WIPs

Puerperium and Baby boy Jobes

A wee baby sweater
for the wee boy to come home in.

Pattern: Puerperium Cardigan
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash Sport
Colorway: 859
Needles: Hiya Hiya 5" Interchangeable
US 6

Gettin' Stuff Done

View from my in-law's living room the morning of New Year's day.

Justin has to work a lot this week. It's always helpful to help pass these days by filling them up with work/activities. Last night I compiled a mental list of goals for the week. I figured I'd better spew them out somewhere. Here you go (in no particular order):

Make and Eat food - Since we started this whole Paleo thing (about 6 months ago now!) I don't cook very often. When Justin's home he cooks dinner and when he's not home I tend not to eat much and just fix cheater junk for the kids. ie. rice pasta and cheese or quesadillas on corn tortillas. Enough of that. I'm relying on Paleo Mama and Everyday Paleo for my inspiration.

Door Draught - It's been cold around here. Every time it's cold I walk around our little old house, feeling the draught coming from under the doors and say, "That's it! I'm going to make some door draught stoppers!" And then the weather warms up and I forget about them. Not this time. I'm doin' it. This one's cool, but I think I'll make something more along the lines of this.

School - Sure, we do school here and there and the kids are doing fine but our day just runs so much more smoothly with at least a loose schedule. I need to find one that works for us. I need to get our priorities out on paper. Find our groove. Create our culture. Still thinking about this.

Keep my house clean - We had a family work day on Saturday - inspired by the Duggars - and my house is sparkly clean and tidy. For my own sanity, I need to try and keep it that way. What we're working on: One thing out at a time. Put stuff away before you get something else out. If possible, wear clothes more than one time before they go in the laundry.

Get caught up on laundry - need I say more? Never ending. I really don't mind it so much.

Start some selfish knitting - I have some grey cascade 220 laying around that is begging to be used. The only problem - I can't seem to get these socks out of my brain. Before winter ends I am determined to make myself a couple of pairs of cozy house socks, a chunky cowl, a hat that I love, some fingerless mitts (maybe these) and possibly, oooohhh..could I wish for this much??? A warm, huggable, shawl collar grandpa sweater??? We shall see.

For my Grandma

Hot Water Bottle Cover

Pattern: linked above
Yarn: more of that sale stuff that I can't remember
Needles: size 7 circular
used magic loop and a kitchener stitch graft

I didn't have enough yarn to make the pocket. :-( But I think she'll still love it.

I'm awfully proud of myself that I completed a post-Christmas Christmas gift in record time. I'll give it to her tonight.

Happy Holidays

Knit Edition

Pattern: Thorpe Hat
Yarn: Cascade 128 Superwash Chunky
Needles: Hiya Hiya interchangeable size 9

As usual, I was busily knitting away during the days and nights before Christmas. I wasn't about to let a family-wide stomach bug keep me down for too long.

A few weeks prior, I decided to bag the individual hat patterns I had chosen and went with variations of the Thorpe for everyone. It is quickly becoming my favorite hat pattern - especially since learning the magic loop method. Using chunky yarn makes this a particularly warm winter hat and I really like how it goes down a little further in the back to keep little necks warm. A friend of mine passed along a neat stranded design which I easily adapted to the Thorpe to make it a little more interesting. I also couldn't resist adding a pom pom to Xochi's (post pic). What little girl doesn't look cute with a pom pom? After taking this picture I also added braided ties to each of the ear flaps.



I made a pair of One Cable Mitts for my sister Abbey to match her hat I made her. (I would list the yarn except I got it on sale, threw away the label and can't for the life of me remember what it is) She loved them. I am thankful for a 13 year old sister who loves and appreciates my knitted gifts. AND wears them... thank you home schooling.

