Simply Mindy

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-30T23:12:00.001-04:00

Cindy Lou Who wishes you a Happy Halloween!

More First Birthday Photos

2011-03-02T21:39:00.001-05:00

Elephant Talk Birthday

Make it a happy birthday with personalized Birthday cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

1st Birthday

2011-03-02T12:29:00.000-05:00

First Christmas: Photo-Only Post

2011-01-04T10:38:00.000-05:00

First Halloween

2010-11-09T12:40:00.000-05:00

I did make a portion of her Halloween costume - her hat and leg warmers. However, the dress still hasn't happened.

Further Quilting and A Few Lessons Learned

2010-09-16T21:21:00.002-04:00

I'm taking further baby steps on my quest to become a quilter. I made this quilt for my new little niece. She lives far away, so I had to find another baby to stand-in as a model. *Wink*

I learned many things while making this quilt, but mostly, I learned what not to do when quilting. Here is my short list:

1. Don't sew together the pieces if you plan to add a binding. With the patchwork quilts I previously made, there was no quilting involved. The fronts were squares sewn together. Then, I sewed together the front, back and batting, flipped it right side out, and voila! With this quilt, and all of my future quilts, I expect I will actually quilt the pieces together and then add a binding.

2. When the pattern for the binding says "baste together", pay attention to the word baste. This ties to number 1 because I sewed the quilt together, and then took it all out. But, then I did it again when the seaming instructions only told me to baste the pieces together. This time, I couldn't take out the work, or I would have risked putting a hole in the quilt, and that would have led to patching, and so on.

3. Use a medium loft batting, or at least not the lowest loft. This isn't just because it's softer and becomes more yummy and plushy when washed. Also, the higher the loft, the more hidden the quilting will be (if you need to hide your quilting as you're learning what the heck you're doing, like me). I used brown thread to quilt, and I really regret it. It's just tacky, and when I realized this, I thought that it would disappear into the batting better once it was washed.

4. Don't rush. I actually learned this lesson on the previous patchwork quilts I made. Instead of quickly trying to finish the work I was doing, I left the quilt on the machine with the needle down to hold my spot. Then, I went to bed. While I made countless mistakes on this quilt, I would have made far more had I not stopped when I was exhausted. Each time I stepped away, I realized things as I was dozing off that I would have otherwise missed.

5. Use a pattern. I learned the colors of my niece's nursery - pink and brown, then shopped for fabric. Shocking as it was, I wasn't able to find many fabrics at the store that were exclusively pink and brown. So, I purchased what I could find (and liked) and decided to work from there. It is common for me, unfortunately, to try to design something, and then I work out the math incorrectly. Remember the ridiculous camo blanket? I found a square that I liked, and it involved the number of fabrics that I had purchased. I decided to replicate the square as the quilt itself, and then computed cuts. Of course, my math was wrong. Very fortunately, a little sashing with the backside fabric, and I'm actually happy with the correction.

6. Be good to your machine, and it will be good to you. I did a side project that I think bent the arm on my machine. Now, I can't use my 1/4-inch presser foot or the needle hits the foot and breaks. Shooting broken needles across the room (and directly at my eyes!) is scary! I'm now having to make-shift 1/4-inch seams because even the markers on my machine are off, due to the bent arm.

That's my short list so far, but I have more projects coming!

I'm truly enjoying sewing, but I miss knitting. As the weather is turning cooler, I had to visit one of the over-priced baby clothing boutiques in Hoboken. I spent $32 on a small knit sweater for my little girl, and that was after a 20% off coupon. When I stopped for a brief visit at my former job today, I was asked by my friend and former co-worker, Stephen (who also happens to be the greatest quilter, hand and machine sewer, and all around creator of all things fabric, fleece, and fur who ever lived), whether I made it. I told him how guilty I felt buying it. My husband, little girl, and I are hoping to take a trip soon, and if we do, perhaps I'll finally make the Baby Surprise Jacket I've always wanted to make.

More Photos

2010-08-09T21:08:00.000-04:00

I've been working through some photos today for some thank you cards, and I just can't help but post these last few. I shot these within seconds of each other, but her most common expressions are all here.

Let's Do It Again!

2010-08-09T14:48:00.000-04:00

Ready...Set...

2010-08-09T13:59:00.000-04:00

Sewing: New Hobby, New Projects

2010-07-24T14:16:00.002-04:00

I learned quickly that trying to complete knitting projects was futile now that I have a baby to tend to. It took me several weeks to complete this knit hat, which she wasn't terribly excited about it, as you can see. (This picture is from when she was 8-weeks old. She is almost 5-months old now.)

Sewing has proven to be a much better option, which I realized after making my first baby quilt a few months before her birth. Last week I completed my second patchwork quilt, which I made the same way, but with a border this time.

It is for my unborn niece, who is due in October. (My brother's baby. Incidentally, my husband's sister just had a baby girl yesterday! Stay tuned for her gifts!) She'll be the little sister to the cutie pie I knit several blankets for a couple of years ago. His primary blanket was a blue basket weave, but there were many camouflage blankets as well.

Here he is with his sister's blanket. He's 2-years old! Time just flies.

With the scraps from these first two quilts, I made a little cloth burp rag, the pattern to which I found on Sew Mama Sew, it's scrap buster contest. I've been wanting a burp rag for when we are out in public or at church. The cloth diapers we've been using are quite worn and tattered, which is fine for home, but slightly embarrassing when we're out and about. I've been tempted to buy the ever popular Aden and Anais burpy bibs, but hope that my handmade one will now satisfy my needs.

Here it is with the original quilt I made.

I found several patterns that I will make in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

First Bites

2010-07-21T21:17:00.000-04:00

Here she is eating her first bowl of cereal, which she gobbled down like she's been eating solid foods from a spoon for ages. I hope it's a sign that she'll be a good eater!

Life Lessons

2010-06-29T21:40:00.000-04:00

My mother comments regularly on how sewing and knitting abilities skipped her generation and jumped from my grandmother to me. I just think it's unfortunate that I haven't been able to learn from my grandmother because we live so far apart. So instead, I seek out and pay for classes or beg them off of kind, patient friends. As a mother now myself, I hope to be able to pass along as much know-how as possible to my daugher, which I hope she continues to nurture. I find so much joy in creating things, but my biggest frustration is how hard I struggle to find information and learn.

Two months ago, I took a sewing lesson, and she watched patiently from her stroller. Yesterday, I took another lesson, but my little girl was not interested in watching. At four-months old, she's very interested in being involved. So, the only sewing I completed during my lesson, I completed with her on my lap. Sweet angel! I won't complain. I love her so much and hope she learns to appreciate the simple things in life, and I hope to teach her.

Bring on the Heat!

2010-06-21T15:25:00.004-04:00

She's ready for the sun in her adorable Gymboree seersucker outfit.

Her baptism gown was a little less comfy in our unairconditioned church. The day was perfect though. Thank you, Grandparents, for coming and helping make it such a special day! We love you!

12 Weeks of THIS!

2010-05-24T21:12:00.000-04:00

I'm the luckiest mommy ever! She's 12-weeks old today, and I can honestly say that these have been the best 12 weeks of my life.

Video Post

2010-05-24T20:51:00.002-04:00

I saw this video today and just had to share it with you.

And It's Only the Beginning

2010-04-20T22:14:00.006-04:00

Seven weeks have past since she arrived, and in some ways it seems like she can't possibly be that old, but in other ways, it seems she's been here all along. Her personality and sense of humor are becoming more apparent every day.

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Last week, she started smiling at us. This week, she's discovered her mobile, and squeals with delight as she stares at it endlessly. I definitely know the feeling!

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A Little Late

2010-03-14T14:09:00.003-04:00

She finally came on March 1st, and I'm finally posting some pictures of her first two weeks. I'll write about her birth later.
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Due Today. Probably Not Here Tomorrow.

2010-02-20T12:01:00.008-05:00

Our little girl is technically due today. But, she's shown no indication of being interested in departing the cozy and warm confines of my belly. We're not terribly surprised. First time moms don't typically deliver early, and we also know that the doctors backed up my due date from 2/27 to 2/20 based on an ultrasound early in the pregnancy. Our doctor told us this week that they'll give her until the 28th before they'll want to induce.

In the meantime, I've finished her blanket. First, I added a lace edge because I gave up on the cabled edge after countless attempts to follow the pattern. Unfortunately, the lace edge gathers on the corners like a fitted sheet, which is a little discouraging. I should have accounted for that and picked up twice as many stitches on the corners.

Next, I purchased some fabric to cover the back of the blanket from City Quilter in NYC, which is where I purchased the fabric for Baby Girl's quilt. It's a wonderful fabric store, and I'm dying to take some of their classes.

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Finally, I brought the fabric back to Hoboken and went to our local sewing/crafting store, M. Avery Designs. I took a private lesson yesterday with Megan Avery herself. Together, we hand-sewed the fabric to the back and added the yarn ties to secure the fabric to the knitted blanket even more tightly. Megan is just a delightful person, and I'm definitely going to be frequenting her store for more sewing instruction in the future. I'd love to be able to sew Baby many fun things on my unused sewing machine. She suggested starting with Martha Stewart's baby kimono pattern, which I think is a definite possibility. I'm also determined to make Baby Girl's first Halloween costume with my own two hands - maybe something involving intermediate to advanced-level knitting and sewing! Your suggestions are welcome!
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Now that the blanket is finished, I'm finally able to guiltlessly pursue other projects. I made this little cocoon pea pod (Ravelry Link to Pattern) for her, which will photograph much better with her in it. It was so rewarding to start and complete this project in only a few hours! Baby blankets take so long. I honestly wondered toward the end whether I would ever finish her blanket.

I've also started the first of several elephants that I'm planning to make for a mobile for her crib, and then let her play with once the mobile comes down. I'm a little obsessed with elephants, for some strange reason. This pattern from Jelly Bums (Ravelry Link to Pattern) includes legs that are not shown on the cover. I've also casted on Ysolda's pattern for Elijah, but he's too big for a crib mobile.

Otherwise, the pregnancy continues to be going smoothly, and I can only hope that labor and delivery will follow the same path. The only frustration I'm beginning to experience is the seemingly unending negativity and "just you wait" comments from other parents. I've found that surrounding myself with positive people during pregnancy has been invaluable in promoting and creating the positive experience I've had. I have a team of people including a few very warm, caring friends and family members as well as some carefully chosen professionals who are providing me the love and support I need. One of these people has been our super-positive and experienced doula, Julie, who will be with us through labor and delivery. Between my loving husband, who so sweetly nurtured me through some sudden nausea I experienced last night, and just knowing that Julie will be there with us is enough for me to keep those Debbie Downers and "just you wait" comments about labor and delivery from sticking to me.

