ridiculously tiny, so I dug through the stash and found an extra tshirt from a batch I silkscreened last summer. It ended up being a test print, with one fully inked design and several ghosts that didn't wash out completely. Out came the scissors and a tape measure, plus a little time on the serger and I've got an awesome pair of long shorts for my little guy. I wrapped the logo around one leg and was able to cut the other leg to preserve the pocket from the front of the shirt.

It looks like he is training for a MMA match. A mom can hope :)

E is for...

Happy Earth Day!

So I got sunburned for the first time in years today while working in my garden (the Monkey finally was well enough to go back to school today) and I got kind of pissed off. What the crap, Earth? Sunburn me while I'm working in my organic garden? Couldn't you maybe get someone who hasn't been carrying the same string shopping bags that I bought in France for 5 years?

Then I remembered it was Earth day, not Sun day.

Knit a sweater in Nocembruary/D is for...

Lawyerboy has been out of town for a while now with the Air Force, so picture taking of my best finished object has been rather slow in coming. I had my doubts that the Monkey would take a decent picture, so I pulled out the tripod and did it myself.
Twist is finally finished! So much for knitting a sweater in November. I did finish back in February though.

The pattern is fantastic and translates well to knitting in the round. My only complaint is the hood-it is square and the back pokes out in a manner reminiscent of an elf. Ever lazy, I tucked the point in and sewed it closed.
I am delighted with how versatile the wool is, comfortable at a large range of temperatures. But the Pattons Classic Wool pills like a mofo. I'll now get to see how well those Sweater Stones work.

Today is also brought to you by the letter D, weeks behind. D is for Dog, our sweet little pound puppy Molly. She is nearly a year old and has has the sweetest face ever. I visited her 4 times before the shelter would let me take her home, suspicious because I have never owned a dog before.

It has been intriguing (and a little sad when I think about it too much) to watch her personality emerge. When I met her she was very calm and still. I thought she must be mixed with something that didn't have the perky beagle-tail, as hers just hung behind her. Now she is joyful, energetic and affectionate, with her tail standing up when she runs. Now she is only sedate when she is really tired-apparently she was constantly exhausted in the shelter. She would submit immediately to all dogs at first; she was obviously the lowest dog of the group in her kennel. Now she walks proudly and is social with other dogs, sniffing them instead of dropping to the ground. It is sad to think how hard her life was before she came home with us, but it makes me very happy to see her comfortable and loved in our pack.

Lattice

After three weekends (plus all the time in between them) of having out of town guests, the house is finally mine. I spent most of yesterday staring into space and listening to nothing. I love my family but but as a happy hermit it is difficult to have people around me. Some of us are a little more, shall we say, intense than myself too, and that gets old. Not everything needs a plan, you know. Some of us like life like good jazz-by ear.

Today I pulled myself out of my stupor and got something done. Hard to see is the Jasmine growing up the fence. Harder to see is my neighbors living room, which it used to feel like we were staring into.

Worth doing even if I had to look a little silly doing it.

Two shirts

One cute, one utter failure. We'll start with the crappy one, so I can end on a good note.
Blahhhhhhgggg. Blue shirt, you had all the elements you needed to be cute. Except for a good pattern. With 10 separate pieces, I expected something fitted and cute; springy and a little tailored, casual enough for playgroup yet nice enough for...something nice. Yet despite a medium high neck you gap and flash to a degree that I should wear a nicer bra. The sleeves look exactly the same with my arms down as they do here with my arms up. The waist is up too high for anyone except my MIL. Pattern type/number unknown, because I threw it into the recycling yesterday when I was really pissed.

You even have saucy chartreuse lining! Damn you for not being awesome!

















The other is a brown raglan tshirt, made of mysterious swimsuit like stretch fabric from Malwart. New Look #6762. Awesome! I whipped this out in an hour or so on the serger and it is fantastic. The neckband droops the tiniest bit in front, probably because I left too much seam allowance. But you would never notice it as a problem; it looks decorative.


















This is probably my first really wearable shirt sewn. Hurray! I can see myself making this pattern again, maybe lots of times.

C

Wow, it seems I'm a little behind. Much of that will be explained in my D post. But for now, the C post that I started over a month ago (back when it would have been on time).

