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!

Fuzzy Fireman

This blog is supposed to be about knitting, but you wouldn't know it by my last few posts. Oh, well. It's my blog, I'll post what I want to.


Anyway, photos of my latest FO... the felted Fireman hat from Vickie Howell's New Knits on the Block. I love this book! I want to make almost everything in it for the kids in my life.


I tried making a cowboy hat version of this last year without the extended brim for my nephew Wyatt, but I over-felted it and it wouldn't fit on a 6lb infant! So, this time I was more cautious, maybe too cautious.

He'll grow into it.

My embroidery skills are a little lacking, but I hope to take a class at Make soon. Until then, hurrah, I move this from the WIP list to Recently Finished!!

Dry Run

We went to visit 2-day-old Everett Smith yesterday and I'm calling it a dry run. What a tiny little dude! 6lbs! I could put him in my purse. And I threatened to.

(Poster children for teen pregnancy prevention)

Donovan saw me holding him and said, "No! That's not your baby. That's her baby!" pointing at Kerry. Then, I invited him to come see him and he wanted to show him the buses. He laughed and said, "Ooh, he's so tiny! He has little feet!" All was good. I'm breathing a small sigh of relief, but he knows who Everett belongs to and he didn't come home with us....

I especially like this picture.

Me holding the baby. Jim in the background looking for an escape.

The Littlest Longhorn

We decided to see how Donovan would fare at a UT game this year. Last year he lasted 3 quarters, so we thought he might actually enjoy the fanfare this year.

After taking a really exciting shuttle bus ride, we arrived in time for the opening band performance, the World's Largest Texas Flag, singing "The Eyes" and the running of the horns. He loved it. He clapped, he yelled, he tried "Go Horns Go!" When we tried to help him hook 'em he would pout sadly saying, "No, I can't do it." We'll keep practicing.

The first quarter began. He jumped and yelled for the first few plays along with the crowd and then... he sat on my lap and then....

Out. For almost two straight quarters, through bands playing and fans cheering and yelling (mostly yelling...) all around, he slept!

He awoke in time for the halftime performance and a little snack and then....

Rain. Torrential Texas-sized raindrops. We were lucky to have a blanket we intended for him to sit on available and dry for wrapping up in the air conditioned shuttle bus on the way back. And I was worried about it being too hot.

When I ask if he had fun he says, "Yeah" but it's his "I don't really know what to say, I haven't quite learned to lie - Yeah."

Yeah.

Introducing Georgie

I have few readers who don't already know the news, (few readers period) but a new feature has been added to kcknits... the baby ticker! We're happily waiting the arrival of baby #2 on April 14. (And the reason for my infrequent blogging... either too tired or not feeling well.)

The cool little widget to the right shows an image of the baby's development day by day. Dontcha just love the Internet?

The nickname is Georgie. When we ask Donovan if he wants a baby sister or a baby brother he says, "No, I want Curious George." Well, babe, we already have one monkey in the house, why not another?

Love's Labour's Lost

I never thought it would happen to me.

We had just arrived at the New Hampshire airport after a surprisingly calm airplane ride with a 2-year-old when my husband handed the sleeping boy to me and gathered our items. Later, in the car halfway to the in-law's house I go digging for my knitting bag for the remaining hour car ride and... it's gone. Left on the plane.

(This is where you knitters gasp in horror. As if I have to tell you.)

Lost:

• The completed back of the Tulip top
• The first 3 inches of one front half
• About 5 skeins of yarn (fortunately purchased on Elann.com, so financial loss is not too bad)
• Travel bag of basic tools: stitch markers, row counter, stitch holders, etc.
• My favorite project bag which was just a recycled plastic zipper from a pair of sheets I bought, but it opened flat and was awesome.

Yes, I've called the airport. New Hampshire ships everything to the central lost and found which happens to be in Dallas, so there was hope. Maybe I can swing by to pick it up. Then I called the Dallas office:

"Due to the extremely high volume of calls we cannot return all calls. Describe your item and if we are able to locate it we will call you back." Not holding my breath. But, I refuse to take it off my WIP list for now.

