tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55254932743055793372024-03-14T03:44:27.672-07:00shenaniganstrick or prank: a playful trick, mischievous prank, or other display of high spirits...a place where I share a glimpse into the craziness that is my life.Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525493274305579337.post-53799395218129019122012-03-10T01:56:00.000-08:002012-03-10T01:56:08.369-08:00Ruffle Diaper TutorialSo, I was asked to make a tutorial on how I sew a ruffled cloth diaper. This will be mostly pictures, since it's late...or early depending on where you are.<br />
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Starting off, I think the hardest thing is picking your fabric. I can sit for a very long time, mentally composing a diaper. When it comes time to go through my fabric, I'm honestly overwhelmed by all the choices I have.<br />
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Once you've picked your outer and inner fabrics, decide what colors you're going to use for the ruffles. For this tutorial, I'm using 2 inch strips of PUL in solid colors that match (or come pretty close to matching) the printed portion of my outer material. I like to cut the strips twice as long as I need them to allow for maximum ruffling. In this case, I just used some strips that I already had (the light pink), and then cut 2 other strips for a total of 3.<br />
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So, to make the ruffles, I take 3/8" lastin and sew it down with a 3 step zig-zag stitch, stretching it as I go. I start off by having about an inch and a half or two inches hanging off the back so that I have something to grab on to.<br />
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This is the stitch setting I use...<br />
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I stretch the fabric behind the needle, as well as the elastic in front of the needle. Obviously I can't show you a picture of me doing both of these at the same time, as I was not blessed with a 3rd hand...I also don't own a tripod. So, in this picture, you can see me stretching from behind, in the next picture, you can see me stretching the lastin from the front.<br />
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When I come to the end of the strip, I continue pulling the lastin from the front and back, and let the feed dogs on my machine move the fabric through. I then secure my stitches before I go off the end of the fabric.<br />
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When it comes to sewing the ruffles down to the diaper outer, I really like doing it on outers where I pieced the PUL together. It doesn't have to be this way of course, but it helps me line things up very nicely.<br />
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For the next row, I put it so that it's just covering the zig-zag from the row below it.<br />
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Before I sew the inner, I roll in and secure the edges of the bottom row to make sure I don't accidentally catch them in the seam allowance.<br />
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After this point, continue sewing your diaper as normal...inner to outer, right sides together, etc etc. And through the magic of the internet, here's the finished diaper...<br />
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<br />Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525493274305579337.post-72553903517583756122011-06-14T23:30:00.000-07:002011-06-14T23:30:35.299-07:002am ramblingsIt's 2 am...well 2:26 to be more precise. I'm still up. I figured I'd be in bed by now. But...there was laundry to fold (crud, the towels are still in the dryer), knitting to do (got 2 more pattern repeats done, 16 to go!), and a bit of wool that was dyed today to be re-skeined.<br />
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I took what I had left of Patons natural (maybe a little less than half a skein) and dyed it in the crock pot with 2 packets of Tropical Punch Kool-aid and about a teaspoon of Wilton's sky blue. The result :<br />
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I'm hoping it's enough for a pair of newborn shorties, or a soaker at the very least.<br />
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My brain doesn't seem to realize that the rest of me is still awake. I'm pretty sure it's already upstairs and fast asleep. I think I'll let the rest of me go join it.Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525493274305579337.post-28020596831135611842011-06-07T18:50:00.000-07:002011-06-08T09:48:22.413-07:00Crock pot dye job with WiltonsI'm sharing this for my sister, who asked to see my process when I dye wool with my crock pot and Wilton's icing gels. I start by turning the ball of wool into a skein / hank. Now, I don't have a nifty yarn swift, or even a non-nifty one, so I wrapped my wool around 2 kitchen chairs. Sadly, I did not get a picture of this. The toddler was intent on helping me, so my skein is not very pretty.<br />
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Make sure to tie it loosely in 5-6 different places to keep it from tangling. Next, I shoved the whole thing into a bowl of lukewarm water with a tiny splash of vinegar added. The vinegar helps the fiber open up to receive dye. I don't soak for long...maybe 30 minutes.<br />
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I put a pot lid on top of the wool to keep it down in the water...it kept wanting to poof up. After I determined<strike> I'd waited long enough</strike> that a proper amount of time had passed, I gently (GENTLY) squeezed the water out of the wool and placed it back on the towel from the picture above. Then I rolled it up in the towel and had the toddler help me walk all over it to squeeze any excess water out. Next it was time to prepare my dye.<br />
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I'm using Wilton's Rose, Violet, Black, and Sky Blue. Yes I know purple and black break...I'm counting on it. I don't really measure the amount of dye I put in. The more dye you use, the more vibrant your color will be...however, there is such a thing as too much dye.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">A healthy dollop will do...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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To each jar, I added a little bit of hot water. Wilton's icing gels need hot water to dissolve. After I've <strike>stirred long enough</strike> dissolved the colors in the water, I filled the jars up to the halfway point (okay I got pretty darn close) with more hot water. Now, since most of my colors in this experiment have red of some sort in them, I start off with a very small amount of vinegar in each jar...a teaspoon for the black, purple, and rose, and a tablespoon for the sky blue.<br />
