A Show-Off Post

I finally finished the Cable Monster!  No, that's not the real name.  This is a cabled baby blanket that I made for my sister and brother-in-law, who are expecting their first child in August.  I always wanted to make them an Irish Cabled something....and I chose a blanket because kids grow out of sweaters.  This took about three months to make and was tedious at times, but worth it.

When Brian was on deployment to Italy, he saw a beautiful cabled white sweater in a shop.  Unfortunately the shop was closed and he's sad to this day that he didn't buy the sweater.  He's asked me to make it for him and I want to....someday.  Let's just say that this blanket was "good practice."

I like the sound that deadlines make....

Ever had a knitting project that feels like it's never going to end?  I've got one of those right now.  I'm working on a GORGEOUS cabled baby blanket for a new niece or nephew due in August.  It's bulky-weight cream-colored yarn and I'm loving how it's turning out.  (No pics yet.)  The only thing is....the shower is on June 20th and I just reached the halfway point!  I also am about to run out of yarn....I did find a website to order some more but seriously....not what I need on a deadline.  In the zone.....

Also, staying up late last night working on it while watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows #2 seemed like a good idea at the time.  For the most part, I don't sleep well on Sunday nights anyway.  Today, my brain is screaming at me while I'm processing the usual beginning-of-the-month stuff.  I'd like to say that I've learned my lesson, but I doubt it.  :)

Fun Stuff!

Big things this week.

First--this guy went to kindergarten screening.  In his own words when I picked him up from preschool, "Mom, I'm half excited and half terrified."  Poor kid was worried they were going to ask him things that he didn't know.  It went well, and it still amazes me how two kids with the same parents can be so completely different.  No anxiety, just "OK, let's go!" when the teacher came to take him to the classroom.  This is really bittersweet, sending the "baby" to kindergarten.  Which is surprising as well, considering I dreaded sending the big kid.  This just feels natural.

And then last night was "date night with this handsome fella.  The school puts on a "Boys night" every year, this year was a dance and a comedy show.  We grabbed a quick dinner at the Golden Arches and headed over.  The dance was what one would expect with a bunch of boys ranging in age from kindergarten to fifth grade:  little kids dancing with their moms, middle kids hanging around with their friends, and the bigger kids causing a ruckus.  Still, we had a good night and I love this time with Will.

The One-Upper

I'm such an overachiever.  Apparently, when my family gets sick, I feel the need to trump whatever they've had.  I started to feel crappy after the Superbowl, and then woke up with a fever and burning in my chest.  And here comes another Snow Day.  (Mondays are shot up here in New England.  We've had something like 75 inches of snow in a two-week time period, it's crazy.)  It was my turn to stay home with the kids and I was sick besides.  Then another snow day for the little kid the following day.  I finally rouse myself out of my bedroom around lunchtime and decide:  it's time to go to the doctor.  So off we go to the urgent care place in town where I get a big, unpleasant surprise.....THE FLU.    Awesomesauce.

So that's a week's worth of missed work, snowed in and feeling like death.  Good times for everyone.  I don't wish it on anyone, it's pretty damn awful.  I'm getting myself back on track, and hoping that it stops snowing long enough to get some normalcy back in our lives.

In other news, the only place I was able to drag myself out to last week (once I wasn't contagious) was to register Sean for kindergarten.  That's right, the "baby" is heading to Big Boy School in September!  I feel like I just did this with Will and I guess in a way, I have.  But the difference this time is that I'm looking forward to it.  I'm thrilled with the idea of both boys being in the same town and going on the same bus, albeit to different schools.  And man, this kid is READY.  He's bored with preschool and can't wait for the next thing.

So that's how life goes in our house.  Hopefully soon we'll all be healthy again!  I'm really looking forward to it.

Handmade with Love

Here it is.....the post you've all been waiting for......:)

I make a lot of Christmas gifts and this year was no exception.  I also was able to stay sane and not make myself crazy in getting them done in a timely fashion, starting early.  I did however, have to abandon two projects that I knew wouldn't get done in time.  I'll work on them in the next month, possibly making them the first finished items of 2015.

 Babylegs for my nephew, Jacob.  Essentially they're leggings, but the pattern is called "Babylegs."  He's going to look adorable in these!

 Yes yes, Brown Dog (oops, I'm supposed to be calling him Brownie now....but he'll always be "Brown Doggie" to me!) finally got his blanket.  Hint:  it's a dishcloth!

