Mud Bath

So, we accidentally left the cover off the sandbox before a big rain storm last week. Today I was enjoying the 80 degree day and obviously not paying much attention when I turn to see why the boy is so quiet...

Can't blame him. Mud feels good in the toes.

Then I go inside to put the camera away and get a towel only to return to...

I guess the mud in the toes felt really good. Boys.

Belly, baby and lace

I have much to update on, my dear readers in the blogosphere. This one is for both knitters and non-knitters.

First is a special request for belly photos from my oldest friend in the world, Eydie. This time I'm all belly. Jim laughed the other day when I was wearing a dress and said I looked like I was faking with a basketball or stealing a turkey (for my Gen X readers.) A friend said this was a compliment... not sure who I should be mad at.

Not the best photo of me, but I was really tired after a day at the zoo. If black is slimming do horizontal stripes counteract that slimming effect? I am glad I took this photo when I did since I've probably grown in the week since.

Next, I had an urge, call it a nesting thing, to knit up a hat or two for the first days in the hospital. But, most of my baby yarn stash is boyish. So, I made one for Boy Georgie (green and white) and one for Girl Gorgie in pinky lavender. I guess if it's a boy I'll just donate the pink one to the hospital and if it's a girl I can add a flower or two to the green version. Modeled by Little Shamrock, Donovan's back up lovey.

Finally, the yarn source of the lavender hat is what is left after I finally completed my first lace project. Last May I went to 'knit camp' with my knit-pal Carol (who lives a freakishly parallel life to mine) and took a class with the famed lace knitter Myrna Stahman. Unfortunately, I won't get to go this year since I'll have a 1 month old.

After I finished, I decided 1) I would probably never wear it and 2) I'm not going to become a crazy lace knitter, but 3) it's not that hard. Just not mindless. These days, mindless or semi-mindless knitting is all I can do. So, it goes to scarf-wearing Mom. Isn't she cute? Should I leave out that after leaving it for about 4 months on the needles I lost my place so one side is slightly longer than the other? As Mom (and her mom) always said... you can't tell on a galloping horse. The yarn is wonderful - Rowan Cashsoft a blend of merino, microfiber and cashmere. Most of my motivation for finishing it was it feels so much nicer in my fingers than the yarn I'm working on for Jim's sweater.

Not sure if there will be much posting in the next 40 days or so... stay tuned for the results of the big hat question... lavender or green?!

Birthday highlights!

We were sorry that the family missed the dinosaur party... but here are some highlights. The science museum is a perfect place for energetic 3 year olds! A dinosaur party with the trash truck cake - of course. Dinosaur plates and dinosaur masks and dinosaur toys amongst actual dinosaur bones!

I'm pretty proud of the cake... I found the gummy colas and decided it would be a recycling truck. It's very hip to be green in 2008.

Donovan with his buddy Murray in ant hats. The museum has a 'backyard' with an ant tunnel for crawling.

Here's a highlights video of the fun. (yes, the music is cheezy, but it came with the camera and that's all I'm up for tonight.)

I can't believe he's going to be 3 tomorrow... the most wonderful, most challenging, but most rewarding 3 years of my life. More fun to come.

Dinner with Donovan

This one is for the grandparents, especially those far away. Donovan is becoming quite the storyteller. An entertaining combination of stories from TV and books with his enthusiasm and dramatics makes mealtime lots of fun.

Here is the story of the Golden Goose and the Forte Giant and the "Beanstop" (screenplay by Disney's Little Einsteins). You might need to turn your volume way up.

Okay, maybe he's watching too much TV before school...

Baby Items!

The only thing that's really bothering me about not knowing Georgie's gender is the knitting! We're not decorating another room, so that's not a project to do. If she's a girl, I have no concerns about her going without clothes since she would be the only girl born since me. But, it sure is hard looking at all the cute patterns and not starting something pink or another truck sweater... my only consolation is with an April arrival, he/she really won't need a sweater for a while. So, I can make up for it with all that free time I'll have after he/she gets here. (Do I even need to add the sarcastic "ha!"? There will be no free time!) So, these items had to tie me over until we know for sure if it's pink or blue (and no, I have no strong feeling either way).


