Two Black Sheep

She's my Girl

I have a Noro problem.  It's complex, but aren't all my problems?  I don't understand how knitters can knit sweaters or socks out of this yarn.  I just don't get it.  It's way too "earthy" for me.  But on the flip side, I love Noro!  I get almost giddy when the color is about to change.  How's the green going to look next to the pink?  How will that pink look next to the peach?  But what do I do with all my bottled up Noro love?  Make blankets, I guess.

I finished Lizard Ridge a long time ago and it quenched my Noro thirst. Still it isn't the blanket that I rushed to cuddle under. For a long time, it was purely for show.  One night Gus' blanket was in the wash & he needed an extra layer.  I threw Lizard Ridge over him and that's where you'll find the blanket.  Not the cheapest kid blanket or the most practical when we're still dealing with Pull-Ups.  But he calls it the sweater blanket and that warms my heart.  It has softened a little with use, but you don't buy Noro to touch.  You buy it for drama. 

This hat ignited my Noro love again, but I knew it was pointless.  How does one pull that onto their forehead?  How!?  But that love is so hard to ignore.  When I get that itch, something's gonna give and it usually turns into a large on-going project.  I needed a plan to scratch my Noro hive.   I'd knit the middle size Rambling Rows out of Kureyon.  This decision also solves another problem of mine.  I hate leaving a locally owned store without purchasing a thing.  I feel guilty when I leave with nothing.  I usually buy sock yarn, but I'm sick of loading the stash with yarn that doesn't get used.  Now I can pick up a ball here in Ohio and more the next time I'm on the road.  Before you know it, I'll have a beautiful afghan.  Noro lends itself to be knit in one sitting.  What's that blue going to look like next to the tan?  I'll keep knitting just to find out.  Problem solved and everyone is more than happy.

I also decided that I needed a new sweater project.  Say "Hello" to Diminishing Ribs.  Excellent kid-friendly knit.  Not that I really need a kid-friendly knit.  Garter is the friendliest of all the stitch patterns and Moderne Log Cabin should be my go-to kid knit.  Since my one repeat on Celite is finished, the Log Cabin will be fished out of the closet.  I've got a month to finish it.  The blanket is so large that it becomes difficult to turn and I'm also afraid that grubby little fingers will attack it.  Rib is found while the kids are playing.

I finished Childhood Unbound.  A decent parenting book for parents with children a little older than Gus.  It was nice to see what's coming, but I think that we're still about two years away from many of the issues that were discussed. I found that it had more explanation of why we're seeing certain kid attitudes more than how to discipline.  Which was really refreshing.  It was also nice to see that many of his tips were common sense to me.  Frank discussions, boundaries/limits, respect to both child and parent, and building a community around the family.  It was an easy read and not condescending or frightening.

I've also been thinking about reading a Chapter book to Gus each night.  I think that he's probably old enough to begin this routine, but I'm not sure which book to grab.  I'm guessing the book should be short and something without violence.  Duh, right?  Any suggestions?

L

The Shady Dame from Seville

Thanks for all the comments yesterday. It was just a combination of things that caused such an outburst on my part. Sometimes  just knowing that other people empathize makes it a little better.

So, back to the February Lady debacle. When last I was hopeful, I had a beautiful sweater that needed some blocking. I was just about ready to fill up the kitchen sink when I remembered that I had used the hand-wash feature on my front loader with great success on my socks. Why, I'll use it for my sweater and then block the bitch so that I could wear it the next night and the Flyer could wear his Cobblestone and we'd go out to dinner in style. After the washer finished the cycle, I thought, "Hmmm, I don't remember this much water the last time  . . . I'll just spin it out," because (and get this) I didn't want to dirty another towel . . . that's rich, don't you think?

Wrong choice. A little tumble, a little spin, a little tumble, a little spin . . . a very little sweater. Panic set in when I took out my (still sopping wet) felted sweater. I gasped, I screamed, I reached for the phone. SK answered and decided to "pretend" he was sleepy when he answered. Hell, he could have been sleeping but seriously, this was the very epitome of a knit emergency. Lola, after she grasped the full magnitude of the situation, suggested pulling the hell out of it and trying to salvage what could be salvaged. So, I put on a slightly less wet but will too wet to wear sweater and had Betty and Veronica pull the hell out of it. And then, the full reality of the situation set in.

