Coffee and Knitting Needles

Mommy Blogs

2012-01-13T22:15:00.003-05:00

I never have had any real desire to turn this into a "mommy blog" and besides my cloth diaper posts I really haven't had much I have wanted to write about anyway. In part because I haven't wanted to put a lot of pictures up and in part because blogger is kind of clunky anyway and I'm really too busy (or truthfully, lazy) to write much anyway. But it is also because mommy blogs kind of drive me nuts.
The sanctimonious b.s. is enough for me to want to tear my hair out some days.
Of course what have I been doing recently? Reading posts from such blogs.
It all started with pinterest and toddler activities and sensory bins and other such stuff. Well I saw some things that looked interesting and found they were from some blogs and decided to subscribe through google reader. My eyes have been strained from eye rolling every since.
Now the logical thing to do would be to just unsubscribe. But much like that old high school classmate on Facebook whose posts are always drama filled or outrageous, I can't do it.
One of the blogs is very popular. There are at least a couple mothers who contribute to it, and their ideas are becoming "the thing to do" right now. It isn't that sensory bins are such a bad idea, but they are just touted as such wonderful ingenious ideas of these mommy bloggers that I have wanted to dump a tub of beans over their heads. Last week when we had a warm spell E was out in the backyard and wanted to play in the sandbox. I watched him scoop and dump the sand and though "ha! there is a 'sensory bin' for you!" Really it wouldn't be bad to find something he could do that with indoors, but I don't feel the need to hide things in the beans. He would just take out the little animals and line them up with his trains for dinner or whatever it is he is playing for hours each day up in the attic. Seriously, the kid has no problem with independent play and imaginative play...and I'm enjoying the time to knit again!
Oh and the other big thing on that blog is calling every play station they set up an "invitation." Give me a break. Why must I label everything? Can't I just let my child play and suggest things once in awhile without feeling like I'm writing a lesson plan?
But the one mother on that blog in particular drives me batty. Why you would continuously post pictures of your little girls not wearing anything on the bottom but underpants is beyond me. Why you would ever post a picture of your 3 year old carrying something in her panties is REALLY bizarre to me. Um, ewww. I think that at that point you need to put the camera down and have a little chat about how we don't put stuff in our panties. But some of us see it as a photo-op to post on our blog with tens of thousands of readers. Whatever.
This woman just strikes a nerve with me though. It wasn't just the super sanctimonious post about her routine she put up last week. It is those damn light tables. Kinds of cool? Yeah. Somethings that needs to be posted about every other week? No.

I think that is enough ranting for right now. I told my husband when he got home that someone didn't get a nap today who needed it and he could decide if that someone was E or if it was me. Really, it was both. I've been cranky all evening and my head hurts. But even when I'm not cranky and my head doesn't hurt this stuff gets to me. Parenting is hard work. It doesn't mean it isn't enjoyable or it doesn't have its wonderful moments, but sometimes even stuff you enjoy is hard. Like knitting a lace shawl. You do it because you enjoy it, and you know you'll love the finished object. But there are moments in there when you just need to put it down for a few minutes and you need a little break. There are moments when you know you need to just plow on through but doing so gives you a headache anyway. And there are moments when you hold it up to check your process and you think "this is turning out great!"
I say this because I don't want to give the impression that I dislike parenting or having a small child, but I believe in being honest about it. Not only do I feel like there is some definite fakeness going on, I think some women are just taking themselves way too seriously.
With that I will leave you with my two favorite antidotes to the aforementioned type of blog:
STFU Parents
and
Parenting Illustrated with Crappy Pictures

Mittens and Morning Sickness

2011-12-18T05:14:00.005-05:00

Why 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.

It isn't like I currently have 3 WIP mittens. Oh no, not at all.

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.

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!

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.

There is a pair I knit for E and a pair I knit for Mark last month too.

More hats in progress

2011-10-18T22:15:00.002-04:00

My 16" size 7 needle sure is getting a workout! I'm on to my 4th hat with it in the past week!

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.

Fall Hats

2011-10-16T11:00:00.004-04:00

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.

I had a lot of things I could have (and perhaps should have) done but I concentrated my efforts on knitting.

E has one hat from late last winter that fits but it was time for new hats and here is the trio I completed.

First up is Miles' Goldfish Hat. 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.
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 Quynn. 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.

I actually really love the way the earflaps work on this hat too.

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.

Now of the three his least favorite seems to be Cozy 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?

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.

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.

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!

Early Harvest

2011-06-21T00:08:00.003-04:00

The 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

If I'm lucky and we actually get some sun I think before too long we will have some cherry tomatoes too!

Socks

2011-06-20T23:46:00.002-04:00

Like I said in my last post, it is mittens and socks.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The big reason: I distracted myself with a new pair of socks.

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!

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.

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.

If I keep up at this rate I am going to have a nice hand knit sock selection this winter!

Mittens

2011-06-20T23:22:00.002-04:00

Well not only am I knitting socks lately, I'm apparently back on mittens.

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 Folk Mittens. 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 that 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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

Instead I opted for another pattern from the Folk Mittens book. I decided to knit Mittens from Turkey- Anatolian Mittens in red and white like they are shown in the book.

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 Folk Mittens book. Perhaps because I like to keep them a little more authentic? I'm not really sure. Anyway, I did change one thing.

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.

From the Garden

2011-05-31T22:17:00.004-04:00

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.

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.

Great Lakes Fiber Show '11

2011-05-29T21:11:00.004-04:00

This 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!

So here is what I ended up with:

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.

A new vendor for me: Grouse Ridge Farm:
These 4 skeins are for colorwork mittens. The greens are all naturally dyed.

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.
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:

This was my last purchase at the Fiber Show, but not my last purchase of the day.

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.

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.

Socks!

2011-05-29T21:07:00.003-04:00

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.

I'll take pictures when it is light outside and post if I remember.

I'm just so excited I actually did this again. The last time I did that must have been before E was born.

Cloth Diapering: 18 months in

2011-04-27T22:15:00.002-04:00

Well, 17 1/2 to be exact, but close enough.

So what does cloth diapering look like for us now?

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.
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.
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.
As for the diaper bag these days:
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.
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.

A New Year and a New (Old) House

2011-01-01T20:32:00.002-05:00

Well 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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Diapering at One Year

2010-12-21T23:41:00.004-05:00

Since I made my initial post about our diaper system I've added to it a little.

Flats
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.

Pockets
I ordered 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 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.

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.

HOUSE!

2010-12-21T23:39:00.003-05:00

We got the keys to the house a few days early and I've been busy working on things ever since.

I'm documenting it over here. 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.

Things I will miss about this apartment

2010-12-03T22:42:00.005-05:00

In all my excitement for buying a house, I have to admit that moving out of this apartment is kind of bittersweet.

Here are the top 5 things I will miss about living here:

E was born here. This place will always be special because of that.
The way the kitchen is partially open to the living room.
Watching Amelia try to climb the pillars between the kitchen and the living room.
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.
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.

Let's be honest though, there are some things I won't miss. For example:

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.
The lack of outlets and all the outlets being upside down
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.
Not being able to rip up the ugly shrubbery and out of control weeds, I mean groundcover, from the flowerbeds.
Not being able to childproof the cabinets and drawers!!!

Big Changes

2010-12-03T21:45:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday Mark and I closed on our house.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Anyway, everything eventually got settled and we were cleared to close and we did.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Enough ramblings on this for now.

The return of autumn and lots of other things

2010-10-02T21:49:00.005-04:00

I'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.

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
It has been a crazy year. Or 10 1/2 months technically I guess.
The whole thing is very bittersweet.
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.
But at the same time...
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.
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 baby, it was because I wanted children.
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.
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.
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.

What to knit, what to knit

2010-09-18T20:57:00.002-04:00

I really want to start some new fall projects but I'm not sure what I want to knit.

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.

More on Diapers

2010-09-15T20:27:00.004-04:00

Yeah, I realized I have more to say. Can you believe it?

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Diaper Ramblings

2010-09-04T21:37:00.007-04:00

Maybe 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.

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.

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.

The Diapers

Prefolds

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

All-in-Ones

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.

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.

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 are 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.

The things I don't like about AIOs are laundry related. This is where they are not 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.

Detergent

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Flats

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.

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!

Fasteners

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.

So that is it for the diapers themselves. But what about over the diapers?

Covers

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.

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.

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 hated 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.

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.

I also had one extra small organic cotton cover with PUL lining inside. It was all right, but I thought it wicked really easily.

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.

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.

Wipes

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.
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.

Little Extras

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.

Liners

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.

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.

Doublers

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.

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.

Pail Liners/Wet Bags

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Odor Issues

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.

Swim Diapers

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.

Diaper Stores

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.

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.

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.

Adirondack Blue Potatoes

2010-08-18T20:54:00.003-04:00

Today 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.

I'm addicted to the cinnamon rolls I can buy there.

That and I do like the whole grain breads that I can buy.

As for the produce, well...
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.
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.

Anyway, rant aside...

I can find some really great things that are unique.

I was really excited today because I saw some potatoes that caught my eye. They are blue!

I thought just the skins would be blue, but no, as you can see they are actually completely blue.

So when I got home I did a quick google search and came up with this. 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.

Sweet Fern Mitt Fate

2010-07-23T21:43:00.005-04:00

So I'm not sure what to do with these Sweet Fern Mitts I'm working on.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Interweave Knits Fall 2010

2010-07-20T20:15:00.000-04:00

I 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.

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.

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.

2010-07-18T21:55:00.002-04:00

A 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'

This leads me down another path, one that I've been wanting to go down for awhile but I'm not entirely sure how.

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.

I have such mixed feelings about it though.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.)

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, some 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.)

2010-07-18T21:42:00.002-04:00

As 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.

To keep it or let it go? To post about just knitting or more?

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.

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?

What I really want to do is just write and not worry about what category it fits into. With that said...

This is not a knitting blog.

This is not a mommy blog.

This is not a cooking blog.

This is just my blog and I'm going to write whatever I feel like writing about. So there.

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.

What is making my head explode today

2010-07-05T10:36:00.002-04:00

I have never read such utter bullshit in my life. That is saying a lot, because I've read some threads in Remnants and BID

Today's Random Thoughts

2010-07-05T08:43:00.002-04:00

I really don't care if LeBron James stays in Cleveland or not, but I can't wait until he just makes his decision because I am sick to death about seeing articles in the paper about it and receiving phone calls inviting us to "Akron loves LeBron" rallies. I have never cared about the Cavaliers and I am not going to start.

July is really here isn't it? We have are getting a string of days with highs in the 90's. We didn't really get heat like this last year, which was good being that I was pregnant and already hot all the time. It is already 73 degrees out at 8;45 a.m. I think if I want to take a walk today we better take it soon.

I'm really excited about my menu today. With inlaws visiting yesterday I didn't do any cooking since they always want to go out. We are having burgers for lunch and I'm trying my hand at some pulled pork for supper. Plus, it is time to break out the ice cream maker. I think mint chocolate chip might be the flavor of the day.

Just sayin'

2010-06-06T21:06:00.002-04:00

So I don't really read the main boards on Ravelry unless I'm rubbernecking, but there are enough remnants threads that end up being rubbernecked that I guess I read my share.

Anyway, there is one mod in particular that is a little heavy-handed I think. She also always seems so annoyed with everything and so jaded I wonder if maybe she should just let someone else take over some of the moderating.

This probably seems like an think to vent about, but it keeps annoying me and obviously it isn't really proper to complain about it on Ravelry.

For the record I've never been moderated by her, I don't really post in the Big 6 most of the time.

Weekend Yarn Shopping

2010-06-06T12:28:00.003-04:00

Last weekend's fiber show must have reawakened my desire for yarn or something.

Actually it was just the first time in awhile I've made it to a yarn store. There really aren't any around here, so I have to wait until we are visiting my parents or Mark's parents, and usually we are visiting my parents on a day or at a time the yarn store downtown is closed, or if it is open, it isn't convenient to stop in. That and why should I have been buying yarn when I have plenty and haven't had time to knit.

My purchases this weekend are for specific gifts. I have had a request for a foliage out of Malabrigo. Yesterday we went on a long drive in a desperate attempt to get E to take a nap. It sort of worked. Anyway, while we were up in the area and not otherwise obliged to be doing anything specific, I suggested we stop at Calla Lily Yarn to see if they carried it. They don't, but I found a very similar worsted weight Merino that will be perfect. This is jil eaton Minnow Merino in Aqua Marine. It is 77 yds a skein so I think I will use most of it to knit an adult Foliage. I think the recipient will like the color too. The sock yarn caught my eye, I really liked the long variation in it, sort of like Trekking but different, and this is really vibrant blue in person. That is Regia Hand-dye Effect. The socks are destined for the same person the hat is. Can you tell what her favorite color is? I don't think she reads this blog.

Baby-Led Weaning vs Purees or What do I feed my baby??

2010-06-03T20:04:00.003-04:00

When I first started thinking about all this baby stuff a couple years ago I read Super Baby Foods about how to make all your own baby food and what food could be eaten by babies when etc.
At the time I remember thinking the author was a little out there on some thing, I didn't agree with everything she wrote. I thought it was a great resource for craft ideas, party ideas, and a mishmash or other things. I did like the information about when it was age appropriate to introduce certain vegetables. I liked the instructions on how to prepare the baby food.

Then I started to hear about baby-led weaning. If you aren't familiar with it, basically here it is: you wait until your baby is at least six months old before starting solids, then you don't have to follow all those "rules" about what to introduce when and can offer your baby most healthy (so no added salt and sugar) things you are eating, there is no spoon feeding or purees, just finger food. Your baby probably won't be eating much to start out with, but when he or she is ready they will start eating a lot more instead of just mouthing the food.

So those were the two books I had at kind of opposite ends of the spectrum. The one thing they had in common was not using commercial baby food.

I was really set on having E be exclusively breast fed for the first 6 months. That is what all the current literature and studies suggest is best. We made it over 5 months, but unfortunately, with E's slow weight gain (that is probably several more posts to explain everything) I was going to have to supplement before we reached 6 months. One night I made chicken paprikas and E was sitting in my lap and reached for my plate (pretty typical for him) but his hand landed in the paprikas sauce. He tasted it and immediately went back for more. Twice. At that point Mark and I decided we would try some solid foods to see what he would do. I had an avocado and knew that was a great first food and good for him. I tried giving him some chunks of it but it was probably too ripe for that and certainly too slippery. So I mashed it up and tried giving it to him on a spoon. It was a big hit. The next week I tried banana. He seemed to like that, but I will say he prefers to have some of my banana (he "bites" it as I hold it, really I think he is sucking on it as much as anything) rather than eating it mashed on a spoon.

Then I wasn't sure exactly what to do. I liked the concept of baby-led weaning, but E really seemed to want more food than he was getting that way. Mark really enjoyed getting to feed E, and I had baby food from my sister-in-law and my mother-in-law and father-in-law.

So what am I doing? I'm using commercial baby food. For right now anyway. I have it, I figure I might as well use it and get an idea what he is going to like before I go buy things to make my own and freeze it. Although I'm not too sure how much of that I'm going to do either.

I guess I'm kind of trying to combine these concepts.

I'm not doing cereals. Both books convinced me that regular boxed rice cereal is pretty much pointless. I got a box of organic brown rice cereal at one of my baby showers. I finally decided to try that last night. That was the first time I ever heard E retch. He CLEARLY didn't like it. A couple weeks ago I made some oatmeal and offered it to him. No retching with that but he didn't like it and was not interested. I've figured out that for him the more flavor the better. I tried adding fruit to it. He still wasn't interested. I should note that I didn't add breast milk or formula to the rice cereal, I don't feel like wasting it. I used water. Then I tried adding bananas. It was still a no-go.

