Where does the time go?

Socks!

2011-02-02T07:25:00.000-08:00

Finally finished a pair of socks - and they're wearable. I love the yarn's variation of colors. Oh, and check out my new(ish) rug. I love it.

Specs:

Pattern: Basic Gusset Heel sock from Socks from the Toe Up
Needles: Size 0 Addi Turbo circulars (2 circulars - loved this technique)
Yarn: Mary Maxim Bamboo Soft Stripes in Tropical Garden (this color name just don't work for me. I just call it "fun").

What'd we do this summer?

2010-10-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

You really want to know? Well, we...

Played on the big field at the End of Year Celebration:

Built some stuff downstairs:

Made and ate lots of yummy food like focaccia:

And veggie lasagna (okay, only I ate this):

Enjoyed the sights during a visit from Grammy and Pops:

Went to Boise and neglected to take any pictures...

Toasted marshmallows in the backyard on my birthday present:

Got all mossy:

Dried some fruits & veggies with our new dehydrator:

Visited with Nana:

Hung out with the cousins at Silverwood, again neglecting to take many pictures, just a couple:

And then went back to school. (The day got better :-)

Plus more cooking, a little knitting, a little quilting, lots of driving, many camps, and a whole bunch 'o work somewhere in there.

How does your garden grow?

2010-06-01T15:15:00.000-07:00

We started out well. Colin made more garden boxes (we now have one rectangle and 5 squares). I bought & planted some plants that are still alive (lavendar, blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, peas, and raspberries). And we started a few seeds inside.

Then, duh, duh, duh...then things started going awry...

The boxes
The garden boxes look great - but they are still in the process of getting into position and getting dirt in them. It takes some digging up of existing stuff, leveling, non-rainy days, etc.

Number of garden boxes: 6 (1 existing)
Number installed: 3

The seeds
The seeds we started inside - well, about 1/4 didn't sprout and 1/3 (including those that didn't sprout) got all moldy - yuck! The ones that did sprout looked good, until they sat around too long waiting for the garden boxes to get installed and started leaning over and breaking. The ones that survived that, well, I stuck them into the garden boxes that had dirt in them, whereupon they promptly wilted and died.

Seeds started: 12
Seeds that will become food: 0.

The soil
While I examined these little sad corpses, we discovered these gel-like cubes of stuff all in the soil in the garden boxes. Turns out the soil we'd bought had these "moisture-absorbing crystals" in them; some chemical thingy that we're not sure we want to be growing food in that makes me think of disposable diapers (moisture-absorbing!). And now we need to remove that dirt and get food-ready soil.

Garden boxes with usable dirt in them: 1
Garden boxes with BAD dirt in them that now need to be emptied out: 2
Bags of bad dirt that had to be returned: 5

Summary:
Garden boxes growing food in them: 1

Sigh. So much for our new, improved, and larger garden. Maybe there's still time for this year. In any case, just think of how well set up we'll be next year...

What I've been up to

2010-05-23T19:45:00.001-07:00

Jogging - ran most of a 5k today after 6 weeks of ramping up to running again. Walked 7 mins, but am pretty happy about that because my longest run stretch so far this year was 25 minutes. Now to get up to the full 3 miles...

Guitar - started guitar lessons a few week ago, and yesterday, picked up this gorgeous thing off of a Craiglist ad:

Gyoza & Sushi party - hosted a party for fam & friends - great excuse to get our Japanese ceramics out of storage and set the table with a non-vinyl tablecloth!

Jedi Robes

2010-03-28T06:41:00.000-07:00

Max really wanted a Clone Wars party for his birthday. And he wanted some more boy dress-up wear. So, courtesy of these great instructions, I made two Jedi Robes for his party. Cute, huh?

There were also two clone helmets (one from a year ago, one from a Captain Rex costume I got him for his birthday, which he really really wanted but has yet to put on).

Oh, and Colin made those excellent lightsabers out of pool noodles and duct/electrical tape. Very fun and hugely popular.

Green Food

2010-03-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

Oddly, I don't think I've ever done green food for St. Paddy's Day. But the little guy requested some, so in addition to our corned beef, we had green corn bread, green mashed potatoes, peas, and just for the orange side, carrots. The potatoes looked like playdough. Luckily they didn't taste like it.

In unrelated news... Here's what they did to our bush near the driveway to fix our very local power outage today. Ouch!

Fun in the Sun

2010-02-25T06:33:00.000-08:00

San Diego was lovely in Februrary - we need to do this again! Got to hang with two sets of cousins, Sister and Bro-in-law, Sis-in-law, and Grammy & Pops, not to mention all the fun activities.

Here's the view from the house:

Waiting for a beach to appear:

Climbing some rocks:

Watching over the kids:

Ah, finally beach time! San Diego cousins and their friend:

Legoland - driving the boats in Miniland:

Meeting Mickey at Disneyland:

More beach time with Utah cousins:

Last night - movie time with San Diego cousins:

Max eye view of what was important in the house:

Good time had by all.

More food

2010-01-10T18:33:00.001-08:00

Still working on random recipes from random cookbooks. Tonight's dinner, courtesy of Cooking Light's The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook (p 363):

Skillet-roasted lemon chicken with potatoes
I say yum, the rest say "ick", but I laugh last because I get the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

1 large lemon, sliced
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tbl lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chopped fresh or 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
10 cherry tomatoes (I added more)
10 kalamata olives (pitted)
8 small red potatoes, quartered (1 1/2 lbs)

450 degree oven

Arrange lemon slices in a single layer on the bottom of an oven-proof 10 inch skillet.
Combine oil and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken, tomatoes, olives, potatoes and toss to coat.
Arrange chicken on top of the lemon slices, then arrange vegetable mixture over chicken. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until chicken is done (was 45 for me).

4 servings.

I made some couscous too, and had some crusty bread on hand, and I also sprinkled a little feta cheese on top. Yum for me!

Maybe I'll try the technique again (because it was super easy!) only with some onions & peppers on the bottom instead of the tart lemon, and skipping the olives & tomatoes (like I said, good flavor combo for me, not so popular with the rest of the house) to make it savory rather than bitter.

Recipe frustration

2009-12-19T11:49:00.001-08:00

I kinda hate baking cookies. They take so long. And they're messy. But it's Christmas, and you do cookies at Christmas time. Colin's our cookie baker (and a fine one!), and he's got a list o' cookies he wants to do. But there are some specific cookies from way back in my past that I really am hankering to make and I'm not sure why.

Cookie #1 - back in the mid-70s, when we lived in Suquamish, Sunset magazine did it's annual cookie spread and mom and I made these brown sugar cutout cookies in the shape of pine trees. They were finicky on the cooking time - easy to burn. But were nice & crunchy if you got them right. Sort of like gingerbread, only not spicey. I remember we thought them rather bland at the time, but for some reason, I really want them! Mom has no memory of these cookies. Web searches have turned up nothing. Colin made me some brown sugar cookies from his 1001 cookie recipes book, and they're good. And he pressed cute little shapes into them, and they were pretty & tasty enough to give away. But they are tender, not crispy. So, not quite a match.

Cookie #2 - I want a round chocolate cookie with turbinado sugar around the edge. So, looking for an icebox/refrigerator/freezer type cookie that you roll into a log, roll the log into turbinado sugar, and then cut into slices & bake. I'm being finicky and not finding a chocolage refrigerator cookie that looks just right.

Plus, did I mention that I don't really like making cookies? So when I find one that's sorta close, I start gathering ingredients and then think "but it won't be quite right anyway" and wander off.

Hmph.

Supper Club?

2009-10-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

On a recent trip to the library, when I'd looked at all I wanted to in the children's section, Max and I were making our way to Literature, when he pointed out the cookbook aisle. A book caught my eye as we zipped past and I brought it home: The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper. I catch The Splendid Table on the radio sometimes on a Sunday afternoon, so I thought it might be fun to read. And it was! The layout of the pages was really eye-catching. Not enough pictures for my taste, but really good design with words. Quotes from chefs and other food notables, and many many tips & explanations of techniques. The recipes weren't just "Ingredients/Steps", but a little story about why the recipe is a favorite or where it came from, plus detailed descriptions of how to do each step. I actually read through most of the book in an evening, skipping the recipe details and just reading it like a book. Fun!

Three recipes in particular caught my eye:

Pasta with Chopping-Board Pistachio Pesto
Crisp Brick-Fried Chicken with Rosemary and Whole Garlic Cloves
Little French Fudge Cakes

I thought they'd make a super-yummy menu, but I didn't have time to try them all at once (and unless I've got people coming over, I just don't have the motivation to go all out like that), so they got split up over a few nights.

First came the chocolate, of course. I've always loved those little chocolate lava cakes, with the gooey chocolate center. This recipe made it seem fairly easy & straightforward. Bought myself a LOT of dark chocolate and gathered the ingredients, and made these little cupcake size cakes on Saturday. Lemme tell ya - super rich! Oh my. I followed the advice "For the kids add another 3 tablespoons of sugar." Whew. Can't imagine if I'd left it out! I ate one with a REALLY big glass of milk (so that's why they serve them with little pots of cream at the restaurants), Max tried a bit and went "BLEAH" and Colin just looked. Maybe he tried a crumb. Guess I should try again with milk chocolate for the sophisticated palates around here.

One of the fun quotes:

After eating chocolate you feel

godlike, as though you can
conquer enemies, lead armies,
entice lovers.

- Emily Lychetti, pastry chef and author

Next up, brick chicken! I've also had this at a restaurant (so long ago, I no longer remember where). The chicken gets a little bit flattened under the brick and develops a nice, crispy skin. Yum. And I love rosemary and garlic with my chicken. Didn't have a "brick", so again, their great instructions came with a recommendation: "use a heavy skillet, about 2 inches smaller in diameter than the skillet you are cooking in...Balance it on the bird and add heavy objects to weight the pan down, such as a can or two, or a 5-pound bag of sugar, or a rock."

I went with the pan and three cans of miscellany from the pantry.

The recipe calls for a whole bird, butterflied (with tips on butterflying a chicken). I went with chicken quarters, but I overbought and had 6 quarters and only room for 5 in the pan. So, I ended up with one on its own. This was not a good decision for the lone quarter - after it burned, I had to remove the "crispy/black" skin. Ah well. The rest turned out yummy, with crispy flavorful skins and meat nearly falling off the leg bones. Next time, I'm going for just thighs, they should flatten nicely and cook more evenly than a quarter or whole bird, even though they won't be as photogenic.

Finally, last night, I got around to the pesto. I'm not a huge pesto fan, at least not of the Cuisinart kind. But this "chopping-board" style looked yummy (I like "rustic"). You put a little pile of salt & pepper on a big chopping board, smash some garlic cloves into it, add some red & green onions, and basil and then start chopping it all up together (the onions are pre-chopped, but end up re-chopped). Finally, you add the pistachios and chop chop chop some more. Throw on some olive oil, warm it up a little, mix with pasta, toss in a little Asiago cheese, and you're done.

I loved the chop chop chopping. Way fun, and I liked the fresh bite of the results. Very green, very fresh, very light. Better eat it RIGHT AWAY though, because even 15 minutes later it's not as yummy. And, whoa, garlic! Plus red & green onions. Whew. Max dove in, 'cause Abbey's fed him pesto before, but this had a little more bite than he was used to and he passed on most of it. Colin gave it the fish eye but tried it and said it was good (but didn't eat much). I scarfed it down. Um, did I mention garlic? And onions? Whew. Sorry about the breath, folks.