In 20 short minutes, I ruined what I had worked on for six months . . . and I broke down in tears. Pre-felting, part of me was upset that it was a bit larger than I expected and wanted a twee bit of shrinkage but what I got was ridiculous. I tried to cast on for something new and figured out rather quickly that I had no business knitting anything in that state-of-mind. Blue Moon turned out to be my only comfort (the one that comes in a bottle, not the hank).

Tricia tried to help but even she had to admit that it might be lost. The girls won't wear it (not their style) and I know that I wouldn't fit into it in a long, long time. In the end, it might fit either Lola or the other sister or I might just hack it to bits and make a bag out of it. I do have to say . . . this yarn felts like a dream. If there can be one positive, it's that this might be the perfect felting yarn. The stitch pattern holds its shape, the silk provides a nice bit of texture, and the fabric of wonderful. The alpaca? That, Tricia says, was probably part of the problem. Apparently it adds to the "feltability" and you can basically felt alpaca just by carrying it around with you on hot days. Good to know.

Still, I love that sweater pattern . . . I'm thinking brown in a smaller size would be much more versatile. I have more than enough of Kraemer's Summit Hill in chocolate. And the best part? It's superwash.

Ava

PS - Whoever said that you can't felt in a front loader is full of shit, by the way.

You Dropped a Bomb On Me

Apparently the February Lady Sweater has a sense of ironic humor . . . and a new cousin: the February Lady Boiled Wool Sweater.

I felted my sweater . . . I'm getting a drink, possibly four.

Ava

B-Boys Makin' With the Freak Freak

Dear February Lady Sweater,

I feel I owe you an explanation. Last week, when you were last in my arms, I commented that we were almost ready to take our relationship to the next level. I know, I know . . . it sent tingles down my spine, too. I had the outfit all planned out: new dark jeans, chic gray t-shirt with a hint of the white tank underneath just peeking out, cowboy boots that have never seen a cow . . . and you. Perfect plan, my sweet. But then something more alluring sashayed on by and I was smitten.

You know I've never been a monogamous knitter. Quite the brazen hussy, I always have more on the needles than I have a right to. Should I shower Lady Eleanor with some love? Throw a little sugar to the long forgotten Miter Square Blanket? No, the Lily of the Valley Scarf needs some TLC. But this was different. It spoke to my very core, my gut, if you will.

It seems, FLS, that I've been taken an interest in the Wii Fit, and damn, I've fallen hard. Stepping on that Fit was challenging because I knew what was coming (and I don't really need a game to tell me I'm fat, thank you very much), but I'm throwing caution to the wind. I don't care what the other knits say: I am in love with the Wii Fit. Maybe it's the competitor in me, but I want to be the best at all the activities (and I kind of want to beat Lola and the girls). So, shame me, tell me my BMI isn't changing, say "Ohhh" with a slightly dismissive tone when I step on . . . Wii Fit, I'm your bitch.

The other knits will be there when I get back . . . I know I'll need a little knitting booty call after I finish with the Super Hula Hoop or the Bubble Float. But, my bestest sweater love, I'll give you a call tomorrow. After all, you have five inches on the sleeve to go and then mamma's taking you out for the expensive dinner. You know you'll take me back in a heartbeat. Tidy up, honey . . . I'm trading in the cowboy boots and wearing the f-me pumps.

Ava

PS - Why not see how Cleite is doing? I hear she's getting restless since Lola's been tapping her Wii Fit, too!

Imaginary Girl

Finally, something to show for all the knitting . . . an official FO! Fern Glade - done (sorry, the newest season of Gordon Ramsey's The F Word began airing recently and we know how I love Chef Ramsey). Here are the specifics:

Pattern: Fern Glade
Yarn: Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend
Needles: Addi Turbos 3 and Knit Picks Options 4
Mod: Okay, let's acknowledge that usually my "Mods" really should be called "Fuck Ups" but the biggest and foremost would have to be the needle size. I've never read the metric version for the Imperial version - ever - but for some reason, I did this time. Meanwhile, I'm cursing the pattern, wondering why it is so tight, and how is this thing ever going to fit on my head. I should have learned a long time ago that it is never (well, usually never) the fault of the pattern but of the knitter. So, in place of the 6s that were called for, I used the 4s instead. But, it still fits quite nicely since it's on my head as I type.

