Yarn Along

Yarn along day!  Yippy!  :)  Joining up with Ginny to see what the New Year brings for books and projects.

First I have to say that I cannot get a good picture of the color of this yarn.  It's not black.  It's a deep, beautiful purple (the colorway is blackberry.)  It's really gorgeous.  And sadly it's still not finished.  But only 8 rows to go!  That's something.  And that's why I only work on one at a time - otherwise I would never finish anything. 

As for reading I did finish Yarn Harlot by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.  It was great, as expected.  I started One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp but haven't made it far.  Probably because it made me ball.  Which got me to thinking about other books that have made me cry.  The very first - Meet Kirstin from the American Girls series.  It made quite an impression on me that a book could make me that upset.  Do you remember the first book to make you cry? 

Yarn Along

I'll start with the fact that I'm still working on Dad's scarf, I'm just tired of seeing it in my pictures.  But I didn't get anything new on the needles.  So I sewed the seams for my last BSJ, for which I have no buttons.  But that doesn't really matter - look at it, I'm not really sure it's big enough to fit a newborn.  I seem to have lost a number of stitches along the back making the shaping a little interesting.  And small.  But it fits one of the boys' bears so it still has some use in it. 

The bag of yarn is for what should be my next project.  Hopefully I'll start it this week.  I'll be making some playfood for the boys for Christmas.  I have colors to make apple, pear, corn, banana, watermelon, maybe even peas.  And by that I also mean I've seen patterns online that I think I could handle ;-)  We got a great play kitchen on FreeCycle a while back and I want to supply it for the boys.   (No, this isn't the one Littler had a run in with fall off earlier this week.  That one is thankfully smaller.)  I looked at etsy to get it but $14 for an eggplant?!?  Yikes!  I'll make what I can myself, thank you. 

I'm still reading Dracula.  The story really pulls you in.  And it's really beautiful, creepy as that is to say.  I'm hoping to finish it before the weekend - Van Helsing is going to be on TV and I think it will be more interesting after reading the original.  I really enjoyed it when I saw it before but I'm sure I'll get more out of it now.  Maybe we'll just tape it to watch at our leisure...  Since I really need to make vests for a couple pint-sized cowboys who want to dress up for Halloween.  :)  Some days I think I really am delusional. 

Head over to small things and see what else is going on in books and on needles this week.  It's always a good time.  (And a good distraction.)

It's Done!

My Baby Surprise Jacket is officially finished!  This afternoon I finished sewing the seams and putting on the buttons while I watched Prince William practice helicopter water landing maneuvers on the news coverage of the Royal visit to Canada.  That was pretty cool.  And I think the BSJ came out pretty cool too. 

No, it sadly doesn't really fit Littler (I didn't expect it to.)  But this was just too cute a picture not to share :)  He looks like such a little man!

Both boys have requested their own. 

So this evening I finished up the second BSJ  :)  That was a little more of a challenge since I caste it off knitwise rather than purlwise.  But it still worked out. 

I always find it tough to finish up projects - by the time I get to sewing the tails my project ADD starts kicking in and I'm day dreaming about the pretty deep purple cotton I have waiting for a retirement scarf for my mom.  Well, there's always tomorrow because now it's time for the Boston Pops and getting to bed :) 

Yarn Along - 6/8

A post for books and yarn - I love starting my day like this!  :)  Check in with Ginny at small things to see what else is on the needles and reading shelves. 

Look at that - my baby surprise jacket is off the needles!  I was waiting for the next posting of hints but got impatient and mustard up the courage to carry on.  The story is that that is exactly how I started to read chapter books too.  For a few days Mom was mysteriously too busy to read with me so I was forced to go on without her.  And I haven't stopped since.  :) 

Anyway, I'm pretty happy with how my BSJ has turned out.  Ok, ok, I know it's not really finished yet, still those bloody tails to weave and seams to sew.  And buttons to get and put on.  But the tough part is done.  If I were doing this again I would do the striping differently - either have enough of the blue to have gone back to that or striped the whole thing.  That's not to say I'm unhappy with the stripes - I like their funkiness and the way the colors switched really helped me to read my knitting and keep track of where I was in the pattern.  Like picking up the 10 stitches that I was so concerned about, the color changes really made it easier to pick out what to pick up. 

