giggles and milk love

It's been quite a long time since I have posted a movie of any sort. We no longer have a working device to capture video... but I recently discovered what I can do with just the voice recorder on my phone.

And so for your listening pleasure...



Cupcake is such a serious (but happy and easy going) baby - especially when compared to her kooky brother. She usually gives us subtle smiles instead of big grins, but somehow we managed to capture this rare giggle-fest.

It's hard to believe our little Cupcake is already 8 months old.


(Click here to see a slideshow of her growing)

She just started blowing raspberries this week and is loving bananas and carrots with rice cereal. She is a pro at rolling over and looks like she tries to get her knees under her at times. She loves to stand and play in her exersaucer - marching in place and spinning around.

A few weeks ago she grew two small razors in the bottom of her mouth - I'm still healing.
Click the photo to enlarge and get a peak at her tiny weapons.




The Bud is constantly pretending to be a new character in his world that is always a stage.
Random items (considered by many to be trash) become fantastical props.

We have become used to stealthily throwing away things like the foil top to his yogurt at breakfast time because "that's my new toy."
This morning he was either a tiger or "the coolest puppy in the world" depending on the moment.



He has been singing lots of original songs lately that evolve into variations on a theme.
I love his "I like milk" song - especially the end note on this version I recorded.

Stitches in time and space

I have recently finished a couple of projects that have been on the needles for over a year. Not because they are large projects - just because of various extended hibernation periods.

One of my finally finished projects is my Ishbel shawl out of Serenity Sock by Zen Yarn Garden (that little bit of cashmere makes it so wonderfully smooshy!).

I started this in March 2009 during the part of my pregnancy when knitting (and even reading) made me nauseated. I'm not sure why I decided that this was the moment for me to knit my first lace shawl, but everyone was making them - and they all just looked so lovely.

I made it through the stockinette portion just fine. But for some reason I screwed up on each repeat of lace in a way that my preggo brain could not find and fix - leaving me to rip out and re-do multiple times. I finally refused to rip back again and just shoved it in a bag.

Months later in the throws of gift knitting, I pulled it out for a status check. I was easily able to find the last elusive mistake and fix it without ripping anything back.

Now it was back on my radar - ready and waiting for a little finishing time.

I only needed about 4 hours to have a finished Ishbel just in time to wear it for my birthday a few weeks ago.

Ravelry Link

I love how it turned out. I only wish I had done the large stockinette with the small lace border.

Knitting on this again brought me back to thoughts and feelings of a year ago. How things have changed!

I also recently finished a plain pair of socks that have been on the needles since January 2009.

Stitched into these socks are so many places and memories.

The yarn was a birthday present back in 2008 from my knitting neighbor pal who dyed it herself.

I wanted a pair of plain socks to work on at the Bohus Exhibit at the Swedish Institute.

I cast on both socks - trading off knitting time to keep them at about the same place.

The cuff and most of the legs remind me of this.

Then they sat until about April when they traveled to Yarnover - where I worked through the increases and decreases of a small gusset and added a piece of scrap yarn to pull out later for an afterthought heel.

They sat again until August - after the Cupcake had arrived, and I needed some easy and portable crib-side knitting. Thinking about finishing the feet on both socks takes me back to a specific corner Abbott Northwestern Special Care Nursury where I spent a lot of time.

That just left the toes and heels which I WIPed to FO during this year's Ravelympics

Ravelry Link

Although I didn't like to have a heel to knit after I felt like I should be done, the fit is fabulous, so I think I will probably do it again. There are a few gusset/heel details on my ravelry project page.

I was an Olympic junkie this year watching any event that was on, and consulting my Olympic iPhone app for up to date info. I finished the above socks in the WIP category, and

the Cupcake's Tulip sweater in the children and sweater categories.

Now I'm focusing on what I am calling my shoulder blanket. The cover project from the first issue of St. Denis Yarn Magazine.

Ravelry Link

The piles of snow are gone and it feels like spring is finally here.

Not quite perfect timing for a huge worsted weight shawl. Hmmm.

It is supremely enjoyable knitting however, so I am loving it anyhow.

Happy Spring, everyone!