Found Objects...

Tis the season for skulls. I've been stealth knitting, furiously, which makes for poor blog fodder when you can't reveal what you've been working on. I did take time out to crank these off the needles though, and as they are timely and appropriate, so they are posted. Plus, I've been going through a phase at the moment where I feel utterly boring and blaseh, so I just don't feel as though I have anything to talk about. Bleh.
Booties: Patons Kroy in black and white, Zoe Mellor's Star Booties pattern from 50 Baby Booties to Knit with my own skull chart.



I think this whole nesting phenomena might be rearing it's head in my direction, or at the very least, giving me a sideways glance. I've had the urge to organize and clean, which, while not totally out of character, has spurred me into quicker action than usual. I can usually convince the instinct to take a backseat while knitting takes shotgun. And also, I've been baking. Which I've always enjoyed, but it just seems to me as though there is an urgent need for baked goods to be in the house...at all times. We devoured the chocolate chip cookies in record time (yes we, not just me) and, well, the house has just felt empty ever since.

Anyhow, my point. I was tidying up the craft room, finally saying goodbye to things I just no longer desire to have in my space and in going through my 'tester tote' (a bin full of stuff that I've just tried out or swatched etc.) I found this skully dog sweater. As this clearly will not fit Hank, nor any other dog in my immediate family, I've got the perfect person/dog combo in mind and I hope she gets a huge kick out of it. Not sure why the teeth are so long though.



I also found this in the bin, a knitted bib I made over two years ago. It was intended for our neice, but when I was finished with the knitting of it, I thought it was rather ugly. Not sure why. I mean, it's still not terribly attractive to my eye, but then again it is from a time before I realized I was purling incorrectly. So all the stitches are twisted. But whatever. So I grabbed a crochet hook and some white Bernat cottontots (which is what it was knit out of originally), did a simple crochet edging and ta da, insta-bib. Gotta love that. The colour doesn't really show up on the photo, but it's a pretty purple. I'm calling it burple.

And that's pretty much all I can talk about at present. I've been doing a little sewing for myself too, so I'll post about that later. For now, stay in doors for heavens sake...it's miserable out there. And have a Happy Halloween.

Busy Weekend...

On the twelfth, Hank and the constable celebrated their birthdays. It was Hanks first. I think he liked it.



Hank got a new toy. He's not good at sharing (yes, that's me snorting on the video).

Had some people over for Thanksgiving dinner, which was lovely. I like making a big meal every now and then, as long as there are lots of mouths to enjoy it. I think it went over well. And I had no problem eating turkey sandwiches for lunch and another full turkey dinner last night as well. With some stuffing and gravy and turkey still left over. Mmmmm....don't have to cook for the rest of the week.

I've been knitting furiously as well, all stuff I can't show you just yet. All in good time, my pretties. All in good time.

Yesterday was a big day. First ultrasound which I was pretty excited/nervous about and ended up being totally amazing. I have to say though, I was pretty bitter (re: exceptionally bitter...only time I wished I still lived in Ontario...don't get me started) over the fact that they don't give out ultrasound photos here in this fine province (at least not in my little corner of it), but was pleasantly surprised when I was able to snag one for myself anyway. Check this out:



The detail that they can pick up these days is just outstanding. And my suspicions were confirmed; there is indeed an alien life form dwelling deep within. And apparently it hearts NY. Who can blame him really?

Then there was that little matter of a federal election. I voted, hope you did too.

And now the week is half over and I still feel like it's Sunday. Holidays totally screw me up. Must get some work done then.

Until later...

Better...

I think I get on with my day now.

Love and Hate...

Love:



--My Central Park Hoodie. A less than enthusiastic photographer who disappeared inside before I could approve the photo shoot and perhaps request additional shots resulted in a handful of photo's that did nothing for either the sweater or the model. This is the best of the bunch and can best be described as me doing my best immitation of a sulky teenager.

--Meeting new people. It was a perfect fall day here in NS and I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow Raveler and Mountie wife from BC who I have been exchanging Rav messages with for the last little while. Lovely lunch and chat and some yarn shopping to boot in Mahone Bay. A thoroughly pleasent meeting and afternoon, which left me feeling very contented and happy, floating on a little yarny-purchase cloud all the way home. Soon after my arrival the dramatic turn off events resulted in the aforementioned hate.

Hate:

--When the dog shits on the floor for the third time since moving into the house in July. Seriously, WTF? This dog is trained. He practically asks in as close to a sentence as you can get with a dog, 'Um, excuse me, but it would appear as though I need to be let out of doors to relieve myself. Could you possibly assist me in facilitating such?' To which we happily reply, 'But of course Hank. By all means.'
Both the constable and I were in the house and not at all pre-occupied. I was at the computer upstairs, he in the livingroom playing PS2 baseball. At no time did Hank politely ask to be let out. Not until the unpleasent stench of dog feces wafted into the craft room was I aware of his wrong doing. Middle of the landing at the top of the stairs, which, thankfully, had a plastic drop cloth down as we are back at the painting. But still...what gives? He'd been out just a little while earlier, and made no attempt to make his needs known. Instant grumpiness. For the entire evening. Which probably lead to the other thing I hate...



