The Twelve Knits of Christmas!

I bumped into a little contest over at KnitWitches Yarns, about making up a Christmas Knitting list in the style of the 12 Days of Christmas. This is my version. Hope you all enjoy!

The Twelve Knits of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas my true love knit with me,
A Lizard Ridge Afghan In Kureyon

On the second day of Christmas my true love knit with me,
Two Starmore Arans,
and a Lizard Ridge Afghan In Kureyon

On the third day of Christmas my true love knit with me,
Three Kitty Pi Beds ,
Two Starmore Arans,
and a Lizard Ridge Afghan In Kureyon

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love knit with me,
Four Baby Blankets
Three Kitty Pi Beds ,
Two Starmore Arans,
and a Lizard Ridge Afghan In Kureyon

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love knit with me,
***Five Lace Shawls***
Four Baby Blankets
Three Kitty Pi Beds ,
Two Starmore Arans,
and a Lizard Ridge Afghan In Kureyon

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love knit with me,
Six pairs of mittens
**Five Lace Shawls**
Four Baby Blankets
Three Kitty Pi Beds ,
Two Starmore Arans,
and a Lizard Ridge Afghan In Kureyon

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love knit with me,
Seven Monkey Socks
Six pairs of mittens
**Five Lace Shawls**
Four Baby Blankets
Three Kitty Pi Beds ,
Two Starmore Arans,
and a Lizard Ridge Afghan In Kureyon

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love knit with me,
Eight Fetching Mitts
Seven Monkey Socks
Six pairs of mittens
**Five Lace Shawls**
Four Baby Blankets
Three Kitty Pi Beds ,
Two Starmore Arans,
and a Lizard Ridge Afghan In Kureyon

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love knit with me,
Nine Koolhaas Caps
Eight Fetching Mitts
Seven Monkey Socks
Six pairs of mittens
**Five Lace Shawls**
Four Baby Blankets
Three Kitty Pi Beds ,
Two Starmore Arans,
and a Lizard Ridge Afghan In Kureyon

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love knit with me,
Ten Felted Clogs
Nine Koolhaas Caps
Eight Fetching Mitts
Seven Monkey Socks
Six pairs of mittens
**Five Lace Shawls**
Four Baby Blankets
Three Kitty Pi Beds ,
Two Starmore Arans,
and a Lizard Ridge Afghan In Kureyon


On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love knit with me,
Eleven Scarves a waving
Ten Felted Clogs
Nine Koolhaas Caps
Eight Fetching Mitts
Seven Monkey Socks
Six pairs of mittens
**Five Lace Shawls**
Four Baby Blankets
Three Kitty Pi Beds ,
Two Starmore Arans,
and a Lizard Ridge Afghan In Kureyon

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love knit with me,
12 Christmas Stockings
Eleven Scarves a waving
Ten Felted Clogs
Nine Koolhaas Caps
Eight Fetching Mitts
Seven Monkey Socks
Six pairs of mittens
**Five Lace Shawls**
Four Baby Blankets
Three Kitty Pi Beds ,
Two Starmore Arans,

and a Lizard Ridge Afghan In Kureyon!

Lace Blocking Virgin

This morning my bed was empty. This might be a normal occurrence for most of you, but for me, this is rare. My husband is one of those rare souls who choose to work night shift. It has been "normal" for us since we were dating, and he would drop me off promptly at 10pm because he had to be at work at 11pm. Even with children, this has actually worked out fairly well. There is ALWAYS someone home if the school calls, or someone is sick. Javier is home for dinner with our family every night. He gets to play and talk with our children in the afternoon and evening when they are their most talkative. The down side is that he hardly ever sleeps, and I miss the warmth of him beside me during the week. But all in all this works for us.

Yesterday I finished the last of the "must do" Christmas Knitting. I had put metal to the grind stone, and cranked out the last 3 feet of my second mystery knit project. I was now faced with two incredible lace projects that needed blocking. Real blocking. The only blocking that I have done up until now has been pinning out pieces of a baby sweater on an ironing board and steaming them. A lot. Most of my work has been seamless, in the round - sweaters, hats, mitts. The occasional scarf, where I really just didn't see the need to block. But this is lace. It NEEDS blocking in the way that we need air and food. Blocking is what brings these things to life. But where? Where could I block these incredible works of art that I had wrought, with the sweat and blood of my own fingers. My pride in finishing these 2 things, and in finishing them well swelled in me - only to be following by the stark fear of blocking. This is where the sh*t hits the fan. Could I do it? I had to. I steeled myself, and scoured the house for an appropriate place.

