earthchicknits

New Digs

2008-05-22T21:56:00.002-04:00

This little blogspot has been my home since January 2006. I've been contemplating switching services for a long time now, and now I've gone and done it. Don't let me be lonely over there, all right? C'mon over, and say hello!

The Part I Didn't Show. The Stuff I Haven't Said.

2008-05-12T19:05:00.005-04:00

I have an ever-growing list of blog posts I need to write - it was at 12 at last count - and yet I feel bad to post when I haven't yet responded to the comments in previous posts. You guys left me some big Tomten love, as well as some fabulous ideas for what to do with my mistakenly-purchased canvas (list included at the bottom of this post). Even though I haven't responded to individual comments, I want you to know how VERY much I appreciate each and every one. Your encouragement and advice keep me going! I want to do better with writing back to each comment, and I may be on the verge of a non-blogger option, but in the meantime, I have to just go ahead and post again. So here I go.

Regarding the Tomten and its gigantic hood, Rebekah suggested the possibility of sewing it smaller. That is exactly what I would like to do, if I had a clue how to do it. I keep looking at it and trying to figure out how I would go about doing that, and I can't get my mind around it. If anyone has ideas, do tell.

I swear someone somewhere suggested that he would grow into it, but now I can't find any comment like that. Still, I had to show you why that is simply impossible.

Here's the Tomten, on my larger-than-average adult noggin.
Little Buddha inherited my genes in the big-head department, but I still don't think even his head will ever fit this hood. A family of squirrels, perhaps. But not a human head.
It isn't as obvious on Little Buddha, because when he wears the hood up he doesn't pull it any further forward than this:

which then gives this jaunty gnome-like effect in profile:

(I know I showed these pictures in my last post, but I couldn't keep myself from posting them again. I'd hate for the only pictures in this post to be the ones of me looking ridiculous)

Having finished Little Buddha's Tomten, I had to go back and take a look at Tiny Dancer's, to see if there were any way I could proceed without ripping. Nevermind that I had completely screwed up by trying to knit the stripe of blue along with the green, rather than waiting to add it as a buttonband (an effect that looks quite horrible up close and in person). I wanted to see if it was somehow nevertheless salveagable. First, I tried on the hood.

Not exactly small, but strangely not as enormous as Little Buddha's. I swear I have no idea what I did differently with Little Buddha's (which I began knitting after I realized how problematic Tiny Dancer's had become). But I remembered why Tiny Dancer's was such a mess. It's not the hood that's huge. It's the whole freakin' thing.

(Try to ignore the mess of my study).
This thing fits me perfectly. On Tiny Dancer it is ridiculous. It barely touches his body anywhere, and it hangs down past his knees. So the whole thing will be a complete re-do. Probably sometime next spring.

So there ya have it. The behind-the-scenes looks at what I did wrong.

And now a list of groovy ideas of things you can do with canvas:

bucket or box
reading pillows (Annika points out this one - and take a look! moonwaves point out that the sample actually shows the same Gingerbread man fabric I bought, in a different color)
a play tent
a hammock
placemats
a bag for knitting or sewing stuff
belts
crayon holders
wallets
beach towels or picnic rugs with little handles
baby carriers
changing pad
lampshades
aprons
bulletin board covers
floor cushions

WOW. So many fantastic ideas it just makes me want to scramble for some more canvas!! I really want to make several of the things on the list now, but I only have a small amount of fabric. Stay tuned....

Tomten, I am done with you. I think.

2008-04-24T17:59:00.007-04:00

Let it be known that approximately one year after the Great Tomten Disaster of 2007, I finally managed to complete a Tomten. For those of you who do not keep tabs on the ups-and-downs of my knitterly life, the short version is this: I planned to knit two Tomtens, one for each son. One would be light green trimmed in blue, the other would be blue trimmed in light green. I severely underestimated the amount of yarn I needed (KnitPicks Sierra), and just as I realized that I also discovered that KnitPicks had discontinued - and sold out of - those two colors (approximately two weeks after I had just ordered those colors in what I hadn't realized was a closeout sale). But then a very generous soul sent me the yarn in the blue I needed. And I decided to harvest the green from my very first sweater. I got started, but didn't finish before warm weather hit and I lost my enthusiasm. I set it aside for a year and picked it back up last month.

Just in time to complete what shall hereafter be known as the Great Tomten Disaster of 2008. Okay, perhaps "disaster" is a bit of an exaggeration. Given my string of knitting messes lately it might more accurately be labeled "par for the course."

Actually, the Tomten itself is kind of cute.

pattern: Modular Tomten Jacket, Knitting Without Tears, Elizabeth Zimmermann
yarn: Knit Picks Sierra, in Tide and Lettuce - I have no idea how many skeins
needles: size 9 KP Options
cast on: March 2007
finished: March 2008

But the hood ... well, the hood is what could only be described as ginormous.

I'm not sure how it happened, or why I didn't realize it till I was done, or if anything could be done at this point to correct it. I modified the pattern for the bulky yarn I was using but perhaps I didn't modify the hood enough? Who knows - I did that part over a year ago. At any rate, by the time I was done with this one, I was too disgusted to pick up the other one and finish it for Tiny Dancer. I need to do major recalculating first. Perhaps next March?

I didn't bother adding a zipper, because I figured it wasn't going to get any wear. But then we did this photo shoot. And 43 shots later, I realized something - it actually looks kind of cute on him, ridiculous hood notwithstanding. So I may go back and add a closure after all (current thinking: an added i-cord buttonhole, like this one).

But for now, I leave you with a whole lotta pictures.

Canvas Calamity

2008-04-15T20:36:00.003-04:00

in which earthchick demonstrates her amazing ability to pay no attention to important details

Allow me to interrupt my string of knit fiascos with a sewing one.

So I wanted to make a Scalloped Blanket (from Bend the Rules) to go with the Baby Surprise Jacket and booties I am making for our Administrative Assistant. The yarn I am using is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, in Green Apple (a color exclusive to Angelika's, which is where I always buy my Lorna's Laces. Y'alll, Angelika is AWESOME. I once purchased some yarn on a Saturday morning, and it arrived in my mailbox on Monday afternoon - $5 priority shipping. I swear one of these days, I am going to receive my yarn from her before I actually purchase it!). So anyway, I wanted to make a blanket that would coordinate with the lovely lime green, light-to-sunny yellows, creams, and taupe in the yarn. I thought I'd like to do a lime green print that had yellow and light brown accents on one side, and then maybe a taupe flannel on the back. I found the perfect fabric on reprodepot.

Lovely, isn't it? It arrived Monday.

It looks great with the BSJ.

Guess what? It's canvas.

That's right - I ordered canvas to make a baby blanket out of. How on earth did I miss that detail? I thought all the fabric I was ordering was 100% cotton. It is. 100% cotton canvas. And you know what really sucks? This sweet little Japanese print cost me $9 a half yard. Oof.

But it gets worse. Inspired by Nova's horizontally-striped easy lap quilt (also from Bend the Rules), I decided I'd like to make quilts for my boys, who turn 4 next month. Little Buddha actually helped me pick a couple of the fabrics - all from the "folk tales" section of the children's section of reprodepot. My boys love fairy tales, and I thought it would be fun to make a storytime-themed quilt (plus, it would make them less likely to always be fighting over using MY quilt!).

Little Buddha was quite taken with the Jack-in-the-Beanstalk fabric, as was I. I also found this super-cute Gingerbread Man fabric (another obsession of his), as well as a Goldilocks and the Three Bears fabric and a general "fairy tales" fabric (Little Red Riding Hood, Puss-in-Boots, etc.) which I was going to use for the back. I thought I'd get solids in lime green, red, and a third yet-to-be-determined color (possibly bright blue).

But guess what, again? Half of these fabrics are canvas as well. ARGH. And they're the cutest ones - the Jack-in-the-Beanstalk and the Gingerbread Man. I am SO disappointed.

So. I've already picked out alternate fabric (from Joann's) for the Scalloped Blanket. But I'm back to the drawing board for the other two prints for the lap quilt. And now I'm taking suggestions. What would you make with canvas fabric (1 yard each)? I don't want to do tote bags, I don't think. I've thought of messenger bags (with this print fabric as an accent). A friend mentioned aprons for the boys, which I thought was a fantastic idea. Would this fabric work as a bucket hat? What else do you make with canvas? I just thought I'd make myself a whole list of options, so that I won't feel so bad for having struck out with the quilt. Then when I get the chance (and the inspiration) to make something from canvas, I'll be all set.

Also, the little honey bear fabric I'm probably not going to use for anything. If anyone out there wants to trade for it, I'm wide open.

* now back to my previously scheduled knitting fiascos *

For March

2008-04-10T19:56:00.003-04:00

While I was knitting along on my January Aran for Little Buddha, I showed him the picture on the cover of Knitter's Almanac and pointed out which one I was making for him. His response: "I want that one" - pointing at the Chainmail Sweater (March's project). Honestly, I have never been all that enthused about that sweater, and I had no intentions of making it. [My knitter-friend Jamie argues that it is sexy. I did explain that this was for my 3 year-old.] Little Buddha was confident in his choice, though, and I have to admit the boy has a pretty good eye. "I want that one, in green."

Here is a lesson I keep failing to learn: 3 year-olds may be certain, but they are also fickle. They like the idea of your making something for them, they may even put in an occasional request, but they always reserve the right never ever to wear it. Little Buddha proved this again recently, after I presented him with another recently finished object (yet to be blogged). So I am choosing not to feel bad about the fact that I will likely never present him with a finished version of the Chainmail Sweater. Because truth be told, I kind of hate it.

Okay, hate may be too strong a word. But I do not love it, not at all. I like the idea of it. I like the colors of it. I liked the anticipation of seeing how the first whole repeat would turn out (it's what's shown in the above pic). I liked the idea of contributing a Chainmail to the internet, because there are woefully few versions of them out there, and no child-size ones. But once I got the first repeat done, I just put it down and never looked back. It's possible that part of the issue is that the medium and darks I chose were too close in value:

But I really don't care all that much for the high contrast shown in the picture on the book cover. I wanted something subtler, and I though this would work - and sometimes when I look at it, I sort of think it does. I think I just don't care so much for the chainmail pattern itself (if you want to see a really yummy redesign of this pattern, check out KittyCreates' version - she's doing Eunny Jang's argyle vest but with this pattern - how cool is that? - and it is TOTALLY gorgeous).

In the end, though, the biggest problem for me was that my quirky knitting technique kept getting in the way of actually enjoying doing colorwork (this was my first real stranded project). One of these days I'll take a picture or some video of how I knit because it's hard to explain - it's continental, but I really do all the work with my left hand and needle, rather than with my right (I don't actually "pick," I wrap the yarn with the first two fingers of my left hand, or, when I'm purling, with my left thumb). Anyway, with two strands in that hand, I kept getting slowed down by all the tangling that happened and untangling I had to do - and nothing I tried kept things straight. It seemed a direct result of how much I use the fingers I am holding the yarn with. So I tried knitting with one color in each hand. That worked fine - except that it completely whacked out my tension, and I also didn't enjoy it.

So between my disillusionment with this project and my mortifying cable issues on the January project, I ended the season with no sweaters for Little Buddha. Sort of (because there is yet one more failed project to show you, and I don't know yet if it's salvageable). [Just so you know, my plans for the January Aran involve no ripping and no cutting, just what I hope will be a fairly straightforward isolation of each cable and dropping down to fix it - does that make sense? It makes sense in my head.]

When KnitPicks had a closeout on certain colors of Swish, I went ahead and stocked up, with the idea of making a Chainmail for each of the boys.

So yeah, a whole pile of blue for another sweater I have no intention of making. [I'll take any and all suggestions for how I might use the greens from Little Buddha's Chainmail and blues for Tiny Dancer's!]

For January

2008-04-08T19:35:00.003-04:00

You are all so kind. Thank you for your very kind words. It means a lot, even though we don't know each other in real life. Actually, it makes me wish we did.

Now, on with the craft blogging.

Beautiful yarn, isn't it? It's Classic Elite Skye Tweed, in Macalester Orange, purchased from the closeout sale at WEBS last August. I bought enough in four different colors to make sweaters for our whole family. The first of those you've already seen. My original idea was Cobblestones for both boys. In retrospect, if I had done that I actually would've gotten the second one done in time for it still to be worn this season. But then I got the idea that I would knit along with EZ's Knitter's Almanac, and that a small child's version of the January Aran would be simple and quick enough. I decided to do garter trim cuffs and waist, to echo the same thing on Tiny Dancer's Cobblestone. It was a lovely idea, and probably would've been do-able, if I had just kept knitting it.

But I got this far, and realized I needed to interrupt January to make something for February, when our Co-Op preschool would be having their silent auction. So the February Baby Sweater it was. I do not regret that choice at all. What I regret is that when I came back to the Aran, I tried to work simultaneously on another small cable project - that had cables going the opposite direction. You can probably guess what happened as I switched back and forth between the two projects....

Can you see it? I didn't. Not until I had more than doubled the amount of sweater I had knitted. Now I can't look at the above picture without my eye immediately falling on the place where I made the fateful mistake.

Yeah, right there.

Oof.
Yes, I did this on every cable round. On all four cables. All the way up to where I was getting ready to steek.

So I put the sweater in time-out while I decided whether or not I was going to choose to be the boss of my knitting. I knew I could suck it up and fix this thing, but the question was did I want to. My answer turned out to be yes, I do want to - but by then I was absorbed in another (equally ill-fated) project and never found the time. And now - at long last - sweater weather seems to be gone.

It was a really super knit, and I am in love with the yarn. I think it is going to make a fantastic fall sweater for next fall, and I did leave enough room in it that it should still be able to fit by then. The only question that remains now is whether I will do my future self a favor and fix these cables soon, so that when I pick it up to knit again in earnest (probably late summer) I can actually come back to the project with joy and anticipation, rather than with dread. That sounds like a sensible thing to do, right? In other words, exactly the kind of decision I'm not known for....

Where March Went

2008-04-05T22:08:00.004-04:00

Though my blogging has certainly slowed down lately, I had not intended to let almost a whole month go by between posts. But despite the fact that I write blog posts in my head on a regular basis, I haven't been able to find the time to actually write them with, you know, actual typed words. Perhaps you received them telepathically?

Life has felt unusually busy ever since the beginning of the year, and I don't know quite what to attribute it all to. The Co-Op Preschool that my boys are in this year has been a wonderful experience - and also more demanding of my time than I had ever imagined (with two children in the school, I have two volunteer jobs, one of which is Membership Coordinator, which at certain times of the year - like January/February/March - takes an unbelievable amount of time). My actual paid job is always busy, but in some ways has been busier these last few months. I am also apparently trying to find a new balance in my life - trying to actually tend to things I usually avoid (like finances, house maintenance, housecleaning, and the like). This was not intentional but certainly not unwelcome. It also takes time. I will blame it on my current yoga practice, which has seemed to be all about balance lately (not only in the physical sense) and has somehow helped create a shift on a deeper level of consciousness for me. Who knew that yoga would end up leading me to clean the kitchen more thoroughly? I didn't.

In the midst of everything else, there was a sudden and tragic death in my extended family right before Easter. My 24 year-old cousin Blake - honestly the sweetest, most innocent person I've ever known - was killed in an explosion on my aunt and uncle's farm right before Easter. I drove to North Carolina for the funeral with my boys last week, and it was really good to be with family, but also really sad. The fact of his death doesn't get any more believable, or any less awful. I have felt vunerable and a bit fragile lately, and not much like blogging even if I had had the time (which I haven't).

That doesn't seem much like happy crafty blog fodder, does it? But I just needed to let you know that I'm here. I'm still crafting, though that has certainly taken a hit as my life tries to lean more towards this strange thing called "balance" (I get loads more knitting done when I'm less balanced and more, say, obsessive). I have lots of show-and-tell to do, much of it old news, plenty of it now in hibernation. But I've got to start somewhere. I'll be trying to get back into regular posting in the next day or two, and I hope some of you are still out there.

The Thing I Said I'd Never Do

2008-03-08T17:45:00.006-05:00

Yeah. It got me.

Spin in Color Kit - Ashford Spindle plus 4 oz. hand-dyed fiber -
from Pancake and Lulu
A Christmas present from my boys,
who like to hold my yarn while I knit and call it "helping you make yarn."
Maybe someday they actually can
(help me make yarn, that is).

I have a LOT to learn (as evidenced by that big fat single you see in progress there), and sadly not much time to learn it (this picture is actually from January, and I haven't done much since then).
But I love it enough that I'm hooked.
Completely.

Again with the Zeebees

2008-03-03T18:09:00.005-05:00

The Zeebee is the perfect hat. If you can get the fit you want on the first try.

Or the second.

Or the third.

Or, how about the fourth?

[nope, not even then]

The first time I started a Zeebee for Little Buddha, I was 7/8 done when I ran out of yarn. This yarn, from Pancake and Lulu, was what inspired me to do a Zeebee in the first place - it just seemed to scream for garter, and I thought one skein would be just enough for it.

When I ran out of yarn, I ripped and decided I could make it work with less height and smaller circumference. Only I made so much less height that by 1/4 of the way in, I realized it would be way too short.

I ripped and tried again, deciding to keep the height but go with a smaller circumference. For an unknown reason, I cast on even more this time than the first, making for an extra-long hat. After 1/4 of the hat was done, I realized that I would definitely run out of yarn. By this point, I was fully into other projects, so I set it aside. In the meantime, I contacted Pancake and Lulu about doing a custom order of one more skein that would coordinate with the original [and also in the meantime I completed two other Zeebees, mostly without incident]. Aimee very kindly agreed and I received it a couple of weeks ago. It was as yummy as the first, and I immediately picked the project back up.

I ripped back to the cast on row and started again, alternating skeins. What I should've done was check my Ravelry notes. Because there I very clearly noted that my 3rd attempt was going to be too long. I didn't look at those notes0 until I was nearly done with a hat that is most definitely too long. After four tries on the same hat, can I really make a fifth (and final?) go at this Zeebee?

[shown here with needles still in, as I only partially seamed it to try it on him]

Yes, I will give it one more go. Because first of all, the Zeebee? A perfect hat (once you get it right). And second of all, Pancake and Lulu? A perfect yarn. I adore the colors and I love working with it. I most definitely feel the Pancake and Lulu Love (Ravelry link). This pattern and this yarn really serve each other well. Case in point:

In the meantime, Little Buddha will have to settle for his $6 acrylic hat from Target. At least he wears it with flair:

Voodoo: Good, Bad, and Kind of Cool

2008-02-28T23:30:00.005-05:00

There has been some voodoo going on around here regarding my old handknits....

Good Voodoo

A few months ago, when I was at a conference in Indianapolis, I was standing in line at Starbuck's wearing my Voodoo wristwarmers (made in December 2006, in Malabrigo worsted, Polar Morn). A woman in line in front of me noticed them and complimented them. I accepted the compliment happily and we talked about how convenient and functional wristwarmers are for people who need the use of their fingers in cold situations (I realize that there are many, many people who think wristwarmers are ridiculous in the extreme). It was a happy, warm fuzzy moment, and I was particularly flattered that someone dressed as sharply as she was thought my humble handknit wristwarmers looked great. She left and I continued to wait for my latte.

A few moments later, she returned. She handed me her card and said, "I own my own clothing store here, and if you ever wanted to sell some of those, I could definitely find a market for them."

Most of us who make things by hand have, at one time or another, had a friend tell us we should sell what we make. Few people realize how unprofitable it is for the average knitter to make things to sell. First, unless you are also a designer, there is the copyright issue. Secondly, there is the issue of how much time goes into a handknit and how to value your time. Let's say that someone would pay $20 for wristwarmers (which may be optimistic). If so, then $6 of that would go toward materials (these can be made with half a skein of Malabrigo), then if you sold them directly (i.e., no middle person), you'd get $14 profit - spread out over how many hours? I'm guessing it took me 4 hours at least to make these. So, that's $3.50 an hour. Or, enough to buy 4 more lattes. Not really what I'd call "profitable." (If there's a middleperson, then cut that profit in half - $1.75 an hour, $7 total, 2 lattes). Finally, there is the issue of how much stuff I want to make for myself, my family, my friends - I can't even keep up with those things I want to make, so how would I ever crank out 20 wristwarmers to sell? (even if I came up with my own design and somehow managed to whip them out in, say half an hour, there's just not enough time)

Still. Y'all. It was unbelievably cool to have a clothing store owner offer to sell my little handknits in her store. The validation! The affirmation! The brief dream of making the big bucks until I did the math! Wow. I kept the woman's card and keep thinking I'll at least make her a pair of wristwarmers of her own, but so far I haven't found the time (see third reason, above).

Bad Voodoo

This happened three months ago, right around the same time as that trip to Indianapolis, and it has been almost too heartbreaking to write about. After I returned from my trip, I could no longer locate three of my handknit socks.

Waving Lace socks, made in July/August 2007
These were so special to me because I worked on them during our fateful trip to the beach.

Monkeys, made in March 2007
My first and only (so far) pair.

Simply Lovely Lace Socks, made in July/August 2006
My first lace, my first fingering weight yarn, my first size 0 dpns, my first picot cuff, and possibly my favorite pair of socks. These fit me better than any others I've made, and the pink never failed to cheer me up.

There are not words for how sad I am that I have lost three pairs of handknit socks. I cannot imagine where they ended up. I have searched and searched my luggage to no avail; I contacted the place I was staying in Indianapolis, and they have not turned up there. I am sure you people understand the grief of losing them.

Kind of Cool Voodoo

So I randomly checked my sitemeter yesterday and discovered that I had double the number of hits as usual. When I checked the details, I discovered that my little felted eggs had been featured on Whip Up! How cool is that? (I'm so far behind in keeping up with Whip Up in my Google Reader that I doubt I would ever have noticed them on the site myself). I made these little dudes back in March 2006, in a rather obsessive fashion. Based on CurlyPurly's free egg pattern, these are stuffed with wool scraps and then felted. At first I felted them to try to obscure the fact that my decreases looked wonky. But after I'd done it, I decided I preferred the felted look.

