I can has cheezburger

We're big fans around here. And they even have occasional knitting content!

Introducing...

The Girl


Tuesday October 14th
7:44 am
7 lbs 6 oz

The Girl and The Boy


I didn't get the blanket done on time. She was two weeks early. I'm sad and happy and sore and tired, and a bit of a mess, everything all at once. I don't know when the blanket will be done, but it doesn't really matter. Somehow, I have a little girl, and our family is complete. It feels like she's always been here.

Sorry...

Sorry I haven't blogged for so long. I haven't had much to say. Three official weeks left before official (but absolutely meaningless) Estimated Date of Delivery. Feel free to send early baby vibes, because I'm so ready for this to be over, and 37 weeks on is considered full term anyway!

I'm working on the OpArt blanket from the latest Knitty, and will eventually post photos, if I get it done before Trevor arrives. If I don't get it done before Trevor arrives, well I may post photos in six months or so when I do finally get it done. Although I didn't get The Boy's blanket done til he was three.

Giveaways (and I mean free!)

I'm still decluttering*. I think it's actually redirected nesting (I'm too superstitious to do anything that could be considered nesting until baby's practically here. I'm still feeling uneasy about the baby knitting I've done...).

Anyway, I've found some knitting stuff to give away (it's not yarn, so no fear of moths!). I have the following:

a) 3 issues of Vogue Knitting--winter 99/00, winter 00/01, spring/summer 99. Oldies but goodies folks! All former library copies, but they seem to have all their pages. And two of them are even hardcover library editions.

b) Style Your Own Kids Knits by Kate Buller--simply choose a pattern and select a motif! It's new. Has lots of motifs if you're not into designing your own, and you don't need to put them on the basic patterns in the book--you can use whatever sweater pattern you prefer. Or put a motif on the back of a soaker or pair of longies or something.

c) The Cool Girl's Guide to Knitting by Nicki Trench. Learn the rules of knitting and dating, including rule #2--Don't wear itchy fabrics on your first date (they recommend cashmere) and rule #3--Don't take your knitting on your first date (guys will want to feel that your attention is on them). Also new. Okay, it's pretty trendy, but there are some nice (albeit trendy) patterns in it. This one would be a nice gift if you know a teen knitter, actually.

d) Knitting in America by Melanie Falick. It's an ex-library copy, so not new, but also not missing any pages.

e) A Year of Afghans book 2 from Leisure Arts--I just have to face it, I'm not an afghan knitter (or crocheter). New.

g) The Book of Knitting: from beginner to expert, the best knitting book for you. A nice beginner book, older, so pre-trendy knitting revival. New (well, it was new, a while ago! I guess I should say "original owner").

h) Ready Set Knit by Sasha Kagan--again, library discard but no pages missing. Little bit trendy, but not too bad.

i) Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Knitting--another library discard not missing any pages. According to the cover it has 150 stitch patterns and 22 projects. Again, a Leisure Arts publication.

If anybody wants any of these, let me know, I'll bring them to KOL or we can make other arrangements.

And finally:

j) Loads and loads (and I mean hundreds) of other books on everything you could possibly think of from fiction to history to parenting to motorsports to whatever (you name it, there's probably something about it in there). If anyone wants to come and have a look, let me know. They're probably going to end up on freecycle eventually. As will the knitting books if nobody here wants them.

*Funny thing: my spell check doesn't like decluttering. Suggested options? Cluttering, spluttering, fluttering, and muttering. How does it know? I'm doing all of those things as I try to declutter!

Single handedly...

Today while playing in the stash (officially, I'm moth hunting, but, well, it's yarn stash, so there's a certain amount of playing going on) I found a mitten. I only ever made the first one. It's a convertible mitten--a glove with cut off fingers underneath, with a big flap to turn it into a mitten on top. The problem you ask? I don't have any more of that yarn, I don't know what size I made, I can't find the pattern anyway, and everyone in the family has two hands.

And yesterday, House Man found yarn in the freezer. He thinks it's the pregnancy hormones, and that I'm now officially a crazy hormonal pregnant woman. Hasn't he been listening to anything I've said about moths?

Moths...

I have been battling moths since Sunday now. I'm using heat (well, the dryer, since we don't have any sun) and neem oil mixed with castile soap (as an emulsifier) and water. Apparently, neem oil is non-toxic (humans use it both orally and topically) but it's pretty much death to bugs, including beneficial bugs. Smells a bit like onion and garlic, not chemically at all, just very, very organic!

