Dollybird Workshop

Moving On Over...

2010-11-15T14:42:00.003-06:00

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...

2010-11-03T12:13:00.005-05:00

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.

The good things about that? Well.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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"

2010-11-01T01:03:00.005-05:00

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.

(Waiting to spring into action on a toddler.)

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.)

(I think that this one is especially eerie.)

(Or is that eye-rie?)

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

That sound?

2010-10-29T14:18:00.002-05:00

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Okay, what's for lunch?

Too Much Terror For One Day

2010-10-27T18:17:00.002-05:00

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.

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

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.

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

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."

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.

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.

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.

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

*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

2010-10-25T14:06:00.003-05:00

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

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

(75 min)

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.)

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

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

Busy, Busy, Busy

2010-10-21T14:33:00.002-05:00

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

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

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.

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!)

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...

Any suggestions?

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!

2010-10-17T22:52:00.003-05:00

Eleni had her first birthday yesterday...

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

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

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

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.

(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.

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.

(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

2010-10-11T15:57:00.004-05:00

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

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.

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.

Loosen your belt & enjoy!

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

Introducing Mishka

2010-10-08T17:25:00.003-05:00

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!

2010-10-07T23:03:00.004-05:00

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...

2010-10-05T17:08:00.002-05:00

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.

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

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

All right. No more funny. Nothing but books.

Falling In Love

2010-10-03T17:34:00.002-05:00

Oh, autumn. How can I resist you?

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

(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.)

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

2010-09-30T16:31:00.002-05:00

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.

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

2010-09-29T11:26:00.002-05:00

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.

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

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

2010-09-26T15:15:00.003-05:00

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.

Oh, and also? Amoryn is barefoot.

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

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

2010-09-26T12:11:00.003-05:00

"I am so sick of her."

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.

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.

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?

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.

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!

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

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.

(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.)

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

Sometimes Unexepected News Is Bad

2010-09-23T14:19:00.002-05:00

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.

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.

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.

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".

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.

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.)

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.

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!

2010-09-20T11:42:00.003-05:00

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.

2010-09-16T16:44:00.003-05:00

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.

And they need penguin assistants.

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.

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?

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

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.

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.

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

Well, Lookit That!

2010-09-11T14:34:00.003-05:00

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.

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.

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 ..."

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!

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.

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.

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

2010-09-01T20:03:00.003-05:00

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...

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

2010-08-31T13:42:00.004-05:00

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.

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.)

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.

Back From The Coast!

2010-08-29T16:52:00.003-05:00

So, here's a random assortment of photos from the man's iPhone...

Amoryn in Tofino. That's an ice cream cone she's holding.

And this time, she's passed out in the minivan. (I didn't take a picture of her older cousin L__, who was also passed out.)

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"Tide comes in, girls go out."

(Cabin in Ucluelet.)
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Watching the wildlife...

(Deck in Ucluelet.)

Hanging out, getting ready to go...

(Ucluelet cabin.)
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Eleni, passed out after a busy morning.

(I know, her neck looks like it's better supported. )
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More tomorrow, after I find the camera cables & get ahead of the laundry a little bit!

Razor Slouch Hat

2010-08-18T18:30:00.004-05:00

Please meet the Razor Slouch Hat! This is an idea that's been simmering in my head for a long time. It's based on a traditional Shetland lace pattern known as razor shell. It’s sharp no matter what style of sock yarn you use; semi-solid, space-dyed, or hand painted. There are two sizes to knit, but four sizes in effect - the hat can be blocked larger or unblocked and left smaller.

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It's knit in the round from the brim up to the crown. Both written and charted instructions are included. There are four sizes (in effect) that range from smallest to largest as follows: small, unblocked; large, unblocked; small, blocked; large, blocked. The pink hat is a large & blocked; the green is large & unblocked, and the navy multi is small & blocked.
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The stitch pattern is well defined, so the blocking decision is strictly based on your size preferences. Requirements are: Small(Large) 195m/210yd(220m/240yd) fingering/sock yarn, and a 32” 3.0mm circular needle & a 32” US #7/4.5mm circular needle.
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It's available now for purchase now ($6.00USD); please check out my Ravelry pages for details on the individual hats!

PS: Big thanks to GoodGriefLucy, for test knitting & making some great text suggestions.

PPS: I was going to title this post "Women Go Crazy For A Sharp-Dressed Tam", but it's not really a tam, and it doesn't need to be dressed out. And how relevant is ZZ Top these days? Anyways.)

It Just Keeps Coming Back

2010-08-18T01:25:00.003-05:00

The laundry, I mean. I got it all folded & even put away. And now... there's another stack on the loveseat. I'd ask how this happens, but I do recall something along these lines...

(Oatmeal & cheerios.)

And we went outside...

And there was much crawling towards rocks to eat...

And watering of plants... and other fun, summertime, messy things.

Speaking of other fun things? I scored some fantastic fiber from Make 1 - some of Sweet Georgia's BFL & some Silk Tussah. I may post pics tomorrow, or I might be all tied up with the prepping & packing for Summer Holiday, part II!

It Ain't Gonna Fold Itself

2010-08-13T12:05:00.004-05:00

The laundry piles that have been dominating my house for the last week or so have undergone a slight change - they're clean now.

Still not folded though. I just can't scrape up the desire to fold it.

You know what I have done?

I turned this:

Into this (spun in Saskatchewan, modelled on my piano).

And then, on a whim, I turned the second half into this:

Then I plyed them together and came up with about 230m of yum. I mean yarn. (Pigeonroof Studios, TLS Huckleberry, 4.5 oz, 80/10/10 merino/cashmere/nylon, 230m of sport-ish weight.)

I think I know what I'm going to knit it into. In an effort to get done the laundry though, I'm not going to wind it up until we head for BC next week. It'll be great for holiday knitting.

Now. Anyone seen any motivation? Because you don't need to be a spinner to see that this.....

...is so much less tempting that this...

or this....

I remember once, when I was living with S____ in MJ, our apartment had a showing. We had a more laissez-faire style of housekeeping (snort), so there was a lot of panicked tidying in the 20 minutes that we had. I threw all the laundry - clean, dirty, miscellaneous - onto my bed and then tossed the comforter over it. Lumpy, but hidden. We put all the dirt dishes under the sink. Dirty, but hidden. It was fine until the potential new tenant looked under the sink to check for mice droppings... It was an important lesson about short cuts. Also, very very funny.

Cheerio Girl

2010-08-12T10:16:00.003-05:00

Dear Eleni,

I love you very much and am very proud that you are crawling and feeding yourself.

I'd just like to let you know that when you find small random things* and stuff them into your mouth, I'm not stuffing my fingers into your mouth for you to use as a teething toy. Just sayin'.

Also, Quit Freaking Biting Me When You Nurse. I respect that your teeth are bothering you; I give you lots of teething toys & cheerios. Please respect that THAT FREAKING HURTS, okay?

I love you & your sister so much.

(And I'm charmed that you love yarn so much, but please. Stop chewing on it. You're giving the cat ideas.)

*Do you have any idea how long I vaccuumed for yesterday? I have no idea where she found that. Perhaps my prior tactic of letting a healthy amount of Cheerios stay on the floor as distractors was the better option. Crunchier underfoot, but that's all that Eleni would try to eat off of the floor.

A Day At The Spa

2010-08-09T17:02:00.002-05:00

Rowr has had a busy summer; he's been all over the place. He was even forgotten in Maple Creek and had an exciting ride in a cardboard box, courtesy of Grampa & Canada Post. (When we moved him out of Ruby's way, we moved him out of sight. Moops.)

As with any well-loved and busy stuffed toy, Rowr is starting to smell & look quite grimy. So, it was spa day.

This is kind of a strange...

...spa. This water could be warmer, you know.

How cruel can you be? I can see you laughing at me! This isn't a spa!

I wish that I could tell you that I didn't spend long, laughing at Rowr going around and around in the machine. Sadly, the new washer has a timer, so I know exactly how long I spent.

Likewise, I wish that this was the first blog post that was about the anthropomorphization* & cleaning of a stuffed animal. But no. Sadly not. It's just that kind of blog.

*Bite me, spellcheck.

And The Next Thing Is...

2010-08-05T16:03:00.002-05:00

As I mentioned, we got home from Saskatchewan, & the washer broke. The man made the diagnosis, and the next day we went shopping for a new one.

Because in a house with two small people, one of whom is (usually) in cloth diapers, you need a washing machine.

We found a groovy new machine - top load HE with no center thinger & with a clear lid. I anticipate many happy hours - or at least a couple minutes - idly watching it wash. We also found a new fridge & stove, because the stove is a little dodgy (two elements work fine; one does not work at all, and one is, well, odd) and because I have been in love with C____'s fridge for a long time. The longer I loved her fridge, the less I liked ours. I'm tickled to be welcoming a french door/bottom drawer freezer into our home tomorrow, along with a stove with five elements that ALL work, and a washing machine that I can watch swish stuff around. Expect photos.

Of course, the cable box has also just crapped out. I'd spent a little bit of the holiday missing the 'rewind' & 'pause' function for live tv. Now, it's dead. Sort of a permanent pause, I suspect. It's okay; it just feels like an expensive week.

And I feel all achey and crappy, so at the risk of being the next thing in the house to break, I think I'm going to have a nap after I finish clearing off the top of the old fridge. I could spin (I'm totally digging the Ashford Joy thus far) or knit, but I don't really feel like it. Which is the biggest warning sign about impending ailments that I know of! To heck with taking my temperature! Offer me some yarn, and watch the response.

I wonder if I should get a Medic Alert bracelet that notes "Highly Responsive to Fiber"?

Holiday! Part I

2010-08-04T23:02:00.002-05:00

Part II of the holiday will be later this month, when we all head to BC to visit a different branch of the family tree. This was all in SW Saskatchewan, and I regret to say that I took hardly any photos. We were too busy enjoying the sun, and chasing both children around.

I managed to knit, wash, & block a small gauge swatch. I had to use corn-cob stabbers to pin it down, but hey, when you're living rough, you're living rough.

I did get quite a lot of knitting/designing done on one project, and mom worked on a version of Thaylor. That'll likely be ready to publish early next month, I think. If it weren't for these kids that are around the house... and my other knitting project... and the need to sleep...
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These are the morning glories on my parents deck. I love, love, love that they matched the blue of the sky. I also love how confused dad was as I tried to fold myself - and the man's giant zoom lens - low enough to the ground to take this photo. It didn't work, so I got brave & changed the lens.

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I hadn't for these shots - so I was running across the yard backwards, with a giant camera & Eleni in my arms, trying to get far enough away to frame Gramma & Grampa & Amoryn on her First Horse Ride! (Thanks Whiskey.) (I was doing it backwards because I didn't want to miss seeing it either - and I was pretty sure that I remembered where the truck & tractors in the yard were.)

I'm very proud of how brave Am was - she started off a bit skittish, but after I took Eleni for a 'ride', she was willing to join me, then I could leave completely.
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Speaking of horses, here is the ugliest one I've ever seen. You can't really tell, but the light parts on his face are the exact color of cheese whiz. And his eyes are a really light, creepy blue. He's built nicely enough, and must have a great gait or temper or something, because really, he's really ugly.

Aaaaaaand as your bonus for humoring me through the 'ugly horse' picture, here's a photo of Ruby.

She's the most charming puppy I've ever met. I could keep talking, but that covers it. Imagine a sweet, mild, quiet, fluffy puppy. I love Ruby. So does D____, which is good, as Ruby's her puppy!

I'm off to get a couple more computer things done... my list of goals for today didn't get done, but that could be because of the lack of internet this afternoon, and because the new washer doesn't get delivered until Friday, so I'm spending a lot of time dodging around the Giant Piles Of Laundry.

And one more project for tomorrow - we're also getting a new fridge (!!!), and I realized: I need to clean the top of the fridge off. I seriously have No Idea What All Is Up There. If you're lucky, I won't blog it. Although if it's entertaining enough, I just may.

A Quantum Leap

2010-08-04T00:28:00.002-05:00

I just read an article which reminded me that a quantum is in fact a very small thing.