 A cowl for my sister-in-law, Kim.  It's folded here, but basically it's an infinity scarf that she can double around her neck.  Very fashionable.  :)

The next three things are shawls from my favorite designer, Martina Behm.  She is a German designer that favors simple garter stitches that turn them into something really elegant.  Two of them are the same, "Hitchhiker", the one with the pointy edge, for my mom and my aunt.  The other is Martina's "Trillian."  Mom complimented the green Trillian that I made for my friend's birthday last year and so I knit this up, in FEBRUARY.  I felt so accomplished!

 Next up is a trio of hats for my niece, Abby.  She ADORES hats and immediately started putting them on.  

And last but not least, are "Howlcats" for the boys.  Howlcats are awesome, because they can be a cowl or a hat. I picked this pattern for the boys based on how cold it was last winter.  (Which was NOT to be seen on Christmas day, it was in the sixties.)    Here's Sean wearing his as a cowl, playing a game that the boys invented called "Bandit."

 And then here's Will with his as a double-knit hat.

And new for a little knitting geekery for New Year's...

In 2014, I started 59 projects, and actually finished 51 of them.   My final tally for yarn used is 11.7 miles.  Whew!  No wonder why my arms and hands are a little tired.

The Almost-Weekend Baby Cardigan

This is by far going to be my new go-to pattern when I have a new baby to knit for!  It's the Puerperium cardigan, which is designed for under ten pounds.  I made it for an old friend who had her third baby a week ago.  (So yeah....I'd better get that in the mail!)

It was almost going to be purple but then I found this mystery skein in my yarn stash that I liked better.  And the heart shaped buttons are just darling.  They're also the reason why it's not the "Weekend Baby Cardigan" because I drew the limit at midnight on Sunday/Monday to finish this!  Then, in typical Crafty Mama fashion, I let it sit for a week, just putting on buttons tonight.  Actually, that's pretty impressive.  Things like weaving in ends, blocking and sewing buttons usually take way longer than a week around here!

Hats for Halos of Hope

If anyone knows me or reads this blog, you know that I like to knit for charity.  I still make baby hats and blankets for Stitches from the Heart, I send them a box every June and December.  (December's box is almost finished, there are four blankets and I'm three hats short of two dozen.  Luckily we have a Thanksgiving Road Trip coming up, and baby hats are a great car project!)  I've flirted with the idea of becoming a Massachusetts volunteer for Stitches, but I don't know.  I'd have to give up something....co-moderating Swap Groups on Ravelry, any time I spend blogging or reading....perhaps working or sleeping.  Oy.

Anyway, I'm always looking for new charity knitting ventures, and Webs has posted on on their site: Hats for Halos of Hope.  Plus, those babies that I knit for turn into grown-ups, and it's fun to break into knitting for grown-ups from time to time.  It sounds fiercely competitive, trying to collect 10,000 hats.  Webs is wonderful and I want to support their efforts.

The deadline to ship hats to Webs is February 1st, so it won't interrupt any knitting for the holidays time.  (What's kind of funny is that I have three hats that I want to make between now and 12/25.  Do-able?  I want to say yes!!)  

Caring is Contagious

Another six months...another package of baby items to send to Stitches from the Heart!  This time I have 21 baby hats in all different sizes, and two little blankets good for a stroller or baby seat.

I talk about knitting a lot.  A LOT.  And I mention my baby hats and Stitches from the Heart occasionally too...it's a worthy cause that just passed the one-million-mark of baby items donated!  Upon hearing about it, my friend Linda gave me some hats that she knitted, and one of my residents gave me 25 (!) hats that she and a friend crocheted.  I'm happily sending them out with mine.

  I'm so proud to be a part of this, helping out babies all over the nation.

A Tale of Two Hats

I'm starting to realize that hats may be my favorite thing to make.  They're stylish, fun, and quick off the needles.

I finished this hat a while ago, but just gave it to the recipient on Friday night.  My friend Michael requested a hat that he could wear while running, warm with a hole in the back for his ponytail.  He's currently training for a marathon, and it's been chilly the past couple of weeks so I wanted to get it to him ASAP.  It came out perfectly.   AND I had the wool in my yarn stash so no shopping outside of my home required.