One day at a time is all I'm tackling right now. Planning beyond that just isn't possible. So, for now I'm going back to knitting on the elephants, watching a little HGTV, and eating some tomato soup, which I'll follow with a cup of overly-sweet hot cocoa. The overly-sweet hot cocoa is super fun because it gives Baby Girl a hyper case of the wiggles, and probably is partially to blame for her super chubby cheeks that we saw during our ultrasound this week.

Progress! Baby and Her Blanket

2010-01-23T13:40:00.005-05:00

I completed the chart portion of the intarsia baby blanket and have started on the cabled edge. Unfortunately, that isn't going so well just yet, in spite of several attempts. I'll try a few more times, but might have to resort to another edge option.
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This is my first cable project, and as you can see, there were some serious issues that I didn't realize in time.

It was also my first intarsia project, which proved to be a quite challenging technique on this project as well. All in all, I'm disappointed by the mistakes but am overally just happy to have completed the chart portion. Once the blocking and edging are complete, I plan to sew on a fabric backing to cover the countless strands that hang from the back. I've considered knitting another blanket to attach to the back, but I'm not sure that's a realistic option, since Baby Girl is due in less than a month.

Our still-unnamed baby girl is growing quite well, and consequently, I'm expanding too. During this morning's ultrasound, they estimated her weight at 6 pounds and 9 ounces, where three weeks ago, they estimated her at 4 pounds and 10 ounces. The sweet ultrasound tech stopped my husband who was speculating on her birth weight by saying, "Oh Dad, don't do the math." I would have hugged her had I not been covered in blue goo.

We also saw this morning that she has hair, which came as a relief to me since I've had excessive hiccups and heartburn since the beginning of the pregnancy, which "they" say can indicate that the baby is going to have lots of hair. I've been hoping for something to come from all the hiccuping and heartburn. Honestly, though, those are really my only complaints. I feel fantastic and still often forget that I'm even pregnant, though that's become less often these past few weeks as she has been growing so much (and so have I!).

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Mother in Training

2009-11-08T12:48:00.007-05:00

I took a quilting class yesterday and made my first quilt. It's far from perfect, but I love the fabric. So girly! ...and hopelessly matchy-matchy!

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Here is the back - the rabbits are a bit out of focus. I'm struggling to focus with the lens I currently have for the camera, and my manual focus on this particular photo left much to be desired.

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.I'm still chugging along with my knitted blanket, but I just realized that I need to rip out the last section that I worked. I must have completely spaced out not to have noticed sooner that I flipped the last section upside down on the blanket. Even a 5-year old knows "V" doesn't come after "C" and "D" doesn't come after "U". I'm quite good at making negative progress on projects. Ugh! At least I can look to the quilt now as a finished object.

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In my other attempts to train and become a good mother, I'm baking (cooking?) my first ham right now. I read somewhere once that "good mothers" have casseroles and soups in the freezer for when baby comes home, so I'm testing a few casseroles and soups over the next three months to find some suitable for freezing. The ham will be used in a variety of these. I had no idea cooking a ham was such a process, but I feel like a good mother for doing it, and that's the important thing right now. A false sense of assurance in my ability to mother is still a sense of assurance, so I'm going with what I have for now, even if it comes from recalling a 1950s Good Housekeeping article.

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Pink or Blue?

2009-09-28T21:51:00.003-04:00

It's a girl!
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Baby on the Way

2009-08-23T19:38:00.009-04:00

I'm quite excited to announce that I'm pregnant and due in late February 2010. My in-laws were in town for the Labor Day weekend, and my mother-in-law couldn't help herself from buying this precious little sleeper with frogs on it. It's the first baby item we have gotten, and we really don't even have a place to put it yet, so it sits on my dresser reminding me of two things (1) there's a real, honest to goodness baby in my belly and (2) I have a tremendous amount of work to do to prepare our apartment for a baby - starting with finding somewhere to store this one newborn-sized sleeper.

The realization that there is a baby in my belly still hasn't quite resonated with me, though it's beginning to. From what I've read, I could start feeling him/her (we'll find out gender, hopefully, at our October 4th appointment) moving in the next two weeks. But, I also had a little scare last week that illustrated to me that I'm not just responsible for me anymore, but for a little baby also.

The scare occurred while I was walking to lunch and started experiencing pain in my abdomen and back. First, willing to dismiss it as a familiar pain I've felt many times before, I then realized that it wasn't a pain I should be feeling these days and that it could indicate something was quite wrong with the baby. Instantly, I felt panic and regret for all of the housework (including moving furniture) I'd done to prepare the apartment for our first real house guests since we moved here in July '08. Seeing blood when I retreated to the bathroom only sent the panic into overdrive. "What have I done?!"

Several hours and an emergency ultrasound visit later, I was calmed to learn that baby was absolutely fine, but I also learned that I was diagnosed with Placenta Previa, and I was sent home with instructions to avoid any "strenuous" activity and "heavy" lifting, which included carrying groceries and running. Pressing the nurse for activities I could do, I only received more limitations. Swimming isn't even an option. I'm just to wait for clearance until my next doctor visit on September 29th, which will be followed by an ultrasound visit on October 4th. Hopefully, baby will have moved up (which the nurses and doctors fully expect, and science indicates is probable), and I will be cleared to participate in my normal activities again.

It was a good eye-opener for me, and I'm going to try to spend the next few weeks reading some of the books I've accumulated and planning a make-shift nursery for our apartment. We're expecting to move when our lease is up in June, so baby will only be in this apartment for a couple of months. Any big plans for a nursery will come once we find a new home next summer.

A Positive Movie Motivator

2009-08-08T21:41:00.003-04:00

I went to see Julie & Julia this evening with my husband, and while he didn't love it, I enjoyed it quite a bit. It was clean, sweet, and positive, which is what I'm looking for in life right now. So, with the idea of a blog topic central to the movie, I began to wonder what blog topic I could explore that would have such a positive impact on my outlook and still somehow contribute something uplifting to the blogosphere. So, I reflected on some of my recent thoughts and discoveries.

Lately, I've been a bit overwhelmed with the negativity flooding every medium in the world today. Locally, living in Hoboken hasn't been very uplifting lately either, what with our mayor being ousted due to a political scandal, today's tragedy on the Hudson River, not to mention the generally negative outlook that many outspoken New Yorkers have on countless social and political issues. Even Buddy Valastro, manager of Carlo's Bakery and Hoboken's local TV reality series star of Cake Boss on TLC, can't sweeten the local perspective. I've even tried to reduce my evening television watching to Jeapordy and Wheel of Fortune, just to avoid the news and graphic crime shows.

So, with the desire to do and say something positive both virtually and in real life, I've decided to spend the rest of 2009 blogging about uplifting events - big or small - going on around me everyday. It's a shame that I don't see them more often, or pay closer attention. But, by intentionally setting out each day to discover joy and happiness and by closing each day by sharing my discoveries with you, perhaps we will both have a brighter outlook on our lives.

Today's Positive Moment:
Re-discovering, through Juile & Julia, the desire to be happy and uplifting in what I say to myself and others.

What about you? What's making you happy today?
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My Nephew with Elephante

2009-07-25T11:55:00.003-04:00

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It's not often I get to take a picture of something I've made with the person who I made it for. This makes up for all of those times!
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New Project: Charity Knitting

2009-07-24T17:10:00.004-04:00

I've been slowly working on coordinating a group on Ravelry that provides an opportunity for knitters to make and donate items to cat-focused charity organizations. I know that I would adopt absolutely every stray animal I found if I had unlimited resources, and I have many friends who would do the same, particularly for cats. So, for those who admirably take on the challenge of caring for cats without homes, I felt that my friends and I would jump at the chance to help them if we just knew who they were and what they needed.

So, I set up a group on Ravelry that is a semi-swap/semi-charity group. We've had one small, but successful swap, and I've gotten a fabulous graphic designer from Ravelry's Design Donors group to create a badge and banner for the group.

A list of charities is constantly growing as members of the group share them.

We'll have regular swaps, during which we can work in groups or individually to complete a project to donate to a charity at the end of the swap. I made a blanket during the last swap and sent it to a New York state knitter who was active in her local SPCA. I'm really hoping to get a substantial enough list of charities together that each member can find one local to him/her. That way, we can establish a relationship with our local charities and maybe get involved in other ways.

Let me know if you know of any to add to our list!

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Homesick

2009-05-27T21:58:00.003-04:00

In a blog that I follow fairly regularly, Shona of Lala Dex Press recently mentioned that she is homesick for LA, and I too haven't been home to Texas for quite some time, so her feelings resonated with me. Shona wrote that watching the Lakers in the playoffs has been helping stave off some of her emotions.

What helps me is the combined mention of small towns, truck driving, heart break, among others. Hearing about them warms my heart so much that my neck turns red. That's what happened during tonight's CBS special honoring George Strait as the country music artist of the decade. All of these topics were mentioned as well as a few others like Ocean Front Property, a song, admittedly, I didn't understand until I was 18 and left the heartland and saw the ocean for the first time.

I'm fortunate that I can keep the feeling going when I watch Walk the Line on CBS this Friday evening. It just happens to be my favorite movie, and I think my husband must think it's called Again! because that's what he says every time I watch it.

I've Got Stripes

2009-05-20T16:52:00.006-04:00

I made a fun, striped elephant for my nephew who turns 1-year old today. It was another of Susan B. Anderson's adorable patterns that I couldn't resist. I changed the ears because her pattern called for them to be crocheted. The front of the ears are a little goofy, and if I make another one, I'll actually pre-write a pattern for them, rather than winging it again.
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I also got him a frog. When my brother was little, he was constantly sick, and him having a fever of 104+ was not unusual. Now, my nephew is suffering the same fate. When my brother had his tonsils removed, he stopped getting so sick. But, I have to wonder whether it was something else that healed him. When he was at the hospital recovering from the tonsillectomy, he received a get-well frog that became a frequent companion, and who he gave the name "Tonsils". Creative, huh? My brother also named our childhood dog "K-9", after the movie, or so he said. I renamed the dog "Butt", after the person who initially named him "K-9".

Anyway, I'm hoping that the healing agent was the frog, rather than the tonsillectomy. And, from what I understand, my nephew will be needing even more healing powers now that his 1-year birthday party that was scheduled for Saturday was postponed because he came into contact with Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease during the past week.
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And, how is an aunt to wrap this 1-year old's birthday gift? Well, in camo, of course. Happy Birthday, Kiddo! Try to find the camouflaged elephant and frog!.
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And, I needed some stripes of my own, so I made what I've named "My Happy Hat", or what my brother would name "Hat". Now, I'm happily wearing my hat and singing the tune of The Legend.

