First Baby Stuff of the Year

Now that the package was finally sent and received, Jamie said I could blog about it.  She is the first on my list this year with another bouncing boy.

The haul:

What in the world gave me the idea GREEN tissue paper would make a great background? Ick.

The explanation:

Jamie's husband is in the armed forces and since I'd already given my standard blue booties for her first son Kade, I thought I'd go camo... well, camo colors.  I'm too lazy to do actual camo (really sorry about the quality of the pictures.. need to remember not to take pictures at night under artificial light.  The sandals are tan and the moccasins are dark green with light green accents).

I would have had this package ready to send out earlier (I always seem to be saying that) but I gave the first pair of tan sandal I made to my Jehovah Witness Saturday visitor.  I usually miss her because of biking or other Saturday morning activities (I'm tired of other Sat morning activities... I want to go back to biking!) but every once in a while I'm downstairs and have to answer the door.  She saw I was crocheting and wanted to buy the pair off me... but didn't have any money (she thought the 15 dollars was steep anyways).  So I gave them to her.  Probably shouldn't have cuz now she'll keep coming back :-).

Jamie also got two sets of moccasins because the first ones were way too small.  I really need to find smaller expecting parents.

Jamie wants more funny hats for photo shoots of newborns and she keeps tagging me on Pinterest.  Granted, she plans on making them herself and just wants to share, but hats can be a nice quick project when I'm in the middle of a longer one.  So I thought I'd send along a hat... or two or three.

The first turned out way too small, the second way too big, the next just right.  The pattern I used didn't have a gage dimension.

I don't know why I let myself get so frustrated when it doesn't turn out how I think it should... especially since I was using a different hook size and yarn type than the pattern specified.  Typical.

But at least Jamie gets three hats.  Poor lady, don't feel bad if you have to throw some of them out!

This is the hat I made her last weekend when I was frustrated with my current sewing projects... it turned out well so I'll probably make some more before sending them on.  It helps if you follow the directions :-).

The colors are actually a BRIGHT red and green.. not that ugly dull stuff in the picture.  Now I need to think of more color patterns... with what yarn scraps I have.

Busy Weekend

Note:  Emily is posting up a storm and I am trying to keep up.  Isn't there any other new years resolution relating to blogging in the bunch?

I've been wanting to make a quiet book (sometimes called a busy book) for sometime now.  Originally I was looking on Pinterest for bag and backpack ideas for the Family Reunion this summer (don't worry, Emily asked for my help in that department... I'm not just taking it upon myself) but found all these really cute ideas for felt quiet books.

So after I finally got all the crocheting I needed done for a bit (can't blog about that until it reaches the recipients... well, after I send it), this weekend I wandered around Joanns and came back with an armful of random felt, fusing, snaps and clasps.

As soon as I got home I pulled out some tins,

the glue gun, paper, beads, buttons, magnet roll, and made these.

Little board games in tins!  I found this idea on a blog I found on Pinterest.  It's not like I have a couple tins or anything.

The bag from Joanns (a reusable one no less) still sits on my kitchen table.

Originally this middle one started out as just a checkers board but I remembered we used to play checkers with the pawns in a chess set so I made them look like pawns.

I wove strips of paper together and then glued it down with some old tacky glue around the edges.  (Note to self: don't use old gloopy glue and expect the tiny squares of magnet to be able to work very well through all the layers.)

Then I got all excited about making a castle (rook) and from there a full set.  Too bad the rest of them weren't quite as fun... except maybe the bishop.  This is the picture I sent to Aaron and Emily in case they had better ideas. See the cute castles?

Aaron helped a lot with the knight.  I'd try to take more close up pictures but there is no way my camera can focus that close.

Then I made a boring tic-tac-toe one.  You'd think I would have mixed it up with the paper color...

I found this tin and thought it looked just like the marble game Grandma used to have at her house.

Apparently it's called marble solitaire.  I couldn't think of any more boardgame ideas so I looked on line but by then my interest had wained.  So no Chinese checkers one... yet.  Truth be told I don't think I have a good tin for it as they are all rectangles or the sides are too deep.  I did think of using both the tin and the lid with the hinges in the middle of the board but thought that might be annoying.  Any other ideas or thoughts?  I've thought about doing more of the same (now that I know to just stick with checkers) and giving them away but I'm not sure I can part with my tins. :)

Then I cleaned up the mess Sunday evening, and started sewing... on a practice messenger bag.

The quiet book will come eventually, I just gotta strike when the irons hot.  What's the fun of creating unless your excited about it?  And right now I'm excited about bags/backpacks, i.e. the family reunion.   And the quiet book feels a little daunting.  Nothing like a little procrastination!

the Joy of Blocking

(this is an older post I never published... because I am lazy)

start with a mushed parallelogram...
End with a rectangle.

And that's what blocking is for.

PS. I used the card table lying next to it to help with the squaring.

