tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184796272012-02-16T15:58:04.742-05:00katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.comBlogger6801100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-77041683349717343972012-02-13T14:42:00.001-05:002012-02-13T16:31:02.916-05:00

Well, the shawl bug has definitely bitten again. I made one last week and I've started another. First, Evelyn Clark's shetland triangle. Super easy-peasy pattern to work, though I managed to screw it up because I was watching television - that's where hubris gets ya. "Oh, it's so simple I can watch TV while I knit it!" Hahaha...tink. This is without flash and it's the best I could do. I think

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-13663383886600844602012-02-06T17:30:00.000-05:002012-02-06T17:30:45.188-05:00

Yesterday my friend and I ran away. Thelma and Louise! Hahaha. Sadly, no Brad Pitt in the back seat. We went over the border to the nearest Ikea, in Burlington, Ontario...yes, that's Canada. We have no Ikea where I live. I KNOW, right? No Ikea. Tragic. Also not located in Buffalo: Trader Joe's, Crate & Barrel, and Costco. Until recently there was no Anthropologie or Urban Outfitters but now

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-87482744412273036092012-01-31T14:40:00.000-05:002012-01-31T14:40:59.897-05:00

Whoops, didn't mean to disappear for a week. 'Twas a busy one, though...the usual daily stuff plus my (gulp) 36th birthday and the attendant celebratory activities. I got a new vacuum from my husband, and lest you think he's a horrible gift-giver, I asked for the thing. We've been getting by cleaning our area rugs with a canister vacuum, which I thought was ok, but now I have a bagless upright

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-9868482352290616092012-01-23T16:18:00.000-05:002012-01-23T16:18:23.029-05:00

I'm currently ensconced in my recliner, plugged into season 1 of Downton Abbey on Netflix. How did I miss this show last year?!? It is so, so, so good. I just popped up today to make something tasty and filling for the kids' snacktime, and thought I'd share the recipe. These muffins are delicious, and loaded with oats so they kind of qualify as healthy! Honey-Oatmeal Muffins 2/3 c milk 1/3 c

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-62161931081219580602012-01-20T14:31:00.000-05:002012-01-20T14:31:29.580-05:00

I felt like doing a little sewing today. But what? Nothing major...not a garment or a quilt top or anything large or long term. Just a quick fix. I've seen some cool improvisational quilt piecing around the internets, so I thought I'd give it a go. I have, ahem, a few scraps laying around. I used some old Sulky stabilizer I've had for years (back when I bought it I thought it was something else.

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-87966885121625056162012-01-18T11:46:00.000-05:002012-01-18T11:46:12.203-05:00

Have I mentioned that I am always shocked - shocked, seriously! - when I get an order for a diaper soaker? I've sold many at this point but still, I'm always so surprised and flattered when I get an order. (Self-confidence problem? I guess so.) As soon as I get an order, I start to knit. Like, within the hour. Once someone has paid for something I put major pressure on myself to get it out as

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-6778058575374246252012-01-16T16:29:00.000-05:002012-01-16T16:29:41.524-05:00

MLK day...a day off school for Daughter, no therapy for AJ, but Hubs works. What to do? What to do? I'm trying hard to be a better mom; a mom who says "yes!" A more fun mom. You know. So we got it together and headed out to Dunkin' Donuts first...but I forgot my camera at home. Bummer, because I wanted to capture it. The kids were so psyched! "We're actually going to EAT THERE?"  They shared a

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-89584000675836408402012-01-11T13:32:00.000-05:002012-01-11T13:32:38.364-05:00

Are you, by any chance, expecting? Perhaps in March? Perhaps you are Irish? (Or not, everyone can wear green/pretend to be Irish for St. Patrick's Day!) I have a one-off newborn soaker listed, and it's the cutest jalapeno green (nearly a kelly green but it's called jalapeno by Knitpicks so I'm going with that). I just had a few partial skeins left from something else I made, so I whipped up one

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-10063341109785542292012-01-10T08:00:00.024-05:002012-01-10T08:00:11.931-05:00

So many of the blogs I like incorporate rainbows...in the blog design, the crafts shown, the homes showcased... I am so drawn to these pretty blogs! Rainbows are big right now. And lately I've been grumping around, wondering... Why don't I have any rainbows in my life? I really like rainbows. And I wanted to find some. Duh. They are everywhere!

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-32379903737659141092012-01-09T13:43:00.000-05:002012-01-09T13:43:05.624-05:00

Seriously? Seriously? How does that even happen? It's just a little button! I picked it up to use it last week and that little piece of plastic just fell out. When did it break? HOW did it break? (It wasn't the kids, they don't have access to this tool, obviously.) I don't think a rotary cutter is the kind of tool you want to mess around trying to fix with superglue or whatever (and I'm sure it

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-41420757907711419492012-01-03T16:48:00.000-05:002012-01-03T16:48:28.378-05:00

Wow. Another new year already. How can it be 2012? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? My baby girl will turn 7 soon. Impossible. Well, I still can't quite understand how the holidays whizz by so quickly now that I'm an adult. This year we had the added bonus of our hot water heater failing one week before Christmas Eve, necessitating its replacement. And then we had the (planned) installation of two

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-13706432801350216162011-12-21T16:07:00.000-05:002011-12-21T16:07:56.795-05:00

Ok, so the ends on the second sock aren't woven in yet (just tucked inside for the photo) but I am calling this gift done! These socks are for Daughter, and wow have her feet grown! I can't believe how looonnnnng I have to make her socks! I was concerned about running out of yarn, so I coordinated a skein of Heart & Sole "watercolor stripe" with the same brand in plain ivory for heels and toes.