Next, a sun hat for my friend Heather's baby.  Maddie is a Florida baby, so you know that she needs a wardrobe of cute sun hats!  :)  This was an extremely quick knit, coming together in about a day and a half.  Had I had a few hours together to just sit and knit, I probably could have knocked it out in an afternoon.  It's made of washable cotton, and the more you wash it the softer it gets.  So cute...my niece may need one, too!

Next up:  a few more hats for Stitches from the Heart for my June shipment (I'm up to 24 right now, and a blanket too)  I have another friend expecting a baby in July and I've picked out the sweetest baby sweater pattern:

This will be done in white cotton and I haven't decided on buttons just yet.    (Design is "Kaitlyn" by Lenore Hopkins)

Also:  I am almost finished with the body of MY sweater, the Spring Cardigan.  My goal is to finish before the Webs Tent Sale on May 19th, so I can pick out buttons from Webs' fantastic collection.

(Not so) Wordless Wednesday: Genuine Bliss

Flipping thru some photos on our computer, I found this gem:  Brian holding Will for the first time at the hospital shortly after he was born. (October, 2006)  Look at that proud smile, despite being up 40+ hours with me, that is one beamin' Daddy!  This will forever be one of my favorite photos of our family history.

A Cheerful Stack

One of the many nice things about knitting little things for charity is that they have a tendency to pile up.  Right now this pile is sitting on the desk, three baby hats and  a pair of mittens.  I smile every time that I come into the room, they're an instant mood-brightener.  I let them pile up over there until they're threatening to take over that side of the desk, and then they get sorted in the closet bins.  That, and I make these mostly from scraps left over from other projects.  The pink, white and yellow ombre is from a baby sweater that I just finished.   The green is from a baby blanket that was stripes of purple, green and white.  And the purple hat and pair of mittens on the bottom were leftovers from several things, including a baby sleep sack and a cabled hat for myself.

I love knitting for charity, it gives me such joy.  And with that joy, I am happy to announce that I have completed NINETY baby hats that have been donated to Stitches from the Heart.  (well, not all at once.  I did fifty to commemorate Sean's first birthday, and that took the better part of a year.)  The mittens are a little service project that I whipped up, to see how many pairs of mittens that I could come up with in a year's time.  (tally as of today:  21)  It just gives me that thrilled feeling, that I'm making the world a warmer place for babies and kids.  

Shaping Up

I've been working on this sweater for a little while now, and last night was the A-ha! moment.  The moment where it's not looking like a pile of knitted rows and actually starting to look like a sweater!  I started shaping the waist last night and it's looking good.   This is a easy, straightforward pattern that I am really enjoying.

Another thing that I'm enjoying right now:  startitis.  I've started a baby sweater for a baby's first birthday in November.  Also on the needles:  a floppy brimmed sunhat for my best friend's baby down in Florida.  (A Florida baby needs sunhats, even though I know she got some for her shower she can always use more!)  AND the 21st pair of mittens for Knit for Boston.  I guess I've been pretty busy lately.  :)  Truth be told, I'm also trying to use up some yarn in my stash so that I can make room for new stash next month.

Just in Time

The Baby Blanket is finished!

And with no time to spare....I got a text from the Mom-to-Be that she was being induced due to complications soon afterwards.  Miss M. made her debut last night and I woke up to text messages from a proud Grandmother!  She's such a doll, and I can't wait to meet her.  I don't know when I will get down to Florida again to see her and Mom, but I can't wait!

Sundays are made for.....

Baby's Baptism.  Our niece was baptised this morning, and she was sooooo beautiful in her christening gown!  Afterwards we headed to a family get-together which involved good food and catching up with old friends.

They're also for tackling that pesky weekend to-do list:  As soon as the caffeine from the afternoon coffee kicks in there's a lot more laundry to fold and whatever else I put on that list.  Oh yeah, corralling the toys.  Parents out there:  you know what I'm talking about.  After changing the nursery back to an office (complete with a new light thanks to Hubby yesterday!)  we also got a new TV stand and bookcase thing from Ikea for organizing the toys.  Our family room looks like two separate spaces right now:  one is fabulously organized, the other looks like a hurricane passed through.  Time to do some weeding out and donating!

