Christmas Hats

Here's a bit of delicious torture for the kids ... Christmas Hats!
I convinced Evan to wear his with a piece of Chocolate this morning.  What?

Baby Handwarmers

My son's getting to be about the age where I can convince him to wear hats, scarves, and mittens.  As long as none of them are covering his head, neck, or hands, and as long as he's not tired, hungry, or awake.  But that's beside the point.  I knit; therefore I force him to put these things on (and he pulls them off and throws them at me).

I was recently theorizing that the reason he won't wear mittens is that they cover his fingers.  After all, even I don't like my fingers covered.  That's why I wear handwarmers instead.  So, I decided to make him some handwarmers.  I think they turned out really cute - and he did too (he calls them his boxing gloves) - before he yanked em off and hurled em at me.  But the point is, he wore them for probably a whole five minutes!  That's about 60 times as successful as the hat I made him earlier this week!

Best part?  I did the first pair in 2 bus rides, and the second pair in just one bus ride.

Here's a pattern for the mittens.  It's not exactly what I knitted, because afterwards I thought of how to make them better.  But it's close, and you know what?  It's free :).

Size 7 DPN needles
Worsted weight yarn

5.5 sts/in

~ 2T Candy Cane Handwarmers

wrist

co 24 in white. join to work in the round
purl one round
knit one round
purl one round
knit one round
switch to red here and alternate between red and white every 2 rounds
knit 12 rounds

thumb hole

work back and forth in stockinette for the next 6 rounds (keep alternating red and white)

hand

join to work in the round again
knit 6 rounds (keep alternating red and white)
cut red and continue in white
knit one round
purl one round
knit one round
purl one round
bo

sew in ends

~24M Blue & White Handwarmers

wrist

co 21 in white. join to work in the round
work in seed stitch for 4 rounds
break white, switch to blue yarn
knit 6 rounds

thumb hole

work back and forth in stockinette for the next 6 rounds

hand

join to work in the round again
knit 4 rounds
cut blue and continue in white
work in seed stitch for 4 rounds
bo

sew in ends

Kitty

I've been having a fun time designing my own patterns. The latest thing I've made is this kitty! My coworker wanted to knit a mini version of her sister's cat for her sister, but couldn't find a good pattern, so I offered to make one up for her. A few days later, this little guy was born :).

My husband wants me to make an alien next!

Summer

Mommy Pants

I used to wonder why people wear mommy pants (pants with the waist at your actual waist - as in, well above that loose area on my abdomen that was about 2 feet further away from my body 1.5 years ago) ... well now I know!  My new waist is my actual "waist".  No more completely flat stomach.  Now if I wear hiphuggers and low-riders, I have a muffin top.  A true, all the way around, supersoft muffin top.  Options are:

• Eat less = be hungry on top of tired, grumpy, and frazzledazzled.
• Exercise = of my no free time, all of it will be spent sweaty and miserable (more so than usual).
• Mommy pants.

Hello, guess who wins!

Working Out

I decided the other day that I'm done with my old lady bigger than my big boobs belly.  So I decided to do sit ups first thing in the morning.  As soon as I started, Evan came over and lay on top of me so that I couldn't do a sit up without hitting his head hard with my chin.  After some "discussion" he got up and started bouncing up and down on my pelvis with the full force of his 30 lb turkey leg butt instead - all the while laughing like a madman.  After he did that for a while I got up and noticed that my lower back hurt like crazy from the bouncing.  So that was my workout.  Anyone got suggestions for workouts that you can do with a little drunken master around?

Supermom

Well, I always thought I'd be a good mom because I love kids. Since I am generally not a responsible person, I didn't even begin to think that I'd be too irresponsible to have kids. Only responsible people worry about that kind of crap. As it turns out, that was the right way to think about it. I suddenly realized today what a nauseatingly responsible person I have become. I am rarely late coming home. I don't flake out of things any more and never just because "I didn't feel like going anymore". Keeping up with laundry is like second nature to me. If I have a spare moment, I throw a load in. In my free time, I think about what to cook. There is always a casserole in the fridge for Evan to eat. I make omelettes and bacon on weekends because I always have fresh eggs and bacon in the fridge. I'm up by 6 am every day. All I can say about this is, WTF? Haha. Well, I guess we all have to grow up some time! Honestly, it feels pretty good to be consistent. And it's not as tiring as you'd think. It's a lot more exhausting to be completely free and have an inconsistent schedule where I choose to play or be productive at night instead of sleeping.

Gnome Cardigan for E-Dawg

I saw a gnome hat on Jessica Rose-Kim's knitblog a while ago that was inspired by Heliina's baby cardigan on Ravelry, that was in turn inspired by Spillyjane's gnome mitten pattern on sale on Etsy. Heliina's cardigan was so adorable that I just couldn't get it out of my head, even though there was no way to get the pattern and I've never designed my own sweater pattern and actually never knit a yoke sweater, and a top down dk weight toddler yoke sweater pattern is really hard to find! So I finally just bit the bullet and designed it myself - with the help of Vogue's Knitting reference book. It actually took quite a bit of planning - but I am starting to think it will turn out ok :). Isn't this adorable? Every young boy needs a gnome sweater :). I hope it'll lie flat after I block it.