--When I don't listen to that inner voice that says, 'Wait to borrow a swift from someone before you decide to wind that skein.' That mess was a lovely, squishy hank of Tanis 'Sweetheart'. Now it is the bane of my existence and will haunt me until tomorrow, as I refuse to do battle with it any more this evening.

I want a glass of red wine so bad it makes me quite literally want to cry.

Worst...Birthday Present...Ever...

Hank turns 1 year old on the 12th of this month and yesterday he was neutered. We waffled on the decision for a very long time, even though we were contractually obligated to have it done. Just seemed, I dunno, hurtful. I didn't go to drop him off, but I went to pick him up. I thought about him all day. And he was just as spry and bouncy when we went to get him as he was that morning. I don't know what I was expecting...some sort of drunken stagger I suppose, perhaps a bit of 'what the hell?' aloofness. But he was talking up a storm when he saw us, which I like to believe translated to 'Get me outta here!!! Do you have any idea what it is that they do back there?'

The drunken stagger he saved for the ride home. I think the initial excitement of being picked up wore off and he was a little mellow and drowsy on the ride. It was kinda funny actually; he sat there with his mouth open, but I don't think he was actually panting. Anyhow, he seems to be fine. Slept a lot last night but was up and at 'em first thing this morning. He even made a bee-line for the van when I took him out, which I was a little surprised at. But I think that had more to do with his trips to the beach the two days prior to surgery. I'm sure he'd be all for going out and chasing the ball on this lovely fall day, but I'm making him chill out and of course keeping a watchful eye out for, um, licking. Gross. I know he probably is a little none the wiser about the whole affair, but I still feel kinda bad. The constable and I were worried about strange things, like will it change his personality. But if today is any indication, he's as clingy and loving as ever. Emphasis on the clingy. Has yet to leave my side.



So I used playing doggy nurse maid as an excuse to sit and get the hood finished on my Central Park Hoodie. I still need to do the button bands, but this is pretty much all I've been working on since the last blog post, and it was getting a little stale, so I thought it was time for an update.



I've tried it on with a t-shirt and it just kinda fits at this point, though I won't be able to do it up even after the button bands are done, but it is super cute and there will be a nice cardi waiting for me at the other end of this pregnancy thing egging me on to get back into some other shape than round. I'll of course model it a bit once the bands are knit.



I think I should've gone with my original instinct which was to do a collar instead of a hood, but it seemed a little pointless to knit a Central Park Hoodie and omit the hoodie part. The hood seems a little small, although it hasn't been washed or blocked like the rest of the sweater, so perhaps it's just a little bunched up and tense. Overall, I'm very pleased with this sweater. It's a quick and easy knit.



I had this to distract me when I got bored of the sweater. Just a plain crochet bib of my own devising. When I was done, I thought it looked a little bland, so I perked it up with a couple of red buttons and a little felt applique. Which sent me on this tangent...



The photo is a little blaseh, guess the sun when behind a cloud at that moment, but it's actually quite bright. Maybe I should stop taking photos with the lime green cutting mat as a background. In any case, I've got sketches for half a dozen bibs with different fruity themes. Too much fun. It's terry cloth backed with white flannel with a lightweight interfacing in between and of course, the felt applique. Makes me smile.

So were you watching the debates last night? Either side of the border? I find it kind of interesting that so many people think Canadian politics is boring, but frankly, I thought the format that they used for the leaders debate was much more...entertaining, for lack of a better word. Five leaders, one roundish table, questions posed by actual Canadian citizens covering a spectrum of topics...I found it more engaging than the vice-presidential format, that's for sure. Two candidates, pretty predictable outcome. But I'm not a pundit and I did finally pack it in at 11:30. So there you go.

I'm at knitting odds now. I've gotten to the point with the sweater that I just want it done without having to actually do the knitting. And I'd like to move onto baby things. It suddenly dawned on me that five months can go by pretty quickly. If I'd like to have a small arsenal of items, I'd better get crackin'.

Until later...

A Post of Substance...

I've been watching tv. A lot of tv. I fell for the marketing, I got sucked in and now I find that I can't get out.

It all started when we got the digital cable hooked up in the house when we moved over. Not that I didn't watch a lot before that. I'm home alone a lot and Hank's conversational skills are pretty limited. He pretty much only knows how to ask for things. He can ask to go outside (and there is a difference in how he asks, depending on the particular need), ask for water (this is relatively new and we only caught onto it when we'd already taken him outside and he was still asking for something...and his bowl was empty), ask for you to retrieve something from under the couch and of course, he asks for belly rubs.