After finishing up my quilt last week I really wanted to read an Elm Creek novel so I picked up Winding Ways Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini at the library.  I really enjoy her novels - they are a quick read and just really make me want to sew!  And make me want to go to quilt camp :)  Now I really am starting the Harry Potters to be ready for the new movie.  And slowly working my way through Nourishing Traditions. 

Yarn Along-5/25

Wednesday posts are becoming favorites - books and knitting :)  Join in the Yarn Along at small things to share or see what else is being worked on. 

I'm still knitting on my Baby Surprise Jacket.  Gotten to the part I've been kinda dreading - putting stitches on hold.  I've done it before but it still makes me a little nervous.  I'll tackle that this evening.  Or this afternoon if the boys go out with Daddy for a while.  :)  It always amazes me when working on a project how it comes together and I've reached that point on my BJS, it's starting to look like it will be wearable!  I'll just have to figure out what to do when I run out of the light blue because I'm pretty sure I will.  Maybe I'll switch after this set of stripes to a big stretch of green...

I'm still reading Jesus of Nazareth, all the way to chapter 3.  I'm really enjoying it.  Going through all the different interpretations of the scenes we know so well is so interesting.  I'm not sure if I'm just a huge nerd or the worst theology student ever to graduate but I find it so fascinating finding different ways of looking at the "same old stories."  But that's what I like about studying Scripture - looking at all the ways it has meaning and speaks to us.  Looking at all the ways it ties together and what it means for how to apply it to how I live my faith. 

Pope Benedict states in his introduction that this work is an expression of his "personal search 'for the face of the Lord'" and that by presenting Jesus in his public ministry he hopes to "help foster the growth of a living relationship with him."  This is an aspect of my faith life and of living my faith out that I have probably neglected to this point.  But like so many things I suspect this too is cyclical, as we go through life focusing on different things at different times.  I'll probably need to reread this again.  Maybe when I can sit and read an entire chapter at a time and not in bits and pieces.  Someday I'll be able to do that again, right? 

Uh-oh!

 I'm really pleased with how my BSJ is knitting up.  It's a very enjoyable pattern.  I like that it makes "shape" right away.  Keeps things interesting.  And I've decided I do like the dark blue.  It makes it pop a little, gives some dimension to the colors. 

 Trouble is I have 96 stitches on right now.  Should be 94 - one more decrease and one more knit row to finish out this section.  I was right on target stitch-wise when I counted 5 rows ago.  Where did I go wrong?  And more importantly - how do it fix it?!?

I'm thinking I obviously messed up my decreases, probably this last set.  But did I leave one out entirely or did I just forget the "necklace over" second step of the decrease for both in a row? 

And am I correct that this is the work for the sleeves?  Could I switch to a solid for a while and have it come out looking good?  I'm thinking stripped sleeves and solid body?  I'm really bad at picturing what the pattern will actually look like at any given point but I'm trying.  Also in need of working on is my finishing projects.  You can see my last project, a shawl that was finished knitting two weeks ago and just had its tails woven in today, peeping out of the basket there.  It's crying "Mama, block me!" 

Tomorrow yarn-baby, tomorrow. 

In case you're wondering how I scored some free knitting time - now that's what I call a moment of peace!  And yes, he is sleeping while hanging off the couch.  Strange child :)

Dramatic Recues

Of my Baby Surprise Jacket that is.  Yes, plural.  And both, interestingly enough, involving a certain 3 year old who also happens to like crawling under the computer desk and flipping off the power switch to the modem and phone... but that's another story. 

So anyway, there is no picture of the first rescue.  The boys and I were outside on our porch.  They were making an amazing mess of last year's potting soil.  You know the mess - dumping it out, moving it around, throwing it down off the porch, putting it in bags, putting it in pots, putting it in mouths.  Good times.  I sat comfortably in a chair working on my BSJ.  Until the trouble maker my eldest child discovered that Mama was attempting to do something.  At which point he wants to be a part of it.  He takes out one of the balls of yarn from the knitting bag.  He refuses to return it to said bag.  He loses his grip of said ball of dark blue yarn, it bounces to the floor, and proceeds to roll off the porch.  Now we live on the SIXTH floor.  Hence no photo of the ball of yarn sailing off the balcony and plummeting down to earth.  It was quite a sight.  And so was the tangle that awaited Mama in the flowerbed downstairs.  But never fear, the yarn was rescued and untangled and on we knit!

