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Quickly, a day late

April 14, 2015 blogtest_2q7z6c 3 Comments

I realized this morning I’m late on my weekly blog post. I knew yesterday was Monday, and I kept feeling like I was missing something all day, but just couldn’t put my finger on it. Well, now I know what it was.

I’m sure you’re all wondering how the new experience of Mother’s Day Out went for Jellybean. Well, it went great last week. He was so excited to play with new kids. The first day, we were outside with a bunch of other families waiting for the door to open. He was holding my hand and he had this smile on his face watching the other kids play. He kept leaning forward, as if he was going to run off and play, too, but then he’d sway back and lean against me. When the door opened, he was ready to go.

I got him to his room, talked to his teacher for a little while and went to kiss him goodbye. I said, “I’m going to leave, but I’ll be back this afternoon to pick you up, like we talked about, ok? I love you.” His response? “Ok, bye.” He did really well, had a great day and even napped!

So last week was fun, but today.. oh today. When I walked out of the room, he ran toward me and wanted another hug, so I hugged him and picked him up. He said, “Swing, slide!” (He wanted to go to the playground) and I had to tell him that no, he needed to stay in the room and I would be back later to pick him up. Then he cried. It was a big, ugly cry, too. All I could do is turn around and walk out of his sight. His teacher took his hand and lead him to the art project for the day and when I peeked around the corner again, he was ok. But oh, the heartbreak!

There was another mom standing nearby who’s kid is in Jellybean’s class. She said her son just could not stop talking about mine last week. He says that Jellybean is his best friend. It’s so sweet and made me feel good that he has a little friend to look out for him.

So, what did I do with my extra time last week? Well, first, I took a shower. I didn’t have to worry about a toddler having free reign on the house (although he usually hangs out in the bathroom with me when he’s here.) I didn’t have to hurry because someone else needed the shower. I didn’t feel guilty for using as much hot water as I wanted. It was glorious. Thursday I mowed the yard and got to take ANOTHER shower!

My main intention was to use the time to work on commissions, but I haven’t done that yet. I did manage to get the knitting done on my current commission project last night so all that needs is a bath and a block.

I did do something fun today. I took an old worn-out quilt and cut pieces out for smaller quilts. I cut one piece to be a small quilt for Jellybean. I repaired some of the holes where the pieces were coming apart and sewed some binding on the front. I just have to sew the binding down on the back and he’ll have a new little blanket. I cut another piece to make a blanket for the dog’s bed. I just zig-zagged around the edge of that one and it’s done. It’s been nice to sit at the sewing machine today.

That’s all I have for this week. Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Big week!

April 6, 2015 blogtest_2q7z6c 2 Comments

Boy, this last week has been a big one. I’ve spent most of the week with stuff related to Jellybean.

On Monday, his new big-boy bed was delivered. No more sleeping in the crib, this kid has a huge double bed, now. It’s made a difference – he’s been sleeping so much better than he was on the old, cheap mattress we had in the crib. ($30 mattress that lasted a year and a half before it got too uncomfortable.. that’s not too bad!) He’s got one set of dinosaur sheets and one set of construction vehicle sheets and he’s pretty happy!

New Bed! — Testing out the new bed. Look at that hair!!

Tuesday was a REALLY big day. First on the list was his very first haircut. He had been complaining about his hair being in his eyes and getting in his mouth when he was eating, so I made an appointment to get it cut. He did so great, didn’t cry or refuse the cut. I had to hold him a little bit, but mostly I just held his hand while I cried. There went the last little bit of baby. He’s a little boy, now.

Short Hair — After. It really does suit him.

After the haircut, we toured two places for Mother’s Day Out. We’re lucky that one of them has a spot available, and he starts tomorrow. This is a big step for us, and one that I think I probably should have taken sooner. He’s so active and so interested in what I’m doing that it makes it difficult to get any real work done around the house. So, for a few hours a day, twice a week, he’ll be hanging out with kids his age and Mama gets some time. I’ve got so many plans for that time, I know it won’t all get done, but I hope I can be productive with it.

