tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6711828165918711812024-03-13T08:22:07.365-04:00Coffee and Knitting NeedlesMandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.comBlogger151125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-27845501044691151282012-05-02T18:14:00.001-04:002012-05-02T18:14:15.823-04:00Dear blogger,
It is time we break up. You just aren't the one for me, what can I say? Every time I try to change our relationship it fails. I see you have a new look. You're trying to get me to stay, aren't you? I'm sorry, but I just can't do this anymore.
I've found someone else.
You can find me here:
http://coffeeandknittingneedles.wordpress.com/Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-31671654171697444992011-12-18T05:14:00.005-05:002011-12-18T05:42:34.496-05:00Mittens and Morning SicknessWhy am I up at 5 a.m.? Because I've got pregnancy induced insomnia. Actually my son woke me up at 4 a.m. and while he fell back to sleep easily enough I became wide awake and aware that I was hungry. I tried to ignore it and then finally I couldn't anymore and dragged myself downstairs to find something to eat only to find that I had ignored the need to eat too long and then got blessed with a little bout of morning sickness. Lovely. It passed and I've eaten toast and a little bowl of cereal, but now I'm wide awake and browsing mitten patterns on Ravelry.<br /><br />It isn't like I currently have 3 WIP mittens. Oh no, not at all.<br /><br />I've just been obsessed with mittens lately! The bad part is that you have to knit two of them, and I've also been suffering from second mitten syndrome. <br /><br />But anyway, I just found a new group on Ravlery: the NaKnitMitMO KAL. (That would be the National Knit Mittens Month Knit-a-long) I can't believe I didn't discover this group earlier! So January is the KAL month. I'm not sure what pair or pairs I will make then, but I'm in anyway!<br /><br />Anyway, Blogger is being kind of weird about pictures this morning. Below are my recent mittens. The first pair is the pair I cast on for on Thursday. I think they'll be a birthday present for someone. There is also a single mitten that I'm going to need to order more yarn to complete.<br /><br />There is a pair I knit for E and a pair I knit for Mark last month too.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4xGRjiMxBJ4/Tu3CK3QWLcI/AAAAAAAAAsk/KH6x33zCMJI/s1600/100_3654.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4xGRjiMxBJ4/Tu3CK3QWLcI/AAAAAAAAAsk/KH6x33zCMJI/s200/100_3654.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687415396325797314" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ouxa5i7SE1U/Tu3CKpTsiuI/AAAAAAAAAsY/_f3Wv3DG3Nc/s1600/100_3649.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ouxa5i7SE1U/Tu3CKpTsiuI/AAAAAAAAAsY/_f3Wv3DG3Nc/s200/100_3649.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687415392581749474" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DvkwVjbFFsA/Tu3CJ0aDOdI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/jmhTSAUmShM/s1600/100_3647.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DvkwVjbFFsA/Tu3CJ0aDOdI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/jmhTSAUmShM/s200/100_3647.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687415378381322706" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yD5rntnm71U/Tu3CJpj9tkI/AAAAAAAAAsA/m1dAYmCykKY/s1600/100_3546.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yD5rntnm71U/Tu3CJpj9tkI/AAAAAAAAAsA/m1dAYmCykKY/s200/100_3546.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687415375470114370" /></a>Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-89854402378879725922011-10-18T22:15:00.002-04:002011-10-18T22:18:11.742-04:00More hats in progressMy 16" size 7 needle sure is getting a workout! I'm on to my 4th hat with it in the past week!<div><br /></div><div>I just finished A Better Bucket (details to come at a later date) for my mom and am casting on this year's pumpkin hat now that I have worsted weight orange yarn leftover from the Goldfish Hat.</div><div><br /></div>Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-51120093701911247572011-10-16T11:00:00.004-04:002011-10-16T11:54:57.508-04:00Fall Hats<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SdXh3ztjcvw/TpryCvS1a-I/AAAAAAAAArk/4V3ko4Inzok/s1600/100_3489.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SdXh3ztjcvw/TpryCvS1a-I/AAAAAAAAArk/4V3ko4Inzok/s320/100_3489.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664105610240945122" /></a>Mark and I both took vacation last week. We didn't go anywhere other than the pumpkin patch and a state park but that is ok because we both really needed some down time.<div><br /></div><div>I had a lot of things I could have (and perhaps should have) done but I concentrated my efforts on knitting.</div><div><br /></div><div>E has one hat from late last winter that fits but it was time for new hats and here is the trio I completed.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>First up is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/miles-goldfish">Miles' Goldfish Hat</a>. This was a fun knit and a different construction than I've done before. E was really excited about this hat. I was working on it in the car and showed it to him after I had duplicate stitched one goldfish (at that point it was just the orange band) and he took it from me and insisted on wearing it at that point. In fact, it escalated into a little tantrum when I asked for it back. I could have done without that, but I guess it is proof that he thought it was cool.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nWLCPwqqGdw/TpryCJY9QII/AAAAAAAAArY/dhJMjfaaWLo/s1600/100_3470.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nWLCPwqqGdw/TpryCJY9QII/AAAAAAAAArY/dhJMjfaaWLo/s320/100_3470.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664105600066076802" /></a>Inspired by a discussion on Stash and Burn I was listening to on my way to the yarn store, I picked up a skein of Noro and subsequently knitted <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/quynn">Quynn</a>. I just bought this pattern on its own, but now I kind of wish I had bought the whole ebook. I really liked this pattern, it took a few rounds to get the idea of what I was doing but then I was able to see what was going on and set the pattern aside. I like patterns like that because I was doing something that wasn't boring, but I didn't need to stay chained to the pattern either. </div><div>I actually really love the way the earflaps work on this hat too. </div><div>E seemed to really like this hat, as soon as I was done blocking it (and it did need washed and blocked to become wearable because the fit is snug) he took it from me and put it on.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EMyUP1TSvAk/TpryB8-fVEI/AAAAAAAAArM/GPC4n23poPs/s320/100_3456.JPG" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664105596733838402" /><div>Now of the three his least favorite seems to be <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cozy-4">Cozy</a> but I'm not really sure why. I don't know if he doesn't like the strings or what. I've had this in my queue for awhile now and finally sat down to work on it. Despite my almost-2-year-old's opinion, I like this hat. Maybe I just need different colors for him?</div><div>The pattern was actually written for cotton but I think it works well with wool anyway. I think I will knit it again in this cotton/alpaca blend yarn I've had for 4 years now and never know what to do with. Knitting this again I might consider some small changes. I think I may do some garter stitch edging on it instead of the single crochet border and see how that works out. I think I will also use a different cast-on for the main body of the hat. I've never been able to get the backward loop cast-on very even.</div><div><br /></div><div>The other big accomplishment I had this past week was organizing my patterns. I finally went and bought some more binders and page protectors and set about printing off some patterns and organized them by alphabetically within pattern type. I also ended up pitching some absolutely hideous patterns I had received for free over the years because I really didn't need see-through lace ruffly or super chunky cropped cardigans taking up room. </div><div><br /></div><div>I've been kind of neglecting the organizational tools on Ravelry for awhile now and since I have a computer that is working correctly, a little more time, and more knitting mojo I decided to get on the ball with it again. I have to say I am thrilled with some of the enhancements that have occurred! Now that I can link stash yarn with patterns in my queue I am finding that so much more useful to use. If you haven't played around with it for awhile try it out. I also took a peak at The List and noticed that a lot of really wonderful features are on deck so I'm very excited!</div>Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-63200799988420913962011-06-21T00:08:00.003-04:002011-06-21T00:17:16.233-04:00Early HarvestThe other week I planted a new crop of radishes and some beets along side them. They were a bit slow coming up, but they are coming along nicely now.<br /><br />Between last week and today I've pulled all my turnips in the back garden. Last Thursday I roasted some with some chicken. Now the remainder are sitting in my fridge waiting. I did a second sowing this afternoon. <br /><br />I also finally planted the little swiss chard plants in the ground that my mom started. We'll just have to see if they do anything or not. I had actually bought some swiss chard from the greenhouse and planted it along side the house. That is looking nice but I haven't used it yet.<br /><br />My zucchini have started to produce as well. Last week before we left I picked a couple small ones. I just didn't want to come back to huge zucchini. Instead I came back and found one small but definitely havestable one. <br /><br />I was working out there this morning (on vacation this week!) pulling weeds. I can never believe how quickly they grow! Anyway, while I was at it I started to thin the carrots a little. They were really baby carrots, but I save them anyway and brought them in with the zucchini and a couple onion leaves I accidentally broke while thinning the carrots. I chopped them all up and made an omelet for lunch. It was pretty good.<br /><br />Now I'm waiting to see if I can get a 3rd good sized salad for dinner sometime this week from the window box lettuce I planted.<br /><br />If I'm lucky and we actually get some sun I think before too long we will have some cherry tomatoes too!Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-8872606876179196402011-06-20T23:46:00.002-04:002011-06-21T00:07:36.801-04:00SocksLike I said in my last post, it is mittens <span style="font-weight: bold;">and</span> socks.<br /><br />I finished a pair that I had started a long time ago for M in time for Father's Day and presented them to him yesterday. I told him they were Father's Day socks because the one had been sitting on the floor by his closet when E was born. We brought it out early on in active labor so I could do something to keep calm and my blood pressure down but I never really got to knit it because my contractions were too regular and strong to think about knitting.