Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Most of the time, it doesn't bother me that I am dreadfully unorganized. It's just how I am. I'm used to it. I've worn Jonathan down, and now he is used to it. It's a normal way of life, and I am unlikely to change.
However, it makes me crazy when I lose something & can't find it. For the last week plus, I have been going bonkers trying to find the pattern I wrote up for a cardigan I started for myself.
I bought the yarn at Maryland Sheep & Wool. It's a wool/mohair blend-- beautiful colorway, I love the way it knits. I couldn't find a pattern that was exactly what I wanted, so I decided to venture out and create my own. I painstakingly measured every detail on my favorite sweater, and created a diagram with every possible measurement marked. I swatched, I blocked, I used my gauge to figure out how many stitches to start with... I figured out how to shape set-in sleeves, and I wrote it all down on a pad so that I would be sure to match the fronts just right.
We went to Colorado. I finished the back of the sweater, documenting every detail along the way. This picture so does not do this sweater justice.
I bought yarn for Michael and Elana's blanket. I started that, and worked on it, and Jonathan's socks, and my Sockapal2za socks, and didn't think much about the unfinished cardigan. After I finished M&E's blanket last week, I was excited to go back to my sweater. I balled another skein of yarn... got out the back... and the needles... reached for my pad full of pattern notes-- and it wasn't there! I can't find my freaking pattern! I have looked EVERYWHERE, through my yarn stash, through the suitcases we took on the trip, through every pile of papers I can see (and if you have seen my house, you know this is no easy task!) I CAN'T FIND IT AND IT IS MAKING ME CRAZY.
I can find the book I used for basic shaping ideas. I can find the patterns for other things I worked on during the same trip. I did find some yarn I forgot I had... and some baby patterns that I had loaned to Carriellen, and had not been able to find for a couple of months... and I did clean my closet... and I did get some stuff thrown away... but I really really REALLY want to find this pattern. I can't even begin to motivate myself to sit down and figure out where I decreased etc, especially because I KNOW that it is all written down SOMEWHERE. I just don't know where.
To keep myself sane, I started a Shedir hat...
I'm up to the crown decreases.
I really want to find that pattern :(
Unrelated: Happy 8th Anniversary to the man who is so secure in our marriage that he doesn't even read my blog :)
Added, 10:15 p.m. I FOUND IT! I FOUND IT! I FOUND IT! WHEE! (back to my happy unorganized existence)
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However, it makes me crazy when I lose something & can't find it. For the last week plus, I have been going bonkers trying to find the pattern I wrote up for a cardigan I started for myself.
I bought the yarn at Maryland Sheep & Wool. It's a wool/mohair blend-- beautiful colorway, I love the way it knits. I couldn't find a pattern that was exactly what I wanted, so I decided to venture out and create my own. I painstakingly measured every detail on my favorite sweater, and created a diagram with every possible measurement marked. I swatched, I blocked, I used my gauge to figure out how many stitches to start with... I figured out how to shape set-in sleeves, and I wrote it all down on a pad so that I would be sure to match the fronts just right.
We went to Colorado. I finished the back of the sweater, documenting every detail along the way. This picture so does not do this sweater justice.
I bought yarn for Michael and Elana's blanket. I started that, and worked on it, and Jonathan's socks, and my Sockapal2za socks, and didn't think much about the unfinished cardigan. After I finished M&E's blanket last week, I was excited to go back to my sweater. I balled another skein of yarn... got out the back... and the needles... reached for my pad full of pattern notes-- and it wasn't there! I can't find my freaking pattern! I have looked EVERYWHERE, through my yarn stash, through the suitcases we took on the trip, through every pile of papers I can see (and if you have seen my house, you know this is no easy task!) I CAN'T FIND IT AND IT IS MAKING ME CRAZY.
I can find the book I used for basic shaping ideas. I can find the patterns for other things I worked on during the same trip. I did find some yarn I forgot I had... and some baby patterns that I had loaned to Carriellen, and had not been able to find for a couple of months... and I did clean my closet... and I did get some stuff thrown away... but I really really REALLY want to find this pattern. I can't even begin to motivate myself to sit down and figure out where I decreased etc, especially because I KNOW that it is all written down SOMEWHERE. I just don't know where.