This is the opening posture. This is just to catch your eye as you might be passing by. From here it evolves into batting my leg with his front paw and lifting the back leg entirely, to make the eventual shift onto his back a little easier. There is also the 'thump-thump' of the tail as the anticipation of the belly rub increases. This starts first thing in the morning, before I even leave the bedroom. Hank sleeps on his bed at the foot of ours, and when I get up and get going, Hank goes into belly rub mode. He is also waiting for me outside the bathroom door in this pose and while I am getting my coffee and breakfast together, he lays in the middle of the kitchen floor, right in my path, hoping to garner as many belly rubs as possible in a fifteen minute period. He usually get about two. So all totalled, that's...possibly five belly rubs before the day even starts for him. Spoiled? Never.

Anyhow, back to the cable. We got the whole shmeel, the digi-cable, the HDTV, the DVR. I justified the expense by reasoning that we don't go anywhere or do anything, because around here, there is nowhere to go and nothing to do. Trips out of the county are few and far between and largest part of our entertainment is visiting with friends. Which is lovely. But what to do the rest of the time? Sit stunned in front of a large glowing box.

So for the first two months, the evil cable conglomerate in their twisted, maniacal wisdom decide to let you preview all the channels for free. I thought I would just enjoy my time with it and then move on. Nay nay. I got hooked. Hooked on National Geographic Channel, Documentary channel, IFC (Independent Film Channel) and Discovery Health.

Discovery Health has opened up for me the strange world of British 'lifestyle television'. They produce some interesting stuff. For example, two shows that have utterly fascinated me are, and I kid you not, the Spa of Embarrassing Illnesses. I'm not going to link to any of this stuff, but if you're interested, go and Google it for yourself. Anyhow, the concept is that a group of people with non-life threatening, but ultimately embarrassing or intimate illnesses, ranging from severe acne to more blush-inducing conditions, go to a spa for two weeks where they undergo a series of detoxifying and cleansing therapies. It's very holistic and homeopathic in nature. I just think two weeks at a spa in either Spain or Turkey would do me some good. Anyhow, it's food (or rather juice I suppose...they fast for a week as well) for thought.

The other is Eataholics. It's not at first glance what you might think. This documentary series explores people who have some serious psychological problems with food, and usually only have a handful of items or less that comprise their entire diet. I've only seen two episodes so far and can't seem to find the program again when doing a title search, which is shame because this program has me entirely gobsmacked. In one episode, they worked with a woman who only ate, no word of a lie, cheese and crackers. The other episode was even more puzzling; a chef at a rather upscale restaurant who only ate sweets like chocolate bars and cookies, and he'd eaten like this since childhood. He loved cooking with the food, but he couldn't eat it. He'd never tasted one of the dishes he had prepared. This to me is as puzzling as trying to navigate the world without being able to read.

See, I like food. I like food a lot. Okay, I love it. All kinds, but the fresher and more flavourful the better. I'll try anything and I don't care where it comes from. I welcome the opportunity to try foods from different cultures. I love everything about dining. The drink (don't get me started on wine), the ritual, the company, the conversation; I'd rather spend money on a great meal out with friends at a great restaurant (top of the list would be authentic Italian) than I would buying clothes. I love to cook, though sometimes I do get quite lazy about it. So watching people who balk at a banana or wretch at the thought of spaghetti is just...so foreign to me.

Last but certainly not least has been The Seven Ages of Rock on the Documentary channel. This I will link to. The series just wrapped up on Friday night with the whole British Indie-Pop movement, which was very close to my heart at least as it was all in the early nineties, the formative years for my musical tastes. When a show opens talking about The Smiths and Suede, I'm so in. The whole series was good. Punk, heavy metal, stadium rock, Alternative...it was awesome to sort of remember all the stuff I've kind of forgotten about. I felt the whole thing could have been a lot broader in scope and could've incorporated more bands etc., but then where do you stop really? Anyhow, the final episode focused a lot on Oasis and the whole Manchester scene. I've seen the show, I've lived through the era but I still don't get Oasis. I never have. Could someone out there maybe put it in a nutshell for me? What is up with this band and why are/were they so popular? Liam Gallagher's voice is like fingernails on chalk, both he and his brother Noel are complete, um, in the interest of the relative PG nature of the blogsphere, wankers, and their lyrics are utterly ridiculous. Have you ever really listened to Wonderwall? Maybe I just heard it so much back in good 'ole '95 that I can't stomach it anymore. But, that's just my humble opinion. I've been accused by the constable for having appalling musical taste (which I believe was also brought up at a recent KN meeting), re: The Smiths, to which I reminded him that he has in his cd collection a Nelson album. No no, not Ricky Nelson...Matthew and Gunnar. Nelson. This one to be exact.

While glued to my idiotbox, I have been knitting.



Back and fronts of the Central Park Hoodie complete. Sleeves on the needles. Knitting them two at a time, which ya know what, I hate. Sometimes I treat knitting like eating a more balanced diet, and I don't really know why; I do some things because I think it will be good for me, not because I necessarily enjoy it. I knit pretty fast one thing at a time, and doing them both just...sucks. So I'm going to stop that now. I still think I can complete this sweater by Sept. 30/08 THOUGH I AM NOT STATING THAT AS AN INTENDED GOAL. It would just be cool to finish a sweater in a month. According to my Ravelry stats, I started it, officially, on Aug. 30. Anyway...



