Haven't Forgotten

I have not dropped off the face of the earth... I am in the midst of blessedly cool in the mornings and evenings and pleasantly balmy days of Vancouver Island. I hope pictures will come soon. I do have my camera, but left the cord at home and Mom's camera is suffering a power problem. I have started a new project here - I hope to post a pic soon...

Just my luck

Well, today started like a good day... My group at work was given tickets to sit in my company's luxury suite for this afternoon's Phillies vs. Padres game. I took my father-in-law with us and we were having a great time... and then this happened:


Just my luck

I got hit in the bum by a fly ball hit by the Phillies' pitcher Flanagan Tejada! It is high on my left cheek a few inches below my waist and it stings like a bitch! It's bound to turn many colours in the next few days as well. The dumb thing is that I thought it was coming at me in *my* seat - so I moved a seat over, expecting it to bounce (I had no glove or hat in which to catch the ball). Oh well... at least we won the game...

At the Birthday Party

At the Birthday Party
We had a birthday party at Willow's school for her today. Next to her are her friends Haley and Marisa. Haley is wearing one of the party hats we made for the party. I bought a dozen of the visors at Michael's for fifty cents a piece and some self-adhesive teddy bear foam stickers. Marisa (in red) is the youngest and smallest girl in Willow's class, and she loves me. I bend down to get a kiss and hug from Willow, and Marisa swoops in to give me one, too. Willow gets a bit jealous sometimes, but I tell her she has to learn to share. Someday (not anytime in the next 9 months - relax!) she will have a sibling. Willow and I made the cupcakes and iced them last night. Willow was very specific - "I want yellow cupcakes with chocolate icing!"

Take the damn picture now, Mommy...

Take the damn picture now, Mommy

Happy Birthday, Willow!

Birthday Girl 1

Ever since her first birthday, Andrew and I have taken a picture of Willow in the morning as she first wakes up - and here was my baby girl all bright and bushy-tailed this morning. Andrew woke her up with Tutter's birthday song from the 'Bear in the Big Blue House' CD and she opened one present. She will get the rest of her presents on Sunday when we have our family birthday party.

Done!

Sequence of Events from Yesterday:

• 10:00am: Went to Weight Watchers. Don't ask.
• 10:30am: Deposited check at bank.
• 11:00am: Stopped at B&N and picked up my copy of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and shared bottle of mandarin orange/mango juice with Willow.
• 11:15am: Stopped at the video store and picked up 2 Dora the Explorer and 2 Rugrats videos for Willow to keep her occupied so I could read above-mentioned book. I am such a bad Mom.
• 11:30am: Arrived at in-laws. Gave Willow lunch. After lunch, put video #1 and started to read. Read for the next 3 hours.
• 4:30pm: Came home, made dinner.
• 5:15pm: Next set of videos went in. Andrew went to have hair cut and I continued to read.
• 7:30pm: I am obliviously reading. Andrew puts Willow to bed.
• 11:00pm: FINISHED!
• 11:05pm: Andrew starts reading...

I am sooooooooooooo braintired today. And Absolut Citron mixed with Minute Maid Limonada is very yummy.

Too tired - so happy it's Friday

Sorry to be so absent this week, but I was only in the office two of the last few days, having an off-site conference and a project management seminar in the middle of the week. My brain is tired... but apparently not tired enough to stop buying yarn and starting new projects...

Purchase #1

4 skeins of natural un-dyed worsted weight merino from Knitpicks. I'm going to play with some Koolaid and dye the yarn myself while I am on vacation at my parents' house. This blog might be the first my Mom is hearing about this... um, Mom - this okay with you? I just need a microwave-safe dish, the microwave, and the closeline. I'll bring everything else with me. I also bought some other yarn for a birthday present (the fiber, not the resulting garment) for a friend. I know she reads this, so I will detail it later. And, also 4 skeins of Knitpicks' Dancing in 'swing' (sort of a multi-green and pink colourway) to knit a layette for one of my many preggo or new mother friends.