To keep myself sane, I started a Shedir hat...
I'm up to the crown decreases.
I really want to find that pattern :(
Unrelated: Happy 8th Anniversary to the man who is so secure in our marriage that he doesn't even read my blog :)
Added, 10:15 p.m. I FOUND IT! I FOUND IT! I FOUND IT! WHEE! (back to my happy unorganized existence)
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Ok, kids... the blanket is finished. Now go get that baby!
I really wish I had one ounce of talent or inclination needed to take remotely artistic photos of my knitting. For this one, I managed to move the toys on the living room floor aside, to at least lay the blanket out flat. In the next few days, I'll aim for a natural light picture. The colors are really better in natural light.
Next up? Finishing my Sockapal2za sock, and starting the fronts on the cardigan (not necessarily in that order!) This evening was remotely fall-like here in NJ, so I'm thinking wool-mohair blend is not so out of the question.
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I really wish I had one ounce of talent or inclination needed to take remotely artistic photos of my knitting. For this one, I managed to move the toys on the living room floor aside, to at least lay the blanket out flat. In the next few days, I'll aim for a natural light picture. The colors are really better in natural light.
Next up? Finishing my Sockapal2za sock, and starting the fronts on the cardigan (not necessarily in that order!) This evening was remotely fall-like here in NJ, so I'm thinking wool-mohair blend is not so out of the question.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Finally, Sam uttered those words I've been longing to hear... "My yarn, Mommy?"
I said "It's Mommy's yarn. I'm making a blanket for Baby Chloe. Do you want to help?" He said, "Yeah." So up in the chair he went...
He watched me crocheting for all of 23 seconds... then decided that "Hide and Seek" was much more interesting.
Nonetheless, the next picture I post of this blanket should be a finished object shot. All the knitting is done, and I crocheted the edging. I just have to weave in the 1,940,362 ends, and block, and it will be finished.
Minimal knitting yesterday (except for the preemie hat I started & finished at Sue's).
The entire family went to see "Wiggles Live!" in Philadelphia. So cute-- it was really a good show. The funniest part was watching all of the little kids do the hand motions to all the songs... and watching the mommies and daddies (who used to be cool) singing along at the top of their lungs.
Sam is mildly obsessing over Captain Feathersword. Sam must have some optometry in his blood-- he keeps asking over and over and over (and over!) again "What 'appen to 'is eye?" I told him Captain wears a patch. "But what 'appen, Mommy?" And me, in mommy mode instead of eye doctor mode, told him "He scratched it with his hook." So now, he asks (continuously)... "What 'appen? He scratch with a hook?" which is really cute until he runs into one of my eye-patch-wearing patients in the grocery store...
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I said "It's Mommy's yarn. I'm making a blanket for Baby Chloe. Do you want to help?" He said, "Yeah." So up in the chair he went...
He watched me crocheting for all of 23 seconds... then decided that "Hide and Seek" was much more interesting.
Nonetheless, the next picture I post of this blanket should be a finished object shot. All the knitting is done, and I crocheted the edging. I just have to weave in the 1,940,362 ends, and block, and it will be finished.
Minimal knitting yesterday (except for the preemie hat I started & finished at Sue's).
The entire family went to see "Wiggles Live!" in Philadelphia. So cute-- it was really a good show. The funniest part was watching all of the little kids do the hand motions to all the songs... and watching the mommies and daddies (who used to be cool) singing along at the top of their lungs.
Sam is mildly obsessing over Captain Feathersword. Sam must have some optometry in his blood-- he keeps asking over and over and over (and over!) again "What 'appen to 'is eye?" I told him Captain wears a patch. "But what 'appen, Mommy?" And me, in mommy mode instead of eye doctor mode, told him "He scratched it with his hook." So now, he asks (continuously)... "What 'appen? He scratch with a hook?" which is really cute until he runs into one of my eye-patch-wearing patients in the grocery store...
