Chugging Along

Busy as a bee would be an understatement. Running around like crazy may be more accurate. Luckily, we are on break from school this week, and I'm slowing down enough in hopes of getting my crazies under control for the final push to the end of the year.

Pretty Horses Swap-- VCFC on Rav hosted this swap, and I've been really enjoying myself. Chatting with other women making afghan squares in the same color palette and sending them to various corners of the country is a great diversion for me.

I'm joining mine in sets of four. A good friend of mine is a quilter and she always encourages "more borders!" so this double/triple bordering is for her.

First set of four

Besides this project of giant proportions (it'll end up as a 24 square blanket), I've been working on bits and pieces of other things. Nothing major. Hopefully different noteworthy things will be coming along soon.

Linking with Ginny again!

Out of my Element

I've been sewing. Which is so not me. I never took up sewing when single because my mom had this older sewing machine that she was convinced my sister and I would break. So I took up yarn arts because that was different from what my mom did. But with a little one at home comes the need for sewing projects. I feel silly paying for someone to hem fabric for me-- ala nursing cover or car seat canopy. Several internet searches led me to some DIY designs for both of these items. I didn't even need to buy fabric, because my mom has a friend who used to work at a fabric store and was destashing her fabric a few years ago. There are several large bins of it in my parents' basement now. 

very geometric fabric- so my lines are straight!

Luckily when this idea to do some sewing hit me, my mother-in-law was able to provide. I'm currently borrowing her machine, which apparently she rarely used.

the instruction booklet stays close!

All the hemming done!!

sewing machine problems

I made it most of the way through both my projects before the tension on the machine decided to go wonky. What's left on my two big projects is mainly hand sewing anyway, but 'breaking' the machine really dampened my morning. 

I was able to switch to my crocheting projects though. Both are CAL patterns from the CSW Ravelry group.  The first one I've been working on since July, but was motivated by the September CAL to get moving on it. 

nearly finished

I'm using KnitPicks Stroll and Candy Skein Yummy fingering. The colors are not showing true due to the overcast weather we're having.

My second one is the October CAL, modified to be more of a scarf size. I'll try for better pics when my arms aren't occupied by baby J. I'm holding two strands of Lion Brand Sock-ease together for this one, the second ball being one I dyed a while back. Hopefully the Sock-ease will soften, as it feels a bit stiff right now. 

new project

Pink Shawl-- desperately seeking shallow crescent
Blue-green scarf-- Nena

Wednesday link-up with Ginny

Sitting gets Boring

Sunday Instagram:

Using the super bulky lion brand homespun thick n quick, I have progressed way further than this pic shows. Of course, it having been taken on Sunday has something to do with it. I also finished my book. My little pumpkin went through what felt like a growth spurt Sunday and Monday- he was nursing like crazy all day Monday- so I had plenty of book time. My crocheting progressed as well. I'm working a giant granny with modified corners as a way to work through some of my Homespun stash. The yarn was purchased on clearance for craft show purposes, but I'm at a point where I want it used up more than I want to make more craft show stuff. The FO will likely become a Christmas gift for one of the sets of parents. 

My shawl has made progress as well. I have about ten more rows before the border. 

Since finishing The Beekeeper's Apprentice on Monday, I have been reading bits of different things. Nothing's really sticking, but I'm hoping to find something else soon. 

I'm getting a bit of 'cabin fever', being inside with a baby all day. We've been running errands and taking walks to ward off feelings of depression. 

Stop by Ginny's for more Wednesday yarn goodness!

Sitting Down

I've been spending lots of time sitting. Not complaining, especially when my view looks like this:

I'm working on a single crochet crescent shaped shawl. Using knitpicks stroll in firecracker heather and bare that I dyed pink. I plan to add a third color- berry sangria on yummy fingering from candy skein yarns. 

Near all of my typical sitting spots are books, though mostly I've been reading ebooks on my iPad. Monuments Men is my current ebook, with The Beekeeper's Apprentice on the side in paperback. There are a few other books as back up, but I haven't started any of those yet. I'm enjoying reading both books, and Monuments Men is a good refresher for me for WWII. I'll be teaching that era come November, so I felt it was good to be up on it. 