This was the picture shown on Whip Up.
But my really favorite picture is this one:

Taken with my old Canon Powershot,
shown in a gorgeous clay bowl that Chris gave me.

The One Good Thing

2008-02-27T08:25:00.003-05:00

This is what I woke up to yesterday. Yes, I know it's very pretty.

But winter has lost its charm for me at this point. Yes, snow is very, very pretty - for that first hour or two after it first falls. And yes, the occasional ice storm can be breathtaking with its austere beauty - if it doesn't also leave you without power. And yes, having four seasons is charming, especially compared to having only two seasons - hot and humid, and less hot and humid. But y'all, I am not cut out for this mess. My Scotch-Irish-English blood needs some sort of foggy green glen, or lush rolling countryside, or even windy, craggy coastland.

As far as I'm concerned, when winter has gone on this long, there is only one good thing about it left: accoutrements.

If you can't beat the grey, join it.

pattern: Natty (Ravelry link) by Wendy Bernard
yarn: Malabrigo Chunky, in Polar Morn, roughly 3/4 skein
needles: KP Options and Addi Turbos, size 9 for ribbing and size 11 for the rest
[I don't own size 11 dpns, so I magic-looped this when it got too small for the circular)
cast on: January 29
finished: January 31
modifications: This is written with reversible cables (you cable the purl panels as well as the knit ones). I tried that at first but I didn't really like the puckered look of the purl sections. I also don't really need a cap to be reversible. Since the cap as written was too short for my enormous noggin, I had to rip and re-do anyway. So when I started over, I knit it without the reversible cables. In extending the hat, I also ended up throwing in an extra cable at the end. That was unintentional, but I decided to keep it.
notes: I LOVE this hat. This is the first hat I have knit for myself. Until I moved to Michigan, hats were foreign to me (except for the wide-brimmed, Sunday dress variety which I did in fact wear one Easter when I was a teenager). For my first seven winters here, I wore one of two store-bought cloche-type hats. I like them quite a bit, but there is a problem - they do not cover the ears. I've gotten to the point where I am tired of cold ears, especially when I have playground duty at my sons' preschool. So I figured it was high time I knit myself a hat. You wouldn't believe how many patterns I studied and considered before finally settling on this one. There are so many beautiful hat patterns out there! So many I still want to try. This one is stretchy enough to accomodate all my big hair, and long enough to cover my ears. Plus, I love me some cables, especially some big fat ones. Also, Malabrigo Chunky? I love it even more than the original worsted variety. And that is saying a lot. I am still not used to the flat hair I get from wearing this hat more than a few minutes, but other than that, I am pretty thrilled with it.

pattern: Natty Neckwarmer, my own
yarn: Malabrigo Chunky, Polar Morn, leftovers, plus Malabrigo Worsted, Polar Morn, doubled, roughly half a skein
needles: KP Options, size 11
cast on: February 13
bound off: February 15
notes: I didn't have the time or inclination to make a whole scarf. I got a beautiful new charcoal grey boiled wool coat for Christmas (not the one in the pictures here) that had a neckline that wouldn't easily accomodate a scarf without looking bulky. So I thought a neckwarmer was in order. Since I loved the chunky cables of my Natty hat so much, I decided to echo those in the neckwarmer. After some experimentation, I got it right, and just knit in a tube till I ran out of yarn. I had to use the rest of my Malabrigo worsted in Polar Morn, doubled, to have enough, and the shade is definitely different, but not enough to bother me. In the end, I was ridiculously happy with the result.

Mmmm, now I can smell wool all I want.

pattern: Super Mittens (Ravelry link), Weekend Knitting
yarn: Malabrigo Chunky, in Polar Morn, about 3/4 skein
needles: size 9 dpns
cast on: February 10
bound off: February 11
modifications: none, except using a smaller needle size (because that's what I had and I didn't mind a tighter gauge) [unintentional modification: made second mitten slightly shorter than first]
notes: I have been wanting my own pair of mittens for awhile now. I haven't worn mittens since I was a child, thinking gloves more practical. I wore my gloves during the first snowfall this season, while I played outside with the boys. I thought my hands were going to fall off, they were so cold and wet after just a little bit of handling of snow. Turns out my gloves are acrylic! I realized that wool mittens would be much more practical for snow play. These fit the bill, and went beyond expectations. A super simple, super QUICK knit - finished first mitten the night I started it, finished the second one the next morning. And they are unbelievably warm. And soft!!

They deal with the snow way better than I do.

I am in love with these.

I once told someone I wouldn't use Malabrigo for mittens because of how soft and pilly it is. I didn't think it would stand up to the wear-and-tear such a garment takes. It's true that they are pilly, but it turns out that they are just starting to felt (full?) a bit, which makes them even more snow-proof. And the inside? the pilling is bliss. Soooo soft.

Yup, I love me some accoutrements.

But I'm still not happy about all the winter.

Cobblestone: In Action and 100% Jelly-Free

2008-02-25T12:19:00.003-05:00

So I heeded your suggestions that I let the boy wear the sweater, and I'm happy to say that so far no wool has been harmed. The sweater even survived a milkshake incident. A few action shots:

In Service of Procrastination

2008-02-23T21:27:00.005-05:00

Saturday is writing day, which usually means I find multiple outlets for procrastination. When I saw this on a friend's blog, I couldn't resist.

104 words

Speed test

Dude. I knew I typed on the fast side, but I really had no idea. Is it okay to be a little impressed with myself?

It would be nice if this speed could translate into faster knitting, but I guess it won't as long as I have my quirky continental style, where I use my left hand much more than my right, though I'm right-handed.

Try out the test and see how you do. And how fast do you feel your knitting is in comparison?

In other news, thanks, y'all, for your many sweet comments about my February Baby Sweater set. You guys were so cute getting all indignant that it only sold for $50. But I was actually pretty pleased. Because almost everything at this silent auction was a steal. Bidding on everything started at half the value, which is how I got a solid wood child's table and chairs for $83 when it was valued at $150. So my little baby set was valued (by the auctioneer) at $100. I kind of gulped when I realized that would put the opening bid at $50, because I know that is steep compared to what someone can buy non-handmade baby goods for. I thought it wouldn't sell at all, but at the last minute, a knitter friend of mine swooped in and nabbed it. It made me happy that someone who knows the real value of a handknit ended up with the set.

Now go take the typing test and tell me your thoughts about knit speed versus typing speed!

Sold!

2008-02-21T17:59:00.007-05:00

As much as I adore Elizabeth Zimmermann, until recently I didn't have a single EZ FO to my name. You may remember the Tomten Disaster of 2007. What? You don't commit to memory every woe I blog about? Well, there was a Tomten Disaster that involved running out of yarn, moaning about it all over the internets, and having a very kind person coming to my rescue. Only, by then the Tomten Mojo had weakened, and I couldn't finish before warm weather arrived and obviated the need for bulky hooded sweaters. I still have high hopes for a pair of Tomtens (this spring, perhaps?).

Many nights I bring one of my three EZ books to bed. I don't know why, but I find it endlessly entertaining to read the same chapters over and over again, and stare at those same dim black-and-white photographs, and imagine them in colors of my choosing. I finally decided to do something about it, and in December joined a Knitter's Almanac KAL on Ravelry. I don't know if I'll actually follow the book month-by-month, because I've got plenty of other knitting goals this year, but for now I'm having a lot of fun letting Mrs. Zimmermann lead the way for me.

So when I realized that my sons' Co-Op Preschool would be having a Silent Auction in February, it didn't take me long to figure out what I'd be making. With no babies in my own life to knit for, especially of the female persuasion, I jumped at the chance to make my first ever February Baby Sweater....

... and hat, and blanket.

pattern: Baby Sweater on Two Needles (February Baby Sweater) from Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac
yarn: Socks that Rock, Heavyweight, in Tanzanite, ~3/4 skein (~262 yds)
needles: KP Options, size 5
cast on: January 15
finished: January 22
modifications: I didn't make buttonholes as I went along, primarily because I forgot (the pattern doesn't make them explicit when you would expect). When I realized I had left the first one out, I decided to keep going and add afterthought buttonholes later. Only once I got done with both the sweater and the matching hat, I had approximately 10 inches of yarn left. I didn't think that would be enough to do the buttonholes. So I went a different route, and tried snaps for the first time ever.

In the end, I was pleased that I had forgotten the original buttonholes, because it gave me the opportunity to consider my preferences for buttons after the sweater was complete. I got to try out multiple options before committing, and I quite liked the effect of the two buttons at the top. The buttons themselves were so sweet - little lilac shell buttons that were ridiculously hard to photograph.

[For a truly inspired February Baby Sweater closure, check out Minty's amazing version.]

In terms of other mods, I also knit the body first, just because that's what feels most natural to me, and then knit the sleeves in the round, because why seam? (I'm still a little perplexed as to why the Queen of Seamless would have us knit these flat).

verdict: There's a reason this pattern is so popular. It knits up quick and easy, and the final effect is what I would actually call heirloom quality. Such a beautiful baby cardigan, and not in a frilly or frou-frou way. This is going to be my new go-to baby sweater, at least for baby girls.
The Socks that Rock was a great squishy option for this sweater, and the color was amazing. Yardage is great too, but I overestimated how much stuff I could make from one skein. My original plan was a sweater, a hat, and a pair of Saarjte's bootees, but as it was I barely had enough to finish the hat. Next time I might use Dream in Color Smooshy, which looks to have enough yardage for all three.

Speaking of the hat:

That's how far I got the first try before running out of yarn.
So I had to frog and try again in a smaller size.

pattern: Just a basic baby hat with garter brim and gull lace. I cast on 63 (9 pattern repeats) and decreased based on how I estimated I was doing yardage-wise. If you're looking to do one of these, teeweewonders has great instructions in her Ravelry notebook.
yarn: Socks that Rock, Tanzanite (color not true in above picture), heavyweight, ~1/4 skein (~88 yards)
cast on: January 24
finished: January 25
verdict: I love it, especially with the shell button embellishment.

pattern: Scalloped Baby Blanket from Bend-the-Rules Sewing, by Amy Karol
fabric: Folklore Doily in lilac for front, Full Moon Forest Rabbits in purple for the back, both from reprodepot
started: January 25
finished: January 28
modifications: none that were intentional
notes: I screwed up in multiple ways in the beginning and never fully recovered.
#1 - I failed to take into consideration the directional nature of the rabbit fabric when cutting. There were two ways to deal with this once it was done (given that I did not buy extra fabric). I could've kept the dimensions as they were and let the bunnies run horizontally across the back (as opposed to vertically, which is how I'd envisioned them). Or I could cut all the fabric smaller to make the rabbits run vertically. That's what I did, which resulted in a blanket that was smaller and more squarish than the pattern indicates. That was not ideal but it was all right (it also means I got to keep a few scraps of the yummy rabbit fabric).
#2 - When I traced the template onto the front fabric, I didn't get it square. So the scallops on the final side did not meet up right. Instead of completely re-drawing, I tried to fudge it. So a couple of the scallops on one side were not quite the same size as the rest. I thought it wasn't that noticeable, but when I look at pictures now I realize it was more noticeable than I thought.
#3 - After this mess, I - for reasons I can no longer recall and surely make no sense at all - decided to disregard the directions and cut the fabric along the scallops instead of using the scallop line as my sewing line and then cutting. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. This made for nearly disastrous sewing, as I attempted to sew all the scallops 1/8" from the cut edge. It would have been soooo much easier (and faster!) to sew on a drawn curve than that close to a cut curve. This made making the blanket not near the joy it could've been, and it made the scallops turn out less even than they should've been.
verdict: If you can avoid making stupid mistakes, this pattern could not be simpler or more delightful. It makes a super-cute little blanket. And I am totally in love with the front fabric:

In retrospect, I should not have contributed this to the auction, as I am completely embarrassed now when I look at the photos. I thought perhaps I could make another one just like it, but better, to send to the person who bought it, but now I see that the rabbit fabric is no longer available. I still might try again, with a different back fabric. I know now that the key to getting it right is making sure to square up everything when drawing the scallops from the template.

In the end, the Silent Auction was a success. The school raised several thousand dollars, I got a steal on a child-sized solid wood table and chairs, and my little baby set sold, for $50. Less than the cost of materials, but I had feared it wouldn't sell at all.

I am sold, too.
On Elizabeth Zimmermann!

For February

2008-02-18T16:41:00.004-05:00

Dear February,
I used to love you so much.

In Georgia, your arrival meant that spring was just around the corner. That certain slant of light in the late afternoon was like a kiss, a promise of something more to come. By the time you were on your way out, the daffodils would be almost in bloom.

In my younger years, you held so much excitement. A crush of social events. Afternoons full of extracurriculars. The beginning of track season. The planning of spring break.

As I grew older, your little month meant big things, none more significant than that night seven years ago when I said, "I do."

Oh, February, what happened to you? You changed for me, when I moved here. And I am not as hardy as I thought I was. Now you mean grey. And then more grey. And then - impossibly - more grey. You do not signal anything like the imminent arrival of spring; that will not come until late April, maybe May. There will be no daffodils here for a long time.

Your snow, which looked so beautiful falling from your vast (grey) sky turned next to slush, and then to ice, and now to some (grey) mix I have no name for. Everywhere I step is ugly, and treacherous. I ruin my shoes for you, February.

Your kiss no longer means warmth, it means illness. How many days of your month have already flown by, while I and my brood stayed cooped and feverish in our house? I missed my anniversary date for you, February.

Now, dear February, you are almost gone. I suppose I should be glad, mean as you have been. But I am wistful, still. For one, I know March to be far crueler than you - he actually promises spring without ever delivering; he goads me with his lengthening days while withholding warmer, fairer skies.

Also, how could I ever be entirely angry at a month that gave all us knitters one beautiful, enduring (and ubiquitous) gift:

February Baby Sweater

details forthcoming
(with 100% less melodrama)

Mathletic Knitting

2008-02-12T21:29:00.003-05:00

It seems most people (especially women) who don't work in math-related fields feel the need to declare things like, "I've never been any good at math," or "I just don't have a head for numbers." Is that true? Or do people just not want to be thought of as nerdy? I don't know. But I'm going to admit something straight up: I like math. I might even say I love it (except Calculus). And I'll go even farther and admit this: I'm pretty good at it (except Calculus). There, I said it. Call me a math nerd, if you wish.

Better yet, call me a "mathlete." I was on the math team in elementary, junior high, and high school, and y'all, I love me a math competition. The pressure, the camaraderie, the glory. Okay, I'm just kidding about the glory. Winning a medal or a trophy at a math tournament really does not win you any cool points with your peers, trust me.

In 6th grade, I went to Mathews Elementary, and our math teacher named our math team the "Mathews Mathletes." She got us little t-shirts in our school colors with our school mascot (a tiger) on it. He was spouting off algebraic formulas and such. Dude. We were so cool. She told us that if we won our division and went to the region tournament she would rent us a limo to go to it in, and we did. So the local news had a little spot: four little mathletes in matching little blue-and-white tees, getting out of limo at a math meet. I really did think we were cool. So cool that I wore that t-shirt throughout my first year of junior high before I realized that there were a lot of things you could say about the girl who wore swag from an elementary school math team - and "she's so cool" was not one of them.

Over the years, I learned to supress my inner mathlete. In high school, fitting in definitely trumped winning math awards. Also, Calculus kicked my butt. Twice. (once in high school and again in college). Somewhere along the way, I shut my inner mathlete away, sent her off to the same internal gulag where all my other embarrassed and embarrassing alter-egos live: the 11 year-old with the big curly red clown hair and the nicknames to go with it; the 12 year-old in the rainbow-striped legwarmers and bright blue eyeshadow; the 13 year-old who got broken up with - in a note passed through all her friends - in science class.

I wish that young girl had not felt so acutely that she was a freak. Or I wish, at least, that she had realized that most everyone else around her felt the same way. And I wish that all of them could have been able to just be who they were, claim what they loved, without such an intense fear of rejection and ridicule.

So on behalf of my 13 year-old self, I am claiming it now. I am a Mathlete. Hear me roar!

So maybe you will understand why what happened at my LYS in the fall felt something like a gauntlet being thrown down. I was happily chatting with the woman behind the counter, about Jared Flood's Cobblestone pattern. Telling her how I really wanted to make one for one of my 3 year-old sons. Going on about how I just loved the pattern and couldn't wait to get started on it for him. She looked at me like I might be a little crazy. "I know I'll have to modify the pattern for fit," I explained. She snorted. She shook her head. "I don't know if you want to do that. That's a complicated pattern - there will be a lot of calculations."

ROAR!!!

And also: oh yeah? Watch me.

pattern: Cobblestone, by Jared Flood, Interweave Knits Fall 2007
yarn: Classic Elite Skye Tweed, color 1257, purchased from Webs clearance sale last summer, 4 skeins (440 yards)
made for: Tiny Dancer
cast on: December 22 (yes, gentle reader, that was the same day I was sewing 6 Christmas stockings)
finished: January 4
notes: There is more than one way to approach modifying fit. Here's how I did it: I determined my gauge (4.25"/inch). Then I decided what size I wanted the sweater to be (24"). Then I multiplied my gauge by my desired size. 4.25 x 24 = 102. That's how many stitches I needed to cast on in order to get the fit I wanted. From there, I looked at the CO number of the smallest size listed in the original pattern. I divided my CO number by the CO number in the original pattern and got a factor of 60%. Then I multiplied all relevant pattern numbers by that factor (.6). Other than that, I reduced the size of the garter edge and cuffs (to slightly over 1") and made the yoke based on Tiny Dancer's child measurements.

verdict: I love this sweater.
The yarn? Yum. It's my first experience with Skye Tweed (now discontinued, sadly - but I did stock up at the clearance sale and got enough to make a sweater for both boys, My Old Man, and myself!). It was a bit rougher than I expected (and in general, I really love wooly yarns, so "rough" does not put me off); this was just harder to work with than most of the wooly yarns I've tried. But it softens up and blooms nicely after a wet block. I love this color, with its tweedy flecks. And I love how garter loves tweed.

Mr. Flood is a genius.
But you already knew that.

The only downside of this sweater?
I'm afraid for Tiny Dancer to wear it, because I don't want it to get messed up. (Apparently part of the job description of being a three year-old boy is to make as big a mess as possible, and on a daily basis. Extra points if the mess involves jelly.)
I want this sweater to remain perfect, pristine.
I sort of want to frame it.

I couldn't get Tiny Dancer to give me any shots straight-on (even with bribes), but Little Buddha is always happy to oblige with the poses. Since he's a bit bigger than his brother, the sleeves are too short on him. But otherwise, you get the idea.

I made it a bit big, bodywise, so it will fit for awhile. I think it should be pretty easy to add length to the arms and waist, as needed.

Of course, now I owe someone else a sweater....

Organic Gifting. And day-making.

2008-02-03T22:23:00.000-05:00

I suppose that five weeks into the year is as good a time as any to finally start blogging 2008's projects. I can't believe what a backlog I have created for myself. I guess that's what I get for knitting instead of blogging. Though I have to admit that lately, I've barely had time for knitting lately either.

When I married My Old Man - seven years ago this Sunday! - I got more than just a husband, I got a great new family, too. In addition to wonderful in-laws and the best niece and nephew in the world (seriously, y'all would not believe how fabulous these two human beings are - sometimes when I'm with them all I can do is just stare at them because they are such really amazing [and beautiful] people), I have what some people would call a stepdaughter (and stepson-in-law and step-grandson!) and stepson. We've never really used that language - his kids were both essentially grown when their dad and I married and neither one of them ever lived with us. Also, I'm a little bit close in age to them (6 years older than his daughter, 12 years older than his son), so it just seemed strange. I refer to them as my husband's kids, they refer to me as their dad's wife, except when Chris really wants to freak people out and he calls me his stepmom. At any rate, I adore them all.

The funny thing is, I feel as related to Chris as I do to anyone in my blood family, which is saying a lot because I am very close to my blood kin and have a deep sense of kinship with most of them. There are things Chris and I have in common with each other that neither of us have in common with any of our blood relatives, particularly when it comes to interests and opinions. Also, he appreciates a handmade gift more than anyone know. For that alone, he will have my undying love. When it comes to craft, the guy really gets it. He himself would rather make something than buy it, do something rather than pay someone else to do it. He understands the intrinsic value of handmade things (and the revolutionary potential of making things oneself). [One of my all-time favorite gifts is one he gave me when he was 19 - a small hippo he sculpted out of clay, along with a little trail of hippo turds. Yeah, I love his sense of humor, too.]

Chris was the first person to ever give me unsolicited yarn as a gift. My Old Man had certainly given me yarn gifts - of yarn I had particularly picked out and pointed him to. But Chris was the first one who ever got me any just because he saw some he thought I might like. He bought it at a farmer's market in Devon, England, near where he lives; it came from local sheep and was undyed. It was gorgeous DK weight Shetland wool.

I held onto it for a year, waiting for an idea of what it should become. It was two skeins - 50g of a light tan and 50 g of a medium brown. Right after Christmas, while I was visiting Chris and his sister and her family, it finally sprang into being:

a Zeebee Helmet

The reason I call this an organic gift is because I collaborated with Chris to produce something to his specifications, and it kept sort of evolving as we both went along. Holding the yarn double, I first made a Zeebee. He tried it on, said he liked it but could I make it to cover his ears? So I added earflaps. He tried it on, said he liked it, but could I make the earflaps bigger? So I ripped and made them bigger, adding long i-cords to tie under his chin. He tried it on, said he liked it, but could I make it to cover his neck? So I picked up stitches and made what can only be described as a "neckflap." The result? A medieval-looking helmet. A little funky-looking, but it's warm. And I think it suits him.

pattern: Zeebee
yarn: 100g DK weight Shetland wool, undyed, two different colors, held double
needles: KP Options, size 7
started: January 1
finished: January 3
notes: I tinkered around with this thing so much that by the time I finally got the earflaps the size I wanted, I didn't really have them centered right on the sides of the Zeebee, but I didn't notice till I was putting on the neckflap. You can see that in the final picture above. There was no time to rip and re-do, and by that point I was ready to be done with it anyway.