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
My boy is 2!
Happy Birthday, Baby!
You make me smile every day-- especially when you wake up in a cheerful mood, saying "Be up, Mommy! Be up, Daddy!" You'll snuggle in our bed for all of 30 seconds before begging us to "Open door! Light on! Play cars!"... and when you walk out into the living room, you greet all of your toys-- "Good morning, Thomas! Good morning, Dinosaur! Good morning, cars!"
You love to eat breakfast-- one of your favorites is yogurt, and now you are quite specific about which flavor yogurt you want! "Berry yogurt, Mommy. Berry!" Sometimes you want cereal "with noy milk" just like Daddy... or waffles like Mommy.
You pick which specific cars you want to take with you on the ride to school that day-- so many cars, and you know each one by name-- "New orange car! White bus! Black no-roof!" (that's 'convertible' for those who don't speak Sam) You always have a car in each hand, and off to school we go. You buckle your own seatbelt "No Mommy, mines!" and pick music for our traveling pleasure... "Dockarino! (Victor Vito)... Again!... Again!... Again!"
You still get a little sad when we drop you off at school. It's okay-- I get sad too! You don't really cry at drop-off anymore-- but I do get a BIG hug and "keesh" before you run to play with your friends. You know all the names of the kids in your class-- the ones you talk about most are "Mu-el" (Schmuel), Isaac, and Aryeh.
When I pick you up, you always run to greet me, and proudly walk me around, so you can show me your artwork "I made 'dis one!" and brag to your friends, "MY mommy!" You want me to carry you to my car-- "Pick 'em up, Mommy!". You point out landmarks, cars and road signs on the way home... you know we're going "unner a breedge" a quarter mile before we even see the bridge... and I find myself slowing down on Route 1, to drive next to big trucks, and hit more traffic lights... especially if we can find "Lookit! A yellow one!"
At home, you love to play with "Non-Non" next door-- even though he's 5, you want to do everything he does. On hot days, we water flowers, and you run and play in the spray from the hose-- you love water-- hose, pool, fountains, bath (most of the time).
We eat dinner... your favorite food of late is "Ninach nunchies" (aka Spinach Munchies)... and then we have a little time to play with cars before it's time to get into pajamas and start the bedtime routine. You carefully select cars to take to bed, and off we go... new diaper, pajamas, brush teeth, bottle, and then books-- lately you are loving "Flush The Potty" (complete with realistic flushing noise), "Pajama Time" (which you read along with us), "I Have To Go", and "Jane" (an animal adventure). When we get to the last book, you yell to your stuffed animal "Last Book, Jeero!" and then we say good night to all of our stuffed animals, and to you, and ever since that one fateful night when Daddy & I watched SuperNanny, you go to sleep easily by yourself in your crib.
I love you so much, bug-a-boodle, and I'm thrilled to be able to share the world with you. Happy 2nd birthday!
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Happy Birthday, Baby!
You make me smile every day-- especially when you wake up in a cheerful mood, saying "Be up, Mommy! Be up, Daddy!" You'll snuggle in our bed for all of 30 seconds before begging us to "Open door! Light on! Play cars!"... and when you walk out into the living room, you greet all of your toys-- "Good morning, Thomas! Good morning, Dinosaur! Good morning, cars!"
You love to eat breakfast-- one of your favorites is yogurt, and now you are quite specific about which flavor yogurt you want! "Berry yogurt, Mommy. Berry!" Sometimes you want cereal "with noy milk" just like Daddy... or waffles like Mommy.
You pick which specific cars you want to take with you on the ride to school that day-- so many cars, and you know each one by name-- "New orange car! White bus! Black no-roof!" (that's 'convertible' for those who don't speak Sam) You always have a car in each hand, and off to school we go. You buckle your own seatbelt "No Mommy, mines!" and pick music for our traveling pleasure... "Dockarino! (Victor Vito)... Again!... Again!... Again!"
You still get a little sad when we drop you off at school. It's okay-- I get sad too! You don't really cry at drop-off anymore-- but I do get a BIG hug and "keesh" before you run to play with your friends. You know all the names of the kids in your class-- the ones you talk about most are "Mu-el" (Schmuel), Isaac, and Aryeh.