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Pictures to Make Me Smile

2009-05-15T17:40:00.008-04:00

I have great friends who send me countless pictures of precious pets everywhere. I was fishing through my email today and spotted this one. So stinkin' cute that I just want to knit him a sweater.

It was a needed reminder of how cute the little critters can be as I was watching Wayne bat at and eat my spider plant while screeching in enjoyment.

Happy weekend, everyone, and if you have some precious animal pix, I'd love to see them.
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A Must-See Motion Picture

2009-05-04T23:35:00.004-04:00

I have the world's shortest attention span when it comes to watching anything on YouTube, but I watched intently as this story progressed one photo at a time. Amazing! I can't imagine the breadth of his patience and attention span. I truly want to meet him and tell him my life story just to find out. He might be the one person in the world who I wouldn't have to pay to listen to it.

Back to Babies

2009-04-21T20:54:00.017-04:00

My recent lack of motivation to blog stems primarily from the fact that I no longer have the fantastic camera that I borrowed from my friend because she needed it back. I'm finally coming to terms with it, and broke out my point/shoot camera.

I haven't had much more motivation to knit than to take pictures. But, my chiropractor is awaiting the arrival of her baby girl, and after she gushed over the color of my hat that I knit in Manos del Uraguay's wool, I thought it was a great opportunity to use up some of my "matchy-matchy" (thanks, Wendy) yarn.
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I loved the color so much when I first started to knit that I bought several skeins of it in wool, and when the same colorway was available in silk, I bought more. Alas, as Wendy knew before I did, the color got old quickly..

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No one knows the power of a baby like a knitter. Just the mention of one of those tiny little boogers makes our fingers itch. After several attempts to find a bootie or slipper pattern that I could properly gauge with the silk, I arrived at Susan B. Anderson's Cozy Slippers from her book Itty Bitty Nusery.

The baby slippers and hat are in the silk yarn, and the gift bag is wool.

Spring has sprung here in Hoboken, but the street that I've been using for my Seasons of Hoboken photography is going to be the last street to bloom. I'll take down the cold winter picture soon, I hope.

Where You Can Stand on the Ground and See for 50 Miles

2009-03-01T15:41:00.019-05:00

Last night, my husband and I went into the city to watch Robert Earl Keen and Cross Canadian Ragweed play in concert for Texas Independence Day.

You may need to download this to see these videos.

Cross Canadian Ragweed

(If you can bear the first minute of ads, this video is pretty great.)

It was a fantastic concert, and in the final encore, Robert Earl Keen brought out Cross Canadian Ragweed for one of his best-known songs followed by 20-minutes of finger-flying guitar solos from every guitar picker in each band. It was definitely one of the best I've seen, from the steel to the two leads, and then the two bass guitar pickers. While the former were outstanding, it's just amazing to watch and hear blurring bass guitar solos. That devil in Georgia didn't even bother to show.

At one point, Robert Earl Keen asked the audience whether any of them had ever been to Lubbock, which isn't far from where I grew up in Booker, Texas. He said it's a place where you can stand squarely on the ground with your own two feet, look in any direction, and see for 50 miles. If you stand on a tuna fish can, you can see for 100 miles. Funny, but true. I remember a story about a man who lived in NYC and moved 15 miles from Booker. The vastly empty horizon literally drove him crazy, and he moved back to NYC two months later.

Puppy Love at Valentine's Day

2009-02-03T20:22:00.009-05:00

For Valentine's Day, Puppet Heap is selling adorable hand-made dog puppets like the one featured in their Old Mother Hubbard show. The puppets are for sale at Etsy. They also put together this cute little show to advertise how adorable the doggy is.

Another Puppet Show

2009-01-29T22:34:00.001-05:00

When Work & Play Collide

2009-01-29T15:37:00.007-05:00

If your work and play collide, you likely work for a company like Puppet Heap. For those of you who don't know, I'm working again. While, my job as a Controller isn't exactly creative, everyone else I work with at Puppet Heap is gifted beyond belief. Frankly, my knitting is a bit of an embarrassment to me, compared to the things they design, build, and produce.

Here is a peak at their talent.

We have some exciting things coming up for Valentine's Day, so stay tuned! We'll be making a little puppet show for YouTube and selling some of our items on Etsy! I'll let you know when we post our items for sale.

An Empty Plane Floated by Hoboken Today

2009-01-15T18:17:00.013-05:00

All of the US Airways passengers were safely on land as their emergency-landed plane floated past Hoboken this afternoon. This was the view from the pier at 4:30p this afternoon, and the pictures show how the next hour progressed.

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Oh Christmas Tree, Farewell.

2008-12-30T21:23:00.002-05:00

The tree made its final decent today,

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As I took it to the curb.

Now, I can see it from our window, and it makes me sad.

No more real Christmas trees! I can't take it!

Christmas - Take 2

2008-12-29T19:30:00.006-05:00

We had our Christmas gift exchange with my family over Thanksgiving in Houston, and we'll celebrate with my husband's family over New Year's in Louisville. The big news is the arrival of our niece, who greeted us on December 16.

Here's a little bunny that I made for her from 100% bamboo yarn. It was my first opportunity to knit with bamboo, and I found it incredibly soft and silky, but splitty also. If tangled, it became so splitty that I had to cut it before I could work with it again. Nevertheless, this was a great project to test bamboo. I have one skein of angora and one of mohair that I'm going to find small projects for as well.

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And this special sock is for my father-in-law who facetiously asked for socks and underwear for Christmas.

With this sock, I have confirmed for myself that I am a one-sock-knitter. There are those whom I admire who have the patience to make two identical socks perfect-to-pattern. Whereas, I'm happy (not really, actually) to make one sock, and then if forced to make another sock, it would probably look more like this.

Let me introduce you to Investment Banker Sock Monkey. Here you see him in his natural surroundings.
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Triggered by The Christmas Tree

2008-12-28T15:30:00.006-05:00

I had to laugh when my husband entered a Google search to learn Hoboken's schedule for Christmas tree trash pick up, and my blog was one of the first links to come up. I wonder whether Google has a profiling program, knowing that I would be one of the first to put in its final resting place the hacked down and lifeless tree that has been wilting in front of me for the past few weeks. For you Hobokenites, I promise to post a blog note as soon as I find out the schedule, or if you know, please leave a comment.

As far as my perspective on the tree goes, my cynicism that I previously expressed has only intensified. Honestly, the dying tree in my house has depressed me. My mind is taken down a backward pathway, and in terms of the tree, after seeing its sawed off trunk, I saw its completely withered state, and could never really see or celebrate its life.

This perspective of a reverse chronology, or a backward pathway, is something I stumbled upon around my 30th birthday. Silly though it seems, one of the primary triggers that has recently arisen is remembering the "disappearance" of my childhood dog when I was 20. I can't even type about it without pausing until I can once again see through my tears. The intensely painful memory of his death seems to negate the beauty and joy in his life. Like this incidence, there are a few others that have begun to play in my mind like a skipping record, reminding me of the fragility of our lives and the fragility of the life of everything around us. I appreciate life more, as a result. I treasure life more. But, in reverse, I mourn death more, and my grief is physical.

So, I think the Christmas tree triggered a different perspective for me this Christmas. The Christmas Tree is a symbol of the season, and the season is a time for us to remember and celebrate a Birth. However, it's really the reverse chronology, or backward pathway, of This Baby's life and the purpose of His life that makes the Story so poignant and so painful..

The Seasons of Hoboken

2008-12-24T15:17:00.005-05:00

I recently shared with you some photos of the beautiful fall foliage we witnessed here in Hoboken a few months ago.

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But, gone are the days of light jackets and lingering outside.

We are now struggling to stay above freezing, and what might be beautiful if we all had garages and drove to work, is less than desirable for our walking city. All of the white will be gone before tomorrow, so we're in store for something more like a brown Christmas.

Happy Holidays!

Round and Round on my Sweater

2008-12-24T14:40:00.006-05:00

I started my Louisa Harding sweater as the pattern suggested, but after several hours, I realized that I would be doing the fair isle pattern by knitting back and forth, rather than in the round. I decided to continue with the pattern, even though the first row of fair isle was a purl row.

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Several hours later, I pulled out 8" of work because that first purled fair isle row was completely off gauge. I was extremely irritated, and my husband sweetly suggested that I stop on the sweater and wait until I can go to Philadelphia again to have Lisa, Marissa, or Wendy help me.

What a fabulous excuse to go to Philadelphia! But, unfortunately, short of putting Wendy in a locked room with the pattern and no food or water, I would return to Hoboken with no greater likelihood of finishing the sweater. I'm realistic. I know that a minimum of 10 hours of practice is my only option. ...Unless...

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Unless, I re-write the pattern in the round, which I promptly did.
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Now, we'll see how well I progress as I attempt my first re-contrived pattern.
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Another Sacrifice to Remember This Season

2008-12-16T10:59:00.007-05:00

While many of us complain about and attack the US war efforts overseas, our soldiers stand tall where they are deployed. They are proud to protect our country and offer their unwaivering allegiance to the purpose for their service, "to ensure for all time that [our] flag will not fall."

I received this poem today and want to share it with you. The writer, a Navy Lieutenant Commander, issues this request:.
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"PLEASE, would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our US service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us."

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN 30th Naval Construction Regiment OIC, Logistics Cell One Al Taqqadum, Iraq

A Different Christmas Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,

I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.

My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,

My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,

Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
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The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,

Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,

Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.

In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,

So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
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The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,

But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.

Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,

Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,

And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
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Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,

A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,

Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.

Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,

Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

'What are you doing?' I asked without fear,

'Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!

Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,

You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!'

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,

Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.
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To the window that danced with a warm fire's light

Then he sighed and he said 'Its really all right,

I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night.

'It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,

That separates you from the darkest of times.
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No one had to ask or beg or implore me,

I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.

My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,'

Then he sighed, 'That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers.'

My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',

And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,

But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.ʼ

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,

The red, white, and blue... an American flag.

ʽI can live through the cold and the being alone,

Away from my family, my house and my home. .
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I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,

I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.

I can carry the weight of killing another,

Or lay down my life with my sister and brother,

Who stand at the front against any and all,

To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.'
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'So go back inside,' he said, 'harbor no fright,

Your family is waiting and I'll be all right.'

'But isn't there something I can do, at the least,

'Give you money,' I asked, 'or prepare you a feast?

