Category Archives: Project Spectrum

Red

DSC08939

So I’m sitting in the coffeeshop today, knitting. (Herbivore, if you must know, and no, I still have no picture). And I can’t help but be completely taken in by the conversation at the table next to me. There was a man and woman, and the woman was frantically taking notes and saying “yeah” in a way that meant she either thought he was super smart and was completely taken in by him, or in a way that an employee agrees when they just need to make their employer feel smart.

DSC08944

The man was very loud, and animated and excited. He was talking about how people go up to the cabin, and then they work because they have to maintain the cabin. He was very upset by this and brought it up   at least three times. His book by Wayne Dyer sat on the table, and he kept on about his “product” which I think was either yoga classes, or maybe something of the type. I kept wondering why he was so worked up about the cabin thing. Did he buy a cabin once? Does he get dragged up there with the in-laws all the time and get stuck painting the boathouse? I really just wanted to pull up to the table and just ask.

He went back and forth from being a bit too much to sounding very smart. For a while he was going on about about Americans and drama, and how much we love drama and how bad it is for our health. Which I thought was clever and true. My household is all drama all the time (myself and Math Boy being the biggest culprits) and it does wear you down. So maybe the Skeptic’s chilled out attitude is smarter than I give him credit for.

The eavesdropping made me miss the days when the Skeptic and I would spend hours at the same coffee shop, reading the paper and listening in around us, trying to piece together the stories of the people we shared a cuppa with on a regular basis. People we never knew, but people we had nicknames for, people we made up imaginary stories up about because they seemed so darn interesting. This guy was like that. I just wanted to know his story, despite the odd cabin fixation.

DSC08942

Coffee knitting nosiness aside, it is Project Spectrum and I don’t want to drivel on like I did last post (that was a read, huh?) Hence the reds. Any guesses as to what I’ll make of it all?

DSC08931

Advertisement

4 Comments

Filed under Project Spectrum, random

Spring in Minnesota makes me feel all rambly…..

Edited to add: Boy, did I ramble. Anyone who actually reads through this entire post truly deserves some sort of prize, like having your favorite incredibly gorgeous actor/ress showing up on your doorstep with a case of wine and extra large box of chocolates. And yarn and fabric.

There is something about the springs rains in Minnesota. The sky is still the same gray you’ve been looking at all winter but suddenly there is green everywhere. Looking at all that green makes me realize what is just around the corner, if only I can make it through the mud, muck and cold wet jackets. It makes me unfocused and wandering around from task to task, a little of this, a little of that. So that’s the sort of blog post you’ll be getting from me today. A summary of sorts, since I haven’t done that in awhile anyway. I’ll even do bullets, just for kicks.

  • My screen free week was not as productive as I’d hoped. The combination of extreme sleepiness along with my discovery of  Patrick Rothfuss meant that I was either reading, falling asleep while reading, (terrible when all you want to do is read the book!), falling asleep while putting the boys to bed, or sleeping. Very little crafting happened, if any.
  • Speaking of Patrick Rothufss, I started his second book yesterday, and while looking at his blog today figured out that we both went to UWSP (where he now teaches and lives) at the same time. Not only that, but we studied some of the same subjects and more than likely crossed paths quite often, maybe even had a class together, as it’s a small school. This made me feel like I was about thirteen and had temptations to go to his Facebook page and say something dorky and stupid about going to school together.  I resisted. However it’s driving me nuts because I can’t remember if I knew him for sure. In fact, I realized that although I majored in history I can’t remember the name of one friend in the history department (despite being treasurer of the History Club and attending many pizza nights) and the names of only two professors. Do we really start to forget this stuff this young? Sheesh, I’m only thirty-seven!
  • Speaking of crafting, I do have pictures to share. I managed to squeak out four quilt blocks for Annik’s Log Cabin’s for Japan project. I pieced together one quilt and although I tried, fell asleep with the boys both nights that I had planned on quilting and binding it. Luckily Annik is a quilting maniac and finished it up. Be sure to look at the Flickr group to see them. How amazing to have all these beautiful squares from all over the country put together like this! Annik did a wonderful job organizing; I’m lucky to have her as a friend.
  • Because every blog post deserves pictures, we’ll have an interlude with my blocks….