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Next, place the jars in the crock pot as best as you can and fill the pot about halfway with hot water. <strike>Shove</strike> Gently feed your wool into the jars however you see fit.<br />
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Set your crock pot to...well...I don't know that part. I just put mine on the "high / 6 hours" setting. You can play around with it.<br />
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It's only been about 4 hours, and my wool is happily bathing away. The thing to remember about black and purple is that they're comprised of many different colors. Red takes a small amount of acid to soak up into the fiber, while blue and green need more. That's why I start off by adding only a small amount of vinegar. I went back around 30 minutes later and added more. Periodically, I took off the lid and added a little more depending on what color the water was.<br />
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Since it's only been 4 hours, my wool is still soaking in the jars. You need to wait until the water in your jars is clear before turning the pot off. Once that's done the really hard part comes....letting the wool sit there to cool down. You don't want to try to pick it up with your bare hands, it's HOT!! And, if you move wet wool around too much while it's hot, there's a good chance you're going to felt it...and then where will you be? huh? HUH?!<br />
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I'll add pictures after I decide it's been cooking long enough, or I get too bored. Last I looked, about 15 minutes ago, it was almost done. In the meantime, here are some links to other wool dying tutorials using kool-aid, food coloring, or icing gels...<br />
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<a href="http://www.diaperswappers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1008444&highlight=wiltons+dye">Tutorial for handpainting with Wilton's</a><br />
<a href="http://noodleknit.wordpress.com/2007/06/30/how-to-dye-self-striping-yarn/">How to Dye self striping yarn</a><br />
<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/what-a-kool-way-to-dye/162543/1-25#11">Ravelry - Dying black with Wilton's</a> (if you're not a member of Ravelry you SHOULD be)<br />
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Okay, morning has come and the wool is dried. Something in it didn't set right because my hands are pink. Before I use it or sell it, I'll re-set the dye and see how that goes. I'm just adding the pictures from last night and this morning, explanation at this point is moot.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i313.photobucket.com/albums/ll363/alleusion/Fiber/dye_process_019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://i313.photobucket.com/albums/ll363/alleusion/Fiber/dye_process_019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525493274305579337.post-62098497328079709712011-03-28T15:33:00.000-07:002011-03-28T15:33:15.568-07:00Still....broken?Two doctors appointments today...one for me, and one for Tristan. Poor little man got 2 shots. He's weighing in at 25 pounds, is a whopping 79 cm tall and right on track for everything, developmentally. He was not happy to get poked though.<br />
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As for me, I had my appointment with the ortho. They took new x-rays and then I sat down while they poked and prodded my very sore, very sensitive ankle. The doctor, then sat back and asked me what I wanted them to do for me.<br />
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"Um, make it stop hurting?"<br />
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He went to consult with the main doctor, who came over to me and repoked where the previous jerk poked. I was crawling up the walls in tears begging them not to touch me anymore. The main doctor said it was likely ("likely") and avulsion. I have no idea what that is, and I don't think I want to know. But, in the end, they presented me with a walking cast and an appointment for 2 weeks from now.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/189540_1619718374178_1272963209_31295841_6027296_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/189540_1619718374178_1272963209_31295841_6027296_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525493274305579337.post-52223173973387669372011-03-11T18:15:00.000-08:002011-03-11T18:15:59.969-08:00BrokenI broke my foot. I slipped while going down the stairs and somehow a major ligament in my left ankle chipped a piece of bone. I went to the ER last night, they x-rayed it and sent me home, saying it was just bruised and maybe sprained and I should elevate it, ice it, and take tylenol for any pain.<br />
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This morning, the hospital called me saying "ya know what, we were wrong...the radiologist looked at your films and says it's broken, would you mind coming back?" So off I went. I now have a half cast on my left foot, and a consult with an orthopedic surgeon. They should be calling me on Monday to tell me when to come in and be tortured.<br />
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For now...crutches and total reliance on other people. I'm so not the type of person to ask for help from others, so this is going to be hard on me. Nothing else I can do though, right?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/190734_1592086363395_1272963209_31259403_4855675_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/190734_1592086363395_1272963209_31259403_4855675_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525493274305579337.post-69868921166671933582011-03-08T16:22:00.000-08:002011-03-08T16:22:00.690-08:00Sit and spinI got a spinning wheel last weekend. It's one more thing to add to my collection of hobby things. But the thing is, it seems I'm good at it. I wasn't so good at it when I took it home and tried on my own. Laurie (owner of <a href="http://theblacklamb.ca/">http://theblacklamb.ca/</a>) gave me a pound each of white and navy blue merino/nylon pencil roving. I was so excited, except I couldn't spin with it no matter what I tried. It just kept breaking if I tried to draft it any thinner.<br />
