It's alive!

Yes, I'm alive. I haven't been blogging much because when I went on vacation, I just got out of the habit. And everyday, I'd think about blogging, but wouldn't know where or when to begin, so then I would just put it off entirely.

But I'm back, so, moving on...

I haven't been writing, but I have been crafting. While up in Tahoe, i think I caught a bug. The sock bug.

For years, i just didn't understand the sock knitting thing. People are obsessed with knitting socks. The patterns seem to dominate some knitting magazines, and I didn't get it. I live in sunny Southern California, where I only need to wear socks maybe 2 months out of the year. And I had an aversion to small needles. I liked fast and funky projects that were very wearable. Who wears wool socks in Los Angeles?

But then a friend made me a beautiful pair of knit socks in a gorgeous pumpkin orange and brown yarn. And then another friend gave me a pair that she had knit but didn't fit her. And those wool socks were... comfortable. And warm when I wanted them to be warm, and yet airy and breathable when I was hot.

So I understood the desire to have hand knitted socks, but I wasn't sure I wanted to put the time into making them. It seemed tedious. I tried crocheting socks, to see if that would make the project go faster, but I got 3/4 of the way done with the first sock and then got distracted. It wasn't until I was packing for Tahoe and grabbed the neglected project bag "just in case" I finished the sweater I was working on.

Here's a newsflash: a big project bag with a half-finished wool sweater is not what you want to be taking to the beach. Or pulling out to work on in the car. Or shoving into your purse before heading over to a friend's house.

The sweater is still half-finished. But the socks? I managed to finish those on the drive home.

I've already started on my first pair of knitted socks. They are fun and very portable -- the project bag, including the magazine with the pattern, fits into my purse no problem. While I wouldn't say I'm obsessed yet, I think I definitely understand the attraction to sock knitting.

Walking after midnight in a new skirt

If I try really hard, I can actually finish a crafty project or two. It doesn't happen every day, but sometimes I just need to hunker down and finish something.

Drumroll, please...

I give you the Walking After Midnight crocheted skirt!

The pattern is from Doris Chan's book, "Amazing Crochet Lace." I am attempting to make a serious dent in my stash of yarn this year, so I decided to use this rayon chenille yarn by Blue Heron that I picked up at Stitches West last year. It was a really simple pattern, and I'm very happy with how it turned out.

The yarn is beautiful and plush. Just about every knitter & crocheter understands the chenille quandary—the yarn is silky and oh so soft, but it worms!

What is worming? According to Jimmy Beans Wool,

"Worming occurs when a loop of yarn pulls away from the knitted [crocheted] fabric and coils back on itself...Chenille yarns are constructed of short tufts of fibers anchored into a central coiled core yarn, and it's precisely this coiled nature of the core yarn that gives rise to worming. It's like when you hold both ends of a length of string and then twist and twist and twist... eventually, if there is any slack in the string, it will coil up on itself. Chenille starts with some twist built into it, and the more twist you introduce when knitting it, the greater the likelihood that you'll get some worming."

The worming in my skirt is pretty active, but I did my best to steam the heck out of it to get more of the coils to straighten out. The fact that the yarn is variegated helps hide the worming, too. I don't know that I would buy more of this yarn, simply because of the worm factor, but is fantastic to touch.

So another project finally completed. Honestly, I think I only finished this skirt because I told myself I couldn't cast on for Wendy Bernard's Ingenue sweater until I was done. On to the next project!

It's Not a Habit...It's Cool, I Feel Alive

The new issue of Knitty came out today.

Dear god.

There are some absolutely beautiful patterns that I want to knit right now.

Like Decimal, a light and lacy cardigan that was designed to—gasp!—look beautiful on women of almost any size. The designer even knit a plus-sized sample, modeled by a beautiful lady not afraid to show off her ample assets.

And then there are Topaz (a perfect baby dress for a little girl scheduled to join the family shortly), and Steggie (which Vivian, who loves her DINOS!, would enjoy). Oh, and Pioneer (which I would totally knit if I could overcome my fear of needles smaller than size 8s), and Santeney (which I may knit, but shorten to waist length, instead of tunic length, so as not to emphasize the baby tummy), and Andy (a really nice men's sweater that I can't even talk about knitting since I still haven't finished Richard's Baseball sweater from 2+years ago).

And then there are some beautiful lace and sock patterns that I will never knit (lace because I never have enough uninterrupted time to concentrate on complicated charts, and socks because of that fear of small needles), but I will love to see how other people knit them.