E likes his fruits and veggies. He was lukewarm about the apple sauce I gave him. He likes peaches, green beans, sweet potatoes, squash, and carrots. I've given him purees of all of those now. Oh, and I gave him a banana mango mixture which he liked. I'm careful about how I give them to him. I never shove the spoon in his mouth. I either hold it up to his mouth and he reaches out and eats from it or more often, I get the spoon close enough to him and he grabs it and gets it to his mouth. Of course we go through about 4 spoons a meal because sometimes I can't get it back before he drops it, but I figure this way he is still in control of what he is eating (a big benefit of doing baby-led weaning) and he is learning to use a spoon, which he is going to need to learn to do eventually anyway. The thing I do like about purees and Mark especially likes is that we don't have to worry so much about choking.

The choking risk is Mark's biggest hang up with baby-led weaning. The book explains why it isn't as big of a risk as you might think and of course you never leave a baby alone with food, but even though I've read that I still get a little nervous about it from time to time. While I will feed E purees, I don't shy away from giving him finger food either.

He has had broccoli and seemed to like it. He LOVES sweet pepper sticks dipped in hummus. I gave him a strip of grilled pork to taste one night. He liked it but Mark kind of flipped out on me about that. I boiled some pasta shapes and have given them to him to play with the last few days. He sucks on them some but mostly he plays with them and they end up on the floor. He likes bread too. I don't like excess bread on my hamburgers and if I take it off and leave it on the plate he is all about getting that to his mouth.

The food thing is a big adventure. I see no reason why I can't give my baby purees on a spoon as long as I'm not forcing them on him and I see no reason why I can't let him experiment with real food either. I've lightened up about the age guidelines somewhat. I liked the Baby-led Weaning book for that, I learned that most guidelines in place are based upon starting solids at 3 months. I probably won't buy any more purees. I might make some, but by the time I need to I think E might just be old enough that he starts to actually eat more of the real food I put in front of him.

I think my main goal in all of this is to help E develop a healthy attitude toward food and a love of whole foods as well. Sure, I'm expecting to go through some macaroni & cheese benders with him when he is a toddler, but I'd like to give him the best start possible

Excuse me while I explain myself a little

2010-06-03T20:00:00.002-04:00

It is certainly not my intention to turn this into a "mommy" blog. My day to day life is really probably not that interesting and I have other things (like knitting) I would still like to blog about.
I miss writing though, and I think I need to get back into writing blog entries to fill that void in my life. I do want to talk about some of my parenting decisions, maybe just to organize my own thoughts, maybe just to put it out there. If I have any readers left feel free to skip such posts, especially if babies aren't your thing. If you do have kids, please don't take anything I write as a criticism of your parenting method if it differs from mine. Like I said, I'm just trying to find my way and I'm learning and adjusting and sometimes adjusting expectations and I think writing may be one of the best ways for me to organize these thoughts.

Baby Carriers

2010-06-02T16:33:00.005-04:00

Since I've had E I have spent way too much time reading the message boards on Ravelry. Specifically the message boards for baby/parenting sorts of things that I do (like breastfeeding, cloth diapering, homebirth/natural childbirth, AP parenting, and the other lovely November '09 mamas). What can I say, I sit around nursing a lot or with a sleeping baby in my arms and I need something to read.

Well the other day I read about this blog entry and feel inspired to do my own review of sorts.

My first baby carrier purchase was a Hotsling. Actually, I believe this was my first baby item purchased while pregnant. It was on clearance and I knew I wanted a sling, and the website made it look so easy. I love the fabric of the sling I chose. Unfortunately, I haven't really been able to make this sling work for us. I'm not completely giving up on it as I've read some people have liked it best for toddlers, so maybe it will be more useful down the road. My issues with it are mainly that I don't feel like it really fits me right even though I have the size that their chart says I should be using and I can never really get E in it where I feel completely comfortable with his position. I have used it really short-term a few times, so it has had some use.
A few months later I realized after more reading message boards and such that I didn't just want a sling, what I actually needed was a ring sling. This way the sling could be worn by multiple people and didn't need to be a specific size and I could adjust it better. So I bought a cotton/linen blend that was on clearance from Taylor Made Slings. I keep trying to make this sling work. I have yet to get it right. I tried first when E was only a few weeks old. I just couldn't figure out how to get the sling on right and to stay in position long enough for me to safely get my newborn in it. It made me nervous since I didn't have any experienced baby wearers around to assure me I had it right or to adjust something I had wrong. I put it away and moved on to the next carrier (discussion coming shortly). One of my friends (K) who has a daughter about E's age recently got a ring sling from Sleeping Baby Productions and she loves it. So I asked her to show me how she uses hers, figuring that seeing it in person might help me out. Well, it did help me out, now I realize why this sling isn't working for me. I think it is all in the shoulder. The way this particular ring sling is sewn by the ring doesn't really allow me to spread it out over my shoulder without the rings being way too far down my chest for my comfort or for E's. I tried putting E in it in a front carry and had to watch that he didn't hit his head on the rings. I knew that couldn't be right. I tried the hip carry that K likes but that wasn't really working out for us. As with the Hotsling, when I tried to put him in a cradle hold he had a lot of objections, and I didn't feel I had him in right so I stopped trying. I still really wish I could make a ring sling work for us, especially since so many women say they can nurse discreetly in them, but I'm just not sure that it is going to be for E and me.
This wasn't a purchase, it was more of gifted garage sale item that hadn't sold. It is a NoJo padded ring sling. Honestly, I've never really tried it because it seems so bulky and hard to adjust that it just didn't appeal to me. I guess this is a really unfair review considering I haven't used it, but since the other styles of slings haven't worked out for me I don't think I would have fared much better with this one.
This is another garage sale item my mom brought to me, I don't remember if it was given to her as the NoJo sling was or if she actually bought it. This one is a Snuggli. I really wasn't into it and was set on the slings, so I told Mark that it could be his carrier and he was all right with that. He used it with E a few times and liked it and E did pretty good with it. I'm not very comfortable with him using it because of how it holds E. Rather than creating a seat for him it basically holds him by his crotch which isn't good for him. Of course Mark never really wears E for long periods of time, so I guess it isn't terrible. Mark liked it better than anything else for him because he could put E in a front-facing carry which we found out he prefers.
This purchase came about a month after E was born once I realized that the slings were just not going to work for us, at least at that stage. At the suggestion of one of some of the ladies on Ravelry, I went for a Moby wrap. This was the first carrier I found that actually worked for us and I felt comfortable with! First I tried the cradle carry. That didn't work, but by then I realized that E just didn't like to be carried that way. Next I tried the hug hold which is an upright carry where E faced me. That worked for a few weeks and E liked it. Then we got to the point where he was just much happier being able to see everything. So I put him in a front facing carry and that was perfect! I could go to the grocery store again! When the weather got a little warmer I could take him for walk, all I had to do was wrap my sweater around both of us. He was happy he could see and I was happy I finally was able to "wear" him. Of course as most Moby users will tell you, even though it theoretically can be used into the toddler years, once a baby gets to a certain point, he or she is just too heavy for the stretchy fabric. I don't think I really reached that point with it, but I did get to the point where it was just too warm for me. It is a lot of fabric to have wrapped around you and especially if you are going for a walk, it gets too be a bit much having a warm baby (E is a furnace!) that close to you while exercising. Also, he was getting a bit big for the carry I was using and if I were to put him in it at this point I would need to figure something else out. If he isn't too heavy I may play around with it more this fall. It was totally worth it from December through April for me though.
We had an unusually warm spring, so by April I was definitely thinking I was going to want something with a little less fabric for spring. I debated between the Ergo and Beco, I looked at the Baby Hawk and the Mei Tai Baby Carrier. I was pretty certain I wanted something in a Mei Tai style. I loved the pretty fabric options many of them had. I liked the look of ties better than buckles, although I knew if Mark was going to wear it I would have to go for buckles, but all the options were just so darn expensive and I didn't feel I could justify spending at least $80 for a carrier I wasn't sure I was going to like let alone whether E would like. At that point the only way I had been successful carrying him was front forward facing. He had quit liking to be carried facing me, and you can't really do a front carry with a Mei Tai or a soft structured carrier. I decided to take a look on Etsy and see if anyone made them (of course) and I could find something I liked for a more reasonable price. I found what I was looking for. I bought a Cuddle Me Mine Mei Tai from The Kitchen Sink Boutique. I loved the fabric in the one she had posted for sale. What I didn't realize at the time was that I wasn't buying that particular carrier (I didn't read well enough or misunderstood) and that she was in the middle of moving so she wasn't going to be able to fulfill the order for a few weeks. She wrote to me about these things and gave me the option of continuing or backing out of the sale. I chose to continue and wait it out and I'm glad I did. I got to choose the base (strap) color and let her know what type of fabric I was wanting for the back. I gave her an idea and she picked out a great fabric for me. When I got the carrier to my surprise E loved it even though he wasn't facing forward. It had a little bit of a learning curve to putting E on and tying it, but really so did the Moby. Anyway, as much as I liked it, I think it is my mom who has used it the most. She puts E in it in the afternoons when she watches him while I'm at work and takes a walk with him and he will fall asleep for her in it. He never does this for me by the way. What I like about it is that I can put it in the diaper bag and take along in case I want or need it better than I could any of the other carriers. As much as I like the Mei Tai though, it isn't perfect. Mark wouldn't wear it. If I put it on out in public I have to try to find somewhere that it wasn't a disaster if the straps drag on the ground while I initially tie it on. Sometimes I feel like is more secure in there than other times, and it is kind of hard to adjust once I have him in it without redoing the whole thing. Along with that if the straps get bunched up instead of laying flat they kind of cut into my shoulders.
Having determined that we liked the Mei Tei style but could use something a little more easily adjustable and easier to put on and take off quickly I returned to looking at the Ergo and Beco carriers. Then I got a bonus at work. I decided that I could use some of that to go ahead and get one of the fancy expensive soft structured carriers. Then Cotton Baby Bottoms had an Earth Day sale and almost everything was 10% off. Actually Ergo was one of the exceptions, but by that point I had already determined I was going to get the Beco. Since I wanted Mark to use this one I asked for his input on the pattern. I also wanted a pattern that wasn't overly boyish but wasn't feminine either. We decided on the panthers. I liked some of Beco's new patterns a little bit better, but I figured that if I wanted pretty fabric on the back my Mei Tai fit that bill. I have to say that the panthers have really grown on me too, I love them, and E was enthralled with them when I first got the carrier. When I got it though, the one seem on the bottom was torn. Beco has a great warranty policy though and they sent me a replacement and a shipping label to return the defective one. It delayed me being able to try out the carrier for a few days, but once we did it has been a hit! I use this one the most now. It is more convenient for using at stores and I feel like I can be more sure he is secure in it. Mark has only tried it once and it was when E was in a fussy mood, so while I think it will work for him he hasn't been doing much baby wearing lately. I thought my mom would like this better than the Mei Tai but I think there are almost too many straps and in that sense the Mei Tai is simpler for her to use so she just uses that. The one time she did use the Beco she said she liked it. The only things I don't like about it are that the straps do hang and aren't nearly as pretty as they are on the Mei Tai and I wish the chest strap was easier to adjust. I love how easily the sides adjust to get him in and out easily and to make sure he is secure. I also like that it comes with a little hood I can snap on if it is raining or really sunny and I don't have a hat for him or if he were to ever fall asleep for me in it (haha). I also liked that it came with the infant insert. E is too big to need it, but for any future babies I would be able to use it earlier without having to buy it separately like I would if I got an Ergo.

So that wraps up my carrier collection. Of course I can't say definitively that I won't buy anymore ever, but I feel like I have a good variety of options for different seasons/stages/purposes. I may find I want something else as E gets to be a toddler, but what I have should actually work. If anything I think I would maybe try a different ring sling that would sit on my shoulder better. That, or if I had a summer baby I would definitely consider a wrap in solar veil.

Wrong # of Stitches

2010-05-31T21:03:00.002-04:00

I'm completely frustrated with my current knitting.

I should be finished increasing on the stockinette portion of the Traveling Woman shawl I'm working on, but my stitch count is off. Looking at it I can't figure out where I went wrong, although I suspect I forgot a few yarn overs or added a yarn over on the purl side where I shouldn't. I guess the only thing to do is rip it, but I'm really annoyed because I was so happy at the progress I was making and now I have to frog a week's worth of knitting. I hope this doesn't change my perception of the yarn. Frogging will do that sometimes, but this is really nice yarn to work with so I think it will be all right. The yarn is Creatively Dyed Seawool I bought last year at Great Lakes.

Annual Great Lakes Fiber Show Wrap Up: Part 2

2010-05-30T22:11:00.004-04:00

So what did I get this year?

First off, I have several skeins of pretty sock yarn waiting to be knit, and if I run out before next year (unlikely) I certainly know where I can attain some more.

Second, I decided that no matter how pretty and soft, I just wasn't willing to pay more than $20 for a skein of anything this year. The best I will be able to do is small shawls, so no major lace yardage for me. Also, no sweater quantities, I've already discussed that in my previous post.

This year I went for the pretty but scratchier stuff. The ones that are hand-dyed and/or hand-spun. The ones that you can still smell the lanolin in. I might have bought some alpaca too.

I wish I could tell you who I bought this yarn from, but the booth had no name and there are no tags. These 100 yard skeins were only $1.25 each. I really couldn't pass up getting a couple. They are kind of scratchy but I think I can find some good use for them.
This is pretty. The picture doesn't really due the subtle dye job justice, but I didn't get outside with my yarn and camera this weekend.
This is some really pretty blue-faced leicester. I'm thinking I may try to knit a soaker again, but I'm not going to feel bad if this doesn't end up as a diaper cover.
I don't know the name of this shop either (due more to lack of attention I think). I was interested in this first yarn because it was dyed with natural dye, in this case cochineal. See what pretty yarn mashed up bugs can make?
This is from the same booth. I don't think it is naturally dyed, but it is pretty and spun a little differently than any of the other yarn I bought.
Now this is some nice soft alpaca and I really liked the color.
More alpaca, this from Wooly Knob. I'm currently using a skein of their wool and really liking it so I wanted to support them again. This is fairly soft too.
These two skeins are bulky weight (fun! I like big needle knits now and then) and it is pretty local yarn. It is handspun hand-dyed wool from a farm a county east of where I live.
I think I did a better job of varying my color palette this year.

I know that I won't get all this knit up before the show next year, and a few skeins may stay in my stash awhile, but sometimes a quick knit out of yarn like this is just what I need. It is my comfort knitting and good for the soul.

Annual Great Lakes Fiber Show Wrap Up: Part 1

2010-05-30T21:28:00.004-04:00

We have had a busy weekend here! Today we had E baptized and then had a big family picnic afterward at a nearby park. It was nearly 90 degrees and the change in routine, excitement, and heat really exhausted us. I'm not sure how much I'll get to, I got E to bed and have some time for myself right now so I wanted to write as much as I could.

Somewhere in the last few weeks I've been thinking about my knitting, or lack of knitting lately, and what I realistically can knit and what I want to knit.

I am really not a garment knitter. Sure, I've cranked out a few sweaters, I know I can do it, but I'm not sure I have a lot of interest in doing much of that right now. I don't really have the time or money to commit to sweaters and I don't get enough happiness out of the FO most of the time to want to put my resources to that.

As for baby things: Well, the bibs are definitely turning out to be worth it. Those are more mindless than dishcloths though so while they make good movie knitting (watching a movie? what is that? I haven't done that for ages) that isn't exactly a thing I really enjoy knitting all that much. The last baby sweater I finished for E was too small for him by the time I was done with it. The baby sweaters I knit before he was born fit OK, but not that great. It isn't that I won't knit anymore sweaters for him, but I'm not going to feel like a bad knitting mommy if I don't. Hats are worth it. I'll definitely need to make more for this fall and winter.