C is for Case, my oft mentioned Monkey (the first person to correctly identify the literary reference from whence his name came wins a prize!) Eater of cookies and blower of bubbles! Knower of all the songs on Jimi Hendrix's "Are You Experienced" and the first person to show me how really awesome a McDonalds Playland can be.

It is funny how someone who can drive you so crazy can also make you so happy. His special needs preschool has been so good for him, but I'm glad he has another year before Kindergarten. He needs the time. So do I. Even with all his delays and challenges, he shocks me with his depth of understanding of some things.

Brrrrr

It was cold (for Florida, I can hear you Utah grrls laughing)last week and the Monkey's sleeves have all seemed to have shrunk. Weird how that happens; I must have done the same for his pants...

So I gave the Serger a big kiss, pulled fabric out of my stash, and whipped this jacket up in the evening so he could wear it to school the next day. The sleeves are lined in purple, since there was not quite enough cream fleece for the whole thing (both were left over from the Buzz Lightyear outfit). The green denim is left over from a pair of shorts I have optimistically cut out.

B

B is for blankie, so comfy and blue. Made for my little monkey while eagerly awaiting his arrival. He adores this blanket. Without a doubt, this is the most wonderful, soothing, important thing I have ever created with string.

The dirty little secret is that it is crocheted. Not knit.

Not that I have anything against crochet. I just don't really know how to do it, so it seems funny to me that such an important thing I've made would be crochet. My sister learned from a friend to do a double crochet stitch, and showed it to me. I'm pretty sure i did it incorrectly, but it worked out fine so I guess correct is subjective.

Monkey loves this blanket above all else. Except maybe his Catcat, or Buzz lightyear. They are pretty much tied for first.

It is made of Cotton Ease in Popsical and Blueberry. Soft and durable.

His preferred method of enjoyment is having the blankie up against his neck and cheeks. This frequently means wrapping it around his neck like a scarf, or shawl. I find this especially adorable.

All that stuff I finished in December

Voila, a picture heavy post laying out all that stuff I finished during my Christmas induced radio silence. (Let it be noted that none of this was Christmas stuff for anyone. This past Christmas I made a goal of not crafting ANYTHING for people for the holidays. I did quite well.)
Friendship quilt. Myself and nine other friends each exchanged squares of Christmas fabric, then made a stack and whack quilt. I threw in a couple more squares out of my stash to make an even twelve. It is easy to pick out my fabrics up close, as they are the funky ones.

Cute jammies for the Monkey. Sewing for him doesn't count as gifts; I love to make as many of his clothes as possible. Also, it was a chance for me to play with my serger.

Special commission of huge goose egg pysanky. The turned out wonderful, and will pay for a lot of yarn. Maybe even a wheel.

Baby hat and fleecy pants. They were such a hit with my bro's kid I made a pair for a friend.

Table runner, to tie together our dinning area with the living room. I have one wall in my living room painted that exact turquoise color.

Another hat I designed for a friend's upcoming baby. Matching bib photographed in the car, because I bought the button on the way to her shower and sewed it on in the driveway. Yup, that is how much raspberry colored Sugar and Creme I had left over.

The hat, which I have named "Raspberry Beret" does things to me. Hormonal things. Baby lust things. Thank goodness it is out of the house.

The A says Aaaaaaaa

Like everyone else, I have joined the ABC Along this year. Hopefully this will give me a good prompt and a deadline, which always helps me get things done. My A is a little different than most peoples. In our little family, A definitely stands for

Air Force

I recognize that the military way of life is not for everyone. But for us, at this point in our lives, it is perfect. Lawyerboy finds Military Justice a very rewarding field. I love living on base-our neighborhood is wonderful. I know all my neighbors, which is amazing because in my Salt Lake apartment where I lived for 7 years I didn't know a single person on my floor beyond vague recognition in the elevator. We actually have neighborhood barbecues here. I have health care for the first time in years, and every time I pay the modest copay for Monkey's $200 bottle of meds I want to salute the flag. There are book clubs, play groups and craft classes available to us. When you enlist they say you are joining the Air Force Family, and they are right.

I also love some of the funny, military only signs we see here. We are not actually dodging bullets all day, but on the edge of the route we jog they are serious about going no further.

I am presented a lot of unique opportunities living here.

