The Circle of Life

It has been a loooong time since my last post on this blog. To be honest, I wasn't sure I would ever return to blogging here. When I last posted, our family was still adjusting to Ethan's diabetes. Now it's just part of life. It can take over at times, but our management skills are much better now!

I realized last year that, apart from knitting, I had put my creative life on hold and I was really feeling stifled. Granted, I also had a toddler at that point, so there wasn't a lot of spare time for creative pursuits. But I realized that it was time to start doing something to nourish my creative side again.

Cue the Return To Quilting!

I took up quilting soon after getting married, but it got pushed aside when I had my first baby. I knew that if I took it up again, I wanted to find a way to give back...to bless others. My grandmother was an avid quilter and she and one of my aunts had been actively involved with Project Linus for many years. Grandma passed away in 2009 and I knew she would be thrilled if I got involved too.

My Aunt Linda and her sister Becky got me set up with a hefty fabric stash and I haven't looked back! Ethan received a Project Linus blanket when he was diagnosed with diabetes, so I know the comfort those blankets can bring, as well as the joy that comes from making and giving one.

So that's the scoop. I'm still knitting, just not quite as much as I used to. If anyone is still out there...thanks for sticking with me!

One More Time

It has been a busy week of knitting, trying to get some gifts finished and ready to mail off. In the midst of that my big kids have both had the flu. I do not like the flu. It has been lingering around for 2 weeks now. Thankfully Ellie has only had a runny nose and Greg and I haven't gotten sick. Here's hoping it stays that way!

You may recognize this sweater pattern, since I have knit it twice before. It just doesn't get old!

In All My Spare Time

All in all, as a homeschooling mom with a toddler, the only "me" time I get is between 11 PM and midnight (if I'm lucky), so I have to squeeze in the creative stuff wherever I can. It is easy enough to knit or crochet a few rows here and there while the kids do a worksheet or write spelling words. Sometimes it doesn't feel like much since I'm not working in a big chunk of time, but here's proof that it does add up.

Didn't You Just...

Look familiar? Yeah. Another gift - but this time with different buttons.

I also did a little crochet, which I hadn't done in a few years.

And still more...

Knitknitknitknitknit...

More Gifts

These are for another baby girl who hasn't arrived yet...

Outfitted Well

Someone is going to be a well-dressed baby in a few months. The only problem is that she's not born yet.

Time Warp

I have the best intentions about blogging regularly. But darn it if it isn't nearly Thanksgiving already!! I was trying to calculate the age of a friend's baby earlier today and for several minutes, thought it was still September. sigh

Most of my time is taken up with Baby Duty and school, but I'm managing to squeeze in a little time for knitting, too. People seem amazed that I have time to do it, but I do it in little spurts...a few rows while waiting for one of the kids to finish a workbook page or as I listen to Natalie read...and I can get quite a bit done in the evenings if Greg is able to take Ellie for a while. (They like to hang out together in the recliner and nap.)

Here is one of my recent quick projects. My friend Lisa mentioned she would like a pair of long fingerless gloves to wear while she paints in the winter, so I was happy to oblige. I used Caron Simply Soft Eco since she needed something that was very easy care and fine to go in the washer and dryer. The pattern is an easy spiral rib by Joelle Hoverson and can be found here.

Knitknitknitknit

Just in case you thought I hadn't been doing anything...








Of course, there are other projects currently on the needles, too. Stay tuned.

It Continues

Wow. I didn't mean to be gone that long! We had a great Christmas and New Year with our families, although I was very disappointed by the total lack of snow in the Midwest. Now that the holidays are over, I can show you a few projects that I finished:
The Danica scarf, for Chelsea.
This is a sort of cowl, big neckwarmer, accessory sort of thing...technically, it's a mobius.

Now that I am home, the knitting obligations do not end. I am working on a scarf that will be a thank-you gift for a friend who helped us immensely on Christmas Eve:
This is Anne Hanson's lovely La Novia pattern.

I am also working on one last for-hire scarf for a child who wanted stripes:
There will be lavender in it, too - just haven't gotten there yet. No pattern, just making it up as I go.

Since we were gone for over a week, we had our mail held. When I picked it up, I was thrilled to find a package containing yarn! Some time ago, I had purchased some roving and later had the brilliant idea to ask my friend Erin to spin it for me since she has a spinning wheel and I am very slow with my drop spindle. She obliged and now I have this lovely yarn waiting to be knit up:
Thanks for hanging in there during the hiatus. I promise to be back again soon.

Out

Today is a sad day. I ran out of two of my favorite products.

All summer I used Philosphy's Purity facial cleanser. Now I am out and my face will no longer be pure.
For several months now, I have been shampoo-free. Yes, I still wash my hair, but I have been using WEN Cleansing Conditioner (which I LOVE...I just don't love the price). Now I am out and I'll probably be going back to shampoo for a while (see aforementioned cost issue). Sigh.
I shall console myself with my new green hat (knit earlier this week).

Creative Repair & Holding Out Hope

I've been busy with the crafting lately. One project on the to-do list has been to find a way to repair a hole in one of Natalie's dresses. It's a comfy, cotton knit dress from Land's End, but there was no way to actually repair the hole. The best I could do was cover it somehow. I had considered sewing a band of wide ribbon around the waist, but kept putting off going to buy ribbon. Fortunately, I remembered that I had some nice cotton yarn in a color that would match, so I crocheted this little circle medallion thingie and stitched it over the hole. Not a bad solution and now Natalie can wear the dress again.
Another project that was both started and completed this week is the Tamarind Cowl. It's a quick, easy knit and using Malabrigo yarn makes it even better.
Now if only the weather would cool off.

Distracted

I've really been lax about blogging this week. Mostly because I've been engrossed in three things: starting school again with Natalie, watching the Olympics and knitting on my Olympics project. "Olympics project?" you might ask. Yes. I'm sure whatever cool factor I had with some of you may now have been obliterated - but I'm ok with that.

Just prior to the 2006 Winter Olympics, a rather spectacular knit blogger known as the Yarn Harlot organized the 2006 Knitting Olympics, where she challenged anyone who wanted to participate to select a project to knit during the Olympics. You could not begin until Opening Ceremonies started and the goal was to finish by the end of Closing Ceremonies. Thousands (yes, you read that correctly) of knitters participated, including myself.

For the 2008 Summer Olympics, the lovely folks at Ravelry decided to head up another knitty Olympic challenge. Same rules apply. I have chosen to knit a short-sleeved sweater - Rusted Root. So far, so good. I already had the yarn in my stash, so I am pleased to put it to good use. This sweater is knit from the top down and I am now finished with the sleeves and just barely into the body.
It should be smooth sailing from here on out. Besides, once Michael Phelps quits distracting me from my knitting, it should go much faster.

Bee Fields

Good yarn + pointy needles + a great pattern = a big finished lace project. It is also my reason for not blogging much this week. Bee Fields is now finished. Thanks yet again to Anne Hanson for another glorious pattern! The yarn is Wooly Wonka Fibers merino laceweight in the colorway "The Silk Road."