I think that there will always be moths in my house. What I want is to keep them from my wool. I'm tempted to spray the wool with my neem oil solution as well--according to various sources on the internet, it doesn't stain clothing, and it can also be used as an insect repellent.

To finish, a fairly recent (as in I'm pretty sure it's from 2008) self portrait by The Boy:

Some thoughts on seaming...

So I'm going through the stash, looking for evidence of moth, and I find a sweater to fit a three year old (The Boy is 5 now). Or, at least, it will be a sweater as soon as I seam together the completed front, back, and two sleeves, and then knit up the collar.

Do I really hate seaming so much that I could call a sweater a UFO after all the parts were completed, waiting to be seamed?

Obviously I do.

Disaster.

Moths. I think I has them. Help.

Okay, now that I've made Lesley dizzy, I should clarify. They're in the basement, in the closet, mostly in House Man's winter sweaters, since he isn't wearing them much right now, for obvious reasons. The stash is upstairs, and well stored for the most part. But I still think we need to do some "moth control" downstairs, and some stash investigation as well.

Steph, I don't really want to call an exterminator, because most of what gets used for moths is either toxic to cats or possibly carcinogenic, and then there's that whole pregnant thing, and this is all going down in my bedroom closet. Although someone out there on the innerwebs somewhere suggested using neem oil and soap in water--apparently it's not toxic to any mammals, just all kinds of bugs! I might look into that.

Deb, I've made sachets, based on an innerweb recipe, using lavender, peppermint and rosemary. Will be placing them liberally in the stash when I start going through it bag by bag. But the freezer, well, it's pretty darn tiny, and just isn't going to happen. Apparently, again from the innerwebs, you can heat to 120 for at least half an hour to kill larvae and eggs, so I might try the dryer for the sweaters--dry wool sweaters won't felt in the dryer will they? Felting needs water as well as heat, right?

Arr.

Click to embiggen so you can read the authors' and illustrator's names.

Last night we went to a book launch for this book. Just so happens that this was written by two coworkers. Anyway, the launch was a load of piratical fun. The Boy came along. He had a blast.

He and Jack Sparrow are great friends now. At one point, I looked over to see The Boy kneeling down while Jack knighted him. Lesley, I wish Cam had been there to see it!

So, if you have any little people in your life, do rush out and buy a copy of this wonderful picture book. Written and illustrated by local talent (the illustrator is amazing!), it's definitely worth a spot on your bookshelves.

What's that? You want knitting content? Well, see, here's the thing. I seem to have misplaced the new camera. And The Boy has taken possession of the old camera. So I really need to find the new camera and get some photos downloaded. I am knitting, I swear!

I know you love me...

Yesterday was Friday. We all went to my parents' for dinner, as we do every Friday. As usual, The Boy stayed for a sleepover. As we got ready to leave (me driving the car, because I'd come straight from work, House Man riding his motorcycle, because he'd come straight from work too), The Boy and his Gran were standing at the top of the driveway waving goodbye. The Boy's parting words to us, while jumping up and down and waving both hands, were

"Bye mum, bye dad, I know you love each other and you both love me. Bye!"

What I'm knitting:

What I'm reading:

What I'm wearing:

Obviously that's not me in the photo. I'm not that tall, that skinny, or that pregnant (yet). But I hadn't realised how much maternity clothes have changed in the 5 years since I had The Boy. And these are so much more comfortable than the maternity clothes I had 5 and a half years ago!

Yes, I have officially hit the second trimester, which means that my superstitious side will let me knit baby things. The baby sweater is made with 2 skeins of Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino. It's very nice to work with, and the resulting baby cardigan is extremely soft to the touch.

The book is by Sheila Kitzinger. I would like to recommend the Kitzinger book to those of you who have yet to have kids. Seriously, get this book instead of That Other Book that will scare the pants off you! It's a much more reasonable account, offering both sides of the birth argument (ie natural vs medicalized). For the crunchy amongst you, I'm also reading this book. If you think you'd be the sort to have a homebirth or have a midwife to attend you instead of an obstetrician, then try this book, it's the one.

An emerging new talent...

We recently bought a new camera. The Boy was given the old one, a small bottom-of-the line digital point-and-shoot. It's older than he is. Well, he is enraptured with photo taking. Some of his masterpieces include:

Sleeping Cat

Blue Denim

Slinky Dog

Indiana Jones

Glass of Orange Juice

Me. I actually think I look pretty good, considering the angle and the fact that I'm 12 weeks pregnant and feeling like carp!