Then there are socks. I like wearing handknit socks. I have a few people in my life who really like receiving handknit socks. I don't like getting complicated with them though. I love all the beautiful sock patterns out there but while I may experiment with different construction methods, most of the time lace and cables and other stitch patterns are just too fiddly for me to bother with. When I knit socks the WIP ends up in my purse to be mindless road travel knitting or something I can pick up and knit a few rows here or there while waiting. I absolutely hate having to refer back to a pattern for socks. Every time I've tried to knit a sock from a pattern I had to follow it has ended up frogged. Anyway, all this to say that if I'm going to knit socks I want pretty yarn because I'm going to let the yarn do the work, not the stitch pattern.

So what do I really want to knit? I think it is mostly hats and mittens. I have a love affair with mittens and the mitten books to prove it. I've knit quite a few pairs, mostly plain, but I love a good stranded pattern, I just don't always have what it takes to fully commit to knitting a pair. Hats are definitely a fashion accessory for me in the winter and I love how varied the look can be depending on cables or lace or ribbing and the weight of yarn, the colors used, etc. Sure, you can do that with anything you knit, but I think hats are one of those things that you can really play with.

Recently I've discovered I really like knitting these smaller outerwear items out of more rustic wool. The Knitter's Book of Wool just fueled this desire. Where better to get handspun local yarns than a fiber show?

This was my fourth year at the Great Lakes Fiber Show.

My first year, 2006, I was just amazed that my hometown had one of these fiber shows (which I had only recently learned about since I started knitting seriously in the fall of 2005) and I was in the height of my I-like-it-so-I'm-going-to-buy-it yarn buying. I bought 2 huge skeins (500+ yards) of merino superwash wool from Maple Creek Farm and later made the Hourglass Sweater from it. (One of the sweaters I was actually happy with the outcome.) I bought some Noro that became a felted bag. I bought 5 skeins of this bargain black Egyptian cotton yarn. I think I though I would make a tank from it? I'm not sure, I found it really hard to use and almost linen like and it is still languishing in my stash. I'm not sure what else I bought that year, I think that was it judging by a quick look at my pictures from May 2006 on my computer.

In 2007 I returned, at that point I had a better idea of what I wanted. I was going for really nice yarn. Soft yarn with nice dye jobs and some organic cotton yarn I saw the previous year and regretted not buying. I bought 3 skeins of sock yarn that has became 4 pairs of socks, a large skein of bamboo/silk yarn from Briar Rose that became the Tuscany shaw, and the desired organic cotton yarn that eventually became a baby sweater that I'm hoping will fit E this fall.

In 2008 I missed the show because my husband's law school graduation from Northern Illinois was that weekend. I gave him a hard time of that, but of course that was more important. I guess.

Last year I went but I wasn't very focused. My first trimester had really knocked the knitting desire out of me. Then I was thinking "baby" with all my purchases, which is why everything is a shade of green or blue, except that one skein of undyed yarn. At that point I was pretty sure I was having a boy. If you scroll down only a couple blog posts you will see what I bought last year. Some of it has been knit, most of it has not. Actually one of those skeins has become a FO. The sportweight Knitting Notions yarn became the too-small baby sweater for Elijah. The green Wooly Knob yarn is about 3/4 the way to being a pair of fingerless mitts. The blue silky Creatively Dyed yarn has just begun its journey to become a small shawl. So I guess I've knit with half that yarn.

I have to admit I bought more yarn than ever before this year. I think, actually I'm almost certain, I spent less than I ever have before this year.

And now, nearly a year later...

2010-04-21T09:21:00.003-04:00

I've been wanting to post for a long time. Every time I have two hands free I am doing something else though. Having a baby hasn't stopped me from reading things online, but it sure has limited the amount I can participate. Honestly, most typing gets directed to Ravelry forums these days about topics like breastfeeding and cloth diapering and chatting with mothers of other November babies about what is going on. Either that or commenting here and there on Facebook.

So last time I posted was right after the Great Lakes Fiber Show last May. It is almost that time of year again! In knitting, I am working on a pair of Sweet Fern Mitts from The Knitter's Book of Wool with the green Wooly Knob yarn I bought last year at the show. They are technically backward because I didn't read the errata until I wanted to check something that didn't seem right in the directions for the right thumb gusset. Then I saw the cables are mixed up so if you knit them like the chart in the book has them they are upside down. They are still cute though, so I'm not going to rip them out.

I get a little knitting done now and then. Since November I've managed to knit a vest that baby E wore once or twice and the other week I finally finished a sweater knit in 6 month size that is too small for him. That is my fault, partly for knitting too slow and partly for not knitting a gauge swatch. I have a feeling the sweater is a little smaller than it should be. I knit that from some sport weight Knitting Notions yarn I bought last year too.

I have to knit up at least some of the yarn I bought at the show last year if I am going to justify buying any more this year.

So yeah, if I haven't posted since May I haven't posted at all about my baby.

My pregnancy went pretty smoothly. I really loved being pregnant until about the last month. Then "the baby" as he was known then was laying in such a position that he was putting pressure on my sciatic nerve and it was pretty painful to walk much at all. Up until mid-October Mark and I were able to go walking almost every day and I loved that so much. I felt it really made a difference (and not in a good way) when I had to cut that back. I was also having a lot of Braxton-Hicks contractions which made work really interesting some days.

I actually worked up until the day before the birth. It was Friday so I only worked until noon that day. That evening around 7 p.m. I got some signs that I was going to be having a baby soon. I tried to get as much sleep as I could that night, and I did ok until about 5 a.m. and then I couldn't sleep through the contractions any more. I got up around 6 and went out to the livingroom and rocked back and forth on my big excercise ball. That thing was my best friend throughout pregnancy and labor. Then I realized that the contractions were coming regularly at around 3-4 minutes apart and were lasting awhile. I went to wake Mark up but he was getting up anyway. He timed them for awhile and then I sent him out to get a copy of the local paper. I wanted the newspaper from the day my baby was born and I was getting more certain that it was going to be that day. Then it all is kind of a blur. My midwife showed up around 9 a.m. and I was already a few centimeters dilated. I was fully dilated by mid-afternoon. (Oh yeah, I had a planned homebirth, I don't think mentioned that either) The pushing took awhile, but our son was born at 5:15 p.m. Saturday, November 14, 2009. We hadn't found out whether we were having a boy or girl ahead of time, although for most of the pregnancy I suspected the baby was a boy. Mark thought we were having a girl. The midwife also thought we were having a girl based on the heart-rate pattern. When handed me the baby she said something about "her" and I looked down and exclaimed that we didn't have a girl! I will refer to our son as "E" on this blog. We had thought about that name since pretty early on in the pregnancy, we had it as a potential name before we pinned down a girl's name. We were waiting to see if we felt it fit, and it did.

Now that someone is awake. I will return to this, maybe sooner than 11 months from now...

Great Lakes Fiber Show

2009-05-23T22:21:00.004-04:00

I've been gone awhile and I hate to admit this, but the truth is I've hardly been knitting at all. For the last three months really I will have the occasional mindless knit, which is how I have one WIP sock and why the the last three completed projects I've made have been garter stitch baby bibs, but I've actually gone for days at a time without knitting a stitch.

This is most likely because I'm pregnant and I hear this is very common in the first trimester especially. See, I knew what I was doing when I started knitting baby clothes two years ago despite knowing we weren't ready to start a family then ;-)

I've just given up and unjoined the 2009 stash down and Hat of the Month groups on Ravelry. It isn't happening.

I really would like this to change soon. To try and spur that, despite the lack of knitting my existing stash in the last couple months, I went to the Great Lakes Fiber Show today and bought six skeins of yarn.
I had a really good time at the show today. I randomly met some knitters from the West Cleveland group (wearing Ravelry shirts is a good way to meet people!) and since I was at the show by myself they adopted me and I hung out with them for awhile.

I have even managed to enter this new stash (with pictures!) into Ravelry already. As best as I can anyhow, some of this yarn didn't come with labels and the receipts don't have any store info on and I don't remember the names of the booths.

Yes, it does snow in April.

2009-04-06T16:25:00.003-04:00

Every spring the same thing happens. No, I'm not referring to my with sinus problems, although that happens too.

After 25+ springs in the Midwest (mostly Ohio, but a few in Illinois too) I continue to be baffled by the collective amnesia with regards to springtime snow.

EVERY YEAR it snows either in late March or the first half of April. Many years we have had white Easters. In fact, if it doesn't really snow at all in the second half of March you are practically guaranteed to have a heavy April snow. When I was in elementary school we even had a snowday once (with snow fit for making snowmen) in late April. There are pictures to prove this. Snow in April in Ohio is just not that unusual at all.

As you may guess, it is snowing right. You may also guess that about half the status messages on Facebook right now are expressing utter shock at this occurrence.

Frustration

2009-04-04T20:43:00.002-04:00

I want to knit. I really do, yet I cannot come up with anything I actually want to work on. I have over twenty miles of yarn in my stash and NOTHING is satisfactory for me right now.

I actually kind of feel like crocheting an afghan, but currently I do not have enough of any appropriate yarn and while I do sort of feel like going out to and buying some Simply Soft, it is almost 9 p.m. here so I don't really have time.

This often happens when I try to start knitting project on Saturday nights, so I really have no one but myself to blame since I should expect this by now, but I tried all day to come up with something I wanted to work on to no avail.

2009-04-01T16:47:00.002-04:00

I completely forgot that today is Flash Your Stash day. You might havethought that I also completely forgot that I had a blog. I didn't, I've just been busy and a little preoccupied.

Last month I spent a week in class and now have one of the licenses I need for my job. It sounds like I'll be going through that again next month for a securities license I need to get too.

My knitting has been kind of sad lately. I've managed a few projects here and there, mostly simple small things but mostly I don't have much desire to knit. When I thought about pulling out my stash to flash it I realized I have very little interest in that right now either.

This is kind of typical spring ambivalence from me. I think mostly I would rather be planting things in the ground this time of year. I'm trying to get our patio all set up too. Last week we bought a patio table and chair set and put it together. I'm really excited for it to be nice enough to enjoy a meal out there! I've only had small balconies so outdoor dining is going to be a new thing for us. Next step: buy a grill. By the time we do that maybe it will stay warm enough that I can feel all right about putting some flowers in the ground.

Isn't a little early for startitis?

2009-02-19T16:22:00.002-05:00

According to the Yarn Harlot, spring is supposed to be the time when startitis runs rampant. (I can't tell you what book that essay is in off the top of my head.) Either I am a little ahead of schedule or there really is no seasonal aspect to it.

I haven't had much knitting time this month but I keep wanting to start new projects. It isn't that I don't want to work on things I have going, I just am suffering some delusion that I can keep 25 things on my needle and get them all done.

Like I said, the knitting time has decreased lately, but I'm still a happy person. I'm really enjoying living in a small town again. I park a block or so from my office so every day I get to walk down the main commercial street in town. I love looking in the shop windows (I walk by a bridal shop that changes the prom dress display every couple days) and being friendly to people going in and out of the post office. I love that I can look out a window in my office and see things happening outside. It really does make me happy.

Top 25 Albums

2009-02-19T16:20:00.001-05:00

I totally sat down with the intention to blog, but for the last twenty minutes I got sucked into a Facebook meme, because sometimes they are kind of fun to do. I'm cross-posting it here, because that seems kind of fun too:

Think of 25 albums that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life or the way you looked at it. They sucked you in and took you over for days, weeks, months, years. These are the albums that you can use to identify time, places, people, emotions. These are the albums that no matter what they were thought of musically shaped your world. When you finish, tag 25 others, including me. Make sure you copy and paste this part so they know the drill. Get the idea now? Good.

***This is not about being cool. Which albums have you actually listened to thousands of times?***

I tried to order these not so much as most listened too (although they have all had a lot of play) but as most influential or most strongly associated with a particular event in my life. Of course I added some honorable mentions too because I have to play with the rules a little bit. I should also say that these are really the albums, not just individual songs, that I am ranking. I like to listen to full albums and appreciate them as a body of work.

1. Oasis - Be Here Now
2. Marcy Playground - MP3
3. Fastball - Harsh Light of Day
4. Oasis - What's the Story Morning Glory
5. Counting Crows - This Desert Life
6. Coldplay - Parachutes
7. Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water
8. Third Eye Blind - Blue
9. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head
10. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
11. 311 - Evolver
12. Our Lady Peace - Healthy in Paranoid Times
13. Barenaked Ladies - Stunt
14. U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind
15. Tarkio - Omnibus
16. Oasis - The Masterplan
17. Counting Crows - Hard Candy
18. The Strokes - Is This It?
19. Smashmouth - Astrolounge
20. Everclear - Sparkle and Fade
21. Barenaked Ladies - Maroon
22. Semisonic - Feeling Strangely Fine
23. Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
24. Train - Drops of Jupiter
25. The White Stripes - Elephant

Honorable Mentions:
Wallflowers - Breach
Matchbox Twenty - Mad Season
Fastball - All the Pain Money Can Buy
Dixie Chicks - Fly

Birthday Gifts!

2009-02-08T17:15:00.004-05:00

Here it is the second week in February and I haven't made an entry this month. I have a good excuse. I was out of town for a conference for a few days and before that I was getting ready for the conference.

My stashbusting is not going so well this month. My dishcloth got stalled after a couple days because I just didn't feel like knitting on it, and the yarn is coming off a cone so there was no way I was taking that with me to the conference so I was going to get behind anyway.

Then this morning I received two skeins of Malabrigo and the new Yarn Harlot book. Take a good look at that picture, I can see grass, it is sunny, and although you can't tell from the picture the temperature was at least 10 degrees above freezing! I haven't had a birthday like this in years.

The brighter red is colorway is Garnet and it is specifically to replace my beloved Foliage hat that fell out of my pocket and was lost at the mall while Christmas shopping. I can only hope is that somehow that hat made it to someone who could really use it. I was sad, but consoled myself with the fact that I could replace it. Mark made sure that would happen for me, plus I got a bonus skein in a shade of red I wear a lot, so I will probably use it for another hat down the road.

While this hasn't been an incredibly productive week of knitting I did finish a pair of socks. This was another case of getting two pairs of socks out of one skein of sock yarn. The first pair I made for my mom so these are for me. I have also finished knitting the pieces of my Kai baby sweater, so now I need to sew it together and knit the collar and then that will be done too.

January Wrap-Up

2009-01-31T17:20:00.002-05:00

Being that today is the last day of the month, I though I should take the time to see how I am doing with my knitting resolutions so far.

I currently have 40,181 yards (that is 22.83 miles) of yarn in my stash. A month ago I was at 42,236 yards (just shy of 24 miles). I have used up over a mile of yarn and didn't add any to the stash this month. I'm very pleased with this.

I also knit my dishcloth of the month and my hat of the month, but I didn't knit a baby bib this month. I considered it, but I just had to much cotton in my hands to cast on for one. I am in the process of knitting a cotton baby sweater, so since that is still a baby item I don't feel as if I have failed.

Glancing back at my entries last month I guess I never officially made this a resolution, but I was hoping to finish at least one UFO a month. This month I finished Icarus, and I am well on my way to finishing up Mark's sweater, so I will make it my goal to complete that by the end of February.

For the 52 in 52 challenge I have chosen not to include the my pre-2009 UFOs I finish, but even so, I have completed 5 projects thus far. I'm on track for that!

