Acceptance of Facts

Fact #1: My Greengable Hoodie will not be done for the Fall Fiber Arts Retreat.
I have hit a few road blocks including needle issues (don't ask) and screwed up cables (don't ask) requiring frogging. I really wanted to have it done, but unless I don't sleep, don't eat and don't play with my kids for the next 10 days, I am NOT getting this baby done. I'm sorely disappointed.

Fact #2: I will not have Princess Leia ears for Halloween.
I was winging this baby, and given that I used no math or measurements or pattern or anything, shockingly, they haven't worked out. I have wasted precious time on something that will not come to be; this is the most frustrating part to me. My knitting time is limited, obviously. When I waste time on something that will never be, I am pissed. I can't get that time back for another project. But it wasn't working and sometimes there is no point in forcing the issue.


Fact #3: My husband rocks.
This isn't really hard to accept as fact, because, well, I did marry him. But, I do like to complain about him sometimes - his absent-mindedness, his inability to know what's going on when, and his general un-organizedness (is that a word?). But really, I got it good. He is ready for his 4 day abandonment while I got to the retreat. He takes it in stride. Hockey with 2 small kids and no extra help, no worries. Birthday preps, bring it on (in an itemized list from his wife of course). Everyone always says "What will he do while you're gone? What about this, that or the other thing?". He just takes it as it comes. Oh, I'll still worry about everything while I'm gone, but I know he won't. Guess that's why we're a team.


Fact #4: I need no more yarn.
Ugh. I had accepting this fact. I think I'm going to make some hard rules about yarn accrual in the new year. I need no yarn. None. I could happily knit what I have right now and be good for a long time (and by long time, I mean up till retirement). And it's not that I have a ridiculous amount or anything, but I just don't go through it that quickly. I need to accept this fact. It's the hardest one by far.

Friends who Knit

I love knitting. It reminds me of who I am and in this unsettled time where I'm trying to find out what my new normal is, I find that knitting gives me a piece of calm.

Luckily, knitting has brought some like minded people into my life. Andi, Jill and Catknip were kind enough to meet me for coffee this last week. They even cuddled my kid and said nice things to me so I could eat chocolate cake and knit. This may seem like small potatoes but when you've been hanging around the house, wondering how you'll manage to feed a baby, entertain a toddler and maybe have a shower on a somewhat regular basis, it's good to know you have friends. And it's comforting to know that people still think about you and maybe even miss you.

It may take some time, but I'll be back with FOs to show you and stash to flash. I don't want to let my friends down.

What 36 hours of freedom will get ya

A completed pair of socks.

And some new yarn.

And a renewed sense of self, some sanity, a little quiet time and a king-sized bed all to myself. I can pack a lot of stuff in 36 hours.

We interrupt the regularly scheduled post...

I had a post all written and ready to go. It was a brief description of my 36 hr trip to Calgary and back (whirlwind trip, yes, but quite fabulous).

But then today as I was rushing home from work, with 2 screaming (ok, not screaming so much as non-stop talking) kids and groceries to put away, I stopped to get the mail. There was a package in it from a blogger-friend, and someone I've been lucky to get to know in real life too.

And this is what she sent me.


Along with a really sweet note - and I agree Jill, chocolate and yarn does make everything better.

Thanks Jill - you rock (and you really should think about Etsy shop......)

Small Pleasures

I find myself a little lost these days. It's hard to concentrate on anything for very long. I can't make decisions. I don't know if I'm hungry or not, thirsty or not.

I do find that I take pleasure in little things. A walk around the block with Princess the First. A cup of tea with steam rising in front of my nose. My Mom's pleasant chatter about people I know or don't know while she prepares lunch, washes dishes, folds my laundry, takes care of her baby. My little one makes smiley faces when she's full and falling asleep. I think she might have a dimple. A couple of rounds on a plain sock that may or may not be finished by Christmas.

I know I'll have to re-enter the world soon but for now, I feel safe in my little cocoon surrounded by the little things that make me happy.

My belated and off-topic Thanksgiving post

I often draft posts in my head. My newest, in-the-head draft, consisted of a list of all the things I am thankful for in my life. Like snuggling new babies, my husband of 11 years (it seems like just yesterday it was our 10 year celebration), and of course my boys.

I was wading through some pictures to emphasize each of these points and came across this one from this weekend.

What a lovely moment between a mother and her son. Passing on the craft. He was excitedly following my instructions and quite proud of himself for knitting a row.

Then I realized this is what was going on behind me.


Note the look of intensity on my Stink's face. I assure you he's not thinking of knitting with that; only what trouble he can get himself into.

For Healthy Girls

Let us be thankful.

Thanks to everyone for their kind words and thoughts. It took a while but the new one arrived on October 9. We are doing well if somewhat tired. My Mom has been a big help. Maybe I'll get the chance to do the same for one of my girls.

Happy Thanksgiving!

She's Arrived!!

A bouncing baby girl arrived this evening to Mama J and her dude.

Everyone is doing well - J. sounded amazing when I talked to her.

Baby Girl was ..... you're not going to believe this .... 9lbs 8oz. Whoa.

I hope to meet the beautiful baby this weekend.

Stay tuned.

I got nothin'....

I know you're all waiting for a post to say "Hey, the baby is here!" No one more, I'm sure, than my partner in crime.

But I got nothin' to tell ya.

So instead I'll woo you with pretty pictures of something I finished a while ago, and was just blocked last week with my newly purchased blocking wires (which are heaven....).


My Hanami v. 2.0.


Now, last I talked about this baby, I said that I was going to throw it in the Christmas Cumulus.

I've changed my mind.

It's mine, all mine.

And in another attempt to woo you, I'll show you my first completed sock for the September STR shipment. Spoiler Alert!!

The colour way is called Tidal Pooling and is my favourite so far.

Did it work? Did I divert your attention? I'm sure I didn't, but it was a worthy try, right?

(and we're all sending good thoughts to the baby......go towards the light baby....gooooo....)

In which all is made well

Don't be scared. It all turns out right in the end. See?

It's not easy to knit other projects when you know you have a sweater that just underwent major surgery. When I got home from the massacre, I sat down to finish the edging.

Before all this cutting and sweing nonsense started, I used some yarn in a contrasting colour to mark some important stitches. One line of running stitch marked where we would be cutting. Two more lines marked where I would pick up the stitches for the buttonbands on either side of the steek.

I attacked the buttonhole side first, picking up stitches along the marked line. I used the ole pick up 3 stitches for every 4 rows and that seemed to work nicely.

A little 2 x 2 rib and some buttonhole magic and I was almost done that side. All that was left was to sew done the cut edge. T. and I attended a workshop with Lucy Neatby a year ago and she cut a sweater before our unbelieving eyes. Then she used a simple blanket stitch to sew down the edge. Now, I'm no former Sailor who knows a whole lot about knitting, but I figured if Lucy could do it, without batting an eyelash, then maybe I could do it.

And I think it turned out quite well. All that remained was to repeat all this business on the other side and I was mostly done. A bath, some blocking and buttons and I have a lovely new sweater.

I did make some mods early on by making 3/4 length sleeves which I prefer. I cast on 60 stitches, worked the twisted rib on these and then adjusted the sleeve length to match a couple of other 3/4 length sleeves that I like from other sweaters.

Overall, I think I will love this sweater but it's hard to know how well it will fit given my advanced stage of pregnancy. Hopefully I'll be able to model it for you soon. In the meantime, think happy thoughts and let's hope this little knitter in training hurries up.