Lastly, they're for racing the clock.  My friend Heather is due any day now with her first child, Baby M.  (In case you're new here, she is the one that I surprised in Florida last month!)  I still wanted to knit her one more thing, and I didn't have enough time to pull it off before my trip.  It's a carseat baby blanket, my go-to item for all moms.  I love this pattern, it's a short baby blanket with a hole (on purpose!) in the middle for a carseat belt buckle.  That way, the blanket stays on Baby, keeping him (or her) warm and snug.  The pattern is actually a worksheet, you fill out the numbers based on a swatch.  I hate swatching, I avoid it whenever possible and just wing it.  But with some things, like a sweater, it's a necessary evil.  Nobody wants to put in the time knitting a sweater and find out it doesn't fit because you didn't take the time to make a freakin' swatch.  So sweaters, and this baby blanket, are the only things that I swatch first.  In this case, no swatch=no pattern.

My work-in-progress.

 I have made this blanket several times before, and it's always well-received.  However, I usually use a bigger needle size, so this one is taking  for-ev-er!  So I am racing the clock, as Baby M is "due" this week. Luckily we all know that a due date is a guesstimate, and not an exact date.  So I don't know if I have til tomorrow, or two weeks from now.  I'll just keep knitting.

Happy Weekend to you and yours!

2011: A Year In Review

It's that time again...to see what went down in 2011.  I always enjoy reading my answers from the year before.

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?



I went on my very first cruise.  And it was everything that Brian and I had hoped that it would be:  the most relaxing and fun vacation that we have ever taken!  It's become an inside joke, when things get hectic one of us will sigh and say "I miss Josh."  "Josh" was the cruise director, and responsible for our fun for four days.  It was a trip without kids, and it was awesome.  Someday we'd like to do a cruise WITH the kids too, when they're a little older.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?


I really don't "do" New Years Resolutions.  However, in 2012 I will be starting the "Day Zero Project..."  which is like a list of things that you want to accomplish in 1,001 days.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?


Good Lord, who didn't?  It was the year of babies, with friends and family having children.  Plus, my beautiful niece Abby was born in November.  So excited for my brother and his wife, and thrilled to have a girl in the family to knit for!

4. Did anyone close to you die?  

My uncle passed away unexpectedly in May.  He was my Dad's older brother.


5. What countries/places did you visit?


Our cruise took us to Saint John New Brunswick, Canada.  I had never been there before and it was a nice little city.  I was especially happy to be there at the time that we were, there was a horrific heatwave going on at home and it was a balmy seventy-five degrees in Saint John!


6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

  Sanity! Just kidding.....  2011 was a tough year in some ways, but we are all healthy, have plenty of food and a roof over our heads.  We're both employed and have many other things that lots of people out there don't have.  So I feel blessed.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

I don't remember any of the exact dates, but this year's weather has been particularly noteworthy.  First, the winter brought heavy wet snow once or twice a week.  Then in June, there was a tornado.  A pretty big tornado that devastated cities and towns to the west of us, and got into Central MA.  Then it was followed by a hurricane at the end of the summer, a HURRICANE!  We got a bit of rain damage on that one in our bathroom, rain was blowing into the house vent and it ruined our ceiling.  Again, the cities and towns to the west of us, who hadn't recovered yet from the tornado, got dumped on once again.  And just to keep things interesting, a freak snowstorm the last weekend of October!  Halloween was certainly interesting this year.  Many people were without power around us for up to a week, we hosted friends and families for food, showers, recharging devices, etc.  We were very, very lucky through all of this, never losing power more than a couple of hours.  Based on the year that  it has been weather-wise, I don't dare ask what Mother Nature has up her sleeve.  Or question her mood.  :)


8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?


I managed to work three jobs at once.  I worked at my current building while running applications at the new building, plus did some coverage at yet another building.  It was a ridiculously busy November and December, but when I am sitting in my new office next March, it will be all worth it.


9. What was your biggest failure?

Not taking care of myself better.  I tend to do for everyone, and forget to take care of me.  I really need to work on that.  Plus, I tend to take on too much personally and professionally, and not realize until I'm in the thick of it.


10. Did you suffer illness or injury?


It's been a good year. (knocking on wood right now!) No trips to the hospital, nothing crazy to get the doctor's opinion on!  Some antibiotics in our household, but nothing serious.  We are very, very lucky!  Especially with our daredevil younger son!


11. What was the best thing you bought?

The best thing that we bought was time and memories with the boys.  We took them to a couple of children's museums, parks, and shows.  We went to PA to visit Grandmom and Grandpop.  Best money spent:  going places with the kids.