House Man

And the piece de resistance, he managed to figure out how to shoot video!



I'm thinking with this kind of raw talent, I can make a lot of money from The Boy. How much do you think these would go for on e-bay? Or maybe his true talent lies in directing. That's it, he's the next Steven Spielberg. Ah, yes, that would certainly enable him to keep his parents in the style to which they have yet to become accustomed.

PS Fiona, I finished your mitts. I swear I'll post them soon, you'll definitely have them in time for the next batch of cold weather in, say, November!

Happy Birthday...

The Boy had a birthday party this past weekend. There were some illustrious guests in attendance.

First, Cinderella graced us with her presence:

Of course, no party is complete without a dragon:


And just in case the dragon was an issue, the Good Fairy was there for when happy wishes needed granting:

There were a few pirates there, including Captain Jack Sparrow, but for some reason, they wouldn't stay still long enough to have their photos taken. Although they did successfully lead the hunt for treasure:

and find the pirate swag hidden in the back of my sister's car:

Okay, you say, get to the important stuff and tell us about the loot! Well, the haul was good, starting with this from Grannie and Grandpa in North Carolina:

and this from Auntie LaLa:

And a good old fashioned datsun from Uncle A-Rock (it's a 1971 Datsun 510 for those who care):

As for The Boy's behaviour on his birthday? Well, he did really well, only getting slightly over-excited when the other pirate arrived--swords were quickly confiscated. He did find the cake a little hard to resist, and swooped in for a quick lick after blowing out his candles. Needless to say, that was his piece!

As for me, well, I survived my baby turning 5. Helped a little, probably, by the knowledge that we will, if all goes well, be welcoming another baby into our family sometime in late October or early November. I had been keeping this a secret, but, you know, pregnant brain and all, I let it slip at work a few weeks ago. So I may as well make it public here. The working name for this baby is Trevor (after The Boy's imaginary baby brother) so that's going to be this baby's Blog Name. If Trevor ends up being a girl, I will need to come up with something else after she's born!

I haven't been blogging much lately. I do manage to keep my facebook up to date, so make sure you add me there if you want to keep up with the adventures of House Man and The Boy. If you really want to add me as a friend but don't know my last name, well, just tell me in the comments and I'll e-mail it to you.

The Boy is having a birthday very soon. I'll try to post pictures from the party sometime next week.

I think I'm going to have a nap now.

Hey Henry!

Here's looking at you kid.


Neville and The Boy, March 2008

New reading material

Well, after the rather smug comment I made on Mrs. Yes's blog the other day, a parcel showed up in the mail. It seems I must have ordered books in my sleep, because I really am supposed to be on a yarn and book diet. Anyway, they came all wrapped up in brown paper with blue and purple ribbon, two free bookplates, and three packets of those black rubber stitch markers. I can highly recommend the customer service at The Needle Arts Book Shop!

Here are my purchases:

If you look closely, you'll see it says for kids 0-6. Luckily, The Boy is a bit on the small side, and Debbie Bliss's designs tend to be roomy, so despite the fact he's almost 5, there's lots in here that will fit him.

My second purchase is absolutely worth drooling over:

Has anyone seen this book before? It's lovely, wonderful, and absolutely inspiring. I think the next thing I make will be from here!

For Fififolle...

Swiped from Fiona. I'll be really upset if she doesn't answer in the comments!

1) Are you currently in a serious relationship?
A.

2) What was your dream growing up?
A.

3) What talent do you wish you had?
A.

4) If I bought you a drink what would it be?
A.

5) Favorite vegetable?
A.

6) What was the last book you read?
A.

7) What zodiac sign are you?
A.

8) Any Tattoos and/or Piercings? Explain where.
A.

9) Worst Habit?
A.

10) If you saw me walking down the street would you offer me a ride?
A.

11) What is your favorite sport?
A.

12) Do you have a Negative or Optimistic attitude?
A.

13) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me?
A.

14) Worst thing to ever happen to you?
A.

15) Tell me one weird fact about you.
A.

16) Do you have any pets?
A.

17) What if i showed up at your house unexpectedly?
A.

18) What was your first impression of me? (hmmm...careful!)
A.

19) Do you think clowns are cute or scary?
A.

20) If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be?
A.

21) Would you be my crime partner or my conscience?
A.

