Two Black Sheep

Details in the Fabric

Ah the sweet memories of a FO.  Even sweeter because it's was for my little Tuck.    Weren't those the days?  One baby to shuffle around.  I still hadn't gotten to my lumber-jack phase.  Who am I kidding, I was approaching Lumber-Jack size at 4 months.  Tuck wasn't yet sitting at the lowest point of my uterus.  People didn't look at me with pity as I tried to walk.  I could walk at a normal pace.  Oh the days!  I would just sit & stare at the blanket admiring the simplicity of the pattern, the nice mix of colors, & hope that a hand-knit blanket would finally be loved (Gus doesn't like his hand-knit blankets). 

How quickly things change?  As beautiful & easy (compared to Gus) as Tuck was the first couple months, we still forgot about the hellish nights.  I'd go through 4 t-shirts a day because I'd leak through bra & pads.  Gus asked when Tuck was going to go his house.  Teething (another thing we forgot about)!  Didn't my baby used to sleep through the night?  Humph.  Back to sleeping, but now my boobs are chew toys.  Hard & stinky poops now that we're eating more than just milk.  Oh really, you don't like peas today?  Gus please don't hit your brother on the head.  No, he didn't ask you to do that.  And remember my blanket that served as Hope?  Here's what I found in my dryer the other day:

The picture really doesn't show the destruction.  I've washed it a number of times before.  This never happened.  Ever.  The blue, red & cream blocks are fully felted.  I could deal with the pilling.  A little shaving & we've got a blanket that just looks loved.  But felted?  This is Superwash!  And when I read Superwash, I think it's ok to be in the dryer.  Call me an idiot & let's be done with this disaster.  I guess that means little Tucky needs a new blanket. 

I did start the Curve of Pursuit & am making good progress.  With any short-row project or anything that is increased from the beginning, I'm at the point where I'm thinking "What the hell am I going to do on the next round?  I'll be in my 40s by the time I'm another 3 rounds in."  Look at those bumps towards the center square?  I am a little mad at myself.  I really don't consider myself an experienced knitter, and that's a nasty mistake.  I should be able to read a pattern & realize that there's a better way to do something.  The short-rows in the pattern aren't wrapped, but slipped.  In the pattern it states that if you slip them you won't be able to see the row.  Bull-shit.  After a couple of rounds, I went to the tried & true wrapping method.  Look at the differences? 

Nice wrapped rows!

Bad slipped short-rows!

I should always trust my Knitter's Gut.  I'm still planning this blanket for a friend, but I'm thinking about making one for Tuck out of some Tatamy Tweed.  Big bold colors!  Pow!  Zap!  We'll see how my will is after the next 3 rounds.  I might just throw this one at Tuck & buy my friend a Moby Wrap.  That's a good gift too.

p.s.  For the Flyer.  You bring the Bloody Mary mix and I'll pray that these taste good.  But vodka can make anything taste good.

Row Row Row your Boat

I've got a nice big knitting post brewing.  There's a FO to share, new projects and one big knitting disaster that all deserve a post.  But there's sickness swirling around our house.  I've got a teething infant with a nasty cold.  He thought that his Momma could use a runny nose too.  And I've got a toddler that doesn't seem to think it's necessary to poop.  We spend most of our day saying things like "The poop wants to come out.  Please just help it."  At this point in my children's lives, I think the hardest thing is being sick & still taking care of them.  So if you don't want to read a Mommy Post, move on & come back real soon.

Recently, Sarah wrote a post about a certain demon spawn.  I wouldn't say that we're living with a demon spawn at this moment.  We've shared our table with one in the past (15-18 months), but right now we've got a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde passing the salt.  When Gus was a baby, I loved watching things click.  It's like all of a sudden babies realize "Oh!  I've got to roll to get over there."  As he's gotten older, those clicking moments happen less frequently, but they still happen.  We had one of those moments in the middle of June.  He came back from Grandma's a different kid, and we both noticed it.  He became sillier.  He'd do funny dances and in public.  Gus is a shy kid, so when SK & I watched him dance in a restaurant, we knew he'd changed.  He knows when to make Tuck laugh & what to do to get those results.  I asked him, "Why are you so silly?"  He responds "Because I love to."