<br /><br />Then I resurrected another pair I had started while pregnant. These were for myself out of leftover yarn I had used to knit my mom a pair of socks. Word to the wise- don't knit a second pair of socks out of yarn unless you really love it. <br /><br />The yarn is OK, but the colors don't thrill me and I find the yarn split and difficult sometimes. I had finished that first sock awhile ago. Amelia had made a huge mess of the yarn one night. I stuffed it all in a bag to worry about later. <br /><br />So then I got that finishing bug. I must have spend AT LEAST two hours untangling that damned yarn, but I did it, only to find that I couldn't find the first sock which I had to use to figure out how many stitches I had used. Of course once I finally found it I also found it was the very rare 64 stitches on size 1 needles. Arrgh. I blame the pregnancy for making me do something silly like that. I have now cast on that second sock and am chugging away at it. I only have about another inch until I can turn the heel. At least they are short socks, so once I do that it won't be too long before I'll be done with those too. Once I am done I am sure I'll appreciate the socks, but they are definitely a bit tedious. <br /><br />When I finished my last pair of lace socks I decided to cast on another pair. This pair will be out of a silk/wool blend I bought two years ago from Creatively Dyed. Last summer I tried to knit a shawl out of it (my original intention for the yarn) but it just wasn't working out so I frogged it. <br /><br />Well now the toe of sock #1 is finished and that is it. This is mostly because I need the chart for the lace on this sock and didn't get it printed out until today. I'll come back to this eventually or it will be frogged. At this point, who knows.<br /><br />The big reason: I distracted myself with a new pair of socks. <br /><br />We were at Chatauqua this past weekend with M's family for father's day and probably the closest store to us was a craft store advertising knitting supplies. I wasn't sure exactly what I was in store for, but when I walked up the steps and saw a sign on the door advertising them as an authorized Addi dealer, I figured it had to be decent!<br /><br />It was. The selection wasn't too big, but what they had was nice. This was perfect for me because I'm not really a t-shirt/mug/etc. souvenir sort of person. My idea of a perfect souvenir is yarn. I picked out a couple of balls of Mini Mochi. I have heard a lot of praise for this yarn so I wanted to try it out. I like the long Noro-like repeats and the colorway I chose is kind of similar to some Noro I once used to knit a felted bag. I am a little concerned about how it is going to wear, the yarn is so soft and not tightly spun, but it is 20% nylon so I guess I'll take my chances.<br /><br />Anyway, I couldn't resist casting on yesterday before we left. I should have knit the other socks on the way back, but I have a hard time doing heels on two circs and didn't have the right DPNs with me to do the heel and really I can only work on those socks so long, so I knit for awhile on the old socks and then went into knitting the new ones. <br /><br />If I keep up at this rate I am going to have a nice hand knit sock selection this winter!Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-57474693311515397772011-06-20T23:22:00.002-04:002011-06-20T23:44:11.166-04:00MittensWell not only am I knitting socks lately, I'm apparently back on mittens.<br /><br />It all started about 6 months ago when the weather got cold enough that I needed mittens again. A few years back I had knit a pair of Icelandic mittens from <span style="font-style: italic;">Folk Mittens. </span>Not only was the pattern Icelandic, the wool was too. I used Lopi yarn. At first I was really taken back by how rough it was. I knit on, figuring I could line the mittens if needed. Once I was done, however, I found I didn't really need the lining. They were a bit scratchy, particularly at the cuffs, but it wasn't <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> bad and wow, they were WARM and very waterproof. Plus they were white and red and black so they went with a lot of my red hats. I like red. Anyway...<br /><br />They had been in my car since the previous winter. I knew they were there, but when I looked I could only find the one. I checked under seats and in pockets, I checked in the closet that housed most of my knitted outwear. Nothing.<br /><br />I wasn't willing to go without the mittens, so I did the only thing reasonable. I knit another pair exactly like the first. Fortunately I had ordered two skeins of the white way back when )the first pair used just under 1 skein) and had enough black and red for another pair.<br /><br />Or more accurately, I started the first pair, knit until a few rows above the thumb, set it down, and didn't return to it. For various reasons. mostly I was busy and I kind of forgot.<br /><br />In the meantime, right as winter was letting up we did some carseat switching and low and behold, the missing mitten had been underneath the carseat the whole time.<br /><br />So then I had a decision to make. Did I rip out what I had begun (keeping in mind that a) colorwork is always kind of a pain to rip out and b) ripping out Lopi is sort of like ripping out mohair) or did I continue and make the second pair anyway. I couldn't really decide what to do so I put off making a decision until the other week.<br /><br />I got the finishing bug (I really love it when that happens!) and decided there was no reason not to finish them. I was never going to make a matching hat from the yarn like I originally planned. It hadn't happened in 5 years, it probably wasn't going to. If I lost the mittens again I would be in the same situation. Why not have a backup pair? Or a pair to give as a gift if I could find someone who could appreciate the scratchy wool?<br /><br />I finished the first mitten on our way to visit family the other weekend. I cast on the second right away and got the thumb started by the time we got home. Last week I pulled it back out when I remembered it and finished up that thumb.<br /><br />Then I cast on another pair. I debated awhile. I thought maybe I would use the yarn I bought at the fiber show and a pattern from one of my newer mitten pattern books. <br /><br />Instead I opted for another pattern from the <span style="font-style: italic;">Folk Mittens</span> book. I decided to knit Mittens from Turkey- Anatolian Mittens in red and white like they are shown in the book. <br /><br />Normally I change yarn colors around a lot, but for some reason I really like to use a lot of the colors that are shown in the <span style="font-style: italic;">Folk <span style="font-style: italic;">Mittens</span></span> book. Perhaps because I like to keep them a little more authentic? I'm not really sure. Anyway, I did change one thing.<br /><br />The pattern calls for worsted weight wool. It ends up being 62 stitches. Normally I used between 54-60 stitches in fingering weight and small needles for socks, so I thought that at that stitch count I was going to end up with too-large mittens. I pulled some Dale of Norway Baby Ull out of my stash (conveniently red and white) and cast on. I finished the first mitten this weekend and have started the second. I've enjoyed knitting it, but I do have to admit this a pattern I really need to used the chart for. That makes it a bit more difficult, but not too difficult.Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-77525320423530302392011-05-31T22:17:00.004-04:002011-05-31T22:21:37.796-04:00From the Garden<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OeAYCnAB3IA/TeWhmDcTHgI/AAAAAAAAAo4/ZRNIATs9DvQ/s1600/100_3027.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OeAYCnAB3IA/TeWhmDcTHgI/AAAAAAAAAo4/ZRNIATs9DvQ/s400/100_3027.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613070185718291970" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wFRGLR5qeJg/TeWhmbTIxOI/AAAAAAAAApA/PO_bbhPoLAI/s1600/100_3031.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wFRGLR5qeJg/TeWhmbTIxOI/AAAAAAAAApA/PO_bbhPoLAI/s400/100_3031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613070192122316002" border="0" /></a><br />Now that I have a back yard I am experimenting with vegetable gardening. Tonight I went to check on how things are going and much to my delight I found that the radishes I planted on May 11 (that will be 3 weeks ago tomorrow) are ready for harvest. Here are a few I pulled up tonight.<br /><br />I've never really been a radish person, but I find I am more willing to try something I grow myself! These were pretty tasty with some hummus.Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-58869370295466524562011-05-29T21:11:00.004-04:002011-05-31T22:13:42.571-04:00Great Lakes Fiber Show '11This year I reigned myself in a little more. I actually made a list of rules about yarn I could and could not buy. For example- no brown yarn. I have a ton of brown yarn in various weights. Sock yarn was on the OK list- but it needed to be solid or semi-solid. No single skeins without a purpose!<br /><br />So here is what I ended up with:<br /><br />From Knitting Notions (a perennial favorite) I purchased a skein of Classic Merino Supersock in Redwood. This skein had the added bonus of being on sale.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4s_CbkkpgiI/TeWd9iIW9cI/AAAAAAAAAoA/6G1FL_MFUcc/s1600/100_3000.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4s_CbkkpgiI/TeWd9iIW9cI/AAAAAAAAAoA/6G1FL_MFUcc/s320/100_3000.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613066191046636994" border="0" /></a><br />A new vendor for me: Grouse Ridge Farm:<br />These 4 skeins are for colorwork mittens. The greens are all naturally dyed.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CU0CpY-M7fk/TeWeJm4suiI/AAAAAAAAAoI/zsG3shwgcC4/s1600/100_3008.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CU0CpY-M7fk/TeWeJm4suiI/AAAAAAAAAoI/zsG3shwgcC4/s320/100_3008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613066398481562146" border="0" /></a><br />Then a sort of purchase for me: roving. These small balls were $1 each from Valhalla Acres Fiber Farm (whom I have purchased from before). I bought six total for thrummed mittens in two different color ways.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--XtsZ_lndnE/TeWem2y1_-I/AAAAAAAAAoQ/0j5cTn22IXg/s1600/100_3014.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--XtsZ_lndnE/TeWem2y1_-I/AAAAAAAAAoQ/0j5cTn22IXg/s320/100_3014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613066900968177634" border="0" /></a>While I have plenty of wool to use for the thrummed mittens, I decided to get one skein specifically for the purple thrummed mittens. I chose this gray wool/mohair blend from Ohio Valley Natural Fibers:<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rf54I8Xx9YM/TeWenO88m6I/AAAAAAAAAoY/8SkVwcb6zuk/s1600/100_3013.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rf54I8Xx9YM/TeWenO88m6I/AAAAAAAAAoY/8SkVwcb6zuk/s320/100_3013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613066907453004706" border="0" /></a>This was my last purchase at the Fiber Show, but not my last purchase of the day.<br /><br />My sister and I left the fairground and went downtown for a bite to eat for lunch and then stopped at Calla Lily to look around. I ended up getting another skein of sock yarn. This is Cascade's Heritage Silk sock yarn in red. I really don't have enough true red socks considering how much red is generally a part of my wardrobe.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eOJ5wdAg2eo/TeWfW60OEkI/AAAAAAAAAog/zzlPcuHIg4o/s1600/100_3002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eOJ5wdAg2eo/TeWfW60OEkI/AAAAAAAAAog/zzlPcuHIg4o/s320/100_3002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613067726681412162" border="0" /></a><br />Overall I think it was good show. It seemed a little different this year. I'm not sure if that was because I was more restrictive about what I was OK to purchase or if it was because I went on Sunday which I usually don't do. Not that it felt picked over today- but the atmosphere is different and definitely less crowded on Sunday than it is Saturday. I did kind of think there was less yarn and more fiber this year. Maybe it only seemed that way, but it was a sense I had. I think for sure there was less sock yarn than I usually see. Then again, maybe I was just overlooking a lot because I was looking for more solid colors so that I could knit socks with lace patterns. Then I kind of ran into the problem that a lot of colors I liked were colors that I already have. A lot of yarn was really expensive too. That isn't a complaint I usually have. I am used to what I consider the usual price range of $20-25 for sock yarn, but really unless it has super special fiber content, I don't want to pay more than that. It seemed like I came across a lot of yarn that was pretty and nice, but not super exclusive fiber content or lots of extra yardage that was in the $35-$45 range and that is just way too much for me.Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-82035690488433295002011-05-29T21:07:00.003-04:002011-05-31T22:16:40.986-04:00Socks!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jQs9CspT6rc/TeWgwzHDZNI/AAAAAAAAAoo/sM0CKbzbO_E/s1600/100_2990.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jQs9CspT6rc/TeWgwzHDZNI/AAAAAAAAAoo/sM0CKbzbO_E/s200/100_2990.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613069270801147090" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kEJBIPsjCGQ/TeWgxTQNvgI/AAAAAAAAAow/EHWlVuEuXBY/s1600/100_2995.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kEJBIPsjCGQ/TeWgxTQNvgI/AAAAAAAAAow/EHWlVuEuXBY/s200/100_2995.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613069279429508610" border="0" /></a><br />I did it! I knit a pair of socks in under a month. Adult socks. Not exactly "full size" because I decided I don't really have any reason to make my sock legs so long, so why bother, but they aren't exactly anklets either.<br /><br />I'll take pictures when it is light outside and post if I remember.<br /><br />I'm just so excited I actually did this again. The last time I did that must have been before E was born.Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-82436848449779830282011-04-27T22:15:00.002-04:002011-04-28T08:04:52.448-04:00Cloth Diapering: 18 months inWell, 17 1/2 to be exact, but close enough.<br /><br />So what does cloth diapering look like for us now?<br /><br />It is a mix. We still use prefolds but in the last four-six months we have added a dozen pockets and half a dozen fitteds into the mix.<br /><br />About six months ago we started doing pockets at night instead of prefolds. E was staring to sleep better and only waking up once or so at night so we needed to get something that would keep him drier and have a bit more absorbency. I had been putting hemp doublers in with the prefolds, but the pockets were all around easier at night. Mark always does the middle of the night changes and pockets are more streamlined than snappi-ing a prefold and putting on a cover. <br /><br />The pockets were working out so well I wanted more, and over the next few months with some sales I ended up with a full dozen, three of them that I got for free!<br /><br />A few months later we got into the impossible-to-change stage. As soon as his back hit that table he was turning over and on his hands and knees and trying to stand up. Trying to do a snappi on a prefold while dealing with that is too much. I tried just doing a trifold with the prefold, but I'm just not a fan of how the diaper fits that way. I have enough pockets that about half of them are used for nighttime and the other half for day, but I wanted to try something else so I decided to try fitteds.<br /><br />I have now been able to try 4 different types. The first were two Play All Day fitteds I bought on clearance that E was just starting to fit into. I only have one now, the other one had snap issues and was lost when I sent it back for repair. Anyway, the one I have is ok, but I wish it had overlapping snaps on the one tab for a better fit. The one I had to send back did :-( but this one doesn't. It works pretty well but E is still on the small side for it so I think it will fit better down the road. Then I tried a Mother Ease fitted. I liked it because it was trim. Really, other than a flat, this is the most trim diaper we have. So I bought another one and tried 2 of another Mother Ease design- Sandy's. These appealed to me because the snaps are on the side and so the diaper can be pulled. Which is great when you have a child who will not lay still for more than half a second. These are a lot more absorbent, but the thing that I don't like as well about them is that they are really big. I have a hard time making sure all the edging (which is a little ruffly) stays inside the cover, and if it doesn't then of course we end up with wicking leaks. Lastly, I just got a Thirsties Fab Fitted as a replacement for the lost diaper. We used it for the first time today and so far, so good. Being that it is Thirsties it fits great under the covers. It is really soft and velvety! I kind of wonder if it will stay that way.<br /><br />Now all 6 fitteds are snaps, and 3 of the pockets are snaps. I also ended up getting 3 new covers (in snaps) a couple months ago because I think the Bummis SuperBrites and fleece cover are on their last legs. Besides that, they are sized and aren't meant to fit as long as the Thirsties Duos. Why all the snaps? Well, because E figured out how to undo velcro and when that happened I decided I better make all future purchases snaps instead of velcro. It isn't that straight forward though.<br />First of all, the little boy who can unvelcro his diaper in 2 seconds can unsnap a diaper in about 5 seconds, so I only gained a few seconds of time if he makes up his mind to take it off.<br />Second, while I like the snaps on all these a lot better than I liked the snaps on the Bummis Whisper Wrap I had when E was newborn, they still aren't as user friendly as velcro. Mark will use them, but I know he doesn't like them as well. I do think they take longer to put on and it is still slightly more difficult to be sure I have the best fit. On the plus side, I think snaps will hold up a lot better than the velcro does. The velcro looks ratty after awhile and on our Bummis it has lost a lot of its sticking power. So while I concede that snaps have their place, I am still not sold that they are superior.<br />As for the diaper bag these days:<br />Well, first of all I only bring the diaper bag if we are going to be gone for awhile (like more than a couple hours). Otherwise I put E in a pocket or fitted before going out and just wait until we are back home. When I do bring it, pockets go in and if I am running low then maybe a fitted and cover. I am DONE with prefolds and a snappi when we are out and about.<br />Thankfully the last few weeks have been better and only a few diaper changes a day are struggles, so I've been reaching for prefolds again. I still like them, but it is really nice to have some simpler options when I need them.Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-61976283168095194322011-01-01T20:32:00.002-05:002011-01-01T21:10:12.013-05:00A New Year and a New (Old) HouseWell here it is, January 1 and we are officially in our house and out of our apartment. We actually turned the keys in over our lunch break on Thursday. I cried. It may be silly and sentimental, but it was a good home for us. We had a lot of happy memories there and very significant life events happened there. But it was also a huge relief to turn in those keys and be done moving and cleaning in there. <br /><br />We are slowly getting settled in here. Little by little boxes are getting unpacked, pictures are being hung up on walls, things are finding new homes, rooms are becoming functional. Not having internet or TV for a few days was probably not a bad thing! <br /><br />I tend to not really set too many New Year's resolutions, but I do have some goals for myself. I think of them more in connection with the house than the new year, but they do coincide.<br /><br />Most importantly, I want to get organized and try to stay free of clutter. In our house mail becomes a huge problem. Mark and I are both prone to making piles of things, and then those piles start adding up and creating a huge mess. My idea for dealing with this is to get a very simple writing desk and a few colorful file boxes where important papers can go and everything else gets tossed or shredded or filed away. <br /><br />I also really need to purge my closet and dresser drawers. I have a lot of pre-baby clothes that I just need to get rid of. They were bought pre-baby and even if I lose these 15 lbs that won't go away, I don't think they are going to fit me right anymore. Even if they do I'm not sure they are going to be in style anymore. I just need to clear them out and buy some new clothes that fit the way I need them to.<br /><br />Also, and I was doing pretty good with this the last few months, I need to menu plan and cook most of our meals. The kitchen being in boxes and the moving threw a wrench into December, but I can get back to this now and it is time I do. Mark got me a new cookbook for Christmas so I have a new source for recipe ideas, I just got another box of frozen local meat, and I have a new kitchen to cook in. <br /><br />About that kitchen: it is small. It isn't the kitchen I always dreamed of, but it is actually really nice. For being small I still have a lot of counter space. The appliances are all relatively new (even the older ones are MUCH newer and nicer than what I've used in past apartments) and the space is totally functional. I'm having fun cooking in it! I even like the red counter tops. <br /><br />Anyway, it is so good to finally have a house and be in our home. It is a work in progress to make it really ours, but this does feel like fun!Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-56551913954177496152010-12-21T23:41:00.004-05:002010-12-22T00:01:46.546-05:00Diapering at One YearSince I made my initial post about our diaper system I've added to it a little.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Flats</span><br />Initially I ordered three flats and loved them! So I ordered a dozen. Only I don't love them so much now. The real problem is that while the flat diapers aren't exactly uniform, they are supposed to be roughly 25"x25". Well after several washings I can confirm that those first three are more like 27"x27" and the dozen are more like 23"x23". There is quite a difference between those batches! I still like the first three flats, but I find I'm not using them as much anymore. Maybe because I have so many diapers now that even with going to a wash-every-3-days schedule I'm not running low enough to need to use them. Or maybe it is because E doesn't want changed as frequently as he used to and so I tend to grab something more absorbent. I think they would have been more useful to me in the first six months. They aren't bad to use to stuff diapers though. They are also great when E has a really messy diaper and I can put them underneath him to be sure nothing gets on the changing table pad.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pockets<br /></span>I ordered<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>a couple pockets (BumGenius 3.0) awhile back to use for going out and about and to try for night. I liked them, but didn't have enough to really<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>get a good feel for them. Then Baby Cotton Bottoms was having a sale, buy 5 get one free plus free shipping, so I ordered half a dozen BumGenius 4.0. I don't notice a huge difference between the 3.0 and 4.0 design except that the 4.0 looks like it will fit longer. I still really like them. Sometimes it is tempting to use them all the time, but I don't have enough for that and can't really afford a whole stash of them. Instead I save them for the diaper bag and overnight use. I usually end up using all or almost all of them in a wash cycle, so I think I have the right number for us. I double stuff them (that is, I use the regular insert plus the small insert/doubler) because I'm always using them when I need maximum absorbency. There have been a few leaks, but I think that is mostly due to carelessness on our part when we put the diaper on or he just never wakes up to let us know he is whet until he is so soaked he leaks. Really though, it hasn't happened much at all. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br />I think that was all I needed to report back on. The fitteds I bought are still too big to try. If I'm missing anything or you have any questions let me know.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-25155704563123673482010-12-21T23:39:00.003-05:002010-12-21T23:41:52.635-05:00HOUSE!We got the keys to the house a few days early and I've been busy working on things ever since.<br /><br />I'm documenting it over <a href="http://11sthouse.blogspot.com/">here</a>. I imagine the posting will get much more sporadic once we get moved in and things calm down, but I wanted to keep track of what we are doing for myself somewhere that it wasn't going to get all jumbled in with knitting projects and cloth diaper reviews. Which, by the way, I have more things to say about the diapers.Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-67924363894989953262010-12-03T22:42:00.005-05:002010-12-03T23:03:27.469-05:00Things I will miss about this apartmentIn all my excitement for buying a house, I have to admit that moving out of this apartment is kind of bittersweet.<br /><br />Here are the top 5 things I will miss about living here:<br /><br /><ol><li>E was born here. This place will always be special because of that.</li><li>The way the kitchen is partially open to the living room.</li><li>Watching Amelia try to climb the pillars between the kitchen and the living room.</li><li>The closet organizers. I have never lived in an apartment where they made so much effort to make the space usable. Along with that, I will miss the walk-in closet that has been my yarn closet.<br /></li><li>The maintenance team. Not only are they fast to respond and friendly and the type of people you don't mind being in your place, if there is a problem beyond their expertise they get someone who knows what they are doing out there right away. Plus, you never have to pay for it. I will miss that.</li></ol>Let's be honest though, there are some things I won't miss. For example:<br /><ol><li>The vertical blinds. Not only are they on the patio door, they are on both bedroom windows and the cat makes so much racket every time she tries to jump up on the window sill when they are closed.</li><li>The lack of outlets and all the outlets being upside down</li><li>Hearing my upstairs neighbors nightly activities and the cigarette smoke that has been seeping through the basement from next door for the last two months. I can't even complain about it because the neighbor works in the office.</li><li>Not being able to rip up the ugly shrubbery and out of control weeds, I mean groundcover, from the flowerbeds.</li><li>Not being able to childproof the cabinets and drawers!!!<br /></li></ol>Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-89860925632556199242010-12-03T21:45:00.003-05:002010-12-03T22:39:05.907-05:00Big ChangesOn Tuesday Mark and I closed on our house.<br /><br />To say I am excited is an understatement. Getting here was definitely a roller coaster ride, but after signing all the papers I can finally breathe a sigh of relief and know that this is really happening instead of just hoping like mad.<br /><br />We don't actually have possession yet. The sellers couldn't close on their new house until we were ready to close, so they are in the process of packing up and moving too. We will have the keys in about 2 1/2 weeks, sooner if they are able, but I'm not holding my breath. If we get in earlier than expected it will be a pleasant surprise.<br /><br />I always used to like watching those home buying shows on HGTV like Property Virgins or My First Place. I know those shows show complications sometimes, but overall I found the whole looking at houses and deciding which one we wanted to make an offer on the easier part.<br /><br />The mortgage was the tough part. No matter what anybody tries to tell you, student loan debt DOES hurt you. Our biggest challenge in getting approved was our debt to income ratio. With the helpful suggestions of our mortgage rep, we were able to pay some things down and make it work, but even though he was optimistic for us I was really nervous the whole time that something wasn't going to get approved. <br /><br />Putting the offer on the house was more exciting than scary for us. Maybe it helps that we didn't low ball them. We wanted to get a good price on the house, but it had already been reduced twice and they were asking less than they paid for it and we thought the asking price was fair. We offered a little less and asked them to pay some closing costs. They accepted our price and agreed to pay about half of what we had asked them to pay in closing and we accepted.<br /><br />Then we had a couple things that we wanted the sellers to fix after we had the home inspection. There was a little back and forth there, but those got fixed.<br /><br />Then came the appraisal and home inspection from the bank. THAT gave me a headache. The appraisal came back fine, but the bank wanted some (well, actually a lot and a lot we hadn't noticed) peeling paint on the exterior scraped off and repainted. Which wouldn't have been a huge deal in summer, but in Ohio in November? Not a great time to paint when even during the spell of warm weather we were having it was getting below freezing at night. The suggestion was that WE do the painting, and we balked at that. We both have to work during the day, and what was I supposed to do, get up on a ladder to paint window frames on the attic windows with E strapped to me? Not to mention that we don't exactly have all the knowledge, experience, or tools to get a big job like that done in a day or two. In the end our agent found someone who could do it and we split the cost with the sellers.<br /><br />Anyway, everything eventually got settled and we were cleared to close and we did. <br /><br />Later I thought about it, and it does seem kind of strange to take out a mortgage for a longer period of time than either of us have been alive.<br /><br />We are both really happy about this. It was time. I think it was an unofficial goal of mine to own a home by the time I turned 30. I'm within that and so is Mark. When we moved here a couple years ago we said that we weren't going to move for at least two years. Well that was December 2008 so it will be exactly 2 years. <br /><br />When I got pregnant with E we started getting a lot of pressure to buy a house. Even with the tax credit, it just wasn't the right time for us. I kept telling those people that we wouldn't get approved for a mortgage (Mark didn't have a long enough work history at that point) and they kept acting like I was making stuff up, but hey, after all we went through I found out that I WAS RIGHT. It was hard enough now, last year it would have been impossible. Anyway, I knew we would want a house and a backyard eventually, I said by the summer he was 2 I definitely wanted a backyard. This past year was no big deal since we had a patio and enough grass too put a blanket down and be outside. Now that he is practically running, I'm glad that we will have the (fenced!) backyard next year. I needed a place for a kiddie pool too, you know?<br /><br />This summer I started having some serious house envy too. Some of the same people who had been pressuring before were putting pressure on again. It felt like we were second class citizens for renting instead of owning. Which is silly, but that is how it was starting to feel. Then my co-workers daughter got engaged, and her fiance's grandmother owned a house she offered to rent to them after they got married. I have to admit, that kind of did it for me. Here were a couple of 20 year olds who were going to have a house (even if they were renting, not buying). Our friends here all have houses. I felt it was time we had to at least try.<br /><br />The thing about all that is that if you go to college, meet someone there, graduate and both get full time professional jobs and get married, settle somewhere here in Ohio, you can probably buy a house within a couple years. So most people do. If after graduating from high school you or your spouse started working right away and either didn't go to college or only took classes part time, you can also probably buy a house, and for a lot of people here that is what they do too. <br /><br />The "problem" is that if you do graduate school of any kind it is really going to delay your ability to buy a house because instead of earning income you are probably racking up debt. Of course our other big thing was that we were living in the Chicago area where things are totally different. At least they looked totally different to me. Where as here most kids are getting married in their very early twenties and buying a house right away, where we spent our early-mid twenties people are age were often times living with their parents and just trying to save enough to rent their own place. I guess that isn't so different when you consider that rent on a one bedroom apartment somewhere on the north side is probably more than most mortgage payments (with tax and insurance) are here. Heck, our mortgage payment (plus tax and insurance) isn't even $30 more than the rent on my one bedroom apartment in the 'burbs was three years ago.<br /><br />Anyway, my point in all this was that as happy as we were to move back to Ohio and as much as we like this area, it did kind of suck to go from being in a similar place as our peers were out in Chicago to moving here and feeling way behind everyone else. Not that buying a house was to keep up with everyone else or something like that, but when there is something you really have wanted and everyone around you your age has it and it looks like something you still can't attain, well, that sucks. <br /><br />Enough ramblings on this for now.Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-46185008176349855822010-10-02T21:49:00.005-04:002010-10-02T22:47:17.660-04:00The return of autumn and lots of other thingsI've been feeling strange lately. It is really getting to be fall. The leaves are turning, it is cool, I'm cooking with pumpkin and lighting the big autumn scented Yankee candle I only burned about 1/3 of last year.<br /><br />I like fall. This year it feels so strange though because I keep thinking that last time it felt like this was right before E was born. Maybe it is because the month and a half after his birth was a daze and I hardly went outside, I felt like I skipped a big chunk of time. It sort of feels like this is where I left off. Which probably sounds really strange, but when E was born everything changed. Of course it did. All my priorities changed, it took me awhile to feel confident that I knew what I was doing. My whole relationship with my husband changed. Ever since I feel like little by little I am getting things back.<br />First, I went back to work. I dreaded how that would be, but when I did it, it felt great. It helped that I was leaving E in my home with my mom. It helped that I was less than 10 minutes away and could come home for lunch. It helped that I was only working 3 days a week, and those days I was only at work for 5 1/2 hours at a time. It was so good though to get dressed and ready for work, to have a few hours where I had both hands free, to think of things that had nothing to do with my role as a mother.