If I were to do a Zeebee Helmet again, I would probably figure out a way to add the earflaps and neckflap all at once, rather than the sort of piecemeal approach I did here.

In the end, I guess this was the perfect use for this yarn, because it took exactly the amount that I had.

So there ya go. My first FO of 2008.

In other news, my day was made a few times lately by people who told me I made their day. Maria at Passing Down Crazy, Lia at The Fruity Sheep, and Rachel at Lickety Knit all gave me the Make My Day award.

Thanks, y'all. It really did make my day to receive such acknowledgement from you. (And in the process, I got introduced to two new - to me - blogs! Thanks, Maria and Lia! The rest of you should go check them out). Rachel kicked the kudos up a notch by calling my blog the most under-read blog in the knitblogosphere. That made my week.

I'm supposed to now name 10 blogs that make my day, which I find rather difficult. For one, I hate to leave anyone out - every blog I subscribe to I love for one reason or another. Secondly, I have to admit that my blog-reading (and especially my blog-commenting) has taken a huge hit lately. So apologies for what is really not remotely a complete list of blogs that I enjoy. At any rate, without further ado, here are 10 blogs that really do make my day.

First, a few you're probably already reading:
Lickety Knit - now in a monthly format, which is just perfect for my current blog-reading tendencies. Rachel is hilarious and brilliant, and a great knitter, too!

Pepperknit - what do I love more: minty's blog or her daily flickr updates? It's hard to say. Minty's just all-around-lovable, except when I'm totally envious of the fact that she and Rachel spend every weekend together. Minty will protest that it's really not that often, but I think the fact that she now tosses off casual references to their outings is proof enough.

Dogged - come for the knitting, stay for the sewing, fall in love with the photography and the writing. Like many of us, Ashley is blogging a bit less these days, but I still get my daily dose of her on flickr. Love her daily 365 shots. Ashley lives just close enough that I could actually stalk her, but so far I have restrained myself.

Novamade - knitting, sewing, pie, photography, and Little Sir. 'Nuff said.

Zigzagstitch - could Mandy and her family be any cuter? The great Super Bowl Hat Challenge was only the latest of Mandy's amazing accomplishments. I first found my way to her blog when she posted her beautiful Tomten to Zimmermania ages ago, and I've been addicted ever since.

Schrodinger Knits - Schrodinger knits, sews, spins, and designs, and what currently impresses me most is how she is rocking the Etsy shop. Just opened in the fall and she has already made and sold a few hundred sock bags! I am truly in awe. I feel like I can also say "I knew her when" because I have been reading her blog almost since its inception.

And a few you may not know about:
Mer Knits - this may be the blog I've been reading the longest. I first knew Mer over at Knitting Help (the same place I first knew schrodinger) and her blog was linked in her sig line. I think it was the first I ever knew of knitting blogs, and what I saw on hers was a constant source of inspiration. She knits a lot of tops and sweaters, and they always look fabulous on her. Her galleries alone are worth a visit to her blog.

Naptime Musings - pregnant with her third (and surprise!) baby, and with plenty on her plate, Sarah recently declared that she was going to give blogging a break for awhile, and I was so disappointed. So I was thrilled to see her light up my Google Reader again this week - looks like the break is over! I've been reading Sarah's blog for as long as I've been blogging; I love keeping up with her crafting and her family life (her adorable Emma may just be the perfect match for one of my guys some day....). It was a picture of some pj bottoms that Sarah made that finally inspired me to get out the old sewing machine and give it a whirl.

Don't Call Me Becky - I first found my way over to Rebekah's blog from Anna Maria Horner's blog, when Anna Maria linked to Rebekah's gorgeous quilt, made from Anna Maria's Bohemian fabric line. It was so amazing, as is everything Rebekah makes, and I immediately subscribed. It was only a year later, when I read this post, that I discovered something shocking about that Bohemian quilt: it was Rebekah's very first. I still can hardly get my mind around that. And she has made many more beauties since that one. Huge inspiration for this novice quilter.

Doulicia - this is the best Ravelry story I know. In December, I got a message in my Ravelry inbox with the subject line "I think we actually know each other in real life." Turns out it was my neighbor from three doors down; we've lived down the street from each other for five years. I first met her and her two sons when my boys were six weeks old and I was out taking them for a stroller ride. It turned out she was a doula, and she was the first person to really get the horror of my birth story, and the complicated feelings I had around it. A few days later she brought over the most delicious spinach pie, the meal she brings to her doula clients. We've had friendly conversations ever since, but it wasn't until Ravelry when we each learned that the other both knitted and blogged - and that we have the same birthday. Doulicia's blog started out primarily on the topics of birthing, family, and doula-related issues, but these days she includes more and more knitting content. Since we connected on Ravelry, Doulicia has even invited me to her knitting group - the first time I've ever been to one!

And to bring this post full circle, here's a non-knitting blog that makes my day:
Exeterra - this is Chris's blog, and always a delight to read. Chris is working on his PhD in social pyschology at Exeter University in England. His particular interest is in motivating social groups towards more environmentally ethical action. His blog covers all sorts of interesting topics, like education, science, the environment, creativity, and bunnies.

Wow. This post took way longer than I expected it to. If you've read this far, then thanks for sticking around. All of my readers make my day, and regularly. So thanks!

The Blogger's (Silent) Poetry Reading

2008-02-02T22:32:00.000-05:00

When I Am Among the Trees

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness,
I would almost say they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the tree stirs in their leaves
and call out, "Stay awhile."
The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, "It's simple," they say,
"and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine."

~ Mary Oliver ~
(from Thirst)

For more on the Blogger's (Silent) Poetry Reading, see here.

2007: Knitwise and Otherwise

2008-01-25T21:14:00.000-05:00

January is almost over, and I still haven't posted a 2007 retrospective. I take solace in the fact that I am not the only one. I keep putting this off, because it seems a bit daunting. But I already have 2008 FOs stacking up to be posted, and my categorical mind just won't allow me to post them until 2007 is properly done with. So here we go.

2007, knitwise, looked like this:

A pretty good year, I'd say. The stats:
accessories: 2 (wrist warmers, Calorimetry)
hats: 2
dishcloths: 2
clogs: 2
vests: 2
socks: 6
sweaters: 4
shawls: 1
total: 21

What surprised me was to see how many things I had actually knit for people other than myself. I think of myself as a selfish knitter, but when I counted it up, 11 out of 21 of the things I made were for other people (a respectable 52%), and 5 of those were for non-family other people (a respectable 24%). Can I quit feeling guilty now? We'll see.

The big news of my knitting year was probably my Gothic Leaf Stole. Actually, I had a bit of a knitting trifecta with back-to-back knits that made me particularly happy: the Gothic Leaf Stole, the Lace Leaf Pullover, and the Gathered Pullover. Very gratifying accomplishments, all of them. Surprising how fast both sweaters went, and how long the shawl took.

The big disappointments of the year were my Tempting pullover (which didn't fit me), and my Easter vests for the boys (one of which didn't fit either boy and the other of which just looked plain ridiculous with its purple stripes and unintentional ruffled edges). I feel like I am getting a better and better grasp, though, on fit and other issues, so at least I'm learning.

Not pictured are several items in hibernation: My Old Man's Zippered Raglan (started in October 2006!), Tomtens for both boys, Cathy's purple socks (soon to be brought out of hibernation), Syrian Shoulder Shawl, and my Chevron scarf (which will possibly be ripped and restarted with different colors). In addition to the socks, I hope to move the Tomtens back into circulation soon, as I would love to have them done for spring.

I suppose this isn't a very inspiring assessment of 2007, all these lists and stats and notes to self. So be it. Overall, I'd say I'm pretty pleased with how 2007 went, knitwise. I am feeling pretty solid with my abilities as well as my capacity for picking what would be worth spending time on. In the future I see more of the following for me:
- cables - love me some cables!
- lace - crazy for the lace! (5 of 21 things this year had lace elements)
- shawls - I'm a little surprised at how much I love knitting shawls
- sweaters - I find myself thinking about sweaters ALL the time. I want to make a lot of them.
- child knits - so satisfying to produce a whole sweater or a pair of socks in a very short period of time
- socks always on the needles
- maybe my first colorwork (what's the hold-up with this? what's my fear? I'm going to get over that this year)

2007, sewing-wise, looked like this:

Frankly, I'm a little astonished.

The breakdown:
skirts: 5
tops: 7
pants: 1
pj pants: 5
hats: 2
totes: 4
softies: 3
costumes: 2
stockings: 6
quilt: 1
puppet theater: 1
total: 37

I think this was the year that sewing really clicked for me. The Wardrobe Refashion challenge kept me committed to making my own clothes, even though I haven't posted there in about six months. (And even though I've made no clothes for myself since October, I am still on a no-buying-clothes spree.) My confidence in handling the machine has grown by leaps and bounds, and I can definitely see a difference from the year's first project, a black corduroy A-line skirt, to the year's final project, a puppet theater and matching case.

I mostly love the things I made this year, and I would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite. I really lovelovelove several of the tops I made, and am unreasonably attached to the garden pants and the lace-trimmed pj pants, and will always maintain a special place in my heart for the simple A-line skirts (with especially big love for my fall version). But the big news for me this year, sewing-wise, was my first quilt. It represented the accomplishment of a long-held dream for me, and I am truly mad for it, flaws and all. I have it on my lap every night, as I knit. I have lots more quilts dancing in my head but haven't had the time to actually make them. But I definitely have the bug.

My sewing seems to come in cycles, in proportion to how strong my knitting addiction is at any given time. I do have lots of sewing plans for this year, and the stash to go with it. We'll see if I can pry my fingers off the knitting needles long enough to accomplish them anytime soon....

So that's 2007, knitwise and sewing-wise. Otherwise, I will always remember 2007 as the year I almost lost my son. In other words, the year that radically changed me, in ways I still can't fully name. In a way, all the crafting has been a coping for me, so I'm glad I have it. I'm glad I have you, too, blog-friends, as you have made this journey so much more fun, and inspiring, and meaningful. You were a terrific support in the aftermath of Little Buddha's accident, and you remain a terrific support as I continue my handmade adventures. Thank you, friends!

Again with the Old News!

2008-01-17T20:32:00.000-05:00

[Part III and final installment: Puppet Theater Recap]

I keep waiting to post this, thinking I'll get better shots, but it hasn't happened so far so I'm just forging ahead. It's hard to get a good shot of a puppet theater!

You may recall my picture of Christmas morning at our house:

Possibly my favoritest reaction to a present, ever. (behind the puppet theater are My Old Man and his brothers, putting on a show). It made the time I spent on this TOTALLY worth it.

As far as crafted presents go, though, this one really didn't take that much time. It's from Amy Karol's book Bend-the-Rules Sewing, and she indicates that it's not hard, just tedious because of all the straight-line sewing. She suggests spreading it out over a few days to avoid burnout. But you know me better than that by now, right? Spreading it out over a few days requires not waiting until the last possible minute to get the thing done. I did do my cutting four days before Christmas, and I think I may have sewn one line or two on the 23rd. But everything else was left for Christmas Eve. Complicated, no. Tedious, yes. Straight lines are not my friend, y'all.

Still I managed. And even in the tedium of all the long straight lines, there was excitement over making my boys something that will stoke their creativity and cooperation. The woman who cut my fabric at Joann's was very complimentary of my choice of crafted gift. [Did you know that the people who cut your fabric at Joann's are required to ask you what you're working on?!? I did not know that till recently. I was always pleased with how interested and encouraging they seemed to be. Yes, I am a marketer's dream. Just show a little bit of interest in me, and I will buy whatever you are selling.]

pattern: Puppet Theater with Matching Case
from Bend-the-Rules Sewing, by Amy Karol
(wish I had a pic of the matching case to show you, because it is SO cute, especially with the big ol' button holding it closed)
fabric: basic cotton from Joann's (where they really want to know what I'm working on! really!)
notions: pompom trim (LOVE!), twill tape, bias trim, ribbon, dowels (shown in picture above before the dowels were cut to the right size), tension rod
made: mostly on December 24th
modifications: none intentionally. I did have to use bias trim as my curtain tie-backs because I forgot to buy ribbon. And the store didn't carry 2-inch wide twill tape, so I used 1 1/2-inch wide plain ribbon (it's to hold the dowels in place and is not visible)
note: If you make this, do not skip the dowels. They are pretty crucial to holding things in place the right way when it is hung in a doorway. Otherwise, the theater will be a lumpy, depressing mess. The pattern is very straightforward, with one very small quibble. I don't like it when a pattern gives you directions by telling you which fabric to use - as in "cut the green floral fabric" and "hem the pink paisley fabric." If you chose different fabrics, as I did, you have to keep going back and reminding yourself what's what, as in: "green floral fabric, oh, that's the valance, and I am using plain red fabric for the valance." Why not just indicate "valance fabric," "background fabric," "curtain fabric" instead? I think it would be pretty unusual for someone to follow a pattern like this and use the same fabrics, so I really don't understand why designers do this.
verdict: Totally love it. This is a great gift, and not hard to make. It is inexpensive and easy enough to make that I could easily see making this for my boys to take to birthday parties in the future. Knit or sew a few puppets and you have a whole little gift set (fortunately, on this count, I listened to My Old Man and chose to buy puppets for our boys instead. Ah, sanity, it is so lovely when you win!). I've seen lots of puppet theaters for sale in toys catalogs lately, and they are unbelievably pricey. This is a great alternative - and much more charming since it's handmade.

puppet theater, detail

background fabric - love this!

Mr. Wizard prepares for a show

More Old News!

2008-01-16T20:35:00.000-05:00

[Part II: Christmas knitting]

I had decided that I was going to do no Christmas knitting this year. I get tired of associating so many deadlines (and, therefore, stress) with a hobby that I meant to be strictly for my own enjoyment and relaxation. But in the end, I couldn't quite keep my promise to myself. I only broke it in the tiniest way possible, though. Two pairs of child's socks. Not much work, and no stress at all.

In a way, it's a little sad that I don't knit more things for my boys. Part of the problem is that I can never knit just one of anything for them. Whatever I make for one of my sons, I had better be prepared to make for the other. Also, it turns out that little boys grow kind of fast. So I have to accept the fact that anything I knit will be outgrown rather quickly - and sometimes I'm just not willing to put the time into something that will only get a few months of wear. And finally, if you don't have three year-olds in your life you might not realize what fickle creatures they can be. My boys can be very excited about something I'm in the process of knitting, and then thoroughly uninterested in it when I present it to them. Knitting for them is definitely a gamble. It's not always a gamble I'm willing to take, when there is another person I know (namely, me) who is always pleased to receive a handknit item.

This summer, when I took Little Buddha to Knit Nouveau in Birmingham, I let him pick out a skein of TOFUtsies, promising him a pair of socks for him and his brother. He picked hot pink. I talked him into a blue/grey instead. *sigh* Clearly, I am more bound by the societal norms of gender construction than I once thought: I am simply not ready to spend hours knitting hot pink socks for my sons.

Making these socks brought up all kinds of tender feelings in me. Those feet! Those feet were so tiny once. The length of my thumb. I would slide my hand along the soft, fat bottoms of their feet while they nursed. I would gaze at those impossibly tiny, impossibly hot pink toes, and marvel at their beauty and perfection. Those feet!

Those feet are so big now. Almost as long as my hand. Those feet wear big boy shoes now, and snow boots. They jump, and skip, and run, and kick a ball. They are not baby feet. They are not toddler feet. They are boy feet. And they are still so sweet.

And it is those feet that are tapping the beat of time for me, too. Because those feet are not going to stop growing, not for a long time. They will one day be longer than mine, and those boys will be men. Their feet keep telling me so.

And it is for this reason that I want to start knitting socks for those growing feet. I want to mark the years with my socks. I want to cover their still-sweet toes and their still-soft soles with my love, my hours, my stitches. They can outgrow them, it's okay. I will make more. And then I will make still more. I will make socks for those sweet feet until I cannot knit another stitch.

pattern: basic toe-up socks, recipe from Sensational Knitted Socks
yarn: TOFUtsies, color 789
needles: size 0 dpns
for: Tiny Dancer
cast on: December 14
bound off: December 19
notes: I ended up making these a little short in the foot, unfortunately, and they also look like slightly different sizes, though I thought I knit them the same. And the colors ended up coming out differently from one sock to the next.
verdict: I'm not wild about knitting with this yarn (splitty, a bit slippery), but I love the final fabric, and it is taking a LOT of hard wear very well. After two pairs of children's socks, I still have at least 1/3 of the skein left (at least enough for another pair of children's socks, or maybe enough for a pair of yoga socks for me). I really liked using the basic recipe from this book to determine the pattern. This is my second toe-up attempt and this one did come out better than the last. My next toe-up attempt will be following Cat Bordhi's New Pathways book - a book I'm very excited about.

pattern: basic cuff-down socks recipe from Sensational Knitted Socks
yarn: TOFUtsies, color 789
needles: size 0 dpns
for: Little Buddha
cast on: December 8
bound off: December 13
notes: somehow I made one sock slightly shorter and fatter than the other. What can I say - I was in a hurry. Still, you can't tell that either pair has size discrepancies once they are on the foot.

These are certainly not the prettiest or most interesting things I have ever made. But they hold an unusual amount of emotional content for me. I have a strange strong love for them - and the feet that are in them!

Old News!

2008-01-15T22:19:00.000-05:00

[Part I: Christmas Stockings]

Today is my two-year blogiversary. I thought I'd mark the day by actually blogging for a change.*

And rather than offering any real thoughtful remarks about my blogging journey, and/or the online craft community, and/or how the advent of Ravelry might be changing both my personal journey and the online craft community as a whole, I'm just going to jump right in with a little FO-report. Because honestly, every time I try to write anything more substantial than this, I get completely bogged down and overwhelmed. So here we go.

Christmas stockings! Happy January 15 to you.

I realize it doesn't look like much. But these 8 stockings (there are two little ones down at the bottom that didn't photograph well) represent a moment of real insanity on my part.

My Old Man practically begged me not to do any crafting for Christmas. He didn't want me to have the stress of that (during what is already a pretty stressful time of year for us, work-wise), which would mean added stress for the whole household. Because when earthchick is stressed-out, everyone has to deal with it. I like to suck people into my vortex whenever possible.

At any rate, I did greatly cut back on my Christmas crafting list. But in retrospect, I still tried to do too much, given our work situation, and given the fact that we were hosting out-of-town family (and when I host, I go a bit overboard with the cooking and the baking [but not the cleaning!]), and then leaving for 9 days on a 2000-mile road trip. December 22nd found me holed away in my study, cutting and sewing stockings a few hours before serving our big Christmas dinner (yes, I said the 22nd - we did our big dinner early this year). At approximately 4:00 that afternoon, with the stockings done and a puppet theater still to go, I concluded that I probably wasn't going to sew and hand-embroider a Christmas tablecloth and matching napkins in time for dinner. At approximately 4:05 I began to wonder if something was actually wrong with me, mentally speaking, that I had still been holding out hope of getting such a project done. But I digress.

Last year, I knit my MIL a stocking and sewed stockings for the boys. My Old Man and I had stockings I bought from our first Christmas together. But this year, my BIL was coming too, and even though my MIL volunteered to bring a stocking for him, I used his visit as an excuse to make another stocking. And then I used that as an excuse to make everyone a new stocking (except for the boys). Because the stockings all need to coordinate, right? RIGHT?!?

mine, My Old Man's, Little Buddha's, Tiny Dancer's, MIL's, BIL's

pattern: just a basic free pattern from about.com
fabric: basic cotton from Joann's, cuff from leftover fleece
made: in a couple of hours

verdict: unexceptional, but not ugly
[some complained that they were too small (those people shall remain nameless, but I will say that it wasn't our guests - how rude would that be? - and it wasn't our sons because they don't know the difference)]

I said I made 8, and I've only shown you 6. There were only 6 people here for Christmas. So why would I make 8?

Because of course I had to make a couple for the cats.

Yeah, there may be something wrong with me, mentally speaking.

*I am also marking the day by failing to meet a writing deadline that I am under contract for. Does the fact that I am blogging instead of working on that writing indicate that perhaps I have problems with time management and priority-setting? [Or maybe you already had that impression from the whole "let's make stockings for the cats instead of acting like a proper host to my guests" episode.]

Merry Christmas, Happy Holydays!

2007-12-25T15:11:00.000-05:00

Whatever you are celebrating, have celebrated, or will celebrate, I hope it's happy! Our holy day is Christmas, and it has been happy indeed. Life is very full and busy right now - mostly in a good way - and I've been behind on everything (including blogging, blogmenting, and responding to blogments), but I just wanted to stop by and wish you all happiness too. Thanks for reading, thanks for your kind comments throughout the year, thanks for the inspiration and encouragement you all give.

(clockwise from upper-left): earthchick, My Old Man, Tiny Dancer, Little Buddha
in one of about 50 attempts to get a Christmas card photo

When things settle down, I'll have a few things to show and tell. But in the meantime, I just have one more thing to say. This was pretty much exactly the reaction I was going for when I spent the last few days sewing the Puppet Theater from Bend the Rules Sewing:

Zeebee Fever and other maladies

2007-12-16T12:48:00.000-05:00

I got the bug. The stomach bug, yes, but more to your interest - Zeebee Fever. It's madness, I tell you. Totally overtakes the mind, the hands, the head.

pattern: Zeebee by Schmeebot
for: Tiny Dancer
yarn: Handspun, Handpainted, Colorblock Merino, in Wabi Sabi, from Pancake and Lulu - I am mad for this yarn
needles: KP Options, size 10
size: 18" circumference (for a 20.5" head)
dates: December 5-6
verdict: I love this yarn, I'm crazy about this pattern, and I made it both too loose and too short (something I actually have a history of doing). This was my second attempt on this particular hat, (already tried three times on a Zeebee for Little Buddha as well) and I am going to frog and try one more time to get it just right. I have just enough of the yarn left that I think I can make it work. Even as is, though, it's pretty darn cute. And the boys love it.