Also finished another small sock. This is Knit Nite knitting. If the polls are correct (with boy being the leading choice by a landslide) then these may never see the feet of day. Pops has a big problem with pink, even a mere suggestion of it, to which I say, 'You like Nelson'.



And here we have another Brussels sprout-like knitting project(I actually really like Brussels sprouts, but you catch my drift). I've been feeling the pull of the sock knitting as I totally punked out on Summer of Socks, (re: first trimester loss of knitting mojo) and it's getting cooler and we've decided to play the whole Home Heating Holdoff thing this fall and I've got lots of beautiful sock yarn and yet I pulled this out of the stash to knit with and write a run-on sentence about. I started a pair back in July with the intention of giving them to my mom and frogged it, then I thought since it was all uglified and balled up and pathetic looking, I'd punish myself by knitting this first before I rewarded myself by knitting a pair out of a much nicer, prettier yarn. So you can imagine how much enthusiasm I have for these socks. I have no idea why I am so messed up like this. It's Bernat Sox and the colourway is so bad 80's that I just want to set it free. I've never liked pink and grey together...what was I thinking? Anyway, I'll finish it. The thought of frogging twice is just...unpleasant. If that does end up being the case, then I'm going to give the yarn a new home. Anyone interested? It's acrylic and nylon, which I think I'm over. No hard feelings yarn...it's not you, it's me.

So there you go. A deluge of ramblings from moi. Gotta go...I'm probably missing something good on tv.

Oh Bloody Hell...

My pirate name is:

Bloody Anne Bonney

Every pirate lives for something different. For some, it's the open sea. For others (the masochists), it's the food. For you, it's definitely the fighting. You can be a little bit unpredictable, but a pirate's life is far from full of certainties, so that fits in pretty well. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

Where is my mind...

This so called 'baby brain' thing might just be the end of me.

Over a week ago, I lost a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser somewhere in the house and have yet to recall or even guess at where it might be. I'm worried the dog ate it, but figure he would've been violently ill if he had.

Monday I realized $150.00 worth of hockey tickets (NHL pre-season exhibition game, which we had arranged to sell to someone) were missing from where I thought I had so carefully left them (in a drawer, rarely used), only to find them in with the cardboard recycling. And they were only still there because I forgot to put out the recycling the previous Friday.

It's a wonder I still manage to dress myself, which, believe me, has been an exercise in great creativity of late. Sheesh.

I think Heddy is right...there might be something to this...

You are a Black Coffee

At your best, you are: low maintenance, friendly, and adaptable At your worst, you are: cheap and angsty You drink coffee when: you can get your hands on it Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

I've never been described as 'cheap and angsty' before, but at times, it certainly does apply.

I'm still sailing...

I'm still enthralled with this whole crochet business, most of it being that I was able to finally figure it out. I've picked up my hooks (formerly my mom's) many many times and was only able to accomplish a gradually growing or shrinking square of fabric each time. So the fact that I have not one but several finished granny squares is to me, a revelation. The photos from yesterday were my practise ones. It's nice to have gobs of acrylic on hand to try out new things.

I've had my eye on the Babette Blanket for quite some time, so I finally have decided to make one, or a version thereof. I've only gone with four colours, rather than what, seventeen? I so don't have the brain power for that at the moment.



I just couldn't resist the pull and call of the yarn shop yesterday. It was a gorgeous day after a really lousy weekend (something about hurricanes or tropical storms...I should pay more attention), so I headed off in search of THE yarn. I finally settled on some Sisu. Not sure why I picked sock yarn for this project (oh yeah, it's going to be a baby blanket), maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment. But crochet goes so much faster than knitting anyway, so small doesn't factor in so much. Unless you have to make a bunch of squares, then small figures pretty prominently.

There is another reason why I decided that yesterday was the day for a medium sized yarn purchase. We heard the wee Pinto Bean's heart beat for the first time. What a great sound. Just what I needed to assuage and calm any concerns for fears I might have. I headed pretty much straight from the doctors office to the fabric store where I picked up a pattern for the crib bedding and brought home some upholstery/fabric samples to show the constable to get his input.



This is the first set of samples in the book, the one that really caught my eye. At first I thought of doing a variety of items in my craft room with these fabrics, and then I guess I just forgot about that idea and when I was browsing in the fabric store yesterday, it jumped right out at me again. Anyhow, I think this is quite pretty without being...overly juvenile? I've been having a hard time in looking for crib bedding. I want the room to be youthful and fun, but not drowning in jungle characters or choo-choo trains or the like. Not that there's anything wrong with any of that mind you...most of the sets I've seen are quite adorable. I just have a really anal sense of home decor. As I was telling my BFF the other day, I may not have much of a sense of personal style, but I try to make up for it in my decorating. Whether I succeed or not is a matter of personal opinion.



