We're Getting There...

I'm slowing but surely getting the Christmas Knits '07 checked off my list. Here is the latest:



Pattern: None, really, though I followed the basic recipe from this book.

Yarn: Moorehouse Merino, Lace Weight.

Colorway: I'm not sure what it's called. I lost the label long ago. It's a gentle mix of forest greens, dark purples, light purples and grays.

Needles: Size 10 1/2 circs.

Comments: This was really a labor of love. The yarn was difficult to work with, and I was so tired of the garter stitch, I feared I was losing my grip on my sanity at times. I was pretty worried when I finally took it off the needles, because it was so small (see photo above... that's a 12 inch ruler) but was really pleased with the final size after a bit of blocking (see photo below). I am confident that this shawl is just the right size for it's recipient (who shall remain nameless in case she stumbles across this blog). Did I mention how much I L-O-V-E Soak?

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I forgot to post about a really great event I went to a couple of weekends ago. One of our LYS's was having a Mardi Gras kickoff Party. They had great food, great yarn and some great sales. I went with some of the gals from Knit Nite. They all escaped my camera, but Ty didn't! He came with us because Matt had to play hockey & tennis (both!) that afternoon.

One of the very nice women from Knitorious walked by Ty & plunked this Mardi Gras inspired hat on his head. I have to say that as outings go, a LYS is probably the best for a five year old... he was not only allowed, but was encouraged by every adult in sight to actually touch the merchandise!!!!!!!! At first I wasn't sure why he was so reluctant to fondle the fiber, but then I realized that whenever we go into any store, we review the "keep your hands down and fortheloveofGod, don't. touch. anything." rule. After a few minutes and a little reassurance from his mommy, he really got into it!

We picked out a pattern book and some yarn for a sweater for him. It won't be done in time for this year, but he'll have all fall/winter to wear it next year. He picked out the colors all by himself & I think he did a fine job. (I knew it would be blue... his favorite color is blue... everything he owns is blue.)
This is my first Rowan book, and I have to say that I'm a bit overwhelmed. Ty & I couldn't pick out a sweater pattern because we liked so many of them! I bought plenty of yarn, and we decided that we'll pick out the pattern when it's time to cast on.

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And on the construction front, the basement is moving right along. We are ahead of schedule (by two full weeks!) but a bit behind in the budget. I'm not sure where all the money went, but we seem to have hemorrhaged a lot of it in the first phase of the project. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel... drywall is being hung this weekend, and I will spend the next two or so weeks mudding and sanding the seams and screw holes.

Here's a photo I snapped the other day... Matt is doing his best to make this a government job. Notice how he skillfully stands over my dear old Dad, drinking a beer & watching my Dad do all the work???

LOL! Actually, this was just a quick adjustment my Dad had to make to the frame before they finished installing the fireplace (which has yet to be hooked up). I swear, Matt really has been working his you-know-what off to get this project done in time for Baby What'sHisName (AKA "Sweet Pea").

Well, I'm off to finish some work. I'm so tired lately... those typical third trimester discomforts and problems are definitely taking their toll on me. Does anybody have good advice about relieving the discomfort of the sciatic pain? I can hardly walk right today!

Yikes!!!

I just noticed my Pregnancy Countdown... I can't believe that we have 65 days until our due date. Can that be right? I feel like we just found out about the little guy last week!

sixty-five days.

Tomorrow (Friday) we will be at 31 weeks. That means we have only 9 weeks left.

NINE WEEKS.

We are down to single digits, people.

And I have. nothing. ready.

Nothing.

I just had a flash of everything that still needs to be done... the dizziness is passing...

And now I'm exhausted. I think I need to lie down for a bit.

Has It Really Been That Long?

I suppose it has been a while since I posted last. We've been so busy I've hardly had time to catch my breath (a difficult thing to do with somebody's feet shoved up into your lungs...)!

All of the activity around here hasn't stopped me from knitting. I started out a couple weeks ago by untangling this:
There are actually a few yards that still have to be untangled. I know... I know... why bother, right? Well, I'll tell you why: I really wanted to use this yarn for a project, and although the project is now complete, I can't just put the giant tangly ball aside. I simply can't let this yarn beat me. It's personal now. It. will. not. win.

I used it to make the last of these:

I'm pretty happy with the way these came out. I had a little trouble with some of the yarns felting better than others, but I think the recipients will be pleased.

And, with the completion of these, another Christmas gift is marked off the list! I have now turned my attention to a certain shawl... and a flock of birds. I will definitely have all the Christmas '07 knits completed by the middle of February. I will then take off about two months (to do some baby knits of course!) and will then begin the Christmas '08 knits. I do not want to be this late again next year!
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And in other news, the Big Basement Remodel is coming right along. Last weekend we did a little demolition.