Sigh.

I had emailed someone about a KAL a few months ago and she told me she lost her project on a plane. I told her I don't know what I'd do. Know I know.

Therapeutic yarn shopping. Photos coming soon.

I knew you were going to wear that!

Even though we're 7 years apart, my sister and I have this weird fashion ESP. I'll never forget when she came home from college and I was in junior high and we had bought the exact same bathing suit. It was the '80s and it was pretty hideous, if I recall correctly. Peach and gray stripes - not a tankini, but the belly cut out and the sides attached. So hot.

We still do it on occasion, not wearing the exact same thing, but something similar. Like, at her rehearsal dinner we both wore sundresses with a chocolate brown and white spot thing going on. I've decided to start asking before I get dressed for a major event. Whoever is out of town and has only one outfit option wins.

Well, now we have two boys who are 10 months apart. We met in Salado for a weekend of swimming and just getting away. And.... here's the rest of the story:

(To any visiting knitters - I will get back to the knitting blogs eventually. Just haven't been up to it lately... more on why later... )

Future Fisherman

We just got back from a field trip to the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center. (Doing all I can to wear the boy out while Dad is out of town for work.) It's a neat place about an hour out of Dallas with a fish hatchery, catch and release pond, alligators and a tram tour of the hatchery.

"Hey fish, what you doin'? Wanna eat lunch with us?" (actual quote)

It's a bit too hot for fishing (and someone is a little too impatient), but no too hot to feed the catfish and explore the other aquariums. Too bad cousin Wyatt, the true fish lover, couldn't join us.

We'll do it again sometime when it's cooler!

D and the Dinosaur

Here's Donovan at the newly renovated science museum. Although nothing competes with the trash truck, dinosaurs are becoming one of his favorite things.

There's a fun story behind this picture... It's all because of Curious George. Donovan has really taken to reading Curious George stories every night before bed - I think he identifies with the character. I certainly identify with The Man in the Yellow Hat some days. So, one of the stories involves George and the man going to the dinosaur museum then going on a dig with scientists. That was all Donovan needed and we were talking about dinosaurs all the time. Some days we have a dinosaur that visits us at mealtime and we have to go to the front door to let him in.

One afternoon after school we went to the museum to see the Texas dinosaurs, but the T-Rex was missing! The museum was moving it to a new location and created a fun game out of it. The lady at the front desk told us he ran away and his friend, the other dinosaur, was sad. They had lost pet signs everywhere and even created a blog. Donovan talked about it for weeks. "The dinosaur ran away because he was sad." (so he got the story a little mixed up...)

So, the day the new exhibit was opened we all went to see him (most of all so he would quit asking about it!). He dug for dinosaur bones under the T-Rex and get his picture taken. And we're still talking about it... "The dinosaur came back!"

Impulsive

First of all, let me give a little *wave* to the occasional visitor I have received from the Knitting Blog Web ring. Thanks for visiting! Thanks for your comments!

So, Sunday afternoon, while both of my boys were asleep (husband counts as a boy) I got this wild creative urge to sew... bean bags. The weather has been nuts here in Dallas, if it's not raining it's too wet to play outside or 95 degrees and humid. I decided we needed a rainy day game. Some bean bags, a piece of cardboard with shapes cut out and, viola, you've got some toddler fun for at least 10 minutes. It took me back to my childhood with a vacuum box that I used as a space ship or plane. I drew a keyboard on it and "Type in where you want to go." I was very hi-tech.

This, dear readers, is a typical example of my impulsive way of crafting and shopping for crafts. I had a few knitting projects I could have done, I probably should have napped, definitely could have cleaned, but this urge over came me and I had to sew. So maybe it's compulsive. Sometimes it's frightening... good thing I'm too lazy, too much of a Pisces (we're flaky, non-committal) to be a true addict to anything.

The sewing impulse continued, as today I took a break from work and went to the fabric store around the corner... two more sewing projects-worth of fabric is now sitting on my ironing board.