Same sample, different colouring, and my original thought was this could quite easily go either way, boy or girl. Which is exactly what the constable said he came home and I was thrilled. Until he qualified it by saying that it would do very nicely if we weren't going to find out what we are having, but since we are, then there is no way he would abide this for a boys room. Humph. For a split second there, I thought my life was going to be very easy. I had brought another book home with a sample that I thought would be very boyish, lots of blue and red, but with big cartoony looking flowers, not at all floral and that got the veto right away. In the end, after some consideration, I wasn't that crazy about it anyway. In any event, if it is a girl, this is the one. On my way home from the yarn shop I hit Atlantic Fabrics as well and found some more boyish fabrics that I thought would do and would also go with the blanket colours. No photos unfortunately.

Another equally nice thing that happened to me yesterday was that I got blue ribboned by Chicken Betty :) See?



The idea is that you give a blue ribbon to the person who's blog you dig and then you link back to the prize giver and then award said prize to four more people. That I'm going to have to work on...I like lots of blogs and narrowing, particularly in my current state of hormone-assisted stupidness, is a rather daunting task. But how lovely is that, to be awarded a ribbon? I've never gotten a blue ribbon. I used to get a lot of purple participation ones in grade school. A word to school administrators; children know when they are being patronized. Just give the winners theirs and be done with it. Those of us that came last didn't want to be there anyway so if we had had the vocabulary (which we did, just not in your company), we would've told you what you could do with your purple ribbons. But I'm seriously digressing here...

Betty has been my longest and greatest blog supporter. She's super crafty, designs all kinds of her own stuff (which I hope to aspire to someday), is a DIY-er of the first degree, which totally appeals, and has a wicked sense of humour to boot. And good taste in music. What's not to love? So I'm honoured to be blue ribboned by the likes of she and I'm not sure if this is in the rules, but blue ribbon right back atchya. Double blue ribbons for you.

Anyhoo, that's what I've been up to. I'm really anxious to start on the salon de bebe, now that I have concrete ideas, but it's a wee bit early for that. Which is driving me bonkers. I'm the kind of person who likes to have a plan well in advance, whether I put it in action or not. I like to have it in my head. And the not knowing, on top of not being able to find out what we're having without certain expense, (they won't tell you during ultrasounds here in NS, so if you want to know, you have to pay for it at a private clinic, which apparently just takes messages on a voicemail...will they call back? No one knows...anyone out there been to UC Baby in Halifax?) makes me cranky. But it's all very early for that anyway. So let's have some fun with it. Want to chime in? What do you think baby Marti will be? Boy? Girl? Space alien love child? I've added a poll in the sidebar, or you can leave a comment or both. I've set it up until the end of March...should show up by then I hope. So get your votes in...you only have 202 days left...hehehe.

Until later...

Ahoy!

I'm crocheting! I'm crocheting! I crochet. It used to make my lips numb just thinking about it. Isn't this a breakthrough? That I crochet? With the hook and the yarn, way far away from the knitting needles? AHOY???!!

For Your (Repeated?) Viewing Pleasure...

I'm sorry...but uh...this is hot.

I'm a very happy girl every time I see this on tv.

If this were a womans perfume, I'd have a dozen by now.

Carry on.

The Flood after the Drought...

Thank goodness that is over. I quite literally woke up the morning of my twelfth week of this weird thing called pregnancy feeling the urge to knit. And knit I have.



First up were the XOXO Socks, to go with the little Umbilical Cord Hat (a pattern found in Stich n' Bitch and most certainly on Ravelry) that I had already finished, both projects knit with Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. I didn't really follow the XOXO pattern that well, cuz it was a little...all over the place. I knit it in the round and only referred to the pattern for the x's and o's. In any case, they're the teeniest little things and I just love them. They are going to be part of the 'coming home' outfit.



Next up I started on some bath cloths out of Bernat Cottontots. I've used this pattern before for other babies in our life, namely my niece and saw that they were used quite frequently, which indicated to me that they were a good choice. Super easy and really cute, the white one in the photo has the heart motif throughout and it's by far my favourite of the three. The pattern comes from a May 2000 Knitting Digest that I think I got from my mom.



And while baby knitting is fun, I don't want it to consume me and besides, sometimes it just doesn't have enough 'meat' for my liking. So I picked up the Central Park Hoodie I barely started before going on vacation, when the thought of knitting anything just made me weary. I bought the yarn back in June with my WWKIP Day discount at The Ball n' Skein here in Liverpool, which ended up making this a super affordable sweater in Patons Classic Wool.

This was all last evenings knitting and when I put it down, I had that pit of my stomach feeling that it was going to be waaaay too small. So this morning I did a little research on Ravelry, found out that others thought the pattern ran a little small and was rather discouraged by the prospect of having to rip back and re-knit, so I decided to ask the dress form what she thought. After, ahem, readjusting her/my measurements and pinning the back to the form, I figure I'll be alright as long as I knit the fronts and the sleeves in the larger size. I like the simplicity of this sweater so far...just a few pretty cables here and there. And you know I dig the colour.