We started with this (the stairwell from the first floor):

Then Tyson did some of this:


And we ended up with this:
Try not to notice my maternity jeans air-drying on top of the freezer down there. My laundry room has been torn apart & I've been reduced to covering every flat surface I can find with my non-dryables to get them dry.

Oh, and I'm not normally one to exploit my "delicate condition..." but last week I was guilty of doing just that.

We have these built in plant shelves above our front door in the 2-story entry. (I don't know why they call them "plant shelves;" no one in their right mind would put anything up there that needs regular watering & maintenance!) Anyway, they haven't been dusted in a long time. I won't give you specifics. Just know that I mean it when I say a. long. time.

Well, my nesting urge has taken over and I could no longer stand the thought of all that dust (plus a few dead bugs and some of Tyson's wayward Nerf darts) continuing to live up there. You can see everything very clearly from the second floor landing. I was able to suck Matt into the nesting urge and persuade him to bring in the giant ladder from the garage. Well, not only am I not supposed to pick up heavy things like ladders in my "delicate condition," but I am also not supposed to be climbing tall things like ladders. So my dear sweet hubby also hauled out the shop-vac, climbed the ladder and cleaned all that nastiness off the shelves!

Not only that, but he even washed the inside and outside of that window (which meant also climbing onto the roof of our front porch!). He did all of this just for me... even though we could have had nuclear waste hanging around up there & he probably wouldn't have noticed. (Consequently, I don't fault him for this. He's not pregnant. AND he's a guy. They just don't notice stuff like dust, bugs and filthy windows.)

Happy Knitting!

I've finished knitting two additional Christmas knits!!! (I know, Christmas is over. But I still have a few remaining projects to be completed and shipped out of state. These friends & family members have just come to expect and enjoy a little Christmas cheer in January or February from me...)



I have no pictures because they are currently swishing around my washer, being felted. I'm talking about 2 felted bracelet purses. This makes a total of three completed.

I've got one more to knit. This is the frustrating thing: I should be finished with these. I've actually knitted four. One of them, however, I knit with something from the stash that was missing its ball band. I know it was wool, but I couldn't remember what type or any of its other details. I ignored the nagging idea that I should probably knit & felt a swatch, and just plunged right in. I knitted that purse, put it in the washer with a few towels, and when it came out... it was the same size! Now this doesn't sound too bad, right? Maybe I just make it a slightly larger, unfelted version of the same purse...


Except that when it came out, it looked like a navy blue version of Herry Monster from Sesame Street:

Really shaggy and full of white fuzz. I couldn't fix it, so in the trash it went. Now I have to knit one more... I'm still using a (different) mystery yarn from the stash... but this time I have knitted a swatch and it's in the washer with the two completed purses. Sigh. I guess it was worth it if I learned a lesson, huh?

And now on to some less frustrating stuff:

Will ya look at this adorable hat?



It was a Christmas gift for the (still un-named) baby. It was knitted by my sister, Katie. This is the baby's second knitted gift, and it's so cute! The colors are really bright, and I just can't wait to see it on him!



And now, some humor for your day:

Yes, that's me... rather large, standing on a step stool, tool belt slung low (under the belly), wiring a light fixture in the basement. We did this last weekend & Matt thought it a bit funny to see. (I should mention that the sweater I'm wearing is not my most flattering maternity top... which is why I've taken to wearing it mostly on weekends. It sort of just makes me look fat all over. And do try to ignore my complexion in the photo. It was rather late on a no-makeup sort of day...)

Ah, yes... construction while pregnant. It's presented some challenges (since I no longer bend at the waist very well) and some really hilarious moments (almost getting stuck between two studs while attempting to put up a wall...). I can't lift anything too heavy, and I have been banned from using the serious power tools (like the circular saw) since I've been pretty clumsy & forgetful lately. We don't want me losing any important appendages during all of this. But I'm still swinging hammers, doing wiring, and keeping the project on schedule. If we can keep up this pace, we should be moving in by March 16, which is almost exactly 2 weeks before our due date... We're going to be cutting it close. Very. Close.

Religion with a Sense of Humor...

I saw these during a recent trip to a new Christian book store that just opened near my home:
It's gum that leaves your breath minty fresh! This pack was spearmint, but they also came in peppermint. Although I can't chew gum right now (because I still have my braces) I bought a pack for Matt. It has a verse from the New Testament printed on the back of the package. It refreshes your breath and your soul at the same time!

And some people think all Christians are stuffy people with no sense of humor...