Moving On Over...

Yes, I'm moving from here over to my website, which is

http://www.kourtneyrobinson.com/


(Blogger, you've been great, but I'm trying something new & different...)

Gatsby, O Gatsby...

I had a tough day a while ago. One of the several nadirs was dropping the lid to my go-cup on the floor at Starbucks, and not noticing that it had actually broken until I put the lid on my coffee cup, "closed" it, then set it on the stroller. It promptly poured scalding hot princess coffee all over my wrist & purse.

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The good things about that? Well.

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1) It didn't scald Eleni.

2) I caught it right away, so it only wasted a little coffee.

3) My bag was shut, not open.

4) I wasn't using one of my "good" bags.

5) It didn't burn bad enough to blister, and even if it had, it was my wrist, not my fingers, so not as pivotal for knitting.

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I got home - eventually. And I looked at my lovely, lovely Offhand Designs knitting bag. It's been on the couch for quite a while; I've used it out in the world three times. And I realized that as much as I love that bag, it's not my style. I love it, and I wish it was me; but it's not.

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Obviously, there are the Littles & their accouterments. Sippy cups, cheerios, diapers, broken crayons. I'm mildy dismayed at what's in my bag at the moment, but I was also very glad to find a fragment of blue crayon to keep Am busy while we were waiting the other day. Ditto the cast-off back-up bink for Eleni, at an emergency nap-stop.
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And really, all apart from that, I need a bag that will survive if I put my mocha into it, and there's some kind of go-cup malfunction. I know it's a terrible idea to put a full cup of coffee in my bag, but it's maybe going to happen at some point. Wash'n'wear, maybe wipe clean. Fates, I know that at some point, I will be looking mournfully at a pile of mocha-soaked something, and I accept that.

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(Amoryn & puppy were very glad to model these - she's never got to touch them before!)

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That being said, I've decided to let them go. One friend suggested that I just hang on to them or five years or so, once we're past the danger point of the kid's sippy cups. That just feels miserly & wrong. These bags have been lovingly crafted, they're gorgeous, and they deserve pride of place & lots of use.

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So they're officially going up for sale on Ravelry. Details will be there; follow this link if you're really interested.

Old Gatsby: $130US, shipping included to US/Cda.

http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/knitting-bag-lust/1376066/1-25
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New-Style Gatsby & Clutch: $180US, shipping included to US/Cda.
http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/knitting-bag-lust/1376089/1-25

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Now, any suggestions on deeply stylish, functional, durable bags? Apart from MEC's ripstop nylon offerings? They're high on function & durability, but lower on the style.

Brought To You By The Color Purple & The Number "8"

Yes indeed. Halloween (heck, October!) has come & gone. It's been a little trying; some deadlines, some stress, some learning curves, and some other stuff too.
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(This is as close to Halloween candy as Eleni got – an empty box of Smarties. She was perfectly happy with it though!)

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The important things DID get accomplished though. Namely, one (1) octopus costume with eight (8) tentacles was created.

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(Waiting to spring into action on a toddler.)

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Ta-dah!

I’ve been skittering along the edge of a head cold all weekend, and I was honestly not so hyped about Halloween. And then I looked at how excited and happy Amoryn was, and I sucked it up, and took her out.

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It was simply the nicest time I’ve had with her in weeks. She was giggling, she was polite, she was brave. She listened to me, she held my hand, she was helpful. (She kept reminding people to close their doors before the mosquitos got in.)
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She was also very keen for the pumpkin carving – she helped to wash them off, then she used a water-based marker to draw their faces. (I interpreted her art using a permanent jiffy marker & a big, sharp, knife.)
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(Her handiwork.)

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(I think that this one is especially eerie.)

(Or is that eye-rie?)

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With that awful pun, with those wonderful Halloween memories dancing in my head, I'm off to bed.

That sound?

Oh, that sound. That's me gnashing my teeth in rage.

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It's been a frustrating morning. First, the octopus costume that I made yesterday - that was warmly, gleefully, and lovingly received & worn yesterday - was rejected this morning.

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I sighed, ground my teeth, and packed Amoryn & her octopus costume off to daycare & daycare's Halloween party. I told myself to not take it personally; she's a toddler, and at least I got to watch her run around yesterday, with all the legs on the costume bobbling around. Eight tentacles of awesome.

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Now, I've earmarked today's naps as pattern editing time. And what happens? The software I'm using is crashing. CRASHING. Not even opening. Locking up. Every single time. I uninstalled, reinstalled, crash.