I questioned the logic of knitting a sweater at all at this point, but I figure if I crank this sucker out with a fair bit of determination, I might still be able to get a fair amount of wear out of it before pushing maximum density, so to speak. Maybe even more left unbuttoned. We shall see. I think it will compliment the four dollar maternity jeans I bought at Frenchy's the other day quite nicely.

And seeing as it's the long weekend, I feel completely justified in sitting on the new furniture (which Hank has adjusted to not being on quite well and thank you for all the lovely comments :) and knitting the day away, whilst cleaning goes undone and meals go unprepared. The Life of Reilly...or Marti...whatever.

Have a great long weekend y'all...here comes autumn!

Until later...

NEW FURNITURE!!!!!

CHAISE SECTIONAL WITH OTTOMAN!



GIRLIE RECLINER! TOTALLY MY KNITTY CHAIR!



EXTREME FABRIC CLOSE-UP!



WIDE SHOT WITH HANK!



AERIAL VIEW!

SORRY FOR SHOUTING, BUT I'M KINDA HIGH OFF THE NEW FURNITURE SMELL!!

Baby Steps...

Do you believe in the law of attraction? I do. Maybe not in the Oprah Winfrey/Eckhart Tolle/The Secret kind of way. That's all a little self-helpy for me. But I've had enough small examples pop up in my life to think that there really may be something to it all.

Par example; about a week ago I was craving a big, salty soft pretzel, despite the fact that I've never had one in my life. Ever. This fact gobsmacked my husband for the better part of an hour to which he informed me that I have lived very little in my life. I sort of put the whole thing out of my mind because, well, there just wasn't any big soft pretzels to be had in ye olde Liverpool. Until Saturday. I was out running errands and decided to stop into the buy and sell, cuz I love the buy and sell, and there is this open market right next door. There's a lady selling veggies and fruit from the back of a truck, a girl selling seafood from the back of her car and oh, a new guy...selling German bread from the back of...uh...lets say Volkswagen (I'm thoroughly convinced that Liverpool is the only town I know of where you can get a complete meal from the back of a vehicle).

So I'm perusing the signs and lo and behold, the German bread guy had German pretzels for sale. Seriously, what are the odds? So I bought four. They were delicious. Now onto the next craving. *Perhaps I should clarify...I didn't eat all four. Just two. I do share on occasion.*



So pretzel eating was Saturday. Here's what I did with my Sunday. Some of you may be wondering 'what the...?'. It's a weaving loom. A smallish one. Good for scarves and tea towels. I actually started this project back in, oh, March? Maybe earlier? It takes an unbelievably long time to wind a warp (all the threads that are going vertically into the contraption) and then thread the loom. It takes the better part of a day if you start and finish it in one go. And you have to thread it properly, which I totally messed up, which is why, after threading it, I let it sit until yesterday. It just seemed like a very painful proposition. It was actually only the last four stripes of colour that I had to re-thread, so it really wasn't as painful as I had imagined. Anyhoo, once I was on track, the actual weaving part goes rather quickly. I only sat there for about an hour or so and got this far with the weaving.



Each band of colour is an inch wide, so the corresponding weft (the threads that go horizontally) will be an inch wide as well. This is a waffle weave pattern, and I'm rather shocked that I was able to remember what I learned in the weaving class I took four years ago and figure it out. That was the whole point of this project, was to refresh my memory, cuz this is the kind of thing where if you don't use it, you totally lose it. And as and aside, the only craft I've done where I continually ask myself why I even bother. But same could be said of just about every other craft I enjoy. And we all know why we bother. As you can see, despite the re-threading, there is still a threading mistake, but we're just going to be in denial about that, okay?

I've now totally forgotten how long a warp I put on the loom, so I don't know how many potential towels I will get out of this. Seems to me that since I was just doing this to test my skills, I likely only put enough on for two. Which is good. Simple project. And I'm thinking now that I'd like to use them as burp cloths. One hundred percent cotton, pretty colours...hopefully they're nice and absorbent. We shall see.



As for knitting, I'm doing a little. And I do mean little. Some baby socks, Patons Stretch Sock leftovers in the Kelp colourway. Wee. These make for good Knit Nite knitting, so I foresee myself making many more pair.

Tomorrow is another big day at the homestead...the new living room furniture has arrived and will be delivered between eleven am and two pm. Whee :) Very excited. Now I have to de-program the dog NOT to get up on the couch. The old one we have now has been totally Hankified, which we didn't mind, but there will be a new world order shortly for the Hankster. He's not going to like it. Poor guy.

Until later...

Bibs n' a Bathroom...

First, the bibs. Carrie was making some bibs the other day, which got me to thinking that hey, those are cute and quick and easy and oh yea, I just happen to have a bit of a fabric stash myself. So while I may not feel much like knitting lately, I seem to have re-discovered the sewing bug.



Various flannel remnants, some of which, ironically enough, were gifted to me from Carrie.