It seems all too little for all that you've done,

For being away from your wife and your son.'
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Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,

'Just tell us you love us, and never forget.

To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,

To stand your own watch, no matter how long.

For when we come home, either standing or dead,

To know you remember we fought and we bled.

Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,

That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.'
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Christmas Knitting

2008-12-14T17:22:00.006-05:00

After I finished the blankets for my nephew, I knit my Ravelry Secret Santa swapper a mini-mitten garland, which I strung together with an i-cord. It was so fun to knit quick projects that delivered immediate gratification.
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I also started a project for myself - Louisa Harding's sweater "Hannah" that my mother-in-law and I purchased supplies for last summer.
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A Cynic's View on Christmas Trees

2008-12-14T16:29:00.014-05:00

My husband is a bit of an idealist when it comes to Christmas. I suppose that's better than being a cynic, which I could easily be accused of, especially when it comes to getting a Christmas tree.

My husband grew up getting a cut Christmas tree each year. It probably goes without saying that the Panhandle of Texas wasn't rich with Christmas trees. Tumbleweeds were as close as we got.

My brother and I were excused from any involvement in decorating our fake Christmas tree in high school when our mom decided we'd outgrown kiddie ornaments, and she decorated it with beautiful ribbons and matching ornaments instead. I don't think either of us minded, and the tree was far more beautiful as a result.
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While I was single throughout my 20s, I enjoyed hassle-free, clutter-free Christmas'. So, this year, when my husband decided he wanted to be a "real family" and have a real Christmas tree, I admit, I was none too excited. It became all the more real when I watched him carry into our apartment 5-feet and 80-pounds of what used to be part of the living earth, but was now a hacked-down, dying tree that would continue toward its final death in our apartment.

But, my husband and the cats have never been happier. Wayne was so excited, she started with the plastic, while the other two were already making dinner out of the lower branches.

Bah!

The End of the Baby Blanket Saga

2008-11-29T15:13:00.011-05:00

I decided to seam together the giant narrow blanket and gave it to my nephew. Here is Mom pulling it out of the gift sack. It was the last present I let them open.

I made them open these other two blankets first because I was so embarrassed over the other. They were thrilled with each of them, but I think their favorite is that unfortunate disaster.

And, with these three blankets complete, I have retired from baby blanket making. I hope.

Knitting, Recycling and the Holidays

2008-11-06T12:25:00.017-05:00

The New York Times recently published an article about Purl Soho. It touches on our cool weather revitalizing the knitting community, and it goes on to discuss how much we would love to make certain items but are limited by time. The article suggests places to buy the items we wish we had time to make.

The New York Times wrote another article about RePlayGround, which is a great source of ideas for re-using objects, including how to turn your old sweater into new fashion.

I hope that this holiday season we can get back to the basics of family and tradition. With everyone concerned about their finances and future, this is a perfect opportunity to look for new and creative ways to give.

I believe that our usual holiday shopping routine has become thoughtless. The most common comment made during the holiday season is "I'm so busy buying presents and shopping that the holidays are a really stressful time for me." Aren't we all stressed out enough right now? Let's take a step back this holiday season and think. Why not check out some website that offer new ways to use old things? Let's not make what is already a difficult time in our families even harder by encouraging quantity and frivolity over quality and conservation.

...just for kicks, on the topic of photography...

I don't pretend to be anything more than an amateur photographer, but this lesson I have learned from the experts. I encourage you to pull up this article, which I mentioned above.

Look at her head. Not only does the bookshelf look like its partition is growing out of her head, but starting at the V in her shirt, a line forms that continues from her chest, up to her nose, up to the part in her hair, and right up the top of the bookcase.

Happy Pumpkin Day!

2008-10-31T17:57:00.007-04:00

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Any Day in Hoboken

2008-10-30T00:04:00.013-04:00

Today was rather chilly in Hoboken and with the cloud cover, it made for a few good pictures of what you might see on any given day in Hoboken.

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BARS! The singles scene here is widely known. Hoboken was once listed in the Guiness Book of Records as the city with "Most bars in a square mile". (This trivia is found in the "On the Street" section of this page, which also has more facts and trivia than you care to know about Hoboken.)

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It's 2:00 on Wednesday afternoon. Jimmy Buffet has nothing on Hoboken!

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And age really isn't a factor..

CLEAN! In addition to every street in town being cleaned once a week, Hoboken has city workers who pick up trash 24 hours a day. This is a member of the day crew, and he is just one of dozens of men who have their own push carts, but there are also men just like him driving golf carts with trash cans on the back.

This is the night crew.

I took this shot at 1:00am in front of our apartment.
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CHILDREN! But there is one type of litter that even an army of garbage collectors working around the clock cannot keep up with.

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Hoboken is a city of strollers, and the sidewalks and streets are a dumping ground for all things loose on a stroller.
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GOING TO THE CITY. The PATH (Port Authority Transit) train is the primary means of transportation for getting into New York City from New Jersey, and the train from Hoboken takes about 10 minutes to get to its first stop in the city. While I don't know how many people use the Hoboken station every day, I do know that its first stop in the city has over 49,000 people ride in and out of it each day.
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MOM & POP SHOPS. The city has worked very hard to keep the big box stores out of Hoboken, so there are countless specialty and organic stores throughout town.

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THE VIEW. And, although I've mentioned it before, the park and pier overlooking the Hudson River toward New York City is my favorite part of any day in Hoboken. Even the cold and dreary ones like today.
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A Little-Understood Group

2008-10-21T00:18:00.016-04:00

In March 2003, Johnathan Rouch published a fascinating article in The Atlantic entitled "Caring for Your Introvert." Rouch's sub-headline read "The habits and needs of a little-understood group." While the article reads much like an instruction manual for caring for a new plant, it drives home the issues I, as an introvert, face.

Most extroverts are shocked and often become argumentative when the topic of personality comes up, and I say that I am an introvert. I always have to define introversion for them because of the introvert = shy stereotype.

I think the stereotype that being an introvert means being shy is bogus. Because I have moved so many times during the past 10 years, I have had to face meeting new people, making new friends, and adjusting to new work environments and relationships possibly more than most. In these types of situations, I learned that I can’t be shy. I taught myself how to “turn on” in social situations, which is extremely hard work and can lead to burn out. When I burn out, unfortunately the friendships that have caused me to work so hard fizzle out. However, when I find friends who I eventually don’t have to “work” to be around, those friendships last, few as they may be.

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I have been quoted in saying, "I don't like people." It's true. What I mean isn't that I am anti-social or think that others are losers. Rather, I simply do not find enjoyment in being in a group of people. Actually, this is the most lonely environment that I am ever in. On the contrary, I feel the least "alone" when I am by myself, and the way I value and enjoy the company of "people" is one person at a time.

My Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool Photo Journal

2008-10-19T23:06:00.008-04:00

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Puppet Politicians

2008-10-16T12:02:00.014-04:00

A friend of mine posted these McCain and Obama amigurumi finger puppets on her website, and I had to share them with you.

They are Lion Brand crochet patterns. Once you login to Lio n Brand, you can click on the links below to go directly to the patterns.
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On the left - Obama:
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/80658AD.html?noImages=

On the right - McCain:
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/80657AD.html?noImages=

A Child's Love

2008-10-14T16:26:00.008-04:00

Today is Grover's birthday.

Pregnancy & Babies: Am I Realistic or Glass-Half-Empty? You decide.

2008-10-14T13:08:00.005-04:00

When I read the first line in Baby Proof, I felt a sense of validation and relief. Even though the book was fiction, at least I knew someone had considered that a woman might struggle with the decision to have a child. So, I began looking for a nonfiction book about real women struggling with this decision and feeling trapped in a society that seems to be making her decision for her. I haven’t found the book I’m looking for, but nevertheless have an ever-expanding library of pregnancy and baby-related books.

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Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy, by Vicki Iovine.
This is my favorite of the books I’ve read. Iovine details her personal experiences during four pregnancies. The premise of the book is to speak to the reader as “only a girlfriend would”. What I appreciate about this book is that Iovine doesn’t sugar-coat pregnancy. She also doesn’t limit her discussion to her first pregnancy, which I have noticed is often romanticized by a first-time mother. After having four babies, Iovine gives the gross, uncomfortable details that other books on pregnancy barely mention.
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Since turning 30, I have been developing a mental filter that sifts through the idealistic picture of pregnancy and babies. In Iovine’s forward, she says, “Being pregnant is a time of such anticipation and optimism and dreaming . . . and fear and insecurity and self-doubt (but more about that later).” I am still looking for the book that discusses what she puts off for later because right now, I only feel the latter emotions she described and am numb to the former.
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I am afraid. I recently wandered onto the Café Mom website out of curiosity for what online moms in my geographic area have to say. I was appalled at what I found. Mothers in the “Regional Club: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania” were opening their introductions like this, “Hi. I’m Janice from Northern New Jersey, and my son has Autism, asthma, Asperger Syndrome, ADHD, and anxiety.”
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I got nauseous reading the countless entries about the illnesses (which don't all start with the letter "A", by the ways) these children have. There were very few who mentioned the child’s hobbies or interests. I also have a friend who recently had a baby with Down Syndrome. Like I said, I am afraid. Terrified! These aren’t issues that I want to learn about, explore in detail or recognize as a possibility after I am already pregnant. I want to know them now, before I decide whether I want to have a baby, a baby who could also be affected by them.
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As far as insecurity and self-doubt, I abound there also. Am I being realistic, or am I being glass-half-empty?
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Want more information on the illnesses listed above?
ADHD
Asperger Syndrome
Autism

Childhood Anxiety
Down Syndrome

As if there aren't enough things to worry about.

What if the child looks like this?!

What am I reading on the topic today?

Pregnancy Sucks: What to Do when Your Miracle Makes You Miserable, by Joanne Kimes.

The author's introduction: "You probably think this book talks about nothing but a long list of complaints. And while it's true that they do focus on the negative, they're more importantly filled with compassion, great advice, and plenty of much needed humor to help get you through this difficult time."