I think it'd be even better with some red pepper flakes, but then, I don't know, would you explode when you ate it?

So, loved reading the cookbook, liked the recipes I tried, but out of the whole book, these were the only ones I actually HAD to try out, so overall I was glad it was a library book. I should try out some more. Who's up for a supper club?

First week of First Grade

2009-09-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

First off, Max and Abbey had their last full day together - we'll miss you Abbey!

And then, school began. First day photo:

And here's what I saw when I went to pick him up after extended day:

Fully engrossed in playing with a new friend. It's working out fine, so far!

Lunches:

(he didn't eat any of those cute cheese leaves)

(the mac 'n cheese was too dry and came home uneaten - we'll have to figure the Thermos thing out)

Like the napkins? I sewed them up the night before (not my fault, I ordered the fabric 2 weeks ago, but it didn't come till Tuesday), and he's been liking them. The fabric line is Rocket Scientist from In the Beginning fabrics. Seemed so Max, had to have it. But he didn't need another quilt, so napkins it is!

Now we're all enjoying lots of downtime at home, and getting ready for a full week!

Ready for 1st grade

2009-09-02T20:20:00.001-07:00

The classic:

Gap-toothed grins are de rigueur for 1st grade, don'tcha know?

Lunches and gear

2009-07-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

Max had "Space Explorers" camp at school this week - trying out the full day schedule. We were supposed to also try out extended day at school, but there weren't enough sign-ups and it got cancelled. So, I got to pretend I worked part time and picked him up on Mon,Tue,Thur,Fri, and Colin did the same on Weds.

I ordered Max some Clone Wars gear for next year and we tried that out too. Backpack & lunchbox were a hit (crazy glasses optional):

For lunches, I did the bento approach again. I packed a ton of food everyday, since both Max and I were worried that he'd go hungry (he had quite an appetite Mon & Tues, trailing off at the end of the week). I always see these bento lunches for preschoolers that fit into one of the single layer boxes and think "no way, that's not enough!" - perhaps that's why we're so amply proportioned in my house. Or perhaps they're not for 6 year olds - probably both :-).

Monday

Carrot/zucchini/apple muffin, canned mandarin oranges (single layer blue box)
Wheat thins, cherries, and cream cheese (thumbs down on that from Max) (top of double layer blue box)
Turkey octo-dogs, ketchup, carrots and zucchini (thumbs down on the veg) (bottom of double layer blue box)
Fritos (in the goldfish)

Tuesday

Cherries and Ritz crackers
Bologna rollups (on toothpicks), mini-Bel cheese, frozen peas, carrots
More muffin, with peaches
Apple slices with caramel dip
more Fritos in the fish (these became his "on the way home" snack all week)

Wednesday

Apples & dip
Muffin & cantaloupe
Wheat thins & bologna rollups
Crackers, baby-Bel, chicken salad, and green beans with edamame (saved this layer for home, then didn't eat - thumbs down, I guess)

Thursday

Muffin & peaches
Cantaloupe
Chicken pot pie insides, biscuits (leftovers from dinner the night before)
And he got to bring along his space shuttle utensils in a re-usable snack bag I got on Etsy.

Friday

Ritz crackers, raspberries (from the Bellevue Farmer's Market trip on Thursday), cantaloupe
More octodogs & ketchup, carrots & zucchini (snubbed again)
Mini scones with jam, Wheat Thins, Laughing Cow cheese wedge, blueberries (from the Farmer's Market too).

And after Thursday's trip to the Farmer's Market, we had a few too many plums and I had a hankering to try out a plum cake recipe. Found one on the KCTS9 site that looked yummy, and it certainly was. Piping hot out of the oven:

Sweet, yummy goodness. Max and I enjoyed it. Colin had a bit of the cake part, but was not interested in the cooked fruit (as ever). Day 2, cooled off, Max agreed with Colin that the fruit part was "blechechechyuck". I thought it was fine, but then I like squishy foods.

P.S. I've been obsessively re-reading all of the Harry Potter books, and Colin just started in on them behind me. He amusedly read me a line from "Chamber of Secrets" where Mrs. Weasley sends Harry a Christmas package with a hand-knitted sweater and "plum cakes". So that's where the need for plum cake came from. Hmm.

By demand, Colin's cake

2009-07-09T07:48:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Colin's 46th on Monday (although I kept calling it his 45th - guess I'm a year off). Here's the cake:

If you can't tell (and that'd be my fault, since I made it), it's a round headed screw embedded in a piece of wood.

In other news, Max and I made a bunch 'o jam and a bunch 'o ice cream/sorbet over the 4th (got a head start on the jam the weekend before). Jams: cherry, raspberry, apricot. Ice cream: watermelon sorbet, grape ice, apricot ice cream.

Here's some jam in progress:

Must be sewing season

2009-06-25T08:09:00.001-07:00

What is it with all the sewing this year? I got bit by all the other folks doing it lately and had to indulge in some myself.

What kicked it all off was a bench cushion.

I liked the fabric so much, I bought 15 more yards and made some lined panel curtains for the living room. These took forever and I was thoroughly sick of them by the time I was done, but they look nice and that's what I was after. Remind me that curtains are a good thing to buy.

Knocked off a couple of little bags for my manager at work (she was using Starbucks paper bags for her totes - couldn't have that!). These are so easy - placemat bags like Noelle made a few years ago. 2 hours max! Perfect.

And then, for the first time in years (and I do mean years, maybe decades), I had a hankering to try making some clothes again. Here are some summer skirts - can't get good shots of them on my own, maybe I'll try again with help.

Poppies on gauze - really full skirt with lots of panels & godets:

Brown embroidered linen drawstring skirt with cargo pockets (hard to see here, but it's all about the fabric anyway):

This one was a copy cat of Cyndy's camo cargo skirt - same pattern, although I didn't realize that until I was nearly done. I learned from her frustrations and skipped the fussiness at the waist - just threaded the drawstring through buttonholes instead of outside the band under twill tape. It did take me 1/2 an hour and lots of study to remember how to do a buttonhole, though.

Some recent highlights

2009-06-09T07:47:00.000-07:00

A few things we've done recently that were fun:

Biked ten miles along the Sammammish River Trail with Noelle & Patrick, plus Max on the new trail-along bike we got from a coworker. Max did just great, pedalling along. Was a bit tired - 10 miles was a bit much for the first time out. Need to do it again!

Hiked down to Snoqualmie Falls with my team at work. Down made my legs all jiggly and up made me red faced and sweaty, and then we sat down for lunch at the lodge. Icky sticky me, but very yummy food. I need to get back into shape. Won't help the red & sweaty, but will help the huffing & puffing.

Wandered around Poulsbo & Bainbridge with Mom & Lisa. Loved seeing the old stomping grounds and getting blown about on the ferry. Miss all that. Ferry rides are shorter than I remember. And our little farmhouse is now a sports complex. Time passes, things change, but Sluys Bakery remains.
Max's first "lemonade" stand - actually a juice stand. Talked him down from lemonade at $5/glass a few weeks ago to juice (which we actually had on hand) for 25 cents a dixie cup. He enjoyed it, and really enjoyed the $4.75 he pulled in. The hand made sign was a bit hard to read from the road, but folks knew what it meant anyway. Kid + box + sign = first business venture, awwwww. Thanks for your support!

Hello pretty posies

2009-06-08T22:22:00.000-07:00

Been a while - I'll chalk it up to a lack of computer time on the computer that has photos. Anyhoo...

Aren't these pretty? I love my peonies! They're such flowers!

The pink ones are in full bloom and the white ones are on their way. Wish my lilacs would do something - wonder what it takes to get the three scraggly specimens I have here as full & lovely as the one tree we had at our old house.

p.s. - forgot to mention that these flowers brought a whole bunch of little tiny ants with them. Max was rather entertained, but disgusted at the same time to have ants on the dining room table. The flowers spent the night outside to try & encourage the ants to go away - hopefully they all hopped off and won't be in our house today.

Um, March?

2009-04-01T07:33:00.001-07:00

You were a little busy. I like you and all, but that was a bit much, ok? Let's try & be calmer next year. There are a few things I'd keep:

Great weekend downtown with just Colin & me. Thanks Noelle & Patrick for keeping Max happy & entertained - no way to repay that service!
Fun with family - good to see and hang out with nearly the whole Boise contingent.
Dinner and play with friends - always fun to hang with the Sather's.
Time spent sewing up a cushion for the entry bench.

But next year, let's skip:

MRI for extra-cautious doctors.
Conferences and firedrills at work.
13 kids under 7 at the house.
Layoff, cutback, and random economic news stress - gotta stop paying attention!

Playing along with the sixes

2009-02-23T21:50:00.000-08:00

Tag, I'm it. Here's the sixth photo in the sixth folder in My Pictures.

Max, around a year, sitting in his giant bin o' Legos.

Lisa, Cyndy, Stacia, you wanna play?

Pondering Happiness

2009-02-16T16:25:00.000-08:00

I followed a link from Slate to The Happiness Project. Intriguing. More than resolutions, but a list of priorities and principles to create a happier you. Haven't read/absorbed it all yet, but I thought I'd share some of the things that came to mind when pondering this.

What'd be on my "Happiness Project" list:

Choose consciously
Choose health - eat the fruit, go for the walk, bring back yoga
Be the mom/take responsibility
Make time for the things you love to do
Make time for the people you love
Embrace meal planning

There must be more, but that's my short list for today. What would you put on your list?

A Valentine Treat

2009-02-14T19:15:00.000-08:00

Personalized chicken pot pies!

Just a regular recipe of chicken pot pie filling, spooned into ramekins with Bisquick biscuits cut into the size of the ramekins, then baked. Also had some heart-shaped additional biscuits for fun.

For once, Max liked something new that I cooked. Only because "it tastes just like the ones we used to get and cook in the microwave, only better! I love these!" Nice to have a winner of a dinner for once, instead of a demand for something different. He also liked the salmon the other night, phew! Since it was Max who asked for it and I'm no fish fan, I was glad it got eaten.

(BTW - the cute tablecloth was a gift from Annzy. Thanks Ann!)

Max is sooooo into Encyclopedia Brown lately - Abbey found some books on tape/CD before Christmas and they've been checking them out from the library over and over and over. Inspiration struck, and he rearranged his room so he can have a detective desk. His rates aren't as reasonable as Encyclopedia's though. Guess a quarter doesn't mean as much anymore.

Lack of highlights lately, but Colin updated you on the Leavenworth trip and Lisa on the Spokane trip, so not much to say. Busy times, with computer time at home losing out to sleep, or reading (lots of reading of a pile of mysteries by Deborah Crombie, not to mention the rest of the Twilight series in January, thanks for the books Kris!), or watching ABC shows online, since DISH/Fisher-ABC are feuding in my area so I can't watch it on TV anymore. Sigh. I'm way behind on all my shows - I realized in December when they went off the air that I was recording 7 shows on ABC, and I just am not keeping up with them. How tragic, no? Well, no, not really :-).