Still breathing

I'm still around, but won't be getting to a real post until I've caught up with myself. Visitors have gone home, and while it was lovely to have everyone around, I feel kind of shell shocked by the whole thing. Also, I have started 3 posts that were never finished in the intervening time. Maybe I'll finish those up after all my laundry.
I am getting closer on my Knit a Sweater in November Nocember Nocemuary Twist.

Goofy picture taken by Lovely Little Sister, who still hasn't sent me a picture of her in her stinking wedding veil so I haven't been able to show off my awesome wedding skillz yet. The weird bump is not a mutant third boob but the skein of yarn tucked under my left arm. Sorry, internet searchers of strange porn.

Buzz Lightyear!

No, my sweater still isn't done. I've had to rip the same spot at least five times due to my inability to read and follow all the directions at once and cable competently. Plus I just received a big pysanka order, one that should pay for much yarn once I'm done, and that takes precident over everything.
But I have good news too!
Several days ago, Monkey broke Buzz Lightyear's leg off in a fairly permanent way. Frantic internetting followed, as this 6 inch action figure has been Monkey's favorite comfort item for months. It turns out that the beloved Buzz is a Disneyworld/land only toy, not to be found anywhere in the world except a little stand in Tomorowland. Thank goodness for Ebay. The replacement arrived while we were at the store this morning, and after prying sad Buzz from the boy, momma spent a minute "fixing him" and now he is running around the living room with such utter delight as the opening sequence from Toy Story 2 plays.
It is really awesome to be able to make someone so happy with so little.

Uh oh.

My sweater, which was zipping along until about

20 minutes ago, may be in trouble. Look what just arrived on my doorstep.

SweaterWatch

The sweater is coming along well, I am just about to start splitting it up around the arms now. Yesterday I decided I didn't like how the increases which are there to create the illusion of a girlish figure were working out. The thought of frogging down several inches made me sick (and besides, it became Fall here this week. I need this sweater!) So instead I selectively ripped the offending section. It worked out quite well; now my increases are all measured and even instead of the previous half-assed "whenever I remember them" method.
On a much scarier note, Monkey came home from school yesterday with the skip in his step that children naturally develop when they are starting a break from school. NINE DAYS. His elementary school gives its kids an entire week off for Thanksgiving. He really hasn't been in school for very long, not quite two months? But I really have come to depend on those couple of hours every morning where I don't have to worry about someone finger painting the entire living room with lipstick in the time it takes me to use the bathroom. Do all kids get a week off for Thanksgiving now, or is it just us? My number 1 "I'm thankful for..." was school before they decided to pull a fast one on me.

Sweaterwatch 2007

I keep knitting but don't seem to be getting anywhere. Every night Lawyerboy is kind enough to tell me that it does indeed look like a sweater. But tomorrow is the 15th and I am only 1.5 skeins in, when I should be 2.5-3 to be on schedule.

I'm definitely behind and should probably quit my day job and start knitting full time if I want to finish this in November. The cables do look good though.

NaKniSweMo check in

Things are crazy busy and I only have a minute, but the sweater is coming along swimmingly. Five inches knit! I have no idea if this puts me on schedule or not. I've been futzing with the pattern to knit it in one piece with fake side seams, a la Saint Zimmerman. Color is this picture sucks because it gets dark here at 4:30 now.

NaKniSweMo

Like everyone else in the Second Annual NaKniSweMo I started today on the sweater I chose to zip through, with the thought that maybe by the time I finish it will be cool enough to wear (it was in the 80s here today). You would die to know how much debate I put into the choice of pattern and yarn for this sweater. I mused on the pros and cons of Rogue vs Twist for days (eventually Twist won.) Then I researched every single yarn on Ravelry, trying to pick what would be perfect in every way. It is not a house I'm buying. It is not a car or a career or any other item of great significance or cost. It is a freaking sweater. In the end I pulled my head out of my butt and picked Royal Purple Patons Classic Wool.
So here we go, my first adult sweater. I cast on tonight.

Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue!

Happy Halloween everyone!

First time trick or treating! He really is happy, but has a hard time smiling for the camera-usually he gives this uncomfortable grimace while declaring "cheese" with enthusiasm. Hopefully it will cool down a little, I made his costume out of fleece and it is pretty warm and snuggly.

ETA: We ended up visiting 5 whole houses. Then he laid down in our neighbor's driveway, so it was time to go home. And it never cooled down at all, the AC is on now.