When I pick you up, you always run to greet me, and proudly walk me around, so you can show me your artwork "I made 'dis one!" and brag to your friends, "MY mommy!" You want me to carry you to my car-- "Pick 'em up, Mommy!". You point out landmarks, cars and road signs on the way home... you know we're going "unner a breedge" a quarter mile before we even see the bridge... and I find myself slowing down on Route 1, to drive next to big trucks, and hit more traffic lights... especially if we can find "Lookit! A yellow one!"
At home, you love to play with "Non-Non" next door-- even though he's 5, you want to do everything he does. On hot days, we water flowers, and you run and play in the spray from the hose-- you love water-- hose, pool, fountains, bath (most of the time).
We eat dinner... your favorite food of late is "Ninach nunchies" (aka Spinach Munchies)... and then we have a little time to play with cars before it's time to get into pajamas and start the bedtime routine. You carefully select cars to take to bed, and off we go... new diaper, pajamas, brush teeth, bottle, and then books-- lately you are loving "Flush The Potty" (complete with realistic flushing noise), "Pajama Time" (which you read along with us), "I Have To Go", and "Jane" (an animal adventure). When we get to the last book, you yell to your stuffed animal "Last Book, Jeero!" and then we say good night to all of our stuffed animals, and to you, and ever since that one fateful night when Daddy & I watched SuperNanny, you go to sleep easily by yourself in your crib.
I love you so much, bug-a-boodle, and I'm thrilled to be able to share the world with you. Happy 2nd birthday!
Sunday, August 14, 2005
I'm rambling along on the rambling rows. Square 50 of 55, I think. Michael & Elana went to Florida to meet with the birth parents this weekend-- I am so hoping that everything went smoothly, and that they get to take this baby home in September.
Sam helped out with the picture once again. Can you tell we're in a sticker phase? Unfortunately, these weren't "real" stickers-- they were the scraps from the CD labels I made for the mix CD we're giving to Sam's friends for his birthday. When I put them on the CD's, I marvelled at just how sticky they were. So of course the next logical step is to stick them on my child, no? Let's just say 48 hours later, we are still scrubbing away the last remnants.
We had Sam's birthday party yesterday-- his birthday's not til Wednesday, but between Grandma Vera's very busy social calendar, and the family trip to the Wiggles concert next weekend, it worked out that yesterday was the best day to have it.
Sam tolerated the party very well (much better than his mommy)! He was happy to see all the guests, especially once he realized that although most of them have babysat at one time or another, this time Mommy and Daddy were staying put. He loved ALL of his presents of course-- and delighted the guests by playing with every single one! He happily sang "Rain Rain Go Away" and "Happy Birthday" on command... and he LOVED "Cookie Monster! On a cake!" Sue decorated this for him-- isn't she awesome???
We'll bring cupcakes to daycare on Wednesday, and then we'll do something fun as a family on Thursday-- maybe Sesame Place.
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Sam helped out with the picture once again. Can you tell we're in a sticker phase? Unfortunately, these weren't "real" stickers-- they were the scraps from the CD labels I made for the mix CD we're giving to Sam's friends for his birthday. When I put them on the CD's, I marvelled at just how sticky they were. So of course the next logical step is to stick them on my child, no? Let's just say 48 hours later, we are still scrubbing away the last remnants.
We had Sam's birthday party yesterday-- his birthday's not til Wednesday, but between Grandma Vera's very busy social calendar, and the family trip to the Wiggles concert next weekend, it worked out that yesterday was the best day to have it.
Sam tolerated the party very well (much better than his mommy)! He was happy to see all the guests, especially once he realized that although most of them have babysat at one time or another, this time Mommy and Daddy were staying put. He loved ALL of his presents of course-- and delighted the guests by playing with every single one! He happily sang "Rain Rain Go Away" and "Happy Birthday" on command... and he LOVED "Cookie Monster! On a cake!" Sue decorated this for him-- isn't she awesome???