Working on a sock in the knitting world. Donna & I challenged each other to try socks at the last Day of Crafts and Sewing. I was halfway when I got to DOCS, then ripped back and redid the heel and now I'm 3/4 of the way. Not a lot of progress. I should have picked a pattern other than plain stockinette - so dull. Plus, I really doubt I'll ever wear them, so the motivation is low. Could tackle another sweater, but must do math first. I sure hope I have a chance to relearn basic math while Max learns it the first time; I could use a little help.

Happy Valentine's Day everybody.

Finally, some finished objects

2009-01-06T20:14:00.000-08:00

For your viewing pleasure, some things I finally finished near the end of 2008.

Gathered Pullover

Specs:

Yarn: Knit Pick's Telemark in Colonial Blue
Pattern: Gathered Pullover from Interweave Knits
Needles: size 7, circulars and dpns
Modifications: Lengthened the sleeves a bit, skipped the yarn overs in a row across the bust for obvious reasons.

Started in Feb '08, finished December 30th, 2008 (whew! Less than a year :-). Very wearable. Slightly scratchy - dang wool.

Elisa's Nest Tote for Ann

Specs:

Yarn: Knit Pick's CotLin in Morrocan Red (Ann's signature color!)
Pattern: Elisa's Nest Tote from The Purl Bee
Needles: I forget - size 9? 10? Who knows
Modifications: none but my occasional mistake

Pattern is still fun the second time and doesn't take too long, although I stretched out working on it over months. Was fun to make for Ann in red.

Morningside Neckwarmer for Colin

Late-minute Christmas idea for Colin. Sadly, kept screwing up, so it didn't make it by Christmas, even though it's only 1 ball's worth o' knitting. Sigh. The pattern's only two rows of just a few stitches, repeated all the way in the round, no purls or anything. So, I really impressed myself when I realized that I'd managed to flip the stiches inside out halfway through. Jeez.

Specs:

Yarn: Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed in Brindle
Pattern: Morningside Neckwarmer from Brooklyn Tweed
Needles: US size 9
Modifications: none

Unwarranted Confidence, or Don't Forget to Review Directions

2008-12-09T15:31:00.000-08:00

I've been working on a "simple, quick knit" sweater since last February. Sigh. It's mostly a matter of not making time for it. But really, it seems to take experienced knitters a couple of weeks and I've dragged it on for nearly a year. I'm in the final stages now. Finished up the sleeves, just need to sew up some seams, finish the neckline, and block it. Easy, no? You'd think so, but I'm having comic difficulty with the final easy steps. Must be a lack of practice - since I so rarely finish something knitted, I just don't remember what all goes into it.

With that said, I relate to you last night's adventures in shoulder seaming...
First, get kid's jammies on, escape to living room to work on sweater. Locate embroidery needle for stitching up the seam. Match up shoulders, start sewing. Oops, he's done reading books with Daddy, time to help kiddo settle down. Maybe he'll look at a book on his own. Yeah, try that.

Back to the living room. Finish up one seam, flip it over to see how it looks. Yikes. Crappy. What did I do wrong? I was carefully stitching down below the cast off row, but it appears that I didn't have the cast off facing flat up, so a few of the edges were showing on the outside. Bad, bad, bad. Unpick, unpick, oops, need to deal with not-sleeping kid...

1/2 hour later. Kid's asleep. Okay, still need to unpick and try again. I'll put in the movie I was watching last night to finish it up too. Yeah, that won't be distracting, what with the subtitles and all. Unpick, unpick. Okay, ready to try again. Flattening out the edges nicely, stitch stitch stitch. Well, that's looking better. Yeah, much better. WAIT! Why did I just sew the two front shoulders to each other??????? Grr. Unpick, unpick, unpick.

Okay, third time's the charm. Try again. Oh - I should get those little clippy things I used once to hold it together. Matched FRONT shoulder seams to BACK shoulder seams? Check. Clipped into place? Check. Edges nicely lined up? Check. Stitch, stitch, stitch. Hey, that looks better. Shows a little bit, but not badly. Let's make it good and tight then. I think I'll weave in the ends really snug, then call it a night (and night it is: 11:30).

Next day, hmm, I need to pick up stitches to do the neck. I remember reading some technique for that, where was that? Do an online search for picking up stitches, notice articles on finishing techniques, and then recall - D'oh! I did a plain 'ol sewing stitch (in & out, every stitch) and I should have done a backstitch or mattress stitch to get it all flat & even. Ugh!

So, what's your vote? Live with it, or unpick YET AGAIN (at least it's only 6 inches total) and do it right. Keep in mind that with this sweater, I've started the body twice (frogged the first attempt at 3 inches when I realized it would be enormous) and one sleeve once (had thought it would be too loose at the wrist, so I narrowed it, then realized it looked terrible that way).

Sigh, is it any wonder this has taken nearly a year?

Christmas card laziness

2008-12-08T09:53:00.000-08:00

I usually (like 10 years straight, I think) make my Christmas cards. Hand-stamped, paper cut, not super fancy like Jody's cards, but handmade. This year I haven't been feeling it though. Just no energy to put into thinking up another idea (one that doesn't involve snowflakes, because that seems to be my default) and being creative with paper. All that annoying cutting, and the gluing, and no way am I doing glitter or embossing this year! So I've been putting it off. Colin was even suggesting (gasp!) buying cards! Whoa! Am I really that lazy this year? Have I lost all drive to create?

Luckily, this morning as I was about to pass PaperZone on the way between school & work, I remembered that they are open at 9:00 AM and so I dropped in. The guy behind the counter helpfully pointed me to an examples book that had customer-submitted holiday card ideas and I found one that appeals. So, yeah, I am still feeling lazy (no glitter, no embossing, and using cards already cut to size with not window cutouts to make), and I'm taking a shortcut by stealing someone else's idea (although it's one they want to share, and I'm also doing my own take on it), but at least the homemade tradition lives on! Let the card-making begin!

Veggie kid?

2008-11-17T19:22:00.000-08:00

Max tells us that he doesn't want to eat "dead animals" anymore and wants to be a vegetarian. He's pretty earnest about it (although tonight when the veggie eggrolls were yucky and he knew that the chicken ones he had last week were yummy, he became practical rather than principled, and chowed the chicken ones). So, um, now what? I was always thinking "well, at least he's getting enough protein, even if he doesn't eat his veggies", but now what? He's snubbing all dinner ideas beyond ramen & spaghetti - hardly balanced & complete meals. He's not a tofu fan... Aside from his already-favorite and already-veggie corn dogs from MorningStar farms, what do I feed this kid beyond PB&J?

Any ideas?
Think it'll last?

Early November highlights

2008-11-14T17:13:00.000-08:00

I seem to be on a semi-monthly schedule with these. Ah well, highlights of late...

Forgot to call Lisa on her birthday (lowlight, bad sis). Remembered the day after! Always good to chat.
Parent association meeting last week, plus got to participate or view videos of interviews with possible new heads of school for next year. Really fun to have some say in that process.
A happier election day than I've had in years. Yay! Yes, we did!
Bookclub last weekend. Fun to see the gang. Embarrassed that not only did we not finish the book (pretty much a first), we didn't even get a copy to start on. Sigh. Bad bookclubbers! Dinner (fajitas) was fun though. Maybe it's really a supper club, not a bookclub :-).
Got my nightguard fixed at the dentists' office. Okay, it sounds REALLY lame, but hey, it's just nice to grind away all night again without waking up with sort teeth.
Dessert out with my VTs. They're nice gals, not pushy, and we chatted and chatted about the kidlets and schools.
Last night's 10-year anniversary party (10 years at MSFT) at EMP with 2000 of my closest friends (not, and by the way, a pile o' Microsofties all going from Redmond to someplace at the same time makes for lousy traffic). Food was pretty yummy, and it was fun exploring the "Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum". Plus, the Presidents of the United States of America played, which was fun. Sorta lost on me as I really only know "Peaches" but it was fun just thinking that it'd make Jason jealous (hi Jason). Colin and I liked the SciFi museum and thought that Max would LOOOOOOVE it given the amazing assortment of phasers, rockets, spaceships, and robots they have on display. Max & Abbey went today :-). Oh, and Mom, I was wrong, no classical at EMP, just rock & roll Seattle-based music scene. Noelle & Patrick were kind enough to babysit, and Max had a swell time with them. Thanks guys!
Looking forward to DOCS this weekend. Maybe I'll finally finish a sleeve!

Halloween

2008-11-03T19:54:00.000-08:00

A little pictorial tour of our Halloween weekend.

Wednesday: Boy, carving pumpkins is hard work!

Friday: Trick or Treat at Mom's work - with Abbey in the lobby.

Ready for real trick or treating in the neighborhood. He decided on Wednesday that instead of being a police man, he really needed to be an Airplane Director. So, I whipped up a safety vest (complete with reflector tape) on Thursday, and Colin made red cones for some blue flashlights and dug out some cordless headphones for ear protection. Pretty cute, if we do say so ourselves, and very original. Not as original as the blueberry, but hey - it was recognizable this year - the flashlights were the real key to the costume.

Neighbor Paul's huge pumpkin - he grew it himself! And he gave Max a cool pumpkin too (see above).

All the kids assembled for neighborhood trick or treating. We have a Chinese Princess, the Airplane Directory, R2D2, Luke in a flight suit, and Spiderman!

Friday night: enjoying the haul.

Saturday: Halloween Party with some pals (not all pictured): in addition to R2D2 and Luke (out of uniform), we have the mushroom, the Hulk, and a Fairy.

Sunday: Jammies all day, and playing with his favorite pumpkin named "Enterprise". Whew, that was a busy Halloween!

Not much, you? Recent highlights

2008-10-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

Weekend - hung out at home, coughing, sneezing, while Max played and watched too much TV. Colin did tons o' work in the yard. Felt guilty, but not enough to help :-).

Last week:

Parent night at school, and Max actually enjoyed himself at the Extended Day babysitting at school, which is great, and unexpected given how apprehensive he was. Sure helps to have a kid there he knows from class.
Sucked up my courage and made calls for Obama Thursday night for an hour. Verdict - hate it, just as expected :-). They seem to be low on envelopes that need stuffing and only want dialing help. Bother.

Preceding couple of weeks:

DOCS - worked on the sleeve for my Gathered Pullover. Nearly done with one! Except that I don't like how it's turning out and probably should rip it and start again. Sigh. So it's been sitting, with absolutely no progress, since then. Mental block! It's only two sleeves, how long could it take? Guess we'll find out.
Took Friday the 3rd off and hung out with ETHAN (and Jason and Chris and Fiona, and their assorted rellies in town). Emphasis is Max's. He was all about the cousin, so happy to have time with him. Zoo was unpopular with Max (raining, tired), but playing at home was great, as was Museum of Flight. Attempted a sleepover with Max & Ethan, but no sleep achieved until Jason & Chris & Fiona came back from their dinner out with friends. Max & Ethan had fun staying up looking at books though.
Inspired by Just Bento, made chicken mini-burgers, basically using our gyoza filling recipe, and ate them on dinner rolls for buns. I thought they were way fun. Ethan & Max liked 'em well enough. Speaking of liking/not liking food, this Bento blog post (see the bottom when her kid tries it) made me laugh out loud. Been there, seen that (not with Baked Tofu though). Also trotted out my bento stuff for zoo & Museum of Flight snacks. Kids liked 'em. Yay.
Saturday, the 4th was the Family Heritage Festival at school. Since I'm on the parent association, I got to hang out & greet folks as they came in. Fun to see everyone and what they brought for the potluck. Max wanted to help with nametags (writing people's names), but settled for making a plane/spaceship out of leftover nametag backs & sticky bits.