Check out Tami's and Ginny's for more mid week progress. 

A few Small Things

With this cutie pie ruling the roost, there has been very little crafting time for me. I've been trying to keep up with my lesson plans for the substitute teacher in my spare moments. However, we have engaged a photographer friend to do a newborn session, so I'm prepping for that. 

I was making great progress on this cocoon, until my husband pointed out that it was going to be too small. So half of it got frogged. I have to try it on the little guy before I make any further progress. Luckily, I have two more weeks before the photos. 

The hats are my other small project(s) in progress. My aunt has been generous enough to continue to allow me space at her craft show booths, and we had a two day show last weekend. With the new baby, i was only able to help for part of one day, so I don't know how well I did, personally, so I'm trying to make sure everything gets restocked. My owl and monster hats seemed like crowd pleasers while I was there, so more are in progress now. 

I'm not reading as much as I thought I would-- mainly ebooks that I can download on my ipad for nighttime feedings (someone blogged about that last week, and I was inspired. It makes feedings feel faster). Library ebook selections are not the most diverse, but something to read nonetheless. 

Be sure to check out Tami and Ginny's blogs today! 

Quiet and Simple

Labor Day weekend and a little munchkin in the house definitely make me lose track of the days.

Most of my day looks like this. When I have gotten a moment or two of crafting, it looks more like this:

Simple and mostly intuitive infinity scarves (next to lesson planning books, lol) are the best projects right now. I have a few little baby hats in progress, but they're in the other room and my lap is occupied. :) 

Healthy baby, quick delivery, and my time

is less my own. But we are blessed, and I need to keep reminding myself of that. Quiet simple days are not a bad thing. Just something to adjust to. 

Getting Back in the Groove

It is taking me longer than expected to get back into a regular routine. This past week has been full of ups and downs, with my downs being particularly low. Part of it may be the sinus infection that E and I think we both have, which is leaving me more fatigued than just pregnancy fatigue. But we're coming closer on the end. That is my main encouragement. My only 'worry' is that once I find my new groove, the baby will come along and give me something new to adjust to. I just keep coming back to changes, and adjusting to those changes.

A finally finished blanket in use

There have been a few good days, even when E was working. I've been making precise plans, and  actually got done what was needed. My extra time then became dedicated to finishing my biggest WIP, the 'wedding' ripple. In my typical fashion, I simply crocheted until I was sick of it, then called it done. It's not quite as big as I originally wanted, but it is finished. There are a few ends to weave, but I'm calling it.

Baby Owl

Riding on the coat-tails of that finish, I was motivated enough to finish one of my baby hats. There are several in progress, but I told myself I would get at least one done before Baby is born. Now I'm hoping to have two or three. Only two of them are actually for him, but getting extras done can always be a plus. My craft show stock on hats is low this year, so I've been hoping to get it up in these last few weeks.

This green-- one of Vanna's Choice Baby-- was initially difficult to match, but after thinking it over and halting multiple times, I just decided to stick with another shade of green. Not living with my artistic sister can be such a drag sometimes, because she has always been my main color-matcher. I'm a lot less adventurous with my color choices, and mainly just stick to colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. My sister tells me that her method is exactly the same as mine, but I don't really buy it. She has some magical sense that just allows her to coordinate colors better than most people.

Getting one hat done means I'm just a bit closer to getting more done, which is extremely motivating. Which brings me to more projects that need to get done.

Half-finished Granny Squares

I've come back to my baby granny blanket, and added to that as well. It was started at Christmas time, when I brought a bag of Vanna scraps with me to my in-laws, because my oldest niece wanted some crocheting tutoring. My brother-in-law was extremely frustrated that I was working on something that really had no coordination or purpose-- randomly colored granny squares can do that to even the most relaxed person-- so it was more an effort to tease him than anything else. But it turned into a baby blanket, now intended for our new little one.

