knitcroblo5

Location, Location, Location

Where do you like to indulge in your craft? Is your favourite arm chair your little knitting cubby area, or do you prefer to ‘knit in public’? Do you liek to crochet in the great outdoors, perhaps, or knit in the bath, or at the pub?

I love my favorite chair. This isn't a great pic, but here's how I knit...with a yarn lover in my lap. It's a good thing he doesn't have claws because I don't have to tell him he can't play.

I'm also grateful to be able to knit on road trips while my hubby drives. We just might be planning a long road trip for the 4th of July. M figures if he's still not working, then we should sell some things to be able to afford the gas to visit my family in TX. Once he's working again, the vacation time for a trip like that will be hard to come by.

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knitcroblo4

A New Skill

Is there a skill related to your hobby that you hope to learn one day? maybe you’re a crocheter who’d also like to knit? Maybe you’d like to learn to knit continental, knit backwards, try cables or attempt stranded colourwork.

I've been wanting to try something in brioche. I have the book and the yarn to knit this brioche hat. I was really inspired by the Cheesehands Chan blogged about this week. I'm hoping to try double knitting too and I loved this pattern.

***I'll get back to day 3 in a bit...I was busy yesterday with the birthday girl and I didn't blog ahead.***

Non Rav links...

Cheesehands

Brioche Hat

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knitcroblo2

An Inspirational Pattern

Blog about a pattern or project which you aspire to. Whether it happens to be because the skills needed are ones which you have not yet acquired, or just because it seems like a huge undertaking of time and dedication, most people feel they still have something to aspire to in their craft. If you don’t feel like you have any left of the mountain of learning yet to climb, say so!

Wow...there's lots I could put here. One of my dream projects is the Denim Blanket in Indigo Knits. To me, that a huge undertaking of time and dedication. I don't have the book or any denim yarn...so that's a big expense too. Someday...I'd like to make some argyle socks too. My Gram had made those for my Gramp years ago...and that just seems really cool. Someday...I'd also like to design a pattern. I think the designer in me needs an outlet. I love how sizing a garment is math. If that makes me a nerd...oh well.

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knitcroblo1

I saw on Mommy+Knitter that she's joining the Knitting and Crochet Blog Week. I sure could use some prompts to get me knit blogging again...and the week of questions looks fun.

How and when did you begin knitting/crocheting? was it a skill passed down through generations of your family, or something you learned from Knitting For Dummies? What or who made you pick up the needles/hook for the first time? Was it the celebrity knitting ‘trend’ or your great aunt Hilda?

I began knitting in January 2004. I had learned from my Gram when I was 10 or 12, but for me the process was too slow. Having that background though helped me to learn quickly. I was going to Weight Watchers to loose baby weight from my first 2 pregnancies. A new friend was attending the meetings with her MIL. They were planning a ski trip to Colorado and the MIL gifted her DIL with a FunFur scarf. It was cream homespun and cream FunFur on 19s. I wanted one. She told me what to bring with to the next meeting and she would teach me how after our weigh in while we were waiting for the meeting to start. I learned in about 15 minutes. I finished that first scarf in 2 evenings and I couldn't wait until the next meeting to learn to CO. I called my Gram and she walked me through it over the phone. I knit 36 of those scarves before I learned a new skill. EVERYONE I knew got a scarf for Christmas that year. My next knit was a baby blanket for 5 that I never finished. I was on bedrest with her and needed a project to work on. Moving from 19s to 7s was quite a transition though. When she was born, my Gram took the blanket and she knit on it for a few months. She was enduring chemo for ovarian cancer and didn't want to spend money on a project she might not finish. When she gave the blanket back, I didn't have the heart to finish it. Now, my mom is thinking about learning to knit so that 3 generations can work on the same blanket. I might just teach 5 to knit then...or at least let her work with me while in my lap. In 2006, I met a friend at our LYS. That was the first I knew about a LYS. Before that I had only shopped at Michael's. I saw the cutest felted purse. I bought Pursnalities and the Cascade 220 that night. I still love my lime green purse though I don't use it often. Since then I've tried a lot of new techniques, but I've never had another class/lesson after those first 15 minutes.