More baby stuff

Last night I knit a tiny hat to go with the cammo pants to send to my brother's baby. It is all packaged and ready to go now; I'll drop it off at the post office tonight so it can sprint for Idaho and hopefully will arrive the same time the kid does.

I have no idea if it will fit; it has been a while since I've played with a newborn.

I looked at a hat I knit for the monkey while I was pregnant and subtracted a little, because it was a little big when he was born.

My stats, so I can adjust accordingly when the kid arrives:

Yarn: the delightful Sugar and Cream, in sage green

15 1/2 in 4 inches, knit on hand made oak size 8 needles that are not nearly tapered enough.

CO 56 sts. K in round for 3 1/2", then close up the top with 4 sets of k2tog, ssk decreases. Tada!

Tiny pants

Tiny snugly pants!
My brother and his wife are expecting a baby any day now; hopefully before he starts helicopter training with the Army next weekend (which will include 6 weeks away from them). Tonight I whipped up a tiny pair of fleece pants to mail to them in Boise. I might be at the beach tomorrow, but the high there was only 50 F. Baby stuff is so fun, it's tiny and cute and when you use fleece--no edge finishing. Awesome.

Rain

Being right on the coast, we don't get very many tornadoes here- it's hard to get the right weather conditions for that kind of storm to occur. But this morning there was one that touched down in what passes as a city around here, and we had warnings until noon that included sirens and my weather radio freaking out. Yikes. Of course, this all happens an hour after Monkey got to school and Lawyerboy had left for a law conference in Atlanta.
Please bear in mind that I am not accustomed to this kind of precipitation crazy-ness. Before I got here I had lived in Utah for 9 years, where rain is so infrequent that spilling your drink counts as measurable precipitation.
So it was just me and the shawl sitting in my hallway with all doors closed. Obviously I didn't get sucked away to Oz, but I did get another row done on Adamas.

It's hard to take pictures of rain and give a good representation of how heavy and fast it is coming down, but this will give you a pretty good idea.

Not really about anything

Right now the air here is literally thick with butterflies. I took this picture on my lawn today, when I headed outside because I could count at least a dozen butterflies in my backyard.

Today I test-drove an adorable Corgi at the animal shelter near me. Sweet little dog, but not for me because she is no good with kids. At least this adoption counselor was nice; last time we took Monkey with us and that counselor was rather negative and didn't really want to send us home with one of the dogs (because all these dogs have way better options). This is the 4th time I've been looking and I'm just not having any luck. It is remarkably easy to fall in love with someone on Petfinder and have it not pan out when you meet him/her face to face.

So the corgi wasn't for me, but I kept thinking about her when I was running tonight. I hope she finds someone nice.

School

When did I turn into a once a month blogger? I had been doing much better earlier this year, but kinda fell off the wagon near the end of the summer. Bafflingly, part of my recent absence has been Monkey's first day of school. Holy smokes. Two weeks ago was the first day of PreK for my little guy, and I've been catching up from the week leading up to it since then. Seizure activity hasn't been the greatest, so we've been spending a lot of time with his Neurologist, who is a little over an hour away. Between that and meetings with everyone involved in the special needs program at our school I wasn't really home at all for literally a week straight. So after launching the little guy onto the bus (and having a good cry) I attacked the house and haven't stopped. Stuff that has been a mess since we moved in 10 months ago looks great now.

I also finished the Stag Bag! It is fantastic, beautiful and sturdy and is now my daily bag. It is one of very few things I've made that not-knitters have stopped to tell me they liked. Knit with Pattons Classic Wool, in about 1 1/2 skeins each of Chestnut and Peacock.The design is not as sharp and the colors are a little more muted after felting, which I didn't really consider a problem because it was pretty bright before. A great deal of puckering and weirdness from my first stranded knitting was resolved with some trimming of carries on the back after felting and some really severe blocking. Like everyone else, the back of the bag also was a lot larger than the front so check your gauge and/or knit a few stitches fewer in width across the bag than the pattern calls for (actually, you should probably just check gauge; who am I to tell you to adjust your pattern willy-nilly.) As you can see, I cleverly added my initials on the bottom-you know, so I won't get it mixed up with all the other turquoise and brown felted stag bags out there.

More finished objects coming! With my mornings alone, I am getting a lot done.