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Well, my friend Catherine in Peterborough sent me a message on FB and said if I wanted to, I could bring the wheel to her house and she could help me out. The next morning, Emily and I drove up there and spent the day with Catherine. It didn't take long before I was at the point of giving up. Then I spied the bag of "good" fiber that had my spindle sitting inside of it. I thought I'd try to spin with it "just to see". The second I got that fiber on the leader yarn, I was spinning like I'd been born with a spinning wheel in my hands (my poor mother). It's thin...not sock yarn or lace weight thin, but thin. It's consistently thin...and the most important thing...it's EASY!<br />
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I've spun almost half the bag so far, filling up my bobbin quite nicely. I'll have to do some serious hunting for my camera charger because I really want to take some more pictures of this. The only picture I have is one that Catherine took for me while we were at her house. This is what I started out with :<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4WLvYElSnz100hj6s3SOLf3P38J3HYEH5mx5fXil-V6JbObx4_buei-XtpEonnEAc2mJrsYx9WbLp37a_RPbPBsQLjPz_PBF6RFG6MuZeTcGF38J_iaADa7RemnMpx78ueTry3bSB5A7F/s1600/IMG_2413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4WLvYElSnz100hj6s3SOLf3P38J3HYEH5mx5fXil-V6JbObx4_buei-XtpEonnEAc2mJrsYx9WbLp37a_RPbPBsQLjPz_PBF6RFG6MuZeTcGF38J_iaADa7RemnMpx78ueTry3bSB5A7F/s320/IMG_2413.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This is what I have so far:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ePwGHdnuF3iOxiSpcguljnWyXQ4Qp0ww_quZjsxNImqYMZCWxlUK-48mHjWjpDTXbPPBELi-9t9EL0xauJ7QCUIW8U20PxIQZoZ2a9Fi7B_8FLscPWlkQjM7AcZnVuQL4clgatMpNYuk/s1600/DSC_0074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ePwGHdnuF3iOxiSpcguljnWyXQ4Qp0ww_quZjsxNImqYMZCWxlUK-48mHjWjpDTXbPPBELi-9t9EL0xauJ7QCUIW8U20PxIQZoZ2a9Fi7B_8FLscPWlkQjM7AcZnVuQL4clgatMpNYuk/s320/DSC_0074.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525493274305579337.post-6959164046724815952010-10-22T06:22:00.000-07:002010-10-22T06:22:55.435-07:00Mr. ScreechyMy youngest child is 10 months old. Because he is 10 months old, his powers of conversation have not quite developed yet. Oh he can say Dada and bah bah bah bah and every once in a blue moon he'll spout off with a Mama! His favourite noise though seems to be the screech. And not like a normal baby squeal. No, this boy lets loose an ear drum rattling, glass shattering honest to goodness shrill screech. He does it most often when he's in his exersaucer. I'm starting to think he doesn't like it in there. But then I look back at him and he's as happy as can be...screeching away like a Ring Wraith.Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525493274305579337.post-3993369124442341812010-10-21T06:38:00.000-07:002010-10-21T06:38:29.818-07:00GoalsIt's good to have goals. I find sometimes though that putting out a list of things I need to do can do one of two things. Either motivate me, or overwhelm me. Here's today's list...let's see what happens with it.<br />
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<ol><li>FOM diaper for a diva</li>
<li>Apply eyelets to the costume</li>
<li> Hoodies for Emily and Tristan</li>
<li>flannel jammies for Tristan</li>
<li>Charlie Tee Hoodie (4T) for the neighbor</li>
</ol><ul><li>need to trace out 4T pattern</li>
<li>cut out fabric</li>
</ul><br />
Anything missing from the list? Oh yeah...packing. See...we're moving next week. A week from today in fact. And not a single thing has been packed away. Baby clothes need to be sorted. There's this mountain of laundry in the basement that has been there for almost a year waiting for someone to sort it into what fits and what doesn't. Why haven't I done it? Because it's a huge job. No one else around here seems to be interested in doing it, and on top of everything else I do around here, add that would just be too much.<br />
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This weekend I think, everyone is going to pitch in, roll up their sleeves and get to sorting and packing.<br />
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Before I go, here's a few pictures of the hoodie I made yesterday and the costume's progress up till now.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tKrcfyvu8TPFGdkNxnfpBb5cWZ4VW2PGapVQnaIECFOz3BGHrON18VuFvhnnxH7dMsoGFc55M4VcQY3O6e9K0z606T9ky0uhoGCbat3pzbG308UFiPDl3dwYEyvx4xrkS31ln1XLOA4b/s1600/sewing_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tKrcfyvu8TPFGdkNxnfpBb5cWZ4VW2PGapVQnaIECFOz3BGHrON18VuFvhnnxH7dMsoGFc55M4VcQY3O6e9K0z606T9ky0uhoGCbat3pzbG308UFiPDl3dwYEyvx4xrkS31ln1XLOA4b/s320/sewing_0003.JPG" width="125" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtvLZ0SrjxTqEbb5USRxypZ0uF853OYcfVcGAjtNfdSVw4RlA6lTgpP54WzWp1Yjr6qiXZyRi6WJIWVDtbB-z_ADha8UEeGl-P-pZVuoyhf-98bDVmD_k_7py9bZYU2opwrJHjdf2kcPhh/s1600/sewing_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtvLZ0SrjxTqEbb5USRxypZ0uF853OYcfVcGAjtNfdSVw4RlA6lTgpP54WzWp1Yjr6qiXZyRi6WJIWVDtbB-z_ADha8UEeGl-P-pZVuoyhf-98bDVmD_k_7py9bZYU2opwrJHjdf2kcPhh/s320/sewing_0001.JPG" width="283" /></a></div>Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525493274305579337.post-66035222089488347432010-10-19T08:52:00.000-07:002010-10-19T08:54:14.687-07:00Cloth diapersI love my cloth diapers. I really do. I love the fact that cloth diapers cost less than Pampers. I love that my babies rarely ever have a diaper rash. I love making my own diapers and placing something that I sewed myself on my baby's bottom. I don't mind washing the diapers, it's a part of life.<br />
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Let's stop for a moment. People have asked me about this part of the cloth diapering process. They say "but what about the poo, isn't it gross to wash it?" Um...well kind of, but I do it. I mean, when you're teaching a child how to use the big person toilet, and they have accidents in their clothing, do you throw out the clothes they were wearing that got poo on them? Do you throw out clothes that got messy when a disposable diaper leaked? I don't. I don't have enough money to be replacing clothes just because they got a little poo on them.<br />
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And don't tell me you've never been poo'd on by a baby that belongs to you. Like spit up...it happens.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnshciIR7tCRDfUGwNGx2VcAT8AaMymcxrP7WdNXiQ53rpDFVxGxvyybUGY357oJivkHyil8nsRvXYPPnrltCcKKbUYmHBsfENgI7-saGjbwjeE9NomX0JiKb07QJ7kr9Tbl31J9RjWr17/s1600/inventory_0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnshciIR7tCRDfUGwNGx2VcAT8AaMymcxrP7WdNXiQ53rpDFVxGxvyybUGY357oJivkHyil8nsRvXYPPnrltCcKKbUYmHBsfENgI7-saGjbwjeE9NomX0JiKb07QJ7kr9Tbl31J9RjWr17/s200/inventory_0033.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Back to the cloth. I have this obsession. It's called Ooga. My Ooga obsession started innocently enough...I bought a yard of fabric with these cute little red and green monsters all over it (pictured all the way to the left). Over the next year, I got more as new colours were introduced. Last night, 2 more colours arrived in the mail and are in the wash as we speak...blue / brown, and a Halloween orange, black, and yellow.<br />