Purchase #2

A set of dpns in US9 so I can finish my Manos hat. I've got this cool idea for a picture to showcase the hat, so I need to finish this up. A bag of baby 2 ply mill ends (Jamie? Teri? Don't laugh - I'm not naming my sisters here - those are actually some names of 2 ply baby yarn) in blush pink. I started working on a crocheted baby blanket for another one of said pre and/or post-natal amigos while watching the "Reefer Madness" musical on Showtime. I'm not using a pattern here - it's just basket weave crochet all the way.

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I'm still working on my "Sweetness" pullover, but have a bone to pick with Lion Brand Homespun. I think the sweater is going to be lovely soft by the time I'm done... but the colours are going to be wonky. I triple-checked that my dye lots were all the same - and yet the third skein I started on had a more royal blue/purple stripe rather than a mauve/purple stripe. Design feature, I suppose. I'm not worried about it overly much because I see this as being a comfort garment, not high fashion. I think it is going to look great with a pair of jeans.

Current and Finished Projects

Current projects

Okay, I wish I could say the sweater was the finished object, but obviously since there are only unconnected sleeves and part of a torso, it is the book I have finished. Janet Evanovich's Eleven On Top was an amusing read... I only have one beef... it is a device of Evanovich's to switch Stephanie's romantic interest back and forth between Morelli and Ranger and my preference is for the character not on the receiving end of the affection this time. I won't give it away! I started on Nora Roberts' Black Rose on CD at work and it is interesting enough so far. I love all the Southern accents in this audiobook.

Now onto a more serious matter - London. My husband takes a train every day to work and I was worried today. The first thing I see this morning on Yahoo news is the coverage of the bombings and it sort of set the tone for the entire day. People at work were very pensive - we are close enough to NYC that people here had friends and family members involved in the twin towers and the subsequent clean up and I think everyone was worried it was going to happen all over again. I had to wait until I got to work to see the video of the aftermath because I didn't want Willow subjected to the sights. It's horrible - how can these perpetrators be so uncaring and callous about these people's lives and families and all the repercussions that will be inflicted on the victims' loved ones?

Happy Birthday, Asami!

Jo and Asami

Asami! Why is it in all the years we have know each other, this is probably the best picture of the two of us?!?! Asami is one of my dearest, closest friends in the entire world and it is her birthday today. Asami was integral to Andrew and I dating each other, and when we had briefly broken up, even more of a force in getting us back together. In turn, Asami was one of my bridesmaids, and I was her matron-of-honour. The above photo was taken in Bali in 1996, and I can't believe it was nearly eight and a half years ago. And it is also exactly three years ago, when heavily pregnant and on my last outing before Willow was born, that Andrew and I met the only man we have seen that could make Asami blush and giggle. We are so happy for the both of you. Happy Birthday, Asami!

After All The Fireworks Are Over

Now, doesn't that sound like the title of a country music song? We didn't get the chance to see any fireworks this Independence Day. Personally, I think Willow is still a little young for it and would be terrified of the noise up close. She fell asleep by 7:30pm last night, so in the end the point was moot.

I started a new knitting project and I didn't even have to buy new yarn for it! It is the 'Sweetness' pullover pattern from the Spring 2003 issue of Knitty. Incidentally, that was the same issue that 'Sitcom Chic' was from. I'm knitting it up in some aqua Lion Brand Homespun and it is soooo soft. I had originally bought this yarn for a baby blanket 2+ years ago... um, yeah... said baby ended up getting a different present. The yarn is knitting up in some subtle beige and light lavender stripes and is going to look so cool when finished. I'm altering the pattern a bit as well - changed it to 3/4 length sleeves and making the sweater into more of a A-line to accomodate my wide hips. So far I have finished both sleeves and have about 5" completed on the body - I'll take some pics later this week and show everyone what it looks like.

Gratuitous Willow

Gratuitous Willow

Someone was asking me just how curly Willow's hair was... there you go. It's a nice picture of her eyes, too. On first glance they look brown, but when you get up close, they are a dark hazel green.

I had good news from one of my closest friends today - she is pregnant with her first baby and due in December. This means I now have two friends having babies within a few short weeks of one another... I better get my ass in gear trying to get baby presents finished. You can add to that the two friends who have babies this summer that I have promised knitted things when the weather gets more woolen-worthy. I have a pattern to make a baby cardigan out of the self-striping sock yarn that I may try. Knitpicks has two machine-washable varieties that look interesting.