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I've sent a rather abrupt email to their tech support; there's a new version available, but there's no link on their website to download it. I can download the old version... but not the newer one.

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The program nicely pops up a window letting me know that there's a new version to download, and it lets me see that info as it crashes & locks.

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Yes, I've restarted. Yes, I've closed all the other applications I was running. Yes, I'm ready to chew on the table. And yes, Eleni just woke up, which means that yes, I got two lines of the pattern edited.

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I'd tell you more, including what program it is, but a) I'm hopeful that their tech support will come through b) frothing in a rage doesn't really do me any good, especially if I'm going to try & stay calm enough that I can rebuild in Excel during Eleni's afternoon nap. c) I'm not giving them any free advertising. If they come through, I might mention them favorably. If they don't, I'll be flaming them in a post.

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And if that happens, I'll be naming names & pointing fingers. Heck, I might even put on the darn octopus costume, so that I've got more than just fingers to point & so that it gets some use.

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Seriously. I have minimal 'focus' time available to me, this pattern is on a deadline, I spent yesterday making a rejected octopus, and I feel like it's all futile. Maddening & futile. I can't even make myself a coffee as a treat; I'm afraid that the caffeine & the rage might escalate to me teaching my laptop that it can fly.

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Arrrrrrrg. *Sets forehead on table. Breathes. Breathes some more. Lifts head up.*

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Okay, what's for lunch?

Too Much Terror For One Day

First, let me say that everyone & everything in my world is okay. And my heart rate has slowed down, and now I'm just exhausted & thankful* for a near miss.

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And it's going to be several years before we walk to Tim Horton's again.

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The girls were both getting a little rambunctious, and I knew that they needed some fresh air. It's been cool this week, and so we haven't been out much. (The deadline knitting doesn't effect it much - I only knit when El's asleep, & that's always our quiet time. Puzzles, play-dough, maybe a movie.) There wasn't enough time for a full-on play at the park, so I decided that we'd just walk over to Tim Horton's for one timbit, then by the mailbox, then home. It was all good until we were crossing the street to come home.

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Amoryn, as you may or may not know, is a very headstrong & dramatic child who tends to throw herself into things. Literally, sometimes.

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Part of the deal while crossing the street is that if there is a button, she gets to push it. She did that, and then she wanted to stand on the other side of the pole. I said "No, please come stand me & Eleni."

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And she freaked out. Part of her freakout is her pitching herself backwards in the full-on throes of woe. So I made a diving catch - as two lanes of traffic on Country Hills Blvd are going past at full speed - grabbed her hood, which half unsnapped, then grabbed her collar. Then I grabbed the stroller, which had rolled forward about a foot. Then I hyperventilated, refused to let go of her, and tried to explain to her what had almost happened. While she screamed at the top of her lungs. I adjusted my scruff hold slightly to make sure she couldn't escape, tried to quit imagining what had almost happened, and kept breathing.

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Once the light changed, I pushed/dragged the kids back into the safety of the cul-de-sac, where Amoryn stopped wailing in indignation and cried "You're really hurting me". I checked, and actually had a fair mitt-ful of hair. I apologized, then explained how very much she had just scared mommy.

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Even though we ran overtime on Eleni's nap, we had a slide on our way to the mail box. I still can't believe how close to truly awful the day was.

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I'm going to eat supper now, then kiss my girls goodnight, and keep knitting.

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*Not thankful enough to be glad about the misses today with potty-training. The last three days, I was glad that we don't have carpet, and that she's making progress, and today, after the third mistake, I'm just sad & tired. That's all I'm sayin'.

Knitting Math

I've lost both my tape measure & my calculator. (I think small hands might have been a cause.)

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Anyways, help me out with this math, ok? If, during the course of this:

(75 min)

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I can get this done...

(Approx 5 inches.) (Blurred for discretion. Color is true though, and doesn't cover the luscious, luscious texture of cashmere/silk.)

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How long is it going to take me to knit another, erm, 28 inches or so?

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Or should I be wondering if I'll be able to recite Merriweather's lines in my sleep?

Busy, Busy, Busy

Well, the second half of October looks to be a little insane.

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I've got to finish a top-secret project AND I'm going to make three Halloween costumes.

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Why not buy them? Well, 1) it's a thing with me to make the costumes for as many years as I can & 2) Amoryn wants to be an octopus. I've never seen an octopus costume for sale.