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Andrew gave me this "look" as I was <strike>lovingly petting</strike> calmly going through my packages. It was then that he told me I wasn't allowed to buy any more of this fabric until I sewed up what I already had. And that right there is my problem. I love this fabric too much to cut into it. But won't I love it just as much on my babies as I love it sitting neatly folded in my fabric stash? Because really...if I sew it, then I can see it every time one of my babies are wearing something I made them from it. But...then it'll be gone! I'll have used it up and I won't have anymore to <strike>lovingly pet</strike> have sitting in my fabric pile.<br />
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Oh but wait...if I sew with it, I can buy more colours! Oh yeah, and I still have one more colour coming (pink / brown) and some that have been laminated....for making diapers of course.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUPKSO73x8M-okgJKgoYhmQYVtqm3WzeqFb_ehCzwnKiDviuin12GsVVB2C87_Zge3OPToNj_vThpahBilz3X8HeTgL7LDGhSx4gn51cYgjWexqwe9XLGTheML-UTsjwq3Efl7KWpbomx/s1600/CharlieTee_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUPKSO73x8M-okgJKgoYhmQYVtqm3WzeqFb_ehCzwnKiDviuin12GsVVB2C87_Zge3OPToNj_vThpahBilz3X8HeTgL7LDGhSx4gn51cYgjWexqwe9XLGTheML-UTsjwq3Efl7KWpbomx/s200/CharlieTee_0001.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIngfcZDNeWruZ9rAoG_cpE6p-7_R3NVY8jrDm7XGR2VdU5L78bcM6srKuXJcAm8OsRMHp4WXJ-QY9Nl5sZyHUNQXZpp89_hAdfQ9s8_V5MZnTU9hVJhQk7cpWoQNk4HlOhVpzKWoecGg7/s1600/CharlieTee_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIngfcZDNeWruZ9rAoG_cpE6p-7_R3NVY8jrDm7XGR2VdU5L78bcM6srKuXJcAm8OsRMHp4WXJ-QY9Nl5sZyHUNQXZpp89_hAdfQ9s8_V5MZnTU9hVJhQk7cpWoQNk4HlOhVpzKWoecGg7/s200/CharlieTee_0007.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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And I DID sew with it btw...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525493274305579337.post-82891591367437984892010-10-18T12:01:00.000-07:002010-10-18T12:01:57.973-07:00Two yearsIt's been two years since I've posted to this blog. I didn't even think it was still here.<br />
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So very much has happened in what seems to be such a short time. Lets see...2 years ago, I was stuck in Texas while my husband was stuck in Canada. The kids and I made it back up here in time to welcome someone new to the family. Oh wait, let's back track a bit.<br />
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February 2009 - Moved from south Texas to the middle of Oklahoma. Got a job, got settled in a house that should have been condemned, and got busy working towards getting back to Canada.<br />
April 2009 - Took Emily up to Canada to celebrate her first birthday with her daddy and grandparents...came home with a surprise.<br />
September 2009 - Found out on my wedding anniversary that our request for permanent residence into Canada had been completed, but no, they couldn't tell us what the answer was, only that there was an answer.<br />
October 2009 - The application was approved and we could finalize our moving plans...the only hitch, I was 8 months pregnant. Time was an issue, money was an issue, everything seemed to be an issue.<br />
November 2009 - We drove for 3 days and landed into Canada on Black Friday, we had much to be thankful for on that Thanksgiving.<br />
December 16, 2009 - That little "surprise" I brought home from Canada back in April decided to make his appearance almost 3 weeks early at 11:47pm. Tristan Alexander arrived weighing in at 8 pounds 4.9 oz.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzC1i-4hJZXI8zkA7aMgVZXbW8Qhj-ir0J-kt4RquM4yKnCfJyWCvEnBA0w0l0VAK4occvvVgWrC4iDoJmdXpOQcRvSKPjO-zwHY8eVXGUUwdUJkWCxI4FmqAMoeOOWE2vNggUYXyM65n_/s1600/0Mos-Fresh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzC1i-4hJZXI8zkA7aMgVZXbW8Qhj-ir0J-kt4RquM4yKnCfJyWCvEnBA0w0l0VAK4occvvVgWrC4iDoJmdXpOQcRvSKPjO-zwHY8eVXGUUwdUJkWCxI4FmqAMoeOOWE2vNggUYXyM65n_/s1600/0Mos-Fresh.jpg" /></a></div>That was the peanut right after he was born. So small and pink and angry at the world. This is the peanut now...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPdw2c-DK6npglM5BTXa0EAsTkqzlf72ZJzPnqbbY1vGFFtO2BoTzDr50rqzfX7DVTa8drbQRCL6pLV3HYZX4CrcHxuTzPcvfus-87EU06QiFoTKuubyxGbjLAHu3HZhMHBj_-tzoqJQu/s1600/familyfun_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPdw2c-DK6npglM5BTXa0EAsTkqzlf72ZJzPnqbbY1vGFFtO2BoTzDr50rqzfX7DVTa8drbQRCL6pLV3HYZX4CrcHxuTzPcvfus-87EU06QiFoTKuubyxGbjLAHu3HZhMHBj_-tzoqJQu/s320/familyfun_0020.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><br />
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Fast forward almost a full year. We're moving again, but this time not so far. We bought a house just down the street. We move in a week and a half. I'm in a flurry of sewing for Halloween, sewing for babies, deciding if I want to pack, knowing that if I pack something, I'm going to need it within the next 24 hours. And not just a "oh it can wait a few days need", I'll need it like NOW.<br />
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So, that's where we stand. I feel a little guilty going 2 years without a blog entry, but I mean, it's not like anyone really reads these things...right?Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525493274305579337.post-39833888170163849602008-10-11T16:27:00.000-07:002008-10-11T16:29:05.611-07:00Priceless..<span style="font-family:verdana;">Bouncy seat....$40<br />Talking plush Bee...$9<br />Empty McDonald's cup....absolutely free<br /><br />Guess which one wins as the favourite toy?<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipo0tJsQUX-Mf-ybeZ_fD58MP4qW9CaN1NatT7t2VHTyIieJGU00SMOV1eIpCK4VsuxD0NiEs3mKRgTteufk73V_KPIKGAOaM9yC3OiEnVHRTkVYNoJli0stsYs-y97Oe5meLBiyspo0L5/s1600-h/newtoy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipo0tJsQUX-Mf-ybeZ_fD58MP4qW9CaN1NatT7t2VHTyIieJGU00SMOV1eIpCK4VsuxD0NiEs3mKRgTteufk73V_KPIKGAOaM9yC3OiEnVHRTkVYNoJli0stsYs-y97Oe5meLBiyspo0L5/s200/newtoy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256042401818331762" border="0" /></a>Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525493274305579337.post-76991435878695154632008-09-30T17:22:00.000-07:002008-09-30T17:53:52.944-07:00Like I said...<span style="font-family:verdana;">I tend to ignore the fact that I have a blog. Life gets in the way sometimes, and other times, I just don't think what I have to say is interesting. But here it is.