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-8463813348029946192011-12-20T12:53:00.000-05:002011-12-20T12:53:45.702-05:00

Wow, how is it December 20? Seriously, Christmas will be here and done in about 4 seconds. Not sure how that happened when it seems like the first day of school was, like, yesterday. Christmas prep felt extremely disorganized this year. As I explained it to someone this morning, it feels like a final exam where you're frantically scribbling everything you can into a blue book, and then the prof

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-65404449370178305202011-12-12T15:46:00.000-05:002011-12-12T15:46:22.655-05:00

Ok, I've got some cookies done, the tree is up and decorated, I not only took the kids' Christmas picture but I actually turned it into Christmas cards and sent them out. I think all the gifts are bought except for one or two little things, and now I just need to focus on finishing up the last of the knitted gifts for my own family members. Still, I feel massively behind. And you? Ah, the

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-30323703590543698692011-12-07T14:34:00.000-05:002011-12-07T14:34:48.416-05:00

Oops, once again I didn't mean to be gone so long. I was having, uh, mood issues. The combo of constant dark, dreary days, my general anxiety problem, and Hubs being away on a boondoggle business trip had me barely able to get out of bed and function, much less create and blog. But hey, today I feel myself coming out of it, hallelujah, so I need to take advantage.  There's bread dough rising, I

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-42971481389945391492011-11-29T14:05:00.000-05:002011-11-29T14:05:30.581-05:00

I realize there are about 6 people who read here, but I'll throw this out there anyway, just in case (or if you know anyone who could use one)... I've got 4 newborn wool soakers, available to ship right now, for sale on etsy. There are two in this oatmeal color (a tan/gray mix), one in petal pink, and one in royal blue. The pink and blue are marked WAY down to just $12 because they have been

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-75872288635238276142011-11-22T14:55:00.000-05:002011-11-22T14:55:58.489-05:00

My husband fixed the dryer. He found the part he needed on ebay for about $30 (1/3 of the price at the local appliance repair places) and in an hour it was back in working order. The hardest part was getting the panels off so he could access the innards. FYI, it was the igniter (gas dryer), and was not difficult to replace. So if you have a decent dryer that just stops heating, keep that in mind!

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-13418462367254323402011-11-17T16:32:00.000-05:002011-11-17T16:32:12.839-05:00

Hubs has ordered a part for the dryer. Fingers crossed! This year's Christmas garb for the children is underway. I always try for coordinating, but not matchy-matchy. This year I think I'm going with red, black and white. AJ will wear red: This is the Knitting Pure and Simple neckdown children's cardigan...again. I wasn't sure about the hood but this Cashsoft Aran yarn is so, so soft and squishy

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-28029277086583723252011-11-16T14:10:00.000-05:002011-11-16T14:10:21.468-05:00

I was ready to do a post last night about my homemade laundry soap experiment, and then when I went downstairs to finish the day's loads, I found a lump of wet stuff in the dryer. Huh, I must have forgotten to start it. So I started it, and came upstairs to knit awhile. Soon I noticed I could no longer hear the dryer running...odd. It usually takes longer than that. You can guess what's coming,

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-45406754553136414262011-11-10T12:07:00.000-05:002011-11-10T12:07:42.400-05:00

I can't believe it's November 10th. What a week we've had over here. It was a record-breaking 70 degrees for a couple of days (but back to freezing cold now with snow in the forecast). The kids are sick, and AJ's ear was draining this morning. Thanks, ear tubes, for that up-close and personal look at infection. Blech! On the bright side, we have a new niece! My bro and sis-in-law had their

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-67476897853662760992011-11-04T11:01:00.000-04:002011-11-04T11:01:21.424-04:00

While going through my pile of forgotten knits, I found this sweater I started for AJ a year ago: The pattern is this one, and I love it so much. The biggest size is age 3-4 so if I want it for AJ I have to make it, like, right now. When I started it a year ago I figured it would last for 2 winters. I had 8 balls of this beautiful Rowan yarn, a rare special treat that I got on mega clearance. I

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-45316793176135009322011-11-03T14:31:00.000-04:002011-11-03T14:31:52.333-04:00

I started making my Christmas knits list this morning. As usual it has too many things on it and I will never finish them all, but it's at least a place to start.  I am dying - dying - to buy new yarn. I browse around the interwebs and see other knitters' beautiful yarns and projects and aaaarrrgh, I want to place a humongous Knitpicks order and get a big box of loveliness in the mail. But I did

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-10673429448282972872011-11-01T09:29:00.001-04:002011-11-01T15:42:49.995-04:00

We didn't really start "observing" Halloween in our little family until about 2 years ago, when Daughter was 4. Prior to that she was too little to know what was going on, and we lived in a somewhat rural area where no one trick-or-treated. When we moved to our current house (almost 2.5 years ago now, what?!), Daughter was 4 1/2 and wanted to dress up and trick-or-treat. That year and last year,

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-26698112612379055542011-10-31T13:28:00.000-04:002011-10-31T13:28:18.949-04:00

Aw, dudes, I am so frustrated with myself right now. I finished up an adorable baby package for my bro-and-sis-in law who are expecting their baby girl in two weeks (squee!), and then wrapped it up without taking any pictures. I ask you, what kind of blogger does that?!? I am so lame. Oh well, I can still tell you about it. Along with some store-bought Gerber gowns and a Captain America little

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-18368578924129300962011-10-28T13:58:00.000-04:002011-10-28T13:58:48.648-04:00