Back to the knitting! After finishing my cabled scarf, I decided I needed something else that would be a quick knit. I've reached the stage in Tulip where it is boring stockinette stitch over and over. I need something to shape. This felted fireman hat from Vickie Howell's book, New Knits on the Block, has been on my list for a while, but for some reason I couldn't get my brain around the short row shaping. But, thanks again to VH, I saw an episode of Knitty Gritty and my visual-learner brain clicked. (Confession time: I'm a little bit scared of the Dominitrix...)

So, I'm about halfway done, just using a Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Tomato Red.... and Donovan sees the book and says he also wants the Viking outfit. Sigh.

And, despite my whining, Tulip is coming along nicely. I have just a couple more inches to go on the back and I bet the fronts will go quickly.

ttfn... off to knit!

A Downtown Adventure

This Friday Donovan took his first train ride downtown to see Daddy at work. So what if it took us 3 times longer to travel via train... it was exciting.

And a little bit scary...

with so much to see.

Downtown has so many fountains for splashing, we arrived at Daddy's office a little damp. Yep, those are cowboy boots. Since Pop bought them, they are his chosen footwear this summer. They look great with shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. "I'm a cowboy, yee haw!"

Watch out world, here comes the next real estate mogul!

The Need to Complete

I had an urge to work with needles larger than the size 5 on Tulip, so I picked up my cabled scarf and realized I could finish it while watching our Saturday night movie (which was Breach, about the US's most dangerous spy... not bad). It felt good to finish.

The story of this scarf: My mom took me to her new yarn shop in Burnet that a few ladies opened to provide the other knitters in the area another option besides WalMart. I made the mistake of picking up this Baby Alpaca Grande.... oh my. I could not walk away. It's so soft. It's so pretty. It's BURNT ORANGE (hook 'em). But, at $14 a skein I really couldn't justify the cost of all the skeins it would take to make a sweater, at least not impulsively. Plus, I've made a sweater with bulky yarn and, well, never again. Anyway, the yarn simply would not stay at the store, so I picked up two skeins to make a scarf for the one UT game when it might be cold enough to wear a scarf.

So, I'm not sure if the pattern works. I need to try blocking it with the steaming because it has a tendancy to roll inward. But, if you want to give it a try, here goes: (I've never written a pattern before, btw. Hope it works out.)

Simple Cabled Scarf

CO 20

K 4 rows

Row 5: K3, P4, K6, P4, K3

Row 6: K7, P6, K7

Repeat Rows 5&6 2 times (if you like a longer stretch between twists to your cable, repeat 3 times or more)

Row 11: K3, P4, Place 3 stitches on cable needle and hold to back , K3, Knit 3 off cable needle, P4, K3

Repeat rows 5-11 until scarf is desired length.

Knit last 4 rows.

BO.

Hanging the scarf on the fireplace makes me long cold snaps in the fall, wearing browns and boots, snuggling up under a blanket.... But, I'm not complaining! It's only 94 and no 100 degrees days in sight! I swear, I'm not complaining!

No Knitting for the Weary

I have been struck with the latest toddler-created cold (he is often referred to as the Petri Dish) and going to bed early, so I have no major updates on the knitting front other than my little Tulip sweater is coming along sloooooowly. I actually got out some of my favorite tops to measure - just like all my knitting books say to do! - and decided those brits at Rowan must be short, or I've taken to the 80s long shirt styles, and I need to knit a couple extra inches to make it to my liking. So happy I found that out before I finished the back.... just like the knitting books say. ;)

And, I got an email from another RECPTA member saying she read my blog and wants to join the next knit night! We have fans! Someone other than my mom read my blog! So, once the clutch of death makes it's way through my body we'll have to coordinate another Thursday night at the 'Dog.