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">It's now September, tomorrow will be October. Emily is 6 months old and I'm not in Canada anymore. The kids and I are in Texas, the husband is in Ontario. Oh it's such a long story that I don't even want to go into it. Let's just say immigration sucks and leave it at that.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I got a job today. It's not spectacular and it's not what I was looking for, but it is a job and a paycheck and that's the best I can hope for right now. I'll end with the monkey's latest picture.<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_65qtI2M7NJRbohiFfTHFVFhyZEC5g97TH9JeVEpArqyQGgdrVQGFcdd8CrcxbELpBYbTt5dnRU3EreqXqJ0QRQuVjTGnF6QuSy5bnRF3fw_ueGtQg7APbQRzOJAxCKIZSxkgvijsO6vO/s1600-h/IMG_1692.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_65qtI2M7NJRbohiFfTHFVFhyZEC5g97TH9JeVEpArqyQGgdrVQGFcdd8CrcxbELpBYbTt5dnRU3EreqXqJ0QRQuVjTGnF6QuSy5bnRF3fw_ueGtQg7APbQRzOJAxCKIZSxkgvijsO6vO/s200/IMG_1692.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251982276638957938" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span>Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525493274305579337.post-41260410686082173112008-06-06T06:16:00.000-07:002008-06-06T06:28:44.362-07:00So, I'm not good at thisIn a post on a board I belong to, we got to talking about blogs. I realized, I'm not such a good blogger. I don't keep up with things. I don't update often. But meh, I should. It ranks right up there with housecleaning and going through old clothes. I know I should, but do I really really want to? Do I strive for perfection in it? Newp.<br /><br />So, to sum up the past 4 months since I blooged. I had a baby.<br /><br />That pretty much covers it. Emily Elizabeth was born via c-section on March 25, 2008. We opted for a section because I'd had a previous one. It seemed easier this way, add to that the fact that I was terrified to go into labour because of how traumatic Tamberly's birth was. So a section it was. The surgeon's assistant didn't even show up until they were almost done and sewing me back up...yet we still had to pay him. But back to the baby. . .she weighed in at 8 pounds 3.9 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long. 2 months later, she's 10 pounds 7 ounces and 22 inches long.<br /><br />She's growing so big and is getting into her personality. Her eyes are still blue and her doctor said there's a 75% chance she'll keep them. She doesn't cry often, and when she does it's because you didn't get what she wanted fast enough. She gives you a good 5 minutes to figure out why she has her fussy face on first.<br /><br />I could go on and on about my baby, but if I did, there would be nothing new to blog about the next time I decide to put something out there. I'll leave this one with a picture or two of Captain Cranky Pants.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyI96hrAaWb6GYU2EZwKXGT8rjjpZcFTF-UGVJWtc2Py1F0q_cyghxCpiuHYLEiJuRyR5He2IHUrzVNVwRytj_uFUhvu2YVq-AwLjN05Jahwa294UOeuhRAnYh7oMWjzFrtXyKMSgV9nX/s1600-h/birth_tastyfinger.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyI96hrAaWb6GYU2EZwKXGT8rjjpZcFTF-UGVJWtc2Py1F0q_cyghxCpiuHYLEiJuRyR5He2IHUrzVNVwRytj_uFUhvu2YVq-AwLjN05Jahwa294UOeuhRAnYh7oMWjzFrtXyKMSgV9nX/s200/birth_tastyfinger.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208758768678353890" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn27xMdVQAh73yjDqUtwt37OVRxhE__YA5l6oCKMbOT3EaIfyUGwP5LnGmS6Idk8MGfOhfiWN25LbKbOvIeKtffAxLvBC31H74nsOVkrWBNLisB8k45-gPBD_k9gBak6CJzk6r_d7lkks-/s1600-h/emily+528+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn27xMdVQAh73yjDqUtwt37OVRxhE__YA5l6oCKMbOT3EaIfyUGwP5LnGmS6Idk8MGfOhfiWN25LbKbOvIeKtffAxLvBC31H74nsOVkrWBNLisB8k45-gPBD_k9gBak6CJzk6r_d7lkks-/s200/emily+528+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208759844518283138" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yTScsnliPeOKYTsAKbB47aXZYKmCjinuZKh8wnqux_JxNhXk4Orv5_mKTSBc21Lkakl2lGdpQwD4SQ-Y7QUw-vKx_VAqcu9QoGOwsIlZaiK5HqTbvMAJ7nXA5WHvcPpi9-vdIXoAPFRO/s1600-h/emily416+010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yTScsnliPeOKYTsAKbB47aXZYKmCjinuZKh8wnqux_JxNhXk4Orv5_mKTSBc21Lkakl2lGdpQwD4SQ-Y7QUw-vKx_VAqcu9QoGOwsIlZaiK5HqTbvMAJ7nXA5WHvcPpi9-vdIXoAPFRO/s200/emily416+010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208759270670319762" border="0" /></a>Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525493274305579337.post-64590388238663527502008-02-01T07:15:00.000-08:002008-02-01T07:24:35.287-08:00It's snuffling<span style="font-family: verdana;">It's snuffling today. I woke up to the sound of scrapping, knowing it could only mean one thing. My anal retentive neighbor was shoveling his driveway. He does this at 2am....at 8am...and whenever more than .01cm of snow collects on his driveway. He also salted it, which is a good thing, because looking outside at the continued snowfall, his shoveling efforts are kind of wasted. Me....I'm not touching the driveway right now.<br /><br />Why? Well a few reasons.<br /><br /></span><ol><li>I'm pregnant....the last time I shoveled snow, I had contractions all day.</li><li>It's still freakin snowing! I think I'll wait until it's done, then make the kids do it.</li><li>The car is in the driveway. Yes yes, I know, I should have put it in the garage when I got back from the store last night, but I didn't expect to wake up to 4 inches of snow.</li><li>The plow. The man who drives the plow hates me. For some reason when they do my street, they only dump the snow on my side. It's like they go down one side of the street, leave a nice pile of snow in the middle, then circle around and go down my side of the street in the same direction that they went the first time, and all the snow from the middle as well as my side is now dumped at the base of my driveway. I learned my lesson in shoveling before the plow came once.....I won't make that mistake again.</li></ol><br />In knitting news.....<br /><br />I finished the Unoriginal Hat. However, in my mind, it should be called the Unfortunate Hat. The pattern is lovely and it was fast and easy to do. But.....it does not fit an adult human. It doesn't even fit a non-adult human. This hat will fit my unborn baby when it arrives. It honestly didn't look that small while I was knitting it. I cast on the right number of stitches, I used the appropriate yarn, I even went UP a needle size to ensure it would fit me. Blocking was no help at all.....I now have a nice hat for my baby....that doesn't look like a hat you would put on a baby (wrong color / type of yarn).