And now from the back. Twelve bibs for the price of...well, nothing really. Maybe a couple of hours of my time. Too fun! Totally mindless sewing...love it. I barely made a dent in the flannel stash, so I think I'll make some matching wash cloths. As I was sifting through the rather robust blue flannel section, I started cutting squares of various sizes. I have no real plan, I just now have a lot of squares. I forsee a flannel baby quilt before too long though. Love the fabrics.



So I haven't posted about the house in a while. We've actually made some really amazing progress this spring and summer. We're now living in the house, have been for a few months and as of yesterday, we are officially fully functional!! The above photo is where we started with the main upstairs bathroom of the house. That's the sink area. Nice, eh? Wonder why we ever decided to change it up. But wait, there's more...



...this was the tub and surround! Whoa Nelly. The rest of the room was just...horror movie. The toilet...oh the toilet. There were partial walls, cracked plaster ceilings. Someone really should've scouted this place out for some sort of Saw sequel. Twas scary. We tore down everything, and I do mean everything, to bare studs and plywood floor.



But I think this is a bit of an improvement, don't you? (disregarding of course that the cover for the heater is missing, there is no trim, nor is the window framed in).



We've got this huge, beautiful, totally private back yard which makes for a lovely view from the window. It's so green and peaceful outside.



I finally took the tub for a test drive this morning...luxurious. We will be installing a curtain rod that hangs from the ceiling, so we will be able to have stand up showers as well. So there are still some accessories and such that need to be attended to, but for now, it's finished enough to use. Huzzah.

So anyway, that's it for today. Blogger totally punked out on me this morning while I was crafting this post, and in the interim, I started on some matching flannel cloths to go with the bibs. Pictures when they're all completed.

Until later...

Stuff I Made for Other People...

First off, just wanted to say thanks to all who left a lovely note of congratulations or encouragement, either on the blog or on Ravelry about my little announcement. Such lovely people you are!! To answer a few inquiries, if I can remember correctly, here is some rapid fire answers.

-I'm 10 wks. 6 days along
-Yes, What to Expect When You're Expecting is the scariest book I've read since Stephen King's IT. I've put it aside for a while and will consult when necessary. I'm of the opinion that a little (and I do mean a very little) 'ignorance is bliss' is helpful in this condition.
-A couple of you made me crave burgers with bacon and slices of pizza.

Now here is some stuff I made for people that I couldn't show you until I had given it away.



This was for some friends back home expecting in October. The dad-guy I've known since, well, even before high school I guess and he's quite the Detroit Tigers baseball fan, so I conjured up this little chart (all by myself!!) and knit the tiniest sweater ever. I chose Lanett Superwash, which I have to say I'm a big big fan of. They know they're expecting a boy, so it's all good. I would've knit this regardless though. With the orange onesie (the other Tigers colour), the little hat and the Robeez baseball shoes, it was just to die for. My favourite part? The baseball buttons.



This was my BFF Carrie's wedding present, which she received while I was home for vacay, just shy of her second wedding anniversary. I started it in April of '07, well after she was wed and would likely still have it stuffed in a bag, haunting me from some deep dark recess if it were not for the gracious and unselfish help of one of my knitting compatriots who kicked this project in the arse by knitting nine of the remaining twelve squares for me. I'm forever in her debt. I think I finished it around April or May of '08.



Knit from Patons Decor in Aran and Sand Castle variegated, I think it turned out quite lovely. I was pleased with the result and I think Carrie was too. And Carrie? I don't know if we were actually competing to see who would be done first, but I seem to recall that there was mention of a quilt at some point. I'm still waiting. Oh and neener neener, I win. (love you!!)

And that was the sum total, with the exception of some socks, of my spring knitting. At present, I seem to be suffering some burn out. I have a few things on the go, none of which are really capturing me. I sit in front of the tv all fidgety and bored, thinking 'I really should grab some knitting' and then four hours later I just go to bed. Not even my new WHOLE BAG of Rowan baby cashsoft DK or the other WHOLE BAG (bought super cheap online...thank you Heddy) of Debbie Bliss alpaca silk DK is doing it for me (though I do have a project in mind for it). Not sure what the cure is for this. Patience I suppose.

Anyhow, time to graze. Until later...

Knick-Knack Paddywack...

...give a dog a bed. Or make one, ya know, whatever!

Since moving into the house, we've been a little concerned with Hank and his adaptability to the hardwood and other uncarpeted surfaces. For the first week or so, we were sure that he was going to break his ankles with the gracelessness he showed in going up and down the stairs. Also in that first week, even though we had put his blanket at the foot of our bed, just like in the apartment, he would roam for quite a bit trying to find a comfortable spot. And it wasn't as though he would get up, move and then quietly lay down again. More like struggle to get on his feet, ticky-tap across the floor and then collapse all of his weight onto his elbows before tha-thumping onto his belly. So for the past month I kept remarking on how I really need to make him a proper bed or pillow. And today I finally got around to it.



I took an old fitted sheet and fitted mattress cover that I had hanging around from the twin bed I abandoned in high school. Sometimes it does actually pay to hang onto crap that you have no discernible use for. I cut off the excess fabric and did away with the fitted-ness, though I ran a basting stitch on each of the corners to gather a bit to give a little room for stuffing later.