22) What color eyes do you have?
A.

23) Ever been arrested?
A.

24) Bottle or can soda?
A.

25) If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it?
A.

27) What's your favorite place to hang at?
A.

28) Do you believe in ghosts?
A.

29) Favorite thing to do in your spare time?
A.

30) Do you swear a lot?
A.

31) Biggest pet peeve?
A.

32) In one word, how would you describe yourself?
A.

33) Do you believe/appreciate romance?
A.

35) Do you believe in God?
A.

36) Will you repost this so I can fill it out and do the same for you?
A.

Can anyone guess..

...where House Man and The boy went?

Setting off:

Upon arrival:



In action:


Looking pleased with himself:

His score? He opened with two spares for a high score of 98.

ETA There's a better video clip, but for some reason House Man turned the camera sideways when filming it. Sadly, Picasa can't rotate video clips, and when I tried to rotate it with our movie making software, the boy got shortened and widened! Anyone know how to rotate a video clip without doing that?

I think I'm in love...

Smooth. Colourful. Long tapered points. Made from wood. Did I say smooth? And they come in six packs! I'm only about two inches down the first sock, but if these needles hold up, they are on their way to becoming my favourite sock needles ever.

I have also fallen in love with this:

It came in the mail yesterday, ordered from the clearance page at www.paderno.com. It's only 0.8 l (why does that zero look like an o? I swear, it's a zero, I've checked three times now!). You can't tell from the photo, but it's tiny! It fits three eggs to boil nicely, 4 at a squeeze. It's so darn cute! I hate using a large saucepan to boil an egg or two, so it's exactly what I wanted, and a really good deal at that!

Knitpicks...

My order came. But there was something I wanted that I forgot to order. So, if any of you KOL ladies are planning a knitpicks order anytime soon, can I piggyback? I just want a 2.5 mm circ long enough to do magic loop on socks, and I'm willing to pay for it. I just don't want to pay the flat rate shipping that makes the needle as expensive as an addi turbo!

I swore I'd never try magic loop again, after the last time I tried it. But, it turns out, it's not the technique that's a problem, it's that I was using the wrong needles for it! So, if you've tried magic loop and failed, get thee some knitpicks circs and try it again.

A meme, because I'm having a hard time with motivation...

I'm really not motivated to blog right now, so here's a meme for you all. Leave comments, remind me that people read this, maybe I'll feel motivated again (after I wash my newly completed orange Cat Bordhi socks and take their photo!). Anyway, I was tagged by fififolle. Here's the meme:

List seven habits/quirks/facts about yourself.
Tag seven people to do the same.
Do not tag the person who tagged you or say that you tag "whoever wants to do it".

1. I iron even less than the person who tagged me claims she does.
2. I only wear handknit socks now, unless it's been a loooong time since we did laundry, and even then I might choose laundry-pile handknit socks over store-bought socks.
3. I was born in Dunfermline.
4. I'm still in touch with my very first best friend forever, we met on the first day of elementary school in 1976 (was it 1976 Fi? I'm getting old, my memory is going!).
5. I really enjoy watching Treehouse with The Boy, but don't tell House Man!
6. I hate mushrooms, avocado, and bananas for their texture. The flavour's not that bad, but I can't stand the texture.
7. I've only had my hair cut three times in the last 18 months. I really need to get it cut more often!

And in return I'm tagging the first seven people to read this, except of course Fiona. That's if seven people read this. If you do though, be honest, and play along! It'll really help my motivation and self esteem!

Six degrees...

So I took The Boy to a park to hang out with Nat and L. yesterday. When The Boy and I arrived, there was one other family present at the playground. The mum looked familiar, the kids looked familiar. I'm trying to place them--not from daycare, I'd know the kids' names in that case. Library maybe? Hmm, not sure, and which branch anyway, I've worked in so many... Then I saw the dad, and realised I was recognising a family I've never actually met in real life, but only ever seen in blogdom. And they're not even knitters! So, being in Halifax, where everyone's favourite game is "who do you know that I know and how are we possibly connected?", I introduced myself and said I was a friend of Steph's. It was Mike's wife who made the connection between Steph and the toque!

Anyway, Mike, it was nice to meet you and your family. Us knitters have heard a lot about you from Steph, and we're all following the photo stalker challenge with interest(surely time for another entry? I noticed you had your camera yesterday!).

Yes, it's a small world, here in the Maritimes.