<br />Then I finally found a solution to the pain I had experienced for almost three months. Mark and I started having an occasional "date night." Then we started traveling more than 45 minutes away. Then I started being able to go grocery shopping again. Then I finally got the confidence to go out alone with E. (I don't know why it took me so long to do that, I partially blame the pain in those first few months, partially blame the really bad winter weather we had until March.) Then I finally got my hair cut again (although, that hasn't happened since...). We started putting E in his highchair at dinner time with some toys and we could actually eat dinner at the same time and while sitting at the table again. Then I switched doctors and E started gaining weight and I finally was able to worry less and enjoy more. Then he started eating solids and combined with supplementing, he wasn't quite so dependent on me for food. Breastfeeding is totally worth it, but anyone who tries to tell you it isn't demanding is probably lying. <br />I finally got to the point where I could get him to sleep and leave and have a few hours in the evening to do some things I wanted to do or just be Mark. That was a HUGE step. Perhaps I could have had that earlier than 6 1/2 months, but crying it out just wasn't an option for our family and I don't feel that would have really worked with E anyway.<br />I started planning meals again and cooking regularly. E got out of the "mommy only" stage and Mark could take him along when he ran a few errands. Which meant I finally was able to clean things like I hadn't been able to since before I was pregnant.<br />So I guess that is all part of why everything feels so strange for me right now. Every day I look at E and see less of a baby and more of a little boy. Every month I'm feeling more and more like myself. It is partially that I've reclaimed things from my old life, partially that I'm adjusting and owning aspects of this new life and these new roles. At the same time the world is looking like it did back before everything turned upside down and things feel more and more "right."<br />It has been a crazy year. Or 10 1/2 months technically I guess.<br />The whole thing is very bittersweet.<br />I'm sad to see it go. It went so fast. I feel like those first six months were a blur, and there were so many struggle and unexplainable things, and some sadness and it was exhausting. I feel like I didn't get to enjoy it as much as I wish I did. Even this second half of the year, which I have been able to enjoy more, has just flown by. Every time I pack up clothes that are too small or are out of season I feel a twinge of sadness because E is never going to be at that stage again. It is over.<br />But at the same time...<br />I look at him now and see him taking steps on his own, babbling away to us and occasionally using correct words, feeding himself real food, etc. and it is just amazing how far he has come in such a short time, and it is so exciting.<br />I was always worried about having babies. I mean actual infants. I was around them so infrequently, I wasn't sure I would know what to do. All the diapering and feeding and their inability to use words to communicate and their small and delicate bodies, it was really overwhelming to think about. In reality it hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be. Instinct did kick in. I figured out communication (most of the time anyway) even without E being able to use words. But my point is, when I thought about having babies, it wasn't because I wanted a <span style="font-style: italic;">baby</span>, it was because I wanted children.<br />So now E is coming out of that baby stage and becoming a young child and I love that! I am so excited to take him to pick out pumpkins, and Christmas this year is going to be so much more exciting than last year. I can't wait until we can make play-dough, use crayons, play in the sandbox.<br />I know this is one hell of a rambling post again, but there is just so many emotions to sort through, and I would rather write about this than read the book I'm supposed to read before Wednesday about retirement planning.<br />I've still got a month and a half left before E's first birthday. This is not the last I'll say on the subject, I am sure. If there is one thing every other parent with older children tells me, it is that they grow up so fast and before you know it the time is gone. I guess I've only just begun to experience that.Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-75019969508673386392010-09-18T20:57:00.002-04:002010-09-18T21:02:35.006-04:00What to knit, what to knitI really want to start some new fall projects but I'm not sure what I want to knit.<br /><br />I've got some great yarn I could pull out, but it has to be the right pattern. I would hate to waste pretty yarn on something it isn't worthy of. I guess I was sort of thinking about some hats. Maybe some mittens, although I'm not really sure I'm interested in that right now. I would prefer something I only have to knit one of. I have two socks who need mates, so if I go that route I need cast on seconds socks, and I'm really not excited about that right now.Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-1815941737804775492010-09-15T20:27:00.004-04:002010-09-15T21:16:31.968-04:00More on DiapersYeah, I realized I have more to say. Can you believe it?<br /><br />First of all, today I received my most recent order of diapers. I got a dozen flats (brings the total to 15) and a couple more hemp doublers. I wanted to get one more silk liner but they were out of stock.<br />Then I got a couple BumGenius 3.0 pockets. The new 4.0 have come out so these were slightly marked down. Since I can stuff them and put them in the diaper bag like an AIO and they are one size so they will last a good long time I decided to get them. Pockets are new to me. They are currently in the diaper pail waiting to be washed so I'll have to report back on them. My only concern is that the inserts for stuffing that came with them are microfiber, and I know E has had issues with that in the past. We'll see if they work for him though, and if not maybe I can just fold up a flat to stuff in the pocket instead.<br />I also have had some curiosity about fitted diapers. The Play All Days are being discontinued so I went ahead and ordered a couple before they were all gone. I ordered two mediums, but alas, the website wasn't updated to reflect what they had in stock, so instead I exchanged them for two larges that won't fit until E is 26-28 lbs. I'll have to report on these later I guess. I do think they will make good toddler diapers since they should be pretty easy on and off.<br />I pulled out my sales receipt and got to thinking. I've kept all my receipts so that at the end I could see just how much I have spent on cloth diapering. I said in my last post that I wasn't convinced it was any cheaper with just one baby. I decided to start adding.<br />What I found is that I have spent a little more than $800 on diapers, wipes, accessories, wet bags, swim diapers, fasteners, liners, and a few little extras like that pail powder I tried and a couple pre-made wipe solution. Add in what I spent on the diaper pail itself, and ingredients for the wipe solution and maybe a couple things I'm forgetting at the moment and it is still under $900.<br />Now I know we do use more water now and more electric with the extra 15 loads of laundry a month, but I don't have a good way to measure that. I could compare our utility bills from now to last year, but that isn't really fair for a number of reasons. First, there have been lights left on for nighttime that didn't used to be on. Second, no one except that cat used to be here during the day and now either I'm here all day or my mom is here babysitting. Third, it was a cool summer last year and a pretty hot one this year so we've had to use the AC and fans much more. Lastly, there is an increase in non-diaper laundry since we had E. I guess I estimate that those utilities are about $20 more per month now total, so in ten months our utilities have cost about $200 more. That brings the cost of cloth diapering for 10 months the way we've done it up to $1100.<br />So what would I have spent if we did disposables? Well say E averages 12 diapers a day. That is fewer than many days have been, but disposable don't feel wet as fast, so I'm going with a lower estimate. We would need at least that many wipes plus maybe 25% more for diapers that require two or three to get a clean bottom. I would also need a diaper genie and those rolls of bags for them. I'm not going to count trash cost, since we have a dumpster that is irrelevant for us, and I'm not even going to factor in extra garbage bags because I don't know how to estimate that. I went to Wal-Mart's website (because that is all we have in town) and figured the cost for diapers for each size (I used Pampers), wipes, diaper genie, and refill bags. The total came to about $1225.<br />So right now we are still ahead on cloth diapers. In my cloth cost I included shipping. I didn't include the price of gas for us to go over to Wal-Mart all the time (it isn't a normal stop for us) if we had gone with disposables.<br />I'm not done buying diapers. I know we will need bigger swim diapers. What we have now will work until E is 30 lbs, then the only ones I have that will work are those two pockets and two fitted I got today. Well the flats will work too, and so will 6 of the covers. I will want some size large Bummis covers, maybe 3. I *think* I will end up getting 2 dozen toddler sized prefolds. So that will run me somewhere between about $120-150 depending what I get. Of course there are continued costs with the utilities and the wipe solution ingredients. I will need to find some training pants for potty training time. All in all though, even if we are only 1/3 the way through diapering, I think I've already got the bulk of what I'll need. The cost of disposables would just keep on going. Plus, there a lot of people say babies who are in cloth diapers learn to potty train faster, so with any luck we might be done diapering sooner than we would be otherwise.<br />I have determined that I was wrong, cloth diapering is less expensive, even with just one baby. It is just that when you spend so much all at once it seems like you are spending more than you really are. I guess you don't notice it when it is $20-30 here and there every few weeks. <br />Plus you can always resell diapers and recoup some of the cost. You can use old prefolds and flats as rags, so they can serve more purposes than just diapers.Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-25929734852694252862010-09-04T21:37:00.007-04:002010-09-12T22:44:19.646-04:00Diaper RamblingsMaybe it is that I have read a lot of threads on the cloth diaper board, that I spent a lot of time while pregnant thinking ahead about cloth diapers and wading through options trying to find what I thought would work best for us, but every time I fold diapers I start composing a sort of review of them in my head. Maybe it is time I actually get that out.<br /><br />Truth be told, I haven't tried a wide variety of cloth diapers. Mostly we just use prefolds with PUL covers, but I love them. I hate folding laundry but I actually like folding the diapers, they make me happy for some reason. I can't really explain it. It could just appeal to the nesting instinct in me, I like folding baby clothes too (well, except the towels and sheets and stuff, that is a pain) but those are only my second favorite. Diapers win.<br /><br />I guess this isn't really a review so much as a "this is what I use and works for me and I like" sort of thing.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">The Diapers</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Prefolds</span><br /><br />Prefolds are our main diapers. I've bought a couple different kinds. I didn't buy any newborn sized because I expected a baby a minimum of 8 1/2 lbs. I was in for a surprise. Even at his lowest weight of 6 lbs 12 oz I was able to make the infant size work. If there is a next time (and I hope there is, but I don't like to assume there will be) I think I will go ahead and get at least a dozen newborn size to make it a little easier in the beginning, and because so many people say the newborn size is great for doublers or stuffing for older babies/toddlers. I just can't see getting a whole set of newborn diapers though when they fit for such a short time.