Moments to Treasure from the Week

Not much knitting or anything done this week.  I mainly spent the week trying to meet a deadline, resulting in CG watching approximately four hours of Mickey on Thursday. To make up for it, we spent basically the entire day at the park on Friday.  This morning we had a photo shoot with Stephanie and discussed a possible second photographer role for me in her growing business.  I enjoyed our session and her company, she's a very cool kind of person.  I'm looking into investing in a used DSLR camera and  selling off my 35mm film cameras, with a promise to myself to buy an old Canon AE-1 (my very first camera which was stolen from me in Tucson) when I have the money and a darkroom.  I love digital, but nothing beats the feel of film, or the smell of a darkroom for that matter.  Anyone have any ideas where I can pick up a good used DSLR, preferably not a $2,000.00 one?

Simply Ten Good Things*

Dyeing eggs, for Easter deviled eggs
Beginning our own family traditions
A chocolate bunny
The excitement of Easter morning
A new handknit sweater
That sweet neck
That suit, oh I love that suit...!
Mama made toys and fresh flowers
Birds singing
Trees leafing out...

There's nothing quite like a list of ten lovely things to start out the week, especially on such a grey and rainy day. It grounds me in the now and reminds me of all the good I have in my life, despite the hardships coming.  Have a happy Monday!



*Inspired by Soulemama, though not nearly as lovely as hers.

Two

Connor is now two, two, TWO!!  When did this happen?  When did my baby become a boy? This past year has been so amazing.  He went from a little baby with a funny crawl to a boy that runs and climbs and goes down the slide all by himself.  He tells me "Connor's turn, mama"  when he wants a sip of my drink or to talk on the phone.  He climbs everything, knows his colors and even helps feed the dogs and make dinner.  My baby's a big boy, and I couldn't be prouder.

Then and now

The New Year

This is it, the New Year, the year in which we all change something.  Swear to ourselves that this year will be different, this year we will be better, this year we will do better for ourselves, our loved ones, our pets.  This year we will set and maintain goals, we will be more fun, more spontaneous, more exciting, more responsible, more, more, more...

That's something isn't it?  These broad promises we make to ourselves and then break and then torture ourselves over breaking them. We set ourselves up for disappointment, we think "Surely I must be able to keep these five, ten, eighteen promises to myself...There is soo much time in a year!  Certainly 365 days is plenty of time to do everything?"  I tell you this, after a disappointing year of breaking all my resolutions, this year I only hope. 

This year I hope will be better than the last.  This year I hope to do things for myself that I normally don't do...this year I hope to make more and do more.  This year I hope I can speak up when I am upset, rather than bite my tongue for fear of hurting the feelings of others.  This year I hope I can live more gently and thoughtfully, spend more time with my family, and find a way to make it all work.  This year I hope I can help people better understand me and I hope I can be clear when expressing myself.  This year I hope I can let go of resentment and jealousy and live happily within my own life with my own limitations. 

Most of all, this year I hope Ryan gets what he wants so that he can be happy and my that little boy (no longer a baby but a toddler, a boy) continues to grow and thrive and be healthy and happy.


Happy New Year to you, my wish is that you can realize at least some of your hopes for this new year.

Gifting

Every year I convince myself that it will be the year our holidays are completely handmade, and every year I fail at it.*  This year is no exception.  I had grand plans for knitted gifts for everyone on my list, and now Christmas is a little over a week away and I have nothing to show for it.  Well, not nothing...I have two dishcloths and a sweet little pink and white baby sweater for my cousin...and a Christmas sweater on the needles for Connor and a nearly finished cowl.  But I wanted to make fingerless mitts for the ladies 10 washcloths and mittens or hats for the fellas.  It's possible I can finish the washcloths and make hats for everyone (that's 7 hats,people), if it's in a bulky weight yarn or a doubled worsted weight.  Truthfully, what I should do is work on one item each month and then by Christmas I'll be done.  In theory.   What I want to do is knit finish Connor's Christmas sweater, make something for my lovely hubbie and do a bunch if things just for me!  I rarely knit for myself and I have so many things I want to make, so many projects in my queue that i never get to because i am always knitting something for someone.  There aren't enough hours in the day to get it all done!  I am thinking of not knitting my brother a hat this year, (because we have some revision work to do on his Viking hat) and instead making him something funny and stitchy.  Anyway, we are getting in the Christmas spirit and this weekend the house will be cleaned and decorated, cards will be sent and gift planning will begin!


*Although, last year I whipped up two hats before Christmas and a pair of mittens by January..so that's not tooo bad....

NUTTU JA KYPÄRÄMYSSY (Jacket and Hat)

This post really only pertains to the knitters out there.  I found a hat pattern that I like, for the bambini, so I translated it.  I hope I translated it well, but not havging knit it yet, there's no way to know.  Anyway, below is the English translation of the original Finnish pattern Jacket and Hat by Arja Viitala

Jacket and Hat by Arja Viitala

Size: 23.5” (60 cm)
Yarn: 4 skeins of Novita Wool or 591 yards of any DK weight yarn
          (Approx. One hank of Novita for the hat (148yds) and 3 (444yds) for the jacket)
Needles: US 4 (3.5mm) and a 3.0mm crochet hook
Notions: 6 buttons
Gauge: 22 stitches and 50 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch
Stitch Pattern: Garter stitch, knit every row.

JACKET:

Back:

Cast on 60 stitches and work in garter stitch until the piece measures 9 ¾”  (25 cm)from CO edge, BO all stitches


Left Front:

Cast on 32 stitches and knit in garter stitch. When the piece measures 7 ¾” (20cm), begin the neckline over the next as follows:

1. BO 4 stitches, knit to end (28 sts)

2. Knit

3. BO 4 stitches, knit to end (24 sts)

4. Knit

5. BO 5 stitches, knit to end (19 sts)



Knit until the piece measures 9 ¾” (25 cm) from CO edge, BO all stitches


Right front: Knit as same for left front, adding button holes every 1.5”, starting 1 ¾” from CO edge, as follows: K3, K2tog, YO, K to end **

** Be sure to do neckline decreases on the same edge as you did the button holes!



Sleeves (knit both the same):
CO 40 stitches and k until the piece measures 4” (10cm)

Begin increases:


Knit 3, Inc 1, K to last 3, Inc 1, K3 (42 sts)

K for 1” (2cm)

Knit 3, Inc 1, K to last 3, Inc 1, K3 (44 sts)

K for 1” (2cm)

Knit 3, Inc 1, K to last 3, Inc 1, K3 (46 sts)

K for 1” (2cm)

Knit 3, Inc 1, K to last 3, Inc 1, K3 (48 sts)


Knit until the piece measures 7.5” from CO edge (19cm)

BO all stitches


Finishing:

Sew Shoulder seams, attach the sleeves and sew sleeve and side seams. Crochet around the edges as follows: *1sc, 2 ch, 1 dc, skip s 2-3 or 5-6 rows in between* repeat between **

~I do not crochet, so I am not sure if the above makes any sense in crochet language.

Attach buttons, weave in ends and block.



HAT:

CO 32 stitches and K every row


1: K2, increase 1, k to last 4 stitches, K2tog, K2

2: K

Repeat rows 1 & 2 above 14 times (28 rows) then switch:



1: K2, K2tog, K to last 4 Inc1, K4

2: K

Repeat rows 1 & 2 above 14 times (28 rows) then switch:


1: K2, increase 1, k to last 4 stitches, K2tog, K2

2: K

Repeat rows 1 and 2 above 9 times (18 rows), then switch

(this is where the shaping is for the point above the face)



1: K2, K2tog, K to last 4 Inc1, K4

2: K

Repeat rows 1 and 2 above 9 times (18 rows), then switch

(this is where the shaping is for the point above the face)



1: K2, increase 1, k to last 4 stitches, K2tog, K2

2: K

Repeat rows 1 & 2 above 14 times (28 rows) then switch:



1: K2, K2tog, K to last 4 Inc1, K4

2: K
Repeat rows 1 & 2 above 14 times (28 rows)


Bind off all stitches
Finishing:
Sew edges together to that are opposite the point for the face. (See diagram below) Pick up 2-4 stitches at one edge and make an i-cord for 8”, repeat for other side.

The weekend

Ah, the weekend….the most wonderful time of the week.  I can’t wait to have a couple of days of solid “Connor Time”  I have a stack of freshly printed knitting patterns and plans to whip up a pair of mittens and at least one hat for my little guy.  I have plans for gifts, but am not entirely sure I will get to them.  What I really need is two to three days of solid knitting and nothing else.  I doubt that will ever happen.  In the mean time I will try to get at least a few things done.  I really need to do something for my DH, he hasn’t received a knitted anything in forever. Meanwhile, Stephen is loading up on hats.  Perhaps the goal should be one fabulous knitted gift per Christmas?  I could rotate the recipient each year.  THAT may be a plan, my friends. Going forward, not this year…this year people will get what they get. If it’s knitted, good for you!  If not, maybe next time!

Meanwhile, today is our fifth anniversary.  What a ride, five years dating, two married and 20 months, 2days of being parents.  Happy Anniversary.