Monthly Archives: April 2010

What we do all day chez Glam

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Well, life here goes on as usual. We wake up, get dressed, check on the progress of the garden:

Our garden so far We transplanted most of the seeds we started to the actual garden bed. Some survived the transfer, and some didn’t. We may need to go buy some more seeds, or even splurge on plants at this late date in the season. We like to get up and see how much they’ve grown over the night.

If we remember, we feed Freddy II (Freddy I committed suicide a couple of weeks ago by jumping out of the bowl I put him in while changing his water. RIP, Freddy I.) We usually remember to feed him at least twice a day, it’s just a matter of WHEN…

Freddy Fish (the second)

Then we go to the library or do some arts and crafts. Mazie’s new favorite is “hand painting.” I’ve got several to frame and hang in our bedroom. I love her artwork!

hand

After that, Nathan comes home for lunch and after lunch it’s naptime! Sometimes I nap, too! Lately, though, I’ve been doing a little work!

More sketching and some knitting

Here I am with Olive yesterday…Me today wearing Olive

She loves to be close to me in her wrap!

By the time nap time is over, Nathan’s almost home from work and we kind of just hang out reading books or doing something casual. And that’s a day in our lives! :)

Bundles of Joy Yarn Club

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So you that lately I’ve been branching out from knitting just for me and have gotten into knitting for my kids. I prefer to knit things that aren’t so traditional in either style or color, and there aren’t a TON of baby yarn / baby pattern options out there that satisfy.

WELL. My friend Danielle just started the PERFECT yarn club!

bundleofjoy_4501.gif

Danielle Romanetti is the genius behind the wildly succesful Knit-a-gogo concept of teaching knitting classes and hosting knitting-related events. I taught at one of Danielle’s posh events back in 2008 and LOVED it. Danielle has recently opened a full-service knitting boutique in Alexandria, VA called “Fibre Space.”

To quote the website: “Located in historic Alexandria, VA, fibre space™ is a full service knit and crochet community that provides yarn, needles and notions as well as knit and crochet classes, parties and events. Our space is a landing pad for busy professionals and families in the DC metro area who are seeking a creative outlet.”

Fibre Space also puts together yarn clubs, in which Danielle brings together well-known designers and posh yarns under amazing themes like “A few of my favorite things – a club featuring fibre girl’s favorite things!”

The current yarn club, “Bundles of Joy” features four brand new baby projects from five amazing designers: Sally Rainey, Kristen Rengren, Courtney Kelley, Kate Gagnon & Tanis Gray. Spoil the little ones in your life with a colorful and luxurious sweater, dress or blanket. This club is for the babes who love bold and colorful garments. The fibres featured are all hand dyed or kettle dyed. Each package will contain an original pattern and enough yarn to complete the largest size of the pattern. More about each shipment:

* Baby blanket in a custom color for the club (1,125 yards of worsted weight yarn)
* Girl’s dress (380 yards of DK weight yarn and small amounts of an accent yarn)
* Gender neutral baby sweater and booties (625 yards fingering weight yarn)
* Boy’s sweater (600 yards fingering weight yarn)

The cost is $225 and shipping is an additional $20.

I signed right up, and you can too by following this link.

Somehow I have found yet another hobby!

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Lately, I’m finding that I have a surprise hobby! I’m really enjoying putting plants in the ground this spring! This is the difference between being a lifelong renter and finally owning a house! I really feel connected to what I’m growing, and I’m looking forward to seeing my little plants grow.

Knitting, gardening, what a life!
In the background of this pic, you can see a few of the Russian Sage and Dianthus that I planted. They should grow to be 4 feet high (sage) and 2 feet high (dianthus) which will make a nice fencerow. There are also some daisy-like shrubs mixed in.

I like the look of this lace!

I’ve worked through a few chart repeats on my shawl, and I’m really enjoying it! I absolutely love my yarn, for one thing, and my Knitpicks needles are making the project go really fast. The join on these is so smooth that I can’t even feel it.

I’m getting a few rows done every night, so should be finished before long. We’ve got a road trip planned for this weekend…so I might even FINISH it! :)

Frosty progress

PS: Nothing’s wrong with the lace charts, they all worked out beautifully!

A little bit of free time

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New Frost Diamonds

As I get into the groove of what takes to get 2 kids up in the morning, dressed, fed, and ready for the day, I find myself with a little bit of free time!

Last Friday was the first day that I really had it down and I spent the girls’ naptime wondering what the Meaning of Life is, and where My Life is Going…it was very traumatic. The mind does funny things when not fully occupied for the first time in months!

Now that I’m in my groove, I have a few projects going!

A few months ago, I ordered a skein of pretty sock yarn with sterling silver thread in it from Mercedes at Kitchen Sink Dyeworks. I love that icy blue color. It looks surprisingly good on redheads!

I’m using it to re-knit Frost Diamonds as a 2-triangle (half-square) shawl. Someone recently wrote asking me about chart 2, and whether it’s off by a stitch. I don’t think so, the chart itself checks out and I knit the sample myself…but what better way to check for sure?

Icy blue sock yarn

I’m also going to try to make this dress:

I'm going to try to make this...

I’ve got some cute seersucker fabric, we’ll see if I can work it out!

Oh yeah, and Olive says, “Hi!”

Olive says "hi!"

Shade Garden shawl…one step closer to done!

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My shawl is finished and blocked, and ends woven in:

Shade Garden Shawl Sample

It’s symmetrical now! As compared to this version:

subtle, but directional
..in which the lace patterns swooped off in different directions!

I think I want to try one more version with the halves switched to see if I like it better. In the current version, I’ve made the pattern a symmetrical version of the LEFT half of the shawl above, and I want to try it with the RIGHT half being repeated.

Shade Garden Shawl Sample