<br /><br />We started using the cloth when E was about 4 days old I think. It was such a relief once we did because I could actually tell the diaper was wet and be a lot more confident about the wet diaper count. We used disposables the first few days mostly because there was already so much that was new and we were trying to figure out without trying to learn how to put the diapers on right. Of course if there is a next time we will already know how to use them so we can start earlier.<br /><br />I had 6 Bummis diapers, 6 small (yellow-edge) diapers from Green Mountain, and 18 infant (green-edge) diapers from Baby Cotton Bottoms. That first month or so the yellow ones didn't get much use. They were really too big so they were the last I used. (That is why I want some newborn sized next time, to make up for these not working in the very beginning.) The others fit better, but for the first couple months I folded all of them down and couple inches in the back to make the length fit better. Then I didn't need to do that for the Bummis or the green ones. After a little while I didn't have to do it with the yellow either. I used the angel-wing fold and rolled it in around the legs for extra leak protection. Even though I think it is easier to fold the diapers if you don't have to fold them down for a better fit, I have to say I think that extra edge in back saved us some blow-outs.<br /><br />Early on we had a couple messes, but that was due mostly due to user error and inexperience in making sure that the pajamas or onesie was pulled up far enough before taking the diaper off. We've only ever had one diaper that was truly a "blow out" and only a handful of times where we had leaking, but once again, those were more due to bad folding than anything else.<br /><br />Of that first set of prefolds, my least favorite was the Bummis. I thought they were kind of stiff. Mark liked those best for awhile though. They were the first ones I put away when E started to grow into the next size. Initially the green were my favorite. They were the softest and they fit E best for a long time. Then they started to get a little snug and the yellow ones became my favorite because they were wider. I think I'd also like 6 more yellow-edged for next time.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />All-in-Ones</span><br /><br />I also had three different all-in-one diapers I used. We had a BumGenius 3.0, a Thirties size small, and a SposoEasy. I didn't really use these much. Initially when I learned about cloth diapering I thought they would be great, but I knew we couldn't afford a whole ton of these in each size, so I figured the best thing to do would go with mostly pre-folds and get a few all-in-ones too. I figured for the small size I should order a few different types to see what I liked best.<br /><br />At first I thought the Thirsties one was best. It was softer and made more sense to me than the SposoEasy, and it had leg gussets unlike the Bum Genius. For whatever reason E did not like these though. I think it was the microfiber inside that bothered him when it got wet? Maybe it was too hot? I'm not sure. A diaper that results in a screaming baby when it gets wet does not stay at the top of a favorite list for long. I did come to like the SposoEasy one a lot because I could tell easier if it was wet and E seemed most comfortable in it since it is all cotton inside. The BumGenius I didn't like at first since it didn't have leg gussets, but it had the longest lasting fit and towards the end of its use I came to like it a lot. Which is kind of weird, because the other two were supposed to fit longer than the BumGenius.<br /><br />The all-in-ones are handy to have in the diaper bag. They take up less room and are neater in the bag. I like to have E in an all-in-one when we go to the doctor's office. It makes all the dressing and undressing a lot easier. I tried them for night thinking they would be more absorbent, but that was a no-go. That is when I got the screaming baby. Other than that, I mostly just used them as back-up for when we were low on the prefolds. They <span style="font-weight: bold;">are</span> easier than prefolds. Not that prefolds are that difficult, but AIOs go on and off like a disposable and it is all one piece, so that makes it simpler for changing.<br /><br />The things I don't like about AIOs are laundry related. This is where they are <span style="font-weight: bold;">not</span> simpler. First of all, they take longer to dry. I always line dried them and they took a couple days typically. The other thing I didn't have a problem with so much, but lots of people do, is the build-up.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Detergent</span><br /><br />I don't use a special detergent. I already can't use any detergents that have enzymes in them because they make me itch like mad. I use the store brand of Purex Free & Clear, which I believe has brighteners in it even though they aren't listed on the label, but otherwise is free of enzymes, dyes, and fragrance. I have thus far been able to get away with using this detergent for the prefolds. I believe from what I've read that I might not have such good luck with it if I was using AIOs. They are so thick I think they just tend to hold on to stuff, plus with all that microfiber and fleece they are kind of finicky. No one around me sells these recommended-for-cloth detergents, even if it lasts a long time I find it hard to justify spending an enormous amount on a special detergent and then a large amount to have it shipped to me. Especially since lots of people still seem to have problems with some of these recommended detergents.<br /><br />I once saw a friend of a friend make a comment about diapers just being diapers. They get pooped and peed on. There is no need to make them complicated. Sometimes I read this stuff and I really think some people like to make things be more complicated than they have to be. I guess this is why I mostly do prefolds. They are simple to take care of and once you get the hand of them, pretty simple to use.<br /><br />When it was time to order the next size up in prefolds I got a dozen of the Green Mountain medium (red-edge) and two dozen of the Baby/Premium (blue-edge) prefolds from Baby Cotton Bottoms. I ordered these during the period where I preferred the green over the yellow-edged diapers. We didn't need them as soon as I expected we would. I think we made the switch sometime between 6 and 7 months. Of course, up until that point E was pretty small.<br /><br />The red are a little wider and the blue are longer. At this point I wish I had two dozen red and one dozen blue instead of the other way around. The blue are still long enough that I have to fold them down for a good fit. If I do the angel wing fold I make the fold in back. If I do the bikini twist fold (I just learned how to do that one in the last couple months) I fold it down in front. It just works better that way. The red I always do in the angel wing fold, they are almost too wide and therefore too bulky to do the bikini twist nicely I think.<br /><br />For awhile after E outgrew that BumGenious size small I didn't have any AIOs, I figured I didn't really need them. Then I went ahead and ordered another BumGenius size medium. I kind of wish I had at least two, but the first one really did last through about 16 lbs, and the medium is supposed to fit 15-22 lbs. I ordered it about a month and a half ago when he was already 17+ lbs, and I have no idea how soon he is going to hit 22. He was 19 1/2 lbs tonight. For as expensive as the AIOs are I want to be sure I'm going to get decent use out of them. I think I will try to make do with the one until he is big enough for the large size and then I will order 3 of them and it will be good. I guess I would order a SposoEasy again too if I was placing an order from Green Mountain Diapers, but they are kind of my back-up to Cotton Baby Bottoms. I think the sized Thirsties got discontinued anyway since now they make the 2 size ones, but given E's reaction I think I'll pass on them.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Flats</span><br /><br />Also in my order from a month and a half ago: 3 flat diapers. I hadn't really realized they were an option, or understood about them until recently. Then I read about how much some other mothers liked them, so I thought I would try a few. I like them. Not enough to make them they only thing I have, but I do like them.<br /><br />I am not convinced that flats are as absorbent as prefolds, but they are definitely trimmer. The folding is trickier, but it isn't so hard to get them around hips well. It is easier to put extra diaper where you need extra absorbency. Mark hasn't used them, not because he isn't willing to, but because he hasn't really needed to so he will just grab a prefold instead. I like that they are cheaper than prefolds and they are one size. I think next time I place an order I will get a dozen, then I will have 15 of them which will be nice. I was intending to use them as back-up but for daytime at home I actually find if I have one I will grab it before a prefold. They are more time consuming to fold, and sometimes I blank on how to fold them, but overall I like them. I even figured out how to secure it without a snappi the other day!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Fasteners</span><br /><br />Which I guess I didn't mention, and perhaps I should. I do use a snappi on the prefolds. Once when I had a snappi break on me and I couldn't find another one, I grabbed the diaper pins I have "just in case." Yeah, I couldn't use them. I was so paranoid I was going to poke E that I gave up and just didn't fasten the diaper under the cover. I think securing the diaper in some way is a good idea for a young baby. It keeps things in if you know what I mean. I've thought about just trifolding the prefold and laying it in the cover, but old habbits die hard and once in awhile (particularly after E has had pears or peaches) we are really glad that the diaper has that snappi. When we ran out of diapers a couple times (before the extra AIO and flats came) I grabbed a yellow diaper back out of storage and put it in trifolded, that worked pretty good.<br /><br />So that is it for the diapers themselves. But what about over the diapers?<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Covers</span><br /><br />I always thought I would want to use wool. Wool covers are expensive though, and why would I buy a wool cover when I could knit one? Then I got pregnant and despite my best intentions, I just couldn't get up the knitting mojo to complete a soaker. I made a sack type soaker, even lanolized it. I never used it though. I forgot about it at first, then it didn't make any sense with the clothes I had for E. I actually did knit a soaker, but never got the ribbing done on the legs. It is probably too small now even if I did finish it. The wool makes clothing options difficult though. Onesies are what is most prevalent, and I like them, but I'm worried about compression issues with onesies over wool.<br /><br />Instead I just use PUL covers. I bought some off an Etsy seller, and I really liked them, especially since they weren't very expensive, but this last time I didn't get any from her. She raised her prices (understandable, but her prices was part of the appeal of buying from her) and then Thirsties came out with the duo sized covers, so I mostly went with them. I found her covers ran a little smaller than most, which was great early on, but then E would outgrow them so fast. I have also used Bummis and Thirsties covers.