We'll bring cupcakes to daycare on Wednesday, and then we'll do something fun as a family on Thursday-- maybe Sesame Place.
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Knitting energy? It's good stuff, baby.
I've been working on this blanket for Michael and Elana's future baby... well, suffice it to say that I had better hurry up and finish it, because they have been matched with a birth mom, and could have a baby in their arms by the end of September!!!
So as of tonight (yesterday I was sidetracked by a quick obsession with a pig-shaped iPod cozy for Rachel) I am knitting frantically, not only to finish the blanket in time, but to keep the good vibes flowing their way as they meet the birth parents next weekend, and go through all of the wonderful terrifying craziness that goes with anticipating a child, packed into the next 6 to 8 weeks.
I just finished square 45 of 55... so 10 squares, a border, and 8 billion ends to go... but it is joyful knitting now!
Sam says:
Go to Panera in West Windsor! You'll have so much fun splashing in the fountains, you won't even remember that your mean parents didn't take you to the Chuck E. Cheese right next door!
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I've been working on this blanket for Michael and Elana's future baby... well, suffice it to say that I had better hurry up and finish it, because they have been matched with a birth mom, and could have a baby in their arms by the end of September!!!
So as of tonight (yesterday I was sidetracked by a quick obsession with a pig-shaped iPod cozy for Rachel) I am knitting frantically, not only to finish the blanket in time, but to keep the good vibes flowing their way as they meet the birth parents next weekend, and go through all of the wonderful terrifying craziness that goes with anticipating a child, packed into the next 6 to 8 weeks.
I just finished square 45 of 55... so 10 squares, a border, and 8 billion ends to go... but it is joyful knitting now!
Sam says:
Go to Panera in West Windsor! You'll have so much fun splashing in the fountains, you won't even remember that your mean parents didn't take you to the Chuck E. Cheese right next door!
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
I've been working on the baby blanket for Michael and Elana's baby... I think I'm on square 42 of 55... I was halfway through square 43, but realized I had put it in the wrong place- randomly jutting out of the side of the blanket, nowhere near its intended location... so, as they say, I'm back to square 42.
Sam says, "What do you mean this is for someone else???"
So I haven't mentioned-- I won an iPod (now you say "I two an iPod," and I'll say "I three an iPod" etc, until you say "I eight an iPod" and I say "Wow, you must have been hungry"... ok, I digress. So really, I won an iPod, through PNC Bank online bill pay-- yep, paid a bill, won an iPod.
I was really excited to have one... until I realized that it is actually work to put the music on and everything. Like it could be a whole hobby... and if you haven't noticed, I already have an addictive hobby that takes up way too much of my time. I got as far as downloading iTunes though... maybe tonight I'll put a song or two on there. I really thought Jonathan would get into it and take care of this part, but he hasn't shown much interest... I thought I had him into it when I caught him looking on the website at iPods and accessories this morning-- turns out he was trying to find out how much we could sell it for!!!
By the way, happy Pam-day everyone! (Today was Pam's 1-year work anniversary. We celebrated Pam-day with bolis and jello pie.)
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Sam says, "What do you mean this is for someone else???"
So I haven't mentioned-- I won an iPod (now you say "I two an iPod," and I'll say "I three an iPod" etc, until you say "I eight an iPod" and I say "Wow, you must have been hungry"... ok, I digress. So really, I won an iPod, through PNC Bank online bill pay-- yep, paid a bill, won an iPod.
I was really excited to have one... until I realized that it is actually work to put the music on and everything. Like it could be a whole hobby... and if you haven't noticed, I already have an addictive hobby that takes up way too much of my time. I got as far as downloading iTunes though... maybe tonight I'll put a song or two on there. I really thought Jonathan would get into it and take care of this part, but he hasn't shown much interest... I thought I had him into it when I caught him looking on the website at iPods and accessories this morning-- turns out he was trying to find out how much we could sell it for!!!
By the way, happy Pam-day everyone! (Today was Pam's 1-year work anniversary. We celebrated Pam-day with bolis and jello pie.)