The floor was out. I have a dog. A big black dog. A goofy, clumsy, labrador puppy. 3 years old. Nope. No floor space. Couch? No... this is still taken over with Mount Washmore, the eternal pile of laundry that I fight daily to fold and put away, but which grows to mystical proportions each day. Dining room table might do for one project, if I could find something to put on top that would hold pins, but the second project needs to be blocked out to 78" long. What's a girl to do?

At this point, I must say that I have been blessed with one of the most supportive and surprising husbands on this earth.

My husband is not the kind to model knitwear. He does not do "foo foo" things, prefers his everyday wear simple and unembellished. He is a simple, no-nonsense kind of man, and I can count the number of knit (hand knit or otherwise) objects that he has worn in the last 10 years on one hand. But in this last year, as my skill and passion for knitting has grown, he has packed the one sweater I made him as his only source of warmth on a trip to Vancouver, Canada. He asked for a hat and gloves, and wears those as well, displaying a quiet but overwhelming show of love just for me. No one else knows I made these things. But I do, and I know that this is his way of showing how much I mean to him.

Today he showed his love and support for me again - by sleeping in Liam's bunk so that I could block my lace on our bed. The bed that is never empty, but today it was. Then he topped himself by pulling a long tube out of his closet. Inside it was a blocking kit. Wires, T-pins, yardstick. I was speechless. He may not even realize yet how much this meant to me, but I hope that I can show him.

Tomorrow.

Today, I block. First I had to decide which one I was going to block first. One is smaller, but done in a fine merino/silk blend laceweight with about a bazillion stitches, and straight sides. The other, done in DK weight is much larger, but with a dagged edging - ultimately far fewer loops to push a blocking wire through. I chose to do my most delicate one first. I held my breath while it soaked in the bathroom sink,following blocking instructions gleaned from the Yarnharlot's, and Eunny Jang's blogs. I carefully balled up my pale lace, set it in a towel, pressed out the water, and laid it out on the bed. I then began the work of picking up each stitch along the edge, to make a nice straight line for the piece. This. Took. Forever.

I began at 10am, and wasn't finished until after 12pm. I finally found my rhythm about 3/4 of the way up the first side. The fabric was almost dry by the time I fnished, and I fussed about what to do if the blocking didn't take. I finally decided to let it be, and if it didn't hold shape, I could do it again. It would go faster the next time. And I wouldn't press out as much water.



But I didn't need to worry. It came out airy and smooth, a silken treasure. I can't wait until Christmas to give it to the recipient. I will definitely have to post a few photos of her wearing it.

The second one had to soak much longer. And I had to rinse. And rinse. And rinse again. The yarn is this gorgeous hand dyed from Briar Rose, called Wistful.
It was a sheer joy to knit with, and the colors are wonderful, but the colors bled. After 4 rinses, I decided that it was ready to block, even if there was still a little color left in the water. Compared to the delicate little ball the first one had made, this seemed enormous, and I didn't do as thorough a job pressing the water out. As a result, it is still not dry nearly 6 hours later. I am going to have to go to bed in 2 hours, dry or not. Sigh. I hope I don't have to block again tomorrow. As much as I appreciate that Javier is willing, I hate to evict him from our bed two days in a row. Setting up the blocking wires this time was MUCH faster. Instead of hundred of loops to pick up on each side I had a total of 44 per side. Quite the difference. Also, the larger guage made it easier as well. When I first took out the rigid blocking wires my stomach clenched. They seemed so thick! And there were no tapered ends! How was I supposed to get into these tiny stitches? At first it was a little frustrating, but after a few minutes I started to get the hang of it, and by the time I got the end of the first side, I had to accede to the fact that the people who designed these things might know a few things more about blocking than I do. So, the second piece was pinned, stretched, and blocking. I took a very close look at my piece, assessing the join, and the color change where I changed skeins. Remeber I said it was a hand dyed? This means "unique" in many different ways. The two skeins had some color variation, but I wasn't willing to have 10 million ends to weave in by alternating rows from each skein. If anyone knows how to do meld the colors, without having zillions of ends, or having to carry up the sides (just wouldn't have looked good on this piece) I would be truly interested in knowing the secret. I really liked this yarn, but I would like to meld the colors next time I invest in it - but if it means tying in thousands of ends - I don't know, I think that would ruin the joy of the knitting for me. I don't mind carrying up the sides - usually. But in this piece, it really wouldn't have worked. I might send the designer a line on her blog and ask if she has any suggestions.