I started Andrew's Green Mountain Spinnery sweater and the more I work on it, the more I think I am going to have to rip it out and proceed with a heavier weight yarn. Currently I have Wool-Ease in heather blue, but I can't get anywhere near the 16 X 24 gauge on size 7s. I went up to 10.5 and it looks like it will be so loose. Oh well. Since I have 10 skeins of it (bought on sale) I know I can make something else. I have a partial ball of Encore here - I may try to work up a gauge with that - if it works I'll buy the yarn and start over.

I finished reading Charlaine Harris' Dead as a Doornail last night - good book, but no nooky! Maybe it is a backlash against the semi-porn-ness of Laurell K. Hamilton's books, but I was expecting a little action... I also read S. M. Stirling's "Blood Wolf" story in the Bronze Age Heroes anthology and Jennifer Weiner's "The Truth About Nigel" in the American Girls About Town anthology. I felt a little guilty about not reading the entire volumes, but I have so many books out of the library right now that I know that I have to read because I won't be able to renew them, such as Janet Evanovich's Eleven on Top and Kathy Reich's newest (so new I can't even remember the title!). At work I am reading (listening) Ann Brashares' The Second Summer of the Traveling Pants.

Okay... I need to think about making dinner...

Scant Knitting Content

Why is it that I always seem get off work on Friday and then I turn around and it is 4:30pm Sunday afternoon? Oh well - at least I was able to sleep this weekend. Andrew said he came into the bedroom at 8:30pm last night and I was fast asleep with the lights on and my book on my chest.

The book... I finished L.A. Banks' Minion - a vampire hunter story. This time the vampire hunter is a young black woman named Damali (cool name). This is the first book in a series, and interesting enough for me to read the subsequent books. The only complaint I have encompasses not only this book, but other vampire mysteries or romances I have read - the entire book spans only about 3 days. Three days does not character development make.

What else have I read? Joanne Rock's Wild and Wicked - Harlequin Blaze romance. It was okay - unfortunately, the romance of the secondary characters in the book was more interesting than the main story!

I think I should start recording all the books I read to Willow in here - that would be another 20 or so books in a week! We have a hilarious book out of the library right now called Knuffle Bunny by Mo Collins. The art within is neat, too - cartoons drawn on top of black and white photos of New York City. We also read "O is for Orca" (Pacific Northwest alphabet book) - I am trying to get her excited about going west later.

And to close with minute knitting content... I bought yarn to make Andrew a sweater, but am doubting my choice as to get gauge I had to move up from the size 7 needles recommended to a 10.5 - and even that was a bit of a stretch. I know you should be able to use any yarn as long as you get the correct gauge, but I am worried that the sweater will be all loosy-goosy if I have to go up so many needle sizes. Can anyone assure me that this won't happen? I have tight tension to begin with, so maybe this has a bit to do with it. Help??!?

Courtesy of Auntie Teri

Summer Outfit de Tante Teri

This picture is for my sister, Teri - who gave Willow this outfit while she was visiting us but didn't get to see Willow wearing it. You'll have to excuse the morning hair... the mad scuffle to get her to sit in a chair so I can brush her curls into pigtails hadn't happened yet. God help me, Mom - I actually told her, "It hurts to be beautiful." For those of you not in my family, that is what my Mom used to tell me when she used to brush my once nearly waist-length very curly hair.

I found a pattern for a sweater that I would like to make Andrew - it's from the Green Mountain Spinnery book and it is cabled! Okay - cheater cables - they are only on the front and only mid chest and higher... now I am trying to decide what yarn to use. Andrew likes throwing everything into the wash willy-nilly, so I think something like Plymouth's Encore, while not the nicest stuff around, may be the smartest and safest choice. He picked Blue Bonnet blue and Tomato red as colours he liked. I think I am going to have to make an executive decision here 'cause I don't want to be looking at those colours for weeks on end as I knit through the sweater. It's too bad - I was really looking forward to placing another order to Knitpicks...

... And Now (well, relatively recently)

Willow and Papa

At Christmas I snuck this shot of Daddy (Papa to Willow) reading to a rapt Willow and keeping her out of everyone's hair while we made Christmas dinner.