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I admit, I've been pitching octopodes for a while. And she's keen! Finally! So, we are going with a sea theme: an octopus (Amoryn), a starfish (Eleni) and a lobster (myself). I just need to consult my fabric stash to see what I need, and master the time space continuum so that I have more time between now & next Friday. (The man can go as a fisherman. Or kelp! He can be kelp! He can wear his green outfit! Ha!)

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I think that I'm going as a red lobster, for better identification & visibility. Eleni will be a yellow polar fleece starfish, which means that I need to sort out what color Am's octopus should be...

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Any suggestions?

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Other than gently pointing out that talking about what I need to get done doesn't actually accomplish anything. Right. Back to work.

And Now She Is One!

Eleni had her first birthday yesterday...

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She thought it was great; she liked the balloons and her sister was very helpful about opening presents. (Some small stuffies from me.)

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Unlike a lot of kids, she did enjoy opening her cards... especially the giant bear from M_____ and M__.

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The cake was the only thing I was really concerned about - with no dairy & no eggs, what do you do?

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Well, you fret about it a bit, try a couple different things, then come up with a sort-of whoopie-pie/oreo cookie. Then, while the birthday girl is fussing as you try & get her candle lit, you set a couple cheerios on her tray, and she eats those instead of the cookie-cake.

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(Stock photo)

Actually, I just watched the little video that her dad took, and she does pick up the cookie-cake, take a nibble, then drop it. She then looks over the edge a little wistfully, and refuses to eat anything other than cheerios. I missed that part because I was talking to Am.

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I could wax poetic about how much I love her, and how amazing her first year has been, but I suspect if you follow this blog or know me, you know that already.

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(And most of the photos are on Z____'s camera... and I don't have the cables to dump her pics into my camera, and now she's gone home. Sooooo.. imagine a fun, laughing day with giggly girls.)

Thanksgiving, And A Pie Recipe

Yes indeed, it's Thanksgiving Day here in Canada. We've been a bit ahead of the curve; we had our turkey on Saturday.

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It worked out well; friends & family were free to join us, and we had yesterday free to go for a hike/saunter followed by a bonfire & hotdogs for supper. The weather foiled our bonfire plans a little, but not that much. Today, we're free to enjoy our leftovers, and start next week without feeling oppressed by the amount of turkey left to consume. We had the perfect amount of pie, too - I sent leftovers home with various people. Here's the recipe - and while it might be too late for the Canucks, hopefully an American or two can make use of it next month.

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Pumpkin Pie

Crust:

1 1/2 c gingersnap crumbs

1/2 c chopped pecans

2 TB brown sugar

1/3 c melted butter

-Combine, pat into shape in 9" pie pan, chill one hour.

Filling:

3 eggs

1 c brown sugar

1 c whipping cream

2 TB dark rum

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon (+)

1 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 1/2 c pumpkin puree

-Beat all but pumpkin together. Add in pumpkin, stir, pour into crust.

-Bake at 350F for one hour, until set. Chill

Topping:

1 c whipping cream

2 TB maple syrup (+)

-Beat together, serve over pie.

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Loosen your belt & enjoy!

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(In case you're curious, I'm thankful for all the things that I love best.)

Introducing Mishka

I'd like for you to meet Mishka - a lovely, engaging scarf, named after a graceful engineer friend of mine whose love of nature is rivalled only by her love of straight lines.
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It's shown above in Seasilk, and below in Taiyo; fingering and aran weight yarns, respectively.
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It's a short repetitive pattern that makes the most of highly variegated yarns. The vertical 'ladders' balance the horizontal bands of color with grace.
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I think it sets off short or long color runs equally well; and it's beautiful in any weight of yarn.
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Although I've used the word "ladder", it's not a dropped stitch. The pattern has both written & charted directions, and is now available on my website and Ravelry for $6.00Us.
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As a note, the Taiyo has previously been knit into two sweaters & several scarves, and this is the first real success I've had with this yarn. I think it speaks to the yarn's quality that a single-ply is still standing up so well!

Look What I Figured Out!