Along with the silly changes came some verbal changes & that's the new stress that we're learning to deal with it.  From the time he was born, he's been very talkative.  The first couple months his communication was just screaming.  Once that fell off, he babbled all the time.  We never had the frustration of not being able to understand him, but he wasn't using a lot of words.  Once he moved into the toddler room at school, to everyone's surprise he just started speaking in complete paragraphs.   He talks a lot.  I'm not surprised since he comes from a family of talkers.  Ava always asks during the car rides home from daycare, "Is he always like this or is it for my benefit?"  Always.  Lately, his words are even better.  It isn't just words, but concepts.  We get a lot of "You are making me mad" if we don't give into him.  I guess it's better than being swatted at (which happens, but not as often). Or "Daddy isn't listening to my words today."  Mine either, Champ (which Gus has pointed out a couple of times).  Yesterday he said, "I'm having a rough morning, Mom."  I told him to breathe & that seemed to help. 

When he was a baby & was doing something stressful, I'd remember that he's a baby.  During this new communication phase, reminding myself that he's still somewhat of a baby is something I really have to do.  Here's a conversation we had last Friday:

Gus:  Can I watch two shows when I get home?

Lola:  No.  We watched enough this morning.  We had already watched an hour.

G: Please.

L:  No.  Maybe after nap.

G:  How about one show?

L: No.  Please stop arguing.

G: I'm not arguing, but you aren't listening to me.

L: Yes. I am.

G:  You are making mad.

L: Sorry.

He paused for a long time & then said "Momma" is his very low sweet tone that is usually reserved for when he asks for candy.

G: Please don't talk to me right now.

Fine, but are you kidding me?   I know that he doesn't mean anything by it.  I'm very grateful that he isn't screaming.  It's difficult to not get into an argument with a 3 year-old.  In the moment it's difficult to remember that the less words will yield a better outcome (In the above conversation, there were more words being exchanged).  But I still have to remember that he's still a baby.  A couple of seconds after he asked me not to talk to him, he asked me to explained why the tree was on the ground.

I slipped in some picture from our trip to the zoo.  I went last year with Gus' class & there have been some changes.  They've always had an Environmental Learning house.  It shows kids what to recycle, what a rain barrel does, the consequences of huge amounts of trash.  The zoo has certainly spread that consciousness around the entire zoo.  SK & I loved the trash cans that were decorated in the theme of the habitats.  Asia Quest is the newest part of the zoo & had a heavy dose of awareness.  Animals that are extinct were shown by being blacked out or ruined statues.  Habitats that are being destroyed were highlighted and then options were shown on how to reverse the process.  If they could cut down on the plastic toys, that'd be a win for both parents & the environment.  We really enjoyed our trip with the kids & can't wait to go back.

As soon as I can kick this bug, I'll be back with a knitting post.  Promise.
L

A Day Without Me

One quick post before I pick up Mom from the airport. Moved bookmarks: check; deleted all emails pertaining to the blog and the wedding: check; cleaned the house more than normal: check . . . wouldn't it just be easier if she knew? Probably not.

Remember when I said that I would be cleaning the attic in order to block the Plane Project? Umm, I forgot that I was taking the girls to visit the University of Delaware (never made it there, long story, think equal parts construction, traffic back ups for miles, and 85 degree weather) so instead I decided to block it in Betty's room since she has a large stretch of uninterrupted carpet. Unfortunately, I forgot that hers is the only bedroom with one window making the air flow limited at best. The first part went fine, but when I got up to move and nearly passed out on the box of blocking pins, I realized that this might have been a very bad idea indeed. The shawl is blocked but the photo shoot will have to wait for another break in the humidity.

I cast on for the February Lady Sweater, which is currently running rampant in knit world as are fingerless mitts. My thinking? Anything to replace cowls . . . anything. To cast on, I had to unravel a sloppy attempt at a DIY Fair Isle sweater. If you've never unraveled a big project before, find one to do immediately as it was surprisingly fun. So far, I'm about 18 rows away from the Gull Lace pattern and I'm pretty much loving it. The yarn was some clearance stuff from A. C. Moore that I bought about two years ago (that's only half of it above). I called Lola at Mom and Dad's about it and she clearly stated, "You have a problem. You don't have a project . . . you have a problem." Well, sister dear, I finally have a project - three, in fact. Me thinks I'll whip up not one, but two pair of fingerless mitts from the left-over yarn of which there will be plenty. It was clearanced after all.