The rest of the week, I have spent preparing myself for the Mother’s Day Out. Making sure I have a blanket, enough diapers, and change of clothes packed up. Getting a small backpack for him to carry his stuff. And trying to figure out what in the world I can send for his lunch (nothing messy; nothing that needs to be heated up; just simple, easy-to-eat foods that he can manage pretty much on his own.) I think It’ll probably end up being a granola bar, banana, cheese stick with maybe some carrot/pepper/celery sticks and nuts. I hope that out of all of that, he’ll eat SOMETHING.

Since the decision to try to find a place was so quick, and at an odd time of the year, stores don’t have their school supplies out right now and I didn’t have time to sew anything. Thank goodness the program has extra nap mats – those are NOWHERE to be found right now. I went thrift store shopping for the backpack and I found one – it was the right size, solid black, no cutesy characters or anything…. but it had “Collin” embroidered on it. I looked at it for a long time. Except for having someone else’s name on it, it was perfect. I bought it anyway.

I took my handy seam ripper to that embroidery, and pulled it all out. Then I found some iron-on applique patches of a dump truck and a loader. Simple and quick and it’s almost brand new!

All that’s left to do now is to fill it full of his stuff.

I’m a little worried that he’ll have a rough time, but I know he’ll be ok. He’s a friendly and outgoing kid and is always interested in new experiences. He’s started having fun playing with other kids at play dates and at playgrounds instead of just doing his own thing alongside them. As with just about every new experience, I’ll probably have a harder time than he will (see above about the haircut.) 🙂

I’ve been knitting in the little spare time I’ve had. I’m working on some commissioned projects that I can’t show you until after Christmas. Tomorrow’s supposed to be rainy and yucky here so I’m hoping to get a good amount of work done on them.

Enjoy your week as if you were a toddler with a sandbox!

Howdy, Stranger!

March 30, 2015 blogtest_2q7z6c 3 Comments

So, It’s been a few weeks since I’ve written here. I was on a roll with weekly posts, but just didn’t post the last three weeks. Sorry ’bout that.

So, what have I been doing for all that time?

Well, I made a doily.

And a pair of gloves.

Hubs Gloves — Cigar gloves – cigar = gloves. Yarn is Cascade 220 superwash.

And another doily.

Gigi Doily — Peacock Pride. Still needs a wash and a block, yet.

And not just one pair of socks…

Purple Raggi Socks — Toe up socks. Knit in Jarbo Garn Raggi Multi.

I also finished those car socks.

I made the Rose Medallion doily, mostly just for fun, but also for practice. I had no idea what I would do with it, but I thought it might be nice on my bedside table, if I could keep all the cat hair and dust off of it. While I was working on it, there was an ice storm and a friend of mine was in the hospital with a complicated pregnancy. The whole time I was working on it, I kept thinking of, worrying about and hoping for my friend and her family.

The doily felt very much like a prayer shawl. In the knitting and crocheting world, a prayer shawl is made while thinking and praying for the recipient. There was so much love for my friend wrapped up in those stitches. When I finished, I couldn’t look at it and not think of them. It felt to me like the doily belonged to them, so I sent it off to its new home.

I made the gloves right as the weather was warming up for spring! What better way to get spring to come? I used the Cigar pattern from Knitty, but I just knitted all the fingers and thumb rather than leaving the thumb, first and middle fingers open. I have plans to make myself a pair, as well.

Contrary to what you might think, spring and summer are GREAT times to make gloves, mittens and socks. They are small projects that travel much easier than a huge blanket or sweater. Plus, when the cold weather gets here, you’re already ready for it, rather than scrambling for warm stuff!

Doily #2 is for Gigi. It’s a surprise for her birthday, so don’t tell her, ok? It’s called Peacock Pride by Patricia Kristofferson. It’s made in soft, buttery yellow crochet thread and was really fun! Crochet kinda wears me out, espeically at such a small gauge, but this was so much fun to work on, I couldn’t stop.