Yeah, so, um...Hubs was gone on a work trip all week and got home at midnight last night...and a good thing, too, because I was just about at the end of my parenting rope. I don't know how those of you with traveling spouses do it. I bow down to you. So I'm a little cranky. And also tired, because I don't sleep too well when he isn't here. I stayed up way too late each night working on a

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-63188940344136221772011-10-24T11:34:00.001-04:002011-10-24T11:35:25.681-04:00

So I've been really curious about homemade laundry soap for a long time. Like, a long, long time. Years. This weekend I finally went for it. Detergent is pricey, peeps! Is homemade cheaper? I'm going to find out. Does it work? So far - and I've only washed 5 loads - the clothes seem clean. I will admit that there were a few moments, as I sat on my basement floor grating a bar of soap into a

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-11427499983762487072011-10-21T15:22:00.001-04:002011-10-21T16:50:51.199-04:00

I've been experiencing a really introspective couple of months. The first week of September my husband and I embarked on a new and very strict budgeting plan for our family and our future. A little helpful info: we are the only ones in our generation of family and most of our friends who live on a single income. It is a good income, but after taxes, 401K contributions, and insurance premiums (

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-11235179900972186112011-10-04T17:51:00.000-04:002011-10-04T17:51:04.125-04:00

Sorry for the long absence, but I've been knitting feverishly on several projects at once. I started a sweater for myself a month ago, and got really hooked on it so I've spent all my free time working madly to finish it. If you saw my house you could totally tell I've been blowing everything off in favor of knitting (it's a mess, seriously).  Before I share the photos, I need to point out that

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-32744146723593198732011-09-21T11:16:00.001-04:002011-09-21T16:48:59.448-04:00

I pulled it together and got Daughter's winter hat finished: I used Stitch Nation yarn for this hat - Alpaca Love in 'espresso bean' and 'lake'. This yarn is gorgeous and amazing to knit with. It feels SO GOOD in my hands. Unfortunately I don't think Joann is going to carry it anymore, as I got it on clearance in July for 97 cents a skein, and I recently saw it on clearance for $3 at AC Moore.

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-43301917883805121152011-09-17T13:59:00.000-04:002011-09-17T13:59:18.624-04:00

Have you ever had a project hang around so long you begin to actively dislike it? That's the story with these stupid socks: I am pretty sure evil gnomes visited in the night and unravelled all the work I'd done each time I knit on these. They took FOREVER! I cast them on in January - yes, January! - and finally finished them a couple of days ago. They were started as a project to carry along

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-28154233317890985462011-09-14T14:01:00.000-04:002011-09-14T14:01:53.833-04:00

It's that time of year...a time of endings and beginnings and change. I always feel a little untethered in September. For the past 10 or so years, since officially ending my formal education (got my Ed.M. in 2002), I've felt a bit lost watching the world go back to school. Even my 3 year-old started something new: speech therapy 5 days a week with a new therapist (we love her and she is awesome).

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-21394672988170757322011-09-05T13:29:00.000-04:002011-09-05T13:29:28.326-04:00

Ok, so...I changed my blogger to the "new" interface...and I feel like I can't make it work right. I'm so confused. Maybe I'm confused because I have an ear infection? I think I have an ear infection. It's making me dizzy. I did finish a sweater. It's AJ's fall/winter wool cardigan: Top-down cardigan from Raglans Unlimited (a really old pamphlet I got from my mom), size 4. Yarn is

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-89114250481298615162011-08-26T13:22:00.000-04:002011-08-26T13:22:07.386-04:00

More from A Rainbow of Stitches. Love. 14-count, DMC color 823. ps: I erroneously referred to these little squares of aida as DMC short cuts...they are actually made by Charles Craft.

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-41129927773776890182011-08-24T13:15:00.002-04:002011-08-24T13:40:10.066-04:00

As I've mentioned before, after a period of seriously practical knitting and sewing, I'm feeling pulled toward more whimsical projects. I would like to make some things that are art for art's sake, just fun and skill-enhancing without necessarily being strictly "useful." I started with some lace shawls, which are kind of a hybrid of useful and beautiful (mainly because even though I'm not likely

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-16573491961853874462011-08-23T12:36:00.003-04:002011-08-23T13:21:19.283-04:00

Oh man, file this one under "I'm a bad mom." At the beginning of summer I cut out this dress for Daughter, and proceeded to ignore it for pretty much the entire season. Niiiiiiice. I could give a bazillion excuses, but it boils down to: it was hot, the air conditioner is in my bedroom, and I am lazy. Really pretty much zero sewing happens around here in the summer, it is just too uncomfortable.

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-45568023128923887382011-08-15T14:22:00.005-04:002011-08-15T14:39:16.512-04:00

Thank you for the kind words. The funeral was on the 15th, so I am still a tad melancholy, but I'm getting through it. Other things that are more fun to talk about: Hubs took me to see a production of FAME! on Saturday night. It was so awesome! I have an intense love of musical theater and will go see just about anything, so when these tickets were offered for free from his office (his company

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-67597973668597346882011-08-12T09:24:00.003-04:002011-08-12T09:32:20.520-04:00

August 12th is here again. Sometimes it catches me by surprise. It always catches my husband, mostly because I have to tell him about it. He never remembers (though he is terrible with dates), but still I often think it must be nice to just sort of not remember. I have no choice. The memory lives in my body. I look at Daughter sitting on the couch watching television and I see the spirit of

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-26349104528102991842011-08-09T13:31:00.004-04:002011-08-09T13:56:05.677-04:00

Oh man, it's August 9th already. We had such a cold, rainy, long spring and then got super baked for several weeks and I feel we've hardly had any "real" summer. I hope we get some nice days of high 70s with sun and a breeze before school starts. School, wow, already?!? The time, it flies. Daughter will start first grade after labor day. It's coming up quickly...we've already purchased her