Phew...That's over...

2008-09-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

Last week and this, I prepped for a presentation for work. There was a conference this week, with probably about 100 people per session, and I (gasp) volunteered to take over a session that was planned, but unmanned. Saw the room on Monday, it looked to hold about 140 people, and they were all there!

So today was the day! We had one session before lunch, where we did focus groups on different designs, and we got about 80 customers for that, which was great. Unfortunately, they didn't all come back after lunch for my stand-up and talk session, and neither did anyone else. Out of about 40 people in attendance, only about a dozen were actual customers, the rest were other 'softies. Sigh. It's hard to vet plans with customers when they aren't there. Guess my joke to colleagues about how we should encourage people to check out the excellent shopping across the street wasn't a joke after all! That or they were tired of sessions on their last day.

I did fine, my presentation went well, but when you plan to talk for about 30 minutes of your hour-long slot keeping half of the time free for discussion along the way, you don't expect to be done at 36 minutes. But that's what happens with only a dozen participants. Better luck next time? Kind of a let down.

It did feel good to once again demonstrate that I can conquer my public-speaking anxiety. Lots o' prep, plus talking about something you really DO know about, sure helps :-). I mentioned to Max last night at bedtime that my presentation was tomorrow. He said "why are you so scared?". I was hoping that I was showing him that even though I was nervous about doing something difficult, I was preparing and pushing through the fear and accomplishing something. Might be a little too subtle for 5. But maybe it'll be a teaching example later. Who knows.

So that's me, and my week. Tomorrow, my biggest thing is a group lunch at work and date night. Yay - fun stuff!

Oh, and I really liked my outfit. It's a keeper. Thanks for helping me shop, Mom! Isn't it funny how clothes can boost your confidence?

Just a little something…

2008-09-03T21:29:00.000-07:00

I was tired of the ratty old Ziploc baggie that I used for storing my hand quilting notions. But I didn’t feel like paying the $20 for a silk folding envelope (with zippered pocket) at the quilt shop when I have SOOOO much fabric lying around. So, I decided to make something up. I omitted the zippered pocket because life’s just too short to deal with a 3 inch zipper. Here’s what mine ended up looking like.

It took me about 2 ½ hours to whip up at Cyndy’s latest Day of Sewing. If you want to make one of your own, here’s how. These instructions may seem lengthy, but they don't take long. I'm just being too thorough (tech writer issue :-).

Sam’s Notions Pocket

Finished dimensions: Approximately 5 by 6 inches when folded up, 15 by 6 inches opened flat.
Holds: A small pair of scissors, a seam ripper, two spools of thread, several needles & pins, plus any other small notions you want to tuck in.

Fabric and notions:
You’ll need 1 fat quarter of an outside fabric and two fat quarters of a pocket fabric (might be able to get away with just 2 fat quarters if you mix & match colors on the inside), matching (or contrasting!) thread, a little sew-in interfacing, and ribbon for the ties.

When I made this, I used a finished-hem cloth napkin that I had leftover from another project. The instructions are for using regular fabric instead. If you want to use a napkin, simply cut the flap & pocket out of the napkin instead and cut them 16/17 x 4 instead of 16 x 8. Also, I used two types of bias tape for the ribbon, that I zigzagged together (like I said, I had stuff lying around).

Cutting:

Out of the body fabric, cut two 16 inch by 7 inch rectangles (for the main body of the notions pouch inside & out) and a 15 1/2 inch by 8 inch rectangle (for the flap).
Out of the pocket fabric, cut one 17 inch by 8 inch rectangle (for the pocket) and two 5 inch by 5 inch rectangles (for the needle & pin holder).
Cut two 5 inch by 5 inch rectangles of interfacing (for the needle & pin holder).

Assembly: Use ½ inch seams for sewing.

Make the body and pocket:

Lay out inside body fabric right side up.
Fold & press pocket fabric in half lengthwise, right sides out.
Pin to bottom of inside body fabric.
At one end (your choice), along the bottom, pin 4 small tucks to take up the extra inch of pocket fabric (this gives you extra room to accommodate spools of thread).
Lay the outside body fabric on top, right side in and pin together with inside body and pocket.
Starting in the middle top, sew all around, leaving a 1 ½ inch gap so you can turn it.
Press the seams, trim the corners, then turn inside out and press again.
Pin the opening and top stitch around the edge to finish.

Make the needle holder:

Lay out interfacing squares, and then lay out needle and pin holder fabric squares on top, right sides together.
Starting in the middle top, sew all around, leaving a 1 inch gap so you can turn it.
Press the seams, trim the corners, then turn inside out and press again.
Pin the opening and top stitch around the edge to finish.

Make the flap:

Fold & press flap fabric in half lengthwise, right sides together.
Sew along short edges, and then flip right side out and press.
With flap right side out, fold down the raw, long edge ½ inch and press (you can zigzag stitch along the raw edge if you like before you press, to give it a finished edge).

Make and attach the tie:

Cut a length of ribbon approximately 40 inches.
Fold the tie in half to find the middle, then fold the body in half (pocket to the inside) to find the middle. Pin the middle of the tie to the middle of the body.
Fold the body in thirds, to find where you want to attach the ties. Pin the ties at the folds, and then open the body up again.
Pin the top of the pocket in place at the fold lines, to prepare for stitching the middle pocket.

Stitch the pockets and attach the flap:

With the outside of the body and ties facing up, stitch along the 1/3 fold lines from bottom to the top to make the middle pocket, attach the ties, and create permanent folding lines.
With the pockets facing up, move the ties out of the way, and stitch vertically halfway between the edge and the fold line on each side, stitching from the bottom to the top of the pocket to create the smaller pockets.
Pin the flap to the inside top of the body. The folded, raw edge should be tucked under at the top.
Stitch the top folded edge of the flap to the body (try and stitch over the top stitching).

Put in stuff:

Slide some pins and needles into the pin/needle holder and tuck it into the big middle pocket. Tuck your scissors and seam ripper in the flat side pockets, and two spools of thread into the thread pockets, fold in thirds and tie it up with a bow.

Enjoy! If you'd like a Word doc of these instructions, just let me know and I'll e-mail it to you.

Highlights - 2nd half of August

2008-09-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

What I enjoyed the last two weeks:

Running away to Spokane overnight for spa, movie, craft day with Jo, Lisa, and Mom. Great spending time with the girls. Happy 50th Jo!
Day of Crafts and Sewing at Cyndy's - always a great time! Followed up with pizza and games, fun!
Happy anniversary to us! 17 years - amazing. Palisade was a yummy treat.
Catching up on some movie rentals (Waitress, Penelope) and current flicks (had to see Mamma Mia! on my own, since everybody else saw it when I wasn't around).

Lowlight: Sleep, how I miss it. Wish our little bug would sleep more, so I could too. Sigh.

This is an unpaid political announcement

2008-08-29T11:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have a major insecurity about speaking my mind in public. You know that about me. You also probably know where I stand, whether or not I speak up in front of others. But this one time, I just gotta…it’s too important. I woke up this morning crafting the perfect post in my head. This isn’t it (dreams are like that), but it’s what I need to say.

It’s time for a change.

We’ve had enough of the cowboy mentality in our foreign policy. We don’t need a maverick, we need a leader. We need someone we can be proud of standing on the world stage, someone the rest of the world can respect, someone who can get people talking, find commonality, really listen and find solutions, not just wield a big stick. It’s time to stop bullying the world, let’s try leadership instead.

We’ve had enough of pretending that money to the top will help folks on the bottom. Get real. How do we not have healthcare coverage for everyone in our country? Our country can afford it – it’s the individuals who can’t. Use government to do what government is for! Creating a safety net for people. Taking care of our people when they need it. Not just standing by and consigning them to poverty, simply because they have the bad luck to get cancer.

We’ve had enough of the blue/red bickering. How about we pull out the purple crayon for a while? Let’s see what we could do if we actually worked together. What’s wrong with a little hope?

C’mon America, say it with me: Yes We Can!

Obama ‘08

------
I’m almost ready to volunteer to cold call folks in other parts of the country to try and spread the hope. Note the almost – I’d pretty much rather get teeth pulled or endure major surgery than call a stranger out of the blue & try and convince them of something. Not to mention knocking on doors? Yikes. Maybe I can hand out buttons instead.

(My lame attempt at a political speech is now over. You may now go back to your regular lives. But please, think carefully in November about what you really need from a leader.)

Highlights - early August

2008-08-18T16:06:00.000-07:00

I figure since I've been silent for a while, I'd better make up for by covering more than just this week for Pops' "post the highlights" challenge. So, highlights for the past few weeks:

Nana visiting - Max so enjoyed having Nana read to him at night and play in his "shuttle" all afternoon. Great visit.
Finishing the appliques for my circle quilt. In progress for oh, about 2 years now, and I can finally move onto step 4, start sewing blocks to each other. (Step 1 was cut lots & lots of trianges & circles, step 2 was piece the triangles onto squares, step 3 was hand stitch the circles onto the squares.) Step 3, though it took a rather long time (since it would sit for months), was very restful and satisfying.
Unpacking 3 huge boxes for my b-day present. Some additional pieces for our Denby Boston plates from Replacements, since it's a discontinued pattern. Now I have a gravy boat!
Selling the bunk bed and getting real cash money for it, plus Colin taking a load o' baby stuff to Eastside Baby Corner to donate. Buh-bye!

Lunch - Bento style

2008-07-28T20:30:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, I saw cute Bento-style lunches for kids on the Kid Eats Flickr pool and they looked like so much fun! Then I wandered across Lunchinabox and CookingCute and an obsession started to form. Must do bento lunches!

Online shopping from Ichiban Kan USA plus a couple of eBay orders from Japan, and I had the equipment I needed.

I now present to you...Max's lunches for summer camp, Bento style:

Ham & cheese skewers, corn muffins, apples, and strawberries.
Dinosaur PB&J, cheesy crackers, cherries, raisins, carrots, & snap peas.
Bologna rolls, cheese stick, crackers, carrots, snap peas, cherries, granola bar, raisins.
Chicken salad, crackers, canned green beans, cherries, snap peas, raisins.
Tillamook cheddar hearts, hot dog octopusses, ketchup, crackers, cherries, carrots, snap peas, raisins.
More hotdog octopusses (octopii?), ketchup, bun, cherries.

I've also been doing my own lunches and snacks, when I have appropriate leftovers or did weekend shopping, in the Happy Orange/Blue Balloon and plain clear bento sets that Colin got me from the local Japanese dollar store, Daiso. He's an enabler :-). Better stop before it takes over the house!

For the birds?

2008-07-08T20:33:00.001-07:00

Max and I have been enjoying a new bird feeder we put up, watching the birdies come munch and looking up which ones we've seen in a bird book from the library.

We've had Stellar's Jays, Goldfinches (I swear, I never saw them around before I put up the feeder even though they're our state bird!), Black-Capped Chickadees (I knew we had those - chick-a-dee-dee-dee!), Dark-Eyed Junkos, regular-old Robins, a Rufus or Spotted Towhee, and some good old sparrows. We even drew a hummingbird one day although he looked confused that the feeder didn't have anything he liked. Not sure what kind of hummingbird - they're hard to get a look at. Anyway, it's been fun. One week, I started to notice that the bird feed (shelled sunflower seeds, no mess!) was disappearing rather more quickly than before. A day later, I found out why.