 In an attempt to not overwhelm myself, I keep switching between projects. By finishing small things, the big picture looks tidier in my head. My sinus headache is still awful, but the edges around my crafting mess are starting to get smoother. 

Depression is an odd thing. I don't know even if these blues I've had for most of my pregnancy qualify as depression. But it's been a struggle. These moments of accomplishment, though sometimes small, are sometimes all I have to cling to in dark times. E has been amazing through all of this, praying with me and for me and taking on more than his share of the burden. Without his constant reminders, I think I would lose sight of who's really in control. 

These little accomplishments help me get back on track, with everything. Being grateful for the small things helps so much. And these small things get added to the list. I am grateful that I finally finished a baby project. I am grateful that even though he feels as sick as I do, my husband still helped with the dishes. I am grateful that our family has been blessed with life. I am grateful for changes that stretch me, and for normal things that give me comfort.

Linking with Tami & Ginny & KCCO

Vacation Crafting

Not typically considered the time to craft, vacation is a time to relax. For me, on the first 'family' vacation since getting married, it's a little different. I'm usually one to get in one the action and play around with the kids, but being in my third trimester puts a bit of a damper on that activity (8 kiddos, 8 and under). So I play referee in the corner, with my bag of yarn next to me. 

My first project is the Lagnaippe shawl, though I'm only a third of the way done. I ran into some color coordinating problems so it got put on hold. 

The second project is the Citrus Shawl. It has a really pretty starting motif, followed by a vstitch body. The pattern is soothing to me. 

Both shawls use some KnitPicks WOTA that I dyed for another project, but they coordinated really well with some Shepherd's Wool that I've had in my stash for close to a year. I really love the Shepherd's Wool-it's kinda local to me, which is nice- great colors plus a great feel for a wool yarn. It is very soft, even in the skein before washing. It also has a nice weight to it. If I get the chance, I'm definitely buying more of it. 

The next two days of vacation may prove to be the downfall of my shawls, but I'm really hoping to finish, as the kiddos are taking a day trip today. There might be a bit more quiet and productivity, if I put my mind to it.  

Keeping Busy

Oh how the summer starts to seem shorter in July. I suppose our move at the end of June didn't help with that much. But there is still sunshine and peace to enjoy, if I take the time to find it. 

New book this week!

So far, I've been finding a decent amount of time for my crocheting, which has taken several different forms. In trying to minimize my stash, I have pulled out a ball of cotton yarn after finishing big projects. In as little time as possible, I try to finish as many dishcloths as possible. Above is my 4th with this bright yellow yarn. I'm participating in a Rav group's "Epic Summer Stashdown" and find that just getting one ball of yarn out of the closet is really helpful for me. 

However, I'm not entirely ignoring other projects. I've been working on a baby sweater as a test pattern, and finally sat down again to put more time into it. It is quite a quick pattern, when I am actually paying attention and working on it. It helps that I am working on it in worsted weight wool, but still a straightforward pattern. 

Baby Sweater in wool

For comparison purposes (and because I wanted to make two baby sweaters), I started a second sweater in DK yarn. This second sweater is in CotLin, which my last project (Hexy shawl) was made out of. I really enjoyed working with it, and wanted more. 

Dim kitchen does not like color

From my first photo, you can tell I've jumped on the bandwagon and started reading Something Other Than God by Jennifer Fulwiler. I absolutely love this book and cannot recommend it enough!! It's honest and insightful and so much fun to read! I really have not been able to put it down, which is a joy for me, especially after trying several books that I just didn't like.

Hopefully I will have more progress on my CotLin sweater next week-- lots of car-riding in my future :)

Check out Tami & Ginny

Is this nesting?

Pulling things out of hibernation and finishing them is extremely rewarding. Over the past week, I have totally frogged a project and am on the verge of finishing another.

The overcast skies and dimly lit kitchen do not help my poor photography skills.