So now I wait. And hope. Maybe I'll go make some fudge... just in case.

Oh Lord! I almost peed my pants...

My husband just sent me this story, passed along by someone on his Ultra Running e-mail list. After a long day of parenting and desperately trying to finish my Christmas knitting, I really needed a good laugh. And another reason to be truly Thankful! Anyone out there had a moment like this? I'd LOVE to hear about it!

THE KINDERGARTEN LESSON

For most people, Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what we've been given and savor the scents of crisp autumn days and pumpkin pie. For some, it's a little more complicated...

One November afternoon when my daughter was in kindergarten, I picked her up after school. She bobbed out to the car and crawled into the back seat.

"What did you do today?" I asked.

She couldn't wait to tell me. "We learned that boys are different from girls" she chirped.

Looking into the rearview mirror, I could just see the top of her head.

"My teacher told us that boys have a thing the girls don't," she added.

"Well, yes they do..." I said cautiously.

I couldn't think of anything else to say, so we were quiet for a moment.

Then she piped up again. "That's how girls know that boys are boys," she said. "They see that thing that hangs down and they know that he is a boy."

I mentally calculated the distance home. Our five-minute commute already felt like an hour.

"Did you know that when the boys see a girl they puff up?"

My palms were beginning to sweat. "Um... well.."

I was still searching for something new to say, to change the subject when she asked, "Why do the girls like the boys to have those things?"

Well I didn't know what to say. I mean, what woman hasn't asked herself that question at least once?

"Oh, well... um..." I stammered.

She didn't wait for my answer. She had her own. "It's cause it moves when they walk and then the girls see that and that's when they know they are boys and that's when they like them. Then the boy sees the girl and he puffs up, and then the girl knows he likes her, too. And then they get married. And then they get cooked."

That last part confused me a bit, but on the whole I thought she had a pretty good grasp on things. As soon as we got home and I pulled into the garage, she hopped out of the car, fishing something out of her school bag.

"I drew a picture," she said. "Do you want to see?"

I wasn't sure I did, but I looked at it anyway. I had to sit down.

There, all puffed up so to speak, looking mighty attractive for the ladies, was a crayon drawing of a great big Tom Turkey. His snood, the thing that hangs down over his beak, the thing that female turkeys find so irresistible, was magnificent. His tail feathers were standing tall and proud.

She was a little offended that I laughed so hard at her drawing, and I laughed until I cried. But when I told her I loved it - and I did - she got over her pique.

That was the end of that, for her anyway.

But I'm not so lucky. Every year I remember that conversation. And to be honest, I haven't looked at a turkey, or a man, the same way since.

Happy Holidays!

I will forever have "Must be Santa" etched into my brain by the shining face of my little Liam, framing that bright face with his dear little hands, and pulling on an imaginary white beard. Be still my heart. "Up on the Housetop" can be similarly immortalized.




And then there were the wonderful renditions of "Frosty the Snowman" and "Christmas Don't be Late" that Brandon and his classmates belted out for our enjoyment.


Who would have thought that an elementary school program could be so much fun.


Simply Precious.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Mistletoe Mountain

This weekend we all went up the mountain in search of mistletoe with Brandon's Cub Scout Troop. What a wonderful way to pass a day, really. It has been cold - for So. Cal - and as we drove up the mountain, we started seeing bits of white peeking at us from between the trees. Then we started seeing it sprinkled on the ground at the sides of the road. It looked exactly like powdered sugar! All my kids are in the back of the car yelling out "SNOW! Mama, Dada, I see SNOW!" It even made me positively giddy. Finally we arrived at our destination, aptly named "Mistletoe Mountain" by my boys, and we got to work with clippers and ladders, and long pole cutters. The mistletoe around here grows on the oak trees - a parasite actually - and clumps up around the branches. It has lovely little white berries, and smells wonderful. The rangers are actually quite keen to have us (and others I assume) cut it down, as it will eventually choke an oak tree, if left unchecked. Good for us (it is the troops only fundraiser) and good for the tree. Can't beat it. But the best part of the day was watching my babies play in the little patches of snow, learning how to make snowballs, and then figuring out what to do when they actually get HIT BACK! LOL. And to the troops credit, when we were finished there was hot chili and corn bread - but the best? Hot chocolate. With marshmallows. A lovely day.