I am really fighting to not cast on for any new projects right now. I'm working on Doris Chan's Walking After Midnight crocheted skirt, which is coming out beautifully, and which I could probably finish in a week if I could concentrate on it. I'm also working on a modified pinwheel pattern quilt for Vivian.

If I finish crocheting the skirt, I'll give myself permission to cast on for something new—the pride in actually finishing a project will be worth more than the transient rush of casting on something new.

a sneak peek of the Walking After Midnight skirt.

And because I haven't posted it here yet, here is the baby quilt I made for Teresa & Morgen's Baby T., due next month.
I love how the top turned out, but I also love the fabric I used for the backing—a vintage Waverly print that I bought years ago on eBay. I've been saving it for the right project, and I think it works here.
There are so many crafty projects that I want to tackle. I feel like a junkie in need of a fix. Do they have a 12-step program for this?

Yes, I have the attention span of a gnat

I have a serious case of Short Attention Span Theater right now.

As I posted yesterday, I have several projects that I need to finish in less than a month. So why is my brain buzzing with new projects—ones that I patently cannot start until after the holidays?

In an effort to catalog them, and get them out of my system (at least for a month), I'm going to list those ideas here.

1. I've been inspired by this Apartment Therapy post to paint my boring Ikea wardrobe a bright yellow. A couple of months ago, I successfully stripped and painted a Victorian-style side table, so I know I can do it. I think it will help bring even more color and design to my bedroom.

2. My sister Jenny bought me a gift certificate to SuperCrafty! for my birthday and I just used to to buy some Malabrigo Merino Worsted yarn in Sapphire Green. It's so beautiful. I am just itching to cast on for a Liesl sweater for me because I think it would be so yummy in this color.

3. I saw this beautiful letter quilt highlighted on the Spoonflower blog, and I want to make one for Vivian.

4. I'd love to make my winter coat before, you know, winter is over.

5. Every knitter I know is making cowls, which seem to be the must-have accessory this winter. I need one. I've got several skeins of sock yarn that will never be made into socks, no matter how many times I say I'm going to make them, so a cowl would be a good use.

Ok, I think that's it, at least those are the projects that I'm obsessing over right now. Gah!

I must finish gifts for others before starting something for myself.
I must finish gifts for others before starting something for myself.
I must finish gifts for others before starting something for myself.

what's the what?

The what is that, after 8 years at my current employer, I have a new job! Now, because no one wants to get dooced, I'm reluctant to talk too much about work, but suffice it to say that I am very excited! The new job will allow me to focus on writing and publications, which I love. The new employer also offers awesome benefits, including on-site daycare (we're not taking Vivian out of her current situation, but when she graduates out of it in about a year, we hope to take advantage of the on-site situation).

Eight years in one place is a really long time. I know that there was a time when people stayed with the same company for their whole careers, and retired with a gold watch and a fat pension, but those days are very much over. I honestly don't know how I ended up staying so long.

After about 4 years, we started to think about moving up to the Bay Area, so I looked for work up there. I got close on a couple of jobs, but nothing ever materialized. After about a year of looking, we decided to stay in L.A., but then start a family. And who wants to start a new job when you're planning to take maternity leave shortly thereafter? And then we lost Eliza, and grieved. And then I got pregnant again with Vivian, and then needed time to sort out this motherhood thing.

And it's eight years. I feel like this is going to be a good move for me, personally and professionally. The whole interviewing process has been so stressful that I felt like I lost my craft mojo (similar to when I was pregnant -- I didn't realize it then, but it was probably a result of the stress), and couldn't knit, crochet or sew. As soon as I got the offer, my mojo came flowing back!

In just a few days, I had completed this Twinkle cardigan. Yay for my mojo returning! I missed it so.

A V-Day photo post

My Valentine's Day present for Richard:
I embroidered this onesie using a Sublime Stitching pattern given to me at my baby shower by Allison, of supercrafty.com. I think he liked it. He gave me a new watch, which is beautiful and I love. Yay!

Here is Vivian at the Professional Bull Riders event in Anaheim on Sunday. Yes, we went to see young men try to stay on the back of bull that are trying to throw them off. It was really cool.
You can see Viv embracing her inner redneck by chowing down on the latest issue of the PBR Insider. Well, given the start we gave her, I don't see how we could expect anything less.

This is Vivian in her new sweater, the 5-Hour Baby Sweater (not actually made in 5 hours -- more like, Made Over A Weekend While Caring For A 7-Month Old-Sweater):

Oh, and Vivian received her very first Valentine today -- an awesomely cute handmade card from Sam, Annika's beautiful son. I about melted into a puddle when I opened it! Thank you Sammy (Annika!) for making Vivian's (my) day!