Of course this has all been completed while I have been home every day (although honestly not a lot of knitting took places then, only my crunch birthday gift knitting did) and during a month that has been so snowy I haven't had much hope of doing anything on evenings and weekends. It is a good start to the year and I am pleased with it.

Today Will Not Be Dull

2009-01-28T11:15:00.004-05:00

Like much of the state (and country too I think) we are getting one crazy winter storm. Thankfully Mark made it to work safely this morning, although not everyone in his office did. I am still worried about him getting home. We have had a lot of freezing rain, but the temperature is around the freezing point so mostly it is slushy, but it is still pretty hazardous. Now we are getting really heavy snow and it is accumulating fast.

We've lost power three times in the last hour, I honestly will be surprised if I get this posted before it goes out again. That last time it was off for a good 20 minutes or so. While it is on again I refilled all our water pitchers, boiled some water so I have something hot to drink now, I am making sure my cell phone is all charged up (although the reception I get in here is terrible!), and I kicked the heat up so that if (or when) the power goes out again it least it should stay a reasonable temperature for awhile. While the power was out I reviewed the pantry to see what I have, we have crackers, granola bars, and plenty of canned fruit so we would be all right for a few days, although I would really hate to lose all the meat in the fridge if the power stayed out too long.

On top of that, the patio door is leaking in about four places. I can't quite figure that out. It is dry outside the door, it must be coming from upstairs somehow. I tried to stop up the leaks and reported it, but our maintenance men are pretty busy trying to remove the icy slush before it becomes frozen solid, so it may be awhile as this is really an emergency or anything, just a hassle. I can stop the water from causing too much trouble, the important thing is mostly reporting it so if there is any damage it can't come back on us for not letting them know about it.

Now that I have things in order here I think I can finally sit down with a cup of tea and knit. Stay warm, dry, and safe if you are caught in those storm too!

Chicken Paprikas

2009-01-27T20:07:00.005-05:00

Here is how I make my chicken paprikas. I won't claim that this is entirely "authentic" for a number of reasons. First, I didn't learn to make this from my Hungarian grandmother or even Mark's Hungarian grandmother for that matter. The first few times I made it were the result of Googling for something that sounded like it would produce the chicken paprikas I had experienced. Then last spring Mark's grandma and Aunt Rose mailed me my own copy of the Hungarian cookbook their parish sells so I have the supposed recipe now. The thing is, with those types of cookbooks (you know, the ones put together by church ladies and students' mothers) a lot of times key ingredients are mysteriously omitted or something else just isn't quite right. In addition to that, each cook tends to have their own special touches and way of doing things, so with each generation things can change. For example, Mark's grandma doesn't keep the onions in with the sauce, Aunt Rose does. With that disclaimer, here it goes:

The first thing, and this is vital,is to start with the right paprika. Don't use the random "paprika" in from a spice collection. Hungarian paprika is sweet, and most grocery stores carry authentic Hungarian paprika like this: The actual first step is to chop a large sweet onion and brown it in oil. Once the onion is soft, add a tablespoon or so of paprika:
At this point, add the chicken and brown it. There is some flexiblilty with this. Mark's family uses chicken breasts, and they are very good and easiest to eat I think. I have used a cut up whole chicken before, tonight I used legs and thighs because they are cheaper. Once I have the chicken in the pan I usually sprinkle more paprika on it. When the chicken is browned on both sides, add about 1 cup of broth. The recipe I have call for water, but I think chicken broth gives better flavor. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Now here is another place directions can vary. In the past I have cooked the chicken entirely on top the stove like the recipe says, but I have found it can come out tasting too boiled. So tonight, after simmering about 20 minutes I transferred the chicken to a baking dish and put it in the oven at 350 degrees until everything else was done (probably about 20-30 minutes more). I also spooned some of the onions on top of the chicken. So here is what was left in the pan after I took the chicken out:
I turned the heat up on this to reduce the liquid since I use this for the "gravy."

The next step is to make the dumplings. This was a near disaster for me until I obtained this handy-dandy device (known as a spaetzle dumpling maker) from the kitchen section at Bed, Bath & Beyond:

To make the dumpling dough combine 2 eggs, 1/4 cup milk, 1 teaspoon milk, and 1 cup flour. I mix that and then I position my spaetzle maker over a large pot of rapidly boiling water. I spoon the dough (which is about the consistency of pancake batter) into the square portion of the dumpling maker, and then I slide that back and forth and the batter runs out the holes and I end up with something that looks like this:
I cooked these for 15 minutes and then drained them. Now it is back to the paprikas and onions on the stove. Over low heat, I add a container of sour cream and stir to mix well and heat through. Then I add the dumplings (and tonight I doubled that recipe above because they are almost better as leftovers!) and stirred to coat them in the paprikas gravy. By that point the chicken is done (I always use a meat thermometer to check) and dinner was ready to serve:

Interrupted

2009-01-27T08:54:00.003-05:00

Amelia has this knack for crawling into my lap to take a nice long nap right about the time that I really want to or have to get up to do something. I feel so bad disturbing her once she has settled down and looks so peaceful, and sometimes I really have to get up so if I only want to get up sometimes I don't because I'm afraid she'll think I don't want her to ever come sleep in my lap. As you probably guessed, that is why I am writing this entry right now.

Unfortunately I don't have my knitting by me or any magazines for that matter. I am trying to plan out meals for the next several days since I want to go grocery shopping soon. Tonight it is going to be Chicken Paprikas which I have learned to make only since Mark and I have been married. I had heard of it, but never had it until last fall when his Aunt Rose made it for a family event, and then I was hooked. It is such a comfort food, but it has enough sour cream in it that I only make it once every month or two at most. It also wins the award for messiest meal to prepare, although last time I made it (in my new kitchen) was probably the least messy it has ever been. I'm not really sure why I always create such a mess, although I think the dumplings (or spaetzle if you prefer) share a lot of the blame.

So that up there was this morning. Eventually Amelia did get off my lap, I did some housework, planned meals for the next week or so, and went grocery shopping. Then this evening I made the chicken paprikas for dinner, which will be an entry in and of itself

Of mice and men (or in this case, woman)

2009-01-26T16:09:00.004-05:00

I managed to beat out these guys for Amelia's company this afternoon. That is a pretty amazing feat considering how much she loves her "mousies." Actually I have no clue what she has done with the white one, she has another gray one and she has spent the last several days throwing and batting these around, and eventually getting them stuck under the door of the pantry or underneath the fridge, etc. I'm sure I accomplished other things today, but it feels like I've spent at least half the day fishing mice out from underneath the fridge. By now there can't be anymore dust bunnies left under there. I can't ignore it either, Amelia will just sit in front of the fridge with pleading eyes until I rescue them. I try to toss other mice her way, but if they aren't fuzzy she just isn't all that interested.

Exciting Discovery

2009-01-24T16:30:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note to say that I'm really excited about my new library. They have two whole shelves full of knitting books. These aren't just old knitting books either, they have some really new titles too, and mostly books that I don't have.

Spring Tease

2009-01-23T14:47:00.004-05:00

Today is one of those days that could really fool you if you didn't know any better. It is sunny and hovering around 50 degrees. I've spent too many years in Ohio to think that this will last; in fact, the forecast for the next several days is typical January weather again. I like to enjoy these days when we get them. They are so cheerful and full of hope. After weeks of snow and ice, negative temperatures and windchill, it is so nice to have a break and see the sun and get some fresh air! In the middle of the days when the sun is strongest my car gets warm enough it feels good to crack the sunroof as I drive around town.

I was driving around a bit today. I had some business to attend to and when that was complete I wasn't ready to go home. I haven't really gone exploring for myself since we moved in, mostly due to a strong desire to feel settled again first and then weather conditions once the majority of things were unpacked. Along my way I found an independently owned pet store, which was a great thing considering that I needed some things for Amelia. Since by then it was almost noon I gave Mark a call and met him for lunch downtown and got a little tour of his office. I never found the library like I was originally wanting to do, but that is all right, I will look another day.

Amelia was very please with what I brought home. Not only did she get a new scratching post, she got some more of her favorite little mice. I don't know what they put in these fuzzy little mice, but she loves them more than anything. Apparently they are more realistic than the standard catnip stuffed mice, although she likes those too, just not as much as the small fuzzy ones. She was less pleased with her new brush, but that is to be expected.

Anyhow, she keeps checking out her scratching post and standing up to reach to the top of it, so I think it will be a success. I had a couple other scratching options for her before. The cardboard scratch pad held her interest occasionally. She has never quit being apprehensive of the door hanging thing. Lately though she has been using the recliner a lot, so I figured it was time to get her something really vertical and sturdy. The upholstery on the recliner is textured, and I notice the other furniture she will occasionally scratch on is sort of wicker, like the laundry basket or my kitchen table and chairs, so I wanted to get her a sisal rope post. Luckily, the pet shop it for a much more reasonable price than what I've seen elsewhere. If this fails though they do carry clear Soft Paws so if I want to try them I can get them there rather than ordering them online.

Other than that I really haven't been doing much this afternoon. I took advantage of the warmer air and sunshine by opening all the windows and the doors for awhile to air out the place. That was one of the things that I really liked about this apartment- the airflow is great. I have a (locking) screen door on the front door plus the kitchen window in front, the guest bedroom windows are on the side, and along the back I have the patio door and our bedroom windows, so I can really get the air moving. This should be terrific in the summer, especially since I have a couple ceiling fans. I'm not sure that I really need to worry about stale air here considering how drafty it can be, but nevertheless, I do feel better to get some fresh air in when everything is so closed up for so long.

Digging up old entries

2009-01-21T13:50:00.002-05:00

All right, I went back through my old blog posts to see if I got the spam comment a bunch or other Ravelers got (I did not) and found this knitting survey from September 2007.

I have deleted everything on the list that I said then I had already done. So now I am looking at the list to see how many things I wanted to do that I have done or if I have changed my opinion on them. My comments today are in parenthesis:

Key:

I want to do it

Very Little/No interest

I don't know what it is so I can't comment

• Afghan (crocheted not knitted, but done)
• Knitting with metal wire (tried anyway and didn't like it)
• Knitting with camel yarn ("It isn't the idea, it is the price," I said. It is still the price)
• Mittens: Tip-down
• Participating in a KAL (I have done successfully, the key is finding the right type of KAL)
• Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
• Knitting with banana fiber yarn
• Domino knitting ( I still don't know what this is)
• Two end knitting
• Toy/doll clothing (I might give this a shot)
• Knitting with your own handspun
• Slippers (done!)
• Graffiti knitting
• Continental knitting (Yeah, I keep thinking I need to learn this)
• Publishing a knitting book
• Teaching a child to knit
• Knitting to make money
• Dying with plant colors (I didn't want to do this? Why not?)
• Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars (done!)
• Olympic knitting (done!)
• Teaching a male how to knit
• Bobbles
• Knitting for a living
• Knitting smocking
• Steeks
• Knitting art
• Knitting with beads (no, I want to do this)
• Entrelac (done!)
• Machine knitting
• Stuffed toys (I don't want to do this really)
• Darning (done! I should have blogged about that.)
• Jewelry
• Writing a pattern
• Gloves
• Knitting for preemies
• Tubular CO (tried and gave up on the instructions)
• Freeform knitting
• Pillows
• Rug
• Knitting on a loom
• Thrummed knitting (done!)
• Knitting for pets (done! I didn't have pets when I did this the first time)
• Shrug/bolero/poncho
• Knitting with dog/cat hair (I still dont' want to do this)
• Hair accessories

Balance

2009-01-21T12:33:00.003-05:00

It drives me crazy when I have things I want to blog about and I feel like I shouldn't or can't really publicly write about them. As a general rule I have just decided that for myself, blogging about work or career related things isn't a great idea. If you do a Google search for my full name this blog will not come up, but I just don't want to take that chance.

The whole concept about what I should and shouldn't blog about is something I struggle with too. Back when I had a blog on xanga I used to write about a lot more stuff. Honestly, it was a lot more fun for me then too. Maybe it was because writing there was also a bit of a writing exercise and helped warm me up to write papers or maybe it was just procrastination, but I have to believe that being more open was what made it more enjoyable too. Then I graduated, moved to Chicago, got a job, and started knitting. I thought starting a knitting blog too would be great, but having two blogs was just tedious, so I got rid of them both. Then I started this one up thinking that I would have a fresh start and could blog about both the everyday random things and my knitting. Recently, that has been working better but like I said, I am still struggling with how open I really want to be.

On a recent podcast (if only I could remember which one that was) the podcasters were talking about how obnoxious it can be when you read a blog and everything is happy all the time, nothing is ever wrong, and everything is just too perfect. I kind of feel like that is what I should put in here sometimes and quite frankly I'm really bored with that too. That makes the whole blog feel so sterile and then you have things happen like last year when I didn't blog for months at a time because things in my life were not entirely stable (a.k.a the second half of 2008 when we were in a really temporary place just waiting for the whole bar exam process to be over and to be able to move forward again) or happy (late January and February, I am looking in your direction). At the same time I never want to be one of those blogs where every day it is a new complaint or some overblown drama. (Although if you are a fan of overblown drama I can point you in that direction, I encounter it frequently on facebook.)

I never really made a post about New Year's resolutions beyond some basic knitting goals because I didn't really make any. As January progresses I am finding one theme I keep returning to and that is balance. In knitting I try to make sure I have something simple and something more complex, some things for me, and as many for other people. I keep trying to plan my meals better so that we have more variety and healthier choices for snacks and meals and get more vitamins and nutrients from vegetables and fruits. I'm looking for part-time work (that is all I will say about it) to balance a professional life and a personal life. I want to find some volunteer projects to work on and I have been attending church much more regularly now in an attempt to find my place in a community rather than just in myself or my personal relationships. Even the church attendence is split between Catholic and Methodist as I find each meets a different set of spiritual needs. I also found my old yoga video so I am working on physical balance too.

I'm not really sure what my whole point is in this post, but after sitting down to write about 5 times in the last week without really saying what I wanted to I thought it was time to just put it out there.

More pictures as promised

2009-01-20T08:22:00.002-05:00

Before I begin a day of cleaning I thought I would share some of the post-blocking pictures of Icarus from yesterday. I am so happy with this shawl! It is actually my first large lace weight shawl. My Handsome Triangle is about as large, but the yarn is much heavier both in yarn weight (Lace vs. Sport) and fiber content (alpaca and silk vs. cotton and modal). My swallowtail was almost as fine, but that shawl is definitely smaller. I have another lace shawl in my queue, but that is going to have to wait until I finish a certain WIP/UFO. Any guesses which on I am talking about?? Anyway, the next shawl in my queue is rectangular and I am looking forward to a change in shapes. I also really want to try a circular shawl so maybe that will be my large shawl of the year next year.

Anyway, off to major cleaning and later inaguration watching.

Icarus is blocking!

2009-01-19T13:37:00.004-05:00

Before blocking:after being pinned out:

and a close up:
I have to say having an extra bed sure makes blocking a lot easier! I used to try and block shawls on the floor which worked all right, but the pins didn't stay in very well. I'm not sure how I would have done that with Amelia now. At least I can close the door to the guest bedroom and keep her away.

I really wish I had blocking wires, but as I do not, I was able to try a tip from Interweave. I strung a cotton thread (I used crochet cotton) through the center stitches and the top edge and pinned those down first. Then I was able to pin out each of the edge tips. I added more pins to the top to keep the cotton thread in line, but I didn't have to use nearly as many pins up there as I normally would have.

After blocking the length is 42" and the width is 72" so this will be a really nice size. More pictures will follow once blocking is complete.