I have a feeling that this might be the extent of my pre-baby "nesting" that seems to happen to many people. I'm at 33 weeks, and living in a new apartment means there are lots of messes. Focusing on the crafting messes seems to work better for me, because I have control over those. 

So over the past week, I finally frogged my Stephanie's Wrap, which has been "in progress" for at least a year, if not longer. I love the simplicity of the stitches and the pop of fun with the striping, but I think I picked the wrong colors. Somewhere in my future is the time and motivation to make another one, but not today. 

My other "out of hibernation" project is a shallow triangular shawl. The end results are not my favorite, but I couldn't bear to frog another project and I really want to experiment more with the design. For me, the hardest part is deciding on a border. 

Actually, the really hard part for me is not crocheting and trying to get everything else settled. A few women from my church came over yesterday and helped with that- I have a clean bathroom now, which is wonderful! 

Reading a new book, but haven't gotten far enough to form an opinion. It's a WWII era historical fiction/romance. I do want to finish a few fun books this summer, and seeing as it's halfway over, I'm trying to get a good start with this one. (I'm dreading going back to the textbooks).

Joining Tami & Ginny today!

It was a Dark and Stormy Night

With the humidity we've been having, rain is a welcome change. I'm honestly hoping for more daytime rain, as our last two storms were at night.

a poorly lit doctor's office WIP photo

But even with the storms and intermittent humidity, crochet has taken place! My Hexy now has two skeins worth of Cotlin into it, and I have a third still in my stash, with several more on the way to finish up. Not the perfect stashdown project, but stash is still moving from yarn to WIP to FO.

To keep my 'theme' of project polygamy, I did start another project last night. I'm testing a baby sweater pattern for MAD Cap Designs, and so far so good. My husband made a comment about the last sweater I made-- it was a knitted vest for my brother and took 3 years to make- and I scoffed, saying that crochet plus baby equals a faster project. I really hope I'm right this time :) I was only able to get the bottom ribbing band done at craft night last night, but I am hopeful that spending some time with my DVDs will make the progress go faster.

Nothing really in exciting colors yet. Sometimes its uncanny how my colors match my mood and/or the weather. And my dear Michigan cannot decide if it wants rain or sunshine. Early early this morning when I took my husband to work, it looked like more rain. As the day goes on, it's starting to look like sunshine again. So much "wait and see" with the weather.

My reading this week is work related. If anyone ever tries to tell me that teachers don't work in the summer, I may get violent. Take a look at one-fourth of my work:

I will have 4 totally new to me classes next school year, while also being on maternity leave at the beginning of the year. Not sure if this situation is better or worse then last year's, where I had less than two weeks to plan for 2 classes-- plus a wedding. Oh well, the world of teaching is always exciting.

Linking up with Tami & Ginny. 

Longer Rows

I've reached a point in my current WIP where each row feels like an eternity, and the prospect of frogging is extremely daunting.

Long rows  and short rows

The first row of the final section. If I had worked this pattern all the way through the first time, my mishap might have been avoided. But at the time, I was content with the size of my shawl. This time around, part of my goal is using up yarn and with several hundred yards left of yarn, I really need to go on and complete the final section. I've learned that charts are a wonderful addition to a written pattern, but only helpful if you actually look at them. In my haste to keep moving, I misread the pattern (forgetting to look at the charts) and will be spending my afternoon frogging the last row. 

And of course, I only think to take picture in the evening, so the colors are out of whack. As I've mentioned before, I'm using three yarns for this pattern. 

The little bit of blue at the top of my photo is my start on the Hexy shawl in Knit Picks CotLin. To combat the tedium of the long rows, I started this shawl which has been on my list for a few weeks. This shawl stuck out to me because it had an interesting stitch pattern while also not being triangular. 

My reading has been intermittent, as this week E and I have been focusing on moving. The final day is Saturday, with a number of his work buddies coming over to help with the larger furniture. I'm really anxious about it, but I'm trusting that everything will get done in good time. 

Joining with Tami & Ginny!

