Gilbert is into vexillology, which you may know is the study of flags. He requested “American flag colored mittens!” and here’s what he got.
Seems pretty pleased!
Category: knitting
just a wee reminder
accomplishments
bitty baby bitty knitties
Beatrice and the New Hat
Gilbert Gleeson, Sam Wiggle.
Gilbert’s favorite Wiggle is Sam Wiggle. (He is also partial to Greg.)
So I knit him this Sam Wiggle Sweater, which is to say, a taxicab yellow sweater.
He likes it very much!
Better shot of the actual sweater, vs. the boy in the sweater.
Our eyes are the same color, me and Gil.
Look, two little sisters as well!
Sweater pattern is the raglan from The Knitter’s Handy Book of Sweater Patterns
trixie, repelling dipes, future plans
Trixie is wearing a Jayne hat and a grey sweater, both knitted my me, and a pair of maroon sweatpants, and a swimsuit, and her Chucks. She’s ready for anything!
I’ve had trouble with Gloria’s diapers repelling because they had all gotten oily from diaper ointment. I stripped them with superhot water but it didn’t help. I had to wash them all by hand, sliding each one over my hand like a flipper and rubbing them against each other with a little dishsoap. It was tedious but it worked. Moral of this story: don’t use ointment with your cloth diapers without a liner.
We found a house to try to buy! I sure hope we can get it. We have no credit so we are not great mortgage candidates, but it’s owner will carry and we have a nice chunk for a down payment. I’m really pushing for a fifteen year mortgage but Sean is resistant. He says if we get thirty year we can pay it off early. My problem with that is, well, we never pay more than we have to on anything, so the notion that we’ll double our payments is humorous.
I think I’m going to become a midwife. I think I’d be a pretty good midwife.
food dye: why, again?
We’ve had a rough day. It may be confirmation bias showing to say what I think is the reason why: food coloring. Today, for the first time is a long time, the kids had copious amounts of your friends and mine: FDC Red 40, Blue 1 and Yellows 5 and 6. And Gilbert and Bede were, ah, difficult to parent today.
So there’s that. Or they could be coming down with something. Or maybe they’re just Little Boys 5 and 6.
Ah, Gloria wants to nurse. Perhaps I’ll write more later. Project: Mittens 2009 is coming along nicely, for those playing along at home. I’ll get pictures tomorrow when the light is nicer.
winter preparations
I made bread today too. It’s challah, from Tabitha’s recipe, and it’s pretty much the best bread ever.
I found the boots I thought I accidentally gave to charity! Yay! They were in the War Drobe in the Spare Oom. So we had a boot-trying-on day. Faith, Gilbert, Trixie: all set. Bede: all set, good thing he doesn’t care that they’re pink. Abby: good now because my mother found her a pair for $7. Gloria is the only one left and needs her some size 8 or 9 toddler boots. I think that’s a pretty good boot day.
In other wintry prep they tried on mittens. Again, only Abby and G-Lo can’t wear last year’s model. I’m pleased to have only two pairs to knit.
But I need to knit, like, 7 hats. And it needs to SNOW, PLEASE. REAL SNOW.
hey, i’m back
Took a break over the weekend. I forgot to post on Saturday and only remembered to post on Sunday at about 11:52. So.
I have finished Trixie’s grey sweater. It has secret purple armscyes! She likes it very much. I realize how useless this is without pics.
Today I made three loaves of bread and a bunch of fried chicken. MMM FRIED CHICKEN. One of the loaves is raisin cinammon brown sugar bread, made like a giant cinnamon roll. It will be consumed for breakfast tomorrow in the blink of an eye, I’m sure.
I am feeling nibbled to death by ducks in terms of feeding my children. I feel like I am constantly fixing food or drink for them. I am damn sick and tired of it and rather than continue to be resentful and angry at all of them for, God forbid, asking their MOTHER for FOOD, THE NERVE, I am going to have clear kitchen open and kitchen closed times, with water always available of course. We’ll see how that works. I expect Gilbert will flip out because he is very into Inflexibly Controlling All Situations right now. I hope the transition period is as smooth as possible. Wish me luck!
massive yarn sale
domesticity
Faith’s First Raglan
Yarn percentages notes. Faith wants a sweater with a pink body and purple sleeves. I’ve thought it out, and it would work to knit pink in the round to the armsceye, then separate front/back, knit it flat up through the raglan decreases, bind off, then pick up the sleeves in purple and knit them down, then pick up the neck in purple and knit it up.
So, we need sleeve yarn and body yarn. I’m thinking of using Knit Picks Comfy.Also, in theory this will be Faith knitting her own sweater. She made her own hat last year. I think there will be knitting fairies who come while she sleeps however.