<br /><br />The Bummis Super Brites I like. I had two size small and now have two size medium. They are pretty, I like velcro, and they have leg gussets. I hated the Whisper Wrap (small) I got from them. No leg gusset and I found out I <span style="font-weight: bold;">hated</span> snaps. I couldn't get a good fit. It was either too tight or too loose. I also bought a (now discontinued) fleece cover (medium). It is all right, I thought it would be more breathable for summer. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. It works, but it pilled fast so it looks worn.<br /><br />I like the Thirsties covers a lot. I had a couple x-small and a couple small sizes, then they came out with the duo sizes. I bought one of the size one duos. It didn't get much use because E grew out of it fast. Right now all the Thirsties covers I have (and that would be 4 solids and two prints) are the size two duos. I'm liking them a lot, but I do wonder if they will really last all the way through to potty training. They get so much use. We line dry them too.<br /><br />I also had one extra small organic cotton cover with PUL lining inside. It was all right, but I thought it wicked really easily.<br /><br />At this point, I still really prefer velcro to snaps. I hear people say that once a baby figures out how to get the diaper off I will prefer snaps to velcro but we are (thankfully) not there yet. I just think that I can get a better fit with velcro.<br /><br />We currently have 9 covers in rotation. I think this is about right. We could make due with 7 or 8, but I wouldn't want less than 6. Mostly we just alternate between two at a time, but sometimes they get super soaked or they get messy and we switch. Or I just get to feeling like E has been in one a long time already so I toss it in the laundry and pull a different one out. Sometimes one gets left in the diaper bag. We haven't run out yet. It allows us to do laundry every 2 - 2 1/2 days and gives the covers time to line dry before they are returned to the rotation.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">Wipes</span><br /><br />Then there is the whole issue with wipes. Everything I read when I was pregnant about unnecessary baby stuff talked about wipes warmers and how silly and useless they were. They probably are if you use disposable wipes, they don't hold that much liquid. We use cloth wipes though and a couple weeks in we decided to use a gift card and buy one specifically for cloth wipes and WOW that made a big difference with how E tolerated diaper changes. Necessary? No, not really. Nice to have? For sure! I use ImseVimpse flannel wipes and love them. We have 4 dozen now and I feel like we finally have the right number. I have maybe 10 other flannel wipes from somewhere, but they are odd shaped so it is kind of weird knowing how to fold them in the wipes warmer. They mostly go in the diaper bag. We also have the 5 bamboo wipes that came with the wipes warmer. They are thick and terrycloth-like, but they fray really easily. We actually use those as pee shields and they work really good for that since they are small and really absorbent. I also cut up a pair of torn pajama pants into little squares, but due to my sewing machine being out of commission I didn't edge them, so they are frayed too. They are still good to have as back-ups though.<br />The Imse Vimse wipes we keep wet and in the warmer. When we do a load of diapers the wipes are in there of course, and after they have been folded we just stick them in an old plastic disposable wipes container and pour a batch of wipe solution over them. I boil water (which I don't think you have to but it makes me feel better and then they start out warm) and mix 3 c water with 1/2 t baby wash (I use California Baby), 1 T olive oil (cheap stuff, we aren't talking organic extra virgin olive oil here), and a couple drops lavender and tea tree essential oil. We let it cool a little then stick them in the warmer to stay warm.<br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><br />Little Extras</span><br /><br />Here is the fun stuff, but also stuff that can start adding up. For the record, I'm not sure that cloth diapering one baby is really much cheaper than using disposables. Maybe it is if you do flats and duo covers. Although I do wonder if the covers really will last all the way through. The cotton I think will, the PUL and velcro and snaps and elastic seems more likely to have something wear out. Anyway, tangent about covers aside, it seems like I have spent a lot on diapers and accessories. If E is are only one, it might be even with what we would have spent on disposable diapering, but if we do have a second or even third child I think we are really going to see savings then. I'm sure we'll need to replace things here and there, maybe find some different solutions here and there too, but there will be so much we are able to reuse. Then when you consider that you can often resell this stuff, you can recoup some of the cost down the road. Expense wasn't really the top reason for choosing cloth over disposables for us though.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Liners</span><br /><br />My favorite little extra are the raw silk liners we have. We only have two, but they are great when E has a little extra redness, they really seem to help clear it up.<br /><br />I also bought a role of flushable liners. We don't use them much, only when we need to put some diaper cream on, but then we use the California Baby Diaper rash cream which is supposed to be compatible with cloth diapers, but I like taking the extra precaution of having a liner in there. Some liners can be washed if they just get peed on and used again but I have found out that the ones we have do not hold up in the wash at all.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Doublers</span><br /><br />Initially I bought a couple Thirsties microfiber doublers. These are really kind of bulky and I found that they can work outside a prefold, but E will not tolerate them next to his skin, so I hardly ever use them. I tried stuffing an AIO with a pocket with one once. It did not go over well. Too much microfiber and therefor too warm or uncomfortable for E I guess.<br /><br />I learned my lesson but was still interested in a doubler to get us through a longer stretch at night now that E doesn't need to have a bunch of midnight feedings anymore. I bought a couple Play All Day hemp doublers. I really like these! They are soft and E doesn't object to them at all. I usually use them when I do an angel-wing fold and I stick half of it in the front between the folds and fold the other half down inside the diaper right next to E's skin so they actually add 2 layers.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Pail Liners/Wet Bags</span><br /><br />I think this is more of a necessity than an extra, but people have a lot of different set ups so it isn't a must for everyone I guess.<br /><br />We use a big kitchen trash can with lid and foot pedal for our diaper pail. I added some baby stickers to decorate it and make it a little less trash can like. Inside the pail we use a wet bag to line it. We use the large Blue Penguin Wet Bags. They are PUl with a drawstring. I know some people don't like the drawstring, but for our purposes it works fine. We throw the wetbag in the wash with the diapers then line dry. We started out with two, but awhile back I got a third one because they take a little extra time to dry and when we travel that can cause a little bit of a hiccup.<br /><br />I also have a couple small Blue Penguin Wet Bags or use in the diaper bag. I like that they actually hold quite a few diapers. I don't like that they take up a bit of room even when folded in the diaper bag and the drawstring doesn't always close really tight.<br /><br />I felt I needed a 3rd diaper bag wet bag, so I got a Kushies bag. This is my favorite! The fabric is thinner so it fits better and the drawstring pulls the bag closed a lot tighter. Also, the fabric has a pattern and is cute. The downside is that it doesn't hold as many diapers, so while it works great for a short trip somewhere it doesn't work so well if we are going to be gone all day.<br /><br />If I were to get another travel/diaper bag wet bag I think I would look into the Planet Wise bags. I've heard a lot of good things about them and I think the zipper closure would be nice.<br /><br />Back to the cost issue for a second though. When people consider the expense of diapering I think they are a lot more likely to include the wet bags in the cost of cloth diapering, but often forget to add the cost of the diaper genie and those bags plus potentially the extra trash bags and possibly trash pick-up costs of using disposables.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Odor Issues<br /></span><br />I think the diaper pail gets a little smelly as it gets full. Honestly I think it is less smelly than disposable diapers are, but I found an easy way to cut the stench is to sprinkle some baking soda in the pail. In my pre-birth purchases I got a canister of scented pail powder. It is nice and all, but really I think plain old baking soda does the trick.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Swim Diapers</span><br /><br />E went swimming once this summer. I purchased two Bummis swim diapers knowing he was going to switch sizes sometime in the summer. I think we did use the small one, we never used the medium one (or was it the other way around?) I guess he didn't really put it to the test, but I think it worked well for the use it did have.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Diaper Stores</span><br /><br />I guess I should mention where I get all this stuff too. The majority of my purchases have come from Cotton Baby Bottoms. The owner is on Ravelry and is always so helpful (plus she gives us a discount) so I like to buy from her first.<br /><br />I have also bought a fair amount from Green Mountain Diapers, and had a few orders from Kelly's Closet. I've had great service from both these stores as well and would recommend all three.<br /><br />Well that was a lot of babble about diapers. This post was started then finished a week later. In the meantime I ordered a dozen more flats, two more hemp liners, two BumGenius 3.0 one size pocket diapers, and 2 Play All Day fitted diapers that are being discontinued. I ordered the fitted diapers in the medium size but they were actually sold out so I got them in large instead. At best they won't fit until E is 26 lbs, so it will be awhile before I can tell you how they are. I was looking at them more as a nighttime solution/easy for diaper bag use. Same for the pocket diapers really. I want to see if they work better for nighttime use, but I also am tired of doing prefolds in the diapers bag. I even like flats in the diaper bag better, but Mark is still a bit befuddled by those.Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-70437364885176642462010-08-18T20:54:00.003-04:002010-08-18T21:13:16.328-04:00Adirondack Blue PotatoesToday was Farmers' Market day again. I wish I could tell you that I go just about every week because I can get a lot of inexpensive locally grown produce, but that simply isn't true.<br /><br />I'm addicted to the cinnamon rolls I can buy there. <br /><br />That and I do like the whole grain breads that I can buy.<br /><br />As for the produce, well...<br />Yes, it is locally grown and to sell at this market you have to grow it yourself on your land. No buying produce and reselling it. I like that.