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-28756741057642342422011-07-25T14:25:00.003-04:002011-07-25T14:44:30.395-04:00

How do you see summer? Do you still think of it in terms of a big vacation, like when you were a kid and summer meant...doing absolutely nothing, or doing whatever you wanted, and it stretched out before you like an endless path?As a stay-home mom I think of it like that. I've almost always lived by the school calendar, going from high school to college, then two years after that to graduate

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-55427548340336861152011-07-06T13:47:00.004-04:002011-07-06T14:11:07.088-04:00

There's a new online quilt show aimed at the young, new quilter. It's called "Quilty" and it's hosted by Mary Fons, daughter of super-famous quilt personality Marianne Fons (of Fons & Porter). If you haven't seen it, check it out, it's very cute and focuses on beginner quilting skills.There's a 2-part episode dealing with hand and machine quilting, featuring Marianne Fons as Mary's guest. When

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-56103473146023761322011-07-01T13:19:00.003-04:002011-07-01T13:38:33.450-04:00

I'm sure that some people find the idea of knitting lace to be absolutely abhorrent...I think I used to be one of those people. So fiddly! Such fine yarn! Pretty, but useless! I want warm sweaters, dammit, not doilies!Mmmmm. My words taste goooooooood.It turns out I love to knit lace. In particular, I love to knit triangular shawls on a stockinette background, preferably with the edging

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-29978480346687667582011-06-28T13:32:00.004-04:002011-06-28T13:55:29.787-04:00

Oops, did not mean to fall off the face of the planet for 2 weeks. It's been a busy, busy time and I got sick (again) with a sinus infection that traveled downward and settled in my throat, rendering me voiceless over the weekend. Around here school starts after Labor Day and doesn't finish up until the end of June, so we've only just begun our summer vacation.It seems like Kindergarten just

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-52562178198170883392011-06-16T16:51:00.005-04:002011-06-16T17:02:40.606-04:00

What? I said this should be done by next week? Oh, haha, just kidding. I meant I was going to practically injure myself to get it done immediately. (Seriously, my poor wrists, ouch.)Flower Basket shawl, from Interweave Knits, fall 2004. I post-it-noted this pattern when I got the magazine all those years ago, but only just now got around to making it. At the time the concept of knitting lace with

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-64668467849254844602011-06-15T12:50:00.004-04:002011-06-15T13:03:30.153-04:00

On Saturday morning the phone rang at 6:46. It was the company we'd ordered topsoil from, telling us our dirt was on its way. The dump truck showed up about an hour later, and when it did, I thought, "boy, he must be making a bunch of deliveries with all that dirt!" But then he backed into our driveway and proceeded to empty the entire dump truck.This photo does not do justice to the true

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-67177506080466667452011-06-13T11:22:00.003-04:002011-06-13T11:31:59.073-04:00

I finished my mystery shawlette! Woot! Actually I finished the knitting a week ago but I was lazy and smushed it into its ziplock bag to avoid weaving ends and blocking. I didn't know where to block it because we have hardwood throughout our house - no carpeting other than area rugs - so I wasn't sure where to pin it down. It turned out our dining room area rug has enough rubber backing that I

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-19156641235316666722011-06-09T12:19:00.003-04:002011-06-09T12:48:34.762-04:00

Still clearing out the WIPs this week...Hubs went to a concert last night so I took the opportunity to finish up another project. Daughter and I were in Joann's about a month ago when this fabric caught her eye, and we simply had to buy it for AJ. We had to, HAD TO I SAY!Ok, it's a bit.....loud. But come on, he's 2. It's fine to be this loud when you're little, right? He desperately needed some

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-86854343094189476562011-06-07T13:20:00.003-04:002011-06-07T13:45:21.335-04:00

The weather is finally so indescribably gorgeous, I can't believe I'm inside typing this right now. It rained hard in the wee hours of the morning and my patio chairs are still wet, otherwise I'd be out there enjoying the warm sunlight and soft breeze. Especially since tomorrow it's supposed to be 90, which in my humble opinion is too hot to enjoy. Luckily we have ways of dealing with it:Look at

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-8851730089601322432011-06-03T12:29:00.004-04:002011-06-03T12:43:11.101-04:00

I blew off all my normal household duties yesterday (except for feeding children and changing diapers) in favor of a sewing mini-marathon. With only a few stops and starts I was able to complete two more skirts for my summer wardrobe.This first one I've been referring to as my "Pier 1 bedspread" skirt because it reminds me of stuff we used to buy there back in the 90s. Not sure if this is a hit

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-50122056490393944392011-06-01T12:13:00.006-04:002011-06-01T13:13:21.369-04:00

Did everyone have a nice long holiday weekend (in the US)? It's been almost non-stop rain here for weeks...there is water seeping into my basement because my poor yard cannot absorb any more. It stopped raining just long enough for me to plant 8 pepper plants, 2 basil plants, some lavender and the 6-pack of marigolds Daughter chose, all in the awful muddy garden. Then we got a rip-roaring

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-29544701848717419292011-05-25T08:54:00.003-04:002011-05-25T09:13:46.793-04:00

I've never been one to join stuff. Don't know why, exactly, but if everyone else is doin' it, I probably won't. Weird! But this time I'm a-joinin' in the fun.For years I've had two beautiful skeins of fingering weight alpaca following me around. It was purchased when I was a relative newbie to serious knitting and I think I thought I would make socks from it (?) which would be unwise, as it

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-71393633009492440232011-05-23T07:00:00.000-04:002011-05-23T07:00:04.234-04:00