Can't wait to go back next year.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...

It's about this time of year (when it is actually cold enough for a poor So Cal girl to dream) that I wonder if this will be one of those VERY few years that snow makes it down to our home. It never stays long enough to pile up - it seems to melt right before it hits the ground - but it is actual snow falling from the sky. And in sunny southern California, that is magic all by itself. My father can remember one year in his childhood enough snow falling to the ground that he and his brother were able to scoop it up from all over the yard and make a small snow man. If only my kids could be so lucky. This would have been in the 1950's, so maybe we're due by now? Perhaps a quick note to Santa might help things. At any rate, I'm enjoying the cold beside a warm fireplace, and about to do some Christmas knitting.

On my needles right now is Mystery Knit #2 (about 45% done), mittens (52% done), and a hat ( 20% done). Coming attractions include mitts to match the hat. A hat for the mittens. And 2 pair of socks. The socks are likely to be casualties of the Xmas knitting sprite, but they are there for now. I haven't knit a pair of socks since I FINISHED a pair for my MIL, and for some reason, she couldn't pull them over her heel. Even though all the measurements were spot on. I still haven't figured out what went wrong... I am thinking that the heel flap could be made longer, to give it more stretch. Bigger needles really wouldn't work. She has VERY petite feet. She wears a women's size 5.5, and has tiny ankles as well. The heel flap measured 2.5 inches, following the pattern with smaller needles. I am wondering now if that is something I should have adjusted... Any thoughts?




"I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there."
Richard Feynman (1918 - 1988)

Mama said there'd be Days like this...

The holidays approach. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE the holiday season. I love the Christmas Carols playing all month long on Coast 103FM. I love all the decorations in the mall. I love to dream about decorating my house. I love the opportunity to help my children learn to give. What I don't love right now is the state of my house, and the amount of time I now have to get my home in order. Sigh. I actually thought I was doing okay, right until I dug out all of the kids stuff that had been hiding in corners and under my chairs. The kids are delighted. I, however, am not. Sigh. Much sorting to do. I have been unwilling to give up sleep until now, but perhaps this is a must... I'll have to sleep on that.

And while I'm sleeping, I'll have to figure out what I'm going to do to manage 4 boys and a little girl at the mall this Saturday. Brandon is beside himself with joy at the prospect of taking one of his best friends (along with his little brother, who happens to be one of Liam's friends) to the mall. Maia is excited because her brothers are. Me? I'm hoping I'm not in over my head... Who to call for reinforcements? That's something else to sleep on. We're also going to visit my BIL at his newly purchased home. I think. He invited us over last weekend, but unfortunately Javier was in the midst of moving a printing company from one facility to another, and I was shopping with my MIL, and hoping to catch my husband at home for a few minutes. So I think that we are going to be there on Sunday, but who knows for sure. The most exciting thing for me this weekend, is that we are going to pick mistletoe with Brandon's Cub Scout Troop. I have never done this before. I'm actually a little bit giddy.

It might even be cold enough to wear my hat and mitts!

And maybe even a scarf! Maybe I should knit the kids some mittens... it's only two days away. I could finish 3 pairs of mittens... or not.



But speaking of finished objects...I FINISHED MYSTERY PROJECT #1!!!!!! Finished. I started this puppy in AUGUST! But it is done now. Good thing that I wasn't seriously planning on giving this until Christmas. Any guesses? I can't wait to put up photos of this bit of lace blocked. I've been doing some checking around, and for my first blocking attempt, I think I'm going go with a needle, crochet cotton, and some pins. Wish me luck. I am also steadily chugging along on mystery project #2. Keep your fingers crossed for me - this should also be done by Christmas. If only I could be put on bedrest for some reason, I might be actually finish everything I'm dreaming of for Christmas Knitting. But for now, I think I'll just concentrate on this project.

Well, off to sort some toys now....

Happy Holdiays everyone!

No, the Sky has not fallen... yet.