On Christmas Eve, we get together with my mom's side of the family and exchange gifts. Several years ago we decided to exchange small stocking-stuffer sized gifts, $5 and under. As soon as the Mrs. Meyer's seasonal scent was released I snatched up about 10 bottles of dish soap and then set to work knitting some simple dish cloths. As a side story, a month or so ago my grandma had to make an unfortunate and unexpected early morning trip to the emergency room. She called me and asked me to call 9-1-1 for her. On my way out the door, I had enough sense to grab my needles and yarn and was able to knit up about 3 washcloths in the 8 or so hours I sat at the hospital. As it turned out, she was fine... she just needs to schedule the gall bladder surgery she's been putting off. Using a bit of twine, I tied the wash cloths to the soap and used them as my stocking gifts. I wish I had a picture to show you - I was so glad with how they turned out.

Pattern: Basic Knitted Dish Cloth
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpaca Worsted Cotton

The one thing I didn't get finished before Christmas that I really wanted to was a knit Secret Santa gift for our Jazzercise gift exchange. I finished them today though and will present them tonight at our big reveal party.

Pattern: Mitten Cuffs by Jane Richmond
Yarn: Cascade 128 Superwash
Needles: Size 10

I'm super excited about this little pair of mitts and can't wait to make a pair for myself! I love how you can wear them long or buttoned short.

And finally, I started on this hot water bottle cover for my grandma. She always appreciates my knitted gifts and I know she'll love this one just as well. I saw it on A Friend to Knit With - Leslie is using Cascade 220 (which is an absolute favorite, versatile yarn of mine) but I went with something else I had in my stash.

While there were plenty of knit gifts for other people, Christmas didn't pass without a couple of kniting related gifts for myself. Justin, as thoughtful as ever, got me two knitty gifts that I'm so excited about.

First, the Knit Kit. Love, love, love it.


And second, this wonderful book which I had seen on a blog before Christmas and told Justin I wanted before I initiated the "no Christmas wish list rule" in our home.

Knitting at Home

I can't wait to get some yarn, pull out my needles and cast on
for something out of it.

Oh!! And did I mention that those needles are my new Hiya Hiya interchangeables that I bought completely with consigned clothing money? Our local yarn shop is a combined yarn/consigned clothing store. Imagine my delight when the clerk told me I had $80 credit... sooo.... I bought the whole set!! Woo Hoo!!!

Brain Stuffing

Not to be confused with Thanksgiving stuffing... I am grain-free you, know. (I say this in all bitterness as I've been drooling over recipes like this and this. I'm choosing this. I'm choosing this.)



Brain stuffing.... it's basically what happens this time of year when my brain is swarming with Christmas ideas, yarn, patterns, gifts etc. and I cannot keep everything straight. I used to tell my Jazzercise students that right before I taught new routines I would just stuff them all in my brain and hope they stayed in there long enough for me to get to class and puke it all out at them. And that's how I feel - except I'm experiencing a little blockage. Brain... constipation... maybe? Whatever it is, it has me frozen. And it can't be frozen! Because I need to start knitting, people! Are any of you like this? I just keep looking at pattern after pattern and yarn after yarn - the frugal part of me wants to use as much yarn from my stash as possible. I made a rule a while ago that I wouldn't buy any more yarn without a specific project to use it for. But I broke my rule... grr.... and I have some beautiful yarns to use but I'm just not quite sure they're the most *perfect* yarn for the projects I have in my mind. But I need to order whatever I need off of Knitpicks... and you see, my mind just keeps going around and around.

Kind of like my friend Suzy. Hooping. Another thing I can't seem to get out of my mind.

Go here and watch. You'll be amazed. I never knew.




Anyway, I've been watching birthing videos. I've seen six births in person but for some reason when I was watching the videos tonight and thinking of that being ME I actually said out loud to my computer (in a high-pitched squeaky-freaked-out voice), "I don't think I want to do that!"

I am Scared people! See that capital "S"? I keep telling myself that millions of other women have done it. I can do it too. Jazzercise has been prepping me for years - Breathe and push. Breathe and push. Breathe and push. I say it to my students all the time. Ack!!