Baby Proof

2008-10-08T14:07:00.012-04:00

I love Emily Giffin's books. I finished her most recent one, Love the One You're With, in record time. But, the one that came to my mind today was Baby Proof. The thought came during an elevator ride with my neighbor. This was the first time I had ever seen her without her toddler son. In our brief conversation, she said that she just needed some time to herself, and then she said that she never thought about how much her life would change after having a baby.
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I got off the elevator with Emily Giffin's first line in Baby Proof ringing in my head like a gong. "I never wanted to be a mother." I have been thinking this at an ever-increasing rate as more and more of my friends and family are nesting and dedicating all of their effort and investing in every resource available to make a baby.
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My thoughts here in no way mean that I don't like babies or that I don't ever want to have them. I was just never the girl pushing the stroller or swaddling a baby doll. Trust me, other people's babies are very cute, and my nephew is among the most irresistible of all of them (as I'm sure my niece who is due in December will be also).
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What I am saying is this:
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First, having a child is an enormous, life-altering event; an event that will span the rest of the parents' lives and turn their sense of identity on its head. Also, I don't believe being married means that I must have a child. I'm saying that my own decision about having or not having a baby will be based on intense self-examination as I try to understand and answer this one question - is having a baby something I think I should do, or is it something I want to do?
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I do have a sense of humor about motherhood, don't get me wrong. Here are a couple of pictures as proof.
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I Took a Shortcut

2008-09-27T16:16:00.010-04:00

As my knitting friends know, math is an important component in knitting. I have finally learned my lesson. After skipping the math part of several of my projects, this is by far the best example of why I not to do it again.

The math: at 4 stitches to the inch, I could make a 4-foot by 4-foot blanket with approximately 200 stitches. Instead, I skipped the math and simply thought 400 was a good number. So, I am knitting 400 rows of 400 stitches each.

Really, Mindy? This is the blanket so far.

...after 120 rows

...over 30 hours

...and 48,000 stitches.

It's 9-feet, without even being stretched out.

No more shortcuts!

My Week as a New York City Tourist

2008-09-10T18:56:00.025-04:00

For the past week and a half, my husband and I have been taking in the sites of New York City as from the eyes of tourists. Yes, you may remember that my husband started work recently, which began with six weeks of training. Well, the short story is that the training program coordinators allowed him to skip part of the training because he didn't need it. Four out of one hundred trainees skipped this part of training. Anyway, I'm bragging and digressing . . .

First Tourist Stop: The U.S. Open on Long Island. We visited on a fabulous day. The weather was great, and the matches were spectacular.

Welcome to the U.S. Open!

A wide angle view from the top of the stands.

View back toward Manhattan from the top of the stands. Hoboken is

on the other side of Manhattan, which made for a lengthy train ride.

Second Tourist Stop: Ellis Island. Ellis Island was the first stop for all immigrants who came to the United States between 1900-1925. It was fascinating to learn about our ancestors' first steps on American soil.

The view from Ellis Island to our next stop - The Statue of Liberty

Third Tourist Stop: The Statue of Liberty.

Beautiful. American. Freedom.

Fourth Stop: The Letterman Show. We sat in the front row at the Letterman Show today and saw Senator Obama and Lebron James. Seriously, it was fantastic. I got in the spirit of television and acting, constructing myself completely bi-partisan. I think I was made, though, when I was the only one cheering and clapping when he asked the crowd how they felt about Sarah Palin.

We weren't supposed to take pictures inside the theater, so this is a shot I took from my camera phone right before a security guy came and threatened to take the battery out of my phone.

Tourist or not, though, there is no label for anyone here in New York, or elsewhere in this nation, other than American when it comes to September 11. I never saw the skyline before I moved here.

Here is a picture someone else took of the skyline with the twin towers.

Here is the picture I took last week.

God, bless America. .

We have never needed it more.

Hanna Leaves Behind a Beautiful Skyline

2008-09-08T10:06:00.005-04:00

Two shots of New York City's Financial District the day after Hanna blew through. It's only a few days before September 11, and this view is very different than it was before September 11, 2001.

It's Like Babysitting

2008-08-17T19:23:00.010-04:00

My husband and I went to Manhattan today. It was a beautiful day for sauntering through Greenwich Village, which we did plenty of as we searched for the right subway line to get to our destination - the Museum of Natural History. Of course, we couldn't have asked anyone on the sidewalk for assistance. It would have been like pulling over at a gas station and asking directions.

We finally found our way to the Upper West Side and the museum. They are near where my husband lived last summer while interning for the firm he works for now. The museum was impressive, to say the least. However, I could only walk through a fraction of its exhibits. I wasn't at all prepared for the initial exhibit. It was an enormous room housing at least fifty animals taxidermied (it's a word, don't look it up) into stances and environments as if they were in their natural habitat. My husband was in awe, fascinatingly reading all about each animal and their native environment. I was in shock! It was a zoo...of dead animals. In my mind, all I could see were these animals being killed, stuffed, and put on display in glass cages. I kept imagining how each one of them suffered and then died, and I was subconsciously looking for the fatal wound that was cleverly masked by a skillful taxidermist.

My husband was very sweet when he found me in the bird photography hallway with tears in my eyes. He tried to console me by explaining that these animals were killed (I say "murdered") for science, and that we have learned so much from studying them.

I'm not radical, I'm emotional; there's a huge difference. I'm the one you see on the side of the road bawling over a dead squirrel I accidentally ran over, and I'm the one who had to call Daddy when I came home to find that my cat had suddenly died. He had to come to my house at midnight that night. I was 27 this time, but this situation had been repeated countless times before.

After strategically weaving our way through the museum in an effort for me to avoid rooms where I would imagine each animal's cruel death, I made it out having only used one Kleenex. And all in all, I enjoyed what I saw. Truly, the dinosaur exhibits were absolutely magnificent.

Then, we walked through Central Park, which was beautiful and full of happy weekenders like the ones you read about in some of the sappy ChicLit books out these days, such as my favorites - New Yorkers and Emily Giffin's four books. Because of the size of Central Park (683 acres total), it didn't seem terribly crowded. As we were leaving, there was a funny sign that said "250 acres of grass to mow." There was something written below in fine print, but I didn't want to ruin the image in my mind of the happy August day in the park with a plea for a donation or a demand to pick up your trash.

I have Netflix'd a 7-disc PBS series on the history of New York City, and it contains a short history of Central Park. As we were walking through, I thought back to its history and the requests for architectural drawings to build the park. The chosen drafter wasn't an architect at all. That's what has been so interesting in my learning about New York City. People were coming to re-create themselves, take a life-changing risk. The series has also been helpful for me to appreciate Manhattan for its diversity and success, in spite of having no reference to help guide it to succeed at all, much less thrive. In short, the series has helped me look past the swarms of people, the publically urinating homeless men, and the rude and unapologetic woman who literally stepped on me today in order to get in front of me on the sidewalk.

But in the end, to me going to Manhattan is like baby-sitting. She's fun to visit, learn about and watch develop, but I’m always ready to give her back to her rightful owners. Tonight, I'm happy to be home in Hoboken.

Happy in Hoboken

2008-08-09T18:27:00.017-04:00

I truly love it here in Hoboken, New Jersey. It's early August, and I can run everyday without passing out from heat exhaustion (Houston), or getting plowed over by a taxi cab (Philadelphia). I can also take an elevator when I bring home groceries, which is such a wonderful change from the 3rd floor walk-up in Philly.

I've only been in to "the city" once since we moved here a month ago, and that's quite fine with me. Manhattan is a madhouse, and I find that gazing at it across the Hudson River is far more marvelous than actually being there.

I've made a great friend too, who as luck may have it is from Texas. She is a professional photographer in town, and in exchange for my studio managment and editting help, she and her partner let me use their gear, work with me on special photography projects of my own, and let me attend the photography classes that they teach.

I am continuing to knit on the camouflage blanket for my nephew. It's 400 stitches across, and I plan to make it 400 rows long as well. At roughly 9-12 minutes per row, I finally reached 1/8th of the way through after around 6 hours of knitting.

Haydn and Dietrie are enjoying their newfound modeling gigs in my photography practicing. Malaney is also, but she can't sit still long enough for me to get one that isn't blurry, so stay tuned for her picture.

Here are a couple of pictures that I took tonight in the park that protrudes from Hoboken into the Hudson River and is about a football field in size.

This is the view of Manhattan from the other end of the park - it's actually a view of midtown, where Times Square and my husband's office are located. Of couse, the Empire State Building is the most prominent building in the photo.

Moving. What's Not to Love?

2008-07-18T17:34:00.014-04:00

If you find yourself asking this question, let me help you answer it. Because I'm such a Letterman fan, I developed a Top Ten List of what's not to love about moving:

(10) Moving Service Estimates.
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Our moving company's estimate was based on a phone conversation, during which I was asked mostly about the furniture we were moving. She asked, "Are you moving a refrigerator, washer/dryer, oven...etc.?" My response to most of her questions was "No." What she forgot to ask was whether we were moving a university-sized library with us. Based on our phone conversation, she estimated 2800 pounds. When the movers arrived and their eyes popped out of their heads, we knew we were in for an unfortuante cost hike. Upon delivery, the movers let us know that we had hit 5800 pounds. Our estimate went up by 50%. Our lesson - get the price locked in up front.

(9) Discovering Your Crap during Packing.
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Fortunately, my husband did not have the hobby I did in my 20s - buying and collecting crap. I must have been afraid of disposable income back then because I traded it in for junk. In return, I have heaps of crap. What is my definition of crap? Items used to fill glass bowls such as wooden balls, pine cones, and potpouri; wall hangings that even your grandmother would think were old and tasteless; and votives that haven't been used since they were on display in the store. And the list goes on for miles.

(8) Spousal Friction.

I've only been married for 2.5 years, and we have already moved twice. My husband has countless positive traits, but finding direction in chaos isn't one of them. He freezes as a deer in headlights in these situations, while I become militant and want to rid my environment of any deterent from my mission. However, I must say that, to his credit, my husband has been wonderful in completing tasks such as cancelling/setting up electricity, cable, and vehicle insurance and registration. Complementary traits in a husband and wife. Hmmm, I think there's something to that. I should write a book.

(7) Plant Shock.
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The bigger the plant, the more shock it experiences during a move. This plant used to be full and beautiful. My husband says that I've killed it before (by simply moving it across the room) and it came back, and he believes I'll bring it back again. Nevertheless, I threaten it daily with trash pickup, and trash pick up occurs 4 times per week here in Hoboken.

(6) Sedating and Traveling with Your Pets.
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The kitties are not good travelers. Period. They also don't like to be trapped in the bathroom when there is heightened activity throughout the house. Additionally, Haydn gets car sick from in-town driving. This is a terribly out-of-focus picture, but I think the point is clear. Even his third eyelid is up from the sedative.
This doesn't quite convey how sick he actually was, though. My husband came quickly out of the bathroom at one point, standing in front of the door blocking me from entering. "I just want you to know that Haydn is really really sick. I just found him laying with his head in his own pee." I was frantic! The sedation medication is funny. Even though he weighs more than Wayne, he can't take nearly the dosage she can. (Yes, Wayne is a girl. Happy to tell you why if you want to know.) I hope I remember that for next time!