That put me in mind of my current obsession/knitting project. It’s going well, but my goodness. It’s slow. If you ever are working on a knitting project, and you feel like it’s going slowly, I suggest you try this easy three step process to find a project that will make your original project seem like it’s flying by.

First, are you knitting lace?

Second, are you beading your lace?

Third, are you making clear, replicable charted & written notations about your knitting?

I'm doing all of the above. Step three doesn’t sound that bad, until I found one little mistake that I’d made a row back. I was off by one stitch. Much like accounting, I’ve thoroughly established that it’s easier to find a big mistake than a small one. Forty-nine thousand dollars? No big. Thirty-two cents? Argh.*

I think that the only way that this could go slower was if I was knitting gossamer with no rest rows. If I ever get to that point, be assured: I will have actually stopped time in its tracks, and the physicists & the men from the funny farm should converge on me at about the same time.

(If you are knitting gossamer beaded lace with no rest rows, I stand in genuine awe of you.)

And we’re back from Saskatchewan! It was awesome, although I took very few photos, so you’ll mostly have to take my word for it. Highlights were boating, beaches, Fort Walsh, watching Eleni learn to crawl & climb, helping Amoryn ride a horse, and seeing the ugliest horse I’ve ever laid eyes on. It was so ugly that I actually took photos just to prove that there was in fact a horse that ugly. You may think that I’m exaggerating, but just you wait. You’ll see.

*I am pleased to note that the mental process feels exactly the same – the debate over sluffing it, even as I doggedly continue tracking down the glitch. And a small rush of relief when I finally find it. Not a large one – because you know, there are going to be more glitches out there.

Wherein We Escape

2010-07-23T14:41:00.002-05:00

We're headed to the home country (ie: Saskatchewan) for a week or so, and the blessed quiet of no internet, no cel coverage. Because I love you, Intarweb, but sometimes a little distance & quiet is a good thing.

And the best part is, a friend is staying here at the house, so I don't need to worry about the yard crisping.

And even better - I'm the sole adult in charge of packing the jeep, which means that I don't have to feel sheepish about how much yarn I take along for a week at the cabin.

Back to the packing!

Random Smattering Thursday

2010-07-22T10:57:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, I was wildy sleep deprived & somewhat bemused about it. I wasn't taking it personally; it was just the way it was. A princess coffee helped a lot.

Today, I've moved past that into an unfortunately unstable state. I is tired; I isn't angry at the littles who kept me awake. I wasn't angry after I took a lotion bottle away from Am & (re)instructed her to wash her hands. When the lotion bottle fell into the toilet, however, I did hit batsh1t rage for a second. I didn't act on my first impulse, which was to fish it out & throw it. Instead, I fished it out, washed it, and then threw it. I'm owning that crazy; throwing it made me feel better, and washing it made it hygienic.

Eleni is napping, and I should probably join her, but I've got laundry & some digital chores to take care of. I need to let go of my affection for an upcoming pattern's current format; I know that I need to add in a smaller size. But right now, my page break is exactly where I want it!*

I think I'll keep puttering unless I have another 'moops' moment. I'd settled in to work, then realized that I needed El's monitor, which is upstairs. My lizard brain took over on the brief jaunt, & I stopped just before I opened her door... need the baby's MONITOR, not the BABY. A fine & subtle distinction, to be sure!

Wish me luck.

(I typoed lick. You can wish me lick, too, if you really want. Pretty much a sure thing though, El's been really chewy & kissy lately.)

*All you yearbook/school newspaper types know what I mean.

I Kinda Forgot About This Stage

2010-07-21T15:45:00.002-05:00

Things that Eleni has tried, with varying success, to eat in the last 24 hours:

1) my face

2) sweet potato

3) spaghetti

4) cell phone

5) remote control

6) strawberries

7) Addi cable

8) computer cable

9) purse handle (Amoryn's)

10) apple

11) blankie (Z's comfort blanket)

12) cat food

13) oatmeal

14) her toes

15) cheerios

16) yarn bits

17) anything else that she sees

Sigh. At least Amoryn is on board for yanking things out of Eleni's grasp. Maybe a little too on board, but that's another story...

Best. Cell Phone. Ever.

2010-07-19T16:06:00.002-05:00

No, I didn't get a new iphone. My phone - my old beater Motorola - is amazing though. I'd forgotten it on the roof of the Jeep*, and although it held on on Glenmore Trail, Crowchild was simply too much for it & it went flying.

I only figured it out the next day. I beat my head on the wall, blushed, confessed to the man, then headed off for a fun day of lace design.** He suggested that I drive past & take a took, because it was still ringing so he figured it was okay.

I figured that he was nuts, but I tried anyways. Didn't see anything.

The man was so committed to his concept that he went for a drive the next morning - and he found it! Open, face down, on the side of the road. Still working. The battery hadn't even been wiggled loose.

Most amazing cell phone ever. It lived through the car surfing and TWO rain storms. Awesome.

(But I still kinda want an iphone.)

*Yes, I know. I had other things on my mind.

**More about that later.

The Vorpal Blade Went Snicker-Snack

2010-07-16T00:17:00.003-05:00

So I've been working on a small shawl/scarf made from Curious Creek Fiber's Etosha. It was going quite well, until I started to cast off.

Turns out, I should have stopped one series of stripes earlier. I shrugged, cast off in yellow, and figured I'd try to cadge another 6m of the purple from someone who went to the yarn tasting.

(The fateful join.)

Then it occurred to me that that wasn't very re-creatable for a pattern, so I decided to pick back the bound off edge, go back to the prior stripe, and cast off again. No big.

.....except have you ever tried to frog mohair? It's fiddly. Turns out that unpicking the bound-off edge of a mohair scarf leads to madness. The above photo (& its 4" of progress) took at least half an hour.

So I got a little crazy. And I got the scissors.

Yes, those are my sewing shears to cut off the bound off edge. I figured that I'd lose one, maybe two rows, and still have enough purple to finish the edge.

And if it didn't work, there's a firepit in the backyard.

Are you shocked yet?

(Not for the faint of heart, no.) (Or the sane, possibly.)
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Now, the only part of the procedure that really made me think I was an idiot was the fact that I'd JUST vacuumed.

I know that it looks quite tidy here, and almost like a finished edge in & of itself. However. This was before the yarn salvage operation began.

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Yea, and the mohair shreds fell like rain...
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This part, although messy, was quick enough. A little more fraught with tension; I was starting to wonder if I'd have enough yarn, and if a three inch piece of yarn was long enough to save for potential spit-splicing. I was also wondering how awful spit-splicing mohair would be - hairballs, they aren't just for cats anymore?
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I decided to make the cut-off length six inches. And after I vacuumed, I bound off. Again. And this time, there was enough yarn. Thank heavens. I didn't really want to light this on fire:

(Sneak peek of Thaylor, a striped scarf/shawl that has a crocheted neck edge. I stash-dove & used a wee bit of Oban - also from Curious Creek Fibers. Thaylor's release is coming soon; provided that we all survive Stampede!)
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(Yes, I crocheted. I figured after the scissors business that it would have to go well. I was right.)

Ah, I See

2010-07-15T00:15:00.002-05:00

Yes, the piano is actually in mid air. The man is the one working the come-along.

And no, I don't usually make Am wear rubbber boots to play the pisgano.

It Feels Like November, No?

2010-07-13T22:22:00.003-05:00

Well, the weather has me in a rotten mood, so I was going to blog about the epic journey of my piano... but I have No Idea Where My Camera Cable Is.

And I don't think I'm in the right mood to look under the couch.

So, for now, you will have to imagine my husband, my brother, a come-along, a reinforced roof rafter, and a piano that weighs 400-600lbs. The piano is an old upright; I think from '39. It has the original ivory & ebony keys, and is in pretty good shape, considering. There's a happy ending to the move, but it was kinda spectacular to see.

Amoryn loves the piano. She calls it the "pecano" or the "pasgano"; and wants to play it all the time. Her playing is actually pretty tuneful, so once I get the piano tuned, I guess I should figure out when you can start children in piano lessons.

I was also going to show you a couple FO's that I'm delighted with, but.... that's not happening. So. I'm going to go fix some knitting. I know it's kind of a high-risk activity if a person is already feeling testy; but I'm in the mood to rip.

Yeeeeehaw!

2010-07-11T12:47:00.004-05:00

It's Stampede time! If you're here in Calgary, I'm quite sure that you've noticed; it's hard to miss. I've been twice already; apart from the rain, it was great. (We went once with the kids, and once with the adults for the chuckwagon races.)
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How great? Well. Here's my top ten list of great things at the Calgary Stampede this year:
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10. I love, love, love women in hijabs with cowboy hats over top. (And jeans & cowboy boots too.) I vote them the most awesome cowgirls of Stampede. Totally trumps the tarts in cut-offs & tube tops.
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9. Speaking of tube tops, the chuckwagon that was advertising for "Busted". (A lingerie store in the Calgary area. I believe they said they stock up to a 52L.)
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8. Those little donuts. Mmmmmmmm.

7. The fact that they use not one, not two or three, but FOUR tractors to drag the race track. Awesome. (Cell phone pic, sorry it's dark.)

6. The girls' glee. I didn't get a pic of them in the double stroller in all their glory, so here's a substitute of them in the double Costsco shopping cart. This photo is from about a month & a half ago, when they had just started riding together. I'm glad to report that there have been no unfortunate incidents!

It was horse day in the barns - heavy horse & miniature horse competitions. "Look at that horse, it is big & strong & tall." "Yup, it's a Percheron." (And ENORMOUS. Hooves same size as my head.) "And that horse is lower." "Yes, indeed." (A miniature that's about the same size as Amoryn.)

5. A little wee carved wooden bird that an artist gave to Amoryn.

4. The fact that A_____ talked Z____ into riding on the slingshot. And the fact that her reaction involved screaming, and a video that I've posted on Facebook.

3. My second place ribbon for my skein of yarn! This is the first yarn that I've ever spun using a wheel (thanks for the loan AuntyTink!), it's Cheviot fiber that I dyed using a pink & orange sunset as inspiration.

(It's not quite as impressive as it sounds; there were only two entries in that class. I'd entered my yarn just because I was so pleased with it, and I suspected that it would be a small category that I don't want to see disappear.)

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2. Amoryn's custom decorated cowboy hat - we got a pink foam hat & sparkly foam stickers & she & Z___ had a blast decorating it. It alternated between being a princess hat, a farmerboy hat, and a cowboy hat. She wore it the whole time though!
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1. My third place ribbon in the knitted accessory category - there's a lot of competition in this class, so I'm delighted by it!

(Mistaken, which I've talked about here here .)
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Hm. My writing - and thought processes - feel a bit awkward today. Could be because I haven't had my daily princess coffee yet; could be because we didn't get home from Stampede until midnight & I didn't get to bed until 2 am! Either way, I'm signing off now. Yahoo!

Nature Or Nurture?

2010-07-08T15:01:00.002-05:00

She takes after her mother.

(And her mother’s yarn.)

Ah, Lilacken

2010-07-06T01:51:00.004-05:00

This is Lilacken, a small shawl that makes the most of your luxury handpainted or variegated yarns, and features the same stitch pattern as my larger “Mistaken Shawl”. You can chose which weight of yarn you want, whether you want to work from charts or written instructions, and once you’ve cast off, whether or not to block your shawl. When unblocked, the shawls are quite springy and ‘alive’; once blocked, they are soft and have a wonderful drape. Whichever choices you make for this shawl, the end result is something that you’ll love.

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You may have seen Lilacken already - Kristine from Curious Creek Curious Creek had a sample knit in her new colorway, Enchanted Isles. It's the blue shawl that she had on display at Make1 Yarns here in Calgary , and her colorway was inspired by a trip to the Galapagos.

I was inspired by the pleasure my hands found in working "mistake rib", and by the desire for something small & soft to wrap around myself while I waited for nicer weather...

