Tuesday, March 29, 2011

yarn along

Participating in Ginny's at Small Things where we share our weekly knits and reads.

Last week I missed my first yarn along while my family was on vacation. While we were at our sunny and warm destination, I began working on a Stripes Study shawl. I so love this. I am a fan of simple garter stitch and with the little element of short rows, it is fun and easy to make. Perfect for picking up here and there which seems to be the best kind of knit for me. I had to use my phone for my weekly picture as my computer is in the shop and my connectors for the ipad are not here yet.



I'm still working through Yarn Harlot' Knitting Rules! and am enjoying it as well. I think it is also great for picking up here and there and squeezing a few pages in those few moments during the day. My boys are really into the Magic Tree House's chapter books. We read book 3 while we were away and they are eager for the next one. Buying books via Kindle on Amazon for the Ipad is getting too easy so I think a trip to the library is in order.

Looking forward to reading some Yarn Alongs!

sorry for the huge picture. I'm not to smooth on woring the ipad lol!

Home

Our family arrived home on Sunday from a long day of traveling and having a wonderful time in warm, sunny Florida.

Before we left, my computer decided to take a time out from daily life and crashed the hard drive. We dropped it off at the repAir store on our way to the airport. I was informed that it will take 4-6 weeks to repair. I nearly had a heart attack. 4 weeks without a computer!!! Thank goodness for the iPad and Nathan's wireless key card.

I ordered some fun accessories so I can load pictures and have a keyboard with the iPad and share a few moments on the beach.

I just pray that my external hard drive did the job and has all my info and more importantly all my pictures I take and never develop.

Maybe I should do that!!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Superhero and Birthdays

In our house, we have 3 superheroes.  We talk about superheroes, we dream about them, we dress like them (sometimes several of them at the same time), and we party like them!

We were lucky enough to go to our friend's Alaric's Superhero 5th Birthday Party!  It was so much fun!  The kids had to dress like a superhero and they did crafts, made more costume accessories, and made capes for charity.

Mason was Ironman with his helmet, blaster, and glove.  Reagan was Batman.  Logan was Superman - complete with cape and red underpants on the outside of his blue pants.

It was a lot of fun!


Logan's girlfriend Emmie.  She was Super Stylish or Accessory Girl...I can't remember.

And since I'm blogging about being a Superhero, this one is for you Dad.
It is like having my littlest brother in the house again!

Mason...a.k.a. Aang - The Last Airbender - Avatar --complete with his tattoo while playing legos while also wearing Batman.

Friday, March 18, 2011

this moment...

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Thursday, March 17, 2011

And just like that

And Just Like That...It is Spring!  At least for today!

I was taught that having three mobile, wild, fun, and charismatic boys is quite exhausting.  No more little stolen knitting time outside while discussing the theories behind each superhero's powers, parents, lineage, and weaknesses, strengths, costumes, vehicles, enemies, and all the likes.  Lots of runs, walks, chasing, and pulling things out of a little chomper of a mouth will be my moments.  Thank goodness for my Iphone camera and fun apps.  I'd never get to capture them otherwise!



It does sound like fun!  Bring it on!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Yarn Along Wednesday

Following Ginny at Small Things for the weekly Yarn Along where we share our current reads and knits...

Last week I was almost finished with a sweater knit for my sweet baby Logan. I finally finished it after many froggings and a lot of grumblings and not so lady-like words.  After a stern talking to and pins stuck to it, the blocking seemed to do things well enough.  As I sighed about my failings with this knit, my husband commented that "normal people would never see that!"

  Now I have a great, easy, instantly pleasing knit, Seamless Raglan Sweater for sweet Logan and for a KAL on Ravelry.  I don't have to show this sweater who is the boss.  Super simple and sweet. 

I also finished Yarn Harlot and really enjoyed it.  I already have the next book, Knitting Rules, on my Kindle app waiting for me to loiter around a WIFI to download it.  In the meantime, I'm perusing and reading through two cookbooks looking for replacements for cereals and crackers for my family.  I've been baking bread from Tassajara Bread book for over a year and I just love it so much.  It has the best whole wheat muffin recipe.  The book is so great at really describing and showing you how to work with yeast and how to take one component and use it throughout your baking.  I also got the book, Feeding The Whole Family, which has some nice recipes to try.  My kids eat well but we stay in our mid western bubble and are trying to add different foods in our diets. 

Looking forward to reading others' Yarn Along! I'll miss next weeks (my first miss) as we'll be vacationing!

Friday, March 11, 2011

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

 


following Amanda at Soulemama's weekly post

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Yarn Along Wednesday

Following Ginny's weekly Yarn Along....


This week I'm working on knitting a spring sweater for Logan -Kerrera For Kids.   I was really excited about starting this as the adult version of the Kerrera was one of my early favorites on Ravelry.  So far the construction of this sweater has been quite different than I am used to.  With the double garter stitch detail, a wool that showed that off the stitch detail was needed but I think the rest of the sweater would have been better in a tweed.  I've ripped and re-knit and re-knit this over and over.  I guess I'm not a fan of this at the moment and am hoping that blocking will work a small wonders. 


Reading wise I'm still reading Yarn Harlot. I'm glad to have the Ipad back from my dad as reading this on my phone wasn't too much fun.  I am loving it though!  It is perfectly light and fun and easy to read here and there through out my day!  A good read to have while working on the soon-to-be tragic sweater. 


Link to last week's Yarn Along finished project.

A favorite toy

I love it when a toy will last for three kids...and the same kids can play with it at the same time!  We've had our Sand and Water Table (newer version here) since Reagan was little and it has served us so well.  If a new parent was looking for a great toy to buy, I always suggest this.  When it isn't gross with mud and sand, it can come in. We fill it with water when it is a bit warmer out but too cold for the pool or when the sand it all used up, corn.  I think my boys would argue to which they like better to play with - corn or water.  Having a farming Pop keeps the corn always supplied. 

With the warmer weather, we got the table out for Logan to have a go at it for the first time.  Intstantly, the big boys flocked to it and played all day with it. I love to watch them have conversations with all the resturant patrons and emergency animal feedings they come up with. 

I also really like that my oldest can pick the mouthful of corn out of the babies mouth.  A good skill to have when their mother would rather be taking pictures of them. 

Aww.  Mason (about 14 m. here) loved it so much.  He looked like this all summer -a ratty cloth diaper, sun shirt and mud.



Why yes mommy, my mouth is full of corn.  Who wants to change that diaper?
Such a good big brother to fish old corn out of a little mouth.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

giveaway at Small things

I enjoy lots of blogs.  I get so much out of other people's lives that I can take and make my own.  I really like when larger blogs do giveaways.  They are pretty awesome!

Small Things is giving away some really fantastic art supplies.  Who doesn't love that?  Everyone in this household loves a good, new marker!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

this moment...

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

 Following Soulemama's Friday rituals of precious moments...

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Yarn Along Wednesday

Joining Ginny again for the weekly yarn along...

Last week, I was frantically finishing up a Clockwork knit to wear the following night for a book signing/trunk show.  I did get it done!  That afternoon I was holding baby Logan while blow drying it but I made it in time and the show was great.

This week, I'm working on a test knit for an upcoming pattern release.  I'm enjoying it so far and it is very easy to follow.  I hate to admit it but after the Clockwork and now this, I might actually l like a few rows of stockinette stitch.  Just a few.  I've got a project already started for it and once this is done, I'll jump back into it.

As for reading this week, my kids are very into a book I picked up a week or so ago.  Anything Roald Dahl is so great to read.  The Enormous Crocodile is just long enough to be deemed a "chapter" book for them yet it has cute pictures and a quick witted story.  With using different character voices for the animals, I can read the 31 pages and not have a boy interrupt me.  Well a bigger boy at least.  Baby Logan isn't quite that patient.  For me, I'm reading Yarn Harlot after seeing it pop up more than once around the Yarn Along and of course loving it.  I so love being able to use this as a spring board for finding reading and knitting projects!

Random

1.  My baby is still one.  He had his 1 year old Dr. appointment today.  That confirms it.

2.  My pantry is a mess.  Somehow junk has crept back into my house.  Stupid coupons and store deals.  My family is going no processed food - even cereal - for a least a month.  I know some families do this all the time.  I want to be like them.  We have enough meat in our freezer to last us quite a while too.  Just essential dairy (insert no ice cream, dear) and veggies and fruits.  It should be interesting.

3.  It is March.  February is over and we found green life sprouting from the ground that isn't moss.

4.  Logan is very, very good at touching buttons.

5.  Last week, Mason wore jeans for the first time since the early fall.  Monumental.  His knees are "medium" enough now, he says, to wear them without the jeans hurting them when he plays.  Whatever that means I'm going with it.  He styled it with a super hero shirt that was so big it came to said knees. Again, going with that too.

6.  We get to go to Florida this month.

7.  I've read The Enormous Crocodile so many times this week I hear it in my sleep.  The boys like my voices too much.  Audiobooks are starting to wear off on me.

8.  I rubbed baby oil on Logan's head today instead of olive oil for his cradle cap.  The dog liked to lick his head too much with the olive oil. 

9. I hate laundry and it hates me.

10.  Baby boys are really, really messy.