(he's being a bunny - those fingers are his carrots)

the cool thing about doing this hat with the colorblock hat is that you can change what color the hat is from the front - Tiny Dancer likes the blue in front, Little Buddha likes the green

And just so you can't ever say I never show you WIPs anymore:

Little Buddha's Zeebee
3rd attempt
soon to be frogged
will most likely run out of this glorious Pancake and Lulu yarn....

My Zeebee Fever is in temporary remission while I deal with a strong case of Sock-itis.

We're having a winter storm here today, which would be prime knitting weather if it weren't for a few other things - like the need to get the house in order for company coming in - WHAT?!? - five days. I hope wherever you are, you are staying warm, staying safe, and getting your knit on!

Things I Did Not Do in November

2007-12-07T20:13:00.000-05:00

Apparently, November is the month that people sign up to do all kinds of intensely-focused projects. Not me, man. November was full enough - a shawl, a wedding, a weeklong conference. So as much of a joiner as I am, I did not do the following things:

1. Blog every day. Obviously.

2. Write a novel. Though I did get started on a major writing project. And steadfastly avoided a much smaller one that I'm actually under contract for (and which is due in about 6 weeks).

3. Write a dissertation. Primarily because, you know, I'm not a doctoral student.

4. Do all of my holiday preparations. Because y'all, really, that would mean no last-minute deadline-induced adrenaline-soaked panicked frenzy. And you know how I like a good panicked frenzy.

5. Knit a sweater.

Oh, wait, I did do that one.
Inadvertently.
Unofficially.
Obsessively.

pattern: Gathered Pullover, Interweave Knits Winter 2007
yarn: KP Telemark, Delphinium Heather, 8 skeins plus roughly 1 yard. Yep, that's right. 843 yards for this sweater - that's a $16 sweater. And another $10 of leftover yarn since in an uncharacteristic move, I erred on the side of overbuying.
needles: size 7, circs, brand unknown, borrowed from a friend when I couldn't find my Option tips (and size 7 dpns for the sleeves)
size: small (36 1/4")
started: 16 November
finished: 1 December
(so technically I didn't actually finish the sweater in November, but since I did finally finish my Lace Leaf Pullover on November 15, then let's just call it even, shall we?)
modifications: added one inch of length to body, otherwise no mods - should've probably added another inch or two to give the fit I usually prefer on my long-waisted body

Mmmm, cable-y goodness.
My first real cabled project - a nice, easy introduction. I have to say I'm a bit obsessed with cable motifs now.

This neckline is interesting. After knitting the V-neck, you then go back and pick up stitches and knit a half-inch flat, then seam. I considered knitting it in the round to avoid the obvious seam, but I decided to knit as written (in case knitting it in the round would cause it to roll). I think - even with the visible seam - it's a really lovely neckline.

There was a lot of discussion on the Ravelry boards about modifying the placement of the cable motif in order to have the sweater gather in under the bust (as this gathering is the only shaping of the sweater). I knit as written, as I really did like the fit of the sweater as pictured in the magazine. The gathering happens right across the bustline, which then creates a gentle empire waist. I don't like it when an empire waist looks maternity-ish, but I like it very much when it means by least-favorite body part is rather camouflaged. I do like the fit of mine, but the truth is, there is a lot of extra material here:

I'm still learning about how to play with negative ease. The size I knit gave me an 1.75" negative ease. The next smaller size (the smallest listed) would've been a 32" bust - that's 5" negative ease. I was scared to go that far (and since I don't commonly wear an XS, I figured that was a reality-based fear), though I still wonder if it might've worked. I have toyed with the idea of sewing some darts in the back, because you know I love to sew darts. Is it possible with a knitted sweater? Perhaps I'll find out for myself. Obviously another option would've been to add waist-shaping as I knitted.

Though I didn't officially sign up for any November projects, I apparently have signed on for the supposed current trend of not posting WIPs. I'll blame Ravelry. I never mentioned this knit here (mind you, I have blogged precisely one time since I cast on for this number), but I talked about it plenty on the Interweave Knits group forum on Ravelry, and posted WIP pics on my projects page. It turns out that Ravelry is seriously cutting into my other online pursuits, including blogging and reading blogs. Maybe next November, someone will come up with with NaPoWIPMo (National Post WIPS Month) [If so, you read it here first!]. h

I may be a bad blogger in the WIP department, but never let it be said that I don't go to great lengths to get pictures. Front yard, mid-afternoon, freezing cold, two different photo shoot sessions, no coat, just me and my tripod. Yup, that's me. Willing to brave extremes of weather and neighborly humiliation, just to bring you multiple shots that look almost exactly the same. [for full set, see here]

Still I'm a happy girl.

Lace Leaf Pullover

2007-11-30T19:26:00.000-05:00

All the leaves are brown, and the sky is grey....

And I'm going to show you a ton of pictures.
Because, well, y'all, I finally finished this freakin' sweater.

pattern: Lace Leaf Pullover from Loop-d-Loop, by Teva Durham
yarn: KnitPicks Decadence, 100% alpaca (discontinued), in Chocolate, 6 skeins (726 yards)
needles: KnitPicks Options, size 10
started knitting: August 18
finished knitting: September 3
finished sweater: November 15
modifications: I used a less bulky yarn than called for in the pattern, and therefore had to seriously modify my stitch count. To do this, I used a combination of intuition and mathematics, with mostly good results. The fit is pretty perfect, but the leaf motifs didn't end up exactly in the same places as in the pattern pictures. Only after I was well into this knit, did I read pieknits' straightforward explanation of how to modify a pattern to fit your gauge. [I swear that's where I read it, but now that I'm looking to link it, I can't find it.]
unintentional modification: left out one set of yarnovers on the right arm. Seriously annoying, and so far I haven't come up with a fix.
after the fact mod: erasing some of the bags under my eyes in these pictures.
Dude. I didn't realize what a hag I'm becoming. I need more sleep!
if I had it to do over again: I would use a bulkier yarn (as called for by the pattern), in a lighter color. I went with this yarn because it's what I had (received as a Mother's Day gift, with another pattern in mind, but then I got obsessed with the Lace Leaf). I like the drape of this yarn a lot, but I decided after the fact that for this sweater I really like the look of the original pattern - that sort of bulky, over-sized, stand-up sweater kind of look that a body can get lost in.
Also, the leaf motifs don't show up as well in this smaller yarn, and especially in this dark color.
So I go around holding my left arm up near my face a lot, so people can get a glimpse of that leaf cuff action.
Like this:

And this:

Hi! I'm a dork! It's 20 degrees! I don't have a coat on! But look! I have leaf motifs!

As usual, my favorite-est part was the button.

Perfect, no?
Good thing I've got the short hair thing going now, or I can assure you I would be contorting myself somehow so people could get a glimpse of the awesome button. (If you doubt me, see leaf motif photos, above).

Of course, my former long locks would have come in quite handy covering up the unintentional design feature, as seen below:

How I missed those yarnovers is beyond me.
How I didn't even notice I'd missed them until I was seaming the sweater is even further beyond me.
That I chose to do nothing about it before seaming is no real surprise.
[Is there anything I can do about it now? I mean, aside from taking the sweater apart and ripping back?]
ETA: the right sleeve is indeed supposed to have two lines of eyelets running up the arm. It's just that on one row, I skipped both yarnovers - eyelets - which you can see about 4 inches below the top of the sleeve. I have tried to figure out how to go back and create holes right there, without causing a huge unraveling. Another idea someone gave me was to embroidered a small branch with leaves there....

If you know this design, you know that the biggest difference between it and any other sweater design is that you knit the bottom from the bottom and the top from the top and then you graft in the middle. The reasoning Teva Durham gives is that the leaf motifs come out better that way. Some people do knit it all in one piece anyway, just reversing the chart at either top or bottom. I had already changed every number in the pattern, because of my gauge being so drastically different, and I was not up for making further modifications. So in the end, that meant grafting 136 stitches. I do not mind kitchener stitch at all. But after the first 10 I somehow messed up somewhere, and didn't notice it until many stitches later. At that point, I set the sweater aside for two months, while I finished up my Gothic Leaf Stole.

When I picked it up again, I made a mess of things multiple times. I would rip back and start grafting again, only discover a bit later that my stitch count was off by one (top and bottom stitch count not matching). I finally ripped all the way back. As I got ready to start again, I really wanted to cry. I could hardly face doing it again. I had thought I needed to do the whole grafting with one piece of yarn, and was using a piece about 6 feet long. Have you ever tried to kitchener with a piece of yarn longer than your own body? It is unbelievably tedious, and slow. A very experienced knitter then encouraged me to cut the yarn, use only about 18 inches or so at a time, and just weave in the ends. That's what I did. It was done in a night. It looked fine. If I had tried this in the first place, I would've had it done at the beginning of September.

The seam was noticeable, but the blocking took care of most of that (there is one tiny bit of the seam that is barely noticeable in the back). It startles me to think of how I used to never block anything. Now I can't imagine not blocking.

verdict: Overall, I'm pretty happy. A great design, a delicious yarn, a favorite color, and a few lessons learned. A keeper for sure.
Now get that girl a coat!

Gothic Leaf Stole

2007-11-19T15:51:00.000-05:00

I have a lot to say about this knit. For just the stats, see below the next picture, and then just scroll through for the photos [clicking on any of the photos will take you to flickr for the full photo shoot, which was done in 40-degree weather at a monastery, and I still wonder what the nuns who could see me in the courtyard from their windows must've thought....]. Otherwise, grab a cup of joe and settle in. This will be lengthy. Consider yourself warned.

pattern: Sivia Harding's Gothic Leaf Stole
yarn: Handmaiden Sea Silk, "Straw," roughly 880 yds.
needles: Addi Lace, size 3
notions: 4mm silver-lined crystal megatamas, from Earth Faire
size: 22" x 73"
started: 1 August
finished: 6 November
modifications: none
verdict: my masterpiece so far. I have never made anything so beautiful. I love it.

The story goes like this. While visiting family in Georgia and Alabama, I took a couple of trips to Knit Nouveau, a shop I adore. This was just a couple of weeks after Little Buddha's near-fatal accident, and I was still a bit dazed, and living very close to the trauma of what had happened. Going to a yarn shop felt like the first sort of normal thing I did after the accident - it was the opposite of the hunkering-down instinct that had set in.

While I was there, a yarn I had seen online but never in person caught my eye - it was Handmaiden Sea Silk. And the colorway that really beckoned to me was "straw" - a lovely, shimmery, perfectly variegated golden. It reminded me of Little Buddha's hair.

I had no need for a megahank (600m) of silk yarn. It was pricey. Extravagant. Not sensible.

I bought it.

It felt like a very celebratory, life-affirming kind of thing to do. But I still didn't know what I was going to do with the yarn. Enter Ravelry. A search for what others had done with Sea Silk turned up many lovely options. But it was Sivia Harding's Gothic Leaf Stole that really got in my head. Blackbun was working it in Sea Silk with 4 mm megatama beads. That sealed it - I would make this stole, with beads, and would wear it with my bridemaid's dress at our niece's wedding in November.

I cast on at the beginning of August, and would have coasted to the finish had I not allowed myself to be sidetracked by several other knits along the way. In the end, I had to practice an uncharacteristic knitterly monogamy, as well as a characteristic panic and last-minute finish.

The pattern is simple yet elegant. It was exactly what I was looking for - something that would be lacey while still allowing the yarn to shine. I really wanted to highlight the subtle variations of the Sea Silk, which I thought a lacier shawl might not do. This was the perfect pattern for this yarn. And the beads kicked it up another notch. They also added considerably to the amount of time it took to knit, but it was WELL worth it.

I joined Sivia Harding's yahoo list (and the Gothic Leaf KAL there), and I would highly recommend this to anyone knitting any of Sivia's designs. She is so accessible, and very quickly responds to any questions anyone has about any of her designs.

In addition to learning how to knit with beads, I learned a few new techniques with this knit, all of them Russian.

Russian join. This was the join Sivia recommended on the yahoo list. It took me a few tries to really get it, but I was so pleased when I did. A great, invisible join, with no ends to weave in.
Russian bind-off. Also recommended by Sivia. There are a few different ways to execute this - you can knit it, purl it, or knit through the back loop. After experimenting with the options, I chose to knit through the back loop. It gave a great finish to the stole, and I thought it most closely mimicked the cast-on edge.
Russian wire-blocking (links to KP blocking wires which includes a link to a pdf tutorial). This was the biggest surprise of my experience - how easy and quick it is to block lace this way, and how superior the results are. I spent a ridiculous amount of time my first go-round, blocking with pins like I usually do, trying to get everything just right, only to discover I still had tiny scallops around the edges. Then I ran out and bought blocking wires at my LYS (they had one set in stock - the same set that KnitPicks sells). I had always been daunted by the idea of blocking with wires or string. I was truly surprised by how simple it was. And the results were perfect.

This knit was an exercise in "doing it right" - a new thing for me, honestly. As I've mentioned before, My Old Man calls me Miss Approximate. I'd usually rather do something fast than perfectly (this sometimes includes approximating facts, in which case perhaps my nickname would better be Miss Exaggeration). But this time, my investment was too large to consider cutting any corners. The money, the time, the event - all of these merited my listening to the little voice in my head that cautioned me to "do it right" anytime I considered letting a mistake go.

Which is not to say there are no mistakes. There is one pattern repeat where I inadvertently skipped a row and didn't realize it until much later. It made one set of beads one row closer to another set of beads than anywhere else in the stole, so I definitely can spot the error anytime I look for it. But it was too far back (and I should admit here that I did not use a lifeline) for me to tink back. Also, the saga of running out of yarn did not end as perfectly as my previous post might've indicated. Though I did purchase the second megahank from Knit Nouveau (yes, that sound you hear is my wallet screaming), and though it did match more closely than the hank I had ordered online in hopes of matching "well enough," it definitely was not an absolute match. In the end, one third of the stole is, to my eyes, a lighter gold with browner notes than the other third. My Old Man did not find it nearly as noticeable as I did. And in the end, there wasn't anything I could do about it. "Doing it right" ended up meaning "doing my best" not "doing it perfectly."

That was good enough for me. I adore it, and am rather proud of it, and will always have happy associations with it - affirmation of life after near-disaster, celebration of love and marriage and family, and a personal challenge to do my best. Thanks for enjoying the ride with me!

My Little Men

2007-11-14T12:41:00.001-05:00

Rob and Charlie
Originally uploaded by earthchick

I am out of town still and not able yet to really blog. My notes about the wedding and the stole (which will be lengthy, I assure you!) will have to wait. For now, I just wanted to say hello, and to show off my little guys in their tuxes. I'm so proud to be their mama (and to be wife to their handsome father, who looked equally smashing in his tux).

Done. Undone.

2007-11-07T14:19:00.000-05:00

Done:
one gorgeous, golden, beaded, silk Gothic Leaf Stole. I adore it.

Undone:
- full-on photo shoot of stole
- seaming and blocking of Lace Leaf Pullover
- sewing of corduroy pants for trip
- packing
- planning of packing
- 72 other things I was going to do before leaving town

I am also a little undone over one thing I had done today - a haircut that is a little too short and little not right. Right before a big wedding. Which I'm in. Trying to get over it, let go, move on.

I will save the details of the stole until I have adequate pictures of it in action (possibly this weekend, at the wedding). For now, there is still so much to be done.

folded and ready to be packed

Down to the Wire

2007-11-06T16:15:00.000-05:00

yesterday: I finished knitting the shawl
this morning: I spent an hour and a half using 250 pins trying to block it, leaving an unfortunate mess, scalloped in some places, biased in others
this afternoon: I went out and purchased a set of blocking wires. In less than half the time it took me to block with pins, I got everything blocked out on the wires (new toy = love).
tonight: I must finish seaming and grafting this
tomorrow: it will take its turn on the wires
Thursday: we leave for the wedding

Down to the wire. That's how I roll.

My New Standby

2007-11-05T08:54:00.000-05:00

Nevermind that I was wrung out from the intensity of the all-consuming task that is costume-making (thanks for all the costume-love, y'all!). Nevermind that I still had 1/4 of a shawl left to finish for a wedding I'm in. I needed this. And I needed it now.

I found this fabric tucked away on the shelf with the corduroy, which is what I went to the fabric store for. This isn't corduroy but it was simply too lovely to pass up. A chocolate brown cotton with pale blue, velvet-y flowers embossed on it. Gorgeous, and super-cheap. I bought a pile of corduroy fabric that day, at a huge sale at Joann's, with big ideas of everything I was going to make - jackets for the boys! pants for me! skirts for me! etc.! Me likey the corduroy. So far, none of that has come to pass. But I couldn't resist banging out this little number.

pattern: simple size-zip A-line skirt, from Sew What? Skirts
fabric: brown cotton with pale blue velvet embossed flowers, super-cheap
notions: zipper, pale blue piping. PIPING, people! I LOVE THE PIPING!
made: in an afternoon last week, after I finally got the boys' costumes off my machine
modifications: This book is really a guide to making your own skirts based on your own measurements, so there really is no such thing as modifications. I will say that I woke up the morning I was going to make this, with a very vivid vision in my head of light blue piping on the trim. I really think it makes the skirt, and was so pleased to have thought to add it.
verdict: I'm sure you've figured out by now. I LOVE IT. These super-cheap, super-quick, super-cute A-line skirts have become my new standby. Before this year, I always tended towards very long, slim skirts, primarily in neutral solids. Making my first knee-length A-line skirt, from Sew U, in January was a real departure for me. I made another one from that pattern in April, and felt so-so about it. But once I got my hot little hands on the Sew What? book, I was hooked. My little orange print skirt and cherry print skirt became my quick favorites, and they never fail to elicit compliments, mostly from people who don't know that they are handmade. More importantly, I just plain enjoy wearing them. So I thought I needed one for fall, and I couldn't be more pleased with it. I cannot recommend this book highly enough to anyone who has been considering trying to sew but has been nervous. This book offers such a simple, straightforward approach, and the results are so immediately gratifying. It has taught me, among many other things not to be afraid of installing a zipper (but if you are, the book offers many no-zip options).

Soon, I will venture on to try a few other skirt styles from the book. But it will be tough, given how much I have fallen for the look of a knee-length A-line. There is something just so kicky about it, wouldn't you agree?

Hello, Fall!
At last!

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T13:43:00.000-04:00

from the Owl and the Bunny Rabbit

The details:

pattern: McCall's 8953 (includes options for bunny, cat, lion, bear, and kangaroo), size 3
fabric: white anti-pill fleece
mods: didn't put elastic in cuffs of sleeves or pants (running short on time!); had to pin the suit in the back because it ended up running way big, put styrofoam in the ears to try to keep them standing - didn't work (there are no instructions in this pattern for making the ears stand up - and they are huge - I even cut them down a bit and still couldn't get them to defy gravity)
verdict: the tail and the ears were a big pain, but they are what make the costume work;
he loves it

pattern: McCall's 8953, sort of
fabric: anti-pill fleece
mods: no spats, no mitts, didn't line the hood, made small owl ears, added fabric to the sleeves to make them wings, added an owl face, inspired by this sleep mask
verdict: he loves it (and I'm a little proud of the owl face)

Bouncing Bunny, Hooting Owl

Happy Halloween, from the Owl and the Pussycat and the Bunny

Oh, and if you were as crazy about the Vampire Bunnies as I am, Felicia is having a contest giving one away. Check it out.

now back to my previously-scheduled, freaking-out, deadline-knitting

Halloween :: by etsy

2007-10-30T13:43:00.000-04:00

When it comes to Halloween decorating, I'm a minimalist. A jack o' lantern, a few small gourds on the dining table, maybe a couple of extra pumpkins here and there, and I call it done. I just can't stand so much of what I see in stores, and so I have these lofty ideas of making all kinds of Halloween decorations myself, but that never seems to happen (when it's a choice between finishing costumes and making decorations, the costumes always win). Enter etsy.

First, there were these:

Vampire Rabbits from Fluffy Flowers
These were theoretically gifts for my boys, but I have to admit that I have sort of co-opted them for the living room. The boys like them, but I LOVE them. Love them beyond what's reasonable. Love their big eyes and their little fangs. Love their fabric. Love everything about them.
I'd admired Felicia's work for awhile, but these little bunnies just had my number from the beginning. Love 'em.
Aren't they SO FREAKIN' CUTE?!?

Bat Pack from Owly Shadow Puppets
As soon as I saw these guys over at Hillary's place,
I knew I had to have them.
This is a pack of four bats, different sizes,
laser-cut from heavy mat board.
They are crazy-fun.
This year, I have them spread out around the living room,
in different corners.
Next year, I am definitely going to hang them on a tree branch mobile, like this.

My house still has a very minimalist feel, in terms of Halloween decor. But the little bit that is there is Really. Cool. Stuff. And I love it that my money is going to independent artists as opposed to, say, Target (which still gets a large portion of my funds, I assure you).

So I'm riding the Etsy train these days, and you couldn't really expect me to get off after those two brilliant purchases, could you? No. Because next I saw Amanda's Autumn Ode to Etsy, and the yarn she featured simply stole my heart. (you must remember that I am extremely susceptible to the Power of Suggestion)

100% handspun merino
from Pancake and Lulu
in "Cinder Ella"
I think it's going to be perfect for a Zeebee for Little Buddha. I've been wanting to make one for awhile, and this yarn just screamed "Zeebee!!" to me. Seriously, look at that yarn, and listen hard. You will hear it too:
Zeebee!
Zeebee!
Zeebee!
I think it'll be a great match for his black-and-red winter coat.

