{Stitchy Saturday}

Because I left my stash and projects behind in the move to temporary housing, I needed something to do. I am one of those people that can't just sit and watch television - my hands just can't be idle - they need to be moving, creating.

I needed something that was compact, cheap and portable. And I didn't necessarily want more knitting because I have a lovely little stash of special yarns at home and I really wanted to avoid buying more (how'd that work out for me? hehe). I had seen some truly wonderful embroidery around the blog-o-sphere lately, so I decided to dust off my skills and take them for a spin again. I haven't done needlework in a very, very long time (probably since before college was the last time) - so I had to brush up on my skills a little.

I started with the Joe-Joe, and then decided that I liked it enough to keep going. I pulled up the pdf's I had saved on my computer, and chose to work on one I had saved from Jenny over at the allsorts blog. It was her Christmas present to her followers, a little pair of sweet Elfies.
I decided to do mine in different colors (with some creative input from Xiris)- and they came out pretty cute. I traced the pattern with a fine mechanical pencil onto some lovely creamy Kona cotton. I don't know if pencil was the best choice, but I figured it would wear off with time, or at the very least rinse out should I decide to wash the finished product. I used a combination of split stitch for the outlines with two threads, and backstitches with one thread for the smaller details. I think it will become a little Christmas pillow for my holiday couch. I just love it.If you have a chance, check out her etsy shop, Loopsies. I've recently ordered her Maids collections, and I can't wait to work them up. I think I'll work them up into a little quilt or something sweet along those lines.

{I'll have an alpaca hugging my head soon enough}

I recently took a night away from the family to go experience a Knit Night in the city. Rather than fight traffic into the city on a Friday night, I decided to ride the "L" in. All went well for my first trip alone on the trains - until I got the station. I walked about a mile and a half in the WRONG direction, when it turned out I was just a block away from Loopy in the first place.

Oh well. I enjoyed it (aside from forgetting hat/scarf/mittens) because I walked along looking at things, reading signs, drinking my Starbucks - not fussing at a squirmy kid to stay with us/sit down, lugging a diaper bag and snack bag. Just me and my bag of knitting!

Once I found where I was supposed to be (after a few phone calls to an annoyed hubby!) - I had a great time, and didn't come home until well into the weeeeee morning hours.

Of course, I needed yarn - right?

Some organic cotton (I can't tell you the name because the store sticks HUGE labels on everything, and it covers the brand, but I remember it being organic.) for a Sophie (green) and an Elijah (pink). The little pouch just had to come home with me... doesn't he look like my logo, just a little bit? I couldn't resist - and when I get back to carrying a purse, I will use him as my change purse.


Check out the tote bag that I got with my purchase. It's drawn by Franklin - how frickin' awesome is that!? They had some of his prints up in the store too - maybe one day I'll see him there.Seriously - I can't wait to start knitting this stuff up.


I've always wanted a pet alpaca to wear on my head - I guess this is as close as I will get - but honestly - I'll take it! It's the perfect color and sooooooooooo squooshy!

{hello joe-joe}

Remember that little hint of a project I was working on?

Here's the end result. Joe-Joe the House Selling Saint.

I found this post over at the Happy Zombie. She just sold a house that had been on the market for a while - and she credits it to the tradition of Saint Joseph. So I downloaded the pattern and got to work. It's the first time I had colored on fabric with Crayola crayons - and I hadn't used my needle for embroidery in eons. Hubs and I both stuffed him while asking nicely to help sell the house.

In the end he came out really well and I got him packaged up and sent off to a friend so that we can get him installed in the house right away. She took this picture of where she stashed him - and I think it's perfect.




So Joe-Joe - sell the house!

{a tale of lost and found}

For some reason this morning, I woke up *NEEDING* to locate my wedding ring. I don't wear it everyday for a variety of reasons - and I don't have my usual storage place here. I usually keep it on our dresser in a little cup my father carved for me.

Here, I was keeping it on the ledge of the bar/breakfast thingy. So this morning, I woke up and searched. I have no idea why, really. Guess what was missing!? My wedding ring!

So I started panicking, looking under cushions, in the sink, under the fridge - everywhere. NOTHING. My last reaction was to crawl back into bed and start sobbing uncontrollably. I must have looked pathetic because Xiris took pitty on me and tried to locate it.

As a last ditch effort - he put on his ring and showed it to PrincessFace and said "this is daddy's ring. mommy has one just like it, but smaller, do you know where it is?"


Her response was to shout "I GOT IT I GOT IT!" and run away into her bedroom. Xiris followed her and found her playing with the computer tower stored in there. She again said "I GOT IT I GOT IT!" while trying to stick her finger in an air vent under the USB flap on the front of the machine. Xiris initially thought that she didn't understand what we were looking for - so he asked her again with the same response.


Look carefully. Do you see it?

Yep, somehow she had gotten ahold of it and found a time away from me long enough to WEDGE, SHOVE and CRAM that sucker in the hole. It was firmly lodged in that vent - between the metal of the tower and the NONREMOVEABLE plastic faceplate.