The world turns each day, and sometimes - uh - many times, I lose track of exactly how many times since I last meant to do something. Brandon is off to Cub Scouts once again, I have cooked Thanksgiving Dinner, attended Thanksgiving at my MIL's home, discovered that my husbands brother and his wife bought their first house (I'm jealous, can you tell?) I have watched Brandon perform his first speaking role in a class play, and baked numerous pumpkin pies, made fudge, and had a buffet breakfast with friends. We had parent teacher conferences in which N1 son is threatened with being held back because he has bad handwriting, and told the N2 son, despite his constant and boundless energy, as well as a knack for finding trouble, is doing wonderfully well in Kindergarten. My husband is beginning to wear thin (I say that loosely... I think that he's actually about to break personally) after a month and a half of preparing to shut down the printing company he has worked at for the last 10 years, to eventually leave behind the first boss he has ever truly respected, and begin life with the group of Investors who bought his company in an effort to make more money. Javier has run a Trail race. Brandon and Liam have finished up their soccer season, complete with pictures and trophies ... much squealing and joy ensued - by everyone. Somewhere in there my mother turned 65, and we celebrated at Disneyland.... which might be becoming a family tradition. All of this is happening, I took many pictures. I just have not found the time to blog about it. I can hardly believe that I am doing this now... even sans pictures. Really I should be doing dishes. Oh.. and I was supposed to be doing the nanowrimo. I have a good story planned. And to get it written, I may have to do my own month of writing ... just later. I haven't even managed one word on a page yet. Sigh.

But I am here. I am well. My family is well, and in good spirits. I am more thankful than ever for the things I have, and the people who love me. I have good friends. A wonderful family. Beautiful, smart, and energetic children. A husband whom I not only love, but whom I admire, and cannot express in any meaningful way how grateful I am for everything he does for us. Every. Single. Day. This year, far more than most, I am Thankful.

Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving to everyone.

Knitting Cure for "Nerves"

Another week has come and gone. Javier is mostly back on nights as of this week. I say mostly, because they are still calling him in in the morning. Sigh. I am trying desperately to help my husband sleep in the few hours a day that he has. It's not easy though, when the kids go jumping on the bed to talk with/wrestle with daddy because they miss him. But over all, I feel like things might be starting to settle down. Halloween is behind us, Thanksgiving ahead, and Xmas looming over my pocket book. I am going to try to have all of my shopping for Xmas done by the start of December, so all I have to do is enjoy the season. It's finally getting cold out here in Sunny Southern California. Even stranger is the fog that has been hanging out in the mountains around us. It makes for some lovely misty mornings. I can imagine all kinds of lovely shawls gracing my shoulders... but alas, I am knitting for others pretty much exclusively right now. And I am not a fast enough knitter to get everything done that I want to, when I want to (is anyone? Could you teach me how?) But I am truly enjoying the stolen moments with my needles right now. The wool blend I am working with right now is so beautifully soft... I love knitting with it. I only hope the recipient loves it as much! Right now all I really want to do is light a fire in my fire place, cuddle up with my yarn and needles, and carefully sip hot chocolate. Sigh. Maybe in about 5 years.

In the mean time, I came across this wonderful title... "Knitting Cure for Nerves" in which women at the turn of the century were prescribed *BY THEIR DOCTOR* to sit, covered up in their beds, and knit for 4-6 hours a day. Sigh. Only in my dreams I'm afraid. Go take a look, it is wonderful fun.

Holy Hopping Horrors, Batman!

Just thought I would let all of you know that I'm alive and well. Adjusting to a short term stint with hubby on days. This is odd, if you consider that I have been with my husband now for 16 years, and in all that time, he has been working nights or swing shift. Most people think that I would really like this little taste of normalcy, but I'm not finding it all it's cracked up to be. My husband is no longer home for dinner reliably. I don't have help in the afternoon with kids while I'm trying to help Brandon with his homework. I don't have help with the kids while I'm making dinner. And that fabled "evening time" is a complete loss. We're both so exhausted at the end of the day that by the time I've read to the boys (note I did not say that they were actually asleep) and I have escaped the boys bedroom, we don't watch TV, or even stop to talk. We crawl into bed (with our wide awake toddler) and try desperately to get some sleep before the alarm goes off, and it all starts again.

The good points? Javier is getting slightly more sleep than when he worked nights. And I have a little more time to TRY to clean our house by the end of the day. But with everything else going on with the kids, I feel like I'm barely making it. I hope it gets easier. We don't really know when he'll be back on nights, and we'll be going back to our normal schedule. They may decide to keep him on days, in which case, I guess we'll just adjust. Maybe there will come a time when we will actually be able to sit together, with ALL the children in bed, and you know, maybe watch an hour of TV, or talk for a little while. Sigh. So far we're about 4 weeks behind in Heroes. Kind of sad that we don't even manage 1 hour of TV a week. Some people do twice that in a day. I'm dying to see what happens with Peter. DON'T SPOIL IT!!!!