I'm still looking for the perfect yarn for a hat for Tiny Dancer, whose coat is navy and olive green. I've been searching Etsy, of course. But it is quite an overwhelming place. The truth is, I tend to buy stuff there that I have seen featured on other people's blogs. Because if you type in "yarn" you get, like, 1013 items. And if you type in handspun yarn, you still get over 100. So if anyone wants to point me to some great yarn with blue and green in it, my mouse is standing by to click over.

What about you people? What are you loving on etsy these days?

Pot O' Gold, After All

2007-10-24T09:12:00.001-04:00

You guys are the jiggiest. Because of your unanimous encouragement for me to try option #4, I did contact Knit Nouveau to see if maybe, possibly, per chance, they just might have that other megahank of Handmaiden Sea Silk in "straw" that they had way back in July. Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark, the owner (and designer of such knits as the Retro Redux Shrug and Refined Raglan), emailed back immediately to say that they did still have it, she was setting it aside for me, and if I called with my credit card number she would put it in the mail right away. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? I couldn't. I felt like such an idiot inquiring about it (because #1 I should've bought enough for the project in the first place and #2 since I didn't buy enough I should've modified the project to work with the amount of yarn I bought and #3 who expects a single perfect hank to still be in stock 3 months later?). Well, I don't feel like an idiot now! Okay, I do still feel like an idiot. But an idiot with a megahank of Sea Silk on its way to me! Word.

[see, if you start a paragraph with a word like "jiggiest" it is not nerdy at all to end by saying "word." right? who's with me?]

Knit Nouveau is officially my all-time favorite Local Yarn Shop, if by "local" you mean 800 miles away. Seriously, favorite yarn shop ever. You've probably read the stories I have, of terrible visits to yarn shops (most horrifying was Alison's account last June). Most of us have had at least one bad experience - I know I have. Stores where you feel like you're not part of their club. Stores where you feel like you're an intruder. Stores where you are steered to the acrylics if you enter with a baby or child (or, worse, frowned at if you enter with a baby or child).

My first experience with Knit Nouveau was last summer - you can read that story here. The woman working that evening went way above and beyond the call of duty. A couple of weeks after my visit, the shop moved to a different part of town - precisely two miles from my BIL's home. So of course you know where I spent a few hours while I was visiting this summer. The first time, I took Little Buddha with me, and Jane, who was working that day, was so kind - when he got bored and restless, she just played and played with him, leaving me plenty of time to sniff yarn and drool. I came back a few days later and dropped a wad of cash, purchasing, among other things, the glorious megahank of Sea Silk (it was my first upclose encounter with this yarn, and I simply couldn't resist).

I also got this:

Tofutsies, for making socks for the boys

Farmhouse Silk Blend, DK, in "seabreeze", on sale
Jane was making a Baby Surprise out of this yarn in a different colorway, and I was so taken with it that I had to get some myself, with plans to make the same thing. No baby in mind, just wanted to make a Baby Surprise. And I found the perfect buttons for it. (sorry, no picture)

Of course neither of these yarns have yet seen the light of day, since I really really must be practicing knitting monogamy right now. The race to the finish is on now (we leave for the wedding two weeks from tomorrow). But the knitting gods have clearly been smiling on me this week, so here's hoping they keep it up just a little longer!

Thanks, friends, for holding my hand during my freak-out, and for giving me such good - and effective! - advice.

Rainbow of Happiness, Pot O' Golden Disappointment

2007-10-22T17:47:00.000-04:00

But not in that order. Better to end on a happy note, yes? But first, that Golden Disappointment:

Gothic Leaf Stole (a Sivia Harding design)
in progress

So I have 16 repeats done, 8 to go, and the wedding is in 2.5 weeks (yes, I seem to prefer a race to the finish). I am very happy with how it is turning out, and can't wait to wear it with my bridesmaid dress. However, I have known from the beginning that I didn't have enough yarn. I bought the megahank (600m/650 yds) of Sea Silk on a whim at Knit Nouveau (a place I absolutely adore) in Birmingham, Alabama. I had no idea what I was going to make at that point, just that I loved the yarn, so I snagged some. After an intensive Ravelry search, I decided to go with the Gothic Leaf Stole, though the pattern calls for 1000 yards. At first I thought I would make it narrower than the pattern so I could have it still be long enough. Then I decided to knit it as written, and simply buy more Sea Silk. I should've known better. The hank arrived today (ordered from oneplanetyarnandfiber.com) and while it is certainly pretty it does not compare to the original yarn in shade, variation, or luster. Perhaps it will look better once it is wound, and maybe it will match up better than I fear. But I am disappointed that I have put so much effort into this only to have it compromised by my own poor planning (I guess the only way to avoided this would have been to shell out the money for the 2 megahanks at the time - without knowing what I wanted them for - or to have made the shawl narrower, as I originally intended). My choices now seem to be:
1 - keep going and hope the yarn isn't as obvious a mismatch as I'm afraid
2 - stop when I run out of the original yarn, and call it a shawlette (am thinking I have enough for maybe 2 more repeats at most - so less than 50" in length, rather than 73", not quite the dramatic evening accessory I had in mind)
3 - go ahead and start the new yarn, alternating with the old yarn, in hopes that the difference will be a little more camouflaged if it's a gradual change
4 - call Knit Nouveau in Alabama and ask if they still have the other megahank, from 3 months ago, and then pay for it to be shipped, quick-like....

What would you do?

In unrelated but spectacularly disappointing news, we heard back from the data recovery place in California today. They cannot retrieve any data at all from My Old Man's hard drive. Nothing. Not his manuscript. Not his book notes. Not his quote file. Not his reflections following Little Buddha's accident. He is taking it like a champ, but WOW. Seriously unpleasant news.

But I did get a little rainbow in the mail today. I simply couldn't resist:

Color-Wheel Quilt Bundle
from Purl

Because when I dream, I dream big....

My Old Knitspot

2007-10-19T13:13:00.000-04:00

Given how many potential blog posts I have running through my head all the time, it's a bit odd that I haven't actually blogged in 10 days. I've decided not to apologize for that because I'm trying to see my blog as a fun thing and not as yet another obligation, and an apology implies I feel obliged. Truthfully, I do feel a degree of responsibility to post and concern about not posting (will people forget me? will people think I've forgotten them? won't I lose readers if I don't post regularly? how can I aspire to be the kind of blogger I myself like reading, if I can't be consistent?). But I'm working on maintining a sense of freedom and play when it comes to my blog, because honestly, the last thing I need in my life is one more anxiety-inducing obligation hanging over my head. So no apologies here (though I do apologize if that seems rude).

Pretty freakin' long non-apology, eh?

Yeah, so a few weeks ago, Becca tagged me for the 8 Random Things meme. I've posted so many random things about myself in this space that I think you must know them all. But since I've been thinking about blogging and where my time has gone lately, I thought I'd post 8 Random Things I've Been Doing Instead of Blogging:

Being sick. Like all of autumn, so far. For the last 4 weeks, I have had some variation of head/chest funkiness (including an ear infection that caused me no pain but sent me to the doctor for unrelenting vertigo). I'm really, really tired of being sick.
Worrying about a spider bite. I got bitten by a spider about a week-and-a-half ago. I didn't see it happen, only found the bite later. Of course I can't be sure it was a spider, but I think it was. Then I started worrying about it being a Brown Recluse, thanks to Googling my symptoms. (my bite looked a lot like a lot of the pictures I saw) My ridiculous hypochondria led to one sleepless night and the death of two spiders that turned out to be Grass Spiders (sometimes confused for Brown Recluses). I'm pretty sure now that it was not a Brown Recluse.
Dealing with Mac problems. While My Old Man's hard drive sits at a data recovery place in California, waiting for his manuscript to be retrieved, my own Mac G5 continues having ridiculous and irksome problems. Sometimes this affects my photo uploading abilities, which totally messes up my blogging groove.
Practicing an unusual bout of knitting monogamy. Our niece's wedding is 3 weeks from tomorrow, and I have 9 repeats left (out of 24) on my shawl. It would be going a lot faster if it weren't for the beading. I love the pattern (and the yarn), but it is seriously bumming me out to be so focused on one project when there are so many others I am itching to get my hands on. But I am determined to wear the shawl to the wedding, so that means monogamy till I'm done. (to guess how I feel about this, see my first paragraph about obligations - it applies to self-imposed ones too)
Paying people lots of money to fix broken things. Toilet (which overflowed into the basementt and ruined a few things). Sewing machine (worth every penny). My Old Man's MacBook (see #3, above).
Drowning in email. I can't keep up, and I feel bad blogging when I don't consistenly respond to my blog comments (blogger does make that especially hard). Meanwhile, I am steadily trying to whittle down the 4000 emails in my gmail inbox by using the label and archive functions. I am trying to archive two pages' worth a day....
Working on uploading and categorizing my photos in flickr (made more difficult by #3, above).
Re-doing our living room.

Which brings me to the title of this post - My Old Knitspot. In my adult life, I have owned 6 sofas, 2 loveseats, and 4 recliners, and not a one of them was new to me. They were all either hand-me-downs or yard sale purchases. Well, this week, for the first time, I actually went out and bought brand-new living room furniture (possibly a stupid move, with 2 little boys and 2 cats in the house). But the deal I got was unbeatable (yay! for World Market) and it is high time we quit being embarrassed to have people over because of our stained and cat-scratched furniture. We are still working on getting everything set up, and I hope to show pictures soon. But I have been surprised at the nostalgia I have been feeling about one of the pieces we got rid of: my old, stained, not very pretty recliner.

It was the best place in the house to knit - the arms were in just the right place, not too close but close enough that I could rest my elbows there while knitting (didn't realize I even did that till I didn't have the option). Turns out I also prefer to have my feet up while knitting, and a light directly over my head. It may take me awhile to adjust to my new knitspot.

But I also discovered that my attachment to that ugly recliner was more about nostalgia than function. That recliner was where my old dog Mocha, now dead three years, used to curl up and sleep (an 85-pound Rottweiler, she considered herself a lap dog). It is the recliner I used to elevate my very swollen feet during the last hard months of my pregnancy. It is where I nursed my babies. It is where my little boys liked to sit on my lap together.

I know we'll be making new memories with our new furniture. But for now, I miss my old knitspot/dogspot/nursingspot/sitspot. It has made its home (along with a matching recliner and a sleeper sofa) in a house where 23 college students live.

My Old Knitspot
red recliner, Cozy on the back, Scrunchable Scarf in progress (last October), favorite mug (Michigan Radio), autumn candle

How about you? Do you have a sacred place in your home? (or, if you're a knitter, a favorite knitspot?) What makes it so?

A Culture of Creativity

2007-10-09T20:28:00.000-04:00

fall afternoon, wooden books, mama's quilt, a little shut-eye

You people rock. Thank you so much for the time and thoughtfulness you put into responding to my contest question, about how to nurture a culture of creativity in the home, especially as relates to children. I am so inspired and encouraged by your great ideas, and I hope to be doing some blogging in response to some of what was written. If you haven't gotten a chance yet to read through the whole list of responses, do yourself a favor and read them. I'm really honored that so many of you so thoroughly engaged the question.

I don't want the conversation to end. I've started a flickr group, Culture of Creativity, with the hope that you (and others) will post photos (and discussion) related to the issue of nurturing creativity - in our communities, our homes, our families, our personal lives. I'd love to see how people interpret this concept photographically - whether it's a picture of a child engaged in some sort of art or craft, or of some creative community venture (festivals, fairy doors), or something that you personally simply find inspiring.

I also want to say thanks for all the quilty-love. You guys make me feel so good. I really have to give some credit to a few folks who have inspired me in that particular venture. Sarah's was the first incarnation of the Easy Lap Quilt that I saw this summer, and I adored it (actually way more than the one pictures in the book). Ashley's quilts have all blown me away with their beauty and freshness and craftswomanship. And it was this post of Rebekah's that finally encouraged me to take the leap. (When I found out that it was only a little over a year ago that she had done her first quilt, I was floored. I've been stalking her blog for almost that whole length of time, and had no idea the first quilt of hers I ever saw was the first one she'd ever made). Thanks again, craftblog community, for inspiring me and encouraging me to try something I don't think I would've attempted otherwise.

Okay, enough of that, I know what you're here for. Who won the contest? I did this great little photo shoot this afternoon, with Little Buddha drawing a name out of hat (followed by a shot of him putting the hat on, promptly dumping the all the other little strips of paper on his head)*. But my ridiculous Mac problems continue and suddenly my computer will not read my camera disk. So without further buildup, the winner is:

dickie

Yay for guy knitbloggers. And y'all, dickie is hardcore about Malabrigo, so you know it'll be in good hands. (If you haven't checked out his blog before, you really must - his fab photography makes knitgoods look edible). Thank you again, all of you, for participating in my contest. And please join me over in the Culture of Creativity group!

*For the record, I do try - and regularly - to get shots of Tiny Dancer, but he refuses to be photographed these days.

At Long Last....

2007-10-07T21:02:00.000-04:00

Number of years I've been wanting to try quilting: ~5
Number of years I've been kind of obsessing about quilting: ~1.75
Number of quilting-related books I own: 10
Number of quilting-related books I have checked out from the library: 9
Number of times in a row I checked out Your First Quilt Book: 29
Number of times I actually referred to Your First Quilt Book while making my first quilt: 0
Number of flickr groups I stalk, in hopes of seeing more quilts: 5
Amount spent on materials for first quilt: $24
Actually making my own quilt?
Priceless.

pattern: Easy Lap Quilt from Bend-the-Rules Sewing
fabric: solid cottons - pink, chocolate brown, caramel brown
prints - Tracy Porter
dates: September 21 - 29
notes:

I loved everything about making this quilt, from beginning to end. This book made me really believe I could finally actually make a quilt, and the process was so organic. In fact, I think that's what helped me take the leap - the fact that I could design as I go, rather than following (and trying to get right) someone else's quilt.

I went into the fabric shop knowing I wanted to do a quilt in pinks and browns, and then I just went from there. I played with possibilities in the store (which took a very long time), and finally settled on these three Asian-inspired Tracy Porter prints. I love all three prints - the delicate pink one with the brown tree branches, the bold red/gold/brown/pink one with litttle splashes of blue, and the brown with light blue wavy branch-like things. The backing is a brown with little red and tan and white diamonds on it.
I cut the strips as the book instructs, and the I just played awhile, till I found a design I liked - I loved this part. It really worked for me, and I see myself making quilts like this again in the future. The quilt top came together very quickly. The basting went pretty quickly, too. The actual quilting took longer than I expected, partly because I did some trial-and-error at this point (testing out thread color options, trying to quilt without drawing lines on the top first - which did not work for me!, trying to decide how many lines to quilt). This part was really fun, too - deciding where all the lines would go. Again, very organic.

Finally, all that was left was the binding. Amy Karol suggests that, though you may be tempted to do the whole thing by machine, it will look much better if you do the binding in two steps - machine for the front, hand for the back. I should've listened. Instead, I followed the method in The Modern Quilt Workshop - I got myself a bias tape maker, made the binding, and then machine-stitched it. And I messed up a lot. Part of this was due to machine problems, part due to operator-error. I didn't notice the biggest problems till I'd already washed and dried it (like a couple of places where the binding didn't get fully attached in the back!). For now, the problems remain, but soon I do plan to go back and do the whole thing by hand.

verdict: I am beyond thrilled with this. I love everything about it (except the binding, till I fix it) - the colors, the prints, the combinations of colors and prints, the size, the way the quilting came out, and the fact that, at long last, I have made myself a quilt. There will definitely be more of these in my future. And I would highly, highly recommend Amy's method to anyone who has been hesitant to give quilting a go.

You can see more pics here. (Yes, I have finally fallen completely, madly in love with flickr).

And don't forget! Today is the last day to enter my contest. I'll draw a winner in the morning and announce it in a blog post tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Fall is for Raspberries

2007-10-05T10:17:00.000-04:00

My culture of creativity contest is still running - keep those comments coming! I have thoroughly enjoyed reading them all.

Many of you have touched on the role that getting out in the natural world plays in opening our imagination. I couldn't agree more. My boys' Co-Op Preschool is grounded in a play-based philosophy and includes a lot of outdoor time. About once a month, we go on a field trip, starting last week with an adventure in raspberry-picking. Y'all, I am crazy about raspberries. I may decorate and dress myself with cherry-print fabrics, but my favorite fruit in all the world is raspberries. Love, love, love 'em. My little dudes do, too. I ended up bringing a lot fewer raspberries home than I expected.

I only brought home a quart, and by that afternoon they were half-gone. Still, I had just enough to make Raspberry Chocolate-Chip Pancakes. I have always loved Chocolate Chip Pancakes (thanks to IHOP and their face pancake on the kids' menu - ever had one of those? I always try to get my boys to order those so I can have some too. That whipped cream face never fails to make me smile). There was a week in my 20s following a bad breakup that I ate chocolate chip pancakes for dinner every night. Serious comfort food. At some point later, it dawned on me that I really needed to toss some raspberries in there. Is there any combination better than raspberry and chocolate? I think not (though some friends did recently serve us some Vosges Bacon Chocolate, and y'all, it was good. I kid you not. Bacon +Chocolate = surprisingly tasty). Still, for me, nothing beats the pairing of raspberry and chocolate.

Fall dinner - Vegan Raspberry Chocolate Chip Pancakes,
fresh Raspberry Sauce, Tempeh Crumbles

Vegan Raspberry Chocolate Chip Pancakes
adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance

1 C plus 3 T all-purpose flour
1 T cocoa
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/3 C water
1 C rice milk
2 T canola oil
3 T pure maple syrup
1 t vanilla extract
1/3 C semisweet vegan chocolate chips
1 C fresh raspberries
canola oil for pan (using oil instead of cooking spray makes for yummy, slightly crisp pancake, which compliments the chocolate chips and raspberries really well)

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa, baking powdeer, and salt. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add all the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined, fold in chocolate chips and raspberries. Batter will be thin, the way I like it. If you prefer a thicker batter, add more flour and/or more cocoa.
Oil and preheat a large skillet over med-hi heat for about 2 minutes.
Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls into pan. Cook until bubbles form on top. Turn pancakes and cook until bottoms are browned and pancakes are cooked through. Sprinkle with fresh raspberries and serve with Raspberry Sauce (blend raspberries, a tiny bit of sugar, and a little lemon juice in blender; strain seeds). Makes about 12 pancakes. Happy comfort-eating!

My Photographer

2007-10-04T08:55:00.000-04:00

Last spring, in a desperate attempt to get a shot of myself in a shirt I had just made, and with my tripod nowhere to be found, I handed my expensive digital SLR camera to my then 2 year-old son, Little Buddha. He had been begging to use my camera for awhile, but I had been hesitant to put such a pricey piece of breakable equipment into his hands. I was pleasantly surprised with his best shot. When I blogged it, Rachel suggested that perhaps I could get him some cheapy digital camera to practice with. I passed this idea on to my parents who were asking what to get the boys for their 3rd birthday last May. The gifts were a hit, and Little Buddha became an instant shutterbug (Tiny Dancer likes the camera fine, but not in the same sort of obsessive way as his brother and his mother).

It has been a delightful thing to see LB's developing eye for composition and color. Of course there are hazards to handing a camera, even a cheap and theoretically indestructible one, to a 3 year-old. Most notably - he is at the perfect height to get numerous shots of people's backsides, as well as tummy rolls and the underside of double chins. Not pretty, my friends. Not pretty. Still, I'm thrilled to support his new hobby.

He took his camera on our vacation this summer, and played the role of the tourist quite well.

Little Buddha and Tiny Dancer at the National Zoo

Then one afternoon at the beach, he got out his camera and simply went to work with it, without any of the rest of us noticing him quietly clicking away. When I uploaded his pics, I was astonished not only with the quality of the composition, but with the fact that he clearly actively worked to develop several different compositions of the same subject matter.

The Coca-Cola Series

In the next set, he manipulated not only the objects in the photo, but also his own perspective. What I love about these is that I personally rarely think to photograph a person without their face (unless I am doing a shot of myself modeling something I made and am specifically trying to focus on the handmade object). It is hard for me to think outside my own conventions on this count, so I was particularly impressed to see what he came up with here - much better, I think, than if he had included my face. I also really love the combination of the white tabletop, white mug, and white MacBook, with the little bit of pink top (handmade, of course!) and the unexpected black plastic beetle.

The Mommy-Mac-Mug-Bug Series

I don't know that I would ever have thought to get a camera for a 3 year-old if it hadn't been for Rachel's encouragement - yet another example of how the craftblog community is supporting me in my own efforts to support my kids' creativity.

So keep those ideas coming. The contest is still on, till midnight October 8th. So please make sure to leave your idea about nurturing a culture of creativity in the home. Creativity is however you define it, too - it doesn't just pertain to crafts, or visual arts, or music. I've gotten great comments so far, so if you haven't had a chance to read them yet, check them out.

Kids, Craft and a Culture of Creativity: A Contest

2007-10-01T17:21:00.000-04:00

or, earthchick loves alliteration

With all the blogland goodness I myself have been the recipient of these last few months, it's time and past time I had a little contest myself. I've actually been wanting to do this one for awhile, and now the time is just right. So here goes.

Doing my little crafts and trying to claim, nurture, and use my creativity sustains me in ways I can hardly name. It keeps me sane. It is a form of resistance - my little attempt at revolution against mass-produced ready-made everything, and my small effort at a slow and relished life. Also, it's fun!

I believe that as children we are innately creative, artistic, crafty, curious, expressive. Over time, through the forces of prevailing cultural norms and institutions, we get some of it drummed out of us. We spend our energies trying to fit in, keep up, get ahead. Consumerism and conformity supercede craft, art, imagination. I want my children to find another way, join the resistance, value the things they themselves create. So I believe that one of my primary tasks as a mother is to encourage and nurture the natural creativity, curiosity, and imagination of my children. In some ways this has come naturally to me. Tiny Dancer likes to dance, so I dance with him. Little Buddha likes to help in the kitchen, so I give him little jobs to do. In other ways, it has struck me as more difficult than I had anticipated. Nurturing my little artists means, among other things: being patient, letting them make mistakes, allowing messes, paying attention, thinking outside my own little boxes.