I may still be waiting for the weather - hail stones the size of tennis balls, anyone? - but we can all have this delightful little shawl right now. The pattern includes line-by-line directions as well as charts, is written for laceweight to worsted yarn, and is almost infinitely adjustable to suit your yarn. It's now available for purchase, $6.00 USD through Ravelry or the link below.
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If you'd like to see more photos, please check out my project pages on Ravelry!

Between the Onions & the Vampires...

2010-06-29T23:46:00.002-05:00

Well, I had a great day today. The man was in charge of the girls, and I went skedaddling off to Olds, to take a class from Cat Bordhi. I even had enough time on the way out to stop and get myself a princess coffee. Bliss.

I did sorely need that coffee; Eleni was up a bunch in the night. She's growing, and teething. The teeth! The teeth! Will they never arrive?

Speaking of teeth, I'm reading a great book about vampires right now. Well, they're sort of peripheral, but a driving part of the story. I bought the book to read on the upcoming weekend, then in a moment of weakness, I started reading it... and now I'm hooked.

I also just had a very funny conversation with someone who just invited me to be part of a rural shenanigan.

So between the phone, the book, and of course the never ending laundry, I didn't get a lot done tonite. But that's okay. I feel focused and keen, and ready to Accomplish! Everything! On My List! Tomorrow!

Boy. That many exclamation marks makes me tired. More later...

Wherein I Go To Bed Instead Of Banging My Head On Something

2010-06-25T00:55:00.003-05:00

The girls went to sleep at basically the same time tonite, and have been sleeping happily. I decided to sit down & get the Lilacken shawl's yardage figured out.
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Actually, I'm trying to calculate the exact cumulative stitch count.
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Lilacken, you say? What's that?
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It's beautiful. It's related to my Mistaken shawl - maybe her smaller, more graceful, more flexible little sister. You may have seen it last week at Make 1; Kristine from Curious Creek had one test knit in her new colorway.

(Lilacken in Enchanted Isle.)
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The final calcs are making me crazy. I think I know I know how to do them. But I only seem to get a chance to work on them at the end of the day... and that's when my math-fu skills are suckin'.
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I have faith that I can do it; my official plan is to rethink my current approach. Maybe I'm making a mistake in step 1, and I'm all hung up on the results from step 32. Maybe I need to do this when I'm fresh.
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Maybe I need to make this my profile photo for everything. For some irrational reason, I love this photo of myself. It makes me laugh.
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I'm hoping that any dreams featuring this shawl tonite are all about answers, not being trapped by an ever-increasing ruffle that cackles & refuses to admit how many stitches it is, while I try to crochet a ladder out of an ever decreasing ball of yarn to escape.
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Serious nightmare, man. Crochet. (I hope that you all - or somebody - or anybody - appreciates that I'm trying my very best to ensure correct yardage requirements for Lilacken. I could just throw a number on it, and shrug.)
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(PS: Links to yarn, patterns, details, etc to follow in the formal release post. This is about angst, not knitting.)

Oh, Ikea, Ikea.

2010-06-24T22:36:00.002-05:00

It was a hectic day today - took the man to the airport, dropped something off at the accountants, went to IKEA, went to the yarn store, visited with some friends.
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That wouldn't sound too extraordinary, but I had both girls with me. We were out & about for around six hours.
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We went to Ikea, people. I like Ikea - I like their stuff. But I always feel the same way as I queue up for the checkout. Rage. Itching, burning, impatient rage.
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I think that it might be my reaction to such an overwhelming amount of carefully calculated commercialism. Even at malls, there are places where nobody is trying to sell you anything.
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Even the 50cent hotdogs only do so much to soothe the rage. Amoryn was quite good today, especially since EVERYONE coming out of Ikea had an ice cream cone. At least, once we established that "once we're done" meant "after we go through the entire store & get what we need & go through the checkout". So we did indeed get a cone for her.

And I found a happy place at Ikea - in the nursing room. Dim lights, Amoryn happy with an ice cream cone, Eleni happy nursing. It was very blissful.

(Sadly, the parking lot & the Deerfoot didn't do a lot to keep the happy place... but now I'm home again. And the girls are asleep.)

Weird Auntie, Extraordinaire

2010-06-23T00:33:00.003-05:00

I'm friends with my nieces on Facebook. It's a good, non-interrogational way to stay connected with them.
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And I can pass on pieces of wisdom when I think it's warranted. For example, this evening's topic:
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Neice: Hmm ! Whatt shoudd I gett donee ? Lip or Toungee !
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Neice's Peers: Liip : ); tounge..; do iiit; good :D
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Me: Well, as someone who had a tongue ring, I'd say tongue. But for heavens sake, GO TO A REPUTABLE PIERCER WITH AN AUTOCLAVE!
Love, Auntie K.
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Niece: Haha okk : ) I will !
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Me: Good. 'Cause piercings come & piercings go, but Hep C is forever.

Should I write a parenting book or what? HAHAHhahahhahahaha!

Random Smattering with Bows

2010-06-15T13:03:00.002-05:00

First, let me say that I wouldn't have done this if Mom hadn't tried the 'waterspout' look on Eleni first.

Also, she's making this face because I'm pointing a camera at her, not a spoon. She doesn't seem to mind the bow.

She wasn't willing to give me a smile, and I knew that the facewash struggle would probably knock her bow out. So this is the 'happy' version.
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Likewise, this is Am NOT wanting her photo taken:

How can someone wearing a dress that sparkly be so mad?

Well, they can't be, for very long.

And last but not least: what do I do on a rainy day when the girls are napping?

I make chocolate chip cookies, eat them, knit, then balance out the sugar of the cookies with dill pickle dip. And knit some more.

Off to get the littlest girl! Maybe she'll be game for a bow again today!

And She Doesn't Even Watch Vampire Movies

2010-06-14T16:58:00.003-05:00

Amoryn bit me today. She'd been crying, because she bomped her nose, and I was taking her upstairs. She was calming down, and snuggled into the crook of my neck, and she bit me. Hard. And wouldn't stop, even after I yelled "Ow! Stop biting!". And of course, we were on the stairs, so I couldn't even try to put her down. Also, she was attached to my neck.

My reptile brain took right over, and I bit her back. Which upset her, of course. I've never really gone in for matching mother-daughter clothes, but I guess coordinating bite marks are okay? Or not. It was a visceral reaction - one that I didn't think about at all.

I feel a little like a terrible parent. I was talking about it with S____, and she said "Of course you bit her. What else are you going to do?"

Blog about it, of course. And try to avoid both of our brains shorting out, because honestly, I cannot think of what else to say about it. Other than OW! - she even drew a little blood!

What Knit To Knit, Episode 1

2010-06-09T16:59:00.003-05:00

Welcome to "What Knit To Knit"! Our hosts, Pearl & Aaron, are here to help knitters learn what they should be knitting.
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This week, we're helping Nadine, an accountant from Dalhousie! She admits that she doesn't look at her yarn that often, but denies that she has a stash problem.
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Let's go to the stash review room...
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Pearl: So, Nadine, you admit that you don't look at your yarn a lot, right?
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Nadine: Well, I get sidetracked from my projects when I do, so I try not to look at it, yeah.
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Aaron: You know that the yarn in your stash is actually for knitting with, right? I'm not saying that you have to drop what you're working on, but you should visit your stash regularly & work on some of the projects that you feel love for.
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Pearl: Actually, Aaron, no she shouldn't. Look at this! (Holds up novelty terry yarn.)
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Aaron: *gasp*
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Nadine: Hey, that was going to be a swimsuit coverup!!!
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Pearl & Aaron: *double gasp*
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Pearl: Maybe it's good that she hasn't gone through her stash a lot. What else is in here? Boucle. Now, boucle can be a good thing, a charming thing. But not like this. This is plastic. This is ugly plastic. Why would they ever manufacture something in these colors?
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Aaron: And why would you ever buy it?
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Nadine: Well, *mumbles* it was on sale...
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Aaron: That happens to the best of us, Nadine, it's nothing to be ashamed of. We all fall prey to insanity when we see sale tags. The big thing - and I want you to pay attention here - is that you need to Let It Go. Get rid of it. Give it to a preschool for them to make arts & craft monsters with... heavens know, I can't think of what else you'd do with this!
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Pearl: Ooo, now look at this! You should be knitting this! This is a lovely aran, and you even have a classic pattern chosen to go with it! How practical, to put the pattern in the bag with the yarn!
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Aaron: Wow, that's a great sweater - we're talking true classic, not just code for "it's from the 1970's". Why aren't you knitting this?
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Nadine: I, erm, I guess I forgot about it.
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Pearl: See? Look at this color on you. It's perfect.
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Nadine: It is, isn't it? I guess I see why I should be going through my stash more often...
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Aaron: That's right. So that beautiful projects can be working their way up in your queue, and things like this *tosses a bundle of yarn that looks like the love child of a muppet & a shar pei* can be 'liberated'.
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Pearl: Now how about this? Is this something you're knitting for a gift? It's a really nice yarn, you know, natural fibers, good twist. But this color Nadine, this color will be beyond unfortunate on you. Please tell me that you're making this for a friend with a radically different skin tone than you have.
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Nadine: But it's so sunny! I thought it'd be nice in the winter, you know, with the snow!
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Aaron: ....in the skein, sunny. On you, sickly. Do you really want to knit a sweater that's going to make you look like you have scurvy?
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Pearl: You'd be far better off swapping this yellow - beautiful as it is - for a green or purple or ANYTHING that you can actually wear.
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Nadine: Hmmm.
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Pearl: Here, look at yourself. *unwinds skein & drapes around Nadine. Nadine looks awful.*
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Nadine: Gack! Why didn't I think of that before?
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Aaron: It's the yarn, sweetie. We all get a little drunk on the fumes sometimes. Like we've said, the important thing is to regularly stash dive & prioritize & liberate.
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Nadine: ...*thinking*... Okay! I'm in! I'm going to commit! First, I'm never going to knit this... and that I could swap.... and...
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*screen fades to black*
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*Pearl's voice asking 'is that Shetland? Really? I'd love it...'
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Tune in next week, where we visit another knitter, and help her refine her choices, and learn... What Knit To Knit!

Here Comes The Cherry Kool Aid..

2010-06-08T16:57:00.003-05:00

I picked up a wedding gown from a garage sale about a month ago. If this was your treasured gown, you may want to look away.

Although I bet this dress is bringing Amoryn just as much joy as it brought you; possibly more.

It was originally an excessive gown - leg'o'mutton sleeves, 14' train, lace insets all over the place, beaded, pearled, sequined, etc. I imagine that it was for a petite Italian with a big Catholic wedding. It was very heavy.

I got it home, & broke out the scissors & the lighter. I cut off the sleeves & train, then used the lighter to singe the raw edges (possibly the only time in my life I've said "Oh good, it's polyester"). I bustled it up as much as I could, then sewed some more bustles in so that it would serve as a princess dress for a three year old.

It's serving very well.

However, I feel a bit squeamish about the prospect of Amoryn playing 'bride'. 'Princess' is bad enough.

So I busted out my Kool-Aid, and dumped all the cherry & strawberry I had into a big pot. Then I dumped in the wedding dress. It looked like it was headed for salmon...

...but after I ran it through the washer's rinse once, it's ended up as the most demure blush pink, with deeper coral pink appliques. I suspect the cotton in the lace stained better than the polyester of the dress; and the nylon of the mesh actually took the dye.

Some of the pearls fell off; that happens every time she puts it on. All in all, I'm well pleased with the debutante dress; and I think Amoryn will be equally delighted.

Now to put the hacked off train & sleeves together for a fairy cape... I may get some colored sharpies to decorate that...

(I discussed various options with a group on Ravelry - the markers aren't my idea. But it's brilliant!)

Knit A Little... Cup Corset!

2010-06-06T20:59:00.005-05:00

On June 13th (10am-4pm), L’Arche Calgary – which creates homes and a welcoming community for people with developmental disabilities – is hosting its first annual “Give A Little Knit for L’Arche” knit-a-thon event at Eau Claire Market here in Calgary. This coincides with Knit In Public Day, and you can knit, spin, crochet, or futz with fibers however you like.