Another Wednesday

If I posted a picture of what I was working on today, it would look really similar to last week's picture. I made a second light green baby hat, this time a bit shorter (no rolled brim) and with ear flaps. During craft night last night, I made two little green "ears" though they may morph into horns/fins/something. I'm still debating about the overall design, but I'm leaning toward dinosaur/dragon.

An acquaintance who does photography for a living did some maternity photos for us back at the beginning of May, and we're planning on having a newborn session as well. My sister, while being a talented photographer, is not good at people pictures. So at this time, I am content to hire a local photographer.

The whole point... LOL... I'm attempting to have some crochet pieces- hats, diaper covers, sweaters- made for this newborn photo shoot. The biggest problem is guessing the size of the baby. Hence multiple sizes of hats. I'm totally in love with the Leaping Crochet Baby Hoodie, have considered the Puerperium (which may be hindered by my poor knitting skills), and have downloaded several diaper cover patterns.

As my school year comes to a close, I'm hoping to have more time to work on all these ideas that I have. However, it's likely that between school moving and home moving, it will be a while...

Check out Tami's & Ginny's

Back to the Hooks

Half finished Stole

I think I confused Blogger's brain this week. I've gotten into the habit of using three different devices to prepare my posts, and it looks like I finally hit a snag. I had a post all written and posted (so I thought) but upon looking, it's disappeared! 

So instead of attempting to recreate what I wrote originally, I'm just going to say it's been a busy week but I was able to fit crochet in. Every other Tuesday is craft night with some ladies from my church, so I've been making the time to go. Below is what I got done during this week's time. 

It's upside-down. Oops. 

Improvisation is my friend with all my current projects. When I failed my 2 (or 3 or 4) attempts to cast on for a Pebble Vest, I frogged everything and started with crochet. The whole process feels better to me, though I'd sad that I couldn't make the knitted vest work. Maybe a different pattern. Or different needles. Or a new cast on method....

Experiments

A tangled scarf

This week, I'm working on two different projects, but the progress is so minimal on my second, I'm only showing one here. I'm working out a more substantial diagonal scarf pattern. This is my sample, crocheted with a G hook in Three Irish Girls Glenhaven Cashmerino. The yarn is something I would've never purchased for myself, but I received in a swap and I LOVE it! I've been looking through stashes, trying to find another colorway that I might be able to purchase from someone. No luck yet, but I will keep at it. I had leftover from a previous project, and thought a sample is a good thing to use leftovers for. 

I was not going for the sawtoothed edging

This will definitely be something I share with my sister, as the current scarf I have in this color really gets worn- I'm not a brown girl. It's also definitely a sample scarf. As you can see pictured above, I was having trouble coming up with a way to make the decreasing edge even. Two days ago, I tried another method, which cleaned up my edge immensely. 

The edging has improved.

There are plans to try this again, narrower, with a more "me" yarn. My leftover ball has gotten me far, and I should be finished by Friday, if I work really hard.

Linking up:
Yarn-Along
WIP Wednesday

Scarves on Wednesday

Patience wears thin as the school year draws closer to the end. Luckily, there is always more yarn to be found! (In fact, I came across another 2 Rubbermaid containers full of yarn at my parents' this weekend.) I made a stress yarn purchase last week, along with the most adorable buttons!

With my new yarn, I'm thinking of a new scarf... honestly, I'm always thinking of new scarves. Even in the summer, I love the light accessories. The FOs I posted last week will probably become my staple style of scarves for the summer. The yarn is perfect too. Sock yarn is great for lightweight scarves. 

Neon Yarn is awesome!

My current WIP is another infinity scarf, this time in the Tiki colorway of Felici. The striping is not as clean in this colorway, which is a bit disappointing, and less vibrant overall than Fizz (my previous 2 scarves). I really liked it when I saw it online, but I'm less thrilled about it now. This will definitely be a scarf that I have my artist sister coordinate outfits for. 

I'm planning, when there is finally extra time (if that ever happens), to write out an alternative to my current pattern, in hopes of making it more dense. I'd like to be able to use it with different yarns, but right now, it's really just an angled mesh.