I have learned an enormous amount about craft and creativity from the web of craftbloggers out there. My own creativity has certainly been nurtured and sustained by my participation in the craftblog community, and I have learned an awful lot about encouraging the creativity of my children, some of which I will share in upcoming posts. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the entire craftblog community, and no one more so than SouleMama.

I don't know how I first stumbled onto her site last year, though I'm sure I surfed in from someone else's blog - that's how I've found most of the blogs I read. Amanda's blog is inspirational in every way - phenomenal photography, wonderful writing, extraordinary crafts (sewing, quilting, embroidery, knitting, you name it). But what inspires me most of all is her approach to family and to child-rearing. I am blown away by the little people she is raising, and the sorts of things they create and do. She and SoulePapa are doing one heck of a job at affirming, encouraging, and nurturing their children's native creativity and individual gifts. That's the kind of mama I want to be.

So when Amanda revealed last fall that she had just finished writing a book, The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections, I went a little gaga. Began stalking Amazon, watching for a release date. And now, at long last ... well, it's still six months away.

(You're wondering when I'm going to get to the contest part, right?)

I want to share in the anticipation with people. Also, I need something to tide me over till the book is released (you can check out the table of contents and sample pages here). What I need is from you, dear readers. I need your ideas. Your advice. Your links to great resources.

So here's the contest:
Leave a comment between now and midnight on Monday, October 8th, with one idea you have about nurturing children's creativity. How do you build a culture of creativity and imagination in the home? How do you resist convention? What do you think hinders imagination, and how do you deal with that? What rituals and rhythms do you think help nourish the artistic souls of children and families? I do not assume that only parents have good answers to these questions. If you don't have kids yourself, I still want your ideas. Did your own parents do anything in particular to support your creative pursuits? What do you do to feed your own creative self? Where do you find inspiration for the creative life?

Leave me a comment with one of your best thoughts. Next Tuesday, I will draw one name, at random, as the winner.

The prize? I will preorder for you your very own copy of The Creative Family. (Judging from the table of contents, this book would be inspirational even for someone without children, or it would also make a lovely baby shower gift.)

And just so you're not sitting around empty-handed for six months, I'll also throw in a couple of other goodies for the prize-winner:
- one skein of Malabrigo, in Indigo (a sort of blue-purple). A treat to knit with, as many of you can attest. One skein (225 yds) of worsted weight merino yarn is plenty to make a long skinny scarf, a great hat, a Calorimetry or two, a pair of wristwarmers, or a little shrug (like the One Skein Wonder). If you'd like to see how this particular color knits up, check out Lolly's fab sweater.

(prize is one skein; picture shows two)

- a set of custom stitch markers made by yours truly, in your choice of color. You can see some examples of my new little craft here. If you're not a knitter, I could try my hand at a pair of earrings instead (if you don't mind taking that risk!). If you're not a knitter and not a woman (hi, Chris!), well, I guess we'll have to work something out.

There it is. My little contest, with hopes that I don't sound too much like a soulemama-stalker (though her blog is most definitely stalk-worthy). I look forward to reading your ideas. Let the games begin!

Wins and Whims

2007-09-30T20:18:00.000-04:00

So blogland has been very good to me lately, and I have been remiss not to post the goods till now. Last month, I won two contests in the span of about two weeks, and I still can't believe my good fortune. First, I won the Bee Fields Shawl pattern and this drool-worthy yarn, from Cara.

Socks that Rock, laceweight, in Oregon Red Clover Honey

This picture does not do it justice. The pics over at Cara's place are much better (if you know Cara's photography, you will realize I just stated the obvious). I don't know when I'll work up the nerve (or carve out the time) to actually attempt this pattern, but I do occasionally pull out this gorgeous hank just to bury my face in it and sniff it. Oh, admit it, you would do the same if it were yours.

As if the knitblog gods had not smiled on me enough already, I then promptly won Ashley's Birthday Blogstravaganza. The package was amazing, put together by three very rockin' bloggers, who all had mid-August birthdays. This awesomest of t-shirts was made by Christy NotHip. See a much better pic here.

You likey?
Then you can order one of your own right here.
It has already become my favorite t-shirt.
I really, really love it.

And then there was more Socks the Rock, from Ashley.

Socks that Rock, lightweight, in Moonstone
I really love this color - light blue with silvery grey yumminess.
Yeah, definitely more socks in my future.

I've never knit with STR before, and I'm really looking forward to feeling the love!

Next up was this amazing little clutch, handmade by Ashley:

I LOVE this clutch!!!
It makes me so happy!!!
I love the colors!
I love the linen!
I love the big red button!!
This happy clutch makes me want to talk in exclamation points all the time!!!!
Also, in the clutch were some embroidery patterns and a beautiful assortment of embroidery floss from Julie Frick, (who just brought into the world this adorable little Fricklet)
I don't have pics of the pattern and floss to show, but I'll show some embroidery once I do it (one of the patterns was sea creatures, which would look super-cute on some small towels in our sea-themed bathroom)

After all that blogland booty, I was feeling pretty warm and fuzzy toward the blogiverse. So much goodness and generosity, and not the first time it's been heaped on me this year.

I wanted to give a little tiny something back - that's how my newest little hobby started. Next thing I knew, I had an almost full-blown addiction: stitch markers! People, a bead shop is just as much of a vortex as a knit shop. For a couple of nights, all I wanted to do was make stitch markers. I began imagining my etsy shop. Ooh, not just stitch markers - I'd make earrings, too! And bracelets! And necklaces! I would get rich off all the beautiful beadwork I would sell! Fortunately, I was able to dial things down a bit before I actually sank too much money into yet another avocation. Still, I'm a little pleased with myself.

for Christy

for Julie

for Ashley

Ashley's right.
Blue and red together do rule.
(Now I'm totally thinking I need to make some coral and turqoise earrings like these stitch markers to wear around town with my fancy new clutch).

for Cara
(you know, to keep with the bee theme)
(these haven't been sent yet
because I am still planning to make one dangly one as a round marker)

I still have plans to make more, for the other good folks out there who have sent me awesome packages this year.

But first! A contest! Coming soon! Tomorrow, I hope!!
(yep, you guessed it, I'm holding my little red and blue clutch! can't turn the exclamation points off! see you tomorrow!!!)

My Oasis

2007-09-27T17:15:00.000-04:00

The park near our home has a pretty big drawback for a mom with two kids running in opposite directions: it's situated right next to an intersection, and with no fence. What this means is that taking the boys to the park is an athletic event for me, as I herd boys, swivel my head in all directions, nervously eye the traffic and the big kids, and try to be in two places at once. My visions of sitting peacefully on a nearby bench, quietly knitting while watching my boys play, is laughable.

I recently learned of another park, just a bit further from our house (a 10-minute walk as opposed to 5-minute), and it is like a dream-come-true. I never knew I could love a park so much. It is tucked away from busy streets, but not too isolated, wide open with rolling green hills and lots of big trees. There is one big play structure and one swing set - so no trying to manage boys who want to be in two different places. And it is not too crowded.

Also, I have found a perfect knitting spot:

From this bench, I can knit in peace while watching my boys play just a few feet away. No swiveling head, no running after kids, no heart palpitations. Or, I can put the sock down and join my boys on the playground.

(no, I don't usually leave a size 0 dpn
lying loose on top of the sock while I run off to play)

It has been a great place to discover, especially this busy fall when I am in such need of a quiet place to get away to, one where I can also bring the boys and know they will be safe and happy. There are times when, in the press and crush of deadlines and stress (including this week's news of My Old Man's recently bricked hard drive, which has not been backed up since April, which is two months out of warranty, which contains the first part of the book he has been writing, and from which no data can now be retrieved), a person just needs an oasis. Ah, oasis. Even the word makes me feel happy and calm. Oasis:

1.	a small fertile or green area in a desert region, usually having a spring or well.

2.	something serving as a refuge, relief, or pleasant change from what is usual, annoying, difficult, etc.

Exactly what I was looking for this week, and found in a city park on a hot afternoon.

And I'm not the only one who has found an oasis there.

He loves the oasis too.

How about you? Where do you find oasis in the midst of a busy week?

Bye-Bye Summer

2007-09-23T18:58:00.000-04:00

I would've preferred to write a "Hello, Fall" post today, but instead, and at long last, I am blogging my last two unblogged summer projects, from June. I was so excited about this little ensemble I had dreamed up. In the end, I only ended up happy with one half of it.

pattern: side-zip A-line skirt from Sew What? Skirts
fabric: Robert Kauffman cherry print cotton
notions: rickrack trim, because you know I love it
made: in a couple of hours (or less) one June afternoon
modifications: none. Made this exactly like my orange skirt. Again, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
verdict: Love everything about it: the style, the fit, the fabric. I definitely see more of these simple little skirts in my future for fall. I get compliments everytime I wear one of these, including from people who don't know I made it myself and even from people who don't know me. Not bad for a cheap little cotton skirt that took no time to make. (For fall, I am dreaming in brown corduroy and plaid wool).

pattern: Tempting
yarn: KP Shine Worsted, 8 skeins (with only a few inches left over!), Green Apple
size: small, but with gauge issues
needles: KP Options, size 8
made: June 1 - June 30
modifications: none.
verdict: Love the yarn. Love the color. Love the super-quick, super-easy pattern. Hate how mine turned out. The main thing - it's way too big:

(please ignore my complete lack of mad bow-tying skillz and my utter disregard for the proper way to thread the ribbon for this pattern - neither of which I noticed till I loaded these pictures in)

I made the size small - finished size of 36" for my 37" inch bust. But as you can see in the picture, I should've either gone down another size, or gone down a needle size or two, or, I don't know, double-checked to make sure my gauge hadn't loosened up once I got going (because I actually did swatch for this; then again, as Miss Approximate, it's certainly possible that I did not measure the swatch accurately). The only reason the sweater is actually on my shoulders at all in this picture is that poorly-threaded ribbon at the top.

I was so disgusted when this turned out not to fit that all my finishing skills went to crap. I completely botched the first underarm seam. I moved on to the second with the idea that I would do a three-needle bind-off instead and then come back and redo the first seam. But I did the bind-off inside-out, putting the very visible seam on the outside. And I don't know what happened when I started weaving in ends. I did a truly craptastic job. Everywhere I tried to weave in ended up being astonishingly noticeable. I don't know what went wrong. When it comes to weaving in ends, ribbing always trips me up a bit, but I've never encountered anything like this before.

It's really sad that things turned out this way, because this pattern has a very special role in my personal development as a knitter. This was my introduction to Knitty and the online knitting world as a whole. I had been toying with the idea of trying again with the needles, having taught myself (poorly) from a book 3 years earlier. One day I was hanging out on the Mothering forums and discovered the yarn crafts board. I asked a question about a simple beginner sweater, out of curiosity, and someone linked to this pattern. I was completely taken with it. I really wanted to become good enough to make that sweater. Off to Knitting Help I went, where things finally clicked for me (two years ago this month). It was nostalgic to me to finally pick up this pattern and make this sweet simple little thing. So it's a little extra-disappointing that it didn't work out.

Earlier in the summer, I had the idea that I would take the sweater to my sewing machine and somehow sew darts into it (I love me some darts!) or something to make it fit more snugly. But I kept thinking I needed to fix the underarm seams and the woven ends first, and I just couldn't bear to look at the thing long enough to do that. I simply lost heart. So it has been sitting at the bottom of my knitting bag all this time, taunting me. Well, no more! I am stashing it away for next spring, when I will frog it and make it into something brand new, perhaps Picovoli. And then I will wear it with my kickin' little cherry skirt. Because no matter what else went wrong with this sweater, I got one thing spot on.

This combination totally rocks.

Miss Approximate May Exaggerate

2007-09-22T10:53:00.000-04:00

You guys are great, both with your questions trying to get at why the socks I make are sometimes too long/too large, and with your defense of the utility of handknit socks. I loved your comments! (and thanks for the nice words about my socks)

Regarding the fit. I do try on my sock before determining when to start the toe. In fact I try on my sock all throughout the knitting process (starting when I have maybe 2 inches of cuff) because I just love imagining how it's going to look/feel when I finish it. I have reflected on your questions and I think I have narrowed down my problem to three possibilities:

I am the queen of approximation, which is why My Old Man calls me Miss Approximate. So even though I try on the sock to see when I get to the point of needing to start the toe, I think my measurements may not be, how shall I say it, oh, accurate. I really do have a problem measuring things right, especially knit things that can be stretched. I can measure the same thing three times and come out with a slightly different measurement each time. Perhaps I should start mentally adjusting for that and assume I need to start the toe before I think I do.
I think I may have heel flap issues. I have small feet and narrow heels. I wonder if I should be altering the heel flap (or sticking with short row heels instead) to accomodate this. I think that perhaps measuring from heel to end of sock while the sock is in progress maybe doesn't give a true representation for me for how the thing will ultimately fit once it's done, because the heel is going to fit looser than I think when I'm wearing it as opposed to actively measuring it. Not sure, just a thought.
Row gauge? I hadn't thought about this till Sean brought it up. I do check my gauge, but not my row gauge. So maybe if my row gauge is off then even if I am starting the toe at the right place it is going to end up too long? I should measure the toes of these socks and see if they ended up the length indicated by the pattern.

Thanks, y'all, for scratching your heads with me over this. I think I have to mostly chalk it up to my tendency to approximate in life and in measurements. I should point out that in both the sock swaps I have participated in, the socks I received fit me perfectly.

Now about the utility of socks. Perhaps I overspoke. It's true that I have a tendency towards exaggeration. Perhaps it's also true that my shoe styles don't tend to accomodate handknit socks very well. I do wear them with my Mary Jane-style Earth Shoes some. And very, very occasionally with my Birkenstock sandals (but I've been trying to tone down my 90s-style hippie-esque style ever since entering the professional workforce). I also wear my handknit socks to bed. But most of the time, I wear basic boring black socks or (with loafers) knee high stockings or (with boots) tights. Maybe I need to break out of my mold a bit, I don't know. Most of my handknit socks are somewhat delicate things, so I think I feel they are inherently more luxury than wardrobe workhorse. I really should peruse the Socktoberfest flickr group to get ideas of how the right shoes could really make the handknit sock work.

Meanwhile, lest you think I was overly serious about all my exaggerated moaning about taking a break from sock-knitting, I really must show you what I cast on next:

Yeah.
Uptown Boot Socks.
(but not for me)

Making Waves

2007-09-18T15:57:00.000-04:00

Look! An actual FO!
pattern: Waving Lace Socks, Evelyn Clark, from 25 Favorite Socks
yarn: superwash BFL merino, from Collette's Etsy Shop, in Stellar's Jay
needles: size 1 dpns
dates: July 2 - September 13
modifications: none
verdict: These socks have caused me to start coming to terms with my love-hate relationship with sock-making.

what I love:

-working with tiny needles, tiny stitches, and tiny detail
-working with fine, gorgeous yarn

-the singular beauty of a slipped-stitch heel flap
-the magic of turning a heel
- and, of course, the portability

what I loathe:

I can't seem to get the fit right.

First of all, these would have been too loose, even if I hadn't made them too long. After I made the first one, I realized I should've used size 0 dpns (and I changed sizes accordingly for the second pair I made, for my sockapalooza pal). But of course I wasn't going to change sizes for the second sock of the first pair. I guess I need to resign myself to always knitting socks on size 0s. Anything bigger than that and they are too loose. This is strange since when I make garments with bulky yarn, I typically have to go up in needle size because my knitting is tighter than the pattern gauge.

But what is the deal with me and too-long socks? This is the second pair I've made myself that have ended up about half an inch too long, and I don't know how I can keep making the same mistake. And I know myself - I'm not going to go back any time soon and rip out the toe and the extra half inch and reknit them. And part of that is because of one final realization I've made:

Knitted socks just aren't that useful to me. I know that at one time they were one of the most practical things a person could make. But now, they are definitely a luxury item. And I'm beginning to think they are a luxury I just don't have the time for. I certainly enjoy the actual knitting of them. But in terms of final product, I would be much better off with, say, a sweater. Or a hat. Or mittens. Or a scarf. Or even a shawl. Seriously. Right now I am thinking of knitted socks as even less practical than a knitted shawl (this could have something to do with the shawl I intend to finish and wear for our niece's wedding this fall).

Still, I love these socks. Love them beyond what's reasonable. Love them despite the fact that they have disappointed me (or, more accurately, that I have disappointed myself by not making them to fit). I love them because of where they were knit, and when, and what they got me through.

These were intended to be for my sockapalooza pal. I had chosen this colorway because I thought it would be a nice match for blue jeans. I decided to make them my main vacation knit, and then it struck me that the colors were also reminiscent of the blue-green water of the Emerald Coast, where I was headed. That helped me make my decision about a pattern - the Waving Lace looked like little ocean waves; all the more so in these colors.

(not a great shot, due in small part to the fact that the two lifeguards below the blue umbrella in the bottom of the picture were eyeing me like I was nuts, and then point-blank asked me what I was doing)

I began these socks on the way to our ill-fated beach trip. Every morning I rose early, sat on the deck in the breeze, and knit while the house was quiet. Every night as we sat around the table, I happily knit these socks. I had had visions of actually knitting on the beach, but the stress and anxiety of keeping an eye out for two little kids playing on the sand and near the water made that impossible.

After Little Buddha's accident, I didn't pick up the needles again at the beach. Honestly, I was in such a state of shock and horror I'm not sure how I did anything at all other than stare at him, hug everyone every chance I got, replay scenes from the accident in my head, and cry. But as the shock began to subside, I started feeling the need for the needles again, so again I knit. Only now I knew I could not give these socks away. They felt too intimately connected with that beach, that beach house, that time with my family. I needed them. And knitting them helped me feel "normal" again. Knit on through all adversity, Elizabeth Zimmerman said. And so I did.

So yes, these socks are a luxury. A loose-fitting luxury that remind me every time I look at them or wear them of how very lucky I am for what I have that I almost didn't get to keep.

Also, I was right. They do look great with jeans.

School Daze

2007-09-13T20:00:00.000-04:00

It has been 11 years since I completed my last degree (and by "last" I do not intend to mean "final," because I do in fact hope there is still one more in the cards for me; by "last" I simply mean the last one done to-date). All these years later, I still think in terms of semesters. As in, if the semester continues at its current pace, I will not make it to Winter Break. Of course part of this semester-oriented thinking could be due to the fact that I live in a University Town, where life is dominated by the academic schedule.

But the truth is, for me, it isn't just because the University is here, or even because I work for an institution that also structures its program year similarly. It's because, at heart, I am a schoolgirl. I LOVED school. Did you? I was shocked to find out recently that My Old Man did not look forward to the start of school when he was growing up. I thought everyone who was academically-inclined simply loved school, and especially the start of school. What's not to love? Buying new clothes, buying new school supplies, getting registered and finding out who your teachers are going to be, hoping to have a class with that cute guy on the cross country team, going out for cross country so maybe you could get to know that cute guy, throwing yourself at that cute guy until he finally asks you out and gives you his class ring and his varsity jacket and takes you to prom. Okay. Maybe that last part was just me.

At any rate, I always feel nostaglic at this time of year, when so many other people are going back to school, and I'm just doing the same old stuff. But not this year! My boys are not the only ones who get to have "happy scholastics" this year! See, they are going to a Cooperative Nursery School, which means I'm going to school, too. In a Co-op, the parents all run the school - they oversee the governance and administration, and do every job but the actual teaching (the only person on the payroll is the teacher). So 10-12 times a semester each of us assists in the classroom, as well as having volunteer jobs on top of that. Three mornings a week, my boys are in class. Nearly once a week, I'm there with them. It is actually exciting to me beyond rationality. Yes, I may be living vicariously a little bit. Also, there are snacks.

To answer the Great Totebag Question (i.e. why the rule about no backpacks only totebags), the totebags are a part of the school's "kidmail" system. The children hang their totebags on their little hooks and then the teacher and the assistants slip any papers or forms that need to go home with them into their bags. It's a pain for them to have to open so many different styles of bags, with flaps and latches and straps and such. Much easier to slip papers into 20 similarly-styled totebags all hanging in a row. I must say, the 20 totebags look very cute all hanging on their little pegs. There are two in particular that do. ;)

Rachel pointed out that I didn't give the same kind of rave review of Tiny Dancer's fabric choice as I did to Little Buddha's. It's true. While I really fell in love with the bright cars on black fabric that Little Buddha got (with, let's be honest, my strong and enthusiastic urging), I wasn't as taken with the train fabric with its unusual combination of orange-red, dark green, and grey. But the fact is, I am impressed with Tiny Dancer's choice - not only because it is understated and refined, but because he showed remarkable individuality in choosing it. I mean, given that his mother was next to him showing him every other possibility and saying eagerly, "What about this one? Look at these cute cars!" Tiny Dancer stuck to his guns, though. He wanted that particular train print and nothing else. I am actually loving the fabric more and more now, and, more importantly, it suits him.

On Wednesday, I got a few pics (sadly not particularly good quality) of the totebags in action on the way into their school. I love how the boys each have their own very specific way of toting their bags. Tiny Dancer likes to hold both straps in one hand, all twisted up together. Little Buddha holds one strap in each hand and carries them wide apart.

And a few action shots once the school day started. The play-based approach to the school is right up their alley:

Tiny Dancer plays with - what else- the trains

Little Buddha prepares for a puppet show

*sigh* Yay for school! Thank you all for your well wishes for happy scholastics for my boys. As you can see, they are enjoying happy scholastics indeed!

Coming soon: a non-child-related actual knitting FO of the only slightly-disappointing variety. I know you can hardly wait.

Happy Scholastics!

2007-09-10T20:31:00.000-04:00

When Tiny Dancer announced to the mentally ill homeless man at our church that he and Little Buddha would be starting school this week, the man shook both boys' hands and said, "Happy scholastics!" He also said, "Don't step in dog sh*t." Which is, of course, good advice both for preschool and for life. But I digress. "Happy scholastics" has seemed to me a delightful and perfect wish for two little boys embarking on the first day of many years of formal education. Today was that day.