To conclude, here's a sweet Christmas gift idea for your little girls. I cannot even tell you how much I want to post knitting patterns... but I don't want to give away my secrets. I'm going to think on this and see what I can do.

Magnetic Paper Dolls

Slowly but sweetly, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here! Happy Thanksgiving to you!

*Thursday* Morning Thoughts

*Haha! A friend just alerted me that it is actually Thursday morning even though I originally titled this Wednesday Morning. I guess I should have had another cup of coffee before I wrote it.

I have to get a crown prep done today. I'm trying to find something to be thankful for. Like, I'm thankful I haven dental insurance? Yes. I am indeed thankful for that. I am still dreading the appointment though. I didn't have even one filling until I was 19. It's been a little downhill from there. And, I will confess here for all of you, that I have a little bit of dental phobia. Sort of. But not completely. I'm not scared of the actual dental work or of pain. I just tend to get claustrophobic with that rubber dam on and the anesthesia always gives me chills. So I will bring a blanket and ask them to cut a little hole in the dam so I can breathe. I can't stand to listen to music or wear those sunglasses they offer you - it only magnifies the claustrophobia. My jaw tends to get really sore too. If I remember to take ibuprofen before I go it seems to help. They're also going to give me the gas... I've never had it before. Anyone out there with any experience with it?

I think I need to cut down on my blog reading. I am longing to knit a big, cozy sweater for fall and sew up a couple of dresses for the girls with corduroy I've had stashed away for years. I get so much inspiration from the ones I read but it's time to take that inspiration and DO something!

My children are playing nicely together this morning. Except, just as I was typing that I heard Adia screaming "NO! Stop that, I said!" from the bedroom. I love it when they play nicely together.

Along those lines... Steele seems to struggle with empathy and compassion. We're working on it but it's a hard one to work on, you know. You can't exactly muster it up in your child. Does it tend to be a boy thing? Any thoughts?

We sold the pink couch. I only felt a little bit sad. It just smelled too bad - you guys were right. Me, of all people, should have known that it would not be good for my health. I just didn't realize it until it was in my house and stinking up the whole living room. The good news is that Justin made $100 off of it. He bought the set (couch and chair) for $50 and sold them for $150. Saweet! So the living room went back to the way it was with a turn of a bookshelf which I really wanted. The dining room will be turned into a family room/office. I'm cautiously looking for a couch. "Cautiously" after a conversation my neighbor and I had about bed bugs and lice. Ew.

Speaking of knitting, I've been able to finish a couple of things lately. The only thing worth showing is this cute little baby sweater for my friend Amber's new baby, Bella.

Pattern: Matinee Jacket from Vintage Knits for Modern Babies by Hadley Fierlinger of ShesCrafty Handknits. I love just about every pattern in this book.
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in color 849? (can't remember the color)
This is my favorite yarn lately - great colorways, nice quality, versatile, inexpensive
Needles: As written

A couple of you wondered about Xochi. I think she had chicken pox. I hope she had chicken pox. She only had 6 or 7 spots. A friend brought her kids over to expose them. I'm hoping they get it so we can know for sure.

What do you think?

I just love her brown skin.

These are my favorite types of blog posts to write. I think I'll write more of them. It's so much easier than thinking of a topic and seems more do-able to me. I'm off to prep for my crown prep.

Missing My Blog

Hey guys!

Wowzers. There is A LOT going on in the J family and I want to share it all. The problem is that with so much to tell, I often don't know where to begin.

And SO many pictures to get caught up on! A whole summer of them.

Maybe with fall and a more predictable schedule I'll be able to get into a better blog routine.

For now, I'm hoping this will give me a bit of accountability to get back here.

It also doesn't help that I have been up late at night doing who-knows-what. I prefer to blog in the morning but I've been too exhausted when I wake up.