(And no, Lisa, I consulted an attorney, and this accidental poor mothering on my part doesn't give you parental rights to Haydn.)

(5) Exhaustively Searching for Necessary Items.
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All of my underwear was hiding in an unmarked box for several days. I hadn't wanted to label it because I was too embarrassed. Well, obviously I'm telling YOU, so I must have gotten over it. Next time, I'm going to write it in big bold letters!

I also lost my cell phone during the packing process. It was a terrible disaster. I didn't have Lisa's number memorized, and I was in a state of panic! I finally found it and had missed 15 calls. What has this world come to that losing a phone could be so traumatic.

(4) Packing Precious Items in Black Trashbags.
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I lined a box with a black trashbag before carefully loading my yarn stash inside. In an effort to give the movers as many boxes to take away as possible, I pulled out the sack and sat it to the side. I then proceeded to collect trash in black trashbags. A few days later, I heard the trash truck coming down the street and almost canned my hobby all together.

(3) The Previous Tenant's Home Decor and Maintenance.

I knew before moving in that I was going to re-paint the red master bedroom in a more muted color. I planned to paint the room the evening between packing and delivery. Instead, I spent the entire night priming the room (4 times!), and had to finally stop and get the apartment ready for the delivery. No sleep between starting to pack and finishing delivery. I think it was 40 hours before I went to bed.

And I don't think I need to say much about the owner's home maintenance than what this picture of the air filter conveys.

(2) Losing Track of Time.
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Continuing from number 4... With no sleep, I was on fumes. My husbands birthday was on delivery day. I forgot. Bless his heart, he was relatively forgiving about the whole thing. I still feel badly, and I continue to try to think of a way to make it up to him.

(1) Discovering All of Your Crap Arrived Safely at Your New Place.
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The absolute worst feeling I had was when I started opening boxes and realized that the stuff I thought was junk on the origin end was packed and arrived safely at the destination. And, I PAID for it to be moved. Now, I'm physically paying for having to move it all to the curb. I am trying to sell some of it on CraigsList, but I'm impatient now. I just want it out!

Don't get me wrong though. There are many positive things that have come from this move. I'll share them with you in the next post.
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One Month Later...

2008-06-24T19:43:00.005-04:00

I know I haven't been the most consistent blogger lately, with my last post almost one month ago. I can't imagine that my current life of packing my house and making moving plans would possibly be of any interest to anyone, not even me.

I finally did something that is fun to blog about.

I went to Dallas again, this time with my husband. My nephew turned one month old while we were there. He's a doll, and we're terribly proud of him. I'm making him a new blanket, at the request of my brother. Camouflage. They're so silly. They have a number of camouflage baby items. I have to wonder, though, if they get too many camouflage items, won't they have trouble finding them?

Happy Birthday!

2008-05-29T00:51:00.011-04:00

Isn't it funny how we celebrate a baby's birthday every few moments? I do understand this now, though. I could have stared at this little guy for hours and celebrated each moment. He is absolutely adorable . . . but so dang sleepy. My brother and sister-in-law are actually having to wake him to feed him at night. What I think, though, is that he just loves the blanket his Aunt Mindy made for him so much that he pretends to be asleep so no one takes it from him.

Look what happens when he doesn't have his blanket. Bad idea!

(Though his cry is pretty cute, too! He makes a precious, little squeak.)

He does consider waking up if he gets to go for a motorcycle ride, though.

Pardon his blurry hands, he's revving.

Oh, and he has pretty eyes, too. We almost forget he has them.

I certainly don't know whether I'm ready to go through "the joy" of childbirth. Yaouch! I deeply admire my sister-in-law for what she went through to bring this precious, perfect little guy into this world. But, she's pretty incredible anyway. She was welcoming a non-stop brigade of visitors into her hospital room within hours of his birth, and from what I understand, the door at their house is still swinging.

It's in My Blood

2008-05-24T22:45:00.016-04:00

I just got home from Dallas, and I'm trying to settle down. I'll tell you more about my nephew in the next hundred of my posts, but in this one, I'm going to talk about me. Selfish, I know, but I'm about to burst. I'm trying to settle down because even if I wouldn't have seen a single family member or friend these past three days, the trip would have been just as refreshing.

I love Texas. It's just something that has been in my blood since I grew up. While difficult to explain, I'm not alone in this - it's an epidemic there. Texans are as proud of being Texan as they are of being American. I didn't realize how much I missed being there, especially Dallas, until I got there. Here are a few of the things that I miss the most.

I miss big trucks. This Ford pickup is even named after King Ranch, a ranch that covers 825,000 acres of South Texas land (larger than Rhode Island) and is one of the largest ranches in the world.

I miss true, classic country music - Hank Williams, Jr., Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, George Strait, Loretta Lynn, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Alison Kraus, Martina McBride, and of course, Johnny Cash. The radio station 99.5, The Wolf, was my favorite station when I lived in Dallas, and listening to it this week, I remembered why. It's Texas Country.

I also miss dirt, Sonic, and the abundance of personal space.

I miss my Jeep, which I sold when we came to Philadelphia.

There's just something about these things that make me feel like I'm home, a feeling I cling to because feeling "home" is such a distant memory since I have moved every two years since 1996. Being in Texas for me is like getting a bear hug from your grandfather - something you'll never forget and something you'll never stop wishing for.

He's Here!

2008-05-21T00:15:00.002-04:00

He was so ready to come into the world that she only pushed for 15 minutes. Doesn't she look beautiful? She's an amazing woman! My brother couldn't have done any better. ...and look at that kiddo. Goodness, I don't even know what else to say. God is amazing, isn't He?

New Projects, New Techniques

2008-05-20T21:21:00.010-04:00

Eunny Jang Endpaper Mitts

My first fair isle project. Thanks, Lisa, for telling me I could do it. I'm so proud! Aren't the colors great?! It's becoming my favorite project, so it's only fitting that I should photograph it on top of another of my most timeless favorites.

Hemlock Ring Blanket

My first lace project. It feels good to have momentum in my knitting again. If I ever needed a distraction, now is the time.

Today was Tomorrow Yesterday

2008-05-19T10:46:00.014-04:00

My husband and I are in the midst of the fury of change that we've been anticipating for over six months. It feels surreal to be in the middle of what we were planning for. I liked the phrase I read recently - Today was tomorrow yesterday. That sums up this surreal feeling perfectly.

Two weeks ago, we found our new apartment in Hoboken, New Jersey.

My husband will commute across the Hudson River to mid-town Manhattan each day. Hoboken is laid out in one-square mile, which is exactly the size of the town where I grew up in the Texas Panhandle. There's only a minor difference. Booker, Texas has a population of 1,200. Hoboken's population in 40,000. It's unbelievable how my perspective has changed since my days in Booker.
To me now, Hoboken is a small, quiet town - a retreat from the unbearable (for me, at least) hubbub in New York. So, while I'm not up for living in the insanity of Manhattan, living in city where the population density is only 40,000 per square mile seems quite comfortable for me.

Yesterday, under a blanket of pouring rain, my husband graduated from Wharton with his MBA. I am quite proud of him, even if I am a little disillusioned by Wharton's remarkable resemblance to a never-ending two-year fraternity party. Both sets of our parents came to celebrate the ocassion. They were very sweet to congratulate and give me gifts, too. It does feel like I just finished a marathon and have now entered the sprint for the finish line and the ability to take a deep breath.

What's next? My brother's baby is due any minute!
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Making Things Disappear - Thank God for CraigsList

2008-05-13T11:40:00.005-04:00

Moving is such fun, isn't it? I'm going through boxes of things I tried to make disappear in the basement when we originally moved into our apartment in 2006. Much to my dismay, it is all still there, and there is even more upstairs that I want to disappear now. Where is my magic wand?! CraigsList is the closest thing I can find.

Here are but a few of my posts, and I'm trying to get together more like items for pictures and posts today. I'm trying to get as much sold this week as possible. My parents and my inlaws are coming Saturday afternoon for my husband's graduation. I'd like for our apartment not to look like a hurricane just blasted through it, like it does now. Last night, a man came over and bought things off my walls. I then filled a box and made him take it - for $5. Hey, everything is for sale and cheap...except Haydn. Sorry, Lisa!

Several days later...

It is all gone! Man, CraigsList is amazing!

Maryland Sheep & Wool

2008-05-04T18:13:00.005-04:00

http://www.fliptrack.com/watch/EbODjOSCcf

I am having a hard time keeping the music consistenly playing in the correct order. "Catch You" should come on first, and then the slides and songs are in the proper sequence. If "Catch You" isn't the first song you hear, then just enjoy the pictures.

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Looking for Motivation

2008-04-22T19:09:00.005-04:00

I finished the baby blanket for my nephew, which was actually quite paralyzing to me, since I wasn't working on any other projects when I finished. The blanket has been my go-to project for the last 7 months, and I reached for it any time I was feeling aimless in my knitting. I have purchased the yarn for several new projects thanks to a super sweet surprise gift card to Rosie's from my mother-in-law. She immediately won the role as my new BFF. So any of you desiring that spot in my life, you now know what it requires. So, with my yarn purchase, I easily have two go-to projects that will take as long as the baby blanket, if not longer. So, while I have been working on only a few projects, I have actually been reading more about knitting lately than actually picking up the needles myself. I've been looking to these sites for motivation, and it's working.

I'm fascinated with several talented knitters including Susan B. Anderson, who is the author of Itty Bitty Nursery and Itty Bitty Hats. She has an Itty Bitty Hats Knitalong that includes topics far beyond baby hats. She writes some of the cutest patterns I've seen - how cute is this?

Another fun website is Purl Soho, which is a tiny knit shop in Manhattan that I visited a few weeks ago while looking for an apartment in Brooklyn. It should come as no surprise that I was particularly enthralled by their Granny Square Project, which shows countless crocheted granny squares in various types of yarn, colors, and sizes. While my crochet is coming along, I haven't actually completed my project, nor have I taken on a project with anything but single crochet in the pattern.

Another of my favorite knitters is Brooklyn Tweed (Jared), who is as talented at photographing his projects as knitting them. I'm not his only fan, by far. There is a link to his website from almost all of my favorite knitters' website. He's a pretty busy guy, pursuing an arts degree, from what I can gather from his blogs. So in spite of living in the same city as him, I'll likely still have to visit his website to check out what he's up to. Not to mention Brooklyn's population is 2.5 million. Plus, he spins his own yarn, so it's unlikely I'll even see him in a yarn shop.

A site as sewing and fashion-centric as the above are knitting-centric is the artfully named Angry Chicken. She has a few tasty recipes worked in, too.