Oh, and I'm not sure that I mentioned it here, but I did need a second skein of yarn to complete this. The yarn I substituted was the exact same yardage as the yarn called for in the pattern, but as noted in Ravelry, I am definitely one of the knitters who needed more. Not much more, but I did have to attach the second skein to finish the last 4 rows and the bind off. I have not wound up the skein again to calculate just how much I yardage I used, but it wasn't really too much, so I am certain I could make another shawl from the remainder of the skein sometime in the future. I will just have to look for one that calls for maybe 650 yards or less or laceweight yarn.

Of another birthday gift

2009-01-19T13:15:00.003-05:00

My birthday is coming up soon too, so on Saturday when I gave my sister her gift she gave me my birthday gift:She crocheted this for me since I had mentioned this summer that I thought black and white afghan would look cool. It does, doesn't it?

Birthday Knitting

2009-01-18T16:31:00.006-05:00

January is a birthday month in my family. Yesterday I was able to give both my mom and my sister their respective birthday gifts. Judging by the projects you might think that January is also cable month.

The Cable Footies (pattern by Leigh Radford in One Skein) for my mom are knit in Cascade 220. I would like to knit a pair for myself too sometime, but when I do I think I will probably knit them toe-up instead.

My sister's gift is the Who? hat (pattern from Penguin Purls). Becky likes owls, so I thought she would appreciate this hat. She was also happy that it would be nice and warm (I used Ultra Alpaca). The hat is also me participating in the Hat of the Month group on Ravelry. Either I am softening towards KALs or I am finding one that work for me. I really like this group because there are at least three knit and at least two crochet pattern choices each month. I don't have to knit a hat I don't like and this gives me the option to try crocheting a hat too. If I don't like any pattern option that month I can choose my own too. Maybe I also like it because a hat isn't too much of a commitment and if it gets to be the last week of the month and I haven't knit a hat yet I probably can still participate without knitting 24/7 to catch up.

Both of these are also counting towards my goal of 52 projects in 52 weeks. In addition to these two items, I also finished a coffee cup dishcloth for my own personal dishcloth of the month club.

My new favorite hobby

2009-01-12T18:43:00.003-05:00

No, I haven't given up knitting.

Back in college, I used to get immense enjoyment from reading the Independent Collegian's police blotter. I am now getting almost as much entertainment from reading the local newspaper on-line.

This isn't from the police blotter, but it will probably give you a clue:

"The Police Department’s “zero tolerance” policy on crime in the downtown area netted another dozen jaywalkers this weekend..."

In other words, while I wouldn't say that nothing happens here, it does appear that the volume is low enough that EVERYTHING, serious or not, gets reported. I guess I will have to be sure I am using a crosswalk if I cross the street downtown because jaywalking is a serious crime! Actually, reading the rest of the article, it seems the crackdown is occurring between approximately 11 p.m.-2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights in the vicinity of a certain establishment I have no intention of ever visiting, so I think I will be all right. In addition, the "zero tolerance" policy is intended to crack down on littering and public urination, and I am all for that, so no complaints from me.

Here is a sampling of some of my favorite police blotter reports:

A woman said Friday her sister-in-law sent a package of meat with the wrong address, and it was delivered to another apartment in her complex. She said that she would contact her landlord because she didn’t want to ask the occupants of the other apartment to return the meat.

A. woman said there were three males in the bushes behind her house Friday and that a suspicious car was parked in the Stadium parking lot. When police arrived, they found out that the males in the bushes were youths playing hide-and-seek. The occupants of the car were sent on their way.

A woman informed police Saturday that her neighbor’s large dog is always unleashed and in her yard and it always makes a large mess. The woman said she had spoken to the neighbor about the issue, but it keeps happening. Police told the neighbor to not let it happen again.

A man was reported to be walking on --- Ave. Wednesday wearing camouflage and carrying a shotgun. Police stopped the man and found he was carrying an umbrella.

A resident reported Monday that a sweeper salesman was dropped off at her residence for two hours and was asking strange questions. Deputies told the salesman’s supervisor to monitor where the salesmen were and if they were not wanted, they were to leave.

A resident Tuesday reported that he received a check for $4,950 from an alleged sweepstakes, of which $2,000 was to be sent back to the company for taxes. He said he wanted the information logged by police so other people don’t get caught up in the scam.

A black sheep that escaped Sunday night from a live Nativity at a church on --- Ave. was found Monday morning. Police were alerted to the escape Sunday night when a --- St. resident reported a suspicious male, who was a member of the search party, outside her residence.

This paper is just great. As I was scrolling through looking for old police blotters I came across this pair of headlines right next to one another:

A different kind of sled

Prosecutor reviews pact with Rosebud Mining to vacate

Forced Blogging

2009-01-08T12:38:00.002-05:00

Once again Amelia has decided that I am not going anywhere. Thankfully, I already had my computer on my lap so I am only stuck, not stuck and bored.

As my birthday is now a month away I decided today was the day to take care of renewing my license plates. Ohio gives you a bunch of options, so I opted for the easiest and took care of the renewal online. Much to my delight, the renewal cost $15.00 less than the notice I received stated the total cost would be. Apparently my current county doesn't charge a tax on license renewal the way my former county did. The only thing I am wondering about is the stickers. In Ohio there is the standard registration sticker and a different sticker that denotes the county. I have been wondering if they will send me a new county sticker since I have moved since I got my license plates.

On a related note, I remember Ohio renewals being much more expensive then they are now. I remember when we moved to Illinois, Mark was complaining about how much it cost to renew, and I thought that it was actually less than I had been paying in Ohio. Now I am wondering if maybe my county had significantly higher license taxes and they have reduced them more now. Even the price I was quoted in my renewal notice with my old address was less than I expected almost (by about 50%!). I never registered my car to my Toledo address so I don't know if Lucas County taxes were less than Wayne County's, which would account for the difference of opinion Mark and I had. Although, it only costs $2.75 more to get brand new plates now, and I KNOW those used to be more expensive, so maybe state fees have decreased now too.

Remnants

2009-01-06T08:06:00.003-05:00

First, in response to yesterday's post, I completely agree with Miss Luscious Luka that Newman's Own is a terrific brand. So far I haven't found anything in that line that has HFCS. Unfortunatley, I have to travel a bit to find a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, but I have found that store brands are less likely to have HFCS than national brands. Kroger's storebrand is frequently healthier when you compare the nutritional facts and ingrediants, and the Our Family brand that Buehler's (my grocery store) has been safer too. Their peanut butter does not contain HFCS. You really have to read everything though. I was making a dessert for Christmas and ALL the Cool Whip contained it.
Awhile back I started using real maple syrup instead of the imitation stuff, mostly because I found I needed a lot less if I just used the real stuff. I'm glad I did because the imitation stuff isn't just Corn Syrup, it is HFCS.

On to another topic though. Last month I blogged about how I wanted to read more and I thought it would be fun to read a chapter a night from a novel and get through it that way. Mark and I have been doing that, but not quite how I envisioned. We actually end up reading for about an hour, so we progressed quicker than I expected. Of course, we didn't read every night since we were away at Christmas, but nonetheless, we finished My Antonia on Saturday. In some ways it reminded me of the Little House on the Prairie series. I loved those. Perhaps it wasn't just the frontier theme that reminded me of them. My mom used to read them aloud to Becky and me. The reading is good for my knitting. I read a chapter and then Mark reads the next chapter and I knit until it is my turn to read again. I'm actually progressing on Icarus again! Now we are on to Tom Jones by Henry Fielding.

HFCS Free Challenge

2009-01-05T13:18:00.005-05:00

Back in November my friend over at La Petite Tricoteuse instituted a 30-day challenge to not eat or drink anything containing High Fructose Corn Syrup. Finally, here in January, I am participating in the month-long challenge. It is a little easier to do now that I have my own kitchen and pantry again. Actually, ever since I began shopping for groceries again I have been reading labels VERY carefully.

I was shocked when I first realized how prevalent HFCS is. Ironically, it all started with those commercials the Corn Refiners Association put out. If you haven't seen them, basically Person A comments on how bad it is that Person B is eating something that contains HFCS. Person B asks them why it is so bad, and Person A can't really tell them. Person B then says it is fine in moderation and there is nothing to worry about. Well that peaked my curiosity about what is wrong with HFCS besides it obviously being a sugar, so I started doing some research and found out lots of things, including it being hard on the liver and especially bad for maintaining blood sugar. I also spent sometime reading the thread in BID on Ravelry. Someone mentioned how it is in everything from bread to condiments. I checked out my mom's kitchen, and while the bread and English muffins boldly proclaimed "NO HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP" the trip to the fridge was less successful. I found it in the salad dressing, the light mayo, and the ketchup.

In general I try to eat more whole foods and less processed ones, so I think this challenge fits in with that sort of eating philosophy. Admittedly, since I hardly ever drink soda (and never cola) this may be easier for me to do because rather than giving things up, I am doing more label reading. I swear that it does add 15 minutes to my grocery shopping time though.

Christmas Gifts Part 2

2009-01-02T10:20:00.000-05:00

I started this post a few days ago when I had a cat on my lap who refused to let me get up. Then I something interrupted me and I never got to finish it.

This year was heavy on knitted gifts from me. Mark is actually the only one who didn't receive a knitted gift. Well, except his parents, but Mark is responsible for those gifts just like I am responsible for my parents' gifts.

I started way back in July with the first gift. You may recognize these as being Endpaper Mitts. I have been wanting to knit these for awhile, and since it calls for fingering weight yarn and I have a whole Knit Picks Palette sampler, I dug through my stash and found a color combination I really liked. As I was knitting I realized that these are definitely in my sister's color palette and she has never received fingerless mitts from me. So I put them aside for her.

For whatever reason, this year she was the one who was easiest to knit for and by the end of September I completed her other two gifts. The hat is the Zig Zag Beanie from Fall 2008 Interweave knits. I used a strand of Elizabeth Austen Andes wool and a strand of light blue Kidsilk Haze. Last Christmas Becky received a shawl out of the same wool, so these match that, they are just a little fuzzier. I really like the hat pattern. It is really easy to memorize and make a very stretchy hat. I made one for myself later, although then I used a bulkier worsted mystery yarn from my stash and no mohair.

Since I knew Becky had that shawl which can also work as a scarf, and now a hat in matching yarn, I though I might as well found out the set with a pair of mittens. To make them a little warmer than normal I used a strand of Kidsilk Haze with these too.

The next present set I knit was for my sister-in-law. Rachel told me awhile back that she wanted another pair of mittens for Christmas. Then the next time I saw her she wanted a hat too. I took her to Uptown Fibers one weekend when we were both home and showed her some yarn options. I knew she wanted something gray and soft, and she quickly settled on the Ultra Alpaca. The mittens were simple enough to knit, but I hesitated over the hat. After browsing Ravelry for quite awhile, I found a hat that I thought I would enjoy knitting and would fit Rachel's style. The pattern is Hermione's Cable & Eyelet Hat, which I thought she would enjoy since she is a Harry Potter fan. I did alter the pattern a little. I cut back on the ribbing and did an extra repeat of the cables and lace.

I don't really have to guess about what my mom wants for Christmas, she is quite clear with her hints. For one thing, I knew that she wanted a warmer pair of mittens. A couple years ago she got a plain worsted pair, but those don't really cut the wind enough on the cold days when she takes Sadie for a walk. I let her borrow my Norwegian mittens, which she really liked, but I am not willing to part with those and I didn't have the yarn in my stash to knit her a pair of her own. Instead I decided to try something new and knit a pair of thrummed mittens. I did have to buy the roving to insert, but Pat Catan's had small packages of it for needle felting, so I was able to get a whole lot of colors. The base yarn is Mountain Color's Weaver's Wool that I used for the Foliage she received for Mother's Day.

Then Mom started talking about how nice it would be to have a short scarf that could be buttoned around the neck. After more Ravelry searching, I came across this pattern. Stashbusting kicked in and I made it as long as I could from the rest of that Weaver's wool and Cascade 220 I had used for her Christmas 2005 hat. It worked really well because I had about the same amount of each yarn.

Like I said, stashbusting kicked in. When we decided to keep Amelia, I realized that she would need a stocking too. I don't know how many people have stockings for their cats, but we have always had stockings for the dog, so it made sense to me. Plus, all the pet stores were selling prepackaged cat and dog stockings. I had enought leftover yarn from Mark's stocking and my stocking to make Amelia her own from the same colors. Unfortunately my Knit Christmas Stockings! book was still in storage so I couldn't make a mini Rustic Lodge stocking, but that is all right since I am not sure I had enough yarn of one color to do that anyway. This is my improvised stocking design. I knit it toe-up and made a short row heel. After we moved I hung it on the door knob of the coat closet and every now and then Amelia would jump up and bat at it, so I think it was a success.

My dad is the hardest for me to knit for because I just don't see him wearing that many knit things. When the weather got cold and windy I lent him a scarf, so I decided to make him his own. I was really happy with my yarn choice. At Calla Lily Yarn & Gifts I found di.Ve' Autunnoc. First, it is very soft wool, perfect for a scarf. Second, I love the subtle color shifts. This picture doesn't really show them, but the yarn very subtly goes from gray to brown to green. I used the One Row Handspun Scarf pattern from Stephanie Pearl-McPheee.

The mittens were the last to be completed, I finished them Dec. 23. I wasn't sure my dad would like mittens, mostly because Mark has been very vocal about his not wanting mittens. My mom said he would, and she snuck me his leather mittens that he said fit perfectly so I could have an idea what size these mittens should be. This was another first for me. While all the other mittens above followed my basic mitten recipe (as developed from the Mittens 101 article in Knitty), this pattern featured a thumb gore which I had not done before. The pattern is "Manly Mitts" from the Summer 2005 issue of Knitty. Funny thing is, by the time I was done with them Mark could admit that maybe mittens wouldn't be so bad after all.

Yardage for 2009

2008-12-29T11:09:00.004-05:00

I just totaled my stash yardage. As of today, including Christmas gift yarn and not subtracting yarn used in WIPs*, I have 42,236 yards of yarn. I did adjust the spreadsheet for those skeins of yarn that for some odd reason will not subtract out yarn used on projects. (I have posted about this and I think the threads always get buried because no one ever tracks it or replies. Sigh.) Using the yard to mile calculator, that is 23.997727273 miles. My foal for the year is to get the stash to under 20 miles. I would love to get it down to about 15, but that is probably a little too optimistic.

As I have mentioned before, I am not much of a Knit-a-long person. I did decided to participate in the Stash Knit Down 2009's 52 in 52 projects. It really isn't that you have to complete a project each week, but the goal is to have 52 new finished projects in your project notebook by December 31, 2009. It sounds like a lot, but really, when I started planning it out it went fast.

I am making my own monthly dishcloth club this year. I went through free on-line dishcloth picture patterns and picked one out for each month. This is of course very much like the Monthly Dishcloth Club found on Yahoo groups which I did for awhile, but I think this will work better for me. It is only one pattern a month and although the picture won't be a surprise for me, I know I will like it. (I was never so glad I didn't knit something as I was the month the dishcloth picture was of the 3 crosses. Even though that is my faith I don't like to decorate with religious symbols and using a dishcloth like that would feel sacreligious to me.) The other thing is that I spread the instructions out over 7 days instead of only 5 like the MDC usually did. I need fewer lines of pattern each day for something like that.

I am also going to knit a baby bib a month. At this rate I should really burn through my cotton yarn stash. Also in baby knitting, there are a few sweaters I have my eye on.

I have a number of single skeins of wool or alpaca. I think I will make some more hats. I used to think I had a lot of hats, but the truth is that I don't have nearly as many hats that I like as I thought, and I would like to make a few for charity as well.

Of course I also have my 2009 shawl picked out too. The Large Rectangle in Leaf and Trellis is in my queue with a deadline of Dec. 31, 2009. I hope to knit myself a sweater this year, but I need to finish Mark's sweater before I am allowed to even think about that.