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There are a number of ways to participate - if you're curious, check out L'Arche Calgary's Give A Little Knit website . I'd thought of volunteering to help teach beginners, but a) other plans & b) I'm a weird knitter. Instead, I've designed a free little pattern, for the beginners at the fundraiser - and everywhere - to use.
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Behold, the Knit A Little... Cup Corset! It's a very simple little garter stitch rectangle that laces up to give a delightful and adjustable cup corset. The cup corset is an ideal beginner knit - it's small, it's simple, it's rewarding, and (if you drink a lot of hot beverages in paper cups) it's practical. (And the pattern is free. And it uses up scraps of Kureyon. What's not to like?)
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You will need the pattern, about 25m (10g) of Kureyon, a set of 4.5mm needles, a darning needle, and either someone to teach you, or a grasp of basic knitting (cast on, knit, cast off, bind in ends).

Here's the link to the pattern: download now .
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I hope you enjoy this, whether it's at L'Arche's fundraiser, or any other time!

A little bit more about L'Arche Calgary :
L’Arche Calgary is a place where people with developmental disabilities and those who share life with them live in a community designed to bring out the best of all members, mentally, physically and spiritually. L’Arche Calgary strives to create an atmosphere of acceptance and growth, while encouraging meaningful relationships between members.
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•$50 will buy art supplies for L’Arche’s day program.
•$100 will keep the lights on in a L’Arche home for a few weeks.
•$500 will keep a L’Arche wheelchair-accessible van on the road for a month, providing a member a critical lifeline to the community.
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L’Arche Calgary has five homes in Calgary, a Supported Independent Living Program, the Tamarack Day Program and a spiritual center.

L’Arche Calgary is part of an international federation of L’Arche communities, founded by Jean Vanier. Today, there are 135 L’Arche communities in 36 countries around the world.

Things We Have Learned Lately

2010-06-05T00:13:00.003-05:00

1) The man has been away since Wednesday; I know it's only Friday, but it sure seems like a lot longer than just a couple days. I think that part of it is the weather - it's June! I want to be able to wear shorts! I want to take the electric blanket & the wool quilt off of my side of the bed! I'd like to have to wear sunscreen!

I know, I know. It's the weather. There's not a lot I can do about it....

2) Appropriate application of color & texture can help cheer me up. This sunny bfl/silk from Pigeonroof Fibers really does help. I mentioned that I lurves it as a fiber, but I was leery of spinning it in case I didn't continue to love it so much.

3) I caved & spun a wee little tuft. Suki is modelling the swatch I knitted because I loved the yarn so much. No idea what my end goal is, but I'll be using my spindle and making something to wear next to my skin.

4) I say "using my spindle" because M______, marvellous woman that she is, has lent me not one but TWO spinning wheels. The singles on the left of the spindle are my first yarn with a wheel; the far right is what M____ had spun. If you'd seen my first spindled yarn, you would be laughing right now.

5) M______ really is awesome. So is her daughter & her grandkids - it was a very fun morning.

6) Speaking of fun, as I was unable to resist the wheel, Amoryn was very capably entertaining herself. (Eleni was napping while I was spinning. This is the aftermath.)

7) Spinning on a wheel is waaaaaaaaaaaay faster than using a spindle. Yes, I know, DUH. However, it's one of those things that makes more of an impression as an object lesson.*

8) Did I mention that I was pretty absorbed by the speedy creation of yarn? Amoryn 'read' all the flyers, too.

9) I can take the girls out for meals. I just have to bear in mind that a) Eleni is likely to sneeze spray me with sweet potato at some time & b) shepherding two small people through a meal means that mine will either be rushed, cold, or both. That's okay though; I don't have to do the dishes at the end of it all.

9) I finished casting this off. And I lurves it. I would call it my Precious and croon to it, but this is far to soft & warm & fabulous to bear any comparison to poor, cold, slimy Gollum. So instead I've wound it around my neck & I'm snuggling it.

10) In the effort to avoid any yarn related object lessons tonite, I am NOT cutting the skein of yarn attached to this project until the morning, when I can do a critical once over in the light of day. So I won't be sleeping with it.

11) I stay up too late when the man is away. So I should go to bed now. Sugarplums & new projects can dance in my head!

*Another thing I learned as an object lesson? Mountains are big. Once you've ridden a bicycle over one, you really grok that. Also, people from BC LIE when they say "rolling hills".

Thirty-Two Seconds Of Sunshine

2010-05-31T23:20:00.003-05:00

There were approximately 32 seconds of sunshine at the house today. Of course, it happened when I was taking the garbage out, not when we were out for our walk, but whatever.

Amoryn was happy, and wanted her "hiccup" (hood up). I'm glad that I knit that sweater in an 8; I love it so well on her that I'd be sad if she outgrew it too soon.

She ran, and then...

...she read the book she insisted comes along. My girl; I'd ask mom for a similar story from my childhood, but we never walked to the mailbox. (It was uptown, & a drive.)

Question: Is Eleni a) asking how she'd look with a goatee or b) deciding whether she likes blackberries?

Answer: She's not so sold on blackberries.

I am sold on some fiber that I got today - at least, to look at & squish. Haven't started spinning it yet; it's Pigeonroof studios. There's a merino/cashmere/nylon blend that is nice, in a color that actually looks a little like Eleni's goatee, and a bfl/silk blend that I am completely & unreservedly in love with. It helps that it's the color of sunshine. Spinning it will be the final test, but I think I'm going to love them for a little while before I actually put them to the test. You know, a honeymoon phase.
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And now I'm off to go & relax in the tub with a book. Maybe tomorrow there will be more sunshine? Maybe?*

*If you've heard the forecast and I'm wrong, please don't tell me.

Well, This Sucks

2010-05-29T10:09:00.002-05:00

So, this was the yard on Tuesday...

And this is the yard right now...

Yes, that's right, it's Saturday.

Here are the "spring" tulips.

And our mayday tree, in the front yard. The footsteps belong to the paperguy; none of us have been silly enough to venture out yet.
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I'd love to tuck up & do nothing but knit today - but sadly, the day is otherwise spoken for. I'm almost done the basement reorganization, and we're making hamburger today. (Don't ask. If you're lucky, I won't blog the photos.)

Plus, I need to go to the LYS to wind a skein of yarn - the man dismantled my skein winding table (I have the ball winder & swift set up together) so that he could put the bedding plants in the window. "How often do you really use that?" Ha. If it were for anything other than the baby plants, I might have bristled. But I want the babies to do well, so... an excuse to go to the yarn store!

A Happier Day

2010-05-28T21:58:00.002-05:00

Slide, originally uploaded by Kourtney_R.

But still not a photo from today, no.
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The man is home, and several visits from different people I love really added up to make it a nice day. Even with the sNOw.
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(As a wise woman I know noted, there's "NO" in sNOw for a reason....)

Nooooooo!

2010-05-27T23:23:00.002-05:00

Nooooooo, originally uploaded by Kourtney_R.

Well, you might think that this photo is a shot of Am just having tripped & face-planted... but as I recall, she was just lamenting that I wouldn't give her another buttered cracker.
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Possibly I asked her to wash her hands. At any rate, it was awful, and (obviously from the sunshine) not taken today.
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It's definitely how the snow is making me feel. I'm not making that noise, however; the girls are both asleep.

PS: When Am hits the excess zone for no apparent reason, I'll sometimes take photos of her. It lets me step back from the moment, and realize that later, the cracker tragedy will be funny. It might also be really valuable for bribery later in her life.

PS, Two Things:

2010-05-26T16:18:00.004-05:00

Item the 1st) If you run into me out in the world, and I have a smear of avocado/sweet potato/prune/miscellaneous on me, can you please let me know? I appreciate it. (Trust me. It's so much less embarrassing when I KNOW that I'm currently smeared in food, then when I think I'm not, and I turn out to be. Really.)
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Item the 2nd) In the name of encouraging a charming young crafter I know, if you're on Rav, can you please go here.. Gina Brown's competition ... and vote for #14? It's possibly the most charming invertebrate I've ever seen.

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(There's also a spectacularly patient cat; I figure she deserves a prize just for being a hat model!)

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I'd talk more about how much some encouragement that my gramma's friends gave me when I was younger meant to me, but you know, speaking of younger...
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The baby is awake. And looking for a fresh bum & some milk, I'll bet.
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PPS: Spellcheck, that's how I spell gramma, so let it go, okay? And "crafter" is so a word. "Craftier" isn't a good substitution in this situation at all. But it is kind of funny that I can't spell "spellcheck".

Mmm, May, Sticky Notes

2010-05-25T23:10:00.002-05:00

Dear Eleni -

I am so excited that you are more & more of a person every day. Your little face lights up, and you are so very charming. Except when you bite when you're nursing. That's not so great. But the fact that you can tolerate a little teeny bit of milk products go a long, long way to redeeming the bites. That, and your gumless goofy grin.

Love, Mom.

Dear Chocolate Bar That I Bought In Hawaii and Saved:
I'm so glad that I saved you, and I don't feel sheepish at all about the death threats I uttered to protect you.

Nummy.

Dear Door-To-Door Saleschick Who Was Watching The Same Movie:

Actually, I mis-spoke. The first time I watched "He's Not Really That Into You", it was with no sound, on a flight, and I didn't get that Scarlett Johansen's character KNEW the guy was married. Just to clarify. Does change the effect a bit.

Dear Person I Met Today Who Reminds Me Of L_____:
I can't decide if I like you, or, like L_____, you are likable in small portions and toxic in larger quantities. Thanks to L_____, I have learned that it's easier to err on the side of caution. I'll be giving you a wide berth should we cross paths again.

Dear Everyone -

I think if this picture doesn't make you feel happy, you must be a little dead inside.

Or possibly a non-knitting wool-phobe who also hates tulips and is color blind.

Dear Weather - Thanks for the sunny break today. I needed that after the frozen weekend of rain & gloom.

Dear Butterflies:
Hope I didn't interupt your moment. I was just taking photos of the tulips.

Next time I'll bring my Ipod, set to "boom-chicka-wa-wa" music.

Dear Amoryn-

I am very proud of you. You are bright, and funny, and you try really hard & do very well folding things & helping get supper ready. I'm so excited that you're a big girl who gets to wear underwear, but I will always try to make time to hold you & let you be "Baby Amoryn" for a moment if you need it. You challenge me in many ways; I'm realizing that part of helping you grow into an excellent adult is teaching me to be a better person too. There are some growing pains, but I have faith that everyone will come out a winner in the end.

Love, Mom.
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Dear Laundry-

Yes, I know that you're waiting in the basement. You can just lay there & wrinkle, thanks. I'm folding Am's clothes & El's diapers tonite & that's all you're getting out of me. I bought new knickers, I can let you linger for like, another week! Hahahahaha. Really.

Dear Everyone-

I think I might be ready for a spinning wheel, but I don't want to buy one & have an expensive tool that I don't use enough to justify. Anybody got a spare that they can lend me? PM me on Ravelry, if so. If you have a spinning wheel for loan, and you aren't on Rav, zounds! Go there! Join!

Dear Amoryn-

PS: Words can't express how very glad I am that you are now a nice cuddly kid to sleep with, not a kicking wildchild who likes to pull on eyelashes. It was wonderful snuggling with you this last weekend at the lake.

It Was The Best Of Times, ...

2010-05-24T22:51:00.004-05:00

(This is really much funnier if you imagine that Eleni is narrating in Alfred Hitchcock's voice.)

Good evening. We are about to present a tale... a tale told by a lake.

Not a sunny and pleasant tale, oh no.

It's a tale with silliness, with bunny ears...

With uncles who teach nieces to walk on the ceiling and fly...

It is... A Tale Of Two Puddles.

Okay, now you can turn the Alfred Hitchcock voice off - if you want, maybe you'd like to leave it on. Whatever. I'm not here to judge.

The weekend was very much fun, although it was truly craptacular weather. We saw Gramma & Grampa's new house in M___ C_____, which is very orange on the outside; we went to L__ P____, and helped to get the docks in for the summer, and stared out the window a lot. Amoryn also made her uncle's day, and finally willingly gave him a hug. "My first hug! It only took three years!" Cousin Z____ was the coolest thing ever, and Eleni was her charming and snuggly self.