I invented a non-provisional tubular cast-on! (Non knitters, skip ahead.) I'm knitting a 1x1 ribbed cowl, and I remembered vaguely that I'd seen a Eunny Jang tutorial. I watched that, sighed, and was too lazy to go find some provisional yarn that I was willing to cut into bits. Then the phone rang, and as I chatted, I invented how to do it, with no provisions! I'm sure it's reinventing the wheel, but I feel terribly clever. You use Judy's Magic Cast-On, work a round, then pick it up from there. Fiddly, needs a dpn & a long circ, but requires no cutting! No provisional yarn! I may do up a photo tutorial of it.

For now, here's the CO edge. See? The tubular cast on provides a very even, elastic, uniform, BEAUTIFUL edge!
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I also learned that the knitting muses are big on humble, humble pie. I'd originally swatched on a 4.5 mm, didn't like the fabric, decided to guess at the numbers & go down to a 3.75mm. Turns out, 108st was too small, and the fabric was too dense. So I found my 4.0mm, cast on 120 st, then actually looked at my needles... and looked again... and realized that I actually had found a 3.5mm needle. I sighed, then thanked my muse for making sure I had such a great opportunity to really, really learn my tricksy new cast on, then finally got it right. I've cranked out about an inch of the ribbing now, and so far, am cautiously optimistic.
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What else did I learn... even a quick trip to Ikea takes a Very Long Time. I also learned that small, eager, drooly assistants in no way help or speed up building Ikea furniture, and that Eleni is in love with screwdrivers. My job was first to thwart that love, then to build the $#% drawers..
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I've realized that I'm really, really loving fall... The colors are everywhere in my life, not just outside on the trees.
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There's the fingering sampler pack I got from Impulse Of Delight .
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There's the chunk of color that I stuck in my hair...
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And there's the color I just painted my toes & some Sanguine Gryphon yarn that I'm totally in love with. (Skinny Bugga, just for fun.)
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And fall what else? Falling asleep....
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(A terrible segue, I know, but meh, I'm beat.)

I'm Doing It, Really, It's Just...

I'm trying to be proactive & get our books caught up. Except that I'm stalling horribly... So I'm posting this random picture. Then I'm buckling down to get some bookkeeping done.

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(I'm just doing the Y/E reconciliation, and I hate that. Soon, it will be smooth sailing.)

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Isn't this an amazing picture? I'd say they're my dad's antlers, but that sounds funny.

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All right. No more funny. Nothing but books.

Falling In Love

Oh, autumn. How can I resist you?

Your colors compliment my daughters so well; and you're just so darn pretty this year!

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(And yes, I let her try to play with that rock. I was confident that she couldn't swallow it, and that she wouldn't be able to lift it high enough to drop on her own head.)
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I'm just so smitten with the yard, and the way that things are a curious mix of dead & alive, green, gold & red.
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The plum tree (red on the left) has now dropped all of its leaves, but my willow tree continues to look fetching & an awful lot like bamboo. The sunflowers are all still alive, too.
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Not to mention that the grass is still verdant and soft...

(Yes, the girls are racing towards each other here, and yes, that makes my heart melt.)

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I usually don't really enjoy fall, because it means that summer is over and winter is coming. However, I've got a clever new tactic to feel better about winter this year. While it's too early to say if it's a success, I'm optimistic enough about it that I'm really quite taken with fall this year.
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Back to the knitting now! Gauge swatch, gauge swatch, how do I love thee... it all depends on the project. I do like that gauge swatches never scald me though; one way that sewing (& pressing) is clearly inferior to knitting.

Flight of Fancy

Introducing the Flight of Fancy... a scarf that's more than a swatch.

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When I was in Napa, I was introduced to the lovely concept of tasting flights – a carefully selected sampling of wines. Sometimes they are thematic, and sometimes they’re just a chance to try different types.
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With all the yarn samples, yarn tastings, and yarn leftovers in my life, I realized I wanted something similar; something to evaluate the yarns and how they behave in a few basic stitch configurations. I developed this so that it can be knit for an infinite length with an infinite number of yarns – whether you have just enough handspun to make a muffler, or you have an entire smorgasbord of yarns to make a long, striped scarf.
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Whatever you call your finished project, you’ll have something that shows you how stockinette, reverse stockinette, seed stitch, and cables look in your chosen yarns. And as part of the process, you get to wind all your wee bits of yarn into one big, fun ball - it's like a magic trick!
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As I mentioned, I've designed it for Bess & Make 1's fall retreat; if you're lucky enough to be going, you'll be getting a copy. It's also available now for $2.oo USD.

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I'm finding it amazingly compelling to be able to compare the different yarns as the stripes get knit out of the ball!

