Saturday, October 31, 2009

Who. Hoot. Boo.


Hope you all had a great Halloween.

Boo.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Public Service Announcement

We here at Baad Medicine advocate the H1N1 vaccine for everyone that has no major contraindications. (ie. an egg allergy, you are less than 20 weeks pregnant, you have a high fever, you have recently had Guillain Barre) I believe that shots are unpleasant but preferable to getting the actual illness. For most of us, the swine flu makes us feel kinda bad and you get over it in about 10 days. For those among us who are very young, very old, have other diseases such as heart or lung conditions, it can be very serious indeed. And I'll be honest, our readership is not so big that we can afford to lose any of you. And it would break my heart to hear about one of you becoming very ill because of this mostly preventable virus.

So take of yourselves and your loved ones. I got the shot yesterday. It was no fun and my arm hurt but I know that it will protect me and my family.

Thank you.

(P.S. I haven't been posting knitting content mostly because I am working on something that T does not know about. It is not for her or anyone in her family. It's just awfully fun keeping a secret from her sometimes. T. likes to be in the know. Right, Andi?)

Monday, October 26, 2009

And here it is...

The Beast.


(it really isn't that much of a beast - but it is large and cumbersome and a pain in the butt to pack around).

I am keeping it as written by Meg's pattern notes - with the original cables and all.

I am also reminding myself to keep Meg's advice close at hand - even if it looks like it's small, it will be fine.

The big question is will it be done for Christmas???

Friday, October 23, 2009

K2T (Knit 2 Together)

Recently, I have been going through some stressful situations. I won't burden you with them as I am not dwelling on them. (The Dude would tell you that that was a lie. I ruminate. I stay up at night thinking and rethinking things. I digress.) The result of these unpleasant events has been unexpected and altogether wonderful.

I am reminded at this time that I have friends. And my friends are so wonderful. They listened to me complain about how hard it is to return to work after a maternity leave, how I felt like I know nothing and am out of date and out of touch. And then they made it all better. They complained with me, they reminded me that everyone feels this way sometimes, that I don't have to do everything all at once, that I am a mother and a wife and a pharmacist and that all of those things are important. They drank with me, they brought me flowers.

And now, everything seems so much better. I am looking up and I'm coping. Things are still hard but not unmanageable. Now, it's my turn to support and care for my friends.

And guess what? They all knit.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Cuteness Galore

Any guesses on what cuteness is occurring at my house (and yes there will be the obligatory pics of my children because really, to me, they are the definition of cute)?

Even with their tough guy looks.


And I thought this kid could not get any cuter.

I may have been wrong.

And who doesn't love cute little hats for cute little babies (twins to be exact)....


Next time I do promise pictures of The Beast. Promise. Pinky-swear.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Knit the Season : A Book Review

Knitting has invaded my life. I knit in the evenings when my daughters have gone to bed. I knit in spare moments when I need to feel more like myself. I knit on lunch breaks. I knit with friends that I met through knitting. And when I'm not knitting, I read about knitting.

This holiday season, knitters are offered the next in the Friday Night Knitting Club series. Knit the Season follows the club through a hectic holiday season, beginning with Thanksgiving and carrying on until the New Year. I think that knitters have latched on to this series because the knitting club is made of knitters from every background in every stage of life. It reminds me of the ladies that are a part of my knitting circle; the new mothers, the working mothers, the knitter who knits socks on size 2 mm needles, the girl with the tattoos, the girl who knits lace but will never wear it.

Change is the only constant in life. The knitters of the Friday Night Knitting Club are all dealing with twists and turns in their lives. They must deal with changing responsibilities at work and at home. Misunderstandings drag families apart. Very familiar themes for the holiday season.

Holiday books are often nice little tales about Christmas starring characters that we know and hopefully love. This book moves our knitters through important turning points. Dakota must decide if the knitting shop is her future. Family obligations and her dreams of becoming a pastry chef are at odds with each other. Peri wants to pursue her handbag business but is now the time? Anita's adult son is standing in the way of her marriage. Catherine doesn't trust herself to love anyone.

This book is a lovely reminder that family and friends should be the focus of our holidays, whichever holiday you choose to celebrate. With shopping and baking and knitting, it is easy to miss the opportunity to spend time with and appreciate our loved ones this season. So maybe I'll knit a little less and talk to my loved ones a little more.

Thanks to Lydia at Penguin Group for giving me the chance to read this book that goes on sale November 3.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Where are all those finished objects?

I've finished quite a few things lately.

Like this.....

lovely hat designed by this lady. I love that lady. LOVE her.

I also finished this little knitterly friend....

And this little hat for a gorgeous little girl....


And just last night I finished these to put in the gift basket.....


These fo's are all to distract you from my dismal advancement on the BEAST....Slow and steady wins the race right???

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Chin Up, Buttercup

It's been a rough week in my house.

P2 got the baby measles and then a cold. I promptly caught her cold and now the Dude and P1 are also succumbing to the plague. No one is sleeping much at night with runny noses, coughs and nagging worries.

I returned to work which means the girls are both going to a babysitters. There will be bumps with this as everyone gets used to the new schedule.

It's snowing and I have a few moments to myself. I'm going to go knit. I'm going to knit and not think about all the stresses in my life right now and remind myself that change is good.

I'm going to keep my chin up.




Sunday, October 11, 2009

Thankful

What am I most thankful for this Thanksgiving weekend?

This guy.



12 years of marital bliss.

I love you.

Friday, October 9, 2009

O Happy Day



Oh, my little smiling baby. One year ago, you arrived, surprising everyone with your size and smile. You were determined from the start, eating all the time. Over the past year, you have won over everyone you meet.

The ladies at the grocery store know you and wait for your smiles. Your grandparents think you are the smartest, most advanced baby since your sister was born. Your Uncles are wrapped around your little finger. You walk and talk and charm your way through life.

And I love you so very dearly, my Little Princess. Happy Birthday.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Supply and Demand

I've been thinking lately about yarn. Shocking. I have a lot of yarn. Some of it is quite nice. Some is meant for nothing fancier than dishcloths. Some is heavy and would make a lovely sweater if I could find the right pattern. Some is fine and will likely one day become a shawl or lacy scarf. Some was costly and some was quite cheap.

I've been pondering why we get so excited about the hunt for difficult to acquire yarn. I guess my case in point is Wollmeise. For years, I've been hearing about how amazing this yarn is. The colours are stunning. It is the most wonderful yarn since yarn was invented. People covet and hoard this yarn as if it were the end of days. Naturally, I fell for the lure of this yarn and sought it out. I even managed to smuggle a skein past unsuspecting knitters into my stash. But why am I so fascinated with it? Is it only because I couldn't have it? I have lots of nice yarn. I certainly didn't need any more. To be honest, I'm not even sure what I'll do with it now that I have it.

Would this yarn be so popular if it was available at Walmart? Would people still buy it up and then sell it for double the price on ebay? Why am I such a sucker?

Monday, October 5, 2009

The Beast

Calculations done and redone. And done again. Swatches made.

Pondering about how to get the ribbing to flow into the cables. Drawings. Scribbles.

The beast will prove to hurt my brain every now and then.

But I've cast it on. I've completed 2 rounds. Only about 1600yds of yarn to go.

I can't wait!!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Wrap It Up


Sometimes you just want to be wrapped up in something cozy. My girls have their blankies and I have this.

It's Shawl that Jazz worked up in Blue Moon Fiber Arts Woobu. It is soft with just a little sheen. It stretches all around me. It is warm and cute. The girls have started calling it Mommy's Blankie. It's a great name for something so comforting and simple.