(Action shot - through a window - kinda fuzzy sorry.)
Hey Mr. Squirrel, that's not there for you! Guess we'll have to investigate and deploy some anti-squirrel measures.

Why homemade frosting is better than frosting from a can

2008-07-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

Colin's b-day, he got a yummy yellow bowl cake, with input on the decoration from Max. Cheated and used canned frosting.

Later that evening, it looked like this. 'Nough said.

But we did enjoy his new game.

Beach time with the R-clan

2008-06-23T20:05:00.001-07:00

I always love a trip to Cannon Beach, OR, and what's more fun than hanging with the whole Robertson clan? Not much!

There's parties for hosting (happy 70th Pops!), Marshmallows for roasting...

Double-decker kite flying with Dad:

Crazy cold & windy family photos:

Just plain crazy family photos:

And good, clean fun with some cousins:

Ah, the beach. Nothing like it.

Volunteering - too much or just enough?

2008-05-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

This year I've been serving as a room representative for Max's class on the Parent Action Committee for school (like the PTA). About 5 meetings over the year, mid-morning, plus coordinating lots of stuff for the class (auction project, Art Festival booth, signups for random stuff), and "generating excitement for events". It's been fun, and I'm glad it's not for an older class where I'd also have to deal with coordinating carpools for swim classes and field trips. Phew!

Next year, however, I'm biting off a bit more. Let's hope I can chew it. I'm going to be the PAC Secretary, which means taking notes for the monthly meetings with the PAC and the Room Rep meetings, plus other tasks. So, probably quite a bit more work. As one nominating committee member noted, however, it's a great free pass on other volunteering at the school. Gee, sorry, wish I could help, but I'm on the PAC. AKA - the auction project won't be on me next year! ;-)

Mom thinks I'm crazy to sign up, when the meetings happen during work hours, but hey, work's supportive (and they even match my volunteer hours with cash money for the school), and Colin's on board, so why not.

So, what do you think? Most of you have church stuff, work stuff, kid stuff, school stuff, hobby stuff - how much is just enough for you?

Overdue: Strolling for the Cure

2008-05-04T18:47:00.000-07:00

Got the wacky idea to drive over to Spokane for the weekend a couple of weeks back to support Lisa by joining in the Race for the Cure. Her girls and Max came along and we did the mile walk, very very slowly (meandering kids'll do that). Here we are pre-race. Twas nice & chilly, with little flakes coming down now and then.

And here's the whole gang.

Boy, don't we look energetic. I'd meant to bring the jog stroller for Max, but sadly, left it in our garage at home. That doesn't help! So he had to hoof it most of the way and settle for intermittent piggy back rides.

Max and Maddie were impressed by the snacks at the end of the course. The yogurt, muffins, juice, and granola bars almost made up for the walking part.

It was great seeing Nana, Lisa, Van, and all the kids. Max had a swell time with cousins and Nana and wanted to come back the very next weekend.

You've already seen Colin and Lucy's posts on the other stuff we're doing around the house. Max participated in his T-Ball practice, but was still unwilling to play when it was game time. This might take all season.

Uh, spring?

2008-04-13T18:26:00.000-07:00

Everyone says that the Gathered Pullover is a quick knit. I suppose it's relative. Nearly halfway (all the easy part behind me ;-). Now for neck & sleeves:

In KnitPick's Telemark, Colonial Blue.

So, did somebody say Spring? It's turning out to be a wild spring. Here's the contrast.

March 30th (temp obviously around freezing):

April 13th (temp yesterday was in the 70s):

Max loves him some dandelions. They're his favorite. Whenever anyone mentions dealing with weeds, he says "but not the dandelions! They're my favorite flower!". I fully expect to see him out there with a "Save the Dandelions" sign, picketing in front of the dandelions while Dad approaches with the weed killer.

And just to wrap up the updates, a couple of blankies for the Sather kids. Their new baby boy, just born Thursday, gets this one. Yep, those square are minky, and it's backed with satin. Hooboy, won't be doing that combo again any time soon, unless I have amnesia. Fuzzy, slippery, annoying. But oh sooooo soft.

While big sis gets a little something too. Cotton on the front, striped minky on the back. Very pink.

Other than that, the twin obsessions continue: Democratic primary, Indian movies. Netflix says I've rented 27 altogether, starting in April '06. Longest streak: 14 in a row (December through March, nuthin' but Indian movies :-).

Catching up on the crafts

2008-03-12T20:30:00.001-07:00

Random pics of random projects...

Book bag for Max - made of placemats, with coaching from Noelle. Thanks for the tips, Noelle.

He seems to like it. It's good for holding the hugely oversized books he drags home from The Little School library.

Class pillows to match the class quilt. Split up the work with another mom, so you only see 1/2 of the class's pillows. Max was disappointed that they were going to be so small. He wanted one big enough to sleep on! We compromised with a pillowcase (thanks Grammy for the inspiration on custom pillowcases - very handy!).

And here's a quick blanket I whipped up for Max. We were in the fabric store, looking for fabrics to make a quilt for Jim & Kris's new baby-on-the-way, when Max spotted this. HE HAD TO HAVE IT! I thought it was insanely cute too, so I bought two panels worth, and then we went home, dug through my stash for some fleece for the back, and in less than 2 hours, Max had a new alien blankie. The fabric is Alien Invasion from Moda, and it's hysterical!

Sleep (lack of) and Trips (not taken)

2008-02-20T08:51:00.000-08:00

Current effort making sleep difficult: get Max into his own bed all night long.

Last week - awful! Not much sleep for me or Max most of the week. Cranky mom, cranky kid.
Weekend - not bad! Escape valve of "okay to come in Saturday nights" seemed to help a lot.
This week - much better. Two nights of staying in his bed (Monday, continuously, Tuesday, just one break for a snuggle). Too bad I'm now trained to wake up at 2 & 4 am every night. So now it's my sleep schedule that is the problem!

Trips that aren't getting taken:

Considered a quick trip to Leavenworth for this weekend, looking for snow. Couldn't find an appropriate room, decided it was too much hassle anyway. Holding out for a drive to Snoqualmie on Saturday to see snow. Maybe it'll happen.
Considered a spring break trip to Orlando - mostly so Max could see Kennedy Space Center. Thought, heck, why not see Disney World. Priced some packages, got extreme sticker shock, read the Unofficial Guide, decided it was a big hassle too! Scratch that vacation.

Other news:

Observation: shouldn't tease others about blog breaks - it causes them on your own blog.
New on the needles: Gathered Pullover in Knit Picks Telemark Colonial Blue. Getting gauge, but it seems too big. Hmm. Need to measure again.

Auction Project 2 - Sun Print Quilt - Check

2008-01-31T17:45:00.000-08:00

Another year, another class auction project for The Little School. This time, a quilt (one of my specialities!). The kids did sun prints on fabric, some of us moms turned them into attic window blocks (thanks Aimee and Monika), I put it all together, and the moms and I tied it (thanks again, Monika and Aimee!).

I think it turned out fun with the bright batiks. What do you think?

Hmm. I must be over the blahs...

Hats are Easy-Peasy

2008-01-25T20:07:00.000-08:00

A friend had a baby. I needed a gift asap. I realized that I had cute pink/white variegated cotton yarn, just a ball, enough for a little baby hat. I like hats. They're easy-peasy and super quick. All it takes is the right circumference, and the rest you can pretty much make up. I used a pattern for the sizing and decreases, but did some modifications for fun... and ain't it cute?

And boy, did I cut it close on the yardage (see, it was one ball, but I'd swatched with it before, so it was more like 3/4 of a ball). See photo above right for how much was left when I finished the decreases. Ooh that was close. Now I just hope it fits the little kidlet.

Specs

Yarn: Trendsetter Yarns Scoubi Du in color 054 (Pink stone wash)
Needles: Addi Turbo size 6, 16 inch circulars, plus bamboo size 6 dpns
Pattern: Borrowed sizing & decreases from this one, but the hat itself doesn't really look much like it ;-). Thanks for the sizing, though!
Modifications: Added eyelet row about an inch and a half up, skipped the top knot when I ran out of yarn.

In other news, I think I neglected to post a picture of Max's cool new loft bed from IKEA.

After spending the first night up top, he decided he'd rather sleep on the floor underneath. And after I ironed the canopy up top, he decided he didn't want that on the bed. Ah well.

The Winter Blahs

2008-01-11T17:24:00.000-08:00

It's winter. Not the fun snowy winter of Christmas shows, but the oh-so-blah-and-grey winter of only 9 hours of rainy daylight in the Pacific Northwest. Sigh. It's given me the blahs. I don't even feel like crafting! No knitting progress to share (because I'm not doing any knitting). Can't work up the enthusiasm to make progress on the auction quilt either (even though it's due Feb 1st). Haven't gotten far on the"year of organization" idea that Colin and I had either (Cyndy's progress all last year was making us envious) - although we do have a nice new whiteboard/corkboard/calendar in the kitchen now.

Add on to the regular blahs a kiddo who's been sick on & off and wailing at school drop-offs and you get the picture of an exciting time at our house lately. Max is now on a bland food diet for a week, trying to stabilize his tummy and get it to digest foods correctly again, then off milk and cheese for another 2 weeks. Hmm, what can I make out of noodles, rice, or potatoes for dinner tonight? I'm exploring casseroles...

Hey, at least we have clean carpets now (finally used the coupon we bought at last year's auction) - and Max sure enjoyed taking everything out of his room & the office and putting it all back in.

Quick note to sis Lisa: Thinking about you today. Hope surgery went well. Love you!

Gingerbread, Snow, and Project Pix

2007-12-19T18:32:00.000-08:00

Last night, we made a Gingerbread house (cheating, with a kit). Max really enjoyed himself.

Some snaps of Teri's backpack (hope she got it! FedEx couldn't seem to figure out where her house is. I'm relying on the fact that she never gets near her computer to not spoil the surprise ;-).

I'm rather pleased at how it turned out. Not bad for no pattern. And much better on my second attempt! (It had gotten really big & shapeless, so I frogged and tried again with a more defined round bottom and fewer stitches).

And we had some snow back in early December. Here's the snowman Max & I made with the inch or so of snow (pretty much actual size ;-).

Here's a photo for scale. It was really a snowball snowman.

A quick peek at a few of the assortment of Christmas cards.

There. Enough photos for you Lucy?