Time for me

As a mom, I have discovered just how easy it is to constantly put yourself dead last. I spend so much of my time thinking/worrying about Vivian, that sometimes I just can't care about anyone, or anything, else, much less myself. Vivian is #1, Richard is #2, the cats are (a somewhat distant -- to their dismay) #3, and if I have the energy, I am #4.

But that needs to change (if not the order, then at least the number of times I actually get to #4). I need to take care of myself to take care of my family. What's that annoying t-shirt say? "When Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." I won't take on the appalling grammar -- I don't have time. But I do think I need to pay attention to myself a bit, so I can be happy and healthy. Because when I'm not, everyone at home feels the pain.

So, I'm starting by making doctor's appointments. After seeing a doctor every 2 weeks while I was pregnant, it feels a bit weird to not have seen someone for months. So I made an appointment for a physical, a flu shot and an eye exam. I also need to get into a dentist, which I have been putting off for far too long.

The upside for me? Once I get my new eye prescriptions, I can get lenses for my new glasses that I picked up at this weekend's L.A. Eyeworks sale! Thank you Ellen, for reminding me about this yearly event. I scored 3 pairs for $85: a dark green rectangular set, a light peach rectangular set and a fab gold-brown cat's eye pair. Pictures to come.

I'm also getting some knitting done, although no finished objects yet. I am making good progress on my Juliet, although I'm starting to think that the Noro Blossom I'm using, and its color stripes, will take away from the lace pattern. Oh well, too late now. It still looks fabulous, and I know I'll get a lot of use for it this winter.

Christmas is coming up, and I've gotten a late start on crafting, as usual. I have 5 knitting projects on the list, which is probably too many to finish, but I'm going to try anyway. Luckily, I'm not fooling myself that anyone is getting sweaters, and once I'm finished with Juliet (probably my last "me" project until after the holiday), I can cast on for the first.

Even though this post is about me, I couldn't leave without some gratuitous baby photos.

Vivian in her Pumpkin costume for Halloween

Vivian & I in the craziness of Hollywood Blvd. on Halloween (on our way to see The Nightmare Before Christmas in 3-D!)

WIP

What is life if not a work in progress? We move forward, like it or not. And here at Chez Reeve/Manfredi, we're moving forward.

This is my last week of maternity leave. I head back to work next week, and Viv heads to daycare. I'm dreading this transition, but it's something that needs to happen. We're a two-income family, and we both work outside the home. Rich is being wonderful -- he tells me that we'll that if I hate leaving her at daycare, we can revisit this. Not that we can really afford to live on 1 salary (at least not in LA), but just the thought that we can revisit this if necessary lifts a bit of the weight off my shoulders.

So, we're getting ready. I decided I needed a new look to help me get into a work frame of mind. So let me present my new haircut:

It's so nice not to need to pull my hair into a ponytail or work to make sure Vivian doesn't grab it. The only bad thing is that my hair seems to have gotten curlier now that it's shorter. So it curls up in funky places. But I still love it. I went to Haas Salon on Larchmont Blvd., just walked right in with my sister Jenny, and got this fab cut for only $45! I've found my new salon!

More works in progress, on the crafty front. I finished Vivian's Christmas stocking! It went really fast, and I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I do still need to line it and add a hanger, but it turned out just how I pictured it.


I only used 1/3 - 1/2 of each skein of Cascade 220, so I decided to make good use of the leftover yarn by crocheting Vivian a winter vest. Layers work so much better here in LA when it's cold(ish). This is the Pastel Parfait vest from Candy Babies, by Candi Jensen.

It's going really quickly, so it should be done in the next day or so.

And that's that. Change happens, and it's not always bad. I just have to get through this transition and back into routine. Take a deep breath and just move forward.

now that's a sleepy pumpkin

Survivor

Yes, we survived our first plane flight -- in fact, Vivian was a perfect angel. She started to fuss a bit on our first leg, but I fed her and she settled right down. She slept through the entire second leg, a feat that led other passengers to remark, "wow, I wish I could travel that way." Hurray! Of course, she started screaming the moment we got in the car to go to my mom's, but I can't really complain. That's just Viv -- on perfect behavior in public, screaming in front of family. On the whole, I guess that's the definition of a good baby.

A few FO's for the list: #1, the Ogee Lace Skirt that I made for Jenny's birthday, and #2, Le Slouch, my Tucson knitting project.

The Ogee is from the Summer 07 Interweave Knits, and I used Wool in the Woods Cameo. Doesn't it look cute on Jenny?