<br /><br />I'm debating trying again, but I'm so disappointed in it. I think I'll just set the hat aside and we will never speak of it. I do however <span style="font-weight: bold;">need</span> a winter hat. I've checked the hats at the stores and they're just not my type, all fuzzy brims and froo-froo ness. I think a simple beanie in a 1x2 or 1x1 rib will work out fine. I just have to resign myself to knowing that the knitting goddess has the same sentiment for me as I do for the plow man.Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525493274305579337.post-86665288758868814202008-01-27T07:59:00.000-08:002008-01-27T08:12:51.414-08:00Catching up<span style="font-family:verdana;">Funny how things get backed up when you get sick. Everyone (except the kids - go figure!) in the house got sick just after New Years. I finally feel human again.<br /><br />So since I'm catching up, lets see how things have been going.<br /><br />The baby is growing more and more everyday. I think she's finally turned head down and my worries about having to deliver a breech baby again are going away. She's fond of kicking my ribs and using my bladder as a pillow. I'm 31 weeks today, and if all goes as planned, in 9 weeks (ish), I'll have a new baby girl.<br /><br />In knitting news...<br /><br />The bliss blanket is halfway done. I haven't had a chance to take a picture of it recently, but I'll get on that. I started my portion of a charity baby blanket. It's really cool, one person starts the blanket, knits 4 inches and sends it to the next person. Then, they have 2 weeks to knit 4 inches and send it on. When the last person finishes their 4 inches, it gets sent back to the person who started it and a new blanket is started. The blankets are delivered to a hospital to give to babies in need. I believe there are currently 8 (?) charity baby blankets out there in the US, Canada, and the UK.<br /><br />I started a hat for myself. I'm using the Yarn Harlot's Unoriginal Hat pattern and Moda Dea Tweedle yarn in the blue heather colourway. It's so nice and soft and was on sale at Michael's when I got it. Sales are good. They make me feel warm and fuzzy. I also started a pair of baby Ugg booties for a friend. She's having a girl and asked for a bright colour. The yarn store I went to only had the Berroco Suede in blue, brown, light purple, bright pink, and orange. I didn't think she was an orange-y type person, so I grabbed the pink. If she's not thrilled with it...well I'll keep these and go find a different colour for her....but I think she'll like them.<br /><br />Oh and I finished something too (hey wait, stop pretending to have a heart attack, it's not nice). I ran across a pattern for a baby washcloth. It just so happened, I had the right yarn and right sized needles in my stash, so I cast on right away. Only took two days and the finished result is pretty cool. I have yellow in the same yarn and I think blue and white too. I'd like to make a matching set of these washcloths. Maybe the yellow and other colours do the baby's initials instead of the feet.<br /><br />I know this blog post isn't extremely amusing or otherwise entertaining. Give me some time to get back up to feeling like a person again instead of a sick cow.<br /><br />Moo...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos.alleusion.com/albums/userpics/10001/sunny%20004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://photos.alleusion.com/albums/userpics/10001/sunny%20004.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Oh and here's a picture of the yarn I'm using for my part of the charity baby blanket. Isn't it so nice and pretty and bright?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos.alleusion.com/albums/userpics/10001/sunny%20002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://photos.alleusion.com/albums/userpics/10001/sunny%20002.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span>Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525493274305579337.post-80703549883835260002008-01-08T06:31:00.000-08:002008-01-08T06:38:16.411-08:00Pitter patter<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos.alleusion.com/albums/userpics/10001/baby%20sock.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://photos.alleusion.com/albums/userpics/10001/baby%20sock.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Yes, little feet. I put down the blanket for a few days to work on finishing the socks I started at Christmas. The main reason I'd stopped working on them, is the pattern called for working on 5 dpns and I only had 4 of the size required. So, I had to wait until I could go buy another package. Hehe, now I have 8!<br /><br />The socks knit up very quickly, but right away, I could see some problems. See, the yarn I was using didn't have a ball band. I had no idea what weight it was, the manufacturer, the fiber content, nothing. But I wanted pink baby socks, and by golly, pink baby socks I was going to get.<br /><br />I had a suspicion that it was cotton yarn, which was perfectly okay. The socks ended up looking too big in the cuff, and too small in the foot part. But, it was my first pair of socks ever, so I was happy. Then, while I was searching my smal stash, I found a ball of Rowan Cotton. The weight, texture, and everything else about the ball I made the socks out of matched this Rowan I had found. So, I'm thinking they're like family or something.<br /><br />The thing is, the Rowan was worsted weight and the pattern asked for DK weight. Okay, so lesson learned this time. I have a ball of DK in acrylic, which I wouldn't mind making up into another pair of socks. I'd like to get some wool or other natural fiber to make other pairs of socks with, but that'll have to wait a little bit. For now, I'm going to rejoice in my first ever pair of socks.Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525493274305579337.post-55475587387398450042008-01-05T09:17:00.000-08:002008-01-05T09:20:48.212-08:00Entrelac is not hardSo far this balnket is humming along. I've got the base row of triangles, and the first and second tier done. Now it's just repeat tiers 1 and 2 8 times, a row of top triangles and bam! I have a baby blanket.<br /><br />Except....<br /><br />Well...one should not actually attempt knitting entrelac in the dark. Literally, without lighting instruments. To be fair, not completely without light. Sleep deprivation led me to believe that knitting by the light of the TV and computer combined was a wonderful idea at 4am.<br /><br />Not so much.<br /><br />The good news is, it's really easy to frog a rectangle or 3 in Entrelac as long as one pays attention....and has a light.Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525493274305579337.post-27613886775503479892008-01-04T09:11:00.001-08:002008-01-04T09:24:17.475-08:00Bliss<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos.alleusion.com/albums/userpics/10001/bliss.