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Lemonade IceCream Sandwiches

As soon as I told 8 there were 3 comments on his Dirt & Worms post, he wanted to run out and video the dessert he'd made for us all tonight. I think I might just have the next Food Network Star in my house! Can you tell I'm one proud mama? Here's his set-up.

Ingredients: Breyers Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream & Girl Scouts Lemonades Cookies.

Here's the finished product. 8 wanted to know why he couldn't eat 2 of these. I just couldn't let him eat 4 cookies. I have to ration out these Lemonades. We can only get them once a year.

Let us know if you make this treat.

Dirt & Worms

8 has had STAR testing this week. That is our state standardized testing. They talked about making "dirt" during one of the breaks. So for our Earth Day celebration, 8 asked if he could make our dessert. We happened to have all the ingredients. I did help pull things out, but then he shoo'd me away so he could make this all himself.

Chocolate pudding. Crushed JoJo's. Sour Worms.

How was your Earth Day? Are you more green this year than last? I try to use my Stainless Steel cup for coffee as often as possible. We use refillable water bottles instead of buying bottled water. I have reusable bags for the grocery store...and sometimes other stores. I recycle everything I can. I try to reuse. I also try to buy local. I'm waiting for M's ok to compost. I'd really like to work with real worms and dirt. I hear it's great for the garden. I'm glad I could use the kids to touch the worms though...they're kind of slimy for me. Any tips on other things that would be easy to incorporate here?

Finally less Loopy!

If I meant Loopy, as in the Loopy Ewe, then I wouldn't want less of that. But, I've been LOOPY for a month because of the combination of pain killers and muscle relaxants that I've been taking. I saw my primary care DR on Monday, and she had me start weaning off some of those pills that the Ortho had recommended. She also gave me some fancy pain patches. The patch is 4" x 5" and I cut it in half and place it on my left and right lower back. It REALLY helps. But, it's not enough for me to be completely off the other meds. I also have a referral to a rheumatologist. This really is quite a journey. I have a lot to post about. Hopefully, now that I can think straight and type I'll get some overdue things up here.

A Tree Planted...

I did it. It took the leap. I have a new blog. That doesn't mean this one will go away. I'm not sure I want my kids faces on the other one. This one has security settings so that my blog doesn't show up on searches. I'm leaving the new one more public. Not all of my IRL friends know about this one. I enjoy that privacy for my thoughts...and my knitting projects that are destined to be gifts. So...head on over to A Tree Planted...if you want to see my first post.

***ETA! I think I broke the link. So I fixed it.

Look what was in my backyard...

As we were loading up the car for Easter Week in Napa, 4 saw a pretty bird in the back yard. She called us all to see the orange and black and white bird. We love the birds in our yard...I was thrilled to see an oriole. I googled to see what type of oriole we saw...and I think it's a Bullock's Oriole. He's beautiful. I hope he returns to our yard.

We spent Easter Week in Napa with my mom and my Gramp. My Gram's sister (my GreatAunt) and her husband joined us for Easter Dinner and then stayed the night. We had wild games of Skip*Bo with 4 generations. We laughed a lot. We enjoyed family. 4 learned to ride a bike. The kids played with friends. We filled my Gramp's freezer with dinners for the next 8 weeks. We came home feeling blessed. I've got more things to add to my GIVEN post. Amazing isn't it.

Rex doesn't want me on the computer...

...my lap is for him.

7's Birthday Blanket

I can't believe it took so long for me to blog about this. I'm almost a month late. That's what happens with I take the photos on M's camera. I never think to download those. Here's 7 opening his gift from me on his birthday.

I can already tell I'm not going to get a "normal" shot of this kid...

Awww...here we go. My cuddle bug. Just don't let him hear that I still call him that. I'm so proud of this 7yo. He's got a real tender spot in his wild heart. He lives passionately.

The yarn: Lion Brand Homespun in Barley. Diagonal Baby Blanket. 6 skeins. Just like the one I knit for his brother when he turned 5. When this kid turned 5 he declared a blanket to be not gift worthy. This year, he decided he wanted a blanket just 2 weeks before his birthday. I finished 2 days late...but still, 16 days to knit a blanket is pretty impressive with my schedule. And if anyone wants to know why my wild kid would want a brown blanket. It matches Rex. Here's a picture I took while working on the blanket. My lap, the cat, and the blanket.