The Christmas gift experiment

prototype potholder, originally uploaded by harpyr.

So this is what I made today. It was a fast knit on size 10 1/2 needles with Noro Kureyon. I felted it in the sink with hot and cold water and then threw it in the dryer. However, I think it needs to be felted more to be safe as a potholder. It's just too holey still. It would work as a table protector for a hot pot. I'm needing to whip out some fast knits to give as gifts to extended family since I think we've blown our entire present budget on gifts for the kids already. We're just about done with all our shopping for them so now I can devote my spare time to crafting some stuff for everybody else. I hope people can appreciate handmade washcloths and potholders. Kinda mundane but I think it's all I have time for. I really should have started knitting gifts months ago. I have to admit I'm something of a selfish knitter still. I'm forcing myself to put down the big entrelac wrap for myself in order to knit for other people. It's easier to convince myself to do that by making these entrelac potholders. I get to practice my technique so I can be sure to get Lady Eleanor just right. Here's a finished example of the wrap in the Noro Silk Garden colorway that I'll be using.

Gorgeous, eh? It'll probably take me four months to finish but it'll be worth it.













Alrighty, I need to finish this up and get the kids to bed. I've been procrastinating on turning in Quinn's work samples to his contact teacher. (We participate in a charter school program) For some reason I have this aversion to using my scanner. I don't know why but the process seems tediously slow to me and I have to really force myself to muster up the gumption to do it. Tonight I must. Even if it means dragging myself out of my nice comfy bed after Zay falls asleep and taking care of this. I'm already five days late. Gotta stop slacking on this!

the science of color

experimenting with color, originally uploaded by harpyr.

Quinn had fun learning about color mixing with this little science kit. He got to fill a little tray with 24 of his own color mixtures and then add some little crystals that absorb all the water and look like jello until you let them dry back out, and then they look like tiny colored crystal granules. It was pretty neat.

Happy Birthday B!

, originally uploaded by harpyr.

Brett spent the morning creating his own birthday cake work of art. He has been working a new job at Fred Meyer's decorating cakes so this was an opportunity for him to practice and show off for the family. It was a most yummy demonstration!

random thoughts

Today I babysat my nephew Evyn. I took all the kids up to my mom's house to get some help with all the kids and it was really nice. Got some knitting on my cardigan accomplished and helped my mom get signed up on myspace so she can keep in touch better with my brothers. It's wild how many people are on that now.

Hm.. I'm having a hard time with this regular blogging thing. I find I just don't know what to write about. I mean, there are so many things that I could ramble on about but when it comes to focusing in on one thing and doing it, I just hit a block. It probably doesn't help that children demand my attention about every five to ten minutes so it's hard to keep a train of thought. I should try and blog after they are asleep.. The tricky part is dragging myself out of the cozy bed instead of just lying there with a good book and drifting off to sleep myself. That's how things go most often...

wish lists and last night's dinner

Phew.. I just got done starting a wish list for myself. Every year people ask me what I want for my b-day and X-mas and often I'm at a loss for what to say. It will be easier to just have a nice tidy weblink to give everyone. Now I just need to put one together for each of the kids and B too.
It's a bit more time consuming than I anticipated. I should probably take a break from the computer and do some housework. B was a sweetheart and did some major cleaning on his days off and so now all I have to do is maintain it. Should be a piece of cake, right? Let's hope so. I did some very light Yoga a few days ago and now my hips are aching like crazy. I've got about five weeks left to go before this baby is due and I already feel like my due date was yesterday. I fluctuate between extreme lethargy and body aches to these bursts of nesting energy. It's strange.


I still have yet to cultivate a strong enthusiasm for cooking but thank heavens my darling husband likes it. Last night he made a delicious dinner of corn on the cob, creamy mashed potatoes and baked salmon. Check out the main dish.. yuuuum.




Did I mention that my husband is wonderful?


Ooh I should also mention that Zay is using the potty during the day now.. Without accidents! Whoooo hoooo! I love love love it!

candy overload

AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!




My friggin mouse is fritzin out on me. I don't know if it's the mouse or a computer glitch but it keeps freezing (the cursor) and so I have to reach around, unplug the mouse and then plug it back in and it will work again. This wasn't a big deal for the past week or so because it would only happen once per session but now it's happening every couple minutes. For a big ol preggo like me who has a hard time getting up and down, this is especially irritating. Well, I'm sure it would probably be irritating to anyone, no matter how easily they could stand up. I don't have the slightest idea how to fix this problem. *sigh*

So last night was Halloween. Q dressed up as a battle robot and we walked around our neighborhood with this buddies across the street and then after we'd hit the few houses of people we knew, we said bye to his friends and drove over to the ritzy part of town. The old neighborhood with the really big houses were every darn person in this town takes their kids to trick or treat. It was like a zoo. I felt sorry for the people who are slammed with kids knocking on their door for atleast two hours straight. I mean there was hardly a break in the stream of them at each door. Q had to wait in line often. I was my typical forgetful self and left the camera at home. DOH! Zay stayed home with Daddy to hand out candy... But nobody came until Q and I got home and then we had exactly two groups of kids. I gave them each two giganto handfuls of candy because B brought home four giant bags. UGh.
Way. too. much. sugar.