The main motif is called a pineapple, and my Mamaw loved to make patterns with pineapples. I recently got several of the tablecloths she had made and just about every one of them had a pineapple motif. I told my husband that this was my inheritance. 😀 There was lots of crochet thread and a few unfinished projects in there, too, but that’s a post for another day.

And then there are the socks. I have increased my hand-knit sock collection by 50% this winter! The Raggi socks are so fluffy and warm. They’re really great house socks, but since I have perpetually cold toes, I do wear them out of the house.

The Lana Grossa socks are so, so, so awesome. I put them on when I finished them and I wore them until bedtime and all the next day. The yarn is so dreamy soft and I love the striping pattern (although with my huge foot, it doesn’t quite work out as the dyers intended.)

All my socks are fraternal twins. I could make the effort to make sure I started both of them at the same spot in the color repeat, but I don’t really care. I like having socks that are slightly off (and it makes my OCD friends cringe! ha!) The only way I have the patience to make both socks match exactly is to knit them from a dyed sock blank.

I’ve already cast on the next pair of car socks. I’ve really loved having a knitting project in the car at all times. It’s amazing how much you can get done in short bursts. It’s not often that I’m a passenger in my car – we tend to be homebodies, but we do try to go out to eat once a week and any time we’re traveling, it’s nice to have a small, easy project to work on.

I am still doing commission knitting! It may not feel like Christmas to you, but I am already working on some commissioned gifts for Christmas 2015. I am also designing a family of Christmas stockings. If there’s something you want made, it’s certainly not too early to get started! Just contact me here or through my Etsy shop.

Have a great week!

Kitchener Stitch and Other Dirty Words

March 9, 2015 blogtest_2q7z6c 1 Comment

So many times when talking to other knitters, I hear comments like, “I only do toe-up socks so I don’t have to do Kitchener stitch,” or “I hate Kitchener stitch, I can never do it right!” I’ve heard similar comments about color work, duplicate stitch, sewing up garments, short-rows, knitting in the round and even purling. If you’re a crafter who’s ever talked to another crafter, I’m sure you’ve heard (or even said) the same sorts of things.

It’s funny, and a little embarrassing to me now, how many really great patterns I have avoided knitting because they required some terribly scary technique. Sewing up seams is time-consuming, for sure, but isn’t it so worth it when you have a finished sweater you can wear?! Duplicate stitch is also time-consuming, since you’re sewing yarn over stitches you’ve already knit, but it can make a small patch of color work really pop. There’s steeking, which involves CUTTING your knitted fabric. Then there’s dreaded Kitchener stitch, also called grafting.

When I started knitting, I was in awe of gorgeous lace shawls. I was determined to make a pi shawl. I bought all the yarn and bought the needles and got started. And failed. And tried again and failed again. I couldn’t even get past the first three rounds before I just gave up. I tried the sheep shawl as a knit along with a group of people and failed miserably (nevermind about my pet rabbits deciding the wool was a tasty snack.) I decided it was too hard and I just wasn’t going able to knit beautiful lace.

The more I talked to other knitters, the more I kept hearing how hard Kitchener stitch was. I would hear that making sweaters in the round was the only way to go because there were no seams to sew up. Use self-striping yarn so you can have an evenly striped garment without all those dreaded ends to weave in. The trouble is, when you start ruling out projects you would love to make and wear simply because they have a technique you’re not good at, you limit yourself to the same types of projects over and over again.

I think this comes down to two issues. The first is process vs. project. I think this is a huge factor. Some people really enjoy the process of making things. Others really enjoy having a finished project. Project people can become process people and vice versa, depending on what their goal is for a particular item, but I think most people tend to lean one way or the other. I think (and this is in no way based on fact) that process people enjoy learning new techniques more than project people. For me, I usually really enjoy the process of making something, especially if I’m learning a new technique.

