Half done

Half seems to be the reasonable state of things chez DearKnits lately. I'm managing to get about half the things I've got on my To-Do list each week, I've reached the halfway mark on two of my current projects, and I feel half-awake half (!) the time.

I've finished the first Embossed Leaves sock. I think I've waxed poetic about this project long enough, but here's the abridged version: love the pattern, love the yarn, love the needles. Well, truth be told, there's one teensy detail that's got me miffed in the pattern. Here's the thing: you're supposed to cut the yarn after you've shaped the heel, before you pick up the stitches along the selvage and begin the gusset decreases. I like knitting my socks in one long stretch of yarn, so the cutting is kind of ticking me off, but I'm not really a confident enough knitter to just say "whatever, that's wrong, I'm doing it my own way) and just keep on knitting, you know? Maybe I'll be bold and do just that on the second sock. Heh! Take that, world! :) I ended up knitting six and a half pattern repeats for the entire sock, instead of seven and a half (I'm using bigger yarn and bigger needles). They fit perfectly, they're nice and soft and delicate. Perfect indoor lounging comfort socks.

I've also reached the halfway mark on my beloved, sadly neglected Cluaranach. I've placed the first half of the stole onto waste yarn, and now I've just got to do the whole thing over again! At the rate I've been going, I should have a lovely, warm stole around June. You know, when you really NEED a warm stole. *Sigh* It's really a lovely knit, I've just been preoccupied with other projects, that's all (the first person to mention Josephine in the comments is banned from this blog. Shhhhhhh!!!). Unfortunately, all the pictures I took this morning are sheer crap, so you'll just have to use your imaginations.

Phil is in California this week, wouldn't you know it. He found out Thursday he was going Monday morning (can you say last minute?). I was actually supposed to pick up his passport today, but he went on Friday afternoon and it was already there, waiting. So can you believe it? He got his before me, which means I WENT TO THE PASSPORT OFFICE TWICE FOR NOTHING (I still haven't received mine, which was supposedly issued last Tuesday).

So, what's on the table for this week? Well, obviously, choir's out (and darn it, I had a board meeting and everything, oh well). More baby food to make, I've got to run to the bank and buy some Japanese yen, more list making (doctor's office, medications, stuff like that), and more day trip planning. We leave in less than 2 weeks!

This morning I've got a few errands to run, then Maxime and I have our Aqua-Mommy class. Hopefully I'll have a bit of knitting time this afternoon (but I won't hold my breath). See you all Wednesday! :)

Valentine's Day

I usually don't post on Thursdays, but I just had to blog about this. OK. So last night, Émilie is all excited about Valentine's Day, and she's asking me to please wash her red tights and her pink skirt so she can wear it to daycare, and she's talking about everything they'll be doing, and as a grand finale, she blurts out "AND WE'RE GOING TO PUT RIBBONS IN MY HAIR!!!" Woo-Hoo!!!

Um, ribbons? Dude, I don't HAVE any ribbons. Riiiiight. Okaaaay, I've got 2 Masters' degrees, I can handle this. And then it hits me: I'll knit her some i-cord ribbons. I had planned on using some Red Heart Soft Touch that I had leftover from Maxime's hat, when I remembered that with my last Loopy Ewe order, they had sent a kit for a mini sock with some cute pink variegated sock yarn. I had set the pink yarn aside to give to Robyn for her second baby blanket (this was before we knew she was having another boy), so into the stash I went.

I took the yarn and my size 0 dpns and headed off to LavalKnits knit night. We're talking a 3 stitch i-cord, here, so it didn't take very long. And voilà! The finished object:
OK, it's SO not a big deal, but I was pretty gosh darn impressed with myself for coming up with this knitty solution to a last minute request from my daughter, who was tickled pink with her ribbons upon waking this morning. Seriously, are these not the cutest little things you've ever seen in your life? (OK, maybe not your life, but this morning?). I'm SO going to make more of these! I'm even thinking of adding beads to my next pair.