Pathetic Blog Break

2007-12-18T17:11:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the radio silence here. Been busy? Isn't everyone this time of year? I have very few projects to show for it too, but here's what's been up on the project front:

Christmas cards - done! And arriving soon! It was fun to do them all a little bit different this year, although it took longer. Cool paper, and cool cutout designs, plus a little ribbon I had laying around for some, and my famous Crop-a-dile for eyelets on some. Maybe I'll post a couple of pictures of my favorites.
School auction quilt - finally, finally, finally!, got all the sun-print fabric squares back from all the kids. I now have a complete set of 12 squares, ready to sew up. 2 Moms have volunteered to help piece, one has her row back to me, one I expect any day now. Taking Thursday & Friday off this week, so I should have time to work on them then, or on Saturday's DOS.
Knitting - not much! Ordered enough yarn for Juno (Estelle Alpaca Cashmere Tweed - super yummy, and it went on sale at Ram Wools), but still don't have the pattern, so no progress there. Finished up Teri's backpack (picture coming soon) and sent it off as a Christmas present (oops, just spoiled that non-surprise). Cast on, frogged, and cast on again for a wrap for me (Cozy in Nashua Julia, Velvet Moss). Not really thrilled with the lace pattern for this - I just want a simple rectangular wrap to keep at work and keep me warm. Maybe I'll be lucky & get a stitch dictionary for Christmas and I can find the perfect easy lace for my own custom wrap.
Sewing (or rather, altering) - ordered some cord pants from Lands End, which fit well in length & hips, but sadly are saggy in the waist (i.e., falling down!). Trying to alter them to fit my waist (starting with the super-on-sale, can't return, green ones ;-). I hate sewing clothes. And altering is almost worse. The green ones are unpicked, ready to take in. Definitely need to take these to DOS for a consult with the master sewers there.

Hey - very cool idea on Chef Messy's blog - all homemade Christmas. Whattdya say, Robertsons - up for that next year?

Post-Grad?

2007-11-26T09:38:00.000-08:00

I followed Lucy over to The Blog Readability Test and found out that this blog rates post-grad. Hmm. Seems unlikely, maybe it's all the "technical knitting jargon" :-).

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Birthday shout outs to Lisa & Jana

2007-11-02T19:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Lisa (today!) and Jana (was Wednesday!). Hope it's a good year for both of you.

I always think of Hawaii when I think of Jana now, because she got married there several years ago. So here's a Hibiscus for her to remind her of the islands:

The pinkish hue isn't just the picture (although it's a little darker in the picture than in real life). Taking an idea from shadow trapunto, I layered a bright pink fabric behind a nice white to give it a little pink flavor. Seemed like fun.

And Lisa loves roses (and other flowers) so I thought I'd send her a bouquet of them (cut from the rose fabric I used for her book several years ago):

Also for Lisa, another cool, cozy, comfy bamboo hat. Same yarn (different colorway), same needles as the blue hat, made-up pattern:

Now I ask you, do you see any purple in the colors in this hat? Nor did I. But when I washed it in cold water and then let it air dry, these annoying purple stripes appeared at the folds. What? Where did that come from? Wandering dye, I suppose. Washed again, inside out this time, and dried without folds (over a glass column), and the stripes on the outside were gone, but remained on the inside and at the bottom, just fainter. I've instructed Lisa not to dry this near anything light, for fear of future purple stripes. Wacky.

Blueberry's candy haul

2007-11-02T19:16:00.000-07:00

A picture says it all.

The Blueberry!

2007-11-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

Max the blueberry very much enjoyed his halloween and ALL the candy he got. Hoo boy did he get a lot of candy.

Before T&T at Riley & Reed's house:

Being a blueberry at ours:

We couldn't seem to get a picture showing just how darn cute he is in this. Ah well, you'll just have to imagine. And he's so happy to have a blueberry costume. Who knew?

Falling behind

2007-10-25T20:47:00.001-07:00

I've got more projects than I can shake a stick at right now. Stay tuned for:
- Max the blueberry
- A couple more hats
- Some mini-quilt surprises
- A mesh-knit backpack that Teri requested

I think that's all that's on the needles or queued for the sewing machine. Now get back to work!

Legos, Beach, Family

2007-10-25T20:02:00.001-07:00

Well, San Diego really isn't a lot of fun right now, but it sure was a week ago when we were down there. Shout out to Teri, Bob, Bryce, and Juliet - hang in there.

Look, that Lego-lion ate Bryce & Juliet!

Legoland was fun, so was Mission Beach. Here's Bryce preparing for a dip.

And here's Juliet enjoying her seaweed island.

A couple of sand monsters...(Max rather regretted this later, when trying to get all the sand off again. Juliet didn't mind the sand one bit.)

And here's the cute hat that we got Max at Legoland, that he lost within an hour of playing in the surf. We miss you cute Lion Lego hat. Ah well.

The La Mesa train was fun to explore. Go Green Butterflys!

Felted bag? Check!

2007-10-15T22:12:00.000-07:00

Finally, another post!

I finished my felted bag tonight. It was all dry from blocking and I stabbed the holes to insert the handles. It turned out fun! I like the color combo, but it's a shame that the variegated yarn stripe doesn't show up very well on the bag proper. It was really pretty before it felted, now it's just a little lighter stripe. Ah well - it's supposed to match the handles.

Colin's really impressed that the floppy giant-size thing I was knitting felted down into an actual handbag-looking object. Wish I'd taken a "before" picture, but I was just so impatient to try the felting that I didn't think about taking a snap until it was already in the wash. TOO LATE! You'll just have to make do with the "after" picture, plus a few stats.

Stats:

Yarn: KnitPicks Wool of the Andes in Chocolate (3-5 balls? can't remember, unwilling to check ;-) and Winter Night (less than 1 ball), plus Shamrock in Doyle (2 balls). Probably should have held the yarn double to make it even sturdier. It's pretty sturdy, but a little floppier than I wanted.
Needles: 10 1/2 circular (36 inch)
Pattern: Took inspiration and general instructions from this Booga Bag pattern, plus the picture of the Oregon Tote.
Original knitted size: 14 inches (height), 16 inches wide (side to side), 9 1/2 inches (base width)
Felted size: 7 inches (height), 13 inches wide (side to side), 6 inches deep (base width)
Capacity: 1 hardback book, 2 balls of yarn, a circular needle and a swatch. Well, so far at least.

Very little progress on other projects. I really want to do Juno, but am having issues with yarn. I found this Alpaca/wool/cashmere blend that feels just wonderful, but doesn't give me good stitch definition for the cables. I might try some different needle sizes, but I'm not sure it'll work. I do like the denim color, though (see inside bag above). Definitely need more swatching before I can commit to a sweater's worth of yarn. And anyway the Local Yarn Shop is sold out of Rowan Mag 40, so I can't get the pattern right now anyway.

Something tweedy

2007-09-21T10:35:00.000-07:00

I have a hankering to make a tweedy sweater. Of course, I'm allergic to wool, and almost all tweeds are wool. So I guess it better be something that I can wear a shirt under, which rules out this one: Everday Tweed. Anyway, I'd prefer to try a cardigan. How about this one: Quick Knit Jacket. Not super exciting. Hmm. This one looks way too hard for me yet: Skye Tweed Jacket. But it is gorgeous and shapely and feminine - soo pretty. Hey, how about this one? Emma Jacket. Oooh - now this one is gorgeous! And it's just a ribbed cardi underneath that amazing cabled collar, so shouldn't be too hard: Juno. So, which one do you like best? Which would look best on me? (I'm leaning towards Juno).

Max's hoodie - c'est fini!

2007-09-19T19:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, I don't speak French, but it just seemed appropriate somehow.

At long last, here's the completed hoodie - front, back, and close-up of the pocket & placket:

And here's our model, Max himself, looking well-rested for his photo shoot this time (first thing this morning, and he wore the hoodie to school today).

I'm not really pleased with how the hood turned out, but I don't feel like doing it again. I think this is the only part that I wasn't very successful working out without a pattern. None of my books have hood patterns, and the free patterns I looked up online just had you knitting sort of straight. In this case, it ended up too narrow and when the hood is up, it forms a sort of point right on the top of Max's head.

Perhaps it's just one of those touches that makes it charmingly homemade? Or I'm just fooling myself. In any case, Max seems to be pleased with his hoodie.

Specs:

Yarn: Bernat Softee Baby Yarn in Pale Blue (Max picked it out at JoAnn's) - most of two big skeins
Pattern: Started with the idea of Debbie Bliss's Bill sweater, but ended up with my own creation, based on sizing and directions for basic sweaters in The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns.
Needles: Addi Turbo circulars, size 7
Modifications: All of it, basically. A made-up pattern of garter stitch hem, side vents, and neckline, K3P1 ribbing for the body and set-in sleeves (my first sleeves!), a kangaroo pocket, and a hood. Had to do the sleeves twice to get the length right, did the hood twice but didn't quite get it right. At least it'll stretch to cover.
Things I'd do differently: cast on fewer stitches for the garter stitch hem, or increase for the ribbed body - it's a little wavier than I'd like on the hem (I did the fewer stitches & increase for ribbing on the sleeves and it turned out just right for those cuffs). Oh, and obviously I'd re-do the hood one more time to get the right shape & length, but I already weaved in the ends and I just don't feel like trying to undo it now.
Overall satisfaction: High! I like it a lot, and Max seems to like it as well, and I learned so much on this project. I might be ready to tackle something with sleeves for myself now. I also feel very pleased that I did it without a real pattern too. Maybe I'm an honest-to-gosh real knitter now!

Okay, really truly, almost done with the hoodie

2007-09-17T16:22:00.000-07:00

You know how you get so focused on finishing a project that you forget to check if it's shaping up correctly? Well, I do ;-). I was happily knitting up Max's hood, just straight up for 12 inches, and then when I folded it over to check how it would fit, realized, hey - heads aren't straight! So, I've ripped/frogged/pulled out 8 inches of stitches, and reknit, increasing a couple or four stitches every few inches to give a little bit more space for his noggin, and now I'm back to...just an inch to go! Plus weaving in ends, of course. Always fun to do stuff over...

Max's hoodie is nearly there, plus Whistler pix

2007-09-08T14:45:00.000-07:00

Well, it's got a front, a back, two sleeves, and a pocket. It's blocked, and sewn together, and now all that is left is the hood. Got 3 inches of it so far, so it looks a bit like a sailor collar. Cute! Tempting to stop there, but then it wouldn't be Max's hoodie, now would it?

Here's the sweater while blocking:

And here's the real thing, being tried on by the cutest (and sleepiest, it was bed time) model ever:

(The bulge in the pocket is the extra yarn, just a little attractive detail for the photo - oops.)

Stay tuned for the finished product soon!

Here are some cute snaps from our Whistler trip. Max & Colin (the day we wore Max out with all the walking around):

Abbey & Casey in the gondola going up the mountain, before Casey really realized what he was in for. I guess 25-minutes-each-way mountain gondola rides aren't quite so fun for someone not fond of heights.

And here's me, wandering off path a bit - wanted to see what was on the other side of the rocks, and hey, it's mountain vistas!

Yet more quiltlets

2007-08-28T20:02:00.001-07:00

This one for Jody for her birthday - hint: they're supposed to be roses:

This one for Nona's going-away prezzie:

A little too much contrast on this photo, but it's a white, wholecloth with trapunto, about 12x12 inches. When Nona found out I quilted, she piped up, hey I've always wanted a trapunto purse! Well, it's not a purse, but it's trapunto. Had to get some technique books from the library for this project:

Exploring Machine Trapunto: http://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Machine-Trapunto-New-Dimensions/dp/1571200436/ref=pd_sim_b_img/002-6354799-3062452

More Celtic Quilting: http://www.amazon.com/More-Celtic-Quilting-Gail-Lawthor/dp/0715316931/ref=sr_1_5/002-6354799-3062452?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188357090&sr=1-5

Whitework Quilting: http://www.amazon.com/Whitework-Quilting-Techniques-Designing-Wholecloth/dp/0974470600/ref=pd_sim_b_pop_title/002-6354799-3062452

Quick hat for Lisa

2007-08-21T17:46:00.000-07:00

I wanted to send something soft and comforting over to my sis Lisa, so I knitted her a hat out of this wonderful bamboo yarn. Soooo soft. Very smooth, silky, light, and cool to the touch. Here's me in an extremely goofy and rather disturbing picture (that's what I get for trying self-portrait in the bathroom), modeling the hat before I packed it up and sent it off. Loved it so much, I'm making another for myself!