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://photos.alleusion.com/albums/userpics/10001/bliss.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I started this blanket the day before yesterday. It's beginnings came under dark clouds, sad to say. I had been crocheting a hooded blanket for my baby to be, but, a mere 6 inches from the end, I noticed a fatal error.<br /><br />See, the blanket I was making started out at 25 inches in width along the bottom. I didn't notice until halfway through that I was using the wrong yarn, and wrong hook size, so the size I had was not going to mesh with the pattern size. But I shrugged and plodded on.<br /><br />One night, I thought I was being clever and took the blanket out in public with me to work on at a meeting, but I left the pattern at home. Somehow, I added a few stitches in some of the rows, and the result was a very noticeable buldge along one of the side edges. Again, this was a mistake I could overlook. I firmly believed that when the edging was done, it would cover the mistake....or at least make it less noticable.<br /><br />Well, New Year's Day, I pulled it out to finish the blanket part so I could get about with the hooded part. After crocheting happily for an hour or so, I decided to measure it. I laid it out flat and measured the width along the bottom. Still 25 inches. Then I took a good look at it. The top (where I was still adding to it) was not the same width as the bottom. With a wee bit of dread in my heart, I measured the top.<br /><br />...23 inches...<br /><br />Somewhere between the bump mistake and where I had stopped to measure, I had LOST 2 inches. Looking at the blanket, I could theoretically see where the lost stitches had occured. But looking at it the way it was...I knew I could not continue on. I would have to frog back to one of the mistakes. Either the bump or the decrease would have to be corrected. But the bump was halfway down. If I took out that much work, I would not have finished the blanket. I know myself. I would not have been able to make myself continue.<br /><br />So, I made the decision to scrap the entire thing. It was very sad to rip out the blanket and rewind the yarn. I was kind of okay while doing it, until my husband remarked that I looked sad. Of course I started to cry. I'm pregnant, hormonal, and this blanket was to be for the baby, darn it!<br /><br />The good news is, the next day, the new issue of Magknits was up. There was a pattern for a baby blanket. An Entrelac baby blanket. I've been wanting to try entrelac for...well forever. Probably since I first started knitting. I had the yarn to start it in my stash, I just needed the needles...and since I also need these same needles to finish a bib I've got almost done, the purchase was justified.<br /><br />There was a tense moment when I accidentally dropped the last 5 stitches of the cast on edge while making the last triangle for the base tier, though. I sat there looking at the lonely loops that were no longer on my needle, with the working yarn still wrapped around my left hand. My husband looks over as I gasp and asks if I need help. Very carefully, very gently, I dropped the working yarn and with the precision of a bomb diffuser, I placed the dropped stitches back on my left needle. As you can see from the picture above, all is right with the world now.Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525493274305579337.post-21781182528211790102007-12-29T09:58:00.000-08:002007-12-29T10:07:25.130-08:00We made itWell, we made it through another Christmas. We somehow managed to get a tree two days before Christmas. See, we went to Wal-Mart, closest to our house, as that's where we'd seen the tree we wanted. All they had left were a few boxes of huge $200 trees that were completely mangled. I mean, it looked like someone seriously molested these tree boxes. Okay, next store.<br /><br />We went to two other stores before finding a 7 foot unlit tree that we both liked. Except, they didn't have anymore in boxes. All that was left was the display. And since they said that there was still time to order us one (uh huh...4pm on December 23rd), they couldn't sell us the floor model. They did track down another store that had one though. So we went driving in search of this other store.<br /><br />On the way there, I remarked to my husband that there was a Wal-Mart near the Sears that we were headed to. We decided to stop there first "just in case". We walked in the door to Wal-Mart and there it was. Our tree. 7.5 feet tall, unlit and only $55. It was $100 less than the one at Sears. You bet your hiney we bought that one. Sadly, Wal-Mart's selection of lights and ornaments had been throughly picked over by then.<br /><br />The next day, my daughter and I trekked to Michaels (in the snow) and found all their Christmas stuff 50-70% off! Yeah, I spent way too much money. The funny thing is, I walked into a craft store, spent a fortune, and didn't buy one single item of yarn or knitting notion. I think I'm getting sick.<br /><br />That night, all 4 of us put up the tree. It came out much better than I expected it to, given the short amount of time we had. But, since we put it up late, we decided it's going to stay up a little longer than normal. Next year we'll be better prepared.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-et8aW2zPy2fo6hiXdyt4-dUB12oxQ1BHKGjNm9pQlgU1WCVbZkd7sNWTql_1xhXGMFK3F7V34JfM6ipTqD71AEVm2JX1FGMWr9ILamfQ9wg6Q9w1oMLvRT0W4llGFxpmavM8eYL0ifA/s1600-h/xmas07+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-et8aW2zPy2fo6hiXdyt4-dUB12oxQ1BHKGjNm9pQlgU1WCVbZkd7sNWTql_1xhXGMFK3F7V34JfM6ipTqD71AEVm2JX1FGMWr9ILamfQ9wg6Q9w1oMLvRT0W4llGFxpmavM8eYL0ifA/s320/xmas07+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149457766219445970" border="0" /></a><br />Oh and I finished the set of Fetching I was working on. I haven't taken a picture of the two of them yet, as they still need to be blocked, but just finishing them was an accomplishment. I got the the thumb part of the second on and literally put it down for almost a week. It was like something was stopping me from actually having a finished object.Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525493274305579337.post-78549309935300932682007-12-12T13:23:00.000-08:002007-12-12T13:55:49.817-08:00When not to knitOne would think that there is never a time NOT to knit. But, I have found such a time. Last night, I CO to make the <a href="http://www.knitty.com/issuesummer06/PATTfetching.html">Fetching</a> gloves for my step mom for Christmas. It's been a long time since I've used the dreaded double pointed needles. I didn't have as hard of a time as I thought I would. Perhaps because these are metal and not bamboo, they're a little more slippery.