We did manage to have a happy Halloween last night. The boys were Eragon and Brom from the Movie Eragon. And Maia was a cute little ladybug. I'll post pictures as soon as I have a few more moments that I can sqeeze into my day!

Pop goes the Weasel!

So, my husband gets a phonecall yesterday afternoon from his boss saying that he was sorry that it was short notice, but there is something he really needed my hubby to do - what you might ask? Go to Cananda. For a week. Leaving on Sunday. Less than 48 hrs notice, and my husband is gone for a week. Gone. Sigh. Life is a sometimes just like a merry go round. Did I ever mention I get sick on merry go rounds?

So far we have Brownies, and two new projects cast on in the last 24 hours. I'm not stressed at all.

OOOHHHMMM (Boot to the head) OOOOHHHHMMMMMM

Wish me luck!

Sacrifice -

Today was one of those days that I was forced to look carefully at what I am comfortable doing, and what I am willing to do for anothers well being and happiness. What am I willing to sacrifice for anothers happiness? Be it my child's, my husband's, or my best friends, I have been forced to look and see that I am a creature of comfort. I do not often step beyond my bounds - I don't stretch, walk where the pavement is hot, or go without. In short, I have not sacrificed anything. And I find this to be a terrible fault. Certainly I am generous within my circle of comfort. I happily give of any thing I have to share, be it time, advice, food, and when I have it, even money. I have thought of myself as a giver, fancied myself an activist, dreamed of being truly great. Perhaps even an inspiration. But oh, how selfish I have been. It is time to step outside myself, and learn what it really means to give. All we are talking about is just a little discomfort - giving up just a little of what time is mine - and yet I am afraid. Stranger still, I am not even certain what I am afraid of.

Enough now. Each journey begins with just a single step.

Still here

Well, we're still in the hospital, and I am about to head in for the dayshift, and let Javier have some time off for a bit. Liam is in good spirits, but yesterday he was still having difficulty pulling in air - even though he is on continuous oxygen. He doesn't like that part. But the video games/tv in his room is cool. At least there is a little good with the bad. Brandon and Maia get to spend a little time with Nana and Papa today - so we can all relax just a little this morning. More as we know...


UPDATE
We are home! He did an amazing turnaround last night while I slept, and I walked into the children's wing to find him racing around the play room with a friend, hacking and wheezing, but off oxygen, and having a great time. He's holding oxygen levels finally, and we can all rest at home tonight. Yay!

Off to Hospital...

Liam is in the hospital today - Asthma... my poor boy can't breathe well enough to be at home. Hopefully we'll only need to be there a couple of days. Now, to pack my knitbag for today....

Armed and Camera Ready!

Simply Gorgeous.








I now have the most horrible case of cast-onitis that I don't know what I will do.






The handspun definitely deserves special attention... perhaps I will design somthing... I will have to figure out how far this will go...






Ahhh, sweet indecision.

I'll keep you posted!

SQEEE!!!!

I GOT MY FIRST PACKAGE FROM MY SECRET PAL!!

LOOK! LOOK! LOOK! Handspun & Hand dyed for me!!!! The most beautiful fingeringweight wool in a wistaria colorway! Sock Yarn! Patterns! How did she do this? She compleletly channelled my favorite colors. Okay. Gotta get pictures of all this...

Darn - Camera battery needs charging...

Hold that thought!

Sock Wars?

Okay this one got a belly laugh, and I had to pass it on. Go take a gander at this one.

If only I had 12 seconds to put together I might be arming my DPNs as we speak... perhaps next year for me - The Revenge of the Sock!

A warm September rain...

I will never figure out how it is that I have fewer children around the house, and yet I have less time than ever after school starts. My entire home is cruelly dictated by the moments in which children wake up, eat breakfast, get dressed, go to school, eat lunch, need picking up, homework, and then the time volunteering in classrooms. Do mom's who work at an office have more time? Sigh. I may dream of it at this moment, but I know that even if I could afford to have someone do this stuff for me, I wouldn't let them. Then I'd be crying about how I'm missing all the important milestones, and first day of school stuff, etc. etc. etc. I'm sure there's balance out there somewhere. In this I have complete faith. Which is probably why, at our county fair this Sunday, I purchased a drop spindle and roving - you know, because I have so much time right now.