Veronica, who really is a hat fiend and knits them quite well, saw it and asks who's it for. I replied pour moi. She then counters with, "Can I have it?" I know she takes German, but even she should be able to figure out that "pour moi" will not translate to "fur du" . . . but most of my hats have gone her way in the past. This one, I think, might be here to stay. I like the way that it comes off and doesn't cause the hideous hat head that most do and that it covers my ears without constant adjustment (my biggest complaint about Shedir, the only hat she hasn't poached). The next one will be one from Going Straight; I have it down to Windward, Enroule, or Strawberry Joe. Suggestions?

I picked up the sleeve stitches for the February Lady Sweater this morning and immediately began flogging myself for not doing it earlier. For some reason, I wasn't in the mood and it never registered that the sleeves would go so much faster than the body and that I would have a finished sweater when it was done. I'd love to have this baby done in time to wear on Thursday (jeans day at work and this begs for jeans and a cute pair of boots) so I'm holding out every shred of hope that I have left to finish it. When that happens, I am down to the Great American Afghan and the Lady Eleanor wrap. Sad thing is, one of the women in the class that I taught has finished TWO Lady E's since the class ended and I haven't knit a stitch since.

Enjoy what's left of the weekend and the games (if you like the NFL). I am really hoping for an all Pennsylvania Super Bowl but would settle with the Steelers only in the big game.

Ava

PS - I really think that the next "big" project will be the Doctor and Rose mitts for the Flyer and me. I'll post more on that next week.

History of Howard Part 2

No "song" title, but I view this as one long fantastic song.   When Part 1 aired, I was able to listen to the entire series.  SK & I couldn't turn the radio off.  I'm so bummed that this year, I'll be at Mom's.  She isn't a fan of Howard at all.  And that's saying it without her colorful verbiage.  I've got 2 days where I can listen to Part 2 & then I'll have to wait for a friend's copy.  It's making my Christmas a little blue.

Let's move on to the contest winner.  I wanted to find a festive way to pick a winner.  Something fun & interesting to photograph.  But when we returned from the ILs, Tuck came into the house with a fever.  He's home today which isn't good!   I've got a ton of holiday cheer to purchase & make.  Play the drum-roll & click to the Random.org website...

Our winner is...  Amanda!  Find her on Ravelry & check out her projects.  I love the Short-Rows Wavy Hat, Just Like a Peasant Hat, & Ana Banana Hat.  I got Hat Brain on top of Gingerbread Melt-down.  Please send me you address & I'll ship you some woolly goodness.

Amanda's comment reflects my feelings.  I think that I was caught up in the newness of Therapi. Well, the shawl collar didn't help squash my love.  But I was really torn between Bubble & the GSC.  In the end, how can I deny all those votes?  I also think that it will be the easier knit during the next couple of months.  I've got a baby that's about to turn one!  He's been "walking" the couch for the past two months.  It's only a matter of time before he lets go & starts running.  I'll start swatching at Mom's.  I can do that with a beer in one hand & the other in a bowl full of heaven.  Run out to the gas station & buy yourself some Velveeta now!

Happy holidays if I don't check in!  Ava & I will snap lots of photos of our Insane Holiday Adventure.
L

Sing a Song

I never posted about a gift I received a couple weeks ago.  Ava told me that she was meeting the Yarn Harlot at an event.  I hadn't bought the book yet.  I didn't care for the last YH book, so I didn't rush out & buy the current one.  When I returned from my sales meeting, there it sat on the kitchen table.  Signed too!  In honor of this generous gift & my favorite feature of the YH books, I present my letter to a certain yarn company.

Dear Fabulous Yarn Company-
It's a very good thing that I decided to practice self-control last night.  I finished a sweater for my oldest son using your Superwash.  I tossed it in the washer & then the dryer.  When I reached into the dryer, I was greeted with a nubby cardigan.  Because I know that you'll ask it, any good knitter would, I did make, wash & dry a swatch.  It came out soft & yummy.

After a ranting & raving to my sister, I decided to stop & breathe before I rattled off a nasty email to your office.  I decided to check your website & look at the washing instructions for this yarn.  I scanned & scanned.  Not seeing anything right away, I started to feel justified.  Oooh.  My letter was going to be spicy.  Full of sass.  Maybe you'd change the yarn.  Maybe you'd send me free samples for life.  A knitter can hope.  But there it was.  Right in front of my eyes (Mom always said I couldn't find something even if it was in my hands), "Machine wash warm.  Dry flat."  Damn. 