On Friday we got home from the hospital around lunchtime. We all ate a bit, then Hubs (who is suffering from a sinus thing) crashed on the couch, and AJ crashed in his crib for a monster nap, so I decided to start the birthday outfit I intended to give as a gift on Saturday. Nothing like waiting until the last possible minute. I used Butterick 4176 in a size 2.{As an aside, let me just say that I

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-41184968674610047762011-05-20T22:12:00.003-04:002011-05-20T22:34:14.495-04:00

My son had his 7th surgical procedure this morning. He received his 3rd set of ear tubes to relieve the pressure from the sticky mucus that has been building up behind his eardrum. Not only is that gunk at risk of becoming infected, it also affects his hearing, his speech, and how comfortable he feels on a daily basis, so it had to be done. I pray it was lucky number seven - as in, the last one.

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-20941844478390642902011-05-19T09:36:00.003-04:002011-05-19T10:22:37.684-04:00

I read a blog post recently that made me stop and think about how I approach my hobbies. I can't recall where it was, so I apologize to the originator of the topic, but it was about "curating" vs. "creating."I have stashes of both yarn and fabric. Some of it is very, very old. I can point to some stuff that I've had since before I met my husband (10 years ago). What's up with that? Why haven't I

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-54575828245975601292011-05-18T14:54:00.005-04:002011-05-18T15:25:34.606-04:00

Do you use Pandora? I didn't know what it was for the longest time (one of my husband's favorite ways to tease me is to say "you're so analog") but I finally tried it out. At first I hated it because it never played what I wanted. But then one day I typed in "Peter, Paul and Mary." I'll also ask you this: is there something that just takes you instantly back to your childhood? A food, a smell, a

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-12042790120557443382011-05-13T13:45:00.003-04:002011-05-13T14:27:36.377-04:00

...well, that IS the question. It's been two months since I put anything new in this space. Why? I'm not sure. I've certainly thought about it a lot in that time. I've completed a few projects and thought maybe I should take some pictures and write about them. We've gone on a few outings that were fun, and I got some good enough photos where you can't see my kids' faces clearly and I could

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-30760403540735881542011-03-11T13:09:00.003-05:002011-03-11T13:32:49.134-05:00

There's a kids' album that I swear no one else has ever heard of except for me - it's called "Start Dreaming" by a fellow called Mr. Ray. And my favorite song on it is "Roy G. Biv." The rest of the album is super excellent, too, and I highly recommend it if you're bored with whatever kid music you've been listening to. You can preview the songs using the Amazon link I posted, or buy the songs

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-58468976063099560492011-03-10T13:56:00.004-05:002011-03-10T14:20:15.973-05:00

Thanks for the great vacation suggestions! I've done a lot of NE travel and we are thinking of heading south a little bit...maybe Colonial Williamsburg? Any thoughts on neat places to see in PA as we drive? Please keep the ideas coming!It's soooooooo dark right now, and cold! You can sense the seasons struggling to change, but Old Man Winter is desperate to hang on. Now we've got a rain/snow mix

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-74036851293850164802011-03-08T14:12:00.004-05:002011-03-08T14:51:48.819-05:00

Dear Winter, It is really time for you to go now. No seriously, we have had just about enough. GO AWAY.We had this one nice day a few weeks ago, and the kids made the most of it, romping around in the melty snow, playing under the huge pine tree in our yard, and generally soaking in the nice temps. (Also, trashing their clothes almost beyond saving...thank you, Tide Stain Release!)But since then

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-13902540840296469032011-03-02T14:03:00.004-05:002011-03-02T14:15:06.079-05:00

Just in time for Spring...I finished a hat for myself!Haha, Spring my foot, it's sure to be freezing and snowy here for many weeks to come. This hat came off my needles yesterday morning and has already been put to good use. It's the basic cabled hat from Cables Untangled. I used less than one skein of Patons Classic Wool in jade heather (it is really a bit more green than this photo shows).

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-52477337513896791582011-02-22T10:25:00.003-05:002011-02-22T10:50:30.021-05:00

Oh boy - less than 1 week of February to go, everybody! And as our typical weather pattern around here is to get just one last giant wallop of a snowstorm in March, it is safe to say we are truly almost done with winter. And yes, sometimes we still have snow flurries until the end of April, but we also have had high 80s on Daughter's mid-April birthday. My point is, spring is SO coming. We had a

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-46327997944041781932011-02-21T14:04:00.004-05:002011-02-21T14:28:36.479-05:00

Sometimes it's so hard to decide what to spend our hard-earned money on. Yesterday I decided I wasn't going to just sit around the house with the kids during the mid-winter break, so I asked my mom if she wanted to go to the science museum today. They have an awesome kid area that's huge and entirely hands-on.It cost $24 to get in for me, my mom, and my two kids. Now I'm kicking myself for not

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-40627807657030081062011-02-15T11:25:00.003-05:002011-02-15T11:52:49.940-05:00

Winter in the northeast US is kind of like pregnancy. You know for a fact that it will indeed end. And February is, for me, like being 8 1/2 months pregnant...you've passed the point of truly enjoying it and just want it to END ALREADY. So thanks for the commiseration yesterday. Today the sun is blazing, and while it's still only in the 20s out there, I am cheered by the thought that Spring is

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-3709736837631573402011-02-14T11:38:00.004-05:002011-02-14T11:58:56.268-05:00

No one really tells you, when you become a stay-home mother, that it is pretty much a totally boring job. It's also largely thankless, but we mostly know that, I guess. After nearly 6 years of stay-home-ness, I am bored out of my mind. In the dead of winter in a cold climate, there is little to look forward to each morning...making meals the children will not eat, cleaning up after the children,