On to random knitting thoughts... I've been listening to a new NPR show, Radio Lab. It's so great if you, like me, like to learn random things about human nature mixed with psychology and science. Very cool show. So, they were talking about sleep and dreams and how you tend to process the things you think about throughout the day in your dreams and work in other memories, emotions, just sorting it all out, putting what goes where. People who play Tetris for hours during the day will dream of Tetris in the first few moments of sleep, but later on their dreaming of other memories that may or may not relate to Tetris. Yet, I can't think about a time when I've dreamed about knitting, even though I obsess about it (knitted cupcakes) throughout the day and night. Maybe knitting puts my brain and emotions to rest for a while before bed so I've already worked it out before bed... it is my meditation.

See, crafting is cool

If the NY Times says so, it must be true. Click here for the truth.

But, Tom Wolfe hates my blog:

"Favorite blogs: Mr. Wolfe, "weary of narcissistic shrieks and baseless 'information,' " says he no longer reads blogs." (Read the full rant... pretty hillarious.)

Knit Night at the Nodding Dog!

Here's a photo of our first *official* knit night out in public last night! As you can see, our knitters (and one crocheter!) are a little on the shy side even though they are most likely the only ones who will read this blog, plus my mom, but not my sister. Yet, one DH calls us the knitting hotties... still shy.

And, in the background, the teenage shop keep who was ready to leave an hour before closing time...

We covered many important topics including childbirth, the challenges of staying home full time, knitting vs. crocheting and, most intriguing... knitted cupcakes. I'm thinking about them again today, ladies.

Let's do it again soon, shall we?

Knitting Book Review!

It's not a knitting pattern book, a fictional book "centered" around knitting.

Here's my review of The Friday Night Knitting Club.

eh.

Without offending anyone (btw, that's one of my blogging goals. a lot of blogs are really just whining and griping. not mine!)... do you like Julia Roberts movies? Yes? You will like this book. It is a 'chick flick' book. Rumor has it, that fellow knitter Julia is making a movie based on this book. So, there you have it.

For some reason, I tend to like weird, dark books that stick with you, sometimes haunt you for days, weeks, years. My favorite author is Margaret Atwood. Beyond the famous The Handmaid's Tale, go read The Robber Bride. Go read The Blind Assassin. Go read Oryx and Crake. (You will never think about chicken nuggets in the same way again.) I don't really know why, I'm generally a happy person, my childhood was not troubled, I just dig her books and others that have so much that you want to and need to read again and again. I had some pretty awesome English teachers in high school, so maybe they just ingrained in me that books should have something deeper... But, I feel I don't have the capacity to write well myself at this late hour so I will stop. But, here's a shout-out (am I too old to say "shout-out"?) to Mrs. Martensen, Mrs. Jensen and the others whose names escape me tonight. English teachers rock.

Maybe I'll go pick up The Handmaid's Tale and see how it reads after becoming a mom...

Apparently, I like purple

This weekend I just started on Tulip, a cute little cross-over summery top that I hope to finish in time to wear for late summer/early fall that often drags on into October here in Texas. (It has a cool little scalloped edging you get by rotating the left needle around the previous rows...)

The yarn is a nice linen, viscose blend in a slightly variegated plum. Suddenly ,I realized it's almost the exact same color as this hand-dyed mohair blend I bought in Maine over the holidays. I made a flowy droopy-neck sweater from Interweave that is packed away for the summer.

Add a little pink and you get the color of my Seaman's Scarf WIP...

Then, I think to the next sweater I have planned and the Berocco Ultra Alpaca that I bought for the next one on my list...

And, as I walk by the kitchen taking photos of my work, I notice tonight's dinner... pork chops with plum sauce (tastes better than it looks here).

Apparently, I like purple.

Paradise in Five Easy Steps

(A few photos from our recent trip to Tulum at the Cabanas Copal. )

1) The view from our Cabana.

2) A Corona at the beach bar.

3) Swinging beds on the beach.

4) So many iguanas, no need for the mosquito net.

5) The week's activity

We can't wait to go back.

In Memoriam

Ty Kitty
A. May 2000
D. July 5, 2007
14 years old

Sweet Kitty, you will be missed.

I'm not biased...

but I like this bag.