Not a knitting website, but almost as good, Mostly Dogs is a photography-only site that isn't updated nearly as often as I would like. Her pictures are absolutely beautiful. You can see all of them if you click Browse on her home page.

Anyway, I'll post some of my knitting projects soon, but in the meantime, check out some of these great sites!

Paws a Moment for a Cause

2008-04-09T23:39:00.012-04:00

My friend Sherry is highlighting a cause on her website that I can't help but share with you. If you know me at all, you know that I would adopt absolutely every stray animal, amphibian, and plant that needs a loving home. I was well on my way toward completing this goal when I got married and was forced to limit my collection of strays. Chris sternly informs me (often!) that we are at our weight limit in pets (and a little beyond the limit in plants). He said if I want another pet, a trade off is required. While I have the kitties on a serious diet (right, as if I am not their complete servant - "Why, is that a hungry look? Yes, of course I will feed you.), they haven't quite lost enough weight for me to get a Yorkie. I did get a fish, though!

Back to the topic at hand. It is quite easy for me to recognize the innate desire, which at times feels more like a physical need actually, to help these little critters, and this story hit home. My knitting friend Sherry has a friend who is telling her remarkable rescue/adoption story. Vinnie, her newly adopted puppy-dog, had a near fatal reaction to his post-adoption vaccinations. His condition deteriorated quickly, but here's where it gets amazing. The rescue/adoption center - 4 Paws Sake - that she adopted him from stepped in and took charge of his care and covered the medical expenses (which amounted - after considerable discounts from the vets - to over $1,000). His story is pretty amazing. You should read it.

If you can relate to this story as I can, you might paws a moment for this cause. Many of us knitters are joining together to help pay these medical bills back to 4 Paws Sake so they can continue this amazing work, which I only wish I could do on my own. A couple of very popular knitting stores have donated items for a raffle - $5 per ticket - to benefit 4 Paws Sake. Check out the prizes at the bottom of this page!

I don't know about you, but if I ever have the weight limit in my household down enough for me to adopt again, I'm definitely going to consider 4 Paws Sake.

Here's how to get a raffle ticket, if you're interested:
(1) Go to http://www.4pawssake.org/Paws/donate.html.
(2) Click "Make a Donation".
(3) Enter $5.00 as your donation amount (or more, as you desire).
(4) PayPal will walk you through the rest of the transaction.
(5) Forward your PayPal confirmation to FriendsofVinnie@gmail.com to be entered in the raffle.
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A Little Progress Report

2008-04-06T21:40:00.006-04:00

Well, I've just been chugging along on my projects. Here is my crochet progress, which I am so pleased about. Tomorrow night, Courtney will help me complete my bag with the pink handles. I've decided to line it so it is reversable as well. No pictures of the fabric yet though, so stay tuned.

Lisa J. has joined the rank of Patient Angel along side Courtney, as she patiently walked me through almost every one of the stitches on my needle...after she pulled out the countless wrong ones that were there before. Thank you Sweet Lisa. You're my hero!

And, for the biggest news, I have four inches to go on my nephew's blanket. I can hardly believe it. So, it will have taken me almost as long as my sister-in-law's pregnancy to knit it. So, in a weird way, it has grown with him.
So, nothing enormous to report, just steady progress. But, as sweet Marissa reminds me, "Slow and steady wins the race." I have such great friends. It's the greatest feeling in the world. ...well, perhaps second only to completing a baby blanket.

Entre-what? The life of a slow learner.

2008-03-30T19:55:00.010-04:00

Some students should come with warning signs, don't you think? I had a professor in one of my master's courses who taught about the engineering involved in network communications, and when a topic was particularlly involved or complex, he would pull me aside after class, or even ask me point blank during class, "Mindy, did you understand what I was talking about?" He went on to tell me why he asked me this - because if I could understand it, he knew that the rest of the class probably caught on.

I don't know what my warning sign would be exactly, but for Jim, who taught me Beginner Socks, it would have been "Beware of Impending Melt Down". For Lisa M., who taught me Beginner Crochet, it would have been "Beware - 3-weeks to Learn how to Chain". Now, for Hope, who taught Entrelac today, my warning sign would have been, "Beware - 1 hour to create the I-cord required by the pattern just to begin the Entrelac portion, which will then completely blow my mind." I'm not even going to try to make one for the Sweater Class.

Entrelac is quite beautiful. Lisa J. has the most beautiful felted entrelac bag ever, and this is Quant from Knitty, the pattern we were to make in class today.

And here is my progress after 4 hours.

Robin was whizzing through the pattern like she'd made a hundred entrelac headbands. The I-cord? It took her a minute or two. Personally, I think she was sandbagging the whole time.

Really, all I have to say is, Remedial Entrelac is in store for me once I pass Remedial Crochet. Is it possible to go backward in learning? If it is, then I'm about to get arrested for speeding - in reverse!

Back to Crochet

2008-03-25T13:16:00.005-04:00

One last thing about the biker vest first (more pictures below). I added a bit of fringe to the back of it in order to hide the fact that the "H" is a little too low. I'm mailing it off today, in hopes that my dad will get it and deliver it to my brother this weekend.

I'm excited to have started a new crochet project that is turning out pretty good, thanks of course to Courtney at Rosie's. She's having a $20 drop in crochet class every Monday night. There are a few of us who attend regularly, and we love the smallness of the group. The individual attention is incredibly helpful, especially since this is remedial learning for me. Nevertheless, I hope you guys stop by sometime, or tell your friends about it. We're thinking of making it a little Crochet Circle. Who knows. Courtney's just going to see where it goes.

Anyway, I started a pattern from Carol Meldrum's Easy Crocheted Accessories. It's a little purse/shopping bag, and I'm making it for myself. I have a rule that my first attempt at a new type of project (other than simple swatches) should be for myself...just like the sock monkey that is pictured. The odd balls are for me to look at and be encouraged as I improve. Of course, now I need to make a cuter sock monkey for you to see, so I can prove that I can make one that doesn't look like a third grader put it together.

Biker Monkey

2008-03-23T18:37:00.011-04:00

I took these pictures while on the phone with my dad. His low, baritone, "ha, ha, ha" is his signature way of saying how much he likes something. I'm thrilled. The back is a little big, and the "H" is a little low. It's probably more a 6-9 month outfit, rather than the intended newborn. Something tells me he'll wear it at lease once as a newborn.

Now, as for the monkey. This was my first sock monkey, and it was actually a total whim while I was at my folks' house a couple of years ago. I stole a pair of my Dad's socks, and started cutting. Anyway, this poor malformed monkey was born. Don't make fun of him for his deformities, such as a tail that is twice as long and three times as thick as his leg. He just doesn't have the best genes, I fully admit. I'll try to make another sock monkey before I leave Philly, so you know I can make a properly formed one.

A Different Kind of Baby Knits

2008-03-21T22:20:00.005-04:00

It's a good thing that we're close enough for me to be over my concern about what you guys think of me, and that I'm resolved in knowing that to you, I'm the odd, eccentric, matchy-matchy southern girl. So since we're close, I'm revealing to you that I'm making my nephew (due in May) a little motorcycle outfit. My father recently purchased a new motorcycle. He sold his last one to pay for a semester of my college education - undeniably sweet, isn't it? My brother has also been jonesing for a bike since before the baby was a twinkle. Just to put you over the edge and seal your opinion about me and my family, I thought I'd also let you know that my sister-in-law has ridden Dad's bike several times throughout her pregnancy.

All right, go ahead. I know what you're thinking - Shock! Awe! You're crazy! I knew something was wrong with you people from the other side of the Mason-Dixon. This just further proves that ya'll are all nuts!

I'll spare you from the rest of our strange ways, or I'll at least vow to introduce them to you gradually - for your health's sake.

My dad has been hunting everywhere for a little biker outfit for the baby to wear when he holds the baby on the motorcycle for a photo op. His hunt has been unsuccessful, so I am making Dad a newborn biker suit to give to my brother. This is the vest. The britches are next. It's Berroco Suede, and I'm having a lot of fun making it. I'm more tickled about giving it to my dad than to the baby. It's my attempt to repay him for him sacrificing his favorite toy for my college education.

Matchy-Matchy Ruffles

2008-03-06T12:53:00.007-05:00

A ruffle hat for my friends' baby,

who is four days late because she

was waiting for me to finish.

Philadelphia Flower Show

2008-03-02T18:39:00.016-05:00

The Philadelphia Flower Show is a convention-sized indoor garden.

Because it's such a large event, I dug for the gems and found a few of my all time favorite plants. Here is a sampling of my 100+ pictures.

Witch Hazel

African Violet

Cymbidium Orchid

(My wedding flower)

Butterfly Orchid

I also purchased two orchids, which I'll photo with my next knitting success.

That's More Like It!

2008-02-28T21:10:00.011-05:00

Well, with Emily's help, I've completed the newborn Emily mitts. I'm so pleased with how they turned out. Emily and Lisa were surprised at the edging, which I thought was exactly according to the pattern's instruction to wiggle the I-cord "in and out of every other rib".

Just another example of me not reading a pattern correctly. Fortunately, Emily liked it, and the others thought it was cute. Sometimes it works, and (as the below blog entry exhibits) sometimes it doesn't.

The Koigu was the key, and Wendy helped me pick out the colors. Wendy is quite funny. She picks yarn, buttons, and patterns that are anything but standard, and I'm what she describes as "too matchy-matchy". I'm a cliche in my color choices, and Wendy is trying to help me think outside the box. I do think about the colors before I purchase, but I usually still end up with matchy-matchy options. I am working on it though, Wendy!

I'm working on a matching hat, which is cast on at the right of the small picture above. Lisa Myers' pattern called "James Dean Hat". The baby is due Sunday, so I better get busy. It's the last piece of my gift package for the baby. Then, I'm hoping to start something fun for myself, and keep working on my nephew who is due in May.

This Can't be Right!

2008-02-21T21:04:00.005-05:00

I finished what is supposed to be the first of a pair of Emily Mitts - the newborn version. However, I can't imagine a newborn with this tiny of hands. I've seen Emily, Lisa, and Robin's mitts, and I think they all made the 6-month version, so naturally they were larger. But nevertheless, this seems so much smaller. I think my gauge was right: 8 stitches & 12 rows to the inch. What do you think? Do you have a newborn whose hand you can take a picture of next to a quarter? In the meantime, I'm going to cast on the 6-month version. If nothing else, I can use this mitt as a thimble.