DSC08887

DSC08888

DSC08889

DSC08890

  • Making log cabin blocks is very, very addicting. I had to make myself stop at 1:30am.
  • So here’s more random…..I had a very nice and interestingcomment from a new reader. She said she’d really like to follow my blog, but wished I allowed the full post in my RSS feed. Now I also agree how annoying it is when you subscribe to everything in a reader but still have to click on the blogs to go and read the full post, so I understand how she feels. But, I know when I changed it to a short feed a few years ago it was because someone told me my blog was being reprinted in some sort of other feed, without my name/consent and that a shortened feed was the only was to stop it. Honestly, I can barely even remember the details. It seems half the bloggers out there these days have shortened feeds and half do not. Anyone know the latest these days? Anyone have a preference? I’m considering making it a full feed again but don’t want to if it means all my work is ripped off….
  • Onto more crafting, Project Spectrum starts this weekend!! And this year, I am determined to do the whole darn thing.
  • Lolly’s suggestions made me sign up for Tumblr although I’m not quite sure that I need more sites to clog my brain. Maybe I don’t quite get the draw yet. Anyway, if you’re on there come and find me. I’m Knittymama, as usual!
  • Speaking of technology, I broke my Nook. And no, I didn’t buy the extended warranty even though I have three small people in my house. Because my brain is on such massive overload I seriously can’t keep anything else in it, like remembering to buy a warranty. Let’s hope the Skeptic’s extreme tech skills will allow him to replace the screen successfully.
  • Speaking of my small people, I have to report that Spinner is finally talking away. I can’t remember how much I blogged about this, but last November, when he was about 26 months, he had a vocabulary of about 10 words, all which pretty much sounded the same. After a few months of speech therapy he’s talking all the time, which is a joy to hear. He’s got a lot of work left yet, as his articulation is pretty bad, but just the fact that he’s talking now is awesome; he’s come a log way already.  Sentences are hard for him, and he says them in a very cute way that makes it sound like he puts a period after each word. So today when I brought home a giant bag of cat food (which I guess was exciting for some reason) he said, “Big. Cat. Food. Mama?” So sweet, and so nice to hear.
  • And although I could probably do ten more bullets (spinning! red stuff! my newly finished vest! pants for boys! food allergies! kids and mud and worms! Dr. Who!) I’ll spare you the rest, for today, and save it for a later date.

5 Comments

Filed under friends, giving, Project Spectrum, Quilting, random

The Plan

About once or twice a year, I get into a frenzy. The Skeptic hates this, because it pretty much means I stomp around the house saying things like:

“I can’t believe we live like this!”

“How can this house be this disorganized? Am I the only person who cares that it’s organized?”

“I can’t find anything!”

“I can’t work like this!”

This, of course, all leads up to The Plan. The Plan makes the Skeptic want to run and hide, for although he is a hard working guy, The Plan usually results in the Skeptic putting bookshelves together at 11pm, messing with drywall, of making a checkmark on a list that says he’s cleaned the toilet for the week.

Of course, we are in the middle of The Plan right now. And since we are in the middle of it, the house is currently trashed and I’m doing more organizing than anything else. Soon however, I will have pictures of my completed re-do of all my stuff and I am very. very excited about this.

dsc02750.jpg

Lisa Souza: Sock! in Cant Elope. Current Project Spectrum project. Yes, it is actually on the needles.

dsc02884.jpg

Somebody else is excited as well…

12 Comments

Filed under home, Project Spectrum

Mark Your Calendars!!

Many of you have been eagerly awaiting the second round of the Knitters’ Coffee Swap. I’m happy to announce that it will open for sign-ups on April 16th. You can find all the info here.

Our birthday extravaganza contest is coming to an end this weekend on the Skeptic’s birthday. Be sure to get your entry in by this Sunday the 15th. I’ll pick three winners randomly on the 16th and prizes will be sent out later in the week. If you win a needle roll, you’ll get to pick your favorite colors and I’ll sew it up for you.

I promised a finished object and here it is, Knittybaby’s latest soaker, in Project Spectrum colors for February/March:
Soaker

Pattern: free soaker pattern from Curlypurly.