12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
All of those Secret Santas that paid off people's Walmart and Kmart layaways this year for kids' Christmases.  I loved, loved, loved those stories!


13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Crazy Black Friday shoppers.  I mean really....is a video game system for your kid worth your life?? Do you really need to bring pepper spray?  This is why I stay home on Black Friday.  No deal is worth it to me to get trampled, shuffled or pushed around.


14. Where did most of your money go?


Bills, bills bills.  Same place they always go.  BUT we did pay off my husband's car and get our driveway re-done in anticipation of putting the house on the market in the next year or so.  A little bit at a time, we'll get there.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?


Hmmm.  Well, not to sound repetitive, but Brian and I really got excited about a vacation without kids.  Four days of just us, enjoying the hell out of everything that a cruise has to offer.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
Sadly, nothing comes to mind.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:


a) happier or sadder? I've been some of both this year. Some times have been harder than others. But I've always been a "glass half-full" kind of girl and I've got lots of blessings to count.  (I liked this answer so much from last year that I decided to keep it.)


b) thinner or fatter? about the same.  but I feel really good about myself and NOT putting on more weight during some pretty stressful times.
c) richer or poorer? Richer in some ways....poorer in others. I'm rich where it matters...in love and family.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?


Living in the moment. Relishing life's simple pleasures.  Saying yes more.


19. What do you wish you’d done less of?


Multi-tasking.  Worrying.


20. How did you spend Christmas?

With my family, having a simple dinner, eating lots of cookies and watching the kids play.


21. Did you fall in love in 2011?


I fall in love a little bit more each and every day.


22. What was your favorite TV program?


I enjoyed True Blood this past summer, and the usual primetime dramas that Brian and I watch.  And I got a bit more into the Food Network.  Brian, Will and I really enjoy "Chopped."


23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?


I make it a point not to hate anyone. There's people that annoy me or I dislike, but hate's a pretty strong word. (yes it's last year's answer, but it still applies!)


24. What was the best book you read?

I didn't read nearly as much this year, and honestly, I don't know if I can pick a "favorite."


25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Nothing, really.


26. What did you want and get?
I got to start accepting applications for my new elderly apartment complex!  2012 will see me in my new office and out of family housing for good!!!


27. What did you want and not get?

More time to knit.  But there's never enough of that.  :)

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

Hmmmm.  I went to see Bridesmaids and Breaking Dawn in theaters this year.  And Brian and I spent my birthday playing hooky, going out to lunch by ourselves and getting a Redbox movie.  So there you have it....my favorite movie was "Friends with Benefits," for the sheer reason that we got to watch it at home, uninterrupted.  :)


29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

See above for birthday plans, and add "finished Christmas shopping."  Plus, the day before, Brian cooked a Chicken and Eggplant Parmesan feast, and made chocolate cream cupcakes and my whole family came over!    I dreaded turning 35 this year.  Once it happened though, I was OK with it.  What's with the anticipation???


30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Not worrying so much about money or childcare.  Comes with the territory, I guess.


31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?

Thrown together and harried. My personal sense of style is a bit stunted.  I'm trying to break out of my "comfortable" colors of purple and dark pink, and trying different colors.


32. What kept you sane?

my yarn stash, and knitting my way through it.  Teaching myself new tricks involving needles and yarn.  I knit 12 MILES worth of yarn this year.  That is just crazy.


33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None of 'em.....so over it.


34. What political issue stirred you the most?

I don't know if I'd say I was "stirred" over them....but the ones that I will remember the most are the "Occupy" protests all over the country, and the quiet end of the war in Iraq.


35. Who did you miss?

The people I missed most are the ones far away.  My friends Jen and Heather, Jen is in Illinois and Heather is in Florida.  Heather is pregnant with her first child and I so wish I could see her.  I'm planning a solo trip to see her in early 2012 when Baby Girl is born!


36. Who was the best new person you met?

I've made some new friends in my knitting group, and gotten to know others better.



37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:


It's important to look up once in a while and assess the situation.  It's equally important to recognize when you've taken on too much, and either let go of some things or learn to delegate.  Also, take good care of yourself, you deserve it.


38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

"You can't live your life, in the baby seat.  You've got to stand on your own, don't admit defeat."
Barenaked Ladies, "Baby Seat."