That is where I am at the unofficial beginning of 2009. After all, I do not think I will finish any of my current WIPs prior to Thursday morning.

*This is mostly true. Whole skeins of yarn used for Mark's sweater are being recorded on the project page as they are used, so those are already subtracted out of the totals because I can't keep track of how many balls of yarn I use otherwise. In addition, any partial balls of yarn finished off because I am using them in the log cabin blanket have been subtracted out already.

Christmas Gifts Part 1

2008-12-29T08:13:00.004-05:00

If you look at my Ravelry activity right now it probably looks like I just went through and favorited every pattern from the new Mason Dixon Knitting book. I could tell you that is wrong, I only favorited the patterns I really like and want to make someday, but that is pretty much most of the patterns in the book. As you might have guessed, this was a Christmas present:

My sister-in-law gets me good knitting books. A couple years ago she got me a Vogue Stitchionary.

I was also really excited with what my mother-in-law gave me:

Uptown Fibers in Sylvania let me make a wish list to keep on file there, and so I got some beautiful Cascade sock yarn (it is very soft!), Knit Klips to assist with seaming, and some more darning needles because I am always loosing those. The beautiful shawl pin below is from Mark's grandmother:
Next up: I can finally show everything I made for Christmas this year!

Case of the Mondays?

2008-12-22T13:20:00.003-05:00

For whatever reason I am incredibly cranky right now. Nothing has happened to put me in such a foul mood, but I cannot shake this. It may be that as much as I am trying to clean up the place and make it feel neat, clean, and organized there is just a never ending list of things to do and it makes me feel overwhelmed. Really I am doing pretty good, but underneath the basement stairs there is a mountain of cardboard to be recycled and until that leaves I cannot make much order between boxes that are meant to stay in storage and be placed there and the boxes that actually need unpacked. Maybe I will feel better if I work on finishing that mitten.

Organization Overload

2008-12-21T22:33:00.003-05:00

I've been playing around on Ravelry tonight and finally have my queue in good order. For a long time I was just queuing any pattern I liked that I thought I might possibly like to make someday. It was a nice collection, but things got lost. The organization options on the queue improved, but I felt a little overwhelmed with where I should even start. Then a few months ago I noticed that you could actually favorite patterns not just individual finished objects. Now most of my queue is actually residing in the favorite patterns tab, and I only have 5 items in my queue, all of which I have a "due date" on and yarn and pattern in possession. This really make me feel much calmer.

In the past there have been discussions on Stash & Burn and some other places about favorites vs. queue. Finally I have figured out where I stand. I will favorite individual projects any time I want because I love seeing little hearts next to my projects and I imagine other knitters and crocheters feel the same way. Those hearts are compliments really. Patterns that I mark as favorites are kind of an extended queue. The things in my queue are soon to be on my needles. (I believe that organizing my queue was one of my new year's resolutions in January, so technically I have achieved that goal since it is still 2008.) To be completely honest, I'm not sure I really get the favorite option for stash and yarn brands. Perhaps that could work like a wish list or to remember an indie dyer. The favorite designer option is kind of cool, because especially with mittens I do have a few favorite designers and this way I can periodically go check on their designs to see if there is something new that I just have to knit.

Fun new things

2008-12-20T15:33:00.002-05:00

This morning I logged into Ravelry to find a notification message regarding project organization. Now I can make tabs in my notebook (kind of like in forums) for whatever I want. For example, I have a tab for Christmas presents, one for mittens, anther for socks. I like still having all projects on the main tab, but it is really nice to click the socks tab and see what socks I've knit. Casey added another sort option too. This one puts WIPs first, and then the projects are arranged in order of most recently completed instead of happiest first. I love this. I knew you have them organized with most recently completed first, but that put all the WIPs at the bottom, and when you have nearly 150 project entries like I do that can take awhile to get to the bottom of the page to update progress bars. I know not everyone really uses their project and stash sections, but I really do and this helps a lot!

I have also decided that literature has been consicously absent from my life for far too long. What is the point of having a library if I never read my books? I know knitting is a large culprit but so is the internet. In my opinion, the logical solution is to create a reading time in the evening, so now we are instituting reading time every evening after Jeoprody. I would like to read at least a chapter a night, although I guess that really depends on whether the chapters are super long or super short. Our first selection (oh yes, the plan is for Mark and I to take turns reading aloud) is My Antonia by Willa Cather. I just did a quick glance and it looks like the novel is divided into five books, and each book has several relatively short chapters. We may do two chapters a night.

I found my camera card!

2008-12-19T13:04:00.002-05:00

As you can see, Amelia was a big help assembling "her" tree.

Will it make it?

2008-12-19T07:51:00.004-05:00

I fully expect the Christmas tree to come toppling down any minute.

We put it up the other night finally, and wouldn't you know it, Amelia thinks it is all for her. This comes as no surprise and this is precisely why we didn't put any breakable ornaments on the tree this year. It is actually rally funny to watch her climb the tree and bat at ornaments. Right now she must be playing a game to see now many she can knock off. I count at least three, although I should look under "her" chair and see how many she has stashed there. The red armchair is hers too you see. It makes a lovely place to curl up and nap, and it is really the only furniture that she can crawl underneath and hide.

The "10 Things to do Today" list is history. It is keeping me from finishing my Christmas knitting. My goal today is to finish a mitten. That was also my goal Wednesday when I decided to scrap the to-do list, but it didn't happen. I keep seeing things that would be easy enough to do and I do those things instead of knit. I have my kitchen completely organized now, the TV stand is up and everything is hooked up and relatively untangled there, the living room furniture is arranged, the rug is down, the end tables and coffee table have been cleaned and arranged, the baker's rack is where it belongs with the proper items stored on it, the vanity mirror is reattached, the twin bed downstairs is assembled as is the desk, and (obviously) the Christmas tree is up. I also made rum balls last night. Today I want to make cookie dough for cut-outs and gingerbread men. Actually I should do that now because the dough for those needs to chill and it can do that while I knit.

Will it ever end?

2008-12-18T14:50:00.000-05:00

Today I went back to my parents' house to get some stuff we left there. We received a few things in the mail over the last few days, including ANOTHER BILL for Emergency Room services after Mark's accident 10 1/2 months ago! >:-| I cannot even begin to express how annoyed I am with this. The hospital has been so incompetent with this whole thing. We are receiving the bill because the insurance claim was rejected since they had "incorrect insurance information." They probably tried to bill our car insurance again despite Mark having called half a dozen times now to make sure they have the correct insurance information and send it to Blue Cross/Blue Shield with the correct group number on it. They have previously sent it to the temporary insurance we had in Illinois for the month of June. I'm surprised they haven't tried to bill it under the temporary insurance policy we have since moving back to Ohio. Maybe they did. I just do not understand what is hard about sending the bill to the correct place. So angry and annoyed about this. /end rant

While I have a few minutes

2008-12-16T15:56:00.004-05:00

I'm trying to squeeze in a post before Mark comes home from work. I think I blog most when I am alone for a period of time, which explains why I did a lot of blogging when I lived on my own in Toledo, and when I lived in Illinois before I got married, and why I am actually blogging again now. When I am around Mark he gets to hear everything and then I've been through it and I don't feel like typing about it. Not that communicating with your spouse is bad thing, but I will admit it can make blogging suffer.

I am doing pretty good with my list today. I need to vacuum, figure out where I want the baker's rack, and then I will be able to unpack the pots and pans because a few of them go on the bottom shelf of the baker's rack.

When I returned from the grocery store today one of the maintenance guys came with an actual drain cleaner person to fix the basement washer drain. I did a load of laundry without any problem, so I think everything will be good with that now. It is really refreshing to live somewhere that actually cares about maintaining their buildings and will hire outside people to do things right if it is beyond what their staff can or should do.

I also have the best setup I've ever had for unloading groceries. Street parking is allowed in front of my building (and it is just a little street back into the complex, so it isn't very busy) and we have our own entrance, so I can pull up and take a couple trips getting the groceries from my trunk directly to my kitchen and then park my car where I actually want it. I can do this on my own, unlike at my last place. It was a real struggle if I didn't have help and sometimes even if I did. Those canvas grocery bags really help too, besides being good for the earth they are so much easier to carry and much less likely to break.

My only complaint today is that I really want to knit and I haven't for days now. There are just so many other things I want to do and that feel kind of urgent to do I haven't had much chance to sit down and relax. I will try to remedy that this evening. This is all I have time for today!

This entry brought to you by Amelia

2008-12-15T16:19:00.004-05:00

Seriously, it is.

I was out in the kitchen on the step stool trying to to arrange the mugs and glasses in the cupboard and suddenly the was a warm furry animal up on the stool with me. I kept working for awhile but Miss Amelia made it quite clear that I was going to pick her up. She hasn't been especially cuddly lately but apparently she changed her mind this afternoon. So now I am typing with a sleeping cat curled up on my lap.

It was time for a break anyway. I made my list of ten things to do today and I've accomplished about half of those things. A couple I need Mark to help me with, one was to be here for the cable guy to install the phone and it is 4:25 PM and he hasn't shown up yet, and the other two I just haven't got around to doing. On the plus side, I have done a few things that weren't on the list and a couple of things that came up and just had to be done.

For instance, calling the appliance guys back after they hooked up the new washer and dryer. I put a load of towels in and went upstairs. I could hear the water up here and it just didn't sound right, and sure enough, I went downstairs to find water all over the floor. Now the portion of the basement that the washer and dryer are in is just concrete and there is a drain in the floor that all the water went to so nothing was damaged. This is actually one of the major reasons I wanted them downstairs instead of upstairs. That would have been a lot more disastrous in the hallway closet where the hook-ups are. After I stopped the washer I called the appliance store, they called the guys, called me back and gave me an estimated time they would be back. They were very efficient about the whole thing. Anyway, turns out the drain that the water should go out was plugged up (so not their fault) but they did their best to unplug it for me and suggested I let the apartment office know, which I did, so maintenance should be coming sometime tomorrow probably. I did allow the washer to finish the load then (under careful supervision) and there wasn't a problem again. When everything is checked out and taken care of I will feel a lot better about doing laundry.

Tonight I am making Sausage gravy over biscuits for supper. I know it is really a breakfast thing, but I think it works well for supper too. I'm not really crazy about it, but Mark loves it and the only other time I have ever made it was for him after his first day of law school orientation. It just felt right to make it for supper after his first day on the job.

A loss and some gains

2008-12-14T20:14:00.003-05:00

A moment of silence is needed for my dear Foliage hat. As far as I can tell, it fell out of my coat pocket in the mall today. I will check the lost and found at the mall, but I am not hopeful. Maybe someone who needs it will find it and wear it, I could be happy with that. The fortunate thing is the pattern is readily available at knitty.com and I can buy the yarn and knit another one just like it. I loved that hat too, so I probably will.

This is a very happy home this evening since the Blackhawks game is actually on TV in our viewing area! I think we can see it because we have both Cleveland and Columbus stations here. Even when hockey (Bluejackets) is supposed to be on Fox Sports Ohio in the Cleveland viewing are it wasn't on, so until now we have been out of luck. Right now the Bluejackets are up 1-0, so it would be even better if the Blackhawks scored, but just hearing the United Center horn makes me happy. The hockey is definitely one of those things we miss about Chicago, especially because this year WGN is supposed to carry a bunch of the Blackhawks games and we were so excited because we could still see them, but then the cable here started giving us some weird WGN America instead of the real WGN like we used to have a few years ago.

My major accomplishment today has been organizing the bathroom. It is the only room in the house that is in order, but it is a start!

I am going to have to take a picture of the top shelf in my pantry. Before I left, my mom and I divvied up the canned goods. (Yeah! Power play goal! Sorry, I said I was watching hockey.) My top shelf is very colorful and reminds me of how much we accomplished this summer. It is now 8:30 so it is time for me to get back to unpacking or organizing or something

A New Beginning

2008-12-13T18:16:00.004-05:00

I decided awhile ago I would begin blogging again once I was settled in wherever we were going to end up. As of today I'm moved. That is not to say anything is in any order, so "settled" might not be the best description but whatever. Actually Mark just went out to pick up a couple things at the store and I really needed a break. I love that the cable was installed yesterday, it means I can type this and have it published.

In the category of major life changes that have occurred since I last made a real entry, the most obvious one is that Mark and I are finally moved into a new place. It is technically an apartment, but we have basement and a large patio and our own entrance, so it is actually more condo-like. We were finally able to leave our temporary residence because Mark passed the bar and very soon after interviewed for and then accepted a job. He starts Monday. (Monday I get to hang around and wait for the cable people to install our phone and wait for our washer and dryer to be delivered.)

Then there are the family additions. In September my parents decided they were ready for a dog, and they brought home Sadie. She is a Lab/Border Collie mix and sometimes I think my entire month of October was spent watching her. Sadie is now about 4 1/2 months old and she is very high energy, very intelligent, and like most puppies she is a little ornery too.

My parents take her for walks a couple times a day, which is how they happened upon our new addition, Amelia. In early November a very friendly little black kitten just would not let my parents pass by without begging them to take her with them. They resisted for a couple days and just left food instead, but when the weather started to get nasty, my mom picked her up and brought her home. I think Mom figured she could be an outside cat, but Mark and I fell in love with her, so now she is here with us. Watching her explore all the new furniture and weave in and out of all our boxes is quite fun. The vet initially told us she was probably about 7 weeks old (that was a week after we adopted her) but yesterday he said he thinks she may be slightly older based on how much weight she gained in the last month.

Everyone keeps asking what I am going to do now. After New Year's and once I feel like I have things in order here I will start looking for a part-time job. I'm not crazy about working full time at this point, but I can keep that as an option too. I don't know how much is really available where we are now. Maybe I'll find some creative talent and start selling things on Etsy. I'm not really sure.

How did I miss this?

2008-10-21T21:56:00.002-04:00

The Loopy Ewe now has a wishlist option. This is completely awesome and very helpful for Christmas. I love wishlists, whether they are for on-line stores or brick and mortar yarn shops. I'm working on mine now: here is the link.

Debate isn't an Olympic event

2008-07-25T22:15:00.002-04:00

I'm completely up in the air about whether I want to participate in the Ravelrympics or not.

I didn't do the Knitting Olympics back in 2006 because I was starting a new job and didn't really have the time, but right now I'm not working and even though I have lots I want to do in August I should have plenty of knitting time.

I looked at it earlier today and decided against it. Too much work to sign up, and I'm not really sure what I want to make or if I want to finish WIPs/UFOs.

Besides that, KALs and I do NOT get along. I'm really enthused about it and then after the first day or so of knitting it is like a curse. Someone on a podcast once said that seeing everyone else post their pictures, especially those from speedy people who are way ahead, made her feel like she already knit something before she did. The element of looking forward to the next step was gone, and worse, if you feel so far behind that you'll never catch up, why keep going? That is part of the problem I have. I mostly get really grouchy when I'm told what to knit (not like someone saying "it would be really great if you could make one of these for me," more like being assigned something) because for me knitting is supposed to be fun. I really hate being told I have to knit this, or I have to knit with that yarn, and I should knit it in this specific time frame.

The Ravelrypics was out for me. Then they changed it. Now there are these cool tags and I can sign up myself and it is looking like fun. No one is telling me what to knit either. I can choose anything I want, out of whatever I want, or I could just work on finishing up old projects. So now I'm thinking about doing it after all. I still have some time to decide what I want to do. If it doesn't work out for me, so what? If it does, well I have another FO and less stash. I can also look at it as an excuse to start a completely new project (hehehe) without feeling guilty about the lingering WIPs and UFOs I have.