Yarn: Little Turtle Knits handpainted.

Needles: size 8

Guage: Knittybaby is asleep in his soaker as we speak, so needless to say I’m not checking. We’ll just say it matched the pattern’s requirements.

Notes: I love this pattern! No elastic or ties to mess with. Fits snugly and not too bulky. If you’ve read the Harlot’s latest book you’ll notice she sadly calls soakers an endangered species of knitting. So I’m trying to share a little soaker/cloth diaper love here. In my little bubble here in Minneapolis most of my friends cloth diaper and many of them use soakers, but I forget that a lot of people are not that familiar with it. I could write forever about it, but I’m tired so I’ll give you a link to here and here if you want to learn more.

Okay…I will say just one quick thing. We originally decided to cloth diaper for environmental and financial reasons; we just couldn’t see wasting all that money and producing all the garbage. We thought it would be a hassel and something that we’d begrudgingly do because we should, but….I can actually say now that we love our cloth diapers. They are really the easiest loads of laundry to do and they really do seem more comfortable for the boys. Plus, they are so, so cute. I really encourage people to give it a try!

Lastly, the excitement of the day: Knittybaby is walking! I absolutely love those first shaky, hesitant steps and the pride on his face when he realizes what he is doing.

13 Comments

Filed under contests, Project Spectrum, swaps

Where did these come from?

Oh my gosh, it’s a nearly completed pair of socks!


A better view of the colorway:

I was up to the heel on sock one Tuesday night. The Skeptic’s aunt passed away so we drove back to Wisconsin for the funeral. Since the boys were too little to go I just stayed with them at home all day and hunkered down, out of the cold. It’s amazing what knitting you get done with two happy boys and a house you don’t have to worry about cleaning. Although it was sad occasion and his aunt will be greatly missed, it was nice to see family again.

Isn’t this the perfect Project Spectrum colorway? The Yarn is from Little Turtle Knits, the soaker pattern a freebie at Curlypurly.


Look what arrived while I was gone. Cynthia was giving a huge hunk of her stash away. Yup, giving. All she asked in return was a few squares for Warming Grace. Cynthia is such a gererous soul! She sent me a Fleece Artist scarf kit, which I was expecting, and then surprised me with some lovely hand dyed yarn and a project bag. The squares will be out pronto. Thank you Cynthia!!

5 Comments

Filed under packages, Project Spectrum, socks

How to beat cabin fever/Whiplash entry

Find an old, beat up child’s table that’s too rough to use. Get the baby to sleep.


Grab a pile of paper in your three year old’s favorite color and grab some scissors and a cutting mat. And your three year old.


Abandon all dreams of neat, geometrical shapes when you remember your three year old can’t cut straight. Have fun anyway, because he thinks it’s the best thing ever and is cutting with wild abandon.


Get the Modge Podge and start slapping down the paper. Be amazed at your three years old’s ability to find just the perfect shape, despite his crooked cutting.

Glue like crazy, since the baby is now awake after only twenty minutes and will only sit in the high chair eating rice crackers for so long.

Realize that despite it’s “non-toxic” label Modge Podge stinks. Glue even faster and stick that smelly table in the basement to dry.

Try to wash all that Modge Podge off so you can make dinner.

The next day…..

Cover that table with polyurethane. Get your husband to do that part because poly is even stinkier and you can’t even handle Modge Podge. Feel sad because in your rush to finish Modge-Podging you didn’t put enough on and the poly has soaked into the paper, leaving a few weird spots.

Realize you still have a great Whiplash entry and your first completed item for Project Spectrum. Decide you don’t give a hoot about the spots. Your three year old has a killer new art table and you had a fabulous afternoon.


whipup
For some reason the code they have to load the button isn’t working, and when I try to load it through my Blogger photos to make the link, all I get is that weird little symbol where the picture is supposed to be. Hmmmmm…..so anyway, above you’ve got the picture of the button that won’t go anywhere and the plain old link below it. Suggestions? I hate when I can’t figure this stuff out. Usually buttons = no problem!

5 Comments

Filed under kids, Project Spectrum, Whiplash