The Most Dangerous Drawer

You know, in the middle of the night last night, I mentally composed a lovely post about parenthood, and how I really feel about it, and how it's making me a better person.
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But, it was the middle of the night. And Eleni woke up again... and again... and again, for good (or at least the morning) at 4:47. The man looked surprised when he got downstairs at 6:20 and found us watching Sex & the City reruns.

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Any rate. Here is a picture of the single most dangerous drawer in my house instead of a poetic, moving, coherent post.

Contrary to what you may think, it is organized. It's in my sewing desk, and the danger factor comes in when you calculate how many scissors, seam rippers, rotary cutter blades, and pointy things in general are in there and multiply it by my propensity to rummage through wildly, looking for scissors, seam rippers, rotary cutter blades, and pointy things in general.

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(I'll post about finished projects one of these days. Promise.)

Wait, Maybe It's Not So Bad...

Well, several hours later & things have improved; most notably, my mood. My back is still painful, but the man & Am are out gardening, and I'm watching El demolish some sweet potatoes. We're headed out once the sweet potatoes are totally decimated; I'm aiming to peel the small apples from our tree & try & talk Eleni out of eating any rocks.

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Oh, and also? Amoryn is barefoot.

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(Sadly, that won't be an option once winter comes along...)

Bad Mother Thought Of The Day, Or The Post I Maybe Shouldn't

"I am so sick of her."

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Now really, I know that that's totally inappropriate to say or think. And it's more like, I'm so sick of all the screaming & melodrama & histrionics that she throws at me. When I've surfed the angry high tide of 'NoooOOOOO!!!" more than a dozen times in the first three hours of the day, I just get tired and honestly, I can only go into my personal well of quiet and calm so many times before that sucker runs dry. Then I'm left with no personal reserve, and nothing to offer my other child, my husband, or anyone else in the world.

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I've tried being calm. I've tried being rational. I've tried hugging, and spending a lot more quality time - just one on one - with her. I've tried everything I can think of, and most of what I've read. And honestly, I'm just tired of it. I understand that she's small, and still learning how to control her emotions, and she can't always articulate whats going on in her head. I'm trying to teach her words to use, and methods to calm down, and honestly, I'm at the point where I think I should maybe just teach her how to bottle all of her feelings inside and smile all the time, because this? This is wearing me out.

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I also can't help but wonder - at what point am I creating a monster? I read the Harlot's post the other day, & I totally agree that babies don't cry for attention, to be controlling. They're not logical enough. But maybe three year olds do? And really, is asking someone to put on their socks such a terrible thing?

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The sock thing, incidentally, I'm having a hard time with. I clearly recall being screamed at to "LET ME DO IT MY SELF", so the sudden reversion to "HEEEELLLLP MEEE I CAAAAAN'T DOOOO IT!" is jarring. And something that I have not allowed time for, in the somewhat epic quest to Get Out The Door.

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And really, should I be making her do it herself? Should I help with the socks? Is it backsliding, and potentially very bad to help her put on her socks, or is it only bad if she's screaming about it? I can't think with all the screaming in here!

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Maybe we need to play outside more. But to go outside, we need socks! Agh! Vicious circle strikes again!

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I have nothing else to say, and honestly, not much left to offer today. And it's not even noon. I'm going to inhale deeply, try to get us outside, and try not to lose my sh*t in the process of trying to teach my children how to keep a grip on theirs*. Wish me luck.

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(Helpful hints are welcome in the comments. I'm in the process of reading "How To Raise Your Spirited Child". And my sacrum locked up on Thursday, so once that's recovered, I'll have more to offer.)

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*I feel compelled to note that that's figurative sh*t, by the way.

Sometimes Unexepected News Is Bad

I should be knitting right now. I've got a deadline, and I've got yarn & needles, but I'm feeling sad. So perhaps telling you, the intarweb about it, will help.

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A beautiful woman died yesterday. She would have been forty or so next month, and we haven't been in touch in forever. I knew she'd been having health troubles, but didn't realize that they were that extreme.

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She was my first babysitter; or at least, our first regular babysitter. I understand now how tricky it can be to find a sitter who meshes with your children... so who know how many sitters didn't mesh, or care for a repeat engagement.

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I was a very awkward, dreamy, little kid. She was the first person who ever made me feel cool. She let me stay up late - after my brothers went to bed, even! - and we would watch movies together. I particularly remember a movie about a teenage glamor queen who got mad at her parents (or some kind of authority) and cut her hair short & spiked it & the only reason the hero recognized her is because she was wearing knickers that said "I (heart) YOU".