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-68530749802905032762011-01-31T13:16:00.003-05:002011-01-31T13:51:44.717-05:00

There's been a bit of recent sewing around here...the machine never really gets put away for long. I went to Joann's to get a few summer patterns for dresses and tops that I desperately need, and this awesome dinosaur fabric leapt into my cart:So cute! I mean, really, how often do you find great fabric for little boys? These little dinosaur pants came together in about 20 minutes. I used the

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-600089313730067382011-01-17T13:29:00.002-05:002011-01-17T13:33:54.020-05:00

A certain little girl keeps leaving her hats and mittens on the school bus. *sigh*So a certain mother keeps knitting up more.Basic worsted weight mittens, made from Ann Budd's book (Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns). The yarn is Debbie Stoller - Full o' Sheep? I can't remember, and my toddler is obsessed with throwing things in the garbage so he took care of the yarn ball band as soon as I

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-27916096064654272692011-01-12T13:26:00.004-05:002011-01-12T13:43:19.235-05:00

Less than two weeks into the new year and I have two finished garments to show for it! Ok, granted one was started in 2010, and one is only a vest, but still! I finished AJ's Milo vest this morning, weaving in the ends just before bathtime because I wanted to put it on him right away.The entire time I was knitting I was convinced it would be too big. But I always misjudge the size of my own

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-62436826969407879802011-01-11T13:49:00.003-05:002011-01-11T13:57:30.908-05:00

A picture is worth 1000 words, no?This is about all I have, friends. Three-quarters of a Milo vest and some cold meds. We are sick and it's the pits. Daughter brought home a germ last week, and since AJ and I had been very slightly sick with a mild cold over Christmas, our poor weakened bodies jumped all over this one. Now Daughter is 99% better but the two of us are miserable.It's a chest cold,

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-87044942555046515682011-01-07T14:10:00.003-05:002011-01-07T14:37:24.314-05:00

Hello! Happy new year! I guess I'm a little late with that, but what can I say? The days, they are so long, and yet time whizzes by faster and faster. Let's get this out of the way first. BEST Christmas gift I received? Well, first let me say this: you know that question people ask about what person, living or dead, you'd want to have dinner with if you could? My answer, no doubt about it, is

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-68422044054902430492010-12-20T13:21:00.004-05:002010-12-20T13:48:44.250-05:00

I'm feeling decidedly un-Christmassy today. Not that I am anti-Christmas, no no, that's not what I mean. I just mean I'm not feeling it, that's all. I took AJ to see his surgeon this morning because the site where his G-tube used to be is not healing on its own. I took the tube out at the end of October (shhhh...we told them it fell out) and it has closed down to a pindot, but still leaks just

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-42393628232796878702010-12-15T11:24:00.003-05:002010-12-15T11:45:46.519-05:00

I took a little break from making Christmas gifts to make the Christmas clothing for my little humans, so not a whole lot of progress has been made...but I'm getting there. Hey, I still have 9 days, right?!? Yikes!Sorry for the dark photos. I took them quite literally in the middle of the night after a long, bleary-eyed sewing session.So far Barbie is getting 3 pairs of pants (one corduroy...ooh

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-44928297441124111652010-11-29T14:50:00.002-05:002010-11-29T14:56:12.350-05:00

Daughter's first pair of mittens: done. She approved and wore them all weekend. Did I do some sort of weird different decrease on one of them? I don't think so...and yet one looks pointy. Sweater for baby nephew: 85% complete (I made that percentage up). Just needs front and neck bands, underarm weaving, and buttons. Once it's done and washed it will be on its way.Daughter's Christmas dress: done

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-73751843592109222622010-11-23T13:25:00.003-05:002010-11-23T14:02:29.066-05:00

A few weeks ago I posted that I'd temporarily lost my knitting/sewing/crafting mojo, but felt it slowly returning. Well, shortly thereafter it came back with a BANG and now I'm swamped with projects I'd really, really love to get done in the next 30 days.It's insanity. I will have to pare down. Here are a few things that are going pretty well so far:AJ's holiday 2010 pants. Basic, pull-on pants

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-36199071844483785662010-11-10T14:30:00.003-05:002010-11-10T14:48:35.964-05:00

If you asked anyone who has ever known me to describe me in just a few words, I'd bet most people would put "impatient" in the top 5. It's probably my greatest fault...definitely my greatest hurdle in parenting. Which is why I guess I find it surprising that I have gravitated to hobbies that kind of take quite a bit of patience!Sewing is usually pretty fast, but I don't like projects that drag on

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-50597183840273629602010-11-08T09:23:00.005-05:002010-11-08T09:28:27.576-05:00

lu·na·tic (ln-tk)adj.1. Suffering from lunacy; insane.2. Of or for the insane.3. Wildly or giddily foolish: a lunatic decision.4. Characterized by lunacy or eccentricity.Seriously. I must be a lunatic, thinking I will create a stunning doll wardrobe for Daughter sometime over the next...what, 7 weeks? Yeah, that's how long until Christmas, friends. 7 measly weeks.(The patterns are all Simplicity

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-40708702175478530982010-10-29T17:16:00.003-04:002010-10-29T17:34:42.392-04:00

This is something I have been meaning to do for several years. I finally, finally got around to making some longies to sell over on etsy. I'm always so uncomfortable putting a price on my work, but I do feel that these are very well made, and they do take a really, really long time to knit up due to the tight gauge of the waistband and upper hip (US 3 and 5 needles = slow).So there they are, one