<br />What I don't like is the price. The prices seem to be set very high by one particular Amish seller, and then almost everyone else follows. I'm not basing my price expectations on what I see in the grocery store. Although they are sometimes higher than what the grocery store is selling the local produce that they buy at local auctions and then mark up to resell. I'm basing this on the prices other Amish families charge at their veggie stands where my parents live. I should probably note that the Amish at our county's Farmers' Market don't live in our county. They live in my parents' county. Anyway, it annoys me because I will pay a fair price, but I don't think I should have to pay at least 50% more than what is normally charged.<br /><br />Anyway, rant aside...<br /><br />I can find some really great things that are unique.<br /><br />I was really excited today because I saw some potatoes that caught my eye. They are blue!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mSgeiJz1jik/TGyBWPjxlJI/AAAAAAAAAmo/KBhGNLiQ9CU/s1600/100_1941.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mSgeiJz1jik/TGyBWPjxlJI/AAAAAAAAAmo/KBhGNLiQ9CU/s320/100_1941.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506918663500960914" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I thought just the skins would be blue, but no, as you can see they are actually completely blue. <br /><br />So when I got home I did a quick google search and came up with <a href="http://www.saratoga.com/today/2009/03/food---adirondack-blue-mashed-1.html">this</a>. As you can see below, there was a lot of color in our meal tonight! It was also very "local." The tomatoes and green beans are actually from my parents garden, as were the onions in the potatoes. I didn't have any leeks, but the garlic I used I bought at the market last week. The basil and parsley in the potatoes I grew myself. Oh, and we also had yellow watermelon for dessert that we bought from the Amish growers who charge an arm and a leg. But it was a very sweet seedless yellow watermelon so it was worth paying a little more for.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mSgeiJz1jik/TGyBW8Ir9XI/AAAAAAAAAmw/Atrjb1MVFbs/s1600/100_1943.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mSgeiJz1jik/TGyBW8Ir9XI/AAAAAAAAAmw/Atrjb1MVFbs/s320/100_1943.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506918675466941810" border="0" /></a>Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-31272568167601457322010-07-23T21:43:00.005-04:002010-07-23T22:30:18.398-04:00Sweet Fern Mitt FateSo I'm not sure what to do with these <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sweet-fern-mitts">Sweet Fern Mitts</a> I'm working on.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mSgeiJz1jik/TEpFflpT4jI/AAAAAAAAAmg/pdXpWbXPYBs/s1600/100_1805.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mSgeiJz1jik/TEpFflpT4jI/AAAAAAAAAmg/pdXpWbXPYBs/s320/100_1805.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497282704142754354" /></a><br /><br />I'm not a knitting perfectionist. Life is too short and there are too many things I want to knit to worry about minor mistakes no one but myself is going to notice. <br /><br />Then there are mistakes that are more noticeable. For instance, on that first mitt I wasn't very careful about counting what round I was on and several of the lower cables are probably 5 round repeats rather than 4. I was willing to let that go. But now I can't figure out how I came up with so few cables on the top part (once I started the thumb gusset) and it is going to be noticeable that the left mitt has more cables than the right mitt. I could just re-do the top of the right mitt. I could frog them both.<br /><br />The cables are actually the wrong way too. I have a first edition of the book and there is a bunch or errata on this pattern. I found something I knew couldn't be right and looked it up, only to find that the chart has the cables crossed the wrong way. I kind of thought "who cares" because I liked the way it looked anyway, but now with the other mistakes I'm about to rip it all out.<br /><br />I like the yarn with this pattern, I have sunk a bit of time into these, but honestly I'm not sure how much use I'm going to get out of these fingerless mitts. I have a couple pairs of Fetchings and another pair of fingerless mitts, they are good for fall and early spring, but I am thinking I might just convert these into mittens with the cables going to right way. I'm just not sure I'm ready to actually rip yet. I guess I'll just work on the second sock of the pair for my mom this weekend.Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-63813988283722368112010-07-20T20:15:00.000-04:002010-07-20T20:15:52.501-04:00Interweave Knits Fall 2010I got my new issue of Interweave in the mail yesterday. I did a quick browse of it while E was playing on the floor, but I have to be careful else he tries to grab magazines and eat them. Actually substitute and noun for "magazines" and you probably have an accurate sentence. Such is life with an 8-month old.<br />
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My overall impression was good. I saw a lot more that I liked this time than I have for a long time. I'm sure my renewed love of knitting helps, and of course any Fall publication always has the best patterns in my opinion. O actually saw sweaters I wanted to knit! I haven't wanted to knit sweaters for a very long time. I probably won't actually knit them because really, when do I have time for a project of that scale? Also, I should probably finish Mark's poor languishing sweater before starting any other sweaters.<br />
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I did see some hat patterns I liked and probably will knit. Mark got me a gift certificate to Wool & Company for my birthday and I still need to use it. It isn't quite the same ordering on-line as it is going to the store, but he knew I missed it and I thought it was a very sweet present.Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-58222616632173405822010-07-18T21:55:00.002-04:002010-07-18T22:34:25.168-04:00A few weeks ago I posted a link to an article that was linked on another site I read. I probably should have given some commentary on it, but I was so disgusted by the article I couldn't stand to. Honestly I was more disgusted as a feminist than as a breastfeeding mother. The primary thing that angered me was the author's insistence that a woman's body is primarily for her husband's sexual gratification. Our bodies are not single use, single purpose. I'm not degrading my breasts by using them to feed my baby. I can use my body to nourish my children and to love my husband. He witnessed the birth of our son and hasn't had any "problems." Just sayin'<br /><br />This leads me down another path, one that I've been wanting to go down for awhile but I'm not entirely sure how.<br /><br />So, breastfeeding. My son was exclusively breastfed (in that he had only breastmilk, he did have EBM from bottles) for the first 5 1/2 months. I am nursing now. I intend to nurse until he is a year old, and then we'll see what happens from there.<br /><br />I have such mixed feelings about it though.<br /><br />On one hand, I am very supportive of it. I do think there are a TON of benefits for both baby and mother. I've enjoyed the closeness I feel to E and the way I've been able to nourish and comfort him through it. If anyone I know said they intended to breastfeed I would be very encouraging of it.<br /><br />On the other hand, I have a big complaint. I think the way women who don't breastfeed or even those who do but wean early or whatever are treated can be downright shitty. There is a certain attitude among some pro-breastfeeding women/groups that if you have any problems it is because UR DOING IT RONG! <br /><br />As someone who wanted very very badly to have a successful nursing relationship with my baby I have to say that when I encounter that attitude it really hurts. Yeah this is about me and my expectations and the fact that sometimes I get these really lofty ideas and try to strive for perfection and when I don't meet those goals I feel a lot of disappointment and beat myself up about. There is that, I admit it. I'm not sure I'm that unique in that though, and this sort of thing can't have happened only to me. <br /><br />It is the tone some books and website are written in. As great a resource as Kellymom.com is, every time a well-meaning person directed me to the page about slow weight gain that says it is usually due to poor breastfeeding management I wanted to cry and scream and throw things. I had been through that list twenty times and I was doing everything I was supposed to be doing.<br /><br />It is reading forums where someone pipes in about how formula is completely junk or practically poison and ewww how could you ever give that to your baby? Well I'll tell you. You will give that to your baby when for the last 2 months his weight gain has averaged about 1.5-2 oz./week instead of the 4 oz./week it is supposed to and you've tried everything short of standing on your head (although I tried something similar once when I had a plugged duct) to increase your supply and it isn't making a difference. (Seriously, I will detail the whole story on this at some point.)<br /><br />I guess I needed to get that out. As much as I still stand by my choice the attitudes of some people are seriously pissing me off. I imagine it is the same as other women feel about having a c-section. That whole thing that "well, ok, <span style="font-style: italic;">some </span>women have problems, but it is rare" disclaimer, then disparage women who don't do what you think they should do and never mention those exceptions again. (Which, for the record since I had a natural birth at home I feel self-conscious about this and will say I think whatever birth choice a woman makes for herself and her situation is fine. I just hate to see women not being given options and pushed into something they don't want for silly reasons and I feel like I hear that a lot. But it makes me sad that the women were pushed around, I don't think there is anything wrong with them as mothers or as people. If an informed choice is made that is great. But if we are going to talk about birth that is a topic for another day.)Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671182816591871181.post-21075626478437789492010-07-18T21:42:00.002-04:002010-07-18T21:54:23.633-04:00As I have spent the last 45 minutes basically trying to get my son to go to sleep and stay asleep, my mind has wandered and I've been thinking about this blog.<br /><br />To keep it or let it go? To post about just knitting or more?<br /><br />Awhile back I said I didn't intend to turn this into a "mommy blog." I still don't, yet it seems that is what I have to write about most of the time. I guess it comes down to the old saying that to write well you have to write what you know. Right now a lot of what is on my mind tends to be baby related.<br /><br />I think my passion for knitting is returning, and I am optimistic that I will have a pretty scarf to share soon. There just isn't much to write about there though. "I'm knitting a scarf from alpaca I bought at the Fiber Show. It is soft, it is pretty. I like knitting. " See what I mean?<br /><br />What I really want to do is just write and not worry about what category it fits into. With that said...<br /><br />This is not a knitting blog.<br /><br />This is not a mommy blog.<br /><br />This is not a cooking blog.<br /><br />This is just my blog and I'm going to write whatever I feel like writing about. So there.<br /><br />For the last month or so I was filling my writing needs in other places. I had to get my mind somewhere else when I was pumping at work besides just worrying about how I never get as much as I think I should or feeling sad about certain things. Since the dates this June and July are the same days of the week as they were in 2004 when Mark and I started dating I decided that I would take my reminiscing a write our story. I think I am done with that now so lets see what I have to put out here now.Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08549794157881377475noreply@blogger.com1