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Anyways. Staying up late watching movies with her was the first time that I ever felt cool. And that was such a gift for my self-confidence - to have someone - a sophisticated girl with a driver's license! - laugh at my jokes, let me stay up late.

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I realize now that it wasn't so much that I felt cool, but that I felt accepted for myself. I wasn't a great fit in small-town Saskatchewan. Being accepted for myself was a great gift that she gave me. (And I have to note here: I have a terrific family, with lots of support and love. But when you're nine, or eleven, or fourteen, your mother's support & approval just isn't, well, very cool. Even when you have a cool mom. Because you know, mom's are supposed to say nice things to you & love you & junk. So, for a while, it's almost like that doesn't count.)

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I'm sad because I didn't realize what an impact she had on my life until she was gone. I never had a chance to hug her - adult to adult - and say "thanks". I'm sad that I won't be able to make it to her funeral & try to give some comfort to her family.

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And I'm mostly sad for her family - because if she meant that much to me, how much more did she mean to them?

Mistaken Mistake!

One small error has been found - on page three, in Section III: Edging, row 11 should read:
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R11: K1FB, *P3, K3* until 4 st before M, P4, slM, P1, K3, P1, slM, P4, *K3, P3* until 1 st before end of row, K1FB (inc2)
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The error is now fixed, but if you downloaded the pattern prior to Sept 20, 2010, please make a note!
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It's still free on Ravelry though! And let's face it, winter is coming, and a nice, thick, cushy shawl is something we could all use.
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download now
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PS: Thanks to T____ for her vigilant reading of the pattern!

Just So You Know.

This isn't even a sticky note day; sticky notes days are more organized.
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First, please note that proper attire for knit designers includes but is not limited to a pair of sparkly star antennae.

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And they need penguin assistants.

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That's what the princess tells me, anyways.

(That's her "SMILE" face. She's going to Cuba once she's done her phone call. If only she could get decent coverage! Can you hear me now?) (She's also not having afternoon naps anymore.)
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If you've every watched Eleni eat, and wondered where such a dainty little thing puts it all, I have the answer.

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THERE is where she puts it.

(And in her high chair. And the floor. And there was a cheerio in her pantsthe other day...)
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I'm very tempted to put this image on the Xmas card. The guacamole, the spaghetti sauce; the red and the green. Very festive, no?

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Okay, no. But I do want my wrestler name to be "Macaroni Octagon" pronounced MACK-aroni OCK-tagon.

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It is wrong that there is something in this world that tastes like celery & smells like maple syrup. Thankfully, I'm not taking a lot of fenugreek.

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And damn you, Stieg Larsson! Your books are eating up my life. I blame it on the summertime lull of fresh CSI's episodes & the fact that your main character went shopping at Ikea & got an Odvar, an Outgang, and three Billy bookcases. Way to make her universal. Who cares is she lives on Smallagravelinginjbjorn Street, and makes 28,000 kronor? She's got Billy. We've all got Billy.

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You know what else I have? Deadlines. Back to the grind. Thanks for letting me share, Intarweb. Deadlines seem to increase the number of random things swirling about me, and I always feel better & more able to focus if I can get them out, somehow.

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Okay, penguin. So, I'm thinking that a YO, K2tog pairing....

Well, Lookit That!

No, not really. I want to have a show'n'tell post about what I've knit, spun, sewn, & stashed this summer... but the camera is over there & everything else is all over the place. So that's for another day.

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Today was exciting - Am & I went to our first parent/tot dance class. She's technically old enough to go to a class by herself, but I know my girl, and part of her personality is the desire to observe new activities before she participates. You know, just to make sure she knows what she's getting into.

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I'm hopeful that she'll hold onto that well into her teenage years. I remember one conversation in particular with my mother that started off with her saying "Tell me what you think you did wrong..." and me replying "Well, I just wanted to have a little fun, and ..."

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Anyways. We carefully watched the dance class together, and had a lovely huggle, and subtly wiggled along to the music. I figured that there's no point in pushing her into anything; this is supposed to be fun after all. Then we went for a stroll on 17th. A two & a half loop took about an hour & a half... again, I let Am set the pace. It was nice though; I let go of my agenda & just people watched & sauntered along. I guess you could say we "Am"bled along!