Speaking of LavalKnits, it was just Alison and I last night, but I had a blast and a half just the same. Alison has a very infectious laugh (really no other way to describe it). You just can't help but giggle when she laughs. Anyway, I had loads of fun, and I really hope we keep the LavalKnits meetings up (it's harder for me to attend the Montreal Knits meetings).

I'll leave you with this picture of Émilie, posing quite demurely in all her Valentine's glory. Have a great day everyone! Make sure to kiss your loved ones and eat lots of chocolate (it has no calories today! I checked, it's a rule).

Technology Sucks

I think I'm pretty good with technology. OK, maybe I'm not a wiz, but probably better than average. I can cut and paste, I can navigate the Web, I can text on my cell. I tell you, I'm down with the new lifestyle (heck, I am a blogger, aren't I?). Then there are days when I feel like a rat in a laboratory, trying to figure out how to open the damn trap door so I can just get to the stinkin' cheese already. I swear, at times like these, I've actually checked the house to make sure there weren't any hidden cameras or anything, because I just can't get over my own ineptitude.

Like the time I tried removing a broken windshield wiper blade from my car in a parking garage, and wound up giving up after struggling for 15 minutes, going through every single curse word I could think of in both French and English, and generally working myself up into such a fury that I could have caused myself sever bodily injury. Or the time I tried making coffee for myself when Phil was out of town and just couldn't get the filter back on to the stupid machine no matter what I did (I JUST WANTED A STINKIN COFFEE!!!). Or this morning. I've been fiddling with Photoshop for about 25 minutes, trying to figure out how to remove the red eye on a picture I took of Émilie this morning. For the life of me, I just can't figure it out. Since this is likely one of the most common corrections one would want to make to a photograph, shouldn't there just be a friggin' "Correct Red Eye" button or something??? No, because that would make sense, wouldn't it, and Lord knows we can't have that!!!

Grrr. (Pauses to sip soothing tea. Breathes.) OK, I've calmed down. Let's look at the picture, red eye and all, because she's just so gosh darn cute that it'll make almost anyone feel better.

Isn't she adorable??? She chose this wacky outfit on her own (you can't see the shocking pink tights that complete the ensemble), and decided it would all look even better with the toy jewelry Santa brought her for Christmas. It took some pretty fancy negotiations to get her to take the bling off before going to daycare, let me tell you.

I finished Phil's Spring Cable Socks yesterday. I'll post pictures next time, because the ones I took this morning really don't do the socks justice (natch). Nor do they do Phil's legs justice, for that matter. Seriously, they look as though they belong to Ichabod Crane or something. Maybe the Wicked Witch of the East (you know, when her feet are sticking out from under Dorothy's house).

I was supposed to go to Cardio-Poussette this morning, but it's been snowing quite a bit, which makes it impossible to navigate with the stroller, so I'll see if I can go tomorrow instead. Today, I'll concentrate my efforts on cooking and knitting (not necessarily in that order).

Slow and Steady

I'm slowly getting a handle on things in preparation for our trip. More food for Maxime has been made, I've begun making lists, and, in true DearKnits form, I'm starting to feel a little panicked about the whole thing. Eh, it'll be fine. I'm not actually panicked about the trip itself, just, you know, about abandoning my babies for 18 days (OK, they'll be with their adoring grandparents, so I'm not technically abandoning them, but still, you know what I mean).

The weekend flew by, as usual. Actually, now that I write that, it occurs to me that there must be some weird disturbance in the space/time continuum that goes on during weekends when you've got young children. Seriously, at some points in the day, it feels like time has stopped, and you're just never, ever going to have another moment to yourself again. Basically, weekends are spent trying to get from one nap to another during the day, until the final sprint to bed time, when time speeds up and before you know it it's time to get up and start all over again. The kids were both fairly fussy this weekend, up early and Maxime barely napping both days. Naturally, this morning we actually had to wake the kids up to get them ready (natch).