PPS. This doesn't normally happen to me. I think there was something wrong with the pattern. Definitely a pattern problem (Hey now, it was a free pattern off the Internet... very dodgy those free ones).

PPPS.  I was cleaning out some of my yarn drawers this weekend and this is some of what I threw away...

reasons for tossing: 1) just practicing so either not even stitches or serves no purpose 2)  ran out of yarn and the dumb manufacture had changed the color/texture (reminder to self, don't start big projects with old yarn) 3) just plain ugly 4) can only find one shoe and can't match thread/yarn or hook size 5) really ugly 6) already undid the rest of the Afghan to make blanket above and this is what's left over 7) tired of making (cuz they're ugly) 8) Tried to reuse but  the project thread had faded compared to the thread still in the skein 9) no idea what it was supposed/going to be in the first place.

Knitting Mayhem

Now that the novelty (for me) has started to wear off, I thought I better blog about my poor knitting escapades. 

It all started with the Halloween costume.  I wanted a Hogwarts Ravenclaw scarf that looked knitted and really the only way to achieve that is by knitting. I did start off with a crocheted one but it didn't look right... cuz it was crocheted. I know, who knew? (Cho Chang from the movie)

I r engineer.

So I jumped in.  That engineering mentality, just go for it.  Besides, I had learned to knit on my mission so really it was more of a reminder of how to rather than starting from scratch.

Oh little did I know.  After practicing knitting and purling back and forth with big blocks of colors like the scarfs in the first Harry Potter movie, I found a pattern where I could just knit in a round.  This essentially made a long tube which was much easier and looked more authentic to me.  Most scarfs don't have a back and front. (I still don't understand how a knitted scarf could be done one side unless you like stocking knit on the back.  I understand how the cable or fancy stitch ones would look nice on both sides but not the just knitted ones.)

After hours and hours of knitting on my scarf, I noticed it was twisting to one side. Oh well, it will come out all right in the blocking.  I carried on, knitting every night, during lunch, any ward activity, and even during choir.

In my defense, crocheting will do this if you crochet in a spiral with every stitch just slightly behind the one below.  So normal, right?

Not so much.  I tried blocking it but it just wouldn't stay.  Finally I called my Mom and looked more closely at you tube knitting video's (you can learn to do ANYTHING on the Internet... and its free!).  Oops, I was taking the loop off wrong (knitting purlwise).  If you look closely, you can see how each loop is twisted.  When I was originally practicing purling and knitting back and forth the end results was straight because each row canceled out the previous one.

It also turns out that for some reason my knitting needles to gage size ratio doesn't match up to the norm (its pretty close for crocheting so I didn't think about it) ie, I ended up with only 11 stripes instead of the 13 shown in the movie screenshots... I threatened to pull it all out and redo it but knew I really wouldn't.

Instead, I started more scarves.  These ones were going to be RIGHT.  I had the fever.. the knitting fever.  Who cares that I live in Las Vegas and there really is no need for a double thick 9ft+ long scarf?  I'll give them to my friends/family who have to like/wear them cuz they love me.  Then they'll have a fever.

2.  Birgits Scarf (I wanted to do a Gryffindor one since I had bought the yarn and Birgit is VERY brave out there on the east coast with her husband in school and raising two boys)

3.  Melissa's Scarf (trying something new with color changes)

You can see Melissa's color changes in this picture as well as the fact that the stripes on Birgit's are more proportional to movie size.

4. Emily's scarf (trying something even more different with color changes)

Emily had mentioned she would like a blue one.  I was originally going to do a black line between big blocks of light and dark blue but after Bethanie suggested drawing it up (I used excel) to see if I liked it, I liked this pattern better (1 row black, 2 rows dark blue, 2 rows light blue).

Yes, its very long. (Emily, thanks for the pictures since I forgot to take some before I gave it 2 u!)

5.  I just finished the 5th scarf (Slytherin colors... I originally thought to make a Slytherin one but then didn't know who I'd give it to :-).

At the beginning I averaged about 10-12 rows an hr.  Now its a little more like 15-20 rows an hr depending on how wide I made it.  The scarfs are on average 500+ rows in length. 

I've never claimed to have a life.

Don't worry, my fever is winding down.  This last one I did a little block of design at the ends where you have to carry the other color with you (with stripes you can just bring it up each row). Its hard to keep the tension even so the beginning design is a bit tighter than the same design on the other end.  Again, I designed the pattern in excel... such a wonderful program.

In defence of knitting by hand, it's much easier to watch TV while knitting than with crocheting... at least I think it is.  The problem with knitting is the disparity of effort vs output.  In crocheting, a couple of rows moves you along quite far (lots of output per effort) while the same amount of rows in knitting doesn't get as far (lots of effort per output).  But you get the professional knitted look.  Then again, in knitting it is also easier to see mistakes but more effort to fix them.

There's your pros and con list if you ever decide to pick up either craft.  Your welcome.

