Flip-Flop Knitting

I've been knitting so much this week that my hands have literally dropped the needles. I've also been enjoying knitting as never before. Why then is everything feeling like it's flopping and needs to be frogged (a knitting term for ripping something out, you know "rip-it, rip-it")? Do I dare rip all my work out and start over?


My Swyaze Socks. My socks, mine. The first is ready to bind off, and guess what... they don't fit. I can't get them on. So, do I send them off to an Aunt and mourn my lost yarn or do I frog them and mourn the lost sock and time?


My Sunrise, Sunset Shawl. I LOVED the first yarn. I don't like the second. I've also realized I just don't have enough yarn to finish the pattern the way I've done it. So, do I frog a whole 170+ yards and change the pattern? Do I add the first color back in? Do I keep going and see how big it is, then add more of the darker color at the end, by the faded color?


Why do I expect *everything* to be perfect? Can't I just let something go and be imperfect? Would I be able to enjoy the finished object, or would it ALWAYS bother me?


On a positive note, I am making progress on some projects for my Mom and her friend's costumes for the Arizona Renaissance Festival. They run a play place for kids called "Toy Island", and all three members of the troop wear red and yellow. I'm working on quilted hats, knitted mitts, and here is one of the crocheted scarves for them...


Thanks for listening to my rambling. Last week I was so excited by my knitting and this week it all feels like a flop! ;P

Puppycakes and Cat Biscuits

Talking with Jack about his upcoming birthday I asked "what do you want to do for your birthday?"

"Eat cake!"

"What else?"

"Not pupcakes, a BIG cake. Pupcakes are for grown-ups, kids get CAKE!!!"

"And what should it be like?"

"Brown... inside AND out!"

So, one big-ol' Chocolate Cake coming up! ;)


When I called to relate this story to his Great Aunt, I mentioned all it would take to make Jack happy was a big cake, when from the backseat I hear "AND PRESENTS!" So. Apparently, he *needs* presents too! ;)

As we were finishing our errand run, Jack added, "No Puppycakes and NO Cat Biscuits!"

Gee Tom, thanks for that one! How did we go from talking about birthday cakes and presents to cat poop? These are the things Mommy's of small boys the world over wonder about. At least This Mommy wonders!

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PS: The photo in this post was snapped the same day as the photo used in my header (in fact Jack's fingers were cropped out as they moved the red piece (notice how it's not lined up with the others)).

No one came close to guessing the origin of the colored squares... does this photo of Jack help?

Favorite Holiday Tradition

Whenever I am queried as to my "favorite holiday tradition" I always refer to The Gingerbread House. First of all "Mom" builds a stable gingerbread house form.


Then the children spend an evening getting rid of their old Halloween Candy.


Tricky as it is, the kids don't realize they are getting rid of "good" candy!


It can be delightful to listen to the sounds of joy when the children's collaborations come to a successful conclusion as they reach a consensus on the "perfect" roof design!


This house decorating is serious business... it takes concentration (and a steady hand)!


I *really* wish I could get a photo of their excitement about making the Gingerbread House AFTER they finish. Instead, they are usually tired out and turn to goofy-picture-making-antics...


Finally, we enjoy our creation throughout the Holiday Season.


You know how after Christmas, Santa's Elves don't have a lot to do? Well, many people don't realize it, but The Elves actually go around the world filling Gingerbread Houses with popcorn and treats!


The grand finale arrives on New Year's Eve!


On New Year's Eve, the children get to stay up as late as the littlest one can. Then, just before going to bed they smash up the house, Pinata style.


The kids also like to try the stale gingerbread and candies, but seldom eat much of it.


Often they also enjoy a special sweet drink (link Orange Soda or Raspberry Frapee) before heading off to bed having brought in the New Year in the best way a kid can... with a little bit of destruction leading to sweet treats and tiny toy surprises!


Did you notice another "sneaky Mom tactic"? Getting rid of the prized creation, through it's untimely destruction, at the hands of it's creators, with hammers? Yeah. We Mom's are tricky that way... of course, I learned from the best, my very own Mom!