Dinos or turtles with the hand-dyed yarn?

Other than my brief attempts at designing, I've been dyeing yarn to go with my buttons! The first finished skein is a blue-green color, which I love, but I'm having a hard time deciding on the buttons. I'm planning on a Pebble Vest, possibly two, for baby boy, since he'll be a fall/winter baby. The other yarn I've dyed is red, but it's drying and I need to decide if it needs more red (it might dry too pink for baby boy). I also have some bug buttons that might be cute for this pattern, but I'm just in the planning stages and can always use advice. There is also the possibility of dyeing the blue-green again, or finding another yarn entirely (I know I have tons of worsted weight yarn. Some of it was earmarked for another project, but there's no way it was going to be more fun than baby knits! Brown... Dark Teal... Hmmmmm! The choices are endless!)

Before I bore everyone, I should direct you to Tami's and Ginny's for the Wednesday link-ups!

Working Hard

I've been working quite a bit on my sock blanket project. As I mentioned before, it is a great project to have in my bag, for those spare minutes. I've completed my goal of seven base squares, though it's possible that I will add if I see fit. Yesterday I started joining them together, which is what you see below.

Kinda blurry....

The 3 yarns you see here are all from different places- the pink is from a Harry Potter mini-skein pack I got in a swap ages ago; the purple/blue is Candy Skein; the cream/gray is Knit Picks Stroll Tonal Pearlescent. You will definitely see more of all of them in the future, as I still have some left. If my calculations are right, I can get 2 squares out of a mini-skein- and many of my leftovers are larger than mini skein size. 

Sneak Peek!

The above is a quick look at what I've been crocheting, which will be revealed on Friday, since it is finished!!

Reading has slowed down again. I have many of the same books on my shelves as I've had for the past 2 or 3 weeks. Hopefully with the school year winding down, I will be able to get a few new ones in!

Check out:
WIP Wednesday
Yarn Along

Socks and Needles and Birthdays

This week, I actually have more of a variety, as I am trying new things to make the best use of my stash. Confession: I love sock yarns. They come in such a wide range of colors, are nearly always machine wash and dry, and the skeins come in a size perfect for a quick project. Problem: I don't knit socks. I mainly crochet shawls and scarves, with a tiny bit of knitting thrown into the mix. So this new project is a bit out of my zone of comfort. I've started the Sock Yarn Blankie. So far, I'm going no where near the speed that the designer, Shelly Kang, says she went (20- 30 minutes per square), but I'm finding a small, extremely portable project something I need right now. And there is the more instant gratification part of the project too. I can knit one small square and still feel mostly accomplished.  

My selection of sock yarns at 6 am.

I'm not neglecting the crocheting front in any way, I'm just at the awkward, non-portable point of my current hooking project. My sister's birthday gift needs to be finished before the weekend, and I'm hoping to finish tonight after I get out of work. I'm really loving the Stroll for this project- extremely squishable! (See also-- I'm using sock yarn for crocheting. Again!) And the color really fits the name of the shawl- Shallow Waters. This really is one of my favorite shawl patterns- a soothing repetitive pattern, with excitement at the end with the border. My sister is more petite than I am, so I'm thinking only one or two more rows before moving on to the border. She will definitely wear this as a scarf too, so I dont need to worry about making it bigger for shawl purposes. 

A nearly completed gift

My younger sister's birthday is tomorrow, but due to drive time, work, appointments, and Holy Week services, I am not going to see her until Easter Sunday. Even though I hope to finish tonight, I do have a bit more wiggle room with this project. 

I'm still reading the Scott Hahn book from last week, as it is written to be read in bite-sized chunks. There is still the hope that I can find a good novel to read, but it would probably be better if I wait until summer.