It's a pretty established fact in our house that I have a black thumb, which is why I take such joy in my hydrangeas because I do nothing to earn their blooms . . . nothing. This year, both bushes have bloomed (very rare) and they have not disappointed in the size and color of the clusters. However, when you walk outside to take the garbage out and you find a spider the size of a half dollar, you are a little leery about gardening any time soon. Me? I love spiders because they eat the pesky bugs, but when you can see the actual jaws opening and closing and you watch it go after a moth, you kind of feel bad for the moth.

Have a great week! You'll be hearing from Lola for the rest of the week. I know she won't let you down - her posts are much funnier any way. Maybe she'll thrill you with Gus and his latest: you're making me mad. Kiddo, you've seen nothing yet.

Ava

PS - Have you seen this little gem on Wordle? Click on ours and have fun. If you make one of your own, send us the link.

 

Blow the Man Down

Finally a FO!  This was a truly fast and dirty project that I enjoyed.  I love twisted knit stitches.  I think that it's because I really can't see a difference until a few rows have been completed.  There's a section in the pattern where you do a turning row.  That's where you see the difference between a sad and boring knit stitch and a sexy little twisted number.  The one thing about twisted stitches that irks me is how they don't like the other stitches.  Call them snobbish.  They seem to sit a little farther from the purl stitches which makes the rib not so tight.  SK has already asked for the same cap and I'll probably make one for myself before winter hits.  For details, click on the picture.

Currently, it's all baby knits around our house.  I have two friends that have announced their pregnancies, and I'm gathering steam for some baby blankets.  One of the friends is on Baby #2 and already is a the proud owner of the Moderne Log Cabin from MDK.   I really liked this pattern and am thinking about making it again.  I just need to decide if I should knit her the same blanket out of new colors or do a different pattern for Baby #2.  I'm also thinking about starting Curve of Pursuit.  But do I have it in me to complete that one?  It seems like I'd need lots of cables and brush off my short-row skills.  I've got to start making decisions and quick.

Last week, we got some "pickles" from our CSA.  I had no idea what to do with these suckers.  I've never canned anything in my life.  I remember our Grandma's shelves full of jarred veggies.  I think that we even had some of her veggies in our basement for years past their prime.  I really didn't want these pickles to go bad, but what to do?  If I can knit queen sized blankets, I can water-bath something.  Dammit, I can can!  I had to buy the jars and a large enough pot to cover those jars.  I used this recipe and got to work.  After fumbling around trying to get the jar out of the boiling water with tongs, I realized that I should have bought the canning tongs.  I'm lucky that I didn't burn my toes with all the water flying out of the pot.  I pressed the center of the lid down and didn't feel it move, so according to websites I processed it correctly.  Now we'll have to wait 2 weeks to try the pickles.  I'll bring them home for the wedding.  I bet they'd be delicious in Bloody Mary's.

Lola

You're the One

A mere 13 months later, and I am calling the Plane Project done. This baby nearly did me in, not because it was complex (truly easy lace pattern to remember) but because of the yarn. Utterly and completely gorgeous, Cider Moon's Pandora Rose was also particularly deadly and devastating. Thanks to the generosity of knitters, my shawl can be blocked and used and loved and shown off. That being said, I'll have to clean the attic to block this puppy since that is the most expanse of carpeted area in the house. Probably regret saying this but locating the yarn was an easier task than cleaning the attic . . . any guesses as to what I'll be doing tomorrow or what I'll find?

Lola had a family baptism over the weekend, so we really haven't had a chance to chat that much, but she did call in the middle of our 11:20 AM showing of The Dark Knight (who hasn't seen this yet? Honestly, you haven't?). I called her back only to be gob-smacked about our brother, which for the life of me, I don't know why I am any more. Here is a basic run-down of the "issue." The Bro works as a paid fund-raiser for a lobbying group tied to the DNC. He works about 80 - 100 hours a week, but he knew this when he took the job (which was after he and his bride-to-be announced their wedding date). He was told on Friday morning that they were going to move him out of central Ohio to the deep South (think Alabama or Mississippi) two weeks after the wedding for two months BUT since he was getting married and would be a newlywed, they wanted to let him know that he could work for another off-shoot of the company which deals with securing children's rights and ending child hunger/preventable death in Africa, Asia, and other poverty stricken areas of the globe (along the lines of Save the Children). Following it so far? Our brother tells Lola that he said he would rather go down South than stay in Ohio with his new bride since he didn't believe or care about children's rights around the world, but he didn't want her to tell insert fiancee's name here because he didn't tell her he had an option. Nice way to start a marriage, don't you think?