And! I have cautiously reintroduced very limited amounts of dairy to my diet - I had my first piece of cheese in over six months, AND! I had a mocha! My very own princess coffee!

It was heaven.

As is this knitting project - it's SweetGeorgia's CashSilk Lace, and it is so very, very nice to knit with. I think that the only reason I'm not begrudging the approaching cast-off is that it'll be nicer to rub my face lovingly against it when it doesn't have knitting needles in it.
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Off to the tub! One of the nicest things about a cold, rainy weekend at the lake is the return to my luxurious tub, and the prospect of sleeping in our regular beds.

Blood In The Water; Helpful Hints

2010-05-20T15:33:00.007-05:00

(You might find this moderately gruesome, if you're prone to getting squicked out over blood.)

I cut my finger the other night doing dishes. I feel quite stupid over it, as a) I cut it on the Slap-Chop b) I just barely cut it - if I'd been wearing gloves like I usually do, I bet I wouldn't have & c) my first thought was "Oh noes! My knitting finger!"

Like most people, I actually use my hands (not just my finger) to knit. Any kind of injury on my hands is going to impact my knitting; but especially so on my left or right pointer fingers. I knit with the yarn in my left hand, so my left pointer is in charge of tensioning the yarn, sort of, and my right pointer scootches stitches. Still. When my first thought at being hurt is "Oh no, my knitting!", it seems a little ridiculous. (Incidentally, my knitting finger is my left pointer.)

Being wounded in the name of craft isn't new territory, oh no. I was once sewing a white top for display (back when I was an assistant manager at a fabric store in MJ), and it was so darn slippery. I ended up sewing through part of my left pointer, and my first reaction was to lift the presser foot, whip the white material out of the way, and inspect it for blood stains. Once I established that we were clear of blood on the sewing project, I then turned to my finger... which was still attached to the sewing machine. No stitches or hospital trip needed; but hand wounds seem to bleed almost as much as head wounds.*

Which brings me to my helpful hint: if you get blood on something, spit on it. Right away. But the spit has to belong to the person the blood belongs to. So, if you slice your finger & get blood on whatever, spit/suck on the bloodspot right away. There's some kind of enzyme in your saliva that will work to essentially dissolve your blood.

I haven't done exhaustive road testing on this; my experience is limited to establishing that MY spit will work on MY blood. I'm not likely to do a proper experiment, with multiple spit/blood donors, and some pseudo spit/blood controls. Let me know if you do, though.

And really, honestly, knitting just doesn't seem to cause as many flesh wounds as sewing, so this may never be useful information for you. But. Maybe it will be.

Good luck, & happy spitting. I'm off to the garden, to get rained on**.

(PS: This is the yard today - note the tulips blooming, trees budding out, and general growth of plants. Yay!)

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*Why do I know these things? I grew up on a farm with two hammerhead brothers.
**I'm so much happier gardening when it's not windy & rainy.

Riddle Me This:

2010-05-17T22:12:00.005-05:00

First, if you were my 4.5mm dpns, where would you be? I know I have several sets. And yet, no idea where. Not even a single (useless for what I want) dpn has shown its pointy face to taunt me, let alone a set. *sigh*

Second, why does blogger pic the order it does for uploaded pics? I've been doing this for years now & am still surprised at the order they upload in. *sigh*

Now, in random order:

The junior spokesmodel for prunes. She loves them.

They give her energy for jumping!

And one day, she'll be able to join her sister in the back yard, where I'm sure she'll try & eat the rocks, too. You wouldn't believe how much the yard has popped since Saturday, I'll try to remember to take a pic tomorrow.

This is how my family makes me feel. All lit up and happy.

My family - some of them - also make me feel slightly tacky, as I get covered in mush.

Other members of my family know how to throw a rockin' dance party.

And she was so proud of bringing these flowers to me on mother's day... and I am so proud of her. I hope that I never forget her marching in, all beaming and happy. She may exhaust me, but she can also delight me in ways I didn't think possible.

Potty training is going very well, although there was an accident today at the yarn store. She didn't do anything wrong, it's true, and I didn't scold her. But it's hard for me not to feel a little mortified when cleaning up a mess like that in public... but that's my deal. Am's deal is about the successes! Of which we have lots! And we celebrate! And get treats! And new Tinkerbell panties! (We can work with a bit of an attrition rate on the knickers.)
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And it's also true that I need to go to bed - I slept terribly last night, which is very strange for me. I don't do so well with not enough sleep. So, nighty nooties!

Bremp. Bremp. Bremp.

2010-05-17T00:23:00.002-05:00

For some reason, one day, the word "bremp"* was making Eleni laugh.

She's stingy with her giggles, so the fact that she was laughing enough to get it recorded is amazing!

And of course, I'm going to share it with you, Intarweb. As background, Amoryn had decided that I was cold, and needed to be tucked in, then I think she decided that I was a pony.

And speaking of background, yes, that is a very large pile of very brightly colored little girl clothes. Why would I worry about folding them when I have giggling girls?

Apparently, I can say nothing else tonite; I've deleted at least four different useless paragraphs. More later! With pictures! And words!

*More like "BREMP". Kind of like a flat klaxon.

Oh, Brain...

2010-05-13T15:03:00.002-05:00

Here's the thing: I'm sure that I learned the difference between three (3) and four (4) several decades ago.
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However, you couldn't prove it with what I knit last night... at least I only got two rows done before I listened to the niggling little voices in my head.
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I didn't post a "duh"mb question to the designer on Ravelry. I didn't make an irreparable mess. I didn't even waste that much time.
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I just couldn't get the difference between three and four figured out. *sigh* Auntie Tink, I've got a lot of work to do before I'm anywhere near the same level as you!

Me, Again?

2010-05-11T17:38:00.002-05:00

Yes indeed, I'm trying to get back into the swing of regular blogging. I'm blaming my lapse on the painting. (The painting is to blame for quite a little bit - stubbed toes, paint stained whatevers, a full fridge, bad sleep habits, and most tragically - a complete distaste for this month's spindling challenge of "Paintings". I should be thinking Monet or Degas, but I can't get any further than 'CL1672-N'.)

I am totally delighted with the colors the house is - and oh what colors! I'll do a pictorial her or on Facebook one of these days - I'm having no luck trying to take pics.

I'm also delighted that spring is here. People watching seems to be so much more fun in spring, not just because you can see people (as opposed to parkas), but because everyone is feeling all uninhibited & unfettered. Today on our errand run, we (Eleni & I) saw...

1) Two dudes with one long skateboard.

2) A woman earnestly discussing her rosemary bush.

3) A man in a poncho

4) A woman with green hair in Carhart overalls & a tank, industriously shovelling.

5) A woman in sever black business garb from the neck down, with a GIANT rasta hat & maybe a flower? Or something?

6) Two people sharing a 'smoke', on the same kitty corner to the police station downtown. I'd hate to speculate about the provenance & legality of that 'smoke'.

7) At least four different couples in love, or at least spring lust.

8) At least four mother/child/stroller combinations.

9) The knitters! There was A___, C____, M____, J____, R____, and of course M_____. (For a bonus, B__ was there too - I usually don't see her on Tuesdays!) We stopped at Make 1 - in my original plan, Eleni was going to be asleep, so I could knit for a while. I was foiled by my small associate, who was awake! And charming! And drooly! So instead, I chatted, and ended up buying yarn. *sigh* I am a weak, weak woman when it comes to yarn.

And now, I think I hear the oreos calling me, speaking of weaknesses...

Not A Sticky Note Monday

2010-05-10T23:36:00.002-05:00

Well, when I can't even cobble together enough coherence to come up with a sticky-note entry, it's a little ominous.

The painting is almost done - the man just has to touch up the crown molding in the upstairs hallway. Then the only thing really left for the house (inside) for now is tearing out the upstairs carpet & laying hardwood. The hardwood's on order, thankfully, so there's a bit of a break before I have to scrape through my memory & come up with exactly what I recall about laying hardwood on a 45.

I've finished a project, and am just beginning the last chart on another knitting project. This is exciting, but mostly because I have about seventeen different ideas floating around in my head right now. I'm trying to pick the "best" one - hopefully I'll decide by the time I'm done the current object.

(The evaluation of "best" includes - but isn't limited to - a) will I use it? b) is it a pattern idea I can develop? c) do I have yarn for it? d) have I dreamt about it at all - really, sometimes I do dream about my knitting e) how long have I been thinking about it? & f) have I had any really recent strokes of brilliance about it?)

I might be ready to pick up the Grey(t) cardigan again - I just couldn't bear to be knitting on something grey for a little while. I think that there's enough green in the yard to offset that now, and I'd like to have the cardigan finished. But I think I still need a new project to cast on - when my knitting muse is this busy, it's good to pay attention to her.

The man recently got an iPhone, which means that I got his old Palm pilot! I've just spent the evening configuring it, and have some works in progress in various states AND pdfs for patterns in there, so now I can have my on-the-go knitting in a compact digital format. Exciting.

Plus I could get a version of Scrabble for it. The man played about four games with me last year - just enough to whet my appetite, and now he doesn't want to play anymore. Ditto for his feelings on crib. On the other hand, I can't play crib & knit, so it's not a total loss.

There's a couple new tasks on the horizon that are also going to lead to not-so-great blog posts. I've slowly & ruthlessly been decluttering, cleaning, & organizing the house, and the only holdouts now are the man's office, the top of the fridge, and the basement. Yeah, I know - it didn't sound so bad until I said "basement". It's mostly the books (which I'm re-organizing, alpahabetizing, and partially double stacking) and my work area, which is "tidy", but not so functional. (Like a pretty kitchen that's not so great to cook in.) Obviously, the plan is to increase the function & make the space a little more inspiring. The biggest problem is that the laundry hangs down there to dry, and totally kills the joy of the space for me. It's not always there, and I know that I could take it down and fold it, but I don't want to if it's not mine - and I don't want to risk setting a bad precedent. (I adore that that the man & I have/do separate laundry.)

The other new task is... Amoryn is finally ready for potty training! It's been a long wait, but today, at her agitation, we went to real underwear. There were two mistakes, but a couple successes, and we're very proud of her. Here's hoping that the successes soon outnumber the mistakes. Until then, I'll be heavily editing what my first impulse to say & blog is.

(Honestly! I know you're not supposed to freak out over the mistakes, but my first impulse when somebody pees on me is "AAAGH!".) (Believe it or not - that's an edited thought.)

It's late now, Intarweb, and I can't think of too much to say. I'm delighted at the response that my Mistaken Shawl has received - there's been over 500 downloads on Ravelry! I know several people have yarn to cast on - I'm eager to see the projects start popping up. I feel a little bit like when Amoryn started to learn to walk - I'm excited, but my big part in the process is over, so stand back & let her go!

And now I'm going to bed... and if you're reading this tomorrow afternoon, pretend that I'm having a nap. I probably won't be, but I bet it's something that I'll think about wistfully at least once!

Ah, Motherhood...

2010-05-06T23:52:00.005-05:00

(Amoryn, nursing her baby.)
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I had the sweetest ten minutes with my girls today. It made my day; possibly my week.
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The man was at a yoga class*, so I was putting Amoryn to bed by myself. Or rather, I was the only adult putting Amoryn to bed - Eleni was there too.
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I wasn't exactly wincing about the solo-adult bedtime routine, but I was braced for a little friction. Because Amoryn is three. And Eleni was awake. And Amoryn is three, and Eleni is teething.
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It was pretty much what I'd expected, until we laid down. Amoryn always hops into bed, snuggles up next to her fish with her bear & Rowr, & whatever guest-star stuffies or books have been deemed necessary. Then her dad or I lay down for a snuggle, or I recline with Eleni** for as long as she's content - usually about two minutes. Tonight was different though.
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I lay down on my side, and had Eleni propped up. Amoryn looked at us, then scooched over and stuffed her head under my chin. I could feel both of their little round heads on me - Amoryn's noggin weighing on my collarbone, Eleni's head on my ribs.
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And we snuggled that way. Amoryn shook Eleni's stuffed rattle, and talked to her, and Eleni just stared and giggled at her big sister. And Amoryn petted Eleni's head, and told her that she had to be gentle because "Eleni is delicate".
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It made my heart melt. It's still melting, actually. All of the little melty bits are seeping into the cracks that had started to form after a long day of being screamed at for various reasons***.