Crochet - Back with a Vengance

2008-02-18T20:49:00.004-05:00

I happened to be over at Rosie's today "turning in" my final project for Lisa M. for use in her upcoming project. I dreamily flipped through patterns, longing for the day that the baby blanket finally notes "Finished" with a smiley face on my Ravelry page. Courtney, master of all things fiber and created with fiber, happened to be in the store. I mentioned that when she had time, I'd like to schedule a private session with her - a remedial crochet course. Her reply, "What are you doing from 6-8 tonight?" Note, it was 5 when she asked. Rosie's was having a Beginner Crochet course (which I of course informed her that was still too hard for me), and that only one person had signed up. The 1 person, plus a Rosie's employee were going to be there, and she invited me.

Yay! Everyone has had a favorite teacher in their life. For me, Courtney is that teacher. Since I've already been through Beginner Crochet and, in Courtney's words, "flunked", I'll pick a project other than those I've already tried and failed from that class. I'll go ahead with the basic "face cloth" (aka washcloth) that is the first project. Then, I'm going to work on one of the adorable stuffed animals that I have queued in Ravelry.

...but I'm still working on the baby blanket too. There are 90 days until that kiddo enters the world, and he's going to be cold. It's up to Auntie to keep him warm, so that's top priority.

Since We Last Spoke

2008-02-08T13:57:00.000-05:00

I have been working on a list of projects with time deadlines lately, and haven't wanted to take a break to blog, lest I lose my momentum. Last week, I finished a small project for Lisa Myers, owner of Rosie's Yarn Cellar in five days. Below is a picture of a portion of this project. I loved the color combination. This week, I'm knitting the opposite color combination of the same pattern.

I started these Emily's baby m itts yesterday, and as all my projects go, I started over and over until I was casting on for the third time a few hours later. This picture is after my first cast on, not my last. This is for the same baby as the sweater and hat.

Even on the above project of Lisa's, I had to re-start after casting on the 192 stitches and completing several inches of the project. This happened at least 4 times. I started the reverse color version of this project yesterday, and I just shed the first inch. It's just the first re-start.

This repetitive behavior makes my one-week goals even more challenging. I learned this behavior from my father who says, "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing a thousand times." He says this after several hours of starting over and over, and the number really doesn't seem that far off. I think it's now become a family tradition. We don't give up, we just don't ever succeed quickly.

Baby Blanket = Time Vacuum

2008-01-29T22:45:00.000-05:00

While I know I will love my little nephew enough to have made countless baby blankets, as this is my first baby blanket, I am quickly realizing that they take considerable time. In speaking with several people at Rosie's, I have learned that even the experts share my opinion.

The time is not a product of this basket weave pattern, which takes no longer than garter stitching the blanket. The time seems to go by as if I were trying to find a taxi in the rain at 8:30a here in Philadelphia. It may not be that it really takes that long - it just seems to take forever.
What does this boredom lead to? In Lisa's case, completing 15 other projects during the course of knitting her absolutely breathtaking blanket. In my case, dreaming of completing one (just one!) of Lisa's creations. Instead though, I added another 30 patterns to my queue. Eat your heart out, Lisa. You don't have nearly as many projects in your queue as I do. I guess you're just too busy!

Bunchy Baby Sweater & Hat

2008-01-27T21:09:00.000-05:00

I finished the baby sweater and hat that I mentioned earlier. I strayed from the cute ribbon design the pattern called for and opted for a more durable button/pompom option. Ribbon is a pain to maintain through washing/cleaning. There is a little more whipstitching that the pattern calls for around the neck flaps and down the middle. Theoretically, I'm sure it would help complete the look, but I'm not sure whether I'll do it. I've had trouble whipstiching too tightly, and the yarn is bunching a bit. I've already blocked the sweater, and it's still a bit bunched. The hat is much less bunchy, and I didn't have to block it, partially because I whipstiched much looser and partially because there's far less of it.

I'm definitely still learning to knit. I haven't yet held a consistent gauge throughout any projects. Clearly, the orange sweater pointed that out. I'm still thinking of soaking it in some hot water for a short spell before sewing the button on. I've worn it a couple of times, and it's just irritatingly too big. Not to mention, it would probably benefit from blocking!

Oh Baby, Baby!

2008-01-23T23:53:00.000-05:00

I guess everyone reaches the age when it seems everyone around them is having a baby...or two. I'm definitely at that age. My brother's boy is due in May. Our friends' in March. An essential member of Rosie's shop and culture had one in November. Chris has several other classmates who have had babies in the past few months. It's overwhelming, actually. Suddenly, I've woken up, and most of the girls I graduated high school with are mommies of at least one kiddo, also. What's a non-mommy to do? Well, in my case, knit! And dream of the day when my family isn't 1600 miles away and my husband hasn't just signed up for several years of 90-hour work weeks.

I'm working on a matching sweater, hat, booties, & teddy bear for the baby girl due in March from Susan B. Anderson's itty-bitty nursery.

Pictures of My Projects

2008-01-22T09:37:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I last blogged, as I waited for photos of more of my projects.

Here is my first sweater. It's considerably larger and off in other ways to the orginal pattern. Honestly, I'm quite glad that it's recognizable as a sweater. I have a button to put on yet, but it's virually finished. Once I have the button on, I'll have the Knitting Circle girls take a picture of me in it. Some of them also volunteer to bring their first sweater to make me feel better.

This is a felted bag that we made in Beginner Knitting Class. We knitted a giant bad and were supposed to put in a hot water washing cycle and check often. I didn't check often enough, apparently, so mine is a camera bag rather than a purse.

This bag I filled with pacifiers and gave to my pregnant friend. I'm working on some more fun things for her too.

This is the start and finish of my first sock. I finished it yesterday, and with great relief. I struggled with the tiny needles and the fuzzy yarn. I added a different color to the heel and toe, but I'm not impressed enough to try that yarn for another sock. Maybe I'll use it to make a teddy bear.

This is a granny square. My only crochet success. Frankly it was a success because the teacher got impatient, took it from me and finished it. My problem? What do you do with one granny square. Well, my kitty found it's purpose quickly.

This is one of the sock monkeys I've made, which was my hobby before knitting. Unfortunately, I've given many of the cuter ones away. This is the sock monkey I made for my husband, who is an Investment Banker. I even stitched a tie tack on him.

Overzealous ever? No? Me neither.

2008-01-11T21:08:00.000-05:00

There is this marvelous website/database for knitters and crocheters (www.ravelry.com). I've been a member for several months, but I just dug into it for the first time tonight. There are innumberable patterns for everything from things like what I've made, such as sweaters, hats, & scarves to intricate shawls like this one (which someone at Rosie's has made in red, and it displays beautifully in the window)

(Bird's Eye Shawl by Sharon Miller)

to some slightly odder shawls like this

(Manipura by Persones llanes, kamikazeknits)

to adorable toy frogs and turtles like these.

(Bluehydrangea's
Tortoise)

(Freddy Frog by Stormy'z Crochet)

Within one hour, I had downloaded 59 patterns. 75% of them have techniques in them that I can't even pronounce, the other 25% are crochet patterns. Hmmm, I think I'll just stick with my boring brown basic socks for tonight and dream about making something breathtakingly extravagant - like everyone else in Knitting Circle.

It Just Takes Time

2008-01-09T22:47:00.000-05:00

Since graduating from high school in 1996, I've moved at least once every two years.

1996: From Booker to Dallas, Texas

1997-2000: Three moves in Oklahoma (Enid, Stillwater, & Oklahoma City)

2000: Boston, Massachusetts

2002-2003: Three moves in Dallas

2004: Houston, Texas

2006: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

August 2008: New York City

One of the many things I've learned from moving so often is how hard it is to make friends, and how much harder it is to make lasting friendships. It just takes time. I've always made friends, but, I've never had enough time to actually make friendships.

Today, my husband and I live in Philadelphia, where we moved for him to pursue his MBA. When we moved here in July 2006, we knew that we would move away during the summer of 2008, when he would completes his studies. We now know that we're moving to New York City this summer. We know also that we probably won't live there longer than 4 years. Needless to say, "home" has little meaning to me. Even my parents have left Booker, where I grew up. So, going to see them is not like going "home". If anything, I consider the state of Texas home.

Anyway, the reason I mention this is to provide background for what I will say next.

Tonight was Knitting Circle, and I look forward to it every week. Now that I'm not working, I look forward to it even more because it is a social opportunity. Furthermore though, it's an opportunity for me to see friends.

Knitting Circle is where I get to hang out with some really great women from completely different backgrounds, but one common interest. Since I'm a beginning knitter, I feel a little insecure about my skills and knowledge. Heck, I've only recently learned what an Alpaca even is! But, in this group, it really doesn't matter. They answer any of my questions, and they even compliment my botched projects.

For instance, I've been upset for the past few days about how horribly my first sweater turned out. It's 3 sizes larger than the pattern I used, and I knitted the armholes on the wrong side of the sleeves (i.e. the neck side!). I was almost ready to pull it out (grab the yarn at the bottom, pull, then wind the yarn back into a ball), but they were so sweet and even helped me figure out what to do to make the sweater wearable OUTSIDE of the house. They encourage me, telling me that it just takes time to learn to knit.

I went out with a few of the knitters afterward, and spanning from our one common interest, we chatted non-stop for another 2 hours. I had so much fun, but honestly, I'm a little sad, too. I'm just now finding these great people, and I'm moving again in 6 months. There's time, though. So, I'm going to make the best of it!

Thanks Lisa, Marissa, Regina, Sherry, and all the Knitting Circle ladies! I'm so glad I found you!

My First Post

2008-01-08T20:20:00.000-05:00

Now that I'm only working part time, I'm excited to work on things that I've always wanted to do if I only had the time. Knitting and blogging are high on my list. Of course, spending time with my sweet husband and beautiful kitties are another. Aren't they gorgeous!?

I made my first stitch in September at Rosie's Yarn Cellar (Philadelphia) in Beginner Knitting Class. Since then, I've taken Beginner Crochet, at which I failed miserably. I'll try Crocheting again at some point in the future, but my husband, Christopher, has forbidden me from taking another Crochet class since I was a such a failure. He's a sweetheart and is just being facetious . . . sort of. Anyway, I've continued taking knitting classes, including a Sweater Class and a Sock Class. Here is what I've knitted so far.

(1) In Beginner Knitting Class: Multi-Colored Stocking Hat

(2) In Sweater Class: Orange Sweater

(3) Sock Class: I'm only starting now.

(4) Outside of class, I've completed three scarves, and a small basket to hang on a doorknob.

(5) I've started a baby blanket for my brother and sister-in-law's (Matt & Rachel) baby boy, who will be born in May 2008.