Author: Sarah

To Sleep, Perchance To Dream

Sarah Carolyn

Is it possible for a 14-month-old baby to be an insomniac? Because it’s 10:30 and Carrie is still awake. I put her down sometime between 8 and 8:30 – her usual bedtime – and she’s been up there playing with her aquarium, kicking the mattress, and generally not sleeping. Not crying, not fussing, just not sleeping. I’ve been in to check on her a few times, and she’ll happily cuddle up with her doll and let me tuck her back under her blanket…but then a few minutes after I leave her room the aquarium music turns on and the kicking starts up.

Wait.

Shhh.

The aquarium stopped and I don’t hear any kicking. Be very, very quiet. I think she’s finally asleep!

First Finished Object, 2006

Sarah Crafts

forest_socks.jpgAnd the honor goes to…a pair of socks! My feet are toasty warm tonight! Let’s see, I cast on the first sock on the 3rd, and finished the second sock on the 8th. I’m not 100% happy with the fit – they’re a bit loose – but maybe they’ll shrink a tiny bit in the wash? I cast on 52 stitches for these – if I use the same yarn/needles again I think I’d try 48 stitches, and make them about 4 rows shorter before I start the heel. Then again, if they shrink in the wash, they might be perfect as is.

Assuming they hold up well, I’ll definitely use this yarn again. It’s Knitpicks Parade, and the color is Forest. They’re at least as comfy and warm as fingering weight yarn, but knit up quite a bit faster. You certainly can’t beat the price: $6 for a pair of socks. (Yes, I know, you can buy socks cheaper than that for less work, but that’s not the point – and if you think store-bought socks are better you haven’t worn handknit ones!)

Dog Chair

Sarah Carolyn

Target has a fantastic new toy aisle! They have some great wooden toys, including some kitchen stuff/play food that I hope is still there in a year or so – Carrie’s still a bit young for it. They also had some “critter chairs”. My mom had pointed these out to me on the Pottery Barn Kids site, but $100 is way too rich for my blood! The ones at Target? $30. I still wasn’t actually going to buy one, because I didn’t really think I could justify it, but how on earth was I supposed to pass up this blue puppy?!?

20060106_dog_chair.jpg

It was so cute when we put it in the living room – Carrie can’t decide if it’s a chair or a dog, so she alternated between sitting on it and kissing it on the nose. And then she dragged it into her playhouse, where it takes up almost all the available floor space. She sat on it and babbled on her phone, drank from her teacups, and then stood up and kissed it on the nose. I think she likes it.

The Twelve Gifts Of Christmas

Sarah Crafts

In honor of today being the twelfth day of Christmas, I’m (finally) showing off all of the things that I made. There’s still one outstanding gift, but it’s for Carrie and I’m sure she’ll be thrilled even if she gets it next month. There’s actually no reason for it to still not be done except that I’m a little burned out from all the frantic Christmas crafting. Plus, I’m working on my socks.

I’m already planning what I’m going to make for people next Christmas, so that I can start next month.

Sock It To Me!

Sarah Crafts

I’m sort of ashamed to admit this, because in the course of cleaning my craft room – and I’ve barely scratched the surface yet – I’ve discovered 4 socks sitting on needles (or stitch holders, since I apparently stole the needles for other projects – probably other socks). And I’m talking about 4 separate socks, all the first sock of the pair.

But I’ve started a new pair of socks. For me! These seem like they might not be doomed to failure, because instead of 7-8 stitches/inch the yarn is a bit thicker and knitting up at about 5.5 stitches/inch, on slightly bigger needles, and they’re going really fast. Seriously, I cast on last night and have maybe knit for two hours between then and now, and I’m ready to turn the heel on the first one already.

Only thing is, based on the state of the socks already stuck in my craft room, I don’t abandon them until I hit the ribbing on the leg (I knit them toe-up). Ribbing is one of those things that I just can’t force myself to like. It’s the necessary evil on the edges of sweaters…and the legs of socks. But I’m determined this time. These are lovely green socks, and they’re going to look marvelous when they’re done, so done they will be – and quickly, before I lose any and all motivation.

And maybe, if I finish these, I can tackle all the other socks waiting so patiently in my craft room? (We won’t even go into the fact that I easily have 8-10 pairs of socks worth of sock yarn tucked in various baskets and drawers in there… Someday I should catalog all of my yarn. It might shame me into actually using it.)

Resolved

Sarah General

Here are the things I’d like to accomplish this coming year:

  • Get back into walking – I was walking several miles a week during the fall, but then fell off the wagon when I started working on the Christmas gifts.
  • Take better care of myself in general. No more super-late bedtimes. (She says after staying up until 1 playing crayon rails last night.)
  • Clean my craft room. We’ve all heard that one before, right? Only this time I really need to just do it.
  • Get rid of a lot of excess stuff so the house is a bit easier to keep clean. When there’s less to put away it doesn’t take as long!

That’s not too much of a stretch. I just need to spend Carrie’s naptimes doing constructive things every day, and save my fun crafting time for times when she’s playing on her own or after she’s gone to bed.

Feeling Better

Sarah General

It’s amazing what a few doses of antibiotics will do for you. I feel so much better today it’s almost ridiculous.

Plus, I won my fantasy football league. The Knottsville Knitters love Shaun Alexander! (And Carson Palmer, Clinton Portis and Terry Jones too!)

Now if I could just find