Little Buddha and Tiny Dancer, ready for the new school year.

I found out at their orientation meeting a couple of weeks ago that they were required to use totebags for school instead of backpacks. This seemed to me a perfect excuse to make bags for them, even though the school had some for sale. It also seemed to me the perfect excuse to finally invest in some superbuzzy fabric. I let the boys each choose their own.

Little Buddha went with cars.
I am crazy about this print.

Tiny Dancer went with a vintage-looking train print.

And I went with my first Simple Sewing Project.

I could not be more pleased with the results.

Once I got all the pieces cut, these came together amazingly quickly. After doing Tiny Dancer's, I realized how flimsy these things felt with lightweight cotton. So for Little Buddha's, I added fusible interfacing to the bag and then added a lining. To remind myself of how to do a lining, I referred to this great super eggplant tutorial. It seems only fitting that the first fabric I've ever bought from superbuzzy would be used in a tote bag, when her tote bag tutorial is how I first found her site. (which is actually strange, given how many of the blogs I now read rave about superbuzzy fabric, but back when I was first looking for a tote tute I guess I wasn't reading those blogs yet).

Once I did Little Buddha's lining, I really couldn't resist adding a little pocket, to hold a tiny car.

Little Buddha liked the bag so much, he asked to sleep with it last night. I like the lining and pocket so much that I intend to go back and do the same for Tiny Dancer's bag as well; I just ran out of time for that before school started.

Verdict on this pattern? It's super. Super-fast, super-easy, super-fun. But I definitely will continue to supplement it with interfacing, lining, and probably pockets. Next time, I may try using cotton flannel for the interfacing, as suggested in Bend-the-Rules Sewing.

Happy Scholastics, boys!

Delayed Graftification

2007-09-07T16:44:00.000-04:00

Earlier in the week, I wrote this: The Lace Leaf Pullover I cast on for 16 days ago? It's done except the grafting (which I hope to do tonight). That sound you heard when you read it was the maniacal laughter of the knitting gods and goddesses. "Tonight" has turned into "all week long."

do the math:

136 stitches on top
+ 136 stitches on bottom
x working the yarn through each stitch twice
x 3 feet of yarn in attempt to do the kitchener with only one piece of yarn
- at least 2 dropped stitches
+ ridiculous expectations about how the time/space continuum works
= copious amounts of cussing and hair-tearing,
not to mention one very obvious seam

Yeah. Looks like I'll be ripping back to about the 10th stitch and starting all over again.
But not tonight.

Back When I Still Sewed: a Hat and a Hat

2007-09-06T16:23:00.000-04:00

So in June I also made some hats! I feel like that needs an exclamation point because these were very! fun! hats!

Planning for the beach, I had this vision of myself in my bathing suit, a wrap, big sunglasses, and a big beachy hat. The wrap was a bust, the sunglasses got broken, and the wind always blew off my hat. At least my bathing suit was super-cute. But you are so not going to see pictures of me in it.

pattern: Amy Butler Blue Sky Hat
fabric: you guessed it - basic cotton from JoAnn's
black for the exterior and a sweet little flower print for the interior
made: one afternoon in June
modifcations: different prints for exterior and interior - I wanted a black hat to match my black swimsuit, but I didn't want it to look too much like a witch's hat
verdict: this was a fun and surprisingly simple pattern. I did have difficulty sewing through three layers of canvas, though, even with my heaviest needle. In retrospect, I wish I had done the whole hat in the floral fabric. I've decided I don't care for the two-tone look in this hat, plus the floral fabric is so sweet. At least I have enough left over to make a top out of now.
I mean, if I ever use my machine again.

The hat was so fun and came together so quickly that I decided to make another one to match my blue swimsuit. Since I'd had trouble sewing the canvas, I went with heavy fusible web this time instead.

pattern: Amy Butler Blue Sky Hat
fabric: bright blue cotton batik
made: one afternoon in June
modifications: used heavyweight fusible web instead of canvas
verdict: I love this fabric and like that the hat is the same on exterior and interior. The fusible web was definitely much easier to sew than the canvas, but the results were not as good. It has a much cheaper feel to it, and blew off even more easily than the other.

In random kindness news, sweet Mer named me as a

I was honored to be included among the rockin' blogs she listed. Thanks, Mer! What comes around goes around, so it's my turn to name some rockin' girl bloggers. Like Mer said, this has been going around for awhile and it's hard to remember who all has already been tagged, but here are just a few girl bloggers I think rock:
Rachel
Minty
Nova
Amisha
Felicia

These are just a very few rockin' girl bloggers, and only from the craft world, (and I intentionally left out those who I already know someone else has tagged). But you know, I think all you readers rock, so you should all consider yourselves tagged (guys, too!).

Back When I Still Sewed: a Hit and a Miss

2007-09-04T14:16:00.000-04:00

First of all, thank you for all your fabulous responses to my last two posts! Extra thanks to those of you who let me know about the Anne of Green Gables Knit and Read Along. A convergence of too many good things at once - I can hardly stand it! Of course I signed up right away. And you should too.

So way back in June (how is it September already?), I sewed some stuff. A lot of stuff, actually. I didn't sew everything I wanted to sew, but I still sewed enough that I spent almost every day of a 4-week trip wearing at least one handmade item. (Some of it I blogged back in June). It was like sewing took the place in my life that is supposed to belong to knitting (though I did still manage to knit a sweater that month - not that I have yet managed either a photo shoot or a blog post about it). Now that time in my life seems a world away. Everything before Little Buddha's accident seems to belong to a different world than the one I live in now. I haven't touched my sewing machine since. That's partly because I need to take it into the shop for repair (the stitch length adjuster doesn't work. I get one length, all the time), and I have resisted doing it because I don't want to be without my machine (though I haven't used it for anything for more than 2 months now). But it's also because knitting has taken its accustomed place in my life again. After the accident, knitting saw me through a lot of anxiety and grief, and now I can't seem to put down the needles.

My study is still stacked with fabric I had planned to use for summer and fall projects, and I will get to some of them. Soon. I think. I hope. But for now, it is all knit, all the time. (Okay, not really. Because truthfully, there is another little hobby that has captivated me a wee bit lately, too. More about it another time.) I have been a bit astonished at the amount of knitting I've been doing (and the amount of Ravelry-based knit-plotting I've been doing). The Lace Leaf Pullover I cast on for 16 days ago? It's done except the grafting (which I hope to do tonight). That's like some kind of record for me (both in terms of project finish time and in terms of knitting monogamy). But I have these few sewing projects to show still, so show them I will.

Warning: in my haste to get these babies blogged already, I pulled off the most ridiculously quick photo shoot yesterday, complete with totally wrinkled everything. I just grabbed up all these things in whatever state I found them and put them on, in whatever state I found myself in, and went to shooting.

Enough freakin' buildup already, right? Without further ado (could there be anymore ado?), here's my poorly-executed wrinkled beach wrap:

pattern: Sew What? Skirts Breezy Beach Wrap
fabric: super-cheap cotton beach print from Hancock's going-out-of-business sale ($2/yd)
made: one afternoon in June
modifications: I wanted this to be a long straight skirt rather than a short A-line, so I made those adjustments. Unfortunately, I didn't make it nearly as long as I meant. I wanted another 5 or 6 inches. Note to self: measure twice, cut once.
verdict: Like the idea better than its incarnation. I didn't wear this at all at the beach (or elsewhere). Maybe if it had been as long as I meant. Also I made it too big in the hips. Also the pattern has you overlap the back pieces and tie in front. I prefer my wraps to overlap in front, but that means this one ties in back. Next time (if there is one), I will make the ties much longer, so I can overlap in front and still tie in front. This will probably get relegated to the scrap pile for the fabric to be harvested for some other beach project, some other time.

Next up, my usual Built by Wendy Simplicity top.

pattern: Simplicity 3835
fabric: gauzy, crinkly white cotton from JoAnn
made: one day in June
modifications: none
verdict: I really love this top. It is so simple (not just to make, but to wear - I like a nice simple look, especially for summer). It is so cool and summery. It has become my "go-to" top when I want to be comfortable but look both casual and pulled-together. White cami, white gauzy top, dark blue jeans, black sandals, I'm done. This top is a great alternative to a t-shirt. It's just as comfortable, but not as clingy.

These pictures really don't do it justice, thanks to my hasty photo shoot. But you get the idea. If you are thinking of taking up sewing and want something super-simple to start with, I cannot recommend this pattern highly enough. It gives a huge bang for the buck.

In a previous post of tops from this pattern, someone asked for any tips I might have for a beginner sew-er making this top. I am really a sewing novice myself, so there may be others out there with better tips than I have. But here's what I'd say:

Choose a thin or sheer cotton fabric. This pattern can look a bit boxy otherwise. (A way to combat that would be to add darts in the back, but a true novice might not want to try that yet). This version, in this gauzy cotton, has been my favorite of the three I've made.
Check the finished measurements for the sizes, rather than going by the size the pattern recommends for your personal measurements, and choose how close you want it to fit. Patterns typically build in more ease than I really want in my clothes. For this top, I ended up going down two sizes from what it recommended based on my measurements.
Do not be afraid of the elastic, but do be prepared for it. The elastic is what makes this top easy - it means you don't have to sew a real neckline or set in the sleeves. But elastic can be a bit frightening for a beginner. Just follow the directions and you'll be all right, but do make sure you have a way of threading the elastic into the casing other than just your finger (I've tried that - it doesn't work so well). You can buy something called a "bodkin" that is meant to help you thread elastic into casings, but I just use a safety pin. I attach it to one end of the elastic and then thread the pin into the casing first. Then I can feel where the pin is through the fabric, and I just sort of push and pull the pin along till it comes out the other end.
Do not try to take a short-cut on the hems. Do it right and do a double-fold hem (fold 1/4" and press; fold another 1/4", press, and stitch). I have done short-cuts on these tops and it has left me with a frayed mess at the bottom - and it does show.
Speaking of doing things "right" - do take the time to press your seams open.

So there ya go, some sewing tips from a gal who hasn't touched the machine in almost three months. I still have 5 more unbloggged FOs to show from June, but since I apparently can't show pictures without adding several paragraphs of text for each shot, and since this post is already ridiculously long, I'll stop there.

[In other news, my Sockapalooza Pal, Kristin of Spinning Athena, got her socks and they fit and she seems to like them! (I'm blogging this way late, I realize, but she did get them on time - phew!). I really loved knitting the Waving Lace socks for her, and am happily knitting myself a pair as well. For a beautiful silk version of this pattern, check out Rachel's.]

Lovelyful

2007-08-25T15:01:00.000-04:00

Little Buddha, like his mother, tends towards extreme enthusiasm when speaking of things he loves. Fantastic. Wonderful. Weally Gweat. These are some of his favorite expressions. Last night, after having me read How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? for a third time, he apparently had come to the end of all the best words he knew to express his enjoyment. So he made up his own. "It's lovelyful," he whispered, stroking the cover reverently.

I think it is a perfect word, and have decided to use it myself. Today, I find myself thinking of several lovelyful things.

1. You, dear reader. I really loved all the great comments on my post about the public library on Thursday. Not only was it just cool that you share my enthusiasm for the public library, but I learned some things about my own library, too! I learned from Natalie that if the AADL doesn't have something I want, I can request it, they will order it for me, and then I will be the first person to get it when it comes in! Then Jamie chimed in to let me know that one of the many fairy doors in Ann Arbor is located at the public library's main branch. Cool! I have read about the fairy doors but have never been on a fairy door quest, and I think my boys would love going around town looking for them. Thanks, Jamie!

Cathy invited me to be her friend on goodreads - a site for seeing what your friends are reading, keeping track of what you've read and what you'd like to, and getting book recommendations from people who know your tastes. I had never heard of it before, and since I definitely need yet another net-based time-suck that caters to one of my hobby-related obsessive tendencies, I signed up right away!

Chris shared this video. I won't call it lovelyful, exactly, but it is funny.

Cath delurked and in the process mentioned that she grew up on Prince Edward Island. Yes, PEI, home of a certain redhaired orphan girl I adore. Which brings me to the next lovelyful thing.

2. Anne of Green Gables. Cath's mention of her was all it took to conjure up old and beloved memories of Anne, Diana, Gilbert, Marilla, and Matthew. I am betting that most of you share my love of her. Right before my 11th birthday, my mother gave me these:

Her own childhood copies of Anne of Green Gables and Anne's House of Dreams

On the inside cover of Anne of Green Gables is her name (in my grandmother's hand) with the date: Christmas the year my mother was 11
these books are two of my most treasured possessions

I began reading Anne of Green Gables on my 11th birthday, which also happened to be the last day of school when I was in fifth grade - I can still remember sitting at my desk with my nose in this old book, while others celebrated the end of the year. It had been a hard year for me, moving in the middle of the year and starting a new school in January, where everyone else had grown up together; our opposite ways of ending the year and starting our summers typified how alien I felt in this new place. All around the room, kids shrieked and laughed with each other, jumped up on tabletops and threw things, danced and sang. I sat alone in my desk, and cracked open a dusty 30 year-old book:

Mrs. Rachel Lynde lived just where the Avonlea main road dipped down into a little hollow, fringed with alders and ladies' eardrops and traversed by a brook that had it source away back in the woods of the old Cuthbert place; it was reputed to be an intricate, headlong brook in its earlier course through those woods, with dark secrets of pool and cascade; but by the time it reached Lynde's Hollow it was a quiet, well-conducted little stream, for not even a brook could run past Mrs. Rachel Lynde's door without due regard for decency and decorum; it probably was conscious that Mrs. Rachel was sitting at her window, keeping a sharp eye on everything that passed, from brooks and children up, and that if she noticed anything odd or out of place she would never rest until she had ferreted out the whys and wherefores thereof.

And with that first sentence, off I went, down the lane to Avonlea, not looking back till I'd finished the whole series (I remember closing the last book lying on the floor in front of a fire the next winter). I embraced redheaded 11 year-old Anne as a kindred spirit, and with her spunk and wit she showed me a way that no one else around me seemed to know. It is what the best books do - illuminate for us an alternate world, articulate another way of being in our own world, reveal paths other than we might have come by on our own. I know I had been invited into other worlds by other books before these, but Anne seemed to do so in a spectacular and unforgettable way, and I do not think I have been the same since.

It was that summer, as soon as I'd finished the first book, that I started to write the first of many unfinished novels, about a redheaded orphan named Amber and her best friend Diane. I can remember sitting on the screened-in porch with my dad, reading him the first chapter, which is when I learned that "gingerly" meant the exact opposite of what I thought (what disillusionment!). Later, I was thrilled to overhear my father compliment my writing to my mother (he gently overlooked the fact that my book was more than simply "inspired by" Anne). That summer, my dad decided to order me a subscription to Writer's Digest. Yes, my dad is That Cool.

Anne of Green Gables, you are still lovelyful to me.

3. Finally, lest you think this is a book blog instead of a knitting blog (though I gather you, my fellow bibliophiles, would not protest if it were), one more bit of yummy this weekend.

the Lovelyful Lace Leaf Pullover

I can't say enough about how much I'm enjoying this knit. I really should be working on the shawl I need to wear for a wedding in two months, but this pullover has me hooked (even though Monday's fall weather turned quickly back to muggy summertime). The color enchants me, the yarn is luscious, and the pattern is quick and fun. Also, I'm getting to work the math part of my brain since I'm knitting with a different gauge.

You can possibly tell from the above shot that I did decide to go ahead and knit the body in two pieces, as per the pattern (I'm doing the arms before the upper body just to mix things up a bit). Though I could deal with reversing the lace leaf chart if I kept knitting bottom-to-top (thanks to Karma for pointing me in the right direction for that), I couldn't quite get my mind around how to reverse the entire rest of the top of the sweater. Also, grafting in the middle will keep me from having to bind off the neck, which my gigantic head will appreciate (since I have a well-documented tendency to bind off ribbing too tightly).

lovelyful sleeve detail

I am glad there is still a bit of summer left, but this knit does make me look forward to fall. I think it is going to be such a cozy sweater.

Hope you're having a lovelyful weekend too!

what I love :: the local library

2007-08-23T07:59:00.000-04:00

(an ostensibly craft-related post)

When I was six years old, my dad took me to the public library to get my first library card. How official I felt! How grown up! My own card, with my own name on it. For years after that, it was a favorite Saturday afternoon ritual - going to the library with my father and brother. Sometimes the library would show kids' movies (my favorite: Pippi Longstocking). Other times there were readings or other special events. But mostly for me, the library was about the miles and miles of books. I loved those stacks. (The only drawback was that patrons were not allowed to check out more than 10 books at a time - I hated that rule!). There was nothing like leaving the library with a pile of books.

It surprises me, then, that it took so long for me to become a patron of the Ann Arbor District Library. I think part of it is that by the time we moved here, I had gotten in the habit of buying most of the books I wanted instead of borrowing (hello and thank you, Amazon. Not to mention: hello and thank you, full-time job and disposable income). In the years before we moved here, I lived in a very small town with a very small library, and while I certainly patronized it, I couldn't find most of what I wanted. Also, I have a small problem with keeping books past their due dates and owing exorbitant fines, so I think that after a few too many big fines, I cut back on checking things out and just used that money to buy books instead.

I did occasionally visit the library here in my first years, but it was sporadic. And then about three years ago, I suddenly got hooked. Perhaps it had something to do with having kids and wanting to introduce them to the wonders of the library early, like my dad did for me. Or maybe it was because the AADL unveiled an amazing and extensive website. Or maybe it was because I finally realized that, with kids, a house, and a yarn habit to support, (not to mention an expensive coffee addiction to keep up with), I couldn't keep funneling so much of my money to Barnes&Noble, Borders, and Amazon. Probably it was a convergence of all of these things. Whatever the reason, I am now completely hooked on our public library. Love it. And I'm here to tell you, the public library can be a craftster's best friend.

Example #1: When I first started getting interested in sewing and quilting (ah, quilting, the hobby I'm obsessed with and have yet never tried), I was hesitant to buy any books related to those crafts (especially since I had so many knitting books on my list). But my library has a great collection of these books. I can search their catalog online from home and put a hold on it online, and it will be waiting for me to pick it up at the desk at any branch I choose (there are three within 5 minutes of my house, lucky me). By using my online account, I was able to put a hold on Denise Schmidt's quilting book before the library even owned a copy - then when they got it, I was able to just swing by and pick it up!

Example #2: Some books (like Denise Schmidt's book) I decide right away I want to own myself, so I will go ahead and buy them myself when I have the funds. But other books I'm not yet ready to purchase, and if no one else is waiting for them, I can keep them indefinitely - as long as I use my online account to renew them every three weeks. Good-bye, overdue fines! (okay, let's be honest, I still find it possible to rack up fines) [the book I've checked out the longest: Your First Quilting Book - which I have now renewed 27 times in a row] (if anyone else ever wants it, they just put a hold on it and then I can't renew it, so I don't feel bad about having it out for well over a year)

Example #3: Occasionally there will be a crafting book I want that is out-of-print. Last spring there was one I really wanted: One Piece Knits That Fit. At the time, the price was unreasonable for me (it had shot way up due to demand and too few copies). My library's online catalog didn't have the book. BUT I was able to search the Inter-Library Loan database and locate four other copies in the state. Within a week, one was ready for me to pickup at my local library. Unfortunately, I couldn't renew it beyond the three weeks I had it checked out. I may or may not have photocopied the entire book.

Right now, as you know, I am working on the Lace Leaf Pullover, which I just happened to spot and love in the Ravelry database. I originally had other plans for the chocolate brown yarn and so did not already own the book that has this pattern. So I checked the book out. You know, there is not one other thing in that book that I will ever want to knit, and I'm sure I will only knit this pullover this one time. Public library to the rescue.

I know that crafting books are the only thing I'm raving about here, but that's just because I know y'all will understand. But I do check out other things, and thankfully, there are no limits here on how much I can have out at once (current total: 32 books; my record: 49). Since we do not have TV, we only watch DVDs, and the AADL is a great source for those, especially for our boys.

There are so many reasons I love the public library, and now my boys do too. The children's sections at two of the closest branches are particularly good, with the main branch housing a large aquarium. Tiny Dancer is crazy about fish.

But of course the best part is still the books....

Love you, local library! Love you, friendly librarians! Love you, books!

What about the rest of you? Do you use and love your local library? What do you love about it?

Rainy Day Pseudo-Crafting

2007-08-22T11:07:00.000-04:00

This week has been strange for a number of reasons - the weather, my usual schedule is all thrown off by several different things, and then on Monday night, My Old Man and I were interviewed again about Little Buddha's accident, this time by the local Fox News affiliate. It felt strange and surreal to tell the story again, but I was pleasantly surprised at the job they did (and also surprised that Little Buddha actually spoke on camera - briefly - about it). If you're interested, you can see it here. Notice that I'm wearing a made-by-me top!

The big reason my week is weird is that our babysitter is on vacation this week, which means My Old Man and I are juggling the boys even more than usual. I am home with the boys more (I'm usually just home in the afternoons, and then all day Friday), and you can imagine what that is like with the weather we've been having (rain, more rain, and some really frightening thunderstorms). Cooped up in the house with two three year-old boys, trying to do some work from home AND knit an occasional round ANd keep them occupied AND keep my sanity - well, it's been a bit of a challenge.

For the last year-and-a-half I've had this project in mind. Starting when the boys were about 20 months old, they developed this terrible habit of tearing up some of their best books. We got vigilant about storing books out of their reach, but still for about a year, they took turns shredding the ones they could get ahold of (including some board books we thought were virtually indestructible), which caused a lot of tears on my part. I couldn't bear to throw the books away, even the ones I couldn't put back together. So I began to collect the pieces, with the idea that I would some day glue them to construction paper and assemble them in a looseleaf notebook. A book made up of all their old books. Then I started adding greeting cards to the collection, because the boys treat the cards they receive like little books. Then I started looking at anything - the pictures I accidentally printed on regular paper, a certificate received for being in the children's choir at church, a cracker box front that had Woody and Buzz Lightyear on it. Anything became fair game. Now I have a huge bin full of this stuff, with things spilling out the top and stacked next to it, taking up space in our bedroom.