I just finished my version of Unbiased found on Knitty.com and a Knit-a-Day-Calendar of my mom's. It's made from yarn woven from recycled sari silk. You can find the yarn on the designer's website or I found mine on eBay (for about $10 - shipping included!).

It's an adventurous grab-bag type project in that you don't know what the finished product will look like until you knit it up. I wound the yarn months ago and didn't realize I'd get that big blocks of color. I also didn't know how different the pieces would look. Fortunately, two sets sorta match each other. The colors are so rich and bold, it's really striking. I've already received compliments on it.

I added a button and crocheted a tab (crochet is so much easier for spontaneous button holes when pattern doesn't matter) so it stays shut - sort of.

And the best part is, it's super-fast. I finished it in about a week and a half in time for our trip to Mexico... more on that later.

What Heaven looks like to a 2-year-old

I don't know who was the city-planning genius who decided to take out our city pools and put in these spray parks, but they should be given a medal. On a hot summer day with a rambunctious toddler, this is the best way to wear them out. It's just a spongy surface with sprinkler toys of all types for running and splashing and screaming with joy... then taking really good naps when you get home. No one can drown and no one is swimming in pee.

We enjoyed celebrating Madeleine's birthday with her and her family. D wasn't his normal exuberant self. He had a fever that morning and we debated staying home, but a second wind came along that afternoon and he had a great time. He even enjoyed his first bag of Cheetos and experienced the best side effect. mmmmm, Cheeto-y orange fingers.

Madeleine was excited to see "Baby Donovan". She held his hand, they danced in circles and away they walked into the the cool water...

Better than "no"

Whenever D's in an especially silly mood and I ask him to do something he doesn't want to do, instead of a typical toddler "no!" he throws his arms out and yells some nonsense.

Mom: Come here, we need to put on your shoes.
D: Gellagh! (arms out)
Mom: Donovan...
D: Blooghla! (shaking his head, throwing arms)
It usually ends with him running off in a fit of laughter and I tackle him to get his shoes on.

I think I'll try it at work someday.
Co-worker: Can we get this report by EOD?
Me: Googla!
Co-worker: We need this for a pitch tomorrow.
Me: Blegh boo!

I like it.

Bobbins and butterflies

This Saturday we are going to a birthday party for 3-year-old Madeleine. She's the daughter of our good friends, Kerry and Lee, and quickly becoming a good friend of Donovan's. Here they are looking oh-so-sweet before eating dinner together. And... eating dessert later... mmmm, pudding. "Look at my nose!" That night they greeted Jim at the door wearing no pants and playing a recorder and a toy saxophone as they played marching band. (Unfortunately, the camera was not handy for that.)

Since I have a son and only nephews, I don't often have a reason to knit all the fun girlie-girl things out there. So, I have to take opportunities like this to get girl knitting out of my system. Until I get a female relative, the bounty goes to my friends' babies!

I needed something fairly quick to knit, so I chose the Butterfly Bag from Lucinda Guy's Handknits for Kids. I decided to keep it more reasonably priced than what 5 balls of Rowan would cost, instead I used a combination of Lion Brand Cotton and Sugar 'n' Cream. It will wear just fine with many years of dress-up ahead. The gauge was bigger than the pattern suggested, so I left out some of the embroidery details - I thought it would be too thick, not to mention I'm not so skilled in embroidery. It's filled with a few girlie items - dress-up bracelet, hair clips and "make-up" bag. Three-year-old girl essentials, I'd say.

This is my third foray into intarsia. My first doesn't really count, but my second taught me, that you really do have to go with the small bits of yarn and bobbins, bobbins, bobbins. Or else, if you try to carry the yarn, the stitches are pulled side to side. See the pirate flag washcloth below... with details I hope you can see. It's squiggly.

Thanks to Martha, my knit-advisor, I read this handy little book she picked up at a knitting workshop and learned

• You really can't carry your yarn more than 2-4 stitches. You just gotta add another bobbin.
• Knitters either love intarsia or hate it. I think I love it...

Coming soon, a digger sweater for the boy who loves trucks.