Just A Peek

Since this is going to be a gift in a few weeks, I don't want to reveal too much, so just a peek for now of the baby sun hat I finished yesterday:

Spring Cleaning...

This also includes the Tank - freshly washed:




She's scared to death of the hair dryer, so I towel dry her as much as possible, but Tank's still damp enough to be chilled. So she naps bundled up until she dries completely:






Meanwhile, the other cleaning has been purging books from my personal library and the To Be Read piles for the United Way Used Book Sale I run at work (May) and reorganizing and cleaning the studio room.

Now, however, it's time for some gyro love and chatting with a friend!

FO #10

Fini! After stops, starts, procrastination, hell week of meetings and college papers/projects:









* * * *
The down and dirty details:

Yarn(s): Encore Worsted and Colorspun Worsted

Purchased: various

Needles: size 8

Time: for me - 14 hours; for most knitters, 6 hours
* * * *

Hell Of A Week

Some good: I finished the booties and the recipient was pleased with them. I'm on the second sleeve and 90% finished with the sweater to go with them.

Some not so good: slow death by meetings this week for me meant little knitting time.

Some more good: Spring Is Here...






Some more not so hot: class project for my current course left me with little time to read, write, knit, cuddle with the Tank as I dropped like a stone into bed very late each night this week.

The final bit of good: I made up for the lack of cuddles tonight.

Sheep

While I was out with the Gran over in Montana (aka Joann Fabrics), I peeked down an isle of garden decorations and this forlorn little dude was hanging out:









And he was marked down 75% off the original price.





Of course, I had to take him home. Especially when he reminds me of Shaun...

Fine. FO #9

Booties for the baby due in about four weeks:














* * * *
The down and dirty details:

Yarn(s): Berroco Comfort Baby (light pink, light peach)

Purchased: Serendipity Yarn Shoppe

Needles: size 3

Time: for me - 8 hours; for most knitters, 3-6 hours
* * * *

Baby Sweater Pics? Look! More Shiny!

This came in the mail today:




KnitPicks Shine worsted, cream colorway.






For some reason the lighting in my place makes it look like a light yellow, it really is this color:





And I choose this for a pair of baby booties that are knit in fingering weight. We all know how long those are going to take me...






Speaking of baby booties - are these booties just not to-die-for-too-fucking-adorable-cute?!

Omyhell! Shark booties! (Unfortunately, still only available in German.)

Now stop badgering me for photos, I have baby items to knit, you know!

Holiday I Can Dig

Celebrating The Pies Of March
by Doreen McCallister

It's March, and you know what that means.

No, I'm not talking about March Madness.

I'm not referring to Mardi Gras.

I'm certainly not talking about the Ides of March. (Sorry, Caesar.)

I don't even mean St. Patrick's Day — so I won't be sharing recipes for Irish soda bread or scones, or tips on how to get beer just the right color of green.

I am, however, talking about a different celebration involving food. Get ready to roll out some dough, because it's almost Pi Day.

Yes, I've spelled it right — think back to geometry class. Pi represents the ratio of a circle's circumference (the distance around the circle) to its diameter (the distance across it). It's been represented by the 16th letter in the Greek alphabet since the 1700s.
Pi plates, T-shirts and other retail items are helping Pi Day supporters take their math-themed celebration mainstream.
Doreen McCallister/NPR

Pi plates, T-shirts and other retail items are helping Pi Day supporters take their math-themed celebration mainstream.

For the math challenged, think of something that's round. Might I suggest pie? It's the perfect example because, in addition to being round (and popular — pie is the new cupcake, after all), it's pronounced the same way as pi.

Now, it's been a long time since I sat in math class and learned about pi. I do remember that everyone in the class, including the smart kids, had a snicker when the teacher introduced the word.

"Mmmm ... pie," we all said aloud and in unison. Mind you, this was pre-Homer Simpson and his infamous utterances. If only we had thought of it then, we could have had pie at our own Pi Day party.

Full story and picture are found here.

Tease

Projects thus far:

Look! Shiny!

Joann Fabrics had a crazy ass (in a good way) sale this week. I was able to purchase many buttons for current and future projects:


















What do you mean "pictures of finished baby items?" Oh, look, see what I already had in my button box before the trip to Montana yesterday?

Distracted

I'm 75% finished with the baby cardigan I'm working on for the shower a week from today. And after a stop and start, experimenting, one Saartje Bootie is nearly complete. And today is a run out to Montana to pick up buttons for these items. (Did you see that, C? I'm making a trip out to Joann Fabrics...)

In the meantime, because all I have is a pile of unfinished items, here's the Tank and her idea of a good time. Snoring next to me when I'm reading before lights out:






And the penalty for waking the princess is a belly rub:




Stay tuned, I expect to have finished baby items posted tomorrow evening.

Or at least more Tank photos...

Laying Low

This was Tank about two weeks ago when it was still cold and snowing out.

Today is in the low 50's (F) and a steady rain.

Spring approaches in Iowa...

On the needles is the Tulips Baby Cardigan for Baby A arriving in a few weeks. I'm still in the increase stage, so the serious cranking along in knitting won't happen until tomorrow. The colors are adorable in the Encore Worsted and Encore Worsted Colorspun. Photos when it gets past the increase stage.

In the meantime, I've added booties to the roster of knitting for the bambinos heading this way via my friends in the procreation stage.

Booties 1: Altered Saartje Booties (no seams!)

Booties 2: Mary Jane Booties


Some low drama this week: Tank had the goop coming out of her left eye. I was concerned she might have scratched her cornea goofing around outside. Off to the vet, one expensive bill later, she has conjunctivitis; yes, just like the human kind and yes, it's transferable to humans despite what I was initially told. However, I scrub thoroughly before AND after treating sick animals, so I'm sure I'll be fine.

Tank's been on the Bausch and Lomb antibiotic ointment for 48 hours now, and her eye is no longer inflamed or bright red (demon dog!)...although she gets kind of squinty when I first put the ointment in there.

Now, it's dinner for me and Ol' Squinty, then knitting in front of a lovely fire and some mindless cooking shows on PBS.