So yesterday, I finally got going on it. I only got a few pages in each book made, because, well, the boys were getting into trouble while I worked. Still, I was pleased with the results, and so were they.

(yes, Little Buddha wears his binoculars around the house)
(he also sometimes will wear his raincoat - hood up - all day,
including for his nap)

These books kept them occupied for minutes! Yes, minutes. They each looked at their own, and then happily traded and looked at each other's, and then 10 minutes later they were done. This project I've dreamed of for a year-and-a-half had a 10 minute pay off. Well, that's how it goes, I guess. [I still have many more pages to make, so maybe I can count on another 10 or 15 minutes of their being occupied sometime in the future.]

Another way we keep busy when we're stuck inside is to take goofy pictures of each other. I'm grateful I didn't have to pose with Woody (from Toy Story) this time, as I have done in the past (you won't be seeing those pics). But the boys have a lot of fun making goofy faces for the camera - I don't know what the deal is with their hands. Are they throwing gang signs? I don't know....

Happy Wednesday, y'all.

Rainy Days and Mondays

2007-08-20T13:58:00.000-04:00

Is it just me, or is an autumnal wind blowing through the knitblog community these days? I think I am not the only one who is already thinking fall, a month before the season officially begins. Of course, where I am, it actually does feel - and look - like fall already.

Most of the year, I knit in a chair the living room, but in the summer, when it's finally warm enough, I move to our (poorly insulated) back room, where I can knit while I watch the sun rise over our backyard. But this is the view today:

60 degrees, overcast, with thunderstorms on-and-off

So can I really be blamed for this:

donning thick, handknit socks
using Cozy as a lap blanket
putting my feet up,
and setting aside all my other WIPs for....

a fall sweater

I cast on this weekend for the Lace Leaf Pullover, in KnitPicks Decadence (color - chocolate!). I love a thick brown sweater for fall. Because this yarn is more of a heavy worsted than the bulky the pattern calls for, I am having to do significant recalculating (I had hoped that I could just knit the largest size and have it fit, but with my gauge that would've put the finished chest at about 29" and, well, that won't work). So far, my calculations seem to be working out fine (and I actually like the sweater at a smaller gauge than in the book), but I'm debating whether to continue working from the pattern and just keep recalculating stitch count or veer completely from the pattern and continue to knit from the bottom up. (Those of you familiar with the pattern will know that it's a tad unusual - you do the bottom from the bottom and the top from the top and then you graft them together in the middle.) I have to decide in about two inches....

Thanks for the great suggestions about the Chevron Scarf. I have set it aside temporarily and am mulling over my options - y'all gave me some great ones.

So, what about you? Are you leaning towards fall? What fall knits have your attention these days?

Why, hello, Bandwagon, may I jump on too?

2007-08-17T18:40:00.001-04:00

I have a love-hate relationship with trends. In general, my stance is a curmudgeonly one. The more people doing something, the more suspicious and disdainful I tend to be. Not intentionally, of course, just automatically. At the same time, I have this rather pronounced weakness when it comes to the power of suggestion.

There are very few web-based knitting trends that have not wooed me. I have never knit a Clapotis and I don't intend to. I have yet to succumb to the siren call of the Jaywalker. I have never knit with Socks that Rock (but that, my friends, is about to change - am I a lucky gal, or what? and are Ashley, Christy, and Julia rocking bloggers, or what? and are schrodinger and I in a contest to see which of us can win the most contests, or what? and am I trying to see how many questions I can ask as an aside, or what?).

But pretty much every other knitting trend has obsessed me at some point, whether or not I actually followed through and knit the thing. Come to think of it, most of the trends that have obsessed me are still knocking around in my head, rather than either on or off my needles. I have spent outrageous amounts of time researching yarns, yarn colors, and yarn prices for patterns I have yet to knit and probably won't knit in the near future (Central Park Hoodie, Seamless Hybrid, Tubey, and Ribby Cardi, I'm looking at you). (Note to self: the amount of time you spend drooling over other people's FOs on Ravelry is inversely related to the amount of time you spend actually completing your own projects.) Oddly (or perhaps completely in character with my curmudgeonly attitude towards trends in general), I tend to be late in jumping on (startling exception: knitting Monkeys with a picot cuff, which I managed to both do and blog before it was cool [but I was not the one that started the trend] ).

So it should come as no surprise to me that I am late to the Chevron Scarf party, but come to the party I have. Like so many others, I got the bug as soon as I saw this one last March. Before long, they were everywhere. Funny how you can have a book on your shelf for 2 years and never once consider a particular pattern in it, and then you see other people's brilliant iterations of it and suddenly you're inspired. Before the Chevron Scarf Parade swept blogland, I never considered knitting it. But show it to me in STR Watermelon Tourmaline and Farmhouse dozens of times, and I'm hooked.

The thing is, I'm not really a bright-color-wearing person (and of course, being a selfish knitter, I have not been planning on knitting this for anyone for my own self). Dude. When you grow up as the girl with the big curly red clown hair, you really don't need anything extra making you stand out. (Please go back and tell that to my 7th grade striped-primary-color-legwarmer-wearing self). I like subtle. I like neutrals. And I love brown and pink.

Enter another skein of Collette's yummy Superwash Supersock fingering weight merino.

What I had in mind was a Chevron Scarf of only soft neutrals, with a tiny bit of pink for pop. After mulling it over, and looking at Collette's past and current offerings, I went for Carrie Lyn, which she was kind enough to custom dye for me.

Inspired by a Nubian goat in Alabama (I love how Collette gets her inspiration. If you haven't already, check out her etsy shop. And big thanks to Jenelle for introducing me to this yarn).
Aren't the colors delicious? I especially love that tiny bit of grey.
I thought this colorway would be a perfect foil for the brown and pink yarn.

What is the secret behind picking out a perfect combination of colorways for the Chevron Scarf? I'm not sure. I know that I would never have thought of Watermelon Tourmaline and Farmhouse on my own. Perhaps it takes a special kind of genius to get the colors just contrasted enough without harming the eyes. But it turns out that if you pick colors that have too much overlap (in my case, each yarn had brown and cream), then you end up with a broad zigzag going up your scarf, rather than the eye-popping chevron lines you're going for.

What's a girl to do?

I don't know yet. I know that I am crazy about this pattern and crazy about this yarn (and these colorways, separately). The pattern is shockingly simple - and surprisingly fast. I can't help but pick this thing up and knit on it a bit here and there, even though I shouldn't do so since I think I'm going to frog and start again. But I'm not sure how to get the effect I'm visualizing. I'm considering just trying the scarf with the brown and pink yarn alone to see if it gets what I'm going for. But I'm open (way open) to suggestions or clues about how to make a Chevron Scarf that is both neutral in colors and still contrasted enough to really show the movement of the chevron lines (in a non-zigzag way, of course).

It's a shame, though, because I really do love these colors. As they slide off my needle, they put me in mind of some of my favorite things: black coffee, coffee with cream, latte, raspberries....

Er, uh, I have no idea why the photos above (imported from flickr) are all off-center....

Onward.

2007-08-16T14:30:00.000-04:00

How on earth does one go back to blogging about crafts and such after a dramatic, traumatic, life-changing event? I don't know. I'm just going to do it. So. Onward.

Sockapalooza!

My pal, blogless Kathy in Montana, sent me an awesome package. A heavenly bar of French soap, a bag of delicious wild huckleberry muffin mix (all devoured by my fellas and me within 24 hours of my making the muffins), and a gorgeous (and perfectly-fitting) pair of socks!

Basketweave Rib pattern, from Sensational Knitted Socks
Mountain Colors Bearfoot yarn, in Mountain Twilight
I love these socks.

It was really hard to get an accurate picture of these, because the yarn is this yummy dark purple with just small flecks of chocolate and pink in it. In fact, in the picture above, you can see more color variation than you can actually see with the naked eye. I love how subtle the colors are, because the truth is, as much as I enjoy seeing other people's wild and fun socks, I really am not a bright colors kind of person.

I have never used this sock yarn before, but it is SO soft and SO cushiony (it's got a bit of mohair in it). By yesterday, I couldn't stand it any more - I had to order myself some - same colorway. I've decided this yarn would be perfect for Cathy's socks (I'll save the great eggplant yarn for some lacey socks for myself, I think). And because I am no match for the power of suggestion, I finally caved and got myself Sensational Knitted Socks, too. (thank you, LYS gift card from Mother's Day) (and thank you, Ravelry bookshelf, for keeping track of my knitting books, and graciously letting me know when I have added something to my queue which requires a new book!)

Kathy, you rock! Thanks for the awesome socks!!!

Home and other happy things

2007-08-01T08:26:00.000-04:00

I have several random things to share (including Actual! Knitting! Content!), so I'm just going to jump right in.

1. Home.

We arrived home a week ago tonight and are slowly settling into regular life again. Coming home was rather emotional for me, living so close to the reality that we almost came back with only one child. The tears were from gratitude and relief, but from sadness too. On a visceral level, the trauma of what happened somehow imprinted itself, so that even though things turned out happily, there's a part of me that can't shake the horror or the grief.

But mostly there is happiness, and gratitude, and amazement. Here is the picture that almost wasn't, taken the night after Little Buddha's accident:

we look pretty dang happy, don't we?

One of the most tender things to come out of the trauma has been the increased affection and closeness between Tiny Dancer and Little Buddha. They have always seemed to love and enjoy each other, and they are both very affectionate little boys. But the accident seems to have intensified their relationship, especially for Tiny Dancer.

a poignant moment at the lake at the beach,
the day after the accident

Tiny Dancer embracing Little Buddha

There is so much still to process about what happened, at least for me. The boys, though, seem to have moved on, for which I'm grateful. Ah, the resilience of a three year-old.

2. National coverage.

If you missed The Early Show segment on CBS, you can view it here. (in the drop-down menu select "videos" and then type in "sand danger"). Overall, I was pleased with the job they did, and mostly just grateful that My Old Man and I didn't appear to be total idiots (you never know what stupid thing is going to accidentally come out of your mouth that will become a sound bite). There are a couple of corrections, though. They said that our son climbed into the hole, whereas he says he fell, and that's what we said in the interview, repeatedly. This was an important point to me because I want people to realize that this can happen entirely accidentally, if other children do not cover up the holes they dig. Also, the news show said he was in the hole for 10 minutes, when it was really more like 5 (long enough, trust me). I shudder to think of him buried alive for twice as long as he was. The possibility of his still being alive at that point would've been even more remote.

Still, I am grateful for the coverage of what happened, because I believe that raising awareness about this potential beach danger is the only way to prevent it from happening to other children.

3. Guardian angels.

There still aren't words to express my gratitude for Erika Orlando, the young woman who felt led to look in the sand for him. She and I are in correspondence now, and she is delightful. She's a twin, too. To read her version of events, and see all the "coincidences" involved in her even being in the beach at that particular moment, is amazing. I thank God for her every day. I wish every child had a guardian angel like her.

4. Happiness in blogland.

My life hasn't been only about the trauma, even though I clearly can't seem to write about anything else. First, my day started yesterday with an email from Cara telling me I had won her latest contest! You know, winning yarn (and an awesome pattern!) made me unbelievably happy - it really made my day. I am so into lace right now (not that you can tell, given how little I actually write about knitting on my blog these days), so I'm super-psyched. Unfortunately, Ravelry is keeping me honest - I have a ridiculous number of WIPs and hibernating projects right now, so it will probably be awhile before I can reasonably cast on. At any rate, Cara rocks! But you already knew that.

Then later in the day, I was notified that I had won a little something else: a Perfect Post award from Lani, for my posts about Little Buddha's accident.

Isn't that cool?
I'm so honored.

Seems like I'm on a roll for winning stuff in blogland, so I guess I better hurry up and enter this contest to win a 37" flat-panel TV from Best Buy. You should enter too!

5. Knitting.

Ah, yes, this is a knitting blog, isn't it?

Well, I got my Sockapalooza socks done - not that you even knew I was doing Sockapalooza since I have failed to write about it even one time, or even put the little button on my blog (can you tell I'm all out of sorts with my blogger template right now? - everything's kinked up over there in the sidebar and I haven't gotten my old buttons back up yet). At any rate, here they are:

pattern: Waving Lace Socks, by Evelyn Clark, from Favorite Socks
yarn: Lazy Perry Ranch Superwash Supersock Merino from Collette's Etsy shop
color - Brown and Pink
needles: size 0 dpns
started: July 14
finished: July 27
modifications: none
verdict: I'm pleased. My sock pal has the same size foot as me, and these fit me perfectly. And, of course, brown and pink is one of my favorite color combos. I actually bought this yarn for myself and had started a pair for my sock pal in a different colorway. When I finished it, though, I realized I couldn't give it away. More about that another time....
At any rate, I really loved this yarn, and this pattern is super. So pretty, so easy, so interesting. I realize the pattern would show up better in a solid or semi-solid, but I was just itching to use some variegated. The pattern shows up better in real life than it does in these pictures. I found these socks unusually hard to photograph. Here are some detail shots:

Thank you again, for your many kind words in the comments and in my email inbox. It means so much to me to feel like people really understand the horror we went through, as well as the fact that you are sharing in our happiness at the outcome. Thank you, friends.

Update on us.

2007-07-20T15:50:00.000-04:00

First, Wow. And Thank You. I am overwhelmed by the kind comments left here and in my email inbox regarding our son's recent near-fatal accident.

We are all doing relatively well - the boys probably more so than My Old Man and I. They still talk about the accident some, but they seem mostly their usual selves (though Little Buddha is even more clingy than before). My Old Man and I are having a slower recovery - it is hard to describe the complexity of emotions that both of us seem to be grappling with - but we are slowly making our way back to some sort of normal. I am grateful for that privilege, because each day I realize that if our story had ended differently - had we not found Rob in time - I don't think I could've made my way back. I would have been living an entirely different life right now, with a thoroughly shattered heart.

In answer to the questions I have received about linking to our story. Yes, Yes, Yes. Please do. On your blog, on parenting (or other) boards, in emails to friends and family. I want to get the word out to as many people as possible that this kind of thing - though rare - can happen. I don't want another family to have to go through what we've been through, especially since most cases do not end as happily as ours.

I also want people to know that this kind of thing is totally preventable. It's easy:
1 - Don't dig holes deeper than waist-height of the shortest person around. The hole my son fell into was not terribly deep. But it was deep enough to swallow him up when it caved in.
2 - If you (or your children) do dig holes, fill them up when you're done. That alone would've prevented our near-tragedy.
3 - When you arrive at the beach, scout out the area you will be setting up in, checking for holes. Teach your children to come tell you if they find holes other have dug, and to not play in or near them.
4 - Keep as sharp an eye on your children on the sand as you would in the water.

I don't mean to be an alarmist. I realize that what happened to us was unusual. But it did happen. And it didn't have to. It takes very little effort to prevent this kind of tragedy.

One final bit of an update, to add one bizarre thing on top of another. As it turns out, the national media has gotten interested in Dr. Maron's recently published findings on this kind of thing (which I think is a very good thing). CBS is going to run a segment on sand hole collapses this coming Tuesday, July 24th, at 7:30 a.m. A camera crew came down this week and interviewed the four of us for the story. The whole segment will only last about 4 minutes and it will include way more than just what they filmed with us, so I expect that very little of the 3 hours they spent with us will actually air.

Again, thank you for your very kind words and good thoughts for our family.

The worst five minutes of my life.

2007-07-15T20:44:00.001-04:00

I knew my blogging would be sporadic while on vacation, but I had not intended to take a hiatus for this long. Life intervened. A week ago tonight, my family sustained an enormous trauma and near tragedy. Miraculously, all ended well. As life is slowly turning back towards "normal," I am feeling more energy to put into words what happened, and I find I need to, more and more. What follows is the story of how we almost lost Little Buddha, and how a total stranger saved his life. I have decided to break with my usual blogging habit and use everyone's real names. The telling of this story seems to demand it.

Last Sunday, on our next-to-last night at Santa Rosa Beach, our family headed down to the beach - me, Paul (My Old Man), Rob (Little Buddha), Charlie (Tiny Dancer), My Old Man's daughter S, her husband L, and their baby J. The red flag was up, indicating hazardous water conditions, so I had already decided we would only play in the sand. When we got to our usual spot, not very far from the lifeguard tower, we began setting up our chairs, right along the ledge where the soft sand drops to the packed sand. I was setting up chairs while Paul watched Rob and Charlie play in the sand about 6 feet away. I asked Paul a question about the chairs and he turned to answer me. Within seconds, I became aware of only one child in my peripheral vision. I turned to look directly, and did not see Rob. A quick scan of the beach in all directions was enough to let us all know that he was nowhere he could've gotten in that very brief period of time. We immediately thought he had been swept out by the water (we were somewhat close to the water, and I feared Rob had somehow accidentally backed into it - he is afraid of the water and would never go into it on his own).

I screamed for help while Paul ran out into the water to search for him. Many people came to help us, some assuring us that he had probably just wandered away. I tried to flag the lifeguards two or three times, without success. Paul's daughter ran to get them, and they proceeded to treat it as a "child wanders off" situation, telling us "this happens all the time" and not to panic. I knew how quickly he had disappeared and was certain something terrible had happened. (I am grateful for that certainty, because in the end it turned out that time was of the essence and if I had not quickly gotten so many people to help us look for him in the immediate area he had been, we would not have been able to save him).

For five horrifying minutes we searched the water and the beach, with no luck. I knew it was long enough by this point that there was basically no hope of his still being alive (assuming he was in the water). My one hope was that the waves would bring his body back to us, because I could not imagine leaving the beach without him. A young woman who had been helping with the search suddenly noticed a sort of indentation in the ledge of soft sand, just a few feet from our chairs. She asked if it had been there when we arrived. I didn't know. She stuck her hands in and began to dig a bit - and felt his head. She, my husband, and several others started digging and were able to pull him out - alive, and totally okay. Totally okay. I had not been able to watch them dig him up, because I was so afraid he was dead - it had been five minutes or more! - and I could not bear to see his little body brought up dead, and I could not bear for Charlie to see it either. It seemed to take so long for them to dig his head out (probably a minute, though) and then someone called to me - "He's all right!"

I still don't know how he survived being totally buried (8-10 inches above his head) for more than 5 minutes in the sand. Perhaps there was an air pocket? Perhaps he had somehow fallen in with his hand over his mouth? We have no idea. His eyes and mouth were closed when he was pulled up, and we think perhaps he had passed out, but he fairly quickly opened his eyes and began to cry. He had no sand in his nose or mouth. After the EMTs checked him out, we went to the hospital for a chest x-ray and it showed he had no sand in his lungs either. We realize we are exceptionally fortunate - not only to have found him, but to have found him alive and okay. I would never have thought to look in the sand for him, and if the young woman helping us search had not noticed the indentation and thought to look there, we surely would have lost him for good.

What we have been able to piece together in retrospect, based on what Rob has been able to tell us, is that there was a hole there (the woman who discovered him remembered seeing some boys digging a hole in that area not long before we arrived), and that he stepped in it (either accidentally or on purpose, we are not sure - he says he fell in). As soon as he was in it, it caved in (in his words: "I fell in a hole. The sand kept coming in. The hole closed, and it locked. I don't like to be locked.") He was in a crouching position when he was dug up, and I get the impression from his acting out of things that perhaps his legs buckled beneath him (as a very cautious and not particularly physically adept child, he is not a jumper - I cannot imagine him jumping into the hole and landing in a crouch position). I think the collapse happened immediately. What Paul and I cannot figure out is if the hole was already as deep as it was when we found him (in a crouching position with 8-10 inches of sand over him), or if the hole somehow sunk beneath him as soon as he stepped in. Given that the hole was in the ledge of soft sand, we have wondered if the tide somehow had hollowed out some of the sand beneath the hole, so that when he stepped in the floor of it dropped.

At the time, we thought it was a "freak accident," and the hospital personnel certainly treated it as such (after ruling out foul play). Later that night, I googled "buried in sand" to see if anyone else had experienced such a thing. First I found this. Then I googled "buried in sand death" - and I discovered that just two weeks before Rob's accident, a physician in Boston had a letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine about just this thing, sand hole collapses. I was shocked by his findings, which the AP picked up (you can read a summary here). I have been in extensive conversation with Dr. Maron since Rob's accident, and the conversations have driven home even more how very fortunate we are. Last summer, a woman in Australia was at the beach with her child. She walked to the water's edge to wash something off, and when she turned around, her child was gone. The lifeguards and others treated it as a child abduction situation, and began a full search of the beach. Sometime later, someone remembered seeing the child playing in a hole in the sand. People began to dig, and discovered the child, who was dead. In 60% of these kind of accidents, the victim dies - I imagine that number is even higher if the accident is not witnessed (as was the case for us).

The fact that we not only found Rob, but got him back alive and totally okay (no brain damage, for instance) is astounding and overwhelming beyond words, and we are living in the amazement and gratitude for what feels like a miracle (and for our personal angel, Erika Orlando, the woman who found him and, by doing so, saved his life - and ours). At the same time, it is hard to describe my other reality - the fact that for many minutes I was living with the horror and grief of thinking my little boy was dead. Those emotions and that fear got somehow seared into my mind and heart, and it has been hard to come fully back from those moments.

Still, every moment I get to kiss that sweet face, hug that sturdy body, smell those golden curls, and hear that little voice feels like a miracle all over again. I am beyond grateful.

It may be awhile before I return to my regular blogging, or to my regular blogging topics. I still feel fragile and vulnerable and a bit consumed with what happened that afternoon at the beach. I wanted to let you, my internet friends, know what my family has been through and why my blog may "go dark" for a bit. The earth swallowed up my little boy, and we somehow got him back.

[For an update, read here.]