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Now we're back, lunched up, and Eleni is napping. I'm off to the basement to finish some sewing projects - I don't like to sew when El is awake, as the combination of the iron on "HIGH/LINEN", and Eleni crawling around & pulling herself up seems particularly ominous.

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The sewing projects will end up in the show'n'tell post, I promise. One is exceeding my expectations, and one is, well, hm. I'm not sure how it's going to turn out, but it's not going badly, per se. I'm just a little out of practice at that kind of thing.

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Off to the iron - and the ominous project of pressing several yards of bias tape. *wince* Here's hoping that I don't steam scald any of my knitting fingers...

Thank Heavens That's Over

I got a haircut yesterday. It was a dramatic change - I like my hair long, but I was beginning to feel oppressed by the amount I shed. I mean, everyone sheds, but when the hair is like a foot & a half long...

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And then there was the diaper incident with Eleni. I'm not going to say anymore; but the hair had to get shorter.

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I did my research, chatted with a couple of the people important to me, googled about a zillion pictures, picked my favorite ones (including those with curly hair), sent the pics to my hairdresser, and talked to her about what I did & didn't want.

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It should have been great. G___ has been great in the past; I really thought I had it covered this time. But no. Somewhere along the line, I was misinterpreted.

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I put my glasses on (the real-life version of the big reveal) & thought "errr, no...." I hoped that I was wrong, looked at my watch, realized that I had to go to get Amoryn, and decided to just leave, go get the girl, shower the gunk out of my hair, and see what the cut was really like.

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This was maybe not the best move. Turns out the hair cut was, well, disappointing. The bangs are too short, and the crown was too long. The crown is fixable, but I have to admit that I'm feeling a bit grudging about the bangs. I had like, a foot & a half of hair to work with, people!

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When it was all styled up & I got home, I thought: "I look like Kate Gosselin".

But with shorter bangs. And as C___ pointed out, not even Kate Gosselin looks like Kate Gosselin anymore.

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After I washed it & tried a variety of things, I established that I could look like a weird amalgam of two of the Three Stooges , or like that guy from the Flock Of Seagulls.

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Yes indeed. It was that bad. So I called my hairdresser, and after several conversations, we established that there was maybe an opening for tonite, but no, howzabout Friday? But no, Saskatchewan. Howzabout the 16th? I told her point blank that I couldn't wait that long, & if she couldn't help me, I was going to take matters into my own hands. Still nothing.
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So I did something that I haven't done in about a decade. I took blades to my own hair. (A razor this time, and little thread snips. Scissors aren't so great.) I spent a couple years cutting my own hair when I last had it short, so I knew that I could come up with something that wouldn't be so awful.
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I think it's okay - I'll have to live with it for a couple days & see. I might go shorter yet. Hard to say. I'm pleased with the hair being short - I feel liberated! And taller. And less pain - Eleni is quite a grabby little girl.
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And now, the only question left is... since I'm doing the time warp with my hair, do I want to go all the way, stop by the drugstore, and do *something* to the color of my hair????

Great Googelly Moogelly

Well, I have over 1200 pics for August. So I guess I can't say we didn't do anything! Here, in no particular order, are my favorite pics from the last couple weeks.
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Amoryn on Goose Spit, in Comox. Her ability to camouflage herself is truly uncanny, right?

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I'm showing Amoryn a tadpole. This is shortly before she scared the bejeebers out of him.

(Amphitrite Point, Ucluelet. And yes, tadpoles do have bejeebers.)
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Fresh air leads to exhaustion. I like that Rowr is collapsed in the same way that Amoryn is.

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If you're think that this slide required concentration, you're reading Am's body language correctly.

(Tofino)
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One glorious naptime, I sat on the deck & swatched as the tide came in.

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I love swatching in the round - it's such a dog's breakfast on the reverse.

(The yarn is Hasmi's Rocky Mountain Dyeworks , by the way. Scrumptious. More on this project later.)
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What else can I say about this photo? Love, loving, loved.

(Butterfly gardens, Victoria.)
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I don't quite know why this one appeals to me so much - the flamingoes, the mist, the reflections, the absurd shade of pink...

(Also at the butterfly gardens.)

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Eleni just woke up, so I'd best be off. I'm taking it very easy today; mastitis struck yesterday, and while I'm improved, I wouldn't say that I'm better. Judicious application of Thai take out & baby snuggles & an avoidance of all household tasks seem to be helping.