Life is good. Especially at bedtime.

(What more can I say?)

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*The yoga classes tend to be over supper or bedtime. We take turns; and it's much easier now that Eleni's schedule is more established.
**Despite some things I've read that suggest to have separate bedtime, I find the group bedtime works better when I'm with the girls alone. It's just too stressful for me to listen to Eleni screaming because she's at a snuggly part of the day; and I think it's less stressful for Amoryn too.
***"You're feeding me peas? I have a wet bum! I want a hug! Put me down! Pick me up! Nooooooo!" You know, the usual mothering routine.

Surely, You're Mistaken*

2010-05-04T00:22:00.006-05:00

I've published another pattern on Ravelry!
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It's my "Mistaken Shawl" (Rav link), available for free - download now !

My grandmother is one of several women** in my family who taught me to knit. When I was visiting her years ago, she showed me something in what she called a “mistake rib”. I've never found it in a stitch dictionary, but it's a real pleasure to work.

This shawl is based on the mistake rib and is essentially reversible, with the satisfaction of three knits for every purl in the body.

It's worked from the center neck outwards, with increases at the beginning and end of every row & increases at the center on wrong side rows. The left & the right are mirrors of each other, with a narrow ‘spine’ at the center. Because of the nature of the increases, it gives a longer swooping shape, and can be worn wrapped around your shoulders or wrapped around your waist.
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The big lofty yarn and softer gauge make this shawl a quick, satisfying, and snuggly knit. Here in Alberta, it's just what we need to get us through "spring". (I think we'd all settle for May showers... it's the May snowstorms that are tiring!)

Again, it's my "Mistaken Shawl" (Rav link), available for free - download now !.

*It's the Mistaken Shawl, all right, and don't call me Shirley. (Extra points if you recognize the movie reference.)

**Along with the women who taught me to knit - Mom, Gramma, Aunt Helen - I'd also like to send thanks & love to my "test knitter" A____, and my two gracious models M_____ & E_____.

Does This Strike You As Funny?

2010-05-03T14:24:00.003-05:00

The man got a couple things from the electronic store yesterday, and he left one set of instructions on the couch (obviously never referred to or read).

As a compulsive reader, I started skimming it on my way to the recycle bin.

Then I stopped, absolutely taken with the first part of the instructions. I think you'll see what I mean...

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Read this instructions.

2. Keep these instructions.

3. Heed all warnings.

4. Follow all instructions.

After that, it gets a little more practical, and is about don't bathe with/shave with/use to prepare food/ use in automobiles/etc. I am fond of the very formal English that's in some instruction manuals, but I feel exceptionally warm towards whoever wrote these instructions.

I bet they have toddlers. I mean, obviously, the people who really need this level of instruction aren't going to read the manual. But the author is trying so hard!

Contemplating the Distance

2010-05-02T12:36:00.001-05:00

Contemplating the Distance, originally uploaded by Kourtney_R.

Ah, yes. I haven't blogged much in the last week because it would have read more or less like this...

Dear Diary - Today I primed & painted a wall.

Dear Diary - Today I put second & third coat on first wall and primed second wall.

Dear Diary - Today I put first & second coat on second wall & primed third wall.

Et cetera. A little dry, but certainly a great accomplishment. The main floor is all painted, and we love it. There's just the upstairs hallway & the kid's bathroom left, and those should be easy because there's no deadline we're working against, there's not a lot of stuff in those rooms, and there's not a ton of masking or edging to do.

Speaking of doing - this yarn is my April entry in the Ravelry spindler's group. The theme was "Going The Distance", which makes me think of Cake. I ended up spinning this little sample of yarn on my Kuchulu - and spent the whole time mulling whether I was willing to "go the distance" for that weight of yarn for the rest of the fiber... which is a yummy merino/cashmere blend that I've hand-dyed into sort of sunset colors.

I still haven't decided about the yarn.

Paint, Paint, Paint

2010-04-26T00:39:00.002-05:00

Well, contrary to what my last post might have lead you to believe, I haven't been laying around.

Much. I have snuck some in, just because I love me a sunbeam on the loveseat.

But I've mostly been busy painting. Actually, I've been busy with the regular routine, but especially busy because the painting has crept in to the naptime window of peace. I guess the regular routine has been slightly altered; but the parts of the house that have been painted look fantastic. Amoryn approves of the yellow; here's hoping that she likes the green that's the next to go up.

She's not so sold on the primer grey, but it's primer & she doesn't have to look at it for long.

In other news, I think that my strange & brief spell of knitting monogamy may be coming to end. For a little while, I was plowing through projects, with no fickle thoughts of casting on for something else, or gazing longingly at the flirty merino hand-dyes. Today, I thought four different times about going to wind up that one skein of Malabrigo, so that I could cast on for... And then I reminded myself that seriously, I have like 8 rows left in that other project, and it's just the fact that I'm making notes on it that's killing my fun. And my other fun project - the secret one that I can't show you because it's going to be a gift, blog - is great, but, well, a secret.

I'm off to bed now, with visions of fiber dancing in my head. I've got the itch to do some dying, but the kitchen space is currently full of paint & rollers & brushes. Sooooo... another good reason to get the painting all done!

Springtime Sloth

2010-04-19T16:41:00.002-05:00

Ah, the sun is out, it's nice outside, and all I want to do is nap.

Actually, I could go outside, look at the tulips, ignore all the yardwork, come inside, ignore the housework, sit in the sun by the open window, and knit until the sunshine knocks me out.

Sadly, that's not going to keep my children from becoming naked and dirty little heathens*. At least, not unless I can knit fast enough to produce clothing & diapers faster than Amoryn & Eleni can soil them... and I don't think anyone is that fast. Even 118 st/minute** isn't going to cut it.

So, sofa in the sunshine, I am going to look at you longingly, and go & flip the laundry. And carry on with the projects until one/both of the girls wakes up.

*I mean heathen in an affectionate way, natch.

**I believe that that's the current world record - Google isn't being helpful, so I can't remember who she is or what her exact speed is. But yowza! That's about 3 times faster than I knit.

The Mouths Of Babes...

2010-04-16T16:23:00.003-05:00

It's been a long, tough, up & down week. We had an appointment at ten this morning, halfway across the city. I don't drive over there terribly often, & I made a wrong turn that I realized before I was even half way through the intersection.
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If my plan of leaving super early had worked, then it would have been no big deal. That plan had been foiled by my petit entourage, so we had just-enough-time-if-the-lights-are-all-green.
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As I was trying to figure out a fix, I muttered "Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t."
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From the back seat came a chipper little voice: "You made a mistake Mommy? You made a d*mmit jebus?"
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Me, surprised: "What?"
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Amoryn, helpful: "You made a d*mmit jebus?"
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Me, incredulous: "Yes honey, I guess that I did."
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I managed not to laugh, shriek, or cry. I guess that bad news is that we (obviously) must be swearing in front of Amoryn. The good news is that she's using what she learns correctly, and in an imaginative way. And not at daycare.
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The appointment was for a consultation at a breastfeeding clinic. It started on Sunday; my body seems to have decided that it's done producing milk. When Am was about six months, the same thing happened. However, Am could have formulas... and with Eleni's milk/soy protein issues, there is no formula option that works*. So the bad news is that I've spent all week waiting for the appointment & frantically trying to visualize my body into making milk for an increasingly hungry & unhappy baby who is sleeping less & less (because she's hungry).
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(I've been taking fenugreek too; it's an herb that is supposed to help with milk production. Not so much there, but its side effect is in full swing: my sweat smells like maple syrup. Really.)
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I was going to go to my regular doctor on Wednesday, but she was sick. I thought well, we can tough it out to Friday. We couldn't, though; yesterday I called their office & threw myself on the receptionist's mercy & got in with another doctor in the clinic. And I got me some, um. Triclinium? No, that's a kind of Nabatean building. Um. It's, erm, motilium. Yes. Motilium. So the good news is that it will help increase my milk supply, and while I may have to stay on it for a while (to keep the milk supply going), the amount that passes through to Eleni isn't harmful. So it's great & a huge relief that she will be able to keep nursing.
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(It's not ego related, my desire to keep nursing. I want Eleni to grow as fast & well as possible; and I can imagine the challenge we'd face if she weaned at six months. Also, I like having that close time with her.)
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And speaking of the mouths of babes, apparently Eleni has a type of thrush. The good news is, we've got (more) meds; the bad news is that she hasn't been registered on the man's medical plan yet. However, we can afford it, so that's still good.
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And the last thing about the mouths of babes....

MUSH!! (She isn't really feeding herself, of course. That's her vanity spoon, that she gets to wave around & chew on, while I shovel mush.)
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Also,

"Balilla" yogurt. Am helped herself to a second serving, right out of the container, whilst I was nursing Eleni. Don't feel bad if you're shocked, Mr. Potatoes Head was too.
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All rightey... off to clean the kitchen, and organize the piles of paper that have accreted. I've got what seems like an inordinate amount of printouts from the pharmacy...
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*Even the expensive hypoallergenic ones. They are all soy based.

No, Santa Claus, Ziplocs Aren't Always the Answer

2010-04-15T17:16:00.004-05:00

We survived! It was an errands & appointments morning.

We've been to the dentist, the doctor, the bank, the accountant's (sort of - Susan, bless her buttons, ran into the parking lot & grabbed the stuff I had to drop off), and the pharmacy. We made sort of a big "@" shape on the map of Calgary.

The worst was the prescription, which took a half hour to fill. That doesn't sound so bad, EXCEPT that we were running into Amoryn's nap time & Eleni had been trapped in the car seat virtually all morning, and was getting hungry.

So it was a very long half hour at the pharmacy.

We stopped in by Make 1 too - I needed a treat, and I was hoping that some of their new yarn had arrived.

It hadn't, but there was a new crop of needle cases, so I picked one up on impulse. My ziploc bag is a little worn, and kind of ugly.

(How can something clear be ugly? Well.)

I spent a happy portion of naptime transferring everything from the baggie into "Jack".

(Isn't he pretty?)

I feel better. Amazing what some quiet & some organizing can do for a gal.

(I remain very faithful to ziplocs as the preferred option for toddler snack transportation.)

Four Fifths of Creepy

2010-04-13T12:29:00.002-05:00

I'm trying to de-clutter the house some, in order to paint & just have a tidier life in general.

Today, I opened the bottom drawer of my cedar chest, and I found five teeth in two different containers.

Here's the thing: only one of them is mine. (A wisdom tooth that I had extracted. I think I said I wanted to keep it when they asked - but I was all doped up, so I'm not culpable for that choice.)

Yes, that means that four of them are not mine. They are molars. Cavity-eaten molars.

Where did I get four molars from? And who was taking such terrible care of their teeth? They're in a little medical-style container, and there's nothing written on them.

I have the niggling sensation that they might be Z____'s... but if so, why do I have them? Why doesn't she? Either way, I hope that she flosses regularily.

If they're not, um. Am I an insomniac nutjob who runs around pulling cavity-ridden teeth? Am I a schizophrenic who rootles through medical waste looking for teeth?

Either way, I'm afraid that I'm one step close to being on "Hoarders: Collecting Other People's Teeth".

And how do you dispose of teeth? Throw them out? Bury them in the backyard? Sneak them into the "Sharps" container at the next doctor's visit? The tooth fairy ain't coming for these bad boys, I bet.

I'm feeling a little self conscious about the anti-depressants, but this is crazy enough to have me a little worried. Creeeeeeeeeeeeeeepy.

PS: My CSI-watching self is all "get the DNA of the teeth analyzed, then crosschecked against myself, to see if they are Z's, because we're related". Sadly, I have no access to that kind of lab equipment - or knowledge - and I don't think they're part of an active homicide investigation, so nobody is going to help me with that.