I'm thinking...maybe I need to go browse some of my books I didn't pack away

Currant Jelly

2008-07-10T21:10:00.009-04:00

My parents have red currant bushes in the back yard, and for the last two weeks, Thursdays have been jelly making days.

This week I thought to take some pictures and share.

On the left you will see what red currants look like, in case you aren't familiar with them. They are tangy and juicy and sort of resemble other berries that happen to be poisonous, so obviously, don't just assume berries that look like this are red currants.

To make a batch of jelly (that would be 4 8-oz. jars) you need at least 2 1/2 quarts of currants. You gently wash these, and then smash them up with berry masher. This works best if you mash a single layer of berries at a time. Jelly is made with juice only, so mash them up really good to get as much juice as possible. Once all the currants are mashed, you bring them to a boil with 1 cup water and cook them for ten minutes, stirring constantly so they don't stick to the bottom of the kettle and burn.

The next part is a little tricky. Since you only use the juice to make jelly (you use the fruit too when you make jam- that explanation is forthcoming) you need to strain the cooked berry mixture. You can do this with several layers of cheesecloth to form a bag, or you can buy a "jelly bag" and stand like my mom and I did. This was available in the canning section at RKO (that would be Rural King Ohio, it is all right if you laugh at the store's name, I think it is funny too) but I imagine you could probably find such things at hardware stores too since they usually have canning accouterments. Incidentally, that stand we bought for the jelly bag can fit over most standard sized mixing bowls or pans. Like I mentioned, a cheesecloth bag would work too. Apparently my grandma used to use that and hang it up on a hook from the ceiling of the back porch for it to drip into a bowl. The thing that is most important - DO NOT SQUEEZE THE BAG. This will cause the jelly to cloud (which I guess is bad).

Let the juice strain through for 2-3 hours, or longer if you like. To make a batch of jelly there needs to be 4 cups of juice. If there isn't enough, add unsweetened apple or white grape juice, but the flavor will not be as strong. We didn't need to do this with either of the batches we made.

The next part gets a little complicated and works best with two people, but at any rate, you do need some preparation.

We used 8 oz jelly jars, which need to sterilized prior to starting the jelly. It is also helpful to keep the jars in a bowl of hot water since the jelly will be very hot when you fill them and this will greatly reduce the risk of thermal shock. The lids and rings should be treated this way too.

It is also good to start a hot water bath since the jars should be processed right after they are filled. This is not my strength because my mom keeps doing it. She has a small canner (not a pressure canner for this) she keeps simmering. There is a rack in it and she has tongs especially made for picking up the jars. All this would be available in the canning section. She also has a funnel specifically made for filling wide mouth jars. Once everything is set up for canning, the jelly making can begin.

Heat the juice. Add an envelope of fruit pectin and stir. From now on you keep stirring constantly. Once the juice reaches a hard boil that cannot be stirred down, add 2 cups sugar. When the mixture returns to a boil cook for 3 minutes and then immediately remove from heat. We figured out 3 minutes was the right time for our currant jelly, but there is this "metal spoon test" too, and when the juice slides off the spoon in almost a sheet rather than in drops, that is the jellying point.

Then you skim any foam off the top (tip: add 1/2 t butter to the juice when it is boiling to reduce foam) and quickly fill the jars, place the lids, and tightly screw on the rings. (You might want a hot pad for holding the jars.)

The jars go in the hot water bath, increase the heat and bring to a full boil, and process for 5 minutes. Remove jars and place on a wooden surface (to avoid damaging the counter) and let them sit undisturbed for 12 hours.

Oh, and if you have more jelly than fits in the jars (leave head space!) just put it in a bowl and enjoy! Tomorrow I will show you the other berries I've been working with this week.

Summer Flowers

2008-07-08T20:35:00.002-04:00

Just because I like to wander around the back yard with my camera sometimes

Cover Crazy?

2008-07-08T20:06:00.003-04:00

The other day I was sitting on the couch knitting and my mom came into the room and asked if I had any old dishcloths I'd be willing to part with. She was also holding her swiffer mop. I put the two together and guessed that she was looking for a solution to those expensive disposable pads for the mop.

I knew patterns for this existed since Luscious Luka knit a couple, so I was off to Ravelry to search some patterns.

Here is what I've come up with in the last 48 hours. I'm working on a second crochet one now.

There is also a crochet pattern with loops to create a dust mop or sorts. I'm going to have to figure out how to do that too.

The first picture is my mom's mop. It actually has a spray mechanism thing and the mop head isn't flat like mine (see bottom two pictures) but the covers fit her mop head with no adjustments.

I think I'm going to need to make a couple of these for myself now too. It is great stash busting too!

I totaled my yarn again the other day.

Here is what I had:

7/1/08 yarn total is 47,586.5 yds = 27.00375

7/6/08 yarn total is 45,186.5 yds = 25.67415 (see how much yarn that afghan ate!!)

Goal: Reduce stash to < class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">yds by January 1, 2009

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I don't get to subtract yardage from my stash until a WIP is completed.

Oh, and I visited the new yarn store in town today. They have a pretty nice selection of yarn, it is similar to what the old LYS had. There's a lot of Rowan, Brown Sheep, and Cascade, also a nice selection of sock yarn; I noticed Regia Bamboo, Schaffer Anne, Jitterbug, and Koigu. There was another brand I wasn't familiar with that had a lot of alpaca in it, that looks interesting. On a disappointing note, they don't seem to have a lot of patterns/books/magazines just yet, and there needle selection appears to be exclusively ChiaoGoo. Somewhere in the back of my mind I think people had some problem with that brand of needles. I bought a crochet hook to check it out, I thought maybe that would hold up better than needles, I guess we'll see, but so far so good. Anyhow, when and if I need something I will check them out, but my stash is nice enough right now I don't feel like I'm missing out too much.

Afghan!

2008-07-06T16:56:00.004-04:00

In the last week and a half I've barely picked up the knitting needles. This is partially due to the packing/moving/driving things, but mostly it is due to this:

For the last week and a half I've been sort of obsessed with crocheting a giant granny square. This measures 65" x 65" and used nearly 2,400 yds of yarn. It all started because said yarn didn't fit in my yarn storage bins and I didn't want to pack it. I had initially planned to knit a log cabin-style blanket with this yarn, but that got tedious very fast and I wasn't too excited about having hundreds of stitches on a needle. By the time I got to the last 10 rounds of the afghan that was tedious too, but at least all I had to do was move the crochet hook along the outside.

Back to knitting for me now, which I'm very happy about. I've missed it.

ughhhhhhhhhhh

2008-06-25T12:12:00.005-04:00

This blog entry brought to you from a much needed break from cleaning/packing. Here is a peak at the disaster area that is our apartment. I'm not even touching that today. Right now I'm attacking the kitchen, and that involves packing and cleaning. I'm waiting for the floor I just mopped to dry. I'm also in the process of cleaning the oven, but it will be another hour and a half until I can wipe that out.

I would actually like to make other entries, perhaps showing off the nice gifts from SNBWB, or maybe about my sister-in-law's wedding, or my current knitting, or my latest computer drama. I have five days to get this apartment into boxes and clean, so none of that is going to happen right now.

Books

2008-05-13T19:57:00.004-04:00

Reposted from miss luscious luka,

These are the top 106 books most often marked as “unread” by Library Thing’s users. As in, they sit on the shelf to make you look smart or well-rounded. Bold the ones you’ve read and italicize the ones you own but have not read.

*I'm adding one category, I'll bold and italicize the ones I own, and have only partially read. I have an embarrassing number of those, but I don't feel it is fair to say I've "read" a book I didn't complete.*

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
Anna Karenina
Crime and Punishment
Catch-22
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Wuthering Heights
The Silmarillion
Life of Pi
The Name of the Rose
Don Quixote
Moby Dick
Ulysses
Madame Bovary
The Odyssey
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Eyre
The Tale of Two Cities
The Brothers Karamazov
War and Peace
Vanity Fair
The Time Traveler’s Wife
The Iliad
Emma
The Blind Assassin
The Kite Runner
Mrs. Dalloway
Great Expectations
American Gods
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Atlas Shrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran
Memoirs of a Geisha
Middlesex
Quicksilver
Wicked
The Canterbury Tales
The Historian
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Love in the Time of Cholera
Brave New World
The Fountainhead
Foucault’s Pendulum
Middlemarch
Frankenstein
The Count of Monte Cristo
Dracula
A Clockwork Orange
Anansi Boys
The Once and Future King
The Grapes of Wrath
The Poisonwood Bible
1984
Angels & Demons
The Inferno
The Satanic Verses
Sense and Sensibility
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Mansfield Park
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
To the Lighthouse
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Oliver Twist
Gulliver’s Travels
Les Misérables
The Corrections
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Dune
The Prince
The Sound and the Fury
Angela’s Ashes
The God of Small Things
A People’s History of the United States
Cryptonomicon
Neverwhere
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Dubliners
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Beloved
Slaughterhouse-five
The Scarlet Letter
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
The Mists of Avalon
Oryx and Crake
Collapse
Cloud Atlas
The Confusion
Lolita
Persuasion
Northanger Abbey
The Catcher in the Rye
On the Road
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Freakonomics
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
The Aeneid
Watership Down
Gravity’s Rainbow
The Hobbit
In Cold Blood
White Teeth
Treasure Island
David Copperfield
The Three Musketeers

Spring Yarns

2008-05-07T21:50:00.004-04:00

See what I finished? But wait, it isn't just one sock, it is two!

This is the second fastest pair of socks I've done (but the fastest was a pair of ankle length socks from STR medium weight on size 3 dpns while I was in the car for hours traveling to and from our honeymoon, so I'm not sure that counts really)

I knit these a little shorter than I've been knitting my socks lately because I realized that once I get maybe 3" past the ankle length just doesn't make much difference to me until we're talking knee-highs.

I have lots of nice things to say about this yarn. As you can see, the pooling was minimal and I ended up with nice stripes mostly. Pooling doesn't particularly bother me, but I think it speaks to the dying when the socks end up as nice as this. This yarn is great to knit with too, it is soft and springy. In case you don't remember, this is Simply Sock Yarn in Cherry Blossom from Rock Creek Yarns. Hey MB, I saw an ad for it on Ravelry today, cool!

This, on the other hand, is the scarf of two years. It is important to note that it is actually on the needles again instead of on stitch markers- proof that I am actually working on it now.

I started this two years ago and worked on it on and off during the summer, got sick of it, and for the last year and a half it has been solidly qualified under the "UFO" category. I needed some deeper color this weekend and picked it back up. Maybe it is because I'm used to knitting with fingering weight yarn for socks now, or maybe the humidity just isn't as bad yet, or maybe I finally have the right needles for this, but it is going MUCH better than I felt like it was a couple years ago.

Finally, this is next in my sock yarn queue. The colorway is called "Blueberry Jam" and it is Classic Merino Supersock from Knitting Notions, but it reminds me of irises. From this picture you should be able to see why. I've been wanting to knit with this since I bought it last year, but I was waiting for the right timing with the color. I definitely need to swatch first for this one since the recommended needle size is US 0-1 for 8-9 stitches per inch, which is a little finer gauge than I knit socks at most of the time.

FREE!

2008-04-29T21:30:00.002-04:00

I came home this evening and saw this tacked to the bulletin board next to the mailbox. I love it! We've had all kinds of stuff up their lately- sofas, maid services, childcare, Avon. Whoever put this up has my stupid sense of humor

Spring?

2008-04-28T19:42:00.003-04:00

Today is cold, wet, and I hear we have even had a few snow flakes. Just to prove we have had spring, here are a few pictures from the last couple weeks.

Stash Sock Club

2008-04-27T15:08:00.007-04:00

My sock yarn stash isn't too crazy, but I have a few potential pairs, so I've organized my own personal little sock club. I like to knit socks with yarn that is representative of the season, so here is a look at my line-up.

The socks for the last month were knit with Schaefer Anne in a pretty blue-green colorway. I thought it was appropriate for early spring as we were seeing more blue sky, and some rain, and the green leaves budding out.

I've been using New Pathways for Sock Knitters by Cat Bordhi, and for this pair I used the "Riverbed Master Pattern." This pattern has the increases on the sole, which I think you can kind of see from the picture. I also tried the reinforced heel this time. I think it gives a nice cushion, but I'm not sure I'm crazy about the look. Maybe I just need to wash these though, I haven't done that yet. The socks are for my mom, who prefers ankle-length. (This makes knitting socks for her pretty enjoyable, because as soon as I am done turning the heel I'm almost done!)

I really like this book. I'm not much of a pattern sock knitter. I've done simple things on the instep and leg a few times and although I like the way it can look, I find I prefer just plain knitting. For one thing, if the socks are for me, I'm going to wear them in boots where no one will see them. I wear them around the house too, but I cannot stand to wear thin store-bought socks with my boots anymore. My point is that most people won't be able to see that work anyway.

The other issue is ease of knitting and portability. My socks usually get stuffed in my purse to work on at lunch when I'm on the phone, or when I'm in the car, or when I'm waiting for something. I don't want to reference a pattern constantly and I like to be able to knit without thinking for long stretches. I've tried cabled socks and even though they look beautiful, to me they are just too fiddly. I think I'll keep my cables for hats and sweaters and maybe mittens. I'm not a lace sock person either, so basically that leaves knit/purl stitch patterns. I'm fine with those if they are simple enough to memorize easily. Anyway, since I'm so picky about what will and won't work for socks for me, I need to have more basic patterns to go to.

New Pathways for Sock Knitters does have actual sock patterns in it, but for me I'm having more fun playing with the different versions of increasing on toe-up socks. I also really love the method of making the heel, especially since it doesn't involve picking up any stitches along the edge of the heel flap. One word of caution though: if you don't like math and having to plug numbers in to figure out a pattern this is not the book for you. I like math though, so all is fine.

My current socks are knit from Rock Creek Yarn's Simply Sock Yarn in "Cherry Blossom." I shouldn't have to tell you why I think this is the perfect colorway to be knitting right now, but check out the picture I took yesterday, it isn't a cherry tree but I think it is just as pretty.

This skein of yarn was the last I bought before imposing my moratorium on yarn purchases. This yarn is hand dyed by my friend MB and apparently I was her first customer! I love the way this yarn is knitting up too, it is soft and smooshy and totally not splitty.

I got to the part where I need to start increasing for the gusset on the first sock and decided to start the second one. Once I have the second one knit that far I may try doing the two socks on two circular thing, but I'm afraid of tangling the yarn. Mostly I just find I do better with my socks by doing them sort of at the same time. That way I don't forget what I did and they turn out better.

The rest of my sock line-up includes Iris colored yarn (actually the name is "Blueberry Jam") I bought at the Great Lakes Fiber Show last year. (Sadly I have to miss that this year since someone graduates from law school that weekend. I'm trying to get over it. After all I'm not supposed to be buying yarn now anyway.) Next on my list is Trekking XXL I bought on our honeymoon (for June when the roses that are similarly colored are blooming), followed by a skein of Jitterbug (the colorway reminds me of a swimming pool, appropriate for July I think), and finally a skein of Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn that reminds me of late summer flowers.

That isn't all my sock yarn, but it takes care of the skeins I most want to knit with.

Stash

2008-04-27T12:45:00.004-04:00

I've gone a little nuts this weekend playing with yarn. I decided that it was time I finally put everything into my "Stash" on Ravelry. The big stuff was easy, most of it was already there. I'm down to remnants now, which I debated about entering at all. Here are my rules:

Sock yarn under 100 yds doesn't need to be entered
Other yarn 25 yards and under doesn't need to be entered
If I have less than 25 yards of something I used in a project, it can be moved to "All Used Up" but I should still note how many yards I have left, just in case I want to use the scraps for something

I'm not really sure why I'm doing this, other than I am on a cleaning/organizing kick since I'll be packing up soon. That and with the moving and temporary unemployment that is going to follow, I really can't afford to be buying any more yarn for the next few months, so I might as well know what I have. (Don't feel sorry for me, I've spent the last 2 1/2 years preparing for this so I'll be fine. If you are tempted to feel bad, take a look at my stash on Ravelry and you won't anymore.)