Here's wishing you a Happy New Year!

Shawl-itation

I've been busy knitting a shawl for the past four days. Now, it's time to add the second color and I'm hesitating. Here's the planned skein wound up and sitting in the middle of the shawl-in-progress.


The yarn I'm using is wool. I do have a similar weight of acrylic of each color already in there (hot pink, turquoise, and purple).

What do you think?

Should I abandon my multi-color project and fiber content to keep a consistent color palette?

Should I just go with the original plan and see what happens?

Polymer Play

While I've been resting with knitting and photo editing; Tom and the boys tried their hands at their first Polymer Clay Project, using some well-written Dragon Embryo instructions from the DadCanDo website.

Here's my montage of the project:

They plan to paint their creations this weekend.

I thought this day would never come...

You know the one? The one where I'm enjoying and looking forward to time spent knitting. The day where I'm shirking other responsibility (like cooking and cleaning and talking with people) just so I can sit and knit! Yeah, that's the day I never expected to see. It's ONLY taken me 25 months of diligently performing my Domestic Duty of knitting to stumble upon The Project. The one with the perfect yarn and the perfect needles and the perfect me!

Since I hurt my back over Thanksgiving weekend, I've been required to do a whole lot of resting. After talking with my friend Marie about a shawl (Show Your Colors by Spunky Eclectic) we saw at her former LKS (local knitting shop), and how much she loves her finished version, I dug around in my stash and found some Sport Weight Lorna's Laces Wool Yarns I'd bought in California last Fall.


I've since started the shawl, which I intend to use all three color-ways (called: Child's Play, Apple Hill, and Uptown). I'll be knitting them progressing from dark to light (or right to left in the picture). And I just LOVE making it! It's the first knitting project I've worked on that I WANT to do (not just NEED to), know what I mean?

{the above is a photo of the test swatch, not the shawl}

This morning, Tom said "What are you doing?", then looked over to find my head literally bobbing along in time with my stitches. It was so subtle I didn't even realize I was doing it. I was just in a groove and smiling as I stitched away. This is my biggest project so far, and I know it will feel slower going as I move along, but I hope I can keep up my enjoyment with it and that I'll love the finished product as much as I am enjoying making it!


I also love watching the way the color pools together... look how it coagulated perfectly on my needle on this row.


By the way, it's quite a bit bigger now, this photo was from two days ago. ;)

What are you doing on your holidays?

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This is my 400th blog post, and somewhat by the way of noting it, I've updated the blog format AND, ***FINALLY***, created my own blog header. Anyone recognize the objects used in the photo? Mayhap I'll send a prize (I've been cleaning out my sewing studio and I have collected a nice little bag of goodies) out to someone who knows from whence the objects come. I'll give you until noon on New Year's Day to figure it out and leave a comment! ;)

WOW Wyoming Photography from Fieldtrip

I've been working a lot this week with photos from my Yellowstone Geology Field Trip last September. I received photos from six classmates. With my photos, there were over 1,700 from 4 days. I've been organizing them into a chronological-thematic succession.

This afternoon I paused and worked on some panoramas and montages. I really like them!

Collection of Macro Photography by Myself and Others

Wyoming route 191, North between Rock Springs and Farson. The Rockies Bear Tooth Mountains are in the background.

Red Canyon

The Chugwater Formation

Travertine Terraces in Thermopolis

Somewhere on the route North to Cody.

Nez Perce's Last Stand along Shoshone River

Near the Highest Peak (along the Axis of the Bear Tooth Mountains) in Wyoming.

Tetons with Snake River Below

Cathedral Formation of Tetons

The Grand Tetons

Montage of Nature and Man-made Formations

Montage of People on the Field Trip

While I made all of these panoramic photos and montages, and most of the photos were taken by myself, some of them were taken by others on the trip, including: Ryan Deichmueller, Michelle Gatti, Carmen Meeks, Madisen Mitchell.