I never did make the laptop case but instead made two Infinity Dresses for the girls. Betty's was the learning dress and she was rather peeved that I kept waking her up only to have it look like shit, so you will have to live with just Veronica's picture. Suffice it to say that they loved the dresses and we will be using this pattern for their bridesmaid dresses for the Bro's wedding. The best part? We found appropriate fabric while visiting the Flyer's parents for just a dollar a yard. That means, including the serger thread to match, the dresses will cost $16.35 total. For that money, I'll  throw in my labor for free.

The Flyer and I are rearranging our living room this afternoon as well as selling the remaining CDs that we own at the Jukebox. I couldn't tell you the last time I played a CD over the iPod; there's no sense in having the stand and the player take up space in an already cramped room. Guess this means that we are making the digital conversion. If this ever transfers over to the DVDs, we might be in trouble.

Better photos of the shawl in the next week or so! Enjoy the last full week in July . . . amazing how fast it is going.

Ava

Blue Sky

Goodness, this next month is going require a lot of patience, kindness & breathing.  Oh and lots of wine.  I took the boys home last weekend to visit with Mom and Dad.  Mom warned me that she just wasn't quite herself, and that she was having a hard time with the jet-lag.  Her version of "hard time" is different from my version.  The list in the picture is from a manic period I spent with Mom trying to list everything that needs to be done for the wedding.  But I think that things are under control and our family is in the final stretch of this wedding.  I'm trying to imagine the posts that will come from this blessed event.  The blog may finally be revealed when Ava and I are caught giggling around the computer.

I have some required knitting that needs to be finished within the next couple of months.  Amanda is on hold because I'm waiting for my 40 inch cable to return from Ava's house.  Mindless knit: Marsan Watchcap in Moda Washable Wool.  I really do enjoy this yarn and if you use a coupon, it'd be a great deal for almost 200 yards of superwash.  Has anyone used this yarn and how does it wash up?  Our friend leaves the first week of August and I'd like to have it done prior to him leaving.  1x1 twisted rib is slow going, but it's easy to do while watching 2 kids.  Regular ole knit: Tuck's Trellis in Lion Brand Wool Ease.  This is a sentimental knit.  I made Gus one in Wool Ease and I loved how he looked in it.  Like a young Mr. Rogers.  I'll try to dig up some pictures.  I doubt that I did a swatch for Gus'.  Why not?  I was a young knitter and it's a kid knit.  I really don't think that I did because I would have remembered the frustration!  I began this with another yarn and it would have fit Tuck in 4 years.  I tried it again with the Wool Ease and it would have fit Tuck in 2 years.  So I made a crazy decision to knit the smallest size on needles 2 sizes smaller than recommended.  If I could just remember the proper cabling without a needle technique, I'd be cruising.

Ava, we're real behind on ABC along.  I think that we need to play catch-up.  God we're lazy.

Lola

p.s. Burn, baby, burn!

p.s. again.  Kristen, we need you address for the winning contest entry!  Email us, please.

Bittersweet

After three weekends of travel from one side of the state to the other, my body finally rebelled against me yesterday. Call if food poisoning, call it a shut down, call it an inconvenience . . . it was a day spent on the couch alternating between sips of water and fading in and out of sleep. Our college trips to Penn State and Pitt went off with minor hitches (umm, PennDot? Perhaps closing down two lanes of traffic on a main artery getting out of Pittsburgh on a Saturday afternoon with temperatures reaching 90 degress might not be the best choice), and the girls got a fairly good overview of both schools.

The only good part of the trip was returning home . . . to this lovely yarn: Cider Moon's Pandora Rose. Thanks to the amazingly generous KarinB, I can now finish my Plane Project with the yarn I adore. That being said, this truly is a bittersweet knit since I know I can't get any more of it. Since most of my goals have been accomplished (sock one: done, Cobblestone body: done, laptop case: it's still Monday, people), I think that I'll set the goal of finishing the Plan Project by next Monday evening. I know it's a lot of knitting to do, but this project needs an end. Besides, I can take out all of my wedding aggression on the project.

The first Shellac sock is done and let me tell you, the bind-off was pure genius! I could actually get it over my heel and up my massive calf. Thank you so much, Carrie, for posting the link. I couldn't have done it without that tip. The sock will wait until the next week or so while the Plane Project is completed.

Now that Lola and I are both at our homes, we would like to announce the winners of our contest. Picking the random number generated one was easy . . . just push a button. But our favorite? Man, do you people make this hard! There were so many good entries that it was hard to narrow it down to just one, but without further ado (thanks, MC), our winners are: Natalie and Kristen! Please email us your addresses and we'll send out your box full of joy in a few days. To everyone who entered, why not submit your memoir to Smith Magazine's Six-Word Memoir? It might be published on their website or in the next paperback installment. And so you don't have to wade through all the entries, here are the winners:

Random number generated: Cats, yarn, books furnish a life by Natalie
Our favorite: Loved him, heart-broken, hoping for better by Kristen

Off to shower, sew, and eat (for the first time in 24-hours . . . one of those illnesses). Enjoy your day and if you are planning a wedding, don't try to accomplish everything in 30 days . . . your family can't handle the stress and will most likely call you silly names to your face.

Ava

K is for...

KA-POW!

Another year without accidents.  Every year, someone always says "I can't believe we've never had to go to the hospital."  Really?  If a phrase is said enough, don't people start to scratch their heads and decide not to tempt fate.  I guess not because the family is already planning next year's tree explosion.

I don't have one picture of it exploding.  I was too busy protecting my family from a very "safe" distance.  Each year, they start the tree in a different fashion.  The first year, my FIL just lit it on fire.  Boring.  One year, we had two trees.  They put a wire between both and rigged up a bottle rock to catch fire & ride the wire over to the second one.  This year, all the men shot Roman Candles until the tree became a ball of fire.  Yep.  That's how we do the 4th.

We loved reading everyone's memoirs.  I've got a couple favorites, but I'll wait to see which are Ava's.  We've having a bit of family/wedding drama, so the contest's results may have to wait for a day.  Seems like planning a summer wedding in less than 3 months & not in your hometown isn't really an ideal situation.  Who would have thought it?  Umm, everyone but the couple!

K should also be for "Kid Knits".  More on that later. 

-L

Feltham Is Singing Out

After traveling to Ohio for the funeral, the last thing that I want to do is turn around and do essentially the same trip this coming weekend, but the girls have college visits for Penn State and Pitt scheduled. If I can get the sock that I am currently fussing over to the leg, I'll have something to pass the time with. Instead of cleaning and shipping items, I'm knitting my little fingers off to make that happen. Lola has always been amazed that I knit my socks on Addi 1s, so for this one, I decided to knit them on 0s . . . ouch. My fingers hurt every so often, and I finally gave up on the K3tog in favor of a SK2P or something along those lines.

I'm using the Shell Lace stitch pattern for this pair of socks with Judy's Magic Cast-on and a generic gusseted heel. For some reason, I like those better than a straight on short row heel, so if I ever get around to writing this pattern up for publication, feel free to substitute your own heel (or toe for that matter). So far, so good, but I should have started the gusset a little earlier than I anticipated. The yarn, STR's Rose Quartz, has been in my stash for what seems like forever, and why I ever bought this color is beyond me. Granted, it's pretty-ish, but it's so unlike my normal choices.

Our parents got back from their trip through Thailand and China on Sunday evening, after a 38-hour flight. Dad was so tired in Bangkok that he simply laid down on the floor (which was sans carpet) and slept for three hours. When Mom commented to Lola that she hadn't seen the boys in several weeks (okay, two months, but who's counting?) Lola pulled up some photos of them from my trip home . . . with three tat pictures in the midst. Granted, Mom was uber-loopy, but I thought it best to soften the blow so I sent her the picture from the cellphone. Her first comment? Please tell me that friggin' (she doesn't like to curse) thing is fake. Nope - sorry. The second comment? Why not a small little butterfly on the ankle? Because that would be pussying out. The final comment? Well, you always were a different child from the rest. I let that one go . . . because she's never said that before. Wonder what was in the water in Bejing?

Finished sock by Saturday, finished Cobblestone body by Sunday, finished laptop case by Monday . . . a girl has to set goals.

Ava

PS - Today is the last day for the contest. So far . . . so awesome!

You Are Goodbye

Keep the contest entries coming . . . we love them! Lola is with SK's family in Toledo until Sunday and the Flyer and I will be traveling with the girls to eastern Ohio tomorrow. His grandma died on Thursday . . . Helen was one of the sweetest and kindest women I've met and a chocoholic to boot. Have a safe and happy holiday and get your memoirs in by the 9th!

Ava

PS - Hey Buckeyes? How many of you knew about this? Umm, some of the places mentioned rang a little too close to (the Flyer's) home!