Cardigan

I just finished the Keep On Truckin Baby Cardigan (raglan, bottom up) from The Brown Stitch (http://thebrownstitch.com) today!  I think it took me under 2 weeks of commute time (on the bus) to knit in worsted weight - which is kind of amazing, I think.

Generally I find the neck pretty large (although I haven't seen it on a baby yet), and the sleeves overly wide at the ends.  I'd change those things next time if I knit this pattern again.  I am trying to be a little more daring with colors (I'm extremely conservative), so I used blue for the collar and the button bands.  I think it looks kinda nice.

I'm totally in love with raglan shaping!  It's sort of magical!

This is for my MIL's best friend (who has a new grandson) - so not really anyone I care about personally - which makes it more a present for my MIL from my perspective.  It's fun to give people who aren't expecting anything from me a nice handmade gift!

Good morning, Mama.

When you call a German out on being a jerk, they may stop or they may not.  They may apologize or they may not.  But one thing they will immediately do is angrily explain to you why they were being a jerk, and probably the reason will point right back around to something you may or may not have actually done to deserve it.  Note that facts during their angry explanation are secondary to the "story".  Sometimes they get changed for dramatic effect.  If it were a movie, it would have to have a disclaimer: "Story loosely based on ..."  If it were an Agile Manifesto, it would read, "We value ... Effect of Overdramatized Angry Story over Fact".

This morning as I'm trying to shove a writhing and screaming baby into a carseat while my husband strolls around the kitchen not trying to shove a writing and screaming baby into a carseat, he pokes his head out the door and angrily calls to me to hurry up.  Are you serious??

Mama Style

Even though she insists she was very stylish in her youth, I always thought my mom just had no sense of fashion.

I'm starting to realize what happened.

Something that's been perplexing me since Evan was born is how the harder I try to be fashionable, the worse I look.  When I don't try, well, I just look like I'm not trying.  Take for example - the other day when I met my sister, I was wearing an extremely thin, deep purple, long-sleeve turtleneck.  Over it, I was wearing a short-sleeved, puffy-sleeved, jacket with one button at the neck and black and tan zebra stripes.  I don't even know where I went wrong.  I swear I was once very stylish!

So, take away the fact that my whole middle section is just wider (not to mention looser, and a couple other even less flattering adjectives that I won't add).  I'm bigger "on top" than many of my old shirts will accommodate, and in a way that makes me look even wider (fatter), vs. sexy.  At home (but not at the office), I need easy access to the milk-makers.  I have to be ok with whatever I'm wearing getting pulled on and stretched, spit on, snot on, and food on.  I have to wear clothes, shoes, and purse that allow me to bend down a lot, run, and turn on a dime.  I can't wear accessories that are breakable or beg to be messed with.

Even with those restrictions, I should somehow manage to dress ok.  I totally don't.  Especially on work days, where I don't have to worry about taking care of a toddler.

First, here's how I've started shopping:
--> Does it look like it fits?  Yes
    --> Is it cheap?  Yes
        --> Is it "interesting" (somehow translates in my head to "fashionable")?  Yes
            --> Buy it.
My decision-making process is dictated by the following factors:
* Evan is usually with me.
* Evan is usually not happy with me.
* I am usually sweating and in a hurry (see previous two bullets).
* I don't have time to try it on.
* I don't have time to think about it.  I need a formula.

So, I think you see how that's headed for disaster right there.

And then, because I've already bought something (even though it was cheap), I have to wear it ... because I am cheap and I need to get my money's worth.  So I try to salvage the wreckage by combining interesting pieces, and overall, I don't get something that's better than its parts (goal) ... I get something weird and horrible (mistake).

There you have it.  Until Evan is old enough to go off to some sport or other kid's house while I'm shopping, or just plain doesn't want to spend time with me any more (sad), I'm doomed to dress like an idiot.  By that time, I'll probably be so used to dressing like an idiot that I'll think it's fashionable.  Unless I have a daughter that tells me otherwise (like I did to my mom).  Fantastic.

Letter Sweater!

This pattern is from Reynolds 82428 (http://www.yarn.com/webs-books-patterns-kits-knitting-patterns-type-babies-blankets/webs-knitting-patterns-reynolds-82428-kids/).

I knit it in cotton, added suede patches and monogram, and I just love it!!

Shrugs

I love this pattern and can't stop knitting it! I am starting to modify it to do more interesting things as well. It is so quick and easy!!

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rejoice-shrug-this-for-little-girls

 (24 mo)

 (newborn)

 (preemie)

 (24 mo)

Knitting Artoo hats again :)

Cookin

Vacuuming

Holiday Knitting

This guy is a little handwarmer. A little microwaveable pouch filled with rice can be inserted right into his belly!

He has a little heart button to show he loves you!

Evan brushing his teeth

Dale Fair Isle Steeked Cardigan - done!

Just in time for Winter! And it fits Evan perfectly. If I'd waited any longer to finish it, then the past 3 years' work would have been in vain :).

I love Dale of Norway patterns. They're so "finished". I just wish every time I knit something from them, it would take less than 2 years. This sweater has beautiful picot finishing, and even the inside is gorgeous - with little stockinette covers over seams.

Also - steeking was easy! There really was nothing to be afraid of. And Baby Ull doesn't unravel easily at all. But I'll let you know if it holds up to some wear.

My husband also pointed out to me that white is not the smartest color for a toddler. Oops. But, it's so pretty, I don't regret it - yet :).

Sitting in Papa's chair