And here is my Le Slouch. I got inspired by Catherine's version, so I went through my stash and rediscovered the bag of Noro Big Bebe that Ellen gifted me with (in her fit of de-stashing). It's bigger than the pattern calls for, but I think I made it work.

And here's some awesome news: I got my Ravelry invite! Hurrah! And omg, I have been on all day (in between feeding & changing diapers), posting my stash and projects. It's a little overwhelming, but fun. If you're on Ravelry, my handle is HandyC.

And in Secret Pal news, my Giftee officially loved her package, which makes me feel good. I must have done something right. And my gift-er did something right, too: she gave me a $20 gift certificate to elann.com! So now I can buy the yarn for Viv's stocking. Yay! Thanks Secret Pal!

New challenges

Tomorrow, I undertake a new challenge, one that will tax my mind, my body, and most of all, my patience.

Tomorrow, Vivian and I will take our first flight together.

If you happen to be on our Southwest flight to Tucson tomorrow, let me apologize in advance. Yes, she is 11 weeks old. Aren't you glad this isn't a very long flight? Me too.

I have packed the diaper bag with exceeding care: Clorox wipes, Purell, disposable changing pads, extra onesie for Viv and extra tank top for me (in case of diaper explosions). I have saline nose spray/drops to help her ears adjust to the altitude, and a bottle to feed her as we land. I bought her a seat so that we can keep her in her car seat. I hope it's enough.

On the knitting front, I've been working on presents that I can't share yet -- pictures to come when I can. I think I've made up my mind on what to do for Viv's stocking: the striped Funky Stocking from Handknit Holidays. I know I was thinking it should be cabled, to be similar to Eliza's, but I think it's even better that Vivian's will be completely different.

So here are my color thoughts: Orange & White Stripes with Green Heel & Cuff

This colorway (in Laines Du Nord Softlight from elann.com) is very pumpkin-y, which would fit, but I don't want Viv to get burned out on orange & green and grow to hate them. But then again, I'm her mom -- she's got to hate something I've done, and my color choices are probably the lesser of many evils.

Here's my other thought:
Red & White Stripes with Green Heel & Cuff
This colorway (in Peruvian Pure Alpaca also from elann.com) is more traditional Christmas-y.

Decisions, decisions. I will probably end up buying the yarn for both (it's elann - it's not that expensive, especially for a project that is effectively 1 large sock) and deciding when I can compare them to each other. Does any one out there have any opinions on these colors?

She knits, she scores!

Yes, once in a while, I actually do more than take pictures of my incredibly cute offspring. Occasionally, I knit. Not that you would know this by reading this blog, but I am actually a pretty crafty person. I just have been very bad about documenting said craftiness lately.

So, what have I been up to? Well, I finished the Cloud Bolero! And here it is, in all its glory:

Sorry for the yellow hue, but I am really happy with how it turned out. I used 2 skeins of Patons Classic Merino Wool in Forest -- a cute little merino wool sweater for a grand total of $12? Not bad! The pattern was super easy -- great TV or SnB knitting -- but the ripples provided enough interest so I didn't get bored.

Before the drive to Tucson last month, I realized that I needed a good, simple project for knitting in the car -- something to keep my hands busy that was basic enough that I could put down at any moment. So I decided on the Montego Bay Scarf from the Summer 2007 issue of Interweave Knits. I'm not a scarf knitter -- I tend to get bored too easily to finish one of the proper length. But the fishnet lace pattern was easy yet nice looking, so I picked up a few balls of stash yarn (DiVe Tiwi from a Yarn lady sale ages ago) and started knitting. Here's how it turned out:

I love it. It's not exactly a warm & snuggly scarf (the yarn has multiple threads: a slub, a cotton and a metallic thread, so it causes a slight itch if wrapped too tightly), but it's perfect for summer.

I've also been doing some sewing (a bit). I made a simple baby quilt for our friends Matt & Candice's new baby boy. I found this fabulous cotton print showing a sketch of a peg board hung with tools: hammers, saws, wrenches, etc. It was done in shades of orange, green & blue, so I alternated squares of the print with squares of those solid colors. It turned out super cute, but of course, I forgot to take a photo before we gave it. I'll try to get one taken with the baby (once we get word that he's been born!).

I started to make the Tank with 3-d Crochet Embellishments from Knitting Lingerie. I made a gauge swatch and everything looked good -- I was feeling pretty proud of myself. Except that by the time I'd knit about 1/2 of the back, I noticed that everything had stretched. And not a little bit. I mean sssstttrrreeettccchhhheeeeddd. If I had kept going, this tank would have had a 52" waist! I know I'm not in pre-pregnancy shape yet, but I'm not that far gone! So that project has been officially frogged, perhaps to be picked up again, perhaps not.