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-42783618802170673242010-10-26T14:58:00.004-04:002010-10-28T13:55:51.736-04:00

I wonder if it is possible to mourn the loss of something you never actually had. Oh gosh, that sounds crazy. I have long experienced a weird nostalgic feeling when I look at old (meaning from my early childhood) books and educational materials - I am sucked in by those awesome hand-drawn illustrations and the fonts that look like handwriting (or is that actual handwriting?). You know, the whole

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-85608271452069522932010-10-25T14:33:00.005-04:002010-10-25T14:55:03.493-04:00

My knitting has been utter crap lately.I hate it when the mojo leaves me, whether it be knitting, sewing, cooking, or whatever else I do. It's awful to hold raw materials in your hand and have them feel cold and unyielding. When a skein of yarn becomes just that, rather than an inspiration, I get bummed.I think it was just the result of the changes afoot around here - Daughter staring

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-11404886494820229632010-10-21T11:15:00.003-04:002010-10-21T11:44:04.233-04:00

Every once in awhile something really fries me and I feel the need to get it off my chest. Since no one really reads here anymore, and the risk of offending anyone is low, I guess I'll use this space.A couple of days ago a really popular blogger posted about a decision her family has made regarding raising some livestock...which will then become their food. I think the real beef (no pun intended)

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-43101055495031883292010-10-15T13:24:00.002-04:002010-10-15T13:30:40.612-04:00

The day dawned so, so beautifully...frost on the grass sparkled in the sunrise. It was cold, but so pretty. Then I noticed the green stuff coming from my son's nose, and the disgusting viscous ooze coming from one of his ears. We spent the morning at the pediatrician's office and Target (where I spent $28 - that's $4 for the antibiotic and $24 for the other stuff I found while waiting for the

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-66271731164348435672010-10-13T09:10:00.005-04:002010-10-13T09:18:10.786-04:00

Well, the past few weeks have chewed me up and spit me out the other side...guess I am intact!My sister gifted me with an early birthday gift - a superfancy Cuisinart coffee maker to replace my old ghetto sunbeam model (with the smashed carafe). Oh, people. It is so good.And late last week I was feeling low, so I browsed around online, clicking here and there, until I found a particularly good

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-81719229148083448012010-10-01T09:12:00.003-04:002010-10-01T09:17:37.925-04:00

Last night I smashed the coffee pot while I was washing it. Couldn't have happened at a worse time, really, as we are in the throes of two insane weeks filled with medical appointments, surgery, days off of school, out-of-town visitors, and therapies. I am running as fast as I can and still totally not keeping up! Despite the fact that I feel I constantly do laundry, it is piling up faster than I

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-83275735975782077412010-09-29T11:38:00.003-04:002010-09-29T11:52:53.876-04:00

I thought I had blogged this sweater, but a quick browse through the minimal posts I've put up in the past few months shows me that I did not. High on the success of my first two Zimmerman sweaters, I was anxious to whip up another one, this time in cotton. I got a great price on some Lion Cotton Ease from fabric.com (they have a small but nice yarn selection), due to an order snafu + a coupon

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-10636829345675073352010-09-21T08:00:00.000-04:002010-09-21T08:00:06.693-04:00

Oh man, vests on little boys are SO adorable, aren't they? I was perusing the gazillions of free patterns available here, and came across this one. It's always fun to find worsted weight patterns for babies and young children and they are plentiful on the garnstudio website.This wee vest took just over 1 skein of Patons Wool in moss heather. It's the 24 month size, which is the largest they offer

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-48892683049582130042010-09-20T08:50:00.002-04:002010-09-20T09:01:17.307-04:00

Here is a confession: though I have been knitting wool soakers for sale for about 2 years now, I never really used them myself. I made knitted pants for AJ and he wore them, but I used them over other diaper covers, never as a waterproof layer. I don't know why, isn't that weird? Then over this past summer AJ started having a problem with an awful "diaper rash" which is not really the right term.

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-62213036835904891642010-09-17T09:42:00.003-04:002010-09-17T10:06:20.017-04:00

Wow, I have been at this for almost 5 years now, and I just can't believe how much harder it is to blog regularly with two kids. I don't know how some of these amazing bloggers do it...cranking out projects and posts day after day! Here we are after a week, sheesh. At least I have a project to share.Daughter needed a between-seasons jacket - something a bit heavier than a windbreaker, but not as

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-46695056210877375892010-09-10T13:47:00.005-04:002010-09-10T14:07:17.060-04:00

Yes, it was an unusually hot summer for us here in the northeast, but of course I got my knit on anyway. Back in the spring I ordered some stuff from fabric.com, and they sent me a coupon so I then ordered some yarn. I thought the kids could use cotton sweaters for Spring and Autumn.I couldn't take photos of AJ's because he is napping and I'd surely wake him if I went in his room to dig up a

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-1582414001004034952010-09-09T16:54:00.005-04:002010-09-09T17:11:25.179-04:00

Hello! And happy autumn!I've just sent my baby girl off to kindergarten, the weather has turned sharply cooler (from near 90F to low 60s), I've purchased my fall-scented candles, and I'm feeling all nest-y. It was nice to take the summer off from blogging, though there wasn't much to blog about due to the Africa-hot temperatures. All my entries would have gone something like this: "tried to knit/

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-32574272087069718782010-06-11T16:14:00.005-04:002010-06-11T16:36:15.949-04:00

Whoa, new templates and stuff on blogger! I can't decide if I like it or not. I'm kind of a simple girl, and the blog looks kind of busy to me now. We'll give it a try and see what happens.So, what's up? Not much I guess. We started speech therapy for AJ. So far I mostly find it aggravating, what with a new person coming into my house at 9:00 two days a week, meaning a mad scramble to clean and