She was so proud of herself - although I think she was more proud of being able to understand the question and to tell us where it was.

When we found it, I crumpled on the floor with that silly kid in my arms and cried and kissed her silly. She thought that was great fun - but insisted that "mommy okay, kiss it better"

Sigh.

Honey, I Shrunk You!

I don't know how it happened - but somehow, I shrank us all! Oops. I hope I can figure out how to get us back to normal sizes soon...


I've finished the little Scrunchette, and that was all I brought from the stash to work on. I was limited on space in the car for the drive (given all the baby stuff) - and I didn't really think things through very well. As a result, I've taken up a hobby I haven't worked on in quite some time. I'm not very good at it, but it'll get better with practice. Here, I colored on some cream colored Kona cotton, ironed it in and now I am outlining it. A little superstitious project to help sell my house!It does require some sewing and stuffing - and without my machine, I will get to try my hand at stitching by hand. It's not to play with, so I think it'll be okay.


PS- sweetie, thanks for the good weekend. I love you! Hopefully the SuperWiggles PrincessFace is experiencing will soon pass! Of course, as soon as she's over it, we're in for another round with SpacePirate!

{I am so Scrunchable!}

After a couple of mis-starts, a few TINKING sessions and few more panicky GTalks with Trillian.

My Scrunchette: Pattern: Scrunchable by RosiG.
Yarn: Linnea's handspun Bonkers.
Mods: OMG! Many. It's the small size, one cable cross short and one finishing garter row short.
End Result: the PERFECT Scrunchette.

I am notorious for HATING things around my neck. I really don't like tutlenecks, so I was a bit worried about not liking this pattern in the end. I am so glad I stuck with it! By making it shorter than the pattern calls for and with this yarn, it is JUST RIGHT. I love love love love it. I haven't taken it off since I first put it on this morning. It feels so wonderful - especially right now with my body being taken over by Death.

On the yarn: I love it. I need more handspun! Forgive my lack of proper wordage here - but I love how sqooooshy it is, warm and soft - and the ply is pretty cool. I love the texture it gives. Linnea did such a great job with this yarn - it's so even and I love the way the slight color variances shift in and out of the plies.


Also, please forgive the horrible picture up there. I am still fighting whatever this horrible ick is that has invaded my body to the deepest core. My hair is in desperate need of a good wash and in even more need of a proper brushing and cut.

Hi sweetie! Checking on me again? A good post, I promise!

{Crappy Cellphone Pictures}

Because the kids and I are sick (again, still, whatever), I thought a post of pictures taken with the crappy cellphone were in order. I am seriously contemplating a way to do some sort of full body radiation/flush/recharge to get rid of this crap. Anyone have a giant magnet? If only it were that easy!

First up - where we are staying. The company is putting us up in a little apartment built on a retired Naval air base. It's cute, there's a movie theater, shopping and great dining. Makes things a little easier.Next up is a picture for the knitters! A tie! Seriously. It's at Brooks Brothers - the little pink sheep is knitting a scarf right off of the blue sheep. I keep trying to talk my hubby into getting it - but he won't. He just doesn't appreciate a good idea when he sees it!


And you know I can't post pictures without posting some of the kiddos. That reminds me- be sure to check out the flickr over on the right sidebar. I uploaded a few new pictures of first/second birthdays.

Here's the SpacePirate licking a window at a museum. Beyond disgusting, but sooooo cute. Blowfish!If you're going to talk on the phone - why not a pickle phone. They make the best kinds of phones!

Think I'll make it?

That's all there is. I've got one cable row, the 12 in between, a final cable, 4 garter ridges and the bind off. I don't think there is going to be enough, but I am knitting as fast as I can to find out.

I'm working with a 24" Boye needle from Michael's. I can't tell you how much it sucks - catches the yarn, tangles itself, stiff. I miss my needles - but oh well, you do what you can with what you've got.


On a side note: thanks to my friends who've contacted me in the last few days. I know things sound dramatic at times, but things are being worked out. I won't get into details because this isn't the place for it - let's just call it New Family Growing Pains, shall we.

Sometimes..

Sometimes I forget that I'm not writing a journal for my eyes only, but instead engaged in a very public forum with many eyes reading what I write. What I also didn't realize is that someone would take it upon themselves to be a tattling little child.

Sometimes a girl needs to vent.

Sometimes a girl should realize when she's interfering.

Toys with parts should ALWAYS come with storage...

This weekend we got the kids a set of simple Alphablocks. SpacePirate is all about stacking and knocking over right now, PrincessFace is all about letters. A toy for both - SCORE!

The problem is - I now have 2" cubes all over my apartment because they didn't come with anything to store them in when not in use (or when MommaBear wants them put away). It's driving me NUTS...

If I had my sewing machine - I'd whip up a simple lined (read: reversible) drawstring bag with a couple of fat quarters and a couple of bits of ribbon and one of those toggle things to cinch it up.

Any of my sewing friends want to whip one up for me? I'd gladly pay you. Something with the alphabet and numbers on it would be FAB.

Drop me a line if you can help. motionsickgirl, gmail.