I did have a thought about the yarn and moving though. I'm going to use it to cushion my plates and glasses in the boxes. I suppose it could be a problem if something did break, but with that much cushioning I doubt it is a huge risk.

I'm not done with the shoe box of remnants though, so back to the ball winder and yarn meter.

2008-01-26T10:43:00.000-05:00

One of the things I love about Ravelry is the forum. It isn't just the knitting, it is the discussions that occur in some of the groups I belong to. For instance, I really like to read through the discussion board for the "This is what a feminist knits like" group or the "Puck This!" group. Another favorite is "Knit. Hook. Cook." where someone posted a link to CookThink.

You know when you are really are in the mood for something with mushrooms, or something "gooey" or maybe just something European but you really aren't sure what you should make that would satisfy your craving? With this website you enter the ingredient, dish, cuisine, and/or mood and the website will pull up recipes that match your criteria. The recipes I've seen so far look pretty good, I think I will have to try some out.

A post that should containt a lot of links but doesn't

2008-01-16T21:41:00.000-05:00

While I am thinking about it I am going to actually update. Work has been super crazy and not much fun lately, so I come home and knit. I knit about 5 different projects and I teach myself new things and do whatever I can to enjoy the time that I do own. The learning hasn't been limited to knitting either. (Details on knitting below) Netflix has a great inventory of documentaries, many of the available for instant viewing. This weekend it was a documentary on Emma Goldman (who I found out is buried in Chicago!) We also watched one about the Weathermen. I guess we were kind of revolutionary. The weekend before I fed my artistic side. See the little creamer I painted? I've wanted to do that pottery painting for a long time, and I'm glad I did. Since I moved to Illinois I really haven't painted. It is sort of the set-up I have in this apartment, the light carpet is a factor, and then there has been the knitting which receives most of my creative energy. When we move maybe I will fix that.

Speaking of moving, there has been much watching of HGTV. Along with that I must admit there has been a lot of dreaming about future homes. When we go back to Ohio we will rent at first, but buying a house is definitely a goal we would like to accomplish within a few years. I want a yard.

Earlier I alluded to learning some new knitting things. I am still intermittently working on Quant, which is my first entrelac project. In the past few episodes of Craftlit Heather has talked about New Pathways for Sock Knitters by Cat Borhdi. The book has patterns, but it is more about new ways to construct socks. For the most part I am a lot more interested in trying new sock techniques, deciding if I like them, and if I do integrating them into my "perfect sock" pattern inside my head than following a specific pattern for a pair of socks. For one thing, socks are often my portable and "mindless" project so I prefer something simple that I don't need to refer to a pattern for. Another thing is that I like the creativity of pulling something together myself with what I know about sock construction and the help of a stitch dictionary.

Cat has two "practice"socks to knit first, and then she says you should be able to jump in anywhere. I am very anxious to jump into a couple new constructions, but I am being good and knitting the practice socks first with scrap yarn. As you can see in practice sock #1 above I ran out of scrap yarn #1. That was not a planned "design element." I just started practice sock #2 last night. I think I will continue on with it now.

Laugh of the Day

2008-01-03T21:44:00.000-05:00

Mark found this link on Fark. Who doesn't enjoy making fun of lame infomercials?

Enter the busy season

2008-01-02T20:27:00.001-05:00

I had trouble getting to sleep last night, and I figured out it was because I was anxious about work. There is a certain procedure we can only do so much of a year, and after we hit that threshold, every request for that procedure gets rejected with an explanation and the investor is told they can resubmit the request after January 1 of the next year. We reached this threshold in early March last year.

You can probably figure out where this leaves me on January 2 (being that Jan 1 is a holiday after all.)

I am super busy at work, which beats having nothing to do, but it still makes me a little crazy.

The strange thing is that my way of coping with the crushing weight of my inbox is apparently to cast on a ton of projects and plan meals to cook for the next month. You would sort of think that being busy all day at work would make me want to come home and either do nothing or only do the most simple projects. It doesn't work that way I guess. Maybe I just really want creative worthwhile things to do after 8 hours of data entry type work. Or it could just be that with the "fresh start" of the New Year I think it is the perfect time to get startitis.

New year, new projects

2008-01-01T17:55:00.000-05:00

It is sort of fun reading other blogs today and seeing what goals everyone is setting.

I have a few vague ones for 2008, but I've never been much for setting New Year's resolutions. I also have this strange fear that if I write down a list of things to do I will never actually do any of them because I will fear restricted and rebel. I'm weird like that.

As for new in the sweater drama I wrote about last night, I think I may have found my solution. I will just ditch the contrasting color completely. I have 7 skeins of yarn, and the size I am knitting and the next up calls for 7 skeins of yarn, so I am hoping that I will still be all right with yardage. I cast on for a sleeve and so far I like the look with the solid color.

I am also gearing up to cast on for my next lace shawl. The Victorian Lace Today group is doing a KAL with a couple options, two of them being for shawls I want to knit. I haven't completely decided which one I am going to cast on, but right now I am leaning towards the Myrtle Leaf shawl in the Blackberry Ridge laceweight I got for my birthday last year. Anyway, it is decision time for me.

::Edit::

There is one New Year's resolution I will make: I want to ultilize my Ravlery Queue more. I think it could really help me organize upcoming projects. For the last six months I've been using it to add patterns that I would like to knit so that I don't use them. Now I want to take it to the next level and assign yarns and an order to my knitting to-do list.

It's a lovely night to stay inside

2007-12-31T21:47:00.001-05:00

Well, that was the plan anyway. You see, the Bavarian Lodge is closed on Mondays and they aren't making an exception for New Year's Eve, so we decided to stay in.

It is also snowing and the roads weren't very good earlier (see, Mark is smiling because we are finally home safe), so this all works out. Not that we were going to drive, we would have walked to the Bavarian Lodge, but whatever.

We were actually told to go home about an hour early today from work. Which also was helpful considering the snow. Mark picked me up and we went out to take care of Tony. If you haven't met Tony- here he is. Not to alarm anyone who may be reading this, but when we got to the apartment there were two fire trucks and two police cars blocking the way. Don't worry- it wasn't for your apartment. It was a bit unsettling to drive up to that though!

So now that we are back, we have been celebrating the end of 2007 with some cheeseballs I made last night, fondue, and some beverages we would have found on the Bavarian Lodge's menu. Ahem.

Knitting?

Oh yeah, last week I finished Tuscany. Currently (as can be seen on the right side of the screen) I'm working on a second sock and my first entralec project. Despite my other pictures tonight I haven't bothered to take a picture of that.

I also had a sweater I was staring with my Christmas present yarn from Mark. I have the main yarn, but I need a contrasting yarn with it and am having some issues. The main yarn is Classic Elite Lush in purple, which is just lovely. I tried using white Lush as the cc, but it just looks stripey which is not the look we are going for. So yesterday I went to Wool & Company where I probably made the yarn store owner snicker to herself after I left. See, I don't like novelty yarn, but this sweater uses a skein around the bottom, the cuffs, and the neckline. Like I said, the Lush in another color wasn't working. After much consideration I pick up a tape/ribbon yarn that isn't too terribly garish and check out. As I am paying, she asks me what I'm going to make with it. I tell her that it is "for a sweater" because it is. The thought of knitting a sweater with one skein of novelty yarn is pretty funny, I would have snickered. I actually did once I thought of how that could have been interpreted. Last night I cast on with said novelty yarn. I HATE IT. I actually threw it across the room. (Do you think Tony would like to play with it?? I can't return it now, I've already knit with it.) My next attempt involves not using any cc and just knitting it all in the main yarn. We will see how that goes and if it doesn't go well I will just find a new sweater pattern.

I think Mark and I are going to investigate this snow we got.

Our apartment currently smells like brownies (I made them to cover up the oil smell from the fondue) and pork and sauerkraut.

Is this all a little random? I apologize, but this is what you get on New Year's Eve.

I'm not even doing Christmas Knitting!

2007-12-18T23:40:00.000-05:00

Is it just me or is time going insanely fast? I have far too much I want to accomplish before Christmas.

I do have this done. I made three of these mini Christmas stockings for my "team" at work. I'll put some candy in them. I am going to be a slacker tomorrow and not make anything for the food day. Last year I made an eggplant penguin relish tray. For Halloween I made the cheese log mummy. For various food days I have made a bunch of different stuff or brought in things I got at the store. I am just not participating this time- I have no time, energy, or motivation for it. I can't even manage to make icing for the cut-out Christmas cookies I have in my freezer.

Tonight I went to the eye doctor again to try a couple new types of contacts. The ones I had were all right, but I think there may be something better out there for me so I want to give it a shot. My glasses were in too, so now I can give my eyes a bit of a rest. I'm not used to wearing glasses though, so I'm kind of stumbling around a bit, my depth perception is a little off.

I also finished my Christmas shopping today, knit two rows on the Tuscany shawl while we watched a Netflix movie that had been sitting here for a few days, and I wrapped about half the Christmas gifts. Now I get to finish up everything else I want to do tomorrow night because Thursday night I just want to sit back and relax with Mark and have our Christmas celebration.

Also on the list of accomplishments tonight, I got the Ravelry progress bars to work for me! (I use "accomplishment" somewhat loosely, after all, there is a whole bunch of posts and help for adding the code, making it work with Blogger, and adjusted it to the preferred settings. Then again, Literacy is an accomplishment some days.

All is well

2007-12-11T20:29:00.000-05:00

All right, they did a much better job of clearing the roads and the ice really wasn't as severe anyway as it was a few weeks ago. Honestly I wasn't even that worried about myself, I was much more worried about Mark driving out to DeKalb for his exam. We just had some freezing rain advisory, DeKalb had an ice storm warning. Nevertheless, he returned safe and sound and doesn't have to go out for another exam for a week.

I feel completely exhausted. Since we weren't sure of road conditions, Mark offered to drive me to work and just drop me off early. So I got to work around 7:30 this morning which meant I had some knitting time. (I can't really clock in that early because then I would have been putting in overtime and I can't do that without supervisor approval.) I knit until a reasonable time to clock in, and then at lunch I knit at my desk since I had no car to go to and our lunchroom is currently under construction. It really wasn't the knitting that made me exhausted, it was being at my desk for so long! Normally I'm there 7.5+ hours, today I was there for 9.5! I always really feel it when I don't get to leave for lunch, the afternoon drags. Anyway, that is what I'm working on.

It has been a long day all around, because then immediately after work I had an eye exam. I ordered new glasses! I'm excited about that.

2007-12-11T08:07:00.001-05:00

If I die on these ice covered roads I am forced to travel today, my sister gets first dibs on the stash, but the rest goes to my SNB group.

I love you

It's Christmas Time

2007-12-09T15:26:00.000-05:00

All week I've been meaning to follow up on last Saturday's post. Lucky for us, last Sunday I woke up to find it was about 40 degrees and raining, which successfully melted the ice and made it possible to have a life.

Anyway, this week the winter weather has continued. Also lucky for me, since Mark is in exam time and only occasionally needs to go to campus, he has been available to drive me to and from work. My car does not like slippery conditions. It works out for Mark too, because then he spends the day studying at Panera or Starbucks or somewhere where he can focus more than he can at home. Here is a peak at conditions on Tuesday morning. As long as road conditions aren't too bad I don't mind the snow. It helps the Christmas spirit. I've noticed that it snows a lot more in Illinois in December than I ever remember it snowing in Ohio this time of year. In Ohio, most of the snow came a little later, and usually the really heavy stuff was in late winter. At least that is how I remember it.

Speaking of Christmas spirit, we put up the tree last Sunday. Then I discovered that only two strands of lights were still working. Two strands of lights just are not enough, so we got 400 more lights a few days later and then we finally got around to putting the ornaments on the tree on Friday. This whole Christmas thing is taking me awhile this year, I'm not really sure what is up with that. Is it because I'm not frantically finishing Christmas knitting? I am giving some handknits this year, but two of those gifts were finished months ago, and the other two I finished in the last week. I'll explain more later.

With December comes the snow

2007-12-01T20:26:00.000-05:00

Despite my hope that the winter storm warnings were just a bunch of hype, today had proved otherwise. It started with snow. The snow wasn't really bad, but it had me a little worried because the fine flakes and the quickness of accumulation reminded me a little too much of Christmas 2004.

I went home about a day ahead of schedule that year because of the forecast, and it is a good thing I did because I would never have made it home otherwise. Of course, that would have meant I would have had electricity and running water on Christmas and I would have spent it with Mark (we had only been dating about 6 months at that point so we weren't doing holidays together yet) but those are just minor details . Anyway, there was no snow when I left Toledo, no snow on 80/90, but as soon as I hit US 250 the snow started. I wasn't worried, it was just light flurries. Except that it started accumulating much faster than mere flurries should, and it made the road super slick and I nearly slid off the road at least once. I managed to get home safely, but then later that evening we got the freezing rain. Then I woke up in the middle of the night to huge crashes as tree limbs fell on our house. Picture one is from soon after I came home. Picture #2 is the same area of the back yard the next day. I'm really hoping I don't wake up tomorrow morning to see the same sort of thing. I don't like the sound of the wind.

Picture #3 is just because the ice can be beautiful too.

Anyhow, I think it is weird that the first real winter storm we got last year was on December 1 too.

and now with some substance

2007-11-22T10:24:00.000-05:00

I really didn't mean to neglect my blog for so long. A few weeks ago I was going to write this post about how it was suddenly Christmas time and everyone had lights and decorations up already even though it was the first week on November, but now here it is Thanksgiving and this isn't surprising at all anymore because it is commonly accepted that the Christmas season officially begins tomorrow. Although for me, Thanksgiving continues through about mid-day Friday when Mark and I go have Thanksgiving with my family. Then once the dishes are done it is Christmas time and we start putting up the tree and baking cookies.

Today is the big extended family thing with Mark's family. I am currently camped out in the guest room, not to be unfriendly, really I am just waiting for the shower to open up, but also because I'm not used to so many people (remember, most of the time it is just Mark and me) so I'm basking in some time by myself . This is one of the hard things about going home, even though we are together the whole time, I sometimes feel exhausted from being around so many people (and this is my family too sometimes, not just Mark's) and I miss my own time and our time together.

So what knitting did I pack for this trip? I have two socks going right now. I've knit almost to the point where I'll turn the heel for both of them. I also brought some cashmerino to make another pair of Fetchings, the left one is done and I began the right one last night. I tossed in the Tuscany shawl, which I haven't worked on since last time I was in Toledo when I messed it up. I really need to put in a lifeline and rip back, so maybe I'll do that when I'm at my house this weekend and I have room to spread it out and take a good look and fix it. For good measure I also tossed in my leftover Lopi light yarn from the Icelandic mittens I made last year at this time. I want to make a hat (and so I also brought some Lush to make a lining for it) with the same motif to match the mittens. This will require some math and some planning, so who knows if I will actually start that when I have all these other things going.

You know what I didn't bring? I forgot to bring the thing to upload pictures from my digital camera to my computer. Brilliant I tell you. I thought about it at work on Tuesday and then just plain forgot. Oh well, better luck next time I guess. Here is a picture of the Icelandic mittens I made last year. I had this on my computer already. This is the design I want to incorporate onto a hat.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Afternoon at a Forest Preserve

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Just to show you that I didn't sit around all weekend, here are some pictures from this afternoon: