Monthly Archives: April 2008

Cool thing of the day: I got to darn some mittens for a friend of mine that were knit by her great- grandfather. Not just any mittens either, a fair isle intarsia mix, with her great-grandmother’s name on them. You’ll all want to kick me now, because I forgot to take pictures. I’ll get a snapshot one of these days. You’ll love these mittens, seriously. Why didn’t my great-grandfather knit?

And now, the boys are asleep and I have a date with my spinning wheel and of course, Eastenders. Our local PBS station upped it to three episodes a week now so we may actually be somewhat caught up one of these days. I swear, we must be ten years behind the BBC.

My dear Skeptic has his birthday tomorrow, the last of the marathon birthday season in our household. Thank goodness this next baby will be born in September, as I am burnt out on birthdays. The Skeptic, bless his heart, is happy to have a pie rather than a cake. He is also the type of guy who will not mind that his birthday gift is about the first ten rounds of a new black spring tam, which I will promise to finish up before it is too warm to wear it.

His birthday, of course, means that the 15th is the last day of the contest (see sidebar). I’ve really enjoyed all the wonderful links everyone has been sending, both old and new friends.  I’m sorry I haven’t had the time to reply to all of you, but I promise I am reading them all as well as your blogs.  It’s always fun to have new visitors!  I hope you’ve also enjoyed stopping in and I certainly hope you’ll visit again.

The contest officially ends at midnight, USA Central time, on April 15th. I’ll pick a winner at random and announce by the 17th. The winner will then get a chance to pick their prize, either a needle roll or a small project bag, sewn in your choice of colors and fabrics (and I’ve got quite a fabric stash!). Have fun and keep those great links coming!

Saturday: Cast on for the Hello Yarn Top Down Bonnet for friend’s blessingway on Thursday.  Knit about 20 rows.

Sunday: Begin decreases. Realize that something is drastically wrong. Realize that even though you have knit this pattern before you have no idea why you can’t knit it now.

Monday: Boycott hat due to inability to figure out problem. Convince yourself you have plenty of time. Knit on a sock instead.

Tuesday: Decide you just need to rip out and start over. Realize that the entire problem was that you needed to cast on 36, figure 8 style. Instead of casting on 36, you wrapped the yarn 36 times, giving you twice as many stitches than needed. Wonder if you can possibly be any dumber than that, remind yourself you’re pregnant and chalk it up to wonky hormones. Start your taxes.

Wednesday: Knit, do taxes, knit, do taxes, knit, do taxes. Be pleased you are getting money back. Be unpleased at your lack of progress on the bonnet. Remind yourself you have all day Thursday.

Thursday: 9:30am:Get to preschool late, leaving you with less knitting time. Once home, have wired Knittykid insist on climbing all over you, making knitting nearly impossible.

11:30am:Run errand and pick up Little Man. Get Knittykid down for a nap and settle down for 2 solid hours of knitting.

1:30pm: Have Knittykid wake up after 30 minutes, crying that he needed “that!!!!” God only know what “that” is.  Take 20 minutes to figure out “that” is a Thomas the Train Leapad cartridge. Take Knittykid to rocker with cartridge and get stuck for an hour with a half asleep boy. Notice you need to be at the blessingway in three hours. Curse the snow.

3:30: Crazy fast knitting. Be thankful boys are actually hanging out quietly.

4:00: Make it to the I-cord. Realize you still have to make a pasta dish to take along and you need to leave at 5:15.

4:10: Break up first real fight between boys over a Jr. Scrabble game. Have a hard time not cheering  Knittykid on when he finally decides to retaliate from being pushed over by punching Little Man and pulling his hair. Decide to intervene when Little Man attempts to sit on Knittykid’s head. Wonder what it will be like when they are in middle school.

4:20: Bind off final i-cord, weave in ends.

4:30: Steam block hat, throw together world’s fasted and yummiest pasta dish. Manage to do dishes and put on clean clothes.

5:30: Run out door, amazed that everything is finished and the hat actually looks good.

6:30: Help to host beautiful blessingway, have a great time and know friend will have a beautiful birth. Friend loved hat and knows you well enough to take a blog photo with a promise to e-mail it to you.

11:15: Realize this is a really long post and wonder who, aside from your mother, will actually read the entire thing. Decide enough is enough and go to bed.

Contest reminder!!!! 44 entries in already, yay! I’m loving all the links:-) Remember you have until April 15th to get your entry in!!!