There are some very exciting prospects up ahead. Can't wait to see what God has in store. My mom thinks I should write a book... and maybe I will.

Join Me?

If you've ever wanted to learn to knit or are just looking for a fun little project - you might consider joining me for this Knit-a-Long.

I recently found the Kris Knits blog and cast on this morning for her April KAL.

The deal is, she posts new instructions every so often for her latest seasonal washcloth and you knit right along with her. Kinda fun, huh? You can check out other cute patterns on her blog.

Join me - it'll be fun!

Saturday Bits

• Making baby food is one of my greatest joys in life. On today's menu: spinach, roasted vegetables, squash and carrot.

• I think it's hilarious when Steele or Adia will all of a sudden exclaim, "Where's Xochi?!?!" when she's been in bed for an hour already.

• It's really hard to pack for vacation with 2 very excited preschoolers. When I woke up this morning Steele had taken food out of the fridge and was loading it into boxes.

• It's hailing. I think we'll skip Uncle Gabe's soccer game today.

• In an attempt to finish packing and leave in a timely matter tomorrow morning to pick up Justin from work, I have let my kids watch t.v. and play computer games all day.
  

• Xochi is moving from 2 naps to 1. In the mean time, her sleeping is a bit wonky. So far today she's taken a 1 hour nap this morning and just woke up after sleeping an hour this afternoon.

• Xochi is also becoming increasingly mobile. Even with my earnest attempts to keep the floor clean, every time I walk into the kitchen I have to pry open her locked jaws and dig something out. String, coffee beans, pieces of dried leaves, a cadbury mini egg... Fortunately she also has 6 teeth now.

• We got a suburban. Did I mention that? Folks around these parts call it "the rig." We're building an interesting collection of stickers for it - union stickers, a Mt. Baker sticker, an Apple sticker, a Whiskey Militia sticker. I'm also going to add this sticker very soon.

• We're leaving for vacation tomorrow with my parents to the Oregon Coast. While I'm really excited to go, I'm sad that we'll miss the Easter celebration at our church.

• I ended up going out to sushi with a few girlfriends for my birthday. We had a great time but I've been craving sushi ever since. I think I could eat it every day.

• I regularly collect home decorating photos. This is my favorite one lately. I love the lockers installed into the wall.
  

• We also got a new iMac. We've been doing a lot of this.

• I'm taking several knitting projects on our trip. I may be delusional in thinking I can get all of them done but I can dream, right?

• Shalom Cardigan
• Those Mitts
• Pom Pom Cap
• Girly Mitts
  

Loving

Some things I'm loving - in random order.

My husband. I love how God gives us just who we need. This has certainly been the case with Justin. He is stable and strong and steady which allows me to be emotional, creative and spontaneous. He takes care of me in every way. He laughs at my jokes. We joke together about things. He loves my cooking. He appreciates my crafty/decorating "needs." He is a gentle and consistent father. He is a servant in every way. He listens to me and appreciates my opinions. He takes care of things that need to be done - no "honey-do" lists in this house! He cleans the kitchen after I cook, he scrubs the bathtub, the shower, the toilets and the kitchen floors (because, honestly, he does a way better job of it than I). He does the dirty work most of the time (think poopy diapers, cleaning up dog puke, poop on shoes etc.) He is an extremely hard worker. He doesn't mind that I'm not very tidy. He never (I truly cannot think of a time) condemns or criticizes me. As we head into this 10th year of marriage, I love and appreciate him more than I ever have before.

And, he looks super handsome in his uniform

We took these pictures on Christmas day.
They turned out really dark and looked terrible when I lightened them.
But I love them nonetheless.

This Room (from House Beautiful via Little Green Notebook)

I told you it was random....

I love how it incorporates contemporary, traditional and industrial aspects all in one room.

This Valentine's Day T-shirt. I made it for Steele and it actually turned out how I saw it in my brain. I love it when that happens.

Steele Trap - I love when I walk into a room in the evenings and find things like this. Being a mama is fun.