The Kimono baby sweater is from the Natural Knits for Babies and Moms. I knew it would be a little short, but I only had enough yarn for the newborn size - exactly the same yardage as called for in the pattern, so I was worried I'd run out if I added more length. Now that it's finished, I was right! I picked up the yarn in Maine this summer when I was just feeling first-trimester icky, (or was it because I'd just lost my half-finished sweater on the plane?) and I saw an example while shopping at this cute LYS, String Theory. The yarn is super-wash (a must with baby!) merino wool and hand-dyed. There is just the slightest variation in the green throughout. So soft, so sweet. Buttons will be determined by Georgie's gender.

This little hat and bootie set is made from bamboo yarn given by my SIL in LA who knows the owner of the company making all sorts of bamboo clothes and stuff. It's soooo soft, it's almost too slippery to work with. But, it feels cool to the touch, it's hip since it's renewable bamboo and it is antimicrobial. So 2008! These will be great summertime wear for a baby on the go, frozen by Texas air conditioning. The bootie pattern is a circular "seamless" pattern (you have to kitchener stitch the bottom seam) from a Knit-a-day calendar I had in 2006.

With baby items out of my system, I finally found a pattern we can agree on, so I've started the Cobblestone Pullover for Jim with the yarn that came from his family's trip to Ireland two years (?) ago. I'm tired of the nagging! So far I have 1.5 rows... maybe I'll have it done in another 2 years.

The Big Dig

I find it very apropos that the day I finished the digger sweater was the same day The Big Dig was completed. The tunnel construction project in Boston cost way more than expected, faced delays with errors in construction and continues to receive tons of criticism. From Wikipedia, "The project has incurred criminal arrests, escalating costs, death, leaks, and charges of poor execution and use of substandard materials."

Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating.

But, here's the sweater story. I switched yarns because the pattern called for wool/cotton. I wanted the boy to actually wear the thing in Texas, so I chose Rowan Handknit Cotton. I swear I checked my gauge, but when I started on the bottom half, it could have fit me. Frog. Start over.

I switched to the basic pattern from the Handy Book of Patterns and just used the chart from the original book, Handknits for Kids.

The rest of the project went well, except for the occasional knot in the yarn... what is up with that? A few times I just knit along, but now I see those knots poking through and I wished I had unknit and cut the yarn where needed. Lesson learned.

So, as with the Boston Big Dig, construction was delayed with my 3 month knitting vacation (aka first trimester exhaustion) and I finished a month or two later than expected. I finally finished the week before Christmas just when it's getting cold enough to wear it. I showed it to Donovan and with his usual enthusiasm he said, "I want to wear it!" He will continue to be my favorite knitting customer with that attitude (hint, hint, future knitting recipients ...).

We go to get dressed and Jim tells me it won't fit. What? I knit the size 4 knowing it would be too big, but he could wear it for a couple years. The neckline is too tight. It won't stretch over the kid's head. After we try over and over, Donovan falls down on the floor crying. Not sure if it was due to pain or because he wanted to wear the sweater. Sigh.

I tore out the collar and one shoulder seam, crocheted in a button hole and crocheted a chain stitch along the collar. It doesn't look as good as it originally did, but at least he can wear it... and nobody died during construction.

A Christmas Blog

After a really long time away from the blogging, I'm back with a Christmas song! If I can keep the second trimester energy up (and work down), there will be more blogging on a regular basis.

Donovan learned a Christmas song at school, but didn't make it to the performance because of the traditional Christmas illness. Now, with the magic of the Internet and my awesome new Christmas toy from Santa... here it is. Keeping the performer in one spot was a challenge, but when the music takes over, you just gotta move!

Translation:
Merry, Merry Christmas
The Lord made this day
We're so happy the Lord had his way
With a great big hug
And a kiss from me to you
Won't you say Merry Christmas too!