I made the scarf

You would almost think I made it specifically for Tommy! Oh wait, I did. I have to say that making the scarf was about as boring a project as ever could be, but it was fast and Tommy and I both had fun with the photographs. (Tommy was a very good sport, considering his mommy's obsessive need to take photos of everything). Plus, it does look mighty handsome on my little man, if I do say so, myself. Evidence:

How about that Hawaiian shirt and shorts/scarf and mittens combo? Got to love making this stuff in August. Also, just in case you thought you noticed the end of a knitting needle in the last picture, well you did. I haven't exactly finished the scarf yet, as I did run out of yarn.

Before I go I have to post just one more picture. This one is all about Tommy just being silly. After all, if you're going to take out the wool coat this time of year, you might as well try on a goofy hat as well.

Don't you just love it?

Welcome Grace!

You're finally here! We can't wait to meet you!

Inspiration

I have been wanting to knit a toy kitty for Tommy, but I haven't been able to find a pattern I like. (I'm looking for something that will actually stand up on four feet.) However, I found some other very inspiring things today, starting with this sheep on wheels. How cute is that? I found it at Wee Wonderfuls which is, in and of itself, a fun place to visit. I also thought I might like to make some beaded stitch markers much like these. I particularly like the choice of beads shown. What do you think?

I'm not sure what's next in the project spectrum. I was thinking of making a scarf to match Tommy's mittens, but it sounds kind of boring to me. (I would try to keep it boy-ish and probably do a very simple ribbed pattern.) It would also involve buying more yarn. On the other hand, it sure would be nice if he had a scarf to match. After all, he really liked his new mittens this morning and wore them until it was time to go.

Off subject, Brian made lime chicken with cilantro tonight, and it was delish. He found the recipe in the Mexican cookbook that I brought back from my business trip. It even looked so good that I wanted to take a picture to share with you all, but it wasn't worth the hard time I would have received from Brian for photographing dinner, so I let it go. Sadly I don't think he ever decided whether he liked it enough to make it again. I, on the other hand, was an instant fan. Oh well!

Coffee and Knitting

I kept my fingers on the needles for so long tonight that my coffee was cold by the time I took my fourth or fifth sip, so today's post is really about the knitting. I'm not sure why I mentioned coffee.

In any case, this photo does terrible things to the color of the mitten, but just as I found something white to use as a background the camera batteries went dead, and photographing a mitten just wasn't serious enough to motivate me to charge the batteries. It's supposed to be a deep red. Maybe it will come out better when I have finished both mittens and can have Tommy try them on.

I am sure I will make the other one very soon (probably tomorrow). In fact I made another today but didn't like how it turned out, so I stopped just before finishing it off and started over with my own made-up pattern, which worked out much better. I did offer to add stripes, but Tommy wanted them all red, which was fine. I just hope they fit!

...I know I'm far from it now, but some day I would like to learn the art of Fair Isle knitting and make something like these. I love the look of many of the Scandinavian designs out there. I probably wouldn't have anything with which to actually wear them, but at least they would be pretty to look at while knitting. =)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares

I know I said I would be making cookies, but that was before I found this recipe. MMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmm. Yuuuummmmyy. I just tried my first bite and had to go back for more. It's killing me to wait until tomorrow for another taste. I did make a couple of changes to the recipe after reading the reviews. First, I used a 9" x 13" pan. Second, I used 2 cups of milk chocolate chips. Third, I only used about 5 tablespoons of butter for the topping. When measuring I was easy on the confectioner's sugar and generous on the peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, and chocolate chips. I highly recommend you try your own version.

Saturday Sky

I liked the way today's sky looked inverted. Some day after we get more memory for our computer I will use our photo editing program again and play with the other effects. I figure Saturday Sky makes for a good opportunity to play.

Next on today's schedule: Cookies

TV

After about four years without cable we finally decided to bite the bullet this week. The cable man came early this morning. He had to confirm with me that we only wanted the basic lineup, saying he doesn't get very many customers who want just the basic channels, to which I wanted to answer, "Yes, I know. We're cheap." I didn't tell him we had gone without it for so long or that, for me, the extra channels just seemed like a rather large and completely unecessary expense (not to say that I wouldn't enjoy them). We had the basic package in our first apartment together, in New Hampshire (where you couldn't dream of getting any channels with an antenna alone), but when we moved to New York originally, Brian called to try and get the same package and was told it was unavailable. We bought a decent antenna and managed. Then last week we saw cable trucks at our neighbors' and decided to try contacting the cable company again, just to be sure. After all, we were getting tired of fuzzy channels that would occasionally turn blue. As it turned out, not only was the basic package available, but the cost was about $11 a month (with tax) for two rooms, and we would get clear TV and a couple extra channels (that we may or may not watch). Anyway, it's here now, so we can channel-flip to our hearts' delight without having to adjust the rabbit ears in such a way that we can kind-of-sort-of-almost get two channels at the same time; i.e. we can officially be lazy. Woohoo!

Tommy was very interested in what the cable man was doing this morning and watched intently. He asked continuously what he was doing and followed him from the living room into the bedroom, where he watched from the bed at first and then from inside the closet. Yes, the closet. I kept a close eye on him to make sure he wasn't interfering, which he actually wasn't, and the man was nice and didn't seem to mind at all. After a while I heard Tommy ask what Mommy was doing. Then I heard Tommy say, "I don't know what she's doing either!" (Meanwhile I was right by the doorway, watching.) When the cable truck pulled away Tommy watched out the window, blew kisses, and said, "Bye! I love you! Bye!" We really need to break him of that. We keep telling him that's only for Mommy and Daddy, but it never seems to sink in. I suppose it's better than, "Get out! We hate you!" But... it's still not good. We'll continue to work on it.

For now I'm off to play Get Away from the Crocodiles with Tommy. Tommy is using his lego tub as a boat. I think I might have to stay on shore...

A Little Thursday Craziness

The past week has been crazy, hence the not-so-often-blogging. Work is getting to the point where I just feel like standing up and screaming at the top of my lungs every day - mostly because there are times when I want to reach through the phone and shake some sense into people, but then I get to thinking about the fact that it's a phone, and my arm is an arm, and well, one just doesn't really fit very well through the other. So, well, screaming would just be easier. But I don't do that either. Because somewhere deep inside me I do actually value my job and don't want to lose it. Then, too, there's the fact that this is me, and as I've said before, if you know me you know I am not like that. Let's just say I'm a little bit stressed.

I have noticed that it has been almost two weeks since I have made anything - or even taken a photo. I don't know whether it means I'm too stressed to create or whether my lack of craftiness lately has taken away that little bit of fulfilling relaxation that I crave, therefore increasing my stress level somehow. Who knows. All that matters is that I have tomorrow off. And then it's the weekend. Thank the good Lord. (And I do - honestly - thank the good Lord every day. I do appreciate my job, regardless of times like these. Sometimes I just have to remind myself of that a little more often than others... )

On that note I think Tommy and I might head to the craft store tomorrow, or at least raid the cupboards for something we can get completely lost in creating so that we can forget about all the silly little people who scream through the phone without listening to she who is on the other end. And then I think we'll run off some steam outside. Maybe. We'll think on it tonight.

Also, just a friendly reminder to set up your fantasy football draft if you belong to our league but haven't already done so. The draft is set for tomorrow. Don't forget! (I bet you can't guess what I'm off to do right now. )