So thank you, Fabulous Yarn Company.  You've taught me a valuable lesson that I've been ignoring for a couple years.  Superwash doesn't always mean it can be tossed in the dryer.  I will always remember this valuable lesson.  How can I forget when I see my son in his new raggedy sweater?

Lola
p.s. I would still like those samples.

The sweater on the left is Gus' & Tuck's is on the right.  The picture isn't the best.  It's nice & fuzzy in person, but try to notice the difference between the fabrics.  On the plus side, I tried the sweater on Gus last night & the sweater still fits.  I thought it may have felted a little bit.  It doesn't look real crappy on, more like Kurt Cobain's yellow sweater he wore on the MTV special.  Of course, I don't want my baby looking like the dead grunge rocker.  But anything will do at this point.  Still need to add a zipper & maybe some elbow patches to help the Loved/Worn look.

Tuck's sweater is still in the WIP basket.  Last night, I ripped out the ribbing & 3 inches of stockinette.  It was about 3 inches too long.  All I have to do is get those little stitches back on a needle & knit me some 1X1 ribbing!  Oh, yeah!  And remember not to toss it in the dryer.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Sorry in advance for the photo-less blog post.  You may understand as you read, but I've included lots of links.

This has been a Gus weekend.  Hell, it's been a Gus couple of weeks!  We need to start something here at Two Black Sheep.  Let's start Momma Honesty before pregnancy.  Nobody ever tells you half the shit you'll go through.  And when someone does, you think that your precious babe will NEVER do that to you.  I remember watching "Happiest Baby on the Block" video (a Lola must have).  And I told SK that those babies were rare.  "My mom says they sleep all the time.  Ours will sleep."  What did I know?  I wasn't even sure I could be an okay Mom.  We ended up with one of those babies.  When Gus was a calm little 2 year-old, people would warn me of the Terrible 3's.  Why warn me then?  I can't do anything about it.  It's coming & I just can't give him away for a year.  I really wish people would have properly warned me when I was thinking about getting pregnant.  A sweet old woman could have sat me down and said this:

Listen, sweetie.  One day you'll be looking at a precious face thinking about much you love this cherub.  And then the next day, that cherub remembers he's 3.  The wings fall off & the horns sprout.  You'll be powerless, sweetie.  Under your breath you'll be cussing.  You'll promise him the world if he behaves in the store.  You'll give up & start taking away any kind of privileges a 3 year-old could acquire.  Finally, you'll give in to the stares around you & scream ,"He's 3!  Don't tell me your kid never did this!" 

I think the thing that makes 3 so difficult is the unbearable sweetness & cuteness that lives in the creature.  For example, in the morning while I was nursing Tuck, Gus strokes his head & says, "I love Tuck.  I just love him."  Or he'll create an elaborate story about how when he can drive he'll take me to a farm & share apples with me.  He flashes those big eyes, bat the long eyelashes & you'll forget all about him trying to swat at you because you said "No" to candy at 7:30 a.m. 

When I get little breaks, I've been working on projects for my special demon.  His Mr. Rogers jacket is nearing the end.  I'm almost done with the first sleeve.  Top-down is funny to me.  I have to read & re-read the instructions to make sure that I'm doing it right.  But while doing the sleeve decreases, my Knitter's Light turned on.  This is how designers pick where decrease go!  Oh...  There are a couple things that I wish I had done differently, but I'll save that for the finishing post.

Lately, I've been very proud that I'm a quitter.  How many sweaters have I frogged to start something else?  Enough.  How many projects sit in my basket & I know that I won't pick them up again?  A lot.  How many knit-alongs do I join & abandon?  A couple.  Hello, ABC-along, I loved you the most.  Socktober was a bust.  At least, Ava knew her limitations.  I got one tiny sock done.  I wanted to knit 4.  They were kid size so I didn't think it'd be an issue.  I finished the lone sock about 2 weeks ago, but was unsure if it'd fit Gus.  After trying on the cardigan, I wrestled the sock on.  Seems to fit.  Which means, I need to cast on for the mate.  I forget what yarn I'm using, but it's scratchy for a super-wash.  I'm starting to question my love of super-wash.  The past couple have been wonky.  It will come back though.  I'm pretty sure that I'll fish SK's sweater out of the dryer & it will become mine.  I forget to check the tags.  And why would they sell 100% merino at discount stores?