I've almost finished Phil's Spring Cable Socks. Just a couple more pattern repeats and I'll begin the toe decreases. I've also made some progress on my Embossed Leaves Socks. What can I say? I'm just enchanted by this project. The lace is pretty without being complicated, and the garter stitch selvage on the heel is just a lovely little detail. I'm looking forward to the toe, which incorporates the leaves design into a star. Should be fun.

Today Maxime and I have to run a few errands, then we head to our swim class, and tonight I've got choir practice. Busy, busy day! Have a good one, everyone :)

Details

I've got the "big" stuff for our trip to Japan taken care of (plane tickets, rail pass vouchers, hotel reservations in Kyoto, bike tour booking), now it's just a question of taking care of the details. You know, little things like: what exactly so we want to see in Japan? How much money should we bring with us? How will I get around all by myself in Tokyo?

There's also stuff at home to consider as well: Maxime's food, diapers, formula, schedule, do's and dont's, Émilie's daycare routine, and various other little things that are really important but I just can't think of right this instant. Every time I speak to my Dad on the phone, he asks me if I've started making all these lists. Um... No, not yet. Considering that we're leaving in three weeks, I'm starting to feel a little panicked.

BUT I did do one super important thing yesterday: I checked Air Canada's website and confirmed that knitting needles are indeed allowed on the plane. Whew!!! Seriously, a 17 hour flight and no knitting? Dere's gonna be bwood (no, that's not a type-o, it's an homage to my nephew Sean, who uttered these timeless words after he bonked his head when he was about three).

As far as knitting goes, there are details that need to be taken care of as well. For instance, did you know that the likelihood of eventually getting an honest to goodness Finished Object is greatly increased if you actually concentrate your knitting efforts on one project at a time??? CRAZY, right??? An example of this would be Josephine: I'm beginning to suspect that the reason that she hasn't gotten any closer to completion may be related to the fact that I'm not actually devoting any knitting time to her. Something to ponder.

I HAVE made some progress on my Embossed Leaves socks. First off, lemme just say that I absolutely LOVE this yarn. The subtle variations in colour are keeping me entranced, and are just perfect for this kind of lace pattern. And can I just say now how fantastic knitting with a sport/medium weight yarn is??? Seriously, I put in about an hour's worth of knitting time last night, and I went from an itty-bitty cuff to a genuine sock leg. Too cool (if, you know, you're a yarn geek). As you can see, I'm also using my Harmony wood dpns, and I couldn't be happier with them. I've been wanting to use wood needles for a while, now, but couldn't find any that suited me (they were all too bendy). These are sturdy, lightweight, and just plain pretty. I'm in love, and SO happy I bought the complete sock set.

I'm going to backtrack a bit here to send a big shout out to Sandra and Stéphanie who, along with Kate-the-Enabler and wee Liam, made it out to our first ever LavalKnits meeting Wednesday night. We had a blast and a half, and I'm really hoping to make this a regular "thing". Speaking of Kate, I've just got to mention that if you ever meet her in person, and are a fan of the Muppet Show? You've got to get her to do the Swedish Chef for you. Seriously, I practically peed myself, it was so funny. This one's for you, Kate :)



Finally, I'll leave you with this picture of my little angels, taken yesterday morning. It's one of the better shots we've gotten of both kids in a while (you know, no crying, screaming, red eyes or "hey-look-you-can-see-all-my-teeth-at-the-same-time" smiles). They're just the best kids ever (mother's heart swelling with pride here!).

Best Intentions

I honestly don't know where the last 5 days went. Now, I don't usually blog on weekends, because I can't seem to find the time during the day, and my brain is incapable of coherent thought by the time the kids are tucked in their beds. However, I had every intention of blogging on Monday and Tuesday, but every time I sat down at the computer, I would do something else (pay bills, book things for our trip to Japan, try to get caught up on my blogs). So no blogging, despite my best intentions.