Knitting - I always love it but I'm a little obsessed with it right now. Must have a project on the needles at all times.

The Tuesday Night Cowl
Photo via Ravelry

I made this cabled cowl for my cousin Morgan for her birthday using the Tuesday Night Cowl pattern by Susan Lawrence that I found on Ravelry. I forgot to take my own pictures - bummer. I used this beautiful Mirasol Miski yarn in Jade. The yarn was great and the pattern gave instructions for 3 different types of yarn, but in the end I wish I would have used something chunkier as in in the photo.


And finally, THE OLYMPICS! Especially Alexandre Bilodeau. It's so fun that all of this is occuring right across the border from my house - I would love to make it up there for some Olympic festivities.


I also have to throw in one thing I'm hating.... my computer!! We need a new one so badly. I seriously had to restart it 4 times just to publish this post. It overheats and shuts down when I using photos. A new macbook paid for with our tax return is on the horizon.

Promises, Promises

I know I should probably go to bed, especially since I have Bible study at my house at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning, but for some reason I'm itching to write something.

Self-revelation here: Some of you may have noticed this about me (and some of you know this about me), but I'm not very good at follow through. It's not something I'm proud of but never something I'm surprised at myself for. I've gotten better with age but still often have a difficult time completing things. I have a whole truck-load of motivation, enthusiasm and ideas but tend to poop out before anything gets finished. I often have a really hard time doing things like: calling people back, finishing projects, making plans in advance, making Fix, Freeze, Feast meals with the sale-meat I bought that is sitting in my fridge, doing seemingly unimportant things like posting pictures on my blog when I say I'm going to.....

For example, I saw an acquaintance of mine at Trader Joe's the other day and we were talking about adoption. She mentioned that she'd like to get together with me and would e-mail me. So she did. I e-mailed back. She e-mailed me back asking if Tuesday would work - and for the life of me I can not get up the motivation to actually firm up plans with her. I mean, Tuesday is 5 whole days away! What if I don't feel well on Tuesday? What if my kids were up all night the night before? Anything could happen! Now, if she were to call me on Tuesday morning and I was at home I would say, "Sure, come on over!" and I wouldn't have an ounce of concern about it. For some reason I just don't like to have things looming.

Now please, if you are a friend of mine and you are reading this, don't let it stop you from calling to invite me to do something. In fact, do it! Push me a little - this is obviously something I need to get over. But anyway....

And so it often is with craft projects. I'm all gung-ho about something and make a grand start - only to fizzle out mid-way through. This is why I have half finished blanket for these boys sitting in my basement, fabric cut out for this doll quilt that I was going to make for Adia....last Christmas, yarn cast on for this top, my dining room ceiling yet without paint, my kitchen ceiling half way painted, and the list goes on.

But all hope is not lost! Every once in a while I actually get around to doing something I said or wanted to do. This is one of those moments.

Before Christmas I began knitting my grandma a pair of socks out of this pattern. While I am now a fairly experienced knitter, I had no idea that a pair of socks would take SO long to knit. So, par for the course, I finished one sock and gave it to my grandma for Christmas with the promise that I would knit nothing else until her sock was finished. If I believed in karma I would say that karma was on my side for this project - or perhaps it might be better to say it was on my Grandma's side. I tried starting two hats before finishing and they both failed miserably. But tonight! Tonight, I finished the socks. Even though it was 9:30, I had to call my grandma and tell her - she was excited. And so was I.

And now, I get to start some new projects. Something special for my cousin whose birthday is on Valentine's Day and a couple of hats for some new babies - cousins Mac and Jack - who were recently born at our church. I do way better with deadlines.

The ribbing does nothing for my already thick legs -
but since I inherited them from my grandmother,
they're sure to stay up on her too.

Getting Ready

Typical

When this shows up.....



So does this...



And my wardrobe will look something like this...


Today is proving to be a typical day.