Then there’s fear. Some are unwilling to do a different technique because they’re afraid it won’t work right. A woman in the knitting group I used to meet with made a wool sweater with gorgeous color work and a steeked front. It’s amazing and she wears it often. Would you believe it’s one of her first knitting projects? She had no idea that color work or steeking should have been scary, so she dove right in and went to work. Is it perfect? I don’t know. I’ve never gotten close enough to inspect the symmetry of each stitch, but I doubt it’s perfect. Here’s the thing, though: It. Doesn’t. Matter. It’s beautiful, she loves it and if there are mistakes, she’s the only one who knows about them. If anyone had told her how scary that project should have been, she might have never even started it.

All of these fearsome techniques are just that – they’re techniques. Some, like knitting lace in the round from the center, are very fiddly and take a lot of patience and starting over and over and over. Others, like Kitchener, really aren’t that difficult to do, it’s just that it’s probably not going to look very good the first dozen times you do it. It’s that 13th time, when everything clicks and you realize, “Hey! I finally got it right!!” It’s exhilarating!

Even just knitting can sometimes be tricky. When I picked up the needles after a long hiatus, I re-taught myself how to knit. Only, I taught myself wrong. For several years, every single knit stitch I made was twisted. When making the stitch, I was wrapping the yarn around the needle backwards. For some reason, I purled just fine, it was only the knit stitches. I discovered it when I took a class to learn to make socks. When you’re knitting in the round, a mistake like that becomes really obvious. I finished those socks, though, and decided I’d learn to knit right on the next project. (They still work as socks, by the way.)

I still haven’t made that pi shawl, but I do so love lace knitting. I made a lovely lace stole that I wore at my wedding. And now I’ve discovered lots and lots of very pretty pi shawl patterns. (I want to knit them all!) So my delay is now more of an analysis paralysis issue rather than a fear-of-screwing-it-up issue.

Like so many things in life, knitting is simple to do, but mastery isn’t necessarily swift. It takes practice, determination, and a willingness to occasionally scrap it all and start over. Whether you’re a project or a process person, don’t let the fear of a new technique (or a few mistakes) stop you from what you love.

In Honor of Margaret

February 23, 2015 blogtest_2q7z6c 6 Comments

My grandmother was an amazing lady. The oldest of 10 siblings, she was more like a mother to the younger ones, even though she had her own child when her youngest two brothers were born. She was always active with her family, her church and her friends and she never let anyone tell her she couldn’t do what she wanted to do. She traveled a lot, she’d been to Hawaii with the senior center, she told me stories about the road trips out west that she took with her sisters, I think she might have visited every US State except Alaska.

Family was so important to her. She was our matriarch and genealogical researcher. She adored all of her grandchildren and was able to be a part of her four great-grandchildren’s lives.

With her first Great-Granddaughter, Ella.

Christmas 2013 with all the great-grandkids (and granddaughter-in-law)

She was kind, loving and thoughtful to everyone around her.

She was smart, funny and crafty. She did quilting, cross stitch, knitting, crocheting, and scrapbooking. She was in charge of printing the church bulletin for Sunday service. She remembered everyone’s birthdays (which is something I can’t even do with the aid of a calendar app!) She enjoyed good clean jokes and would give you THAT LOOK when you said something inappropriate.

Enjoying the shawl I made her for her 80th birthday.

I used to do a lot of quilting and I took her with me to a quilting retreat one year. We both had such a great time, and it’s one of my favorite memories.

At the quilt retreat, sporting a brand new purse I had just made for her.

She was as much a part of my growing up as my parents. She went to band concerts, school plays, awards ceremonies, and graduations. She even went to marching band competitions and sat in the rain to watch us play.

Trash bags are really great rain bonnets!

Last year, we found out she had cancer. It turned out to be an aggressive form of melanoma. Her doctors sent her to Vanderbilt’s cancer specialists, which I happen to live close to. The trips were long and very hard on her, but I’m grateful she was able to make them and that Jellybean and and I were able to see her so often.

Shortly after the first trip, I started the Haruni Shawl. I needed something to work on that would let me get lost in thought as I knitted. This pattern had been in my Ravelry queue for a long time, so I finally got the yarn for it. I cast on and got to work, and it wasn’t until much later that I read the description.

“The name Haruni means ‘Grandmother’ in Quenya, Tolkein’s elven language.”