Showered with Love

Tomorrow is my sister-in-law's  baby shower!  Many blessings and happiness to Mommy, Daddy and Baby Girl.  :)

Kim gets itchy with wool so I used Lion Brand Vanna's Choice for these items.

I found this hat pattern some time ago and was just waiting for a lil girl that I could make it for.  The flower is crocheted, and truthfully I did not make it, my Mom did.  Thanks Mom!

I was looking for a simple baby sweater pattern and I found Theodora on Ravelry.  Although I like the stripes, I opted to make it all solid color to go with the hat.  However, I will make this again with the stripes someday.  This sweater came together so fast, it was shocking.  I started it on a Wednesday night, and was done in less than a week.  (That pesky thing called "life" got in the way, otherwise I'll bet it would've been a 2-day project!)  The buttons are little pink elephants and oh-so-cute.  They were an impulse buy at Joann Fabrics, I knew that they would "speak to me" and tell me which garment they wanted to be a part of.

I've had so much fun making these things.  And having two boys, it is such a pleasure to knit for a baby girl!

Finished-Object Friday: All About the Babies

Today's Finished Object Friday will focus on all the baby things that I've made over the last couple of months.  Man, I know a lot of babies being born this autumn!



 I didn't like the flap design on this earflap hat for a baby boy.  So I improvised my own using i-cord.

The finished product, using Swish DK from Knitpicks.  So cute!  I'd definitely make this one again.

Purple baby-girl sweater for my friend's step daughter, due with a girl sometime in September.  This came from the One Skein Wonders book and all I can say is, one skein my eye!  It did come out really cute though, and I love the heart-shaped buttons.

Since I found myself with "extra" orange and green yarn, I whipped up a little Pumpkin hat.  So cute, and it knit up in one night!

Last but not least, a "swirl hat" for a baby girl.  When this yarn came in from Knitpicks, I was expecting a lighter pink.  (It's so hard to pick colors online.)  When it came, I could see where the name 'Summertime Blooms" came from, because it reminded me of geraniums!  I love it!  There will be a little pair of leg warmers to go with these as soon as I can put them together.

You will notice that there's no mention of anything for my sister-in-law, who is due with a girl in November.  Never fear---her shower is this weekend!  Mommy and Baby are so special, they'll get their own blog post.  :)

Burning the Midnight Oil

Sunday nights are always late ones for me...I have a hard time going to bed because I don't want the weekend to end.  So I knit and watch True Blood and, depending on how much I don't want to go, I follow it up with a Hot in Cleveland.  (I have a soft spot for Betty White, I think she's hilarious.)

I've knitted so much today that my hands ache.  But it's a good kind of ache, like I've done something productive.  And I did, I finished another Christmas gift to add to the pile.  No, I will not tell you who or what, not til the day after Christmas and the "great reveal!"  Next up are baby things:  starting with the "bee sweater" to be finished for this weekend's baby shower.  (The bee was extricated with a pair of tweezers.  No muss, no fuss!)  Then a hat and mitt set for an upcoming baby boy, then my future niece, and a friend's baby as well. And my oldest friend is expecting in late winter/early spring.  What the heck to you knit for a baby that will be living in Florida??

Anyway, that's enough randomness for one evening.  In 18 minutes it'll be August first so I need to get my butt to bed.

Bees: Fear Me!

 I was looking for my shoes in the living room before work this morning.  No shoes, but I saw a smudge of dust or something on this purple baby sweater that I am currently working on for a friend's step-daughter.  I went to brush it off and realized, Hey, that's not dust.  It's a DEAD BEE.  Apparently it flew face-first into the sweater, got tangled into the fibers and died with its butt in the air.  I left it as is, so I can show Brian the mayhem when he gets home tonight.  It really is a sight to behold.

Bees:  you've been warned.  A knitter lives here, and I am a lethal weapon!

Not the Greatest Start

Monday:  Chest Cold.  (Still) teething baby.  Realizing said baby isn't a baby, but a toddler.  Need to stop saying "baby."  ( But I don't want to!)    Poking myself in the nose with a permanent black marker.  (pretty AND graceful!)  Realizing the label I've been waiting for with UPS is actually electronic and I just have to print it out so I can ship back a crate of foam plates that's been hanging out in my car for like two weeks.  Not the greatest start to the week.

However, the week has a lot of potential.  So Hello Tuesday...what do you have in store?