Papa, Willow loves you, too!

Then...

Baby Jo and Daddy

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

Yes, I am thirty-two years old and I still call him Daddy. This picture was taken when I was about 6 months old, which made my Dad a green twenty-six year old. The thought just occured to me that I have six years over that man in the photo... and I am not sure I like that thought. I love making stuff for my Dad because he, above all others, will appreciate it. I gave him my first pair of knitted socks (which I later learned were a bit small but he wore them anyway) and last year for his birthday I knit him a red alpaca toque... which he accidentally felted and now says he likes it better that way. My Mom made him more than one 'Ukie' (as in Ukranian) sweaters when I was a child - I swear it was made every every single leftover ball of whatever she had from making other people stuff - but he wore it out.

Daddy, I love you!

Look what Mommy bought at the farm!

Willow and my purchases

You didn't think I had an ulterior motive when I went to the farm this morning? Granted the ice cream was delectable, but I found out last week there would be spinning and weaving demonstrations there... and that means wool! Quite cheap, too - these three, averaging about 160 yards at sport weight, came to less than $18 altogether. I wound them tonight while watching the second episode of "Into the West" on TV and I am still loving my colour choices. The lighter red colourway has a dark burgundy swath about 1/5 the way into the skein which I am very interested to see how it plays out in whatever I knit from it... probably hats.

Since the blueberry poncho is finished, I cast on a small bolero cardigan for Willow in lime green cotton for Willow. I can't say I love knitting with cotton - wool and wool/acrylic blends are so much softer and nicer to hold.

Poncho Accompli

Willow in her poncho

Luckily today was only in the 70's, so Willow didn't mind putting on the newly finished poncho for a few pictures so I could show off my efforts. The pattern is Knitting Pure and Simple's Child Poncho and I used 2.25 skeins of Paton's Canadiana yarn in Blueberry Ombre. I decided to not put the fringe on it 'cause I'm just not a fringey kind of person - I don't even have bangs. I'm wondering if the poncho is going to loosen up a bit in the wash - I made it to gauge in the 4-6 size and it fits her well now.

Willow Honey Bee

Willow at the Woodside Creamery Farm

We went to the Woodside Farm Creamery's 'Day at the Farm' this morning. I wasn't sure exactly what I expected - probably something more 4-Hish than the multiple pamphlet tables we saw. Oh well - the ice cream (homemade at the farm) was lived up to the 'creamery' name. And we did get to pet with the friendliest border collie ever - he was was white and auburn with one amber eye and one ice-blue one; I told Andrew that is the kind of dog I would like someday.

Après le piscine

Okay... I think I got it right. It's supposed to say, "After the Pool." We finally received our pool memberships this past week and so have been spending a lot of time in the water... which is a good thing since it has been a stinky 85'F+ for the last week or so.

Not much to report - I'm still working on Willow's poncho - I would say it is about 70% finished. I noticed this morning that I had made a mistake on it and I was so mad and didn't want to rip it back. But, when I worked around to that place again, I figured out how to fix it (I had increased where I shouldn't have) without ripping it! Whew! My mood greatly improved after that. I bought a child's sweater pattern - it is almost bolero-like - at Garden of Yarn this afternoon. I didn't buy the DK yarn it called for because I figure I have enough of that around here. I know for certain I have some lime green cotton stashed away in the closet. I know I said I would work on something for myself but it is too hot right now to knit something adult sized. I now have the pattern for the Celtic Knot sweater - so maybe I will start on that when the weather gets cooler.

On the book front, this week I finished Robin Schone's Awaken my Love (time travel romance), Karin Kallmaker's One Degree of Separation (lesbian romance), Ann Brashares' Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (coming of age tale), and I'm in the process of listening to Nora Roberts' Northern Lights (murder mystery/romance) on CD at work. I picked up about 5 novels and a few more audiobooks from the yesterday and will be digging into them soon.

Who could resist this smile?!?!

Big Smile
Where on earth has my baby gone? I can't believe how close she is to being three. Today after dinner we sat up and read a Dora the Explorer cloze story (where occasional words are represented as pictures so a pre-literate child can 'read' along) and she seemed like such a big girl! I am almost tempted to start reading her Harry Potter...