PPS: CREEEEEPY. I'm going to go & keep cleaning. I'll let you know if I find anything else that odd - teeth, treasure maps, S______'s cell charger. Creepy.

It's What?

2010-04-12T11:06:00.003-05:00

We're painting the house - it's a sort-of longer term project than painting usually is, as we're doing it one wall at a time so that we can work around the kids more easily.

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I've got the colors all picked, and apart from some brief drama over paint types, it's going well. However, I was having second thoughts about the upstairs bath, and as I was browsing the paint swatch book I just really had to stop and say "That's what? You named this color that? What?"

Now, I'm all for fun names. I'll go for a nail polish named "Ladies & Magenta-men"; I've got yarn named things as exotic as "Bloodflowers" or "340682". Our bathroom is now "Mermaid", which is a nice soft grey with a bit of purple. (The purple was a surprise - I like it, it remains to be seen what the man thinks.) The downstairs bath is "Adonac", a brilliant orange. No idea what an Adonac is, but if I ever see one, I bet I'll recognize it.

(Orange! It's a little different than this in real life, but hard to photograph.)

There are some names in this paint swatch book that I'm having trouble with. "Rat Portage" was sort of a nasty brown, and if that's the color you paint something, then that's the name it deserves, I guess. But "Blue Mayonnaise"? If I ever see blue in my mayo - or my yogurt - then I throw it out. "Clingfilm" is clear, people. I've never been to Mexico, but when I get there, I'll be sure to check & see if "Mexican Tan" is really a gunmetal grey.

But the color that left me feeling the most offended is a soft, peaceful blue named "Saladin". I mean, Saladin was a hero, a fierce warrior, an honest and noble man. How does a powder blue reflect any of that? You can't even guess that maybe his eyes were blue; he was an Arab of Kurdish descent. And he was Muslim - a green would have been so much more appropriate.

(His tomb - I borrowed this image of the internet, I was still using a film camera. There are two sarcophagi - one is a wooden one, that he's in; the other marble one was a gift from an emperor hundreds of years after his death.)

Maybe I'm just feeling a little more of a connection (and mild offense) on Saladin's part because I've been to his mausoleum, by the Omayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria. Still though. Ridiculous color name. It's like, um. Naming a silly banana yellow after Queen Elizabeth I.

And speaking of silly bananas... it's morning snack time!

Blog Blog Bloggity Blog

2010-04-11T16:56:00.003-05:00

I feel like I haven't blogged in a while - I think it's partially because we got back from vacation & then a whirlwind of work commitments for the man started. He's had three trips away for at least three days each in three weeks plus we all had Easter at his folks... It does throw a bit of a wrench into the regular schedule. That's okay though; the man gets home tomorrow, and then things settle out.
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But Easter! Easter was lots of fun - and Am & her cousin M______ (who is seven, and delightful) had a really good weekend. The pinnacle was totally Sunday morning, when the Easter bunnies got together & hid jellybeans AND eggs through the house. M_____ woke up first (because she understands that Easter is coming), and was very good and managed to be quiet for 23 minutes until Am woke up too.
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Then the fun started. "Holy moly, lookem all the beans!" exclaimed Am, and the hunt was on. She'd find the odd egg, then put it back. M_____ even tried to share, and put some eggs into her basket, but Am would take them out, hide them, and go back to collecting jelly beans.
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After they were all found, she went to climb onto the couch. You can see that her basket has quite a long handle, and it was a little tricky to maneuver. She ended up dumping half of her basket as she climbed up; but she thought that she'd just found another stash! "WOW! More BEANS!".
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(She doesn't even need Alzheimers to hide her own Easter treats, ha-ha!)
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Am has also been very interested in her sister lately - she's always been very protective, but now she's starting to just hang out & talk to her. Eleni lights right up for her big sister; and I melt into a giant puddle of motherly goo. Am's also very keen on trying to help Eleni - she mostly expresses this by stuffing her bink into her face, and sometimes she gives her a blanket.
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We've had a sort of unusual weekend - an uncle died unexpectedly. What makes it odd is that he was estranged*, so the funeral was a little surreal. Mom was here for the service, and so that was also odd - a very brief visit, without most of our usual jaunts. Now it's just me & the girls. (The man's away)
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It was a very princessey morning, though. Shortly before this photo was taken, Am had me all decked out in the princess finery, right down to a scepter. So I guess if we're all dancing princesses, then things can't be all bad. We also had a lovely visit with Grampa D & Gramma D this morning via Skype - which I totally LOVE!
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I've been finishing things off like crazy - there's the cowl & the wee bag that I'd been working on, as well as a bonus impulse project that turned out beautifully. I'm also knitting my last two rows on a Colonnade scarf, but I'm sort of stalling on that - I'm afraid I did one too many repeats & I'm not going to have enough yarn to finish. If that's the case, then I'll have to rip back four rows of knitting & one pattern row - not really that bad, but I'm feeling a little 'Schrodinger's cat' about it - if I don't finish knitting it, then the yarn is both sufficient & insufficient at the same time. I'll do a bigger blog post about FO's with pics later.
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I've also recently finished two non fiction books - a little unusual for me to read two non-fiction books in a row. They were both good; Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human, by Richard Wrangham, and How We Decide, by Jonah Lehrer. Catching Fire is exactly what it sounds like; an interesting theory & support about how cooking our food is what caused/helped us to evolve to be what we are now. Totally trashes raw foodists & has a couple interesting sociological theories in it too. I read most of it on holiday. How We Decide was an impulse buy just before we left on holiday - I picked it up, thought it sounded interesting, then put it down when I was in the lineup for the cashier. Then I realized I was at risk of becoming a caricature - ohmigawd, I can't decide if I should buy a book about decision making, lol. So I bought it. I'm glad I did - it's not a self-help type of book at all, it's more of a discussion about making decisions on an emotional vs. rational basis, and the physical processes in our brains when we do both or either. Not what you'd expect, necessarily.
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And now, since I've already acted on my decision to spend the girl's afternoon nap by catching up on CSI & blogging (following the emotional choice, as opposed to cleaning the bathrooms, which was the rational option), I should move on to the next part of the day & wake the girls up. Ah, there's Eleni now; how sweet of her to save me the effort!
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* - Or we were estranged? It was strange, at any rate.

Sweaty Jellybeans

2010-04-05T12:33:00.002-05:00

Ah yes, the Easter fall out. Amoryn has been busily packing & repacking her jellybeans, which are getting increasingly sticky. (Those little palms are a tad moist - all the excitement! All the beans! Holy moly!)

She keeps wanting to share, and honestly, I'm not so keen as I first was.

And for some reason she chose a white turtleneck to wear today - I guess for maximum jellybean dye transferral? Ah well, that's what stain removers are for.

PS: She is THREE now!

PPS: Photos later, when I finish unpacking the bag with the camera in it. We went to visit family for the weekend, and had lots of fun & jelly beans.

March Sticky Notes

2010-03-29T23:39:00.003-05:00

Dear Bank Lady (4th St Location):
Clearly, although you are a manager here, you do not have children. I know that you were doing this with the best of intentions, but if a toddler is happily eating a fruit bar, PLEASE DON'T OFFER THE TODDLER CHOCOLATE EGGS. I mean, I do let Am have chocolate - but only as a treat, or as a reward. Am (of course) didn't want to eat the fruit bar, in favor of the egg. I swooped in & commandeered the chocolate egg, insisting that she finish her fruit bar before shiny foil-covered egg consumption. It would have served you right, Bank Lady, if Am would have had a full-scale fit over it. Instead, the fates were merciful, and Am powered through that fruit bar faster than I've ever seen. A happy ending, although it was a little tense for a moment there.

Dear Cat:
I love you too, but srsly. NEED SUM SPACE, PLEEZ MOVE BACK A STEP.

Dear Post-Partum Depression:
I'm going to get you yet. If positive friends, loving family, funny children, holidays, exercise, eating right, & lengthening days don't get you, the anti-depressants I've just started will. Pack your bags, you sad, sticky little puddle of misery & self doubt that's been tracking yourself all over the inside of my head. I'm tired of trying to pretend that you're not there. Go away.

Dear T___:

I've never met you, but you are clearly an idiot. Stupid dork. I'd unfriend you on Facebook, but I'm still debating stalking you malevolently.

Dear Laundry:
Of course I'm joking about stalking. You & I have too much time committed together, laundry, for me to ever think about taking up another hobby*.

Dear Knitting:

You know that you're important. Maybe it's only a row every day, but you know, two of my three projects (the grey(t) cardi & the mobius cowl) are in that perilous 'finishing' stage, where they aren't small enough to be portable or easily tossed to the side whilst parenting. (The other one, my mistake shawl, is my portable purse knitting. I know if I take it out to work on at home that I will regret it because I'll forget it on a big 'waiting time' errand day.) It's dangerous, but I think I need a new project. Maybe the Big Merino I just scooped from TKR...

Dear Everyone:
Did you know that there are some truly hideous things that you can do with super bulky yarn? It's like the super bulky has a high enough specific gravity that it attracts extra stupid ideas. Actually, a lot of the super bulky yarns I saw were spectacularly ugly enough that it's possible they snuck into our world from an alternate dimension. I think I read a Stephen King short story about that...

Dear Bank Lady (At Crowfoot):
I fully applaud your effort with the mouse stamp - but the toddler was not going to be appeased by anything today. On the other hand (my right hand, actually), I am enjoying my mouse stamp immensely. (Several hours later, Am is admiring my stamp, & maybe a little jealous.)

Dear Knitting Muse:
I know I've been having a hard time with creativity & focus lately. It's the depression. I hope the pills won't affect either my libido OR creative drive. It's a while yet before they kick in. Until then, yeah, it's probably best if I don't invest too much energy into a new super-bulky project - because the world already has enough hideous giant variegated ponchos, it's true. Too bad I don't have enough for a mother/daughter/daughter project...

Dear Paint Cans:
I'm very excited to see you too. It will be intersting trying to paint with the kids, the man's travel schedule, and, um. That's actually enough to make it interesting.

Dear Laundry & Knitting:
Yes, we're painting. Rather a lot of the house, actually. It'll be fine.

And most of all...

Dear Amoryn & Eleni:
You were both so beautiful today, in the afternoon sunlight. I am so glad that we were all in a happy mood together in Am's room, reading books as the light & warmth poured in. This is what I want more of. Love, Mama/Mommy/MOMMMM!

*I was stalked - briefly & unpleasantly - so I feel quite fine about making stalker jokes. PS: Canada's anti-stalking laws SUCKED about ten years ago; I hope they've improved since then. Thankfully, I have had no reason to know.

I Am Not Feeling Better.

2010-03-28T15:25:00.002-05:00

I don't like it when my child shrieks in my face. Today, I walked away and left her to scream it out, by herself, in her bedroom.
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It's better than screaming at her.
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It was such a fun & promising morning, and now feels like such a crap day.

Wainapanapa

2010-03-24T16:22:00.001-05:00

Copy of Maui10 1125, originally uploaded by Kourtney_R.

A black sand beach. (More like black pebbles, really.) Amoryn was having so much fun 'coloring' in the sand; she almost snapped a biscuit when we had to go.
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"But sweetie, the tide is coming in."
"NOOOOOOOOO!"

The Top Of The World

2010-03-23T23:01:00.001-05:00

Copy of Maui10 902, originally uploaded by Kourtney_R.

Or at least the top of Maui. Haleakala, to be exact.

Yes Virginia, You Can Get A Time Out On The Beach

2010-03-22T23:05:00.002-05:00

Copy of Maui10 1636, originally uploaded by Kourtney_R.

As Amoryn learned.

(Although it's a time-out rock, not a time-out chair.)

Beach Family Robinson

2010-03-21T12:01:00.001-05:00

Copy of Maui10 1421, originally uploaded by Kourtney_R.

At Honokowai (aka "Baby Beach"), right next to our condo. One of the few photos of the four of us.