Sleeves 40% of total
Body 60% of total
photos uploaded
I uploaded some pix from the last few weeks to flickr, including Bede and his Acorn Hat, playing in the backyard, drawing and reading in the dining room and Sean’s recent haircut.
And even a few of me!
Abby and Faith
I discovered this sweater in the bottom of a bag of yarn, hiding in my closet. I made it for Abby years ago, and despaired because it was way too big. But the funny thing about children – they keep getting bigger! I had twenty minutes worth of ends to weave in and poof! instant sweater. She likes it, too.
some Christmas pictures
Faith’s Hat
031, originally uploaded by feebeeglee.
Faith knit this herself. I helped with the very top, but she really did it all.
cardigan love
It’s this one: Vivian, by Ysolda Teague. Curvy cabled goodness.
If I knit it for the size I’d like to be, maybe I’ll be that size by the time I finish? Talk about motivation!
busy, busy
I’ve been so busy! I had several friends encounter trials last week and I was trying in my small way to be a help. Whew. I think today I have a chance to take a breath.
So!
I’m told some of you thought my brief protected post (now gone) was because I’m pregnant. I’M NOT! Besides, don’t you know I am unable to keep any secret like that for longer than it takes to get to the computer from the bathroom. Gee whiz.
I’m working on Christmas knitting. I may get Sean’s sweater done, but I doubt it. However I am finally, after I think 7 tries, delighted with the project as it stands and look forward to knitting it. I kept trying OPP (what are you implying? that means Other People’s Patterns!) but you know me. I am unable to knit anything as written. So once I committed to having to write the whole thing myself, and did it, I am in love.
Gloria says “Mama!” I know that’s not momentous or anything, but she is the first of my many children to say my ‘name’ as her first word. I am besotted. She’s also standing briefly without support, and eating anything she can get her little mitts on.
Trixie is copying anything that Gilbert does, even when it makes no sense. And tells us “No! I NOT BE QUIET! YOU BE QUIET! SHHH!” I think she is the most like me as a child…
Gilbert is between the world of Little and Big. Four is hard on a four year old. His imaginative play and plot development have exploded in the last month or so, but most days he is upset because he feels too big for the littles and too little for the bigs.
Bede is so delightfully flexible these days! Such a change from the boy he was a year ago or so. When things don’t happen like he wants, he either gets upset and gets over it or, and this is huge, thinks of a solution. It is wonderful. We can watch movies as a family on the television now, among other things.
I planned to tell you of the big girls too but Gloria fell down and wants to nurse. Faith and Abby are both well, and I’ll give details later. Ta!
Gilbert’s belated birthday sweater
Glow in the dark YARN!!!!
Pattern for Abby’s sunshine sweater
Heidi asked for the pattern for Abby’s sunshine sweater. It’s a seamless bottom-up raglan sweater, and they are incredibly rewarding and simple to knit. My third completed project ever was a bottom-up raglan sweater for toddler Bede. Anyway, the pattern is available in the excellent book, Knitting without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmermann and also online in Knitty Winter 2004.
I really recommend the Zimmermann book, or any of her books really. She will change the way you think about knitting, in a good way.
SleepyKats at Etsy
I have an Etsy shop, yay!
Only one item in it for now, and the banner isn’t up yet for the shop, and, and. But still.
It’s at http://sleepykats.etsy.com and be sure to tell your friends. And tip your waitresses.
Gilbert and the Red Sweater
the Seanigan
Scarves for Special Olympians!
Coats and Clark is trying to get enough scarves for every Special Olympian in the 2009 Winter Games, and you can help! The scarves can be any design, knit or crochet, but must be in delft blue (885) and white (311) Red Heart Super Saver yarn. More information can be found at the Coats and Clark website.
I think we can manage at least one, with three knitters in the house – Abby learned too!
itteh bitteh knitteh kitteh
this important message
I finished Faith’s socks last night while Sean and I were watching Foyle’s War. Love that show. Will post sock picture later when I have a chance to upload from the camera.
I’m going to be posting less and spending less time on the interweb too, I’m a bit overwhelmed. If you don’t see me much that’s why 🙂
ETA picture:
Ravelry details here.
random acts of kindness
Today I got a package of diapers and yarn from kaymadmom and a gift of a year of Flickr Pro from abigailvr! Thanks guys!
A different kind of different
My real-life and internet friend Jennifer and her husband Zach spoke to ABC News in Wichita about their son, Zane. As readers of this blog with perfect recall will remember, Zane is autistic and about a year older than Bede.