Personal time is overated anyway.

















But I have to tell you, this thing of watching bits of hair (kind of like the roaming Charlie hair mutant dust bunnies in our dining room) turn into a neat twisted line of something not only useful, but fun to play with... this is addicting. And it only gets better when Brandon asks "Mom, are you going to make more yarn today?" Of course darling... mommy will make yarn.... and more yarn... and knit with yarn... and pet the yarn.... and .... well, I should probably stop while I'm ahead. Now if only I can figure out how to ply it... Where exactly this will lead, I have no idea. But I'm starting to dream of Fair Isle hats mittens, out of natural shades. Could be interesting, don't you think?

On other fronts we are starting to get ready for Javier's next 50 mile race, out on Catalina Island. I think this one is the Buffalo Run. I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with the runners all resembling a milling herd of buffalo before the start time, but rather the fact that there are actual Buffalo on the Island, though apparently rare to see. I'm looking foreward to this one. I haven't been out to Catalina Island in many years, and the fact that it will be off season (and thus very few people around, and fewer shops open) does not disturb me in the slightest. Javier worries that there won't be anything for us to do while he is out running in the wilds of the island, but I'm not really worried at all. I think it will be a wonderful adventure for us. As long as we don't have pouring rain ... it will be the middle of January. But in that case, there is always plan b. Just don't ask what that is. Yet.

All in all, I am actually getting excited about the changing season this year. Feeling the urge to decorate, clean house, plant. All the result of the wondeful feeling left behind by a warm September rain.

Armchair Epiphany

Actually, it was more like a potty epiphany, but I figured we would go clean in the title. Yesterday afternoon, while sitting on the potty, watching my daughter splash in the tub, and helping my sons build their legos (yes, all at the same time) I saw a vision of the hindu god Vishnu - you know, the one with four hands. Beyond the simple desire as a mother to HAVE four hands (is this really asking to much?), I decided to look up the god, thinking there must be some connection that my subconcious made in that all encompassing moment of multi-tasking motherhood. Here is what I found.

"The hindu god Vishnu is the preserver and protector of creation. Vishnu is the embodiment of mercy and goodness, the self-existent, all pervading power that preserves the universe and maintains the cosmic order."

That's when I got it. Motherhood=the living embodiment of Vishnu.

Yup. That's me. Mother. Just your local hindu god at work. All day. Everyday.

Did I mention that Vishnu doesn't sleep?

A Birthday Surprise for Liam

On Monday (Yes, Labor Day, the very day my precocious little boy entered this world), we went to Disneyland to celebrate Liam's birthday with 2 of his very best friends. The day was hot, but the park wasn't crowded, and we were set to have a wonderful day. Liam's buddy Nico met us at the gate, and after a quick jaunt on the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster ride, we were set for an early lunch...when low and behold, what should arrive? The Force. The Jedi's were out and about, and our 3 boys were unable to eat. Faced with this dilema, I shrugged my shoulders, and was dragged down to the roped area where young Jedi are chosen. Here you yell, jump up and down, and use your mighty (though young) powers of the force to be chosen to hold a lightsaber, and become a paduan learner for the day. The force was indeed strong with our 3 young aspiring Jedi, for ALL of them were chosen to go up on the stage.












Getting their Jedi robes....




























Learning the days lesson from our resident Jedi Master...










































The Dark side Rises...



























The Battle Begins...





































The Dark Side Retreats....





































They proudly cross the stage to recieve their Jedi in Training Paduan Learner Certificates. A proud moment indeed.










They had more fun than is decent for 3 young paduan, took part in an amazing battle for the fate of their souls, and defeated the dark side. A good days work, I think.














Later, we met up with Robert























and had a sticky good time with Pat E. Cake,











decorating our cakes (and ourselves) for a chance to win the decorating contest.











Apparently it was a close thing...we all won!











Then it was off for more rides. We rode Star Tours, Buzz Lightyear, and the Rockets at least twice. Pirates figured in there, along with Splash Mountain - a dousing which was quite refreshing in the heat of the day - and I discovered the secret of the Winnie the Pooh ride. What, you ask, could possibly be the "Secret of the Winnie the Pooh ride"? I'm bribable. I take yarn and playdates at Disneyland. :D