Perfect.

It took about 6 weeks to make it and during this time, my grandmother was back and forth to Nashville several times seeing doctors and specialists, preparing for surgery and then not having it, and finally making the decision to receive palliative radiation therapy and hospice care at home. The whole time feels like a blur.

We were fortunate that we were able to go visit her twice before she passed away. Before our last visit, I knew it would be the last time I would ever see her. I knew that I was fortunate to have the chance to tell her anything I needed to say. I told her that I was so glad we had the chance to have an adult relationship and that I loved her very much.

She told me to “…take care of that baby.”

I will, Mamaw. Don’t you worry about that.

Aunt Kat’s New Houseshoes

February 16, 2015 blogtest_2q7z6c 6 Comments

I am working on a post about a shawl, and in it I’m trying to tell my Grandmother’s story. It’s difficult and emotional to write (she passed away this past June) and it’s taking me a long time to finish it.

My Grandmother’s story centers on her family and besides her daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, her sister Kat is a very large part of the story. Mamaw and Kat have always been very close and when Mamaw needed to move out of the house she lived in for 50 years, Kat insisted she move in with her. Mamaw always said it was temporary, but we were all glad she wasn’t living alone.

Kat took care of Mamaw, right up to the very end. I know I am not the only person who feels enormous gratitude for everything Kat has done for my Mamaw and continues to do for my family.

So, when Mom asked me to make Kat a pair of felted slippers, the answer was yes, without hesitation.

This is the seventh pair of these slippers I have made. They are fairly quick, and very fun to make. They do take a fair amount of yarn, and the felting can be nerve-wracking (if you go too far, you have to start all over!) but it’s so satisfying to have them come out just right.

Kat loves them. Mom said she put them on right away and I think they’re probably getting a lot of use right about now.

I am so very glad.

Baby’s New Houseshoes, Take Two

January 26, 2015 blogtest_2q7z6c 3 Comments

Bolstered by the success of the slippers I gave to my Mom & Dad for Christmas, I decided to give Jellybean’s slippers another try. The knitting happens with a double strand of worsted-weight wool and size 13 needles, so it goes pretty quick. It’s the felting that is so tedious.

You take your very large wool item (that you spent no small amount of time on, mind you) throw it in the washing machine with a pair of heavy jeans, hot water, and a little soap and let it agitate. If you’ve ever accidentally shrunken a wool sweater, you know what happens next. The fun part is that if you pay attention, you can carefully control the felting process and stop it when the item is the size you want.

Now, if you remember, I had a felting mishap on the last pair. (Anyone want them? They should fit a size 5 toddler foot, $15. Let me know.) But this time, I was very careful and it paid off.

I made the next larger size for this pair and I think I felted them down as far as they would go. At the end of the process, I checked the washing machine every two minutes. They didn’t shrink at all the last two times I checked. They are a little big, Jellybean wears a size 8 right now and these are about a size 9. But they work now, and they’ll fit for a while, and he has discovered how much fun they are on the linoleum!

And now we all have a pair and I’m so proud. It’s my job to keep my loved ones warm, you know.

As I mentioned last week, I’ve been working on some sewing for things for the shop. One idea is a hanging circular knitting needle organizer. My first go at that one works, but it doesn’t really fit what I was aiming for, so it’s back on the drawing board.

The other idea is a storage roll for crochet hooks.

This is actually the second go ’round for this idea. The first one fit exactly what I was aiming for, until I accidentally flipped it upside down and out tumbled all my hooks. That’s when I decided I needed a flap at the top to keep everything contained.

There are 10 pockets in the roll, enough to hold 10 different sizes of crochet hooks, and the pockets are all about an inch wide, so there’s plenty of room for hooks of all types.

I love this. I made it because I desperately needed to organize my crocheting supplies (there are more hooks hanging about in this house, I just know it.) but I really love the simplicity of it. Are you an on-the-go hooker? Toss the roll into the bag and you’ve got whatever size you need. This would work well for sets of small-diameter double-pointed knitting needles, too. It’s the only one of its kind right now, but there are plans for more to be made for the etsy shop.