Our second rescue has pictorial evidence. 

This is why works in progress usually live in a basket on top of the bookcase.  The trouble maker helpful preschooler wants to knit too.  How young has anyone taught a child to knit? 

Obviously no thinking clearly, I had left it, mid row, on my chair while I went to check something in the kitchen.  I came back to this.  I'll admit I cried.  I'll admit I was mad but mostly at myself.  As much as I would have liked to blame the Boy for messing up my hard work it was my own fault for leaving it within his curious reach.  Like curious little monkeys, sometimes little boys also forget to keep out of trouble.  Nothing to do but get out a crochet hook and wait for the boys to go to bed. 

 Thankfully I was able to pick up the dropped stitches.  And it doesn't look too bad, if I do say so myself :)

Up close you can see my goofs at putting the stitches right.  But I'm going with the Amish philosophy of putting imperfections in my work because no one is perfect but God.  :) 

Note to self: don't have knitting out while boys are loose.  It only attracts them.
And someone really should clean up the porch tomorrow. 

Small Success Thursday

In the crazy world of little ones it's important to celebrate those little successes and accomplishments.  This is a link up for just that :)  Formerly at Faith and Family Live! and currently hosted by Chocolate for Your Brain - check it out!

#1 I started a blog!  While I want to cut back on my screen time I also want to give myself an outlet and a spot to cultivate my appreciation for life (particularly mine!) and maybe even some community I figure I can at least try to make it work. 

#2 I hiked it to the fire station, pushing the double monstrosity stroller for the preschool field trip this morning.  It was 40 minutes each way and there's a killer hill right before you get there.  Quite a workout!

#3 I didn't cry or curse or anything when I sat down last night to start on the next piece for the knit-along and discovered I goofed my rows.  Somewhere.  Best guess is that I added and extra even knit row.  So I'll update my picture later tonight and continue my knitting :) 

BONUS (because sometimes you have to feel like an overachiever) the dishes are done!  I know for a fact that there are sippy cups lurking and probably some rouge silverware or cooking utensils but the sink is empty - no small feat for me!  Dishes might not be the bane of my existence but dishwashers certainly are the stuff my dreams are made of.

Heavenly

 Yup, I am sitting, with my feet up, and knitting.  :)  During the day.  No need to be too jealous, this is a VERY rare happening.  I even figured out the timer on the camera just to show you this heavenly moment.  Of course, as I posed this picture I managed to backtrack and knit back over what I had already done.  I really can be that easily confused.  But it was easy enough to fix and the photo makes a nice reminder of a beautiful day.

And what a beautiful day it was!  Sunny, warm but not to warm.  We went to our wonderful Wednesday morning playgroup and the boys actually played (as opposed to coming into the sitting room and trying to drag Mama out to play.)  Went for a nice walk after lunch and the boys fell asleep in the stroller, ya gotta love that!  Finished my knitting for the knit-along in the brief time they stayed asleep after getting home.  And posed a couple pictures.  

The boys woke up super upset from their nap.  It was so strange, they were both practically inconsolable.  We snuggled up on the couch on their insistence and they fought over lap space.  Littler Boy nursed and passed back out again.  Bigger Boy fussed around a bit and then he passed out, too, sitting up and leaning against my chest.  Between the two of them I was pinned to the couch!  Oh no, don't throw me in the brier patch!  ;-)  For a moment this was frustrating since I could see so much that needed doing: things to pick up, books to read, knitting to work on,  yet I couldn't get at any of it.  So I made my choice - I thanked the Good Lord for this sweet time with my boys, said a few prayers for them, and I dozed off too :) 

 Here is it - my progress on the Baby Surprise Jacket for the knit-along.  Just in time too.  The next set of tips were posted today so I can keep right on going with the momentum I've got going. 

My colors.  I'm not sold on the darker blue yet, any thoughts? 

The yarn is Lion's Brand Vanna's Choice Baby, although I think the dark is from the main line.  Not the fanciest stuff to work with but for a little one washability is super important in my book.