Their Just Desserts

2010-03-21T11:56:00.001-05:00

Copy of Mom 1082, originally uploaded by Kourtney_R.

Everyone got dessert - Amoryn got ice cream & a cookie with her grilled cheese sandwich.
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I got the dairy free mango sorbet. (Man, dessert menus are pretty desserted when you take out the dairy ingredients...)

Mama's

2010-03-21T11:54:00.001-05:00

Copy of Mom 1081, originally uploaded by Kourtney_R.

This was taken on our last day in Maui - we'd gone to Mama's Fishhouse for lunch. It was marvellous, and we got exactly the table I'd admired as we walked in.
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Side note: I love things like shrugs & 3/4 length sleeves & capris on babies. Too awesome.

And Then They Left!

2010-03-18T10:51:00.001-05:00

Copy of Mom 1030, originally uploaded by Kourtney_R.

Amoryn, looking woeful as her dad & I snorkel off into the near distance. Apparently, at first she was calling "Mom! Mommy! Mom!". Then she really tried to get my attention by calling "Kourtney R_______... Kourtney R_______". Funny.
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(Mom said Am wasn't upset, it was like she was trying to get my attention. I was occupied learning to snorkel, which involves paddling & breathing, and carefully not thinking about my fear of fish, which involved admiring the dancing patterns the light through the water made on the sand.)

A rainbow!

2010-03-18T10:47:00.001-05:00

Copy of Maui10 1696, originally uploaded by Kourtney_R.

There were just tons of rainbows our last week in Maui. Am become a pro at spotting them.
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(I can't seem to find time this week for a proper blog post, so there will be some random pics & snippets from our holiday.)

What I Did On My Winter Vacation

2010-03-11T15:36:00.003-06:00

Well, the unpacking/reorganization continues. Overall, I'm pleased with what I packed for clothing - I wore everything but one dress, and I didn't wear it because every time I thought I would, Amoryn was wearing the matching dress. Also, I had to wear a bra with it. (I only wore one once the whole holiday, for date night. Otherwise, it was all bikinis or shelf-bra nursing tanks.)
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I ended up packing too much knitting - not that I packed a lot. It's just that my knitting muse appeared to be on holiday as well. I'd also like to note at this juncture that AGH!, zauberball crazy may be a pleasing ball to look at, but it sucks as either beach or tsunami knitting. Imagine the ball rolling away into either the sand or the ditch. Then imagine me grinding my teeth, recovering the ball, picking all the whatever out of it, and continuing. I shelved it about halfway through the holiday, as I didn't like how it was working out, apart from the sand business. Time to rebrowse patterns.
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There was even one day I didn't knit at all - although I'm giving myself a pass as I spun & plyed 32 yards of yarn out of 9 grams of a silk hankie I'd gotten from Spinknit. I learned that while silk hankies are much nicer in humid climates, I'm still not too fond of them. I did make good friends with my new little Jenkins though.
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Isn't it wee? Don't you love it? I had it delivered to the condo in Maui as I knew that if it got sent to the house, I'd never vacation pack, let alone all the bureaucratic stuff. Here, it's modelling a teeny little bit of bombyx. I love it. It spins like a little dream, and Ed & Wanda are super.
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Speaking of teeny, here is the smallest skein I've ever made. I plyed the singles, and I believe that a two ply will give me a nice lace weight, and a three ply will give me something good for socks. Not that I really knit socks, but you know the weight of yarn that I mean.
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I'd chucked the one silk hankie in, just because I thought 9 grams of fiber on a 10gram spindle should work well. Mostly, I was correct. You can see in the above shot that there's quite a bit of variation in the weight of the single; partially new spindle, mostly that the hankies weren't drafting the way I wanted them too. (IE: evenly.)
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This spindle makes the most endearing wee copps - I can't even tell you.
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I managed to ply all 32 yards onto the spindle at once - although let me let you, that spindle is not really meant for plying. Anything in a pinch, though; a coconut/kukui contraption might have worked better, but then I'd have to have invested time in macguyvering a spindle.

Speaking of macguyvering, and having neglected to pack my niddy-noddy, I wound the skein around a book, and set the twist using the above set-up. My holiday fiction reading is in that bag, the leis are from the luau we went to; and I used Eleni's baby shampoo for the yarn soak.)
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And ta-dah! To the eye, it seems a much darker purple, but in the flash or direct sunlight you get the blue/violet tones. I've knit it into a wee rectangle, that will become a wee baggie to put some odds & ends into. I'd have a photo of that too, but it needs to be blocked, then sewn.
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Oh. Photos of my adorable children, frolicking in the surf? Other holiday type stuff, for the non-knitting, non-spinning crowd? Tomorrow, dudes.
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PS: My displeasure with hankies is exactly that - it's the hankie. Spinknit's colors are gorgeous, and possibly the only thing that will get me to spin up that last hankie (in orange & browns with a little red). Now that I know I don't like to spin with hankies; no more hankies for me! (A little like how I feel about regular tip Addis. Maybe for you, but not for me.)

Ah, Home Again

2010-03-10T22:51:00.003-06:00

Yes, we're home safe & sound. I'm currently mired in the post-vacation laundry & unpacking festival. There's always a point where I wonder if going on holiday was really worth it, what with having to wash & reorganize what seems like the entire universe... then I remind myself that this is a great chance to really look at everything, cull what doesn't need to be around, and cleanse & reorganize the important stuff. It's amazing what you can find in the oddest places, and what you lose that's out in plain sight.

For example, anyone seen the baby lately? I know she's around here somewhere...

What A Day

2010-03-06T03:46:00.005-06:00

Eleni laughed for the first time today.

Like her first smile, it was a gift she gave to me. This holiday has been incredible - sunshine, beaches, whales, turtles, rainbows, more beaches. I can't imagine a more aloha moment than a baby's first laugh.

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I remember Amoryn's first laugh (I was making a fake telephone noise - anyone remember the aliens from Sesame Street tyring to talk to the phone?). I was so surprised, and delighted. She giggled a lot for us that evening.

We've been giggling a lot this trip - she's taken to making a dun-Dun-DUN sound effect, but her intonation makes it more "Ton-Ton-Ton". Which is hilarious.

Off to bed; I need lots of rest to keep up with the giggles & everything else we've got planned for tomorrow.

PS: Amoryn says she is happy. She also says her mommy never smiles, not never, but that's when she's talking to her 'husband' on the phone.

PPS: If I'm ever having a hard day with the girls, remind me about that wonderful day on Maui where we went to the beach & Am & I saw a real, live, humuhumunukanukapua'a & El laughed for the first time.

Aloha, Aloha, Aloha

2010-03-05T02:53:00.002-06:00

Oh, we've been busy.

(Wainapanapa Beach)

The posts are infrequent because a) travelling with two babies leaves less spare time & b) travelling with one laptop, not two, results in a real computer time issue. And it's the man's computer, so I don't want to enable the whatever so that I can upload to Flickr & Facebook. So. Dribs & drabs.

(Haleakala Crater.)

Spectacular dribs & drabs, true!

It's all so splendid, even with this week being a little windy & rainy.

The rain meant that there were some awesome waterfalls to see today from the helicopter, and the scattered clouds make the beach easier.

Not that the beach is so hard, eh?
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PS: Still mentally writing the knitting post, expanded to include spinning. Still learning things; post may be delayed until I'm home.

I'm Glad We Don't Do That At Home

2010-02-27T20:40:00.007-06:00

Yes indeed, we're back safe & sound into our condo. No tsunami, no big waves, nothing. Thank heavens.

We woke up this morning when the tsunami alarm went off - and I tell you, I have never heard anything louder. Ever. It's only a little ways off from our balcony, and we sleep with the windows open. Scaaaaaaary. The charge of adrenalin was astonishing; we got the babies into the loft level, then turned on the tv to see what was up.

(The klaxon. If you've ever heard an air-raid siren up close & personal, you can imagine this noise. Otherwise, just imagine a fire engine, but at least four times closer, with a steady peak of noise.)

Oh. Five & a half hours. Don't panic, check the phone book to see if you're in a submersion zone, pack 5-7 days of food & water. Okay. Let's... get dressed, get fed, get packed - all the dry food we have, all the refilled lemonade jugs, the diapers & wipes, all the kid's stuff, all my clean underwear & one change of clothes, and two knitting projects & my newest little spindle. And a couple books. I figured that whatever happened, there would be some waiting.

Amoryn was out on the deck coloring when the alarm went off again - poor little thing. Scared several inches off of her growth; good thing I think she's got some height to spare. Eleni was actually awake the second time the alarm went (she slept through the first one), and it scared her too. (Also scared the crap out of the grownups.) By 8:45 (after the third klaxon), we pulled out of dodge & headed uphill.

It'd be a lot better story if it was a dark & stormy day; it would've been a lot more comfortable if it had been even a little cloudy. However, it was a beautiful sunny day, with not a cloud in sight. From our view on the side of the highway (a very wide shoulder, as close to shade as we could manage) the ocean was a truly heavenly blue; and there were no portapotties and not much breeze.

(The view, sans tsunami.)

And we waited. We listened to talk radio; we set up the sun tent; we broke out the water bottles, the books, the toys, the portable dvd. I did a very little bit of spinning on my new Jenkins; it's adorable. The baby slept, and ate, and slept again.

(Aerial view of the tent. Eleni is asleep amidst the toys.)

We moved the tent as the sun moved around. The trees were super interesting - kind of an evergreen, I think, but with really fine needles. Sadly, their interesting qualities did not encompass casting shade.

Five hours later, we decided to go back to the condo. The all clear hadn't sounded, but there were no big waves, and the condo is on the second floor. Amoryn was getting really hot; and we were all exhausted, and the whales were playing really close to the shore. Mom & I figured if they were in that close, nothing bad was going to happen.

And so far, nothing has. Everything has been unpacked, the man is off grilling fish (fresh tuna some local thing called, umm, something). And we are all exhausted. I almost feel like I've had a long tattoo session - that long fighting the fight-or-flight reflex is wearying. I'm going to go & curl up with my fruity drink and wait for super.

(Tomorrow: I really am going to talk about knitting on the beach! And also, hm. Something else that I've already forgotten? Ah yes! My groovy new little spindle!)

Whale, It's Like This...

2010-02-26T23:39:00.003-06:00

Wow, have we been busy. I've got less free time than I have on previous holidays - something to do with being the sole source of nourishment for a small human, I believe..
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Oh, and there's the beach.

We go to the beach lots. Amoyrn adores it; both the "sandy box" & the ocean. I love, love love her sunsuit - it makes the sunscreen tussle a little easier.
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This is our beach home base - a tent that coils up into a small parcel, and provides 50spf. I set Eleni under it, and she happily tries to wriggle her way to the ocean. Maybe she thinks she's a baby sea turtle? At any rate, I catch before she does much more than wriggle sand into her diaper. She naps really well by the ocean, too. (I have her white-noise sleep-sheep set to "ocean". Wish I could say it was foresight, but it's a happy accident.)
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We've had a couple firsts - Eleni sat (was tied into) a high chair for the first time. And she rolled over, but it was inspired by pure rage. Then she rolled right over again, inspired by fear as well as rage. I think the sand gave her extra 'footing'; we'll have to see when she next accomplishes that feat.
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We also went on our maiden whale watching tour. We got mugged.

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It was amazing. There was a pod of males competing for a female, and they swam around the boat for an hour or so. We were literally held up by them - we couldn't leave until they left. We were almost an hour late back from our tour, because of the whales.
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Did I mention how close they were?
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Have you ever seen a humpback? They are enormous. And graceful. And magical. And amazing. I wondered if I would find them frightening or overwhelming at all, as they're so big, but honestly, it was wonderful. (I found the seals in the harbour in Victoria far creepier.*)
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Speaking of wonderful, I think we've run out of the wonderful for the evening - the babe is fussing & the girl needs to head for bed. Next post: things I have learned about knitting on the beach!
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*Especially after I read about how a five-year old fell into the water & a seal took a couple good chomps out of her arm. They are carnivores, people. Carnivores. Hold onto your babies.