Next project... hats.  But first, all the baby things I need to get ready for these babies coming in the spring.   In my world spring = babies for some reason.

Apparently my knitting fever isn't quite over yet though cuz its a struggle to get out the crochet hook instead of my needles.

Christmas Loot

First, I thought I'd share these pictures of Emily trying out her hand as bartender. 

Isn't it funny that Mom has these glasses up in her cupboard? Gage liked the sugar around the outside.

He wouldn't look up cuz he was busy drinking.

Amy felt much better once we told her the glasses were plastic. 

Aaron, like me, just wanted the lemonade.  Mmm!

I got quite the haul this year with a new phone I'm still trying to figure out, a dutch oven of which I am afraid of after I burned my hashbrowns in NM while using Moms, a new little iron skillet which I am also afraid of after burning my hashbrowns here in NV, and a beautiful picture painted by my sister Bethanie.

(caveat, framed by me with a little help from duct tape and string.  I've never been too fussy about where/how I hang things on my walls but eventually I do plan on getting it professionally framed.  I just wanted it up sooner rather than later).

I've been asking her for a painting for sometime, but she's been busy moving, playing it the orchestra, and taking care of kids.   I was so surprised and happy to get it!  She told me now I can take down the drawings she sent to me while I was on my mission but there's plenty of room for all :-)

When Bethy is famous I'll have one of her original "early" pieces, made especially for me.

I also received a beautiful new bag from Birgit which I scotchgarded to within an inch of it's life so hopefully I can keep it nicer than the last one.

(Birgit's MIL saw me with the old one at a stake activity and told Birgit that maybe I needed a new one since it was looking pretty ratty.)

I think she left a pin in it on purpose :-) 

I found the pin when I pulled the lining out to scotchguard the whole thing.  Truth be told, I think it might still be there since I never actually remember taking it out.

Melissa also made me a beautiful clutch to put in it (which I also scotchguarded. I think the bottle is about gone... those poor bag smelled like acetone (or acetate?) for the rest of the day). 

I shore dew like yellow!  Although Birgit used darker colors since I was so hard on the last one.  I thought I had blogged about getting the old bag/purse with a picture and was going to link to it but apparently not.  I'm not about to take a picture now, although I did give it a good washing so I can try it out as my new scripture bag.

I like to surround myself with talented people so they can make things for me inspire me.  I might have some cool new ideas for the family reunion this year!

PS.Thanks to everyone that sent me a Christmas card.  I'm always surprised to get them as I myself do not send one out, but I shore do enjoy them.  (As Emily and I discussed, it seems rather pointless to send a picture of myself and a list of the things I've already written about on my blog.)

Ice Skating in NM

One of our normal Christmas vacation activities is going sledding.

Unfortunately, Sawyers hill was closed and I guess we don't know anywhere else to go. (Truth be told, sledding isn't my favorite activity, other than the fact that I'm with my family. Too much work for a 2 second scary ride down.)

So we went ice skating!

Gage kept telling his Mom and Dad to leave him alone.  Rather independent little soul.

But I think his Mom didn't mind too much :-)

Can you believe some of my neices and nephew relations have never been ice skating?

I know.. craziness.  We grew up roller skating so ice skating isn't that far removed... same muscles and moves.  Just takes a moment to get used to the differences.

Angela went for a spin as well.

Sometimes its nice to have something to hold on to, but she always wants to go way fast and then have you fling her around.  Tires you out cuz who is doing all the work?  That's right, me.  Can't get alot of traction on the ice.

Aaron and Alec fell down a bit but that's cuz they were trying all sorts of tricks.

Just as we were getting ready to think about going home, they called us off the ice and the zambini came out.  So of course we had to wait and see what it was like to skate on new ice.  So nice and smooth.

Dad spent the whole time watching us... after paying.  Cuz that's what Dad's do.

Little Gage had gotten pretty good by then.

Of course, I couldn't get a good picture of Jared cuz he was all over the place, doing tricks and going fast (I should have video'd him but didn't think about it until later).

Then he'd hockey stop right up close... making Jenny go Huh?

Of course I didn't get any pictures of myself cuz Dad wouldn't use my new phone...

So here is Emily as we take our skates off and head back to the car.

Just take my word for it that I was a pretty awesome skater. We (Jared, Emily, and I) practiced skating with big long sweeps and one arm swinging in and out.  Just like Apolo Ohno... except without the goatee.

Thorpe gets Shoes

I will post about our other christmas exploits but this is the easiest.

Thorpe is Angela's assistance dog of 9yrs and this year Angela will be up in Idaho for school during the winter.

So Emily got him shoes to protect those old feet.  He gets ice in there that can really bother him and the cold/ice can hurt his paws.

This is the video (There were a lot of other people taking video so I didn't get all of the very beginning...and I cut out the part where I complain loudly :-).

He's used to having people do things to him (like having to wear a vest) so it wasn't quite as funny as other videos on the internet, but we shore got a kick out of it.