<br /><br />But yes, moving on. So I cast on and realized that I needed to make dinner. I have spawn and they get hungry occasionally. I figured, heck, it's a small project, I JUST cast on, so there's not a whole lot going on...I took it with me into the kitchen. I set it down on the counter, decided to take a picture for posterity...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos.alleusion.com/albums/userpics/10001/normal_fetching.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://photos.alleusion.com/albums/userpics/10001/normal_fetching.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There it is, on the kitchen counter after a row or two I believe. So I began dinner and threw myself into the knitting, stopping only occasionally to stir the pot on the stove.<br /><br />Wait, back up a second. After I got into the kitchen with yarn and needles (dpn's plus cable needle), I asked the kids to bring me the needle I left by the couch. I decribed it from the kitchen and neither offspring could find it. So, I went to help them out. After 10 minutes of crawling around the couch, I realized that it was firmly stuck in my knitting, as I was in the middle of a row when I got up to go to the kitchen. This should have been my first clue that knitting while cooking dinner was not such a good idea. But no...<br /><br />The pattern isn't complicated and I had no trouble getting through the first few rounds. Then...it came time to make the second set of cable twists. I had made the first set while sitting down, safely, on the couch. The pattern says I need to do the cable stitch, then purl one all the way through the round. Each needle holds 15 stitches, therefore, I do the cable / purl combo 3 times. The first two went off without a hitch...but the last one, when all I had left on the left needle was the lonely purl stitch waiting to be purled, and was trying to knit the two stitches off the cable needle....<br /><br />Well, it was only by God's grace that the children didn't hear me swearing as I'd dropped the working needle for the 5th time. They did however hear the needle hitting the counter and floor each time it fell out of the lonely purl stitch.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos.alleusion.com/albums/userpics/10001/normal_fetching_close.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://photos.alleusion.com/albums/userpics/10001/normal_fetching_close.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I have to add, they are such sweet children....they came in to stir the pot for me when they felt I was neglecting it.<br /><br />Here's a close up image of the cable pattern emerging. Isn't it lovely? I'm so proud of myself.<br /><br />After a bit, and after dinner threatened to boil over onto the stove for the 4th time, I decided that perhaps, I should wait until after dinner was over with before continuing to work on these.<br /><br />I was able to get about halfway done with one glove before dropping off to bed at 2am. That's why this blog is called knitting in the dark my friends....it's when I do the majority of my knitting.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos.alleusion.com/albums/userpics/10001/normal_fetching_half.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://photos.alleusion.com/albums/userpics/10001/normal_fetching_half.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos.alleusion.com/albums/userpics/10001/normal_fetching_half_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://photos.alleusion.com/albums/userpics/10001/normal_fetching_half_2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Here's where I left off before going to bed...Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525493274305579337.post-24447875010507787142007-12-11T13:12:00.000-08:002007-12-11T13:22:19.900-08:00First post...of many<span style="font-family: verdana;">So, apparently, knitting blogs are rather popular out there on the net thing. I think I used to have a blog once upon a time, but don't know what happened to it. I've recently wanted to share my innermost thoughts with the rest of the world (whether the rest of the world wants to share or not). So here I am, with a blog.<br /><br />Any way...I guess I should start with some type of intro, even though this is my blog and all. My name is Jenny, I'm 31, married, mother of 2.5 (24+ weeks pregnant with #3). I'm originally from Southern California (since I was 8), but in August, I packed 2 kids, a hampster, and a Canadian into my car, along with about 1/4 of my worldly possessions, and we drove across the country to Toronto, Canada. In another week or so, we should have everything we need to file the papers for permanent residency.<br /><br />I have to say, it's way different in Canada. For starters there is this white stuff on the ground and continually falling from the sky. I mean, it's just not going away. I'm told it's snow...and I should see the grass again sometime in March or April. Hell, I remember last March I was basking out by the pool. Somehow I doubt I'll be doing that this year. I mean, besides the fact that I'll be about 400 weeks pregnant, it'll just be too darn cold. Now maybe if we were ice skating at the pool, that would be different.<br /><br />Oh, something else about me. I'm a knitter. I say that like I'm at a self help meeting. Hello, my name is Jenny, and I'm a knitter. I have too many projects going at once and it seems like I'm never going to finish anything. I think I'm what they call a process knitter. I love knitting for knits sake. I love searching for new patterns, going out and petting wool and buying wool and imagining what I'm going to make with said wool. I'm in over my head. My husband just thinks it's ADD.<br /><br />I'm on Ravelry as Alleusion and frequently post at knittinghelp.com as Alleusion. I'm not the best knitter out there, and I'm certainly not fast. But I'm learning every day and there are so many things I want to learn and do and try. As I type this, I'm staring at the 2 balls of yarn I picked up today to make my father and stepmom fingerless gloves for Christmas. Might I mention that Christmas is approximately 14 days away and I seriously doubt they'll be done in time. But hey, it's the thought that counts right? I'll post progress, and of course finished pictures when I'm done. It would defeat the purpose of sharing myself with the world if I neglected to do this.<br /><br />So, join me on my decent into madness. The madness that is my knitting addiction.<br /></span>Alleusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16486299495398141033noreply@blogger.com2