Specs:

Yarn: Royal Bamboo in color #47
Pattern: Head Huggers Lace-edged women's cap
Needles: US size 6
Modifications - none to the pattern, but given that I was knitting in the round, I had to modify how I knit. No combination knitting when knitting in the round. It was funny, because my knitting really loosened up from normal - must be all the non-twisting I was doing. I originally knit the Medium, but when it was too big for me, I tried again with the Small. Much better!

It's my birthday, happy birthday

2007-08-16T20:52:00.001-07:00

Well, happy 40th to me! And thanks everyone for your wonderful words in my book. I absolutely love it and you. Here's my cake. Thanks Colin!

Candle action, and the gorgeous roses that greeted me this morning...

Max REALLY enjoying the packing peanuts and box that my book came in.

Wish you were all here to see it - when you're next in town, I'll haul it out.

Yay, it's cute!

2007-08-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

But don't put anything too heavy in there, or with pointy edges, or sharp (like knitting needles ;-). This thing STRETCHES! With elastic in the yarn, it's no wonder. Oh, and someone please show me how to do a kitchener stitch with combined knitting? I suck at grafting. Yicky - don't look at the handle joins, okay?

Specs:
Yarn: Skacel's Schulana SuperCotton
Pattern: Elisa's Nest Tote
Needles: US size 11 circular (for bag), US size 8 double-pointed needles (for handle)
Modifications: yarn substitution, that's about it. Might be the first pattern I used pretty much as is!

So ugly it's cute, or just plain ugly?

2007-07-26T22:03:00.000-07:00

So, I got this yarn. It's a little homely. Just a funny color combination (what looks grey in the picture is really olive-y/dusty green, then there's that mustard yellow and rosy pink). But it was $3/ball at Ben Franklin, and I was tempted. I think it's so ugly, it's cute, but others have their doubts. What do you think?

I'm using it anyway (it's Skacel's Schulana SuperCotton), to make into this: Elisa's Nest Tote. I think it's turning out great. The yarn is fun and stretchy and oh, the wild color combo. Wacky!

Oh, and did I mention that I went back and bought the rest of the balls they had (only 6). Not to mention, I'd also bought two backup yarns, in case I didn't like that one.
Hmm. I think I officially have a "stash" problem now. AKA, big useless piles o' yarn waiting to be made into something. Plus, too many projects on the needles. Max's hoodie is waiting for me to figure out if I've messed up the sleeves. Then I'll get going again. I've given up on the felted bag for now, cause if you do combined knitting, and you knit in the round, you end up twisting stitches all over the place. Yick. So, I went to "regular" knitting and it's slower and frustrating. So, sitting on the needles, gathering dust, until I decide that I should just knit it flat and seam it.

Aside from that, some more quilted postcards. One for Teri:
And one that I think I'll keep:

We've been busy making stuff this summer! Here's a snap of Max relaxing after a hard day of berry picking and jam making.

This batch set up. Yay!

Why Yes, Colin Did Make His Own Cake

2007-07-10T22:08:00.001-07:00

Poor guy, he even made his own birthday dinner. But, well, he's way better at frosting than I am, so if he wants it done right...

Happy b-day. You've got the whole (well half) world on your plate! Moon too!

Trip to Boise and Yet More Postcard Quilts

2007-07-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

We had a grand visit in Boise at the end of June. Max sure enjoyed his cousins. Here they are gathering candy from the pinata at Fiona's b-day party.

Here's some sprinkler action in Whitney's backyard:

And here are Brooke & Max enjoying some popsicles on Grammy & Pop's back porch. Yum!

I think Max thought we should spend the whole summer there. Nothing but fun!

I thought this was a nice shot of Mackenzie...

And Diane indulged me in my need to make jam. Yum again. Too bad it didn't set up, it's more like strawberry sauce. Hmm.

I'm still enjoying whipping up little postcard (well, a little bigger) quilts. I made one for Colin for Father's Day and made this one for Mom for her birthday:

And Max's blue hoodie sweater is coming along nicely - got the back done, most of the front, and then I'll tackle my first-ever sleeves & hood! Should be fun.

Random personality quiz

2007-07-10T10:28:00.000-07:00

You Are An ISFJ

The Nurturer

You have a strong need to belong, and you very loyal.
A good listener, you excel at helping others in practical ways.
In your spare time, you enjoy engaging your senses through art, cooking, and music.
You find it easy to be devoted to one person, who you do special things for.

In love, you express your emotions through actions.
Taking care of someone is how you love them. And you do it well!

At work, you do well in a structured environment. You complete tasks well and on time.
You would make a good interior designer, chef, or child psychologist.

How you see yourself: Competent, dependable, and detail oriented

When other people don't get you, they see you as: Boring, dominant, and stuck in a rut

What's Your Personality Type?

Uh, okay, so nothing new here. But hey, I'm a sucker for a personality quiz.

Quilted postcard

2007-06-14T21:49:00.000-07:00

It's Max's last week of school, and we wanted to give his teacher a thank-you gift. Monetary things aren't allowed, and we couldn't think of anything she needed for the classroom, so I was stuck for a while. But then, brainstorming with a pal at work, I suddenly realized, what about a thank-you quilted postcard? Yeah, I could do that! Here's what I did with some fabrics, thread, and beads from my stash, plus some photos I printed onto fabric with our Ink Jet printer. Not bad, eh? Recognize the picture? Just couldn't resist, it was so darn cute!

I'm really pleased with how the trees above blend into the fabric. Lucky I had this gorgeous green stuff in the stash. And I like the contrast with the blue on the back. Like the "stamp"? It's a picture from Max's first day at school, in front of his new cubby.

The fun rainbow variegated thread really pulled it all together. And it only took about 3 hours to assemble! Printed the photos and text, cut the fabrics, stitched the photos and text onto each piece of fabric individually (with some interfacing underneath to stabilize) added some stitching to highlight the arches in the picture on the front, sandwiched with some batting, and stitched around the edge. That was 2 hours, then quick random loopy quilting around the border from the top side for a little interest, plus machine-beading with as little help from Max as I could manage, and it was done (1 more hour, he watched some video about firefighters for the first half hour, then tried to "help" for the second).

Hmm. I think I should make all my quilts this size from now on. It's a very satisfying process - zip, bam, done. Just the design work and a little assembly, not all that repetition that you need for something meant to actually cover a bed. Very fun. I highly recommend the postcard quilt for a quick hit of quilting when the need strikes.

Kite House - Longbeach

2007-05-30T17:16:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the Kite House in Longbeach. Can't say enough great things about the house - beautiful house, beautiful views, and the kids adored it - had some fun kid-friendly furnishings in addition to the elegant ones. Anna called it "Max's house" and Max wants to go back this Friday ;-). Took us two days to figure out the iPod they had as a stereo system, but that's just 'cause none of the four of us have one (yikes, how uncool of us!).

Typically for the WA coast, 'twas overcast & windy when we arrived, only warming up the day before we left. Here's what it looked like most of the time. Max didn't seem to mind.

Brr!

We enjoyed a little wading (cold and sandy made that not Max's favorite, especially after the rash & blisters he got from one too many splashdowns plus too much sand in the beach shoes) and a whole lot of kite flying. And we all shared Kris' book from the library, since Colin and I had forgotten to bring any reading material and the Vogue and Coastal Living issues lying around the house could only last us so long.

Plenty of downtime while working on kite assembly...

Here's Max exploring the dunes around the boardwalk the day we headed out of town. Much sunnier! (Note that all pictures feature Max in one jammie top or another - still his favorite attire. Anna favors pink dresses. To each their own!)

All in all, great place to stay, and going with another family made it loads of fun.

Jo Jo done, ballgame

2007-05-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

First, the finishing! Got Jo Jo all put together, and washed it a bunch more (maybe too much! It got a wee bit stretched out) and wore it! I think it's okay, but I definitely need to work on fit. The straps are too long (even after I frogged back and shortened them before blocking) and the body is a little loose. Funny thing about cotton/silk. No give while you're working with it, but the fabric sure stretches when you wear it. Hmm. Still love the color, and still love the cables. Not sure this was worth the price tag if you just go by the finished product, but I enjoyed working on it. Not too bad for a learning project, I suppose. Maybe it'll grow on me. It has potential for over a top, under a jacket wear. Definitely can't be on its own.

Specs:

Yarn: Rowan's Summer Tweed: Smoulder
Pattern: Rowan's JoJo
Needles: US size 8
Modifications: yarn substitution, some short row shaping for the bust, adjustments to length & width given that the pattern didn't come in my size.

Next on the needles, one of those felted bags. Oh, and I made two little rice packs for boo-boos, and sewed one more circle for my circle quilt. Been busy!

In other news, this weekend Max went to his first Mariner's game. Here he is with Dad.

Max enjoyed the hot dogs, red vines, fries, and cotton candy (my oh my!) and covered his ears whenever people cheered a hit or run. His favorite part might have been watching the trains in the train yard on the way there & back though. We'll work on the game comprehension too - not sure he understood anything that was going on. Ah well, fun for all!

Jo Jo is Blocking

2007-05-12T19:22:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited! Jo Jo is finally blocking. I was knitting so quickly when I started, and then I slowed way down, so this took 5 hours to knit 1/3 of the front and a month and a half to knit the rest. Ah well, life gets in the way of the knitting sometimes. Here's Jo Jo blocking with a little help from Max.

And here's a closeup of the cables. This yarn (Rowan Summer Tweed) is fun, and I didn't have trouble working with it, although as others have reported it really doesn't have much give and definitely is full of straw and other vegetable matter. I fell in love the over-saturated color, but after doing the swatch I knew I'd better wash it out well before attempting to wear anything knitted with it. I put the knitted piece into the sink to wash and the water turned majenta! I think I rinsed it about a dozen times, and finally got down to a very pale rose color. Since I'm planning to wear this with a white shirt underneath, I think it was worth the trouble.

And just an aside - Max loves his PJs so much lately that that's all he'll wear. I can talk him into adding overalls, socks, and boots when we go outside, but inside, it's all PJs all the time. Here he is mid-morning today in the dino-jams that cousins Ethan & Fiona sent when Max had his tonsils and adenoids out.

Herb Garden

2007-05-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

We're making room in the garden space for a play structure for Max. Consequently, the herbs from the garden are on the move. All the thyme, half the chives, all the rosemary (behind the chives, the rosemary was new last year and not very big), and one of the many clumps of mint are now gracing the deck in some nice big pots. I like it! We also got some new basil (since it doesn't winter over around here) and planted that in the red pot. Max and I had a fun time transplanting from the garden to the pots. I hope they all survive and thrive!

Color and Joy

2007-05-07T10:56:00.000-07:00

We had fun at the Art Festival at Max's school this weekend. A quick snap, thanks to my friend Stacia:

All I wanna do...