This has been a productive week and I have even more good stuff to show you, but all in good time, my dears. Have a great week!

Motherhood

January 21, 2015 blogtest_2q7z6c 2 Comments

Jellybean and I went to the zoo today. Walking up the hill to go see the elephants and giraffes, we’re wandering slowly, plodding along, both of us lost in our own thoughts. Beside me, I hear a little voice say, “Mama hand.” I reach down, he takes my hand, and we continue on. I can’t help but beam.

Yes, baby boy, I will hold your hand.

These are the moments that motherhood is all about.

Busy week, but not much I can show you…

January 19, 2015 blogtest_2q7z6c Leave a comment

Well, I don’t have anything to show you this week because I haven’t actually finished any projects. I’ve started on several, worked on a few more and almost finished others. For whatever reason, I’ve been in house-cleaning mode this week and since Jellybean has napped well, I’ve had the chance to get some of that done. I’ve been using naptime as sewing/cleaning time and bedtime as knitting/crocheting time so there’s been less knitting and crocheting this week.

I did a bit of sewing. I’m working on some ideas for the shop and I’ve been sewing up my initial designs. One worked pretty well and only needs a minor tweak, the other needs some more thought.

Part of my cleaning was to clear off enough space to block a large-ish lace shawl. This one is very special, I worked on it last year when my Grandmother was sick. It should be dry tonight and I will be able post about it soon.

I’ve finished knitting Jellybean’s new slippers, they just need to be felted. I have another pair that need to be felted, also. That may be today’s naptime activity, actually. (This assumes that I get a naptime!)

I’ve also started working on a couple of toddler-sized hats to go in the shop. Remember the dino hat I made for Jellybean? I had a few people ask if I would make others (the answer to that question will almost always be yes.) and so I am. I’m doing a few ahead for the shop, even though it makes me a little nervous to make something without knowing that someone already wants it. I think they’re really cute, so I think other people will, too.

I’ll have photos to show you next week, until then, have a good one!

The Finished Sweater

January 12, 2015 blogtest_2q7z6c 3 Comments

This is actually the third sweater I’ve made for my little man.

The first one was a baby surprise jacket using Elizabeth Zimmerman’s instructions. I made it striped in red, yellow and green. We didn’t know the gender of the baby before he was born (but I just knew he was a boy) so I wanted something fun, but not gender specific. I made this one in July before he was born… oh how productive I was in those days!

The second sweater was made early, too. According to my Ravelry project notes, I made it in May (and kinda hoped and wished that it would fit when it got cold enough for him to wear it – it did.) I snagged some special Chroma worsted from Knit Picks that was misdyed and decided to make this sweater for him. It really worked out. It was warm and cozy and it was the go-to sweater for our cold-weather outings last year. Being a single-ply yarn, it fuzzed and pilled a lot, and being wool, it felted in a few places with the help of a little drool. That was ok, though. I didn’t want to make a sweater that wouldn’t get worn.

This year, I got so caught up in the stockings and other Christmas stuff that I totally flaked on the sweater. When it started getting cold, I had to go BUY my kid a jacket, of all the things. But once I got all the Christmas stuff wrapped up (ha!) I started this year’s sweater. I cast on on Christmas day and finished it on New Year’s Day, ends woven in, buttons sewed on, and ready to be washed and blocked. (I chose the buttons on the left.)

Now that the temperatures are VERY cold, Jellybean has had a chance to wear it a couple of times.

I love it. It’s a little puffier in the shoulders than I would prefer, but I’m pretty sure that’s a result of the raglan design. I am going to try a different style for the next sweater I make him. That’s one of the great things about knitting for small children. Since they’re relatively quick to make, I can try lots of different styles and designs without a huge investment.

I made the sleeves are longer than necessary, on purpose, and I made the body a little longer, too. Like his mama and daddy, Jellybean is a tall drink o’ water.

A handsome sweater for a handsome boy. It’s just a bonus that he loves the buttons.