Let me balance my Crazed Momma post with more knittiness.  Let me get to the the awards.  Disclaimer:  these are all Lola's favorite blogs.  Don't hold it against her if you hate 'em.  When we first started our blog, it seemed like there was an award or meme every other day.  I haven't seen as many during the past 6 months.  The lovely Sarah nominated us around Halloween & we've been bad knit bloggers.  Blogging is something that goes comes in waves for me.  My schedule isn't fixed so there are weeks that I live in my car & dream of the day I can properly check my Bloglines.  During the last couple days of pregnancy & first couple months of Tuck's life, I would surf all day.  My Bookmark page grew to an obscene length.  I don't have a method to which ones go to Bloglines & which stay in the Bookmark tab.  There are blogs that I check every day, sometimes twice a day, but I don't subscribe.  There's something about getting acquainted with a blog for a bit.  Learning their links & sidebar.  Much more cozy than the cold sterile Bloglines wallpaper.  I thought that for the I Love Your Blog award that I'd highlight a couple blogs that I stalk & have yet to subscribe.  I will.  I have no method to my insanity.

Coyote Craft:  Whenever I think of coyote's, I always think of the very detailed American Indian t-shirts that you get from the stand in the middle of the mall with dream catchers.  Just not my thing.  I was a little hesitant when I clicked on the blog link the first time.  I really enjoy her Buddhist thought & her Patchwork Potholder.

Beauty that Moves:  I believe that this is one of my most recent Bookmarks.  I'm a sucker for pretty.  Scroll through the post & tell me that you don't want to read more.  Here are my favorites.

Tiffany in the Trees:  Ditto to everything above.  You just want to have your camera with you at every second.  It makes me want to be the creepy person at the library crawling in an awkward angle to take a  picture.  Go on & scroll down.  You'll stop & I hope you feel the same way.  I only wish I would have posted a picture in honor of these blogs, but please refer to the top of the post.  My attention has been elsewhere.

Wendy Knits:  Ok.  This isn't really accurate.  I haven't read Wendy Knits since I discovered knit blogs.  No solid reason.  It was always a good & informative read.  But this post is my most sacred bookmark ever!  Recently, we got a new computer.  This was the one link I needed to save!  I can remember everyone else's.  Hell, I love Bloglines for this reason.  But if I ever lost this link, I'd scream.  I'm sure I would find it, but it's so much easier being right there in my Bookmarks.

Gonzomama Knits:  Because she's just had the cutest little Bea we've ever seen!  Ava & I would talk about her like she was a next-door-neighbor.  "Has she had the kid yet?  I haven't been to a computer today."  "Isn't she almost like 2 weeks over due?"  "And she's still out there taking pictures!  God love her."  And then this popped up.  Congrats again! 

Those are my current new favorites!  We both have a long list of blogs we love & we're happy that some people love us.  We're hoping some of that love shines down for Ava's knit a-long.  I promise to knit at least one.  I'll use the same yarn that I used for the one I submitted to the book's knit-along.  I also forget the brand, but I do remember that it's a super-wash & feels like a good one.  So come on.  You know that you really don't want to start those holiday gifts now!  Knit for someone else.  Nothing like being behind the game during the holidays.  Holidays without stress is like me without pink eye when I've got a huge work meeting.  It just doesn't seem right.

L

 

Henry Nearly Killed Me (It's a Shame)

Tons of tags on this one, but really it boils down to this: with knitting, I seem to pick projects that are either a) sweaters knit in one piece or b) really, really big rectangles or c) afghans that will never be finished. Look closely at the photos, and you might see why that is.

Take for example the Spirit Sweater. Granted, it's really the February Lady Sweater but I just can't bring myself to call it that . . . probably because I'm no lady. I knit a row and feel exhausted. Over and over again, I remind myself that I am knitting the whole thing at one time (except for those sleeves), but it doesn't do any good. You've got to love EZ and her simplicity but maybe this is why she had the pattern for a baby. Even Liz might have found knitting for a 52 inch chest in the gull lace pattern a bit daunting (probably not, but it gets me through the day). The Big Fat Girl Crush? Long rectangle. Check back with me in a year and we'll see if I've made any progress. It's not a matter of purchasing all that Noro Silk Garden since I have had all the yarn for two years. The afghans? Good lord . . . three and none of them will keep me warm this year unless I pile the pieces strategically around me.