2007-04-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

Is start new projects! And, I'm pretty sure this falls under the obsession theme...I want to start working on them and have them done. NOW!

Project obsession: A felted bag. Not just any, although the cute ruffly ones are fun. But I want a big kahuna of a bag I can put my knitting stuff into, natch. Like this KnitPicks Farmer's Market Tote with Needle Felting (gosh, have to learn both felting AND needle-felting) or the Oregon tote (love the orange version). I'd probably better start with something smaller, but I really want a great big bag! I ordered some brown, blue, and cinnamony wool from KnitPicks for one of these. And while I wait, I used leftover yarn from my wool scarves to knit up a little square that could maybe be a coaster after felting. We'll see. I have yet to get it into the washer, even though I knit it up on Wednesday.

Project requests: Max wants me to knit him a sweater now. He wants to knit one for himself too. His fingers aren't quite coordinated enough yet to knit though (we tried a bit, with me holding his hands in position) and he certainly doesn't have the ability to stick to a project yet, so I think that'll wait a few years, eh? I'd better find something cute to make for him.

Projects waiting: Also, I got my 24 balls of Debblie Bliss Alpaca Silk in Berry, and now they're sitting, waiting for Jo Jo to complete, and probably for a felted bag too, because it's not the right season for a cable cardigan now.

Other ideas:

Maybe I should just sew up some little ice packs like my friend Kris had - just little squares of fabric with dried corn or beans in them - throw them in the freezer to have on hand for bumps & bruises - cold, but soft and not too bumpy.
Or how about a needle case for all of my needles? There's a ton of fun patterns, like this one.
Or I could get busy and finish up my circle quilt. It's the right time to work with pink and orange fabrics again. Just wish I could find some lightweight blue ticking fabric for the back. It won't be right unless I have that.

I guess that's how you collect a stash (or stashes!), because when I am I going to get to all of this? I still haven't finished Jo Jo, even though I'm getting much closer. Almost at the armholes for the back. Sigh.

Five obsessions: Tag, I'm it

2007-04-16T16:47:00.000-07:00

obsession: 1. Compulsive preoccupation with a fixed idea or an unwanted feeling or emotion, often accompanied by symptoms of anxiety. 2. A compulsive, often unreasonable idea or emotion. 3. A perfume by Calvin Klein.

Lucy Van Pelt tagged me with this meme. My first meme - I feel so bloggerly! So, in alpha order...

Family and Friends' Blogs...Must check Annzy and Lucy almost daily, just in case I missed a post or picture, and Penny too. Oh, and wander through their friends' - hi Erin & Kara, you don't know me, but I love your knits, you're inspiring! Seriously (see TV on DVD :-).
Knitting...Who knew it was so satisfying to go click click click click click click click click...oh, sorry. Anyway, I'm just loving sticking some needles in yarn and making somthing fun or pretty, or just a cool color or texture. Like cables. I just love working cables. Trying hard not to start too many projects or spend too much for a newbie. Now, can someone please explain why didn't this craft stick for me the first three times I tried it??? Must be the knitting blogs that made the difference. Wonder when I'll find time to finish my circle quilt? Too much work to set up the machine, so I'll just click click click click. Of course, now we know why exercise isn't on my obsession list - can't knit on a treadmill!
Knitting Blogs and Web Sites...By the time I've read Annzy and Lucy and Penny and gone over to Erin and Kara's, I'm off to checking Grumperina and Eunny and then there's projects to look up on Knitty.com and Knitpicks.com, and oh, what about that one that someone linked to, and ooh, that one's cool, I should look for more, and I wonder if I can get that yarn in a different color or for less over there, and ... HEY! Where did my evening go?
TV on DVD...In the last 12 months, I'm ashamed to say that I've worked my way through Grey's Anatomy season 1 and 2 (thanks Ann!) Veronica Mars seasons 1 and 2, MI-5 seasons 3 and 4, Monarch of the Glen seasons 1-5, and I'm on the lookout for more! Man, I love watching one show after the other, after the other, well, you get the picture. It goes very well with my knitting problem above. I used to rent movies, but lately the 1-hr block of a TV drama really works better for my schedule ;-). See below...
TV on DVR...I really shouldn't disclose, but honestly, my week just doesn't feel complete without viewing NEW episodes of Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars (will it ever come back?), Grey's Anatomy, Brothers and Sisters, Ugly Betty, Lost, and probably any other one-hour drama that's got lots of stuff about relationships and isn't too violent ;-). Program the DVR, wait for my chance to sit for 42 minutes of uninterrupted knitting time, and catch up on my shows. I feel like some shut-in who can't get by without her "stories".

Sigh. Well, there you go. My current obsession list and first meme. Too bad I have no one to tag. Back to you Lucy...

Progress on Jo Jo, and it's Mr. Bunny!

2007-04-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what a 4.5 hour drive will do for your knitting. Jo Jo's almost half a top now. I got bored working on the straps, so I've postponed finishing the front in favor of starting the back. Maybe I can do all four at the same time and have them come out the same length. Who knows?

In other news, Max had a swell time dyeing Easter eggs. He insisted on playing Easter bunny and hiding them in the living room for Colin and I to find. Here's the bunny prep time...

Are you ready? Yep, all set!

Of course, then he came down with croup that night and couldn't do the actual Easter egg hunt at the neighborhood park on Sunday. Good thing he jumped the gun and hosted his own mini-hunt on Saturday.

It's a cake, it's a firetruck, no it's both. Oh, and a finished knit!

2007-03-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

Max's 4th birthday was this Saturday, and to celebrate, we had way too many kids at our house! The decibel level was rather high. But they seemed to have fun. Colin made an awesome cake in his family's tradition of 3-D creations: a firetruck. Pretty cool, eh?

Max loved his cake, but wasn't sure about the attention when it was time to sing. Didn't catch a photo, but he ducked his head under the table until we were done. Here's the candle lighting ceremony.
And here's a photo of Max's schoolmate Alex getting ready to play "Pin the Dalmation on the Fire Truck" courtesy of Aunt Noelle.
Oh, and did you notice that swell vest I'm sporting? It's mine. I made it. My very first non-scarf apparel knit that turned out to be actually wearable! In fact, I've gotten many compliments all three times I've worn it thus far (and not all were in response to my fishing for them)!

Here are some closer (but a little too muddy) shots:

Specs:

Yarn: Random wool yarn (Ambrosia in Van Gogh by Sierra Crafts) from Ben Franklin Crafts, in a nice denimy/nubbly blue - halfway between worsted and bulky weight.
Pattern: Boogie from Knitty.com.
Needles: US size 10 1/2 circulars and straight.
Modifications: made it a little longer, added cables on the back, added short-row shaping so it has a little curve for my curves (thanks to Ann's friend Erin for the knitting blog posts that mentioned this technique).

Now on the needles: Rowan's JoJo in Summer Tweed: Smoulder, if I can ever get the gauge right. It's supposed to be in Natural Silk Aran, which is slightly lighter weight, at 19st/4in, but the tweed is coming out 16st/4in, and rather than having a stiff-as-a-board fabric, I'm trying to calculate the difference. Plus, Rowan only goes up to a 40-inch bust, and well, I've got a different size. So, first I cast on 116 stitches and knit for about 4 inches, measured, frogged it all back, tried again with 90 stitches, knit an inch, measured, frogged, and trying again with 100. Third time's the charm? All this because I couldn't get 24 balls of Debbie Bliss' Alpaca Silk Aran in Berry for three more weeks, so I couldn't start the cable sweater (pattern 15) from the Winter 2006/2007 Vogue, so I had to find a substitute project. Sigh.

Blocking, and old projects

2007-03-11T16:36:00.000-07:00

Well, my very first non-scarf, knitted apparel project is blocking. I was hoping to finish it up today, but it's still drying, so I guess I'll have to wait a while longer. I'm pretty pleased so far though. It's turned out alright for my first full project, even with a radical change in yarn from the pattern specs and my own odd additions (the back's boring. What if I add some cabling there too?). It's been fun to figure out.

And just to catch up, here are some pics of the two scarves I completed this fall.

The first, where I learned things like:

Wool/acrylic blends are going to pill (okay for a first project, and it's not too bad).
Stockinette rolls up into the cutest little tube when you knit it.
Okay, the tube's not so cute when you try to wear it and you didn't know that you'd need some other stitch on the sides so you didn't knit them, and steaming the sucker made it a little too flat and it still rolls on up.
I don't really get crochet, but it's fun to make silly little flowers out of chains, and it doesn't really matter that no two are the same.
I just love making up designs - this one owes the concept to a scarf I saw at Nordie's, only it's a different color, has no fringe, is wider, has different flowers, has only one color of flower, and has flowers only at the bottoms, or really is not much like it at all.

See rolling effect on right side - and that's with me carefully flattening for a picture. When I wear the thing, it's a total tube scarf. But I love it anyway.

Specs:

Yarn: Lion Brand Woolease (Loden) and Lion Wood (Winter White).
Pattern: made up, plain stockinette plus crochet flowers stitched on.
Needles: size 8 circulars

Okay, and here's my cable scarf that I'm oh-so-proud of. Cabling's easy, see? Especially when there's only 1.

Oh, but don't count the rows in each cable please, I mighta lost track once or twice. Do you like the wing effect on the ends? I didn't, but I didn't realize till I'd done it that it was going to do that, and I considered decreasing on the other end when I finished the cable and started the garter stitch, but then the ends wouldn't match, and oh well. It has these cute little wings on each end ;-).

Specs:

Yarn: Some Australian wool I found at Ben Franklin craft store in Redmond in a nice brown (darker than appears above).
Pattern: made up, garter plus cable (see, garter edges, I learn!).
Needles: size 8 circulars

Auction project? Check!

2007-03-10T13:19:00.000-08:00

We finished the auction project for Captain Kirk's class in mid-February. Each of the kids (who are 3-4 years old) embossed a square of copper, then I wired them together with some copper wire and beads (and help from two other moms in the class). When that was done, Colin built that gorgeous Craftsman-style frame and hung the work within it. It's really pretty, even if we do say so ourselves. We might have to make ourselves another one, because chances are we'll be outbid at the auction next weekend. Oh well, we have the technology.

Max's Suess Hat

2007-03-09T21:08:00.000-08:00

After Christmas, I knitted Max a toboggan hat. It turned out very fun - and very homemade looking. But cute! Colin says it's a little bit Seussian. Cat in the hat anyone? Well, we've been reading that a lot for bedtime anyway.

Things I learned:

I knit weird? See combined knitting (http://www.anniemodesitt.com/knit.html).
Knitting in the round on circular needles can make all your stitches lean over if you don't know what you're doing.
Decreasing with K2tog while knitting in the round on circular needles can leave you with a spiral seam ;-).
Knitting in the round with decreases and stripes can do weird things if you're not careful - like let a peek of the wrong color show through in the "seam".
Purl 3/Knit 1 ribbing isn't really ribbing. It doesn't compress, but it stretches very well, especially in cotton.
Cotton stretches. A lot. I knew this from sweaters I'd bought, but I hadn't really thought about a 3 year old pulling a knitted hat all the way down over his face.
Cotton's not very warm. Perhaps wool next time for a winter hat.

Specs:

Pattern - none, or rather, my own made up.
Yarn - Patons Grace - mercerized cotton in Cardinal and Snow.
Needles - US 4 circular and double-points.