On the moving front, my husband installed the new gas stove this weekend, so we are nearly at the point where the new apartment is livable. Also, all the old, junky, left-behind furniture has been removed, so we can really start to move in as we want to. The next few months will definitely be a time of slowly transferring the winter clothes, the unused books, and similar things out of our old apartment and into the new one. I will be grateful to be out of the old one, especially since we have a deadline (the lease expiring) for this move. Any later moves will be as gradual as the first-- slowly moving things to a new place (hopefully, God-willing, a new home) from the current place. 

Yarn-Along

WIP Wednesday

Exploring Wednesday

A Shawl, A Book, and a Scarf.

I'm exploring a number of things this week. First, I'm adventuring into new book territory- theology!! The book is Signs of Life, by Scott Hahn. Before my marriage, I read a book by Kimberly Hahn, which I really enjoyed, so I'm hoping her husband is as skillful a writer as she is. Even though I'm nearly done with my stint as a religion teacher, I'm hoping that this book will give me some insight into the material I'm teaching, just on the off chance I teach it again. 

My second adventure this week is another self-designed pattern. I couldn't find was I was looking for in a rectangular stole pattern, especially something crocheted, so I am totally winging it. The heart motif is from a scarf I made for my sister a month or two back. During the crocheting of that scarf, I toyed with the thought of adjusting it, but felt that adjusting in the middle of a piece would look funny. So here's the start of the results. The yarn is Knit Picks Gossamer Lace, in colorway Sunrise. It is a discontinued line, but I find it very similar to Shadow Lace, except in the coloring. As I watch it develop, I've been brainstorming ways to make the FO more versatile, and I think this may be an experimental FO dye-job. I really love the colors, but the blue seems to pop out too much for my tastes. However, I am open to opinions and suggestions. :-)

Third in my adventuring is a previously used pattern with a new type of yarn. Shallow Waters, by Anastacia Zittel, is perhaps my most worn scarf/shawlette. When I first crocheted it, I used Shadow Lace in colorway Summer Blooms. My subsequent attempts have been in Felici, but the striping always seems to turn out funny. This attempt is in Stroll Fingering, colorway Blue Topaz. The plan is to have it done before next week, as it is meant to be a birthday gift for my sister. However, because I know myself really well, I did buy a back-up gift, just in case.  

I'm still contemplating baby items to make, though I do have a few on my list. Large (or what seems like large to me) quantities of Bare Wool of the Andes in Worsted and Bulky weights seem to be hiding out in my stash. Those skeins might get some experimental color so I can get started on a few of my projects. If only there was such a thing as a weekend for teachers...

WIP Wednesday

Yarn-Along

A Mostly Relaxing Wednesday

Multiple things in progress this week, especially since I am on spring break!

I'm hoping to use both of these yarns (and eat all the pretzels!) and get their projects started tonight. I've been hunting for the right pattern for my laceweight for a few days now. My hands are itching to start another project. The yellow bit is for a hat that needs a flower. So tonight it shall get a pretty yellow fluffy flower. My husband was giving me a list of color suggestions when I asked, most of them were just him goofing off, but when he called out yellow, and I knew I had yellow, etc, it worked out. He can be such a goof with colors, and usually is the one asking me for matching/color advice. And most times when I ask for color advice, I'm just looking for someone to give me a list of colors, and hope that eventually they will hit on the color I have in my head but can't verbalize.  

The moving and painting process is going well this week, though mostly it's been painting. Today we did a lot of moving of furniture, etc. Husband's siblings may be claiming some of the furniture, so we're hoping to begin moving more of ours in over the next few weeks. 

Itty bitty baby bump. Nearly 20 weeks now, and we had our first ultrasound. Fortunately for us, we picked the right color for the baby's room!!! (It was going to be blue no matter what, but we thought it was funny) So now I get to hunt for baby boy patterns! Any suggestions? There are so many cute girl things, but I find its more difficult to find boy things. So I will definitely need help. We have some friends who were team blue as soon as we found out we were pregnant, and we told them straight away. Todd has predicted gender correctly for the last 3 of his friends, so he was quite excited to know he was 4 for 4.

So, baby in progress :) I hope everyone has a Wednesday that was as exciting as ours :)

WIP Wednesday
Yarn-Along