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-11042927124762846012010-05-25T09:48:00.002-04:002010-05-25T10:03:19.621-04:00

This is what my frustration looks like right now:My dining room. Not so good for dining these days. Or for anything else. You know it's bad when I just give up and cover the sewing machine! Clockwise from the left we have a pile o' ironing that just keeps growing; dotted swiss pajamas for Daughter that are so close to completion...yet so far; notions and machine, gathering dust; shoebox with

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-64632535711223231892010-05-22T17:18:00.004-04:002010-05-22T17:35:48.732-04:00

I took down my woe-is-me post. I couldn't stand to read it, so how could you? Bleh.Let's talk about knitting instead. That's what keeps me relatively grounded and happy and gives me a feeling of accomplishment.Here's the latest F.O. - another Elizabeth Zimmermann "percentage system" sweater, this one for my son:I was going for about a 26" chest measurement here, so I started with 120 stitches for

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-47906303591854473462010-05-14T13:20:00.007-04:002010-05-14T13:54:11.201-04:00

We haven't had any knitting content around here for awhile, hmmm? Let's see, what do I have? Oh yes. First of all, the extremely boring socks I've been working on for Hubs...seemingly forever. These were obviously a labor of love!Really, really boring and gigantic socks. I should have thrown something into that photo for scale. These babies are ginormous. I bought the yarn (Patons Kroy...I

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-18310943127780365452010-05-10T12:33:00.004-04:002010-05-10T12:59:00.411-04:00

Ok, so, it's May 10 and I am wearing a wool sweater. WOOL. It snowed yesterday, people. The highs this week are only in the 50s! Boo.We can't wear our summer clothes yet, but the yucky weather gave me a bit of an excuse to continue sewing them:More from Butterick 4176! Wow, I would say I am getting my money's worth from this pattern. The swing top is exactly the same as the dress, but shorter.

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-86768779437957433012010-05-04T15:03:00.003-04:002010-05-04T15:47:58.025-04:00

Oh, I love me a lame blog post title, don't you?I finally got around to photographing and posting the summer sewing thus far...both kids are taking a nap due to a super active morning, so I am taking advantage!Let's get right to it then.For Daughter:3 pairs of shorts, all from Butterick 4176. Cute pattern, very easy to execute, but kind of a high rise on these. However, that might be good for

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-36671931530062414112010-04-30T14:20:00.003-04:002010-04-30T14:48:01.620-04:00

I've been sewing my little fingers to the bone lately, but most projects are in some final stage of completion...awaiting buttons, hook 'n eye closures, a little hand-tacking...as soon as I can get finished and take photos, I'll have some great summer wardrobe updates to share. In the meantime, a story:Yesterday I took my children with me to Joann Fabrics. I needed some large white buttons to

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-46801959114502841952010-04-22T11:28:00.003-04:002010-04-22T11:54:00.359-04:00

My sister is almost 7 months into her first pregnancy, and the excitement is building! I can't wait to meet my nephew, and I'm psyched that my kids will finally have a cousin. Unfortunately she lives halfway across the country and I can't make it to the shower, so I had to hurry up and finish my gift so I can ship it. I've always been intrigued by the "pram set" that you often see in old knitting

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-14828716270072612162010-04-16T16:14:00.003-04:002010-04-16T16:42:06.106-04:00

Just a quickie today...lots to do on this rainy gross afternoon. It's been so nice all week that I ditched all housekeeping in favor of playing outside, going to the zoo, etc. and now I'm paying for it. The house is a wreck!After spending the days playing, at night I've been forcing myself off the couch to get more summer sewing done. After the last dress failure, I was hoping for success with

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-18556965137692046902010-04-12T12:38:00.003-04:002010-04-12T13:17:08.680-04:00

Bad news, friends. The problem of childhood obesity in this country has gotten so bad that the pattern companies are now drafting their patterns for enormous pre-schoolers.Ok, that's an exaggeration. But seriously? WHO ARE THESE PATTERNS FOR?? Over the weekend I made this for Daughter:Sorry it's sideways. You get the idea. I made view B (the blue floral in the above pic), thinking it would be

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-70628647752010205122010-04-03T08:47:00.004-04:002010-04-03T09:38:35.757-04:00

I've been exceedingly frustrated with my total inability to finish ANYTHING lately. Like, to the point of anger and sadness. For the past 10 years or so, I've been extremely dedicated to creative endeavors, and despite a few quilt wips upstairs in bins, I've been pretty good about getting stuff done. But lately? Oh my gosh, lately I've just been letting stuff pile up on the dining room table and

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-62811546807807838402010-03-30T09:29:00.003-04:002010-03-30T09:41:47.657-04:00

Hey, so, where am I?Gosh, I just don't know. I don't know how these amazing mamas do it, raising more children than I, and still churning out the creative blog posts day after day. Holy moly. Right now I'm looking over a really messy kitchen where rice krispies are strewn far and wide, the table is sticky, the dishes are piled up, the countertops are covered with crumbs...the carpets and ceilings

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18479627.post-49981003057817964342010-03-18T09:26:00.005-04:002010-03-18T11:13:26.204-04:00

False alarm! The camera is ok, it was the memory card that was shot! WOOT! Viva la camera! Now I can continue to take crappy pictures in all but the best light for who knows how long! The last few weeks have seen me being a really frustrated Mommy, what with the moody almost-5-year-old and the Very Busy Toddler who refuses to eat more than a few bites of food and drinks almost nothing. So I

katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09962243760714546382noreply@blogger.com3