Despite the snow storm, Phil made it home safe and sound on Friday afternoon. I was a tad worried about this, because he was driving instead of flying, but all went well. And look! He even brought some yarny goodness home! Two skeins of 100% Maine wool sock yarn from The Irish Ewe (a nice, sturdy yarn) and a book, Dyeing to Knit. I think the book is Phil's way of telling me one of 2 things: a) maybe if you dye your own you'll spend less money on yarn (Hah!) or b) this yarn thing seems to be catching on, get on the bandwagon and dye your own and make a bazillion dollars already (Hoo-Hah!).

Saturday flew by with various errands and general running around, and on Sunday, Phil had a bunch of geeks, I mean pinball enthusiasts, over for a MAACA (that's the Montreal Arcare & Amusement Collectors Association, for those of you who aren't "in the know") meeting in our basement. Desperate for shelter of any kind (there was NO WAY I was staying home, trying to stop Émilie from going downstairs while simultaneously making friendly chitchat with everyone as they traipsed upstairs to use the bathroom), I was thrilled when Kate-the-Enabler (aka Needs-a-blog-Kate) graciously invited us all over. Émilie had loads of fun with Aidan (they both practiced their language skills, Émilie in English and Aidan in French), I had loads of fun with Kate and her husband Chris, and Maxime had loads of fun with all the new toys at his disposal. The afternoon was lovely, dinner was great, and I left feeling horribly guilty about the insane mess the kids made in what was once their living room. Needless to say, I'm planning to have them over for a banquet in the near future :)

I haven't made much progress on Josephine, I'm afraid. What little knitting I've managed to squeeze in has been on Phil's second Spring Cable Sock. The allure of a potential Finished Object is just too, well, alluring :). I DID cast on my Embossed Leaves socks, because I just couldn't wait to try out my Harmony dpns and Maggie's sock yarn. I've only knit about 4 rows on the cuff, though, so I'll hold off on pictures for the time being. I'll be working on those tonight, during the first EVER Laval Knits meeting! Stop by if you're in the area!

OK, I'm off to my Cardio-Poussette class with Maxime. I don't really feel like it, but I didn't go at all last week (Maxime was too sick), and guilt, it seems, is a powerful motivator ;)

Revived

Yesterday I was doing some research for our trip to Japan, checking out what the weather will be like in March to get an idea of what I'll need to pack (who am I kidding, I'm going to pack everything). It won't exactly be sandal weather, but it will definitely be more Spring-like than it is in this neck of the woods at that time of year. This got me to thinking about handknits, about how I haven't really made anything for myself besides socks in a long, long while. And then I remembered Josephine.

This, in case you were wondering, is the Josephine Top from the Summer 2007 issue of Interweave Knits. I became totally obsessed with it when I first received the issue, paid a fortune for the yarn (Twisted Sisters Mirage), cast on immediately, and have pretty much left it to rot in the bottom of my knitting basket ever since.

This would be perfect for my trip! So I pulled it out of the depths yesterday afternoon, worked on it a bit during Maxime's very brief nap (he's teething) and wound up all my skeins into cakes last night. I'm pumped, I tell you. I'm going to finish it! I even changed it's status on Ravelry from "Hibernating" to "In Progress". How's that for decisive action? Hah!

I also wound up a skein of Maggie's Mediumweight sock yarn into 2 cakes. Now, I'm usually a "one sock project at a time" kind of girl. But here's the thing: the winder was out, I finally got my Harmony dpns from Knitpicks (review later - short story: love them!), and I've been fondling this damn yarn pretty much incessantly since I got it. The planets were aligned, I tell you, and I know better than to tempt the Knitting Fates by ignoring such an obvious sign. :) As you can see, I'm thinking I'll be using this yarn to knit the Embossed Leaves socks from Favorite Socks.

What else? Maxime and I are both feeling a little better (Émilie has completely recovered). Thanks to everyone who expressed concern about our wellbeing. It was really appreciated.

And I almost forgot! Robyn has tagged me with a You Make My Day Award! :) When you think that I've only been blogging for about six months, it's pretty cool that anyone reads me at all, let alone gives me an award! I'm just about out of nap time, so I'll be handing out my picks for an award in my next post.

Have a great weekend, everyone! :)