I also had two queen sized quilt batts hanging around from when I bought them last year at a garage sale down the road. I haven't put a quilt together in quite some time and did not have one on the go at the time I bought the batts, but when there's two of them staring at your for six dollars, how can you just walk away? Here is one just unrolled. Picture the other unrolled beside it and that is how the bed is stuffed.



I left one end open and added some velcro strips for ease of washing later on.



And here we have what appears to be a satisfied customer. It took no coaxing to get him to lay down and pose for this picture, which must mean that a) he likes it and b) is quite familiar with the camera. Anyhow, we shall see if he gives it a test-drive tonight. He hasn't been sleeping in our room a lot lately though, which we think has more to do with the ceiling fan than anything. The constable seems to think that it somehow bothers his ears. Seems feasible. Anyhow, that's one sewing project out of the queue. Perhaps this will have a trickle down effect and I'll finally get around to doing some proper shades for our bedroom windows rather than just going and putting the push-pins back to hold up the makeshift shades every time there is a strong breeze.

Until later...

The Remorseless Eating Machine I've Become...

So if I were to tell you that within the last couple of weeks we...



...acquired a mini-van to compliment our Heep...er, I mean, Jeep...(seriously...is it ever going to stop raining?)



...that I have been concentrating my knitting efforts on rather small items made out of rather soft, person-specific yarn...(it's not pink...it's a rather yellowy-peach or peachy-yellow...but it's Rowan so who cares)



...or that yesterday I went to Frenchy's and spent ONLY $37.00 (and some change) on all of this (officially a Frenchy's convert now). What do you suppose I would be trying to get at?

Still not quite clear? Maybe for some this will help clarify. The other day, in a blind haze of ravenous hunger, I sat down to a plate of six chicken wings, which at the time seemed like the most glorious meal on the planet. The constable came in from the shed and innocently said, 'Hey, can I have one?!'

My response was what I liken to perhaps a cave woman, crouched near the fire with a grisly leg of stegosaurus (or some other sort of Flintstones reference) clenched triumphantly in her fists. The rest of the tribe is sitting tentatively on the other side of the fire, watching carefully and apprehensively, and with much envy as the woman gnashes her teeth and savours every last morsel. No one dare approach the woman, for beside her, laying in full view for all to see, is a large and heavy club that she has no trouble wielding at any individual that dare come between her and her feast.

Does this sound familiar to any other pregnant or previously pregnant women out there or am I just totally out of control?

So yes, I be pregnant. With child. In the family way. The rabbit done died (that one I've never quite understood). I'm just soooo excited. We both are. Something we've wanted for quite some time so it seems and now we're on our way. Terrifying, exciting, bewildering...it's all good. Lots and lots to do in the next seven months or so. So much crafting. The weirdest thing though...in all the baby crafting I've done over the last few years for friends and family around me who've had wee ones, I've always been very definite in what I wanted to make and had no problem just jumping right in and getting to it. But this little bean (hereafter referred to as Pinto Bean, as it was about that size when we first let the cat out of the bag and it's just stuck) has me a bit stumped. Stymied.

Maybe it's a perfectionist thing, like I have to make just the right this or that. Or maybe it's just not knowing what we're going to have just yet. I'm a bit on the impatient side as well. But it's getting better. I went to the fabric store yesterday and came away with some great ideas. There's lots of stuff I'd like to knit. Who knows if I'll get around to half of it. It's all going to be lovingly barfed on anyway, so I shouldn't get to hung up about it.

Anyhoo, seeing as it's Saturday and I'm here all by my lonesome, save my trusty compatriot Hank, (who startled a deer the other night when I sent him out into the back yard on the end of my flashlight beam for his evening poo. Didn't bark or chase or anything...he got a treat for that) and I have no motivation for cleaning when it's this miserable outside, I think I'll give my craft room a proper christening and while away the afternoon. Stay tuned for a rather steady stream of baby related items in the months to come. Whee!!!

Until later...

PS: Another note about Frenchy's; also in my purchases I got What to Expect the First Year (had picked up What to Expect When You're Expecting a while back for fifty cents...awesome) and another child rearing book for birth to five years. I also had one for the constable titled 'How to Keep the Baby Alive Until Your Wife Gets Home' but figured other than the title, he wasn't likely to read it anyway! I'm keeping him pretty well informed. I never believed it before when people tried to tell me, but this whole Frenchy's thing really has it going on. Most of the baby clothes I bought were all Old Navy, Baby Gap and Carters. Barely, if ever, used. In excellent condition. And honestly, I found more gender neutral stuff there than any store I've been to yet. Twas mightily awesome. But really, seeing as blue is my favourite colour, all shades, but navy in particular, even a daughter of mine will spend quite a bit of time in that colour anyway. When we do know what we're going to be welcoming home, I see shopping sprees of epic proportions taking place. Hubs got a little fashion show when he got home last night and was mightily impressed at the price tag. Yay bargains.