I haven't started on Vivian's Christmas stocking yet (I actually haven't even bought the yarn) because I'm working on a gift or two. I'll post pictures once they are gifted.

And that's all for today's crafty update. You may now return to your regularly scheduled programming.

Sock knitters of the world, hand it over...

Is it me, or has sock knitting taken over the knitting world? I understand that they are a small, portable project for summer, but honestly, in LA? How many pairs of wool socks do you need? I am not a sock knitter. The needles are too small and the yarn too fine. I once tried to knit toe-up socks, but only got to the point where it looked like I had knitted a diaphragm.

The only "sock" I have successfully knit was Eliza's Christmas stocking. I liked it because I got to use size 15 needles and big, bulky wool. It had beautiful cables and I turned the heel and everything. I felt very accomplished.

Now it's time to make Vivian's stocking. I could sew one like I have for Richard & I, but I enjoyed the process of knitting Eliza's so much that I want to knit one again. But I can't find a stocking pattern that I think compares to the elegance of Eliza's stocking (from Handknit Holidays).

So, sock knitters, can I take a normal sock pattern and supersize it, with bulky yarn and large needles to make it stocking size? I'm thinking of the Tyrolean Stockings by Ann Budd from the current issue of Interweave Knits:

My thought is that I could reduce the number of repeats of the cable rows through the leg so the stocking wasn't inordinately long. Should I also try to reduce the length of the foot? This is, of course, theoretical, because I don't have a yarn/gauge/needle size selected. But what do you think?

She knits!

A non-baby related post:

Before Vivian was born, I finished my version of the Carie Cropped Flared-sleeve Cardigan, from Stefanie Japel's "Fitted Knits." After I got out of the hospital, but before Vivian came home, Jenny & I hit Suss Knits, which is having a moving sale (50% off!). I picked up some gorgeous handpainted cotton that reminds me of ballet: black (leotard), flesh (tights) & light pink (shoes), 7 skeins (190 yards each) at less than $3 a piece. I also picked up a beautiful wooden toggle that I decided to use for the closure for the Carie.

As I had posted earlier, I decided to substitute the called for Cascade Magnum for three separate yarns: Debbie Bliss Merino Chunky, Karabella Margritte (sp?) and a discontinued merino wool that I got from the Yarn Lady sale. And here is the result:

What do you think?

Now, I'm working on the Cloud Bolero, which I first saw on Annika's blog. I needed something that held my interest while being easy enough that I could put down mid-row when Vivian starts screaming. I'm using more Yarn Lady sale yarn, which I am proud of. It's Bouton d'Or Otello, a fluffy 50% wool, 50% mohair blend in black, light pink and dark pink. Pictures will come, but probably not before I decide to post more cute baby photos. What can I say?

A return to yarn...

Since I became pregnant with Baby Vi, I haven't been particularly motivated by yarn. I know, blasphemy! But, I just... wasn't. I had lost my crafty mojo. I found it again when I started work on the Pumpkin Quilt, which is still in progress (and I actually think I have a good chance of finishing it before she gets here). But the knitting/crocheting was still neglected. With the exception of a crocheted baby sweater and an adorable knitted baby halter top, I just hadn't had the bug.

Until yesterday.

After SnB, I decided to head over to Barnes & Noble. I had just been paid, and I decided to check out the magazine rack and a few new books that I knew were coming out. I picked up the new issue of Interweave Knits, more to keep my collection complete than because I actually want to knit anything from the issue. But then I saw it -- Stefanie Japel's Fitted Knits. This book is awesome. I've loved her patterns on Knitty and I knew, once I saw all the patterns, that I had to have this book.

So when I got home, I had to start something. I couldn't resist. And after digging through my stash, I decided to tackle the Carie Cropped Cardigan (also seen on an episode of Knitty Gritty and called The Better Sweater -- pattern available here).

The Better Sweater, as seen on Knitty Gritty

Rather than use Cascade Magnum, I decided to combine yarns to get the right weight. I'm using Debbie Bliss Merino Chunky in chocolate brown, Karabella Marguerite in a mustardy brown and a random orange GGH merino that I got at the Yarn Lady sale last year. I also had to size up to size 17 needles to get the right gauge (I knit very tightly since I knit combination style; the pattern recommends size 13s). I stayed up until almost 1 a.m. working on it. I'm actually really excited to have a knit project for myself. Hopefully, this is the return of my yarn passion. Pictures to come.