Maybe that's why I like socks . . . they're quicker, more portable, and seem to be a smaller project. In reality, the only thing they have going for them is the portability aspect. Even that will most likely change in the coming months as I teach myself knitting two at a time so that I can teach a class at the shop.

Enter Interweave's Holiday Knits issue. I was looking for something fast like last year's home run Koolhaas. No such luck this time around. Granted, it was replete with gorgeous (and I would have put periods between all the letters but am too lazy) hand knits, but there was nothing that seemed like it would go quickly that truly interested me. The one that piqued my interest was the Frost Flowers Stole (long rectangle? I'm your bitch). I bought the last copy at the knit shop - there were more coming, lest you think I got greedy - specifically for that pattern until the reality of casting on 992 stitches sunk in. Let me repeat that 992 stitches. The next sentence in the directions is: Casting on a large number of stitches can be a challenge (really? Thanks for the heads up IK) so you might want to put stitch markers every 20 stitches and make the tail of the 100s longer. Again, you are so insightful IK editors. I never - NEVER - would have thought to put stitch markers every 20 stitches. Then again, I never will need to since I would be knitting this. If anyone knits this, let me know . . . I would like to tip my hat!

The girls received their SAT results and we were all very thrilled with the results. Now? We wait to see which colleges say, "Come on down" and which ones say, "Thanks." I don't really remember it being this nerve wracking when I was the senior, but it probably was. I have a meeting to attend today about the girls, and I'm dreading it. Suffice it to say, the mama bear in me is coming out and it usually isn't a pretty sight even when I am trying to control the tone of my voice. Veronica says that tone is worse than being yelled at. I'll post about it later.

Have a lovely weekend . . . and stay warm! It's freezing on the East coast and the wool clogs are coming in very handy.

Ava

PS - the Winter Knotions Preview is up . . . some very tempting items in that one, especially the knee socks. See what I mean? Even the socks are getting longer - UGH!

A Day in the Woods

This past weekend, I put the camera in SK's hands & begged him to take some pictures.  I'm not sure how bloggers take sweater FO pictures in the summer.  It was a little over 70 & I was itchy to rip it off.  It didn't help that I had one child that had to be held & another one that buried himself in any open space I had available.

I really enjoyed this pattern.  Lisa Llyod describes it as a "pert cardigan".  That description & the shawl collar made me rip a project I had already started with some Cascade 220.  Amanda was knit from the bottom in one piece to the sleeves.  The sleeves were knit in the round & then attached later.  It was really a very simple cardigan.  I did run into some issues because the pattern was written almost too simply.  By "simply" I mean with a lot of words to avoid confusion.  For me, more words always lead to confusion.  I think that Ava even said, "You're thinking about it too much."  I wish Pattern Writers would be forced to attend a conference & agree on the proper wording for increase & decrease sections.  Ah, you can't make everyone happy.  I also got too confident when working the pattern.  "I can knit this with my eyes shut!"  When you do that the sleeves are attached to the inside of the sweater.  I sat there for at least 15 minutes wondering why the stitch pattern wasn't lining up.  Duh?

I've said it a number of times, I'm a cardigan whore.  I like them to fit just right.  A sweater can afford to be larger than necessary, but a cardigan should fit.  When my cardigans are big, I feel sloppy.  I've learned that I should knit them with a smaller amount of ease.  While knitting this one I was so afraid that it was going to be too small.  I had to trust my swatch and Cascade.  I blocked it to fit 39/40 inch bust & it fits really well.  I may have to switch out the buttons to a flat button.  These tend to hang, but I love the English county side feel they give the sweater.

One sweater down.  A ton of projects to go!  I'm almost done with Tuck's Runaround & will start Gus' cardigan Runaround immediately.  I must treat these sweaters like a pair of socks.  I'd love to knit SK another pair of clogs for Christmas.  Tuck needs a stocking & a hat.  I've got baby gifts to knit.  Cleite is still plugging along.  And there's an adorable hat in the new VK Holiday edition.  Goodness, my head is spinning.  I need to knit.

On non-knitting news, we have a potty-trained kid!  I haven't changed a size 6 diaper for almost a week.  I love hearing, "Mom.  I have to go potty."  It just blissful.  Now if I could just get Tuck to stop flipping on the changing table, I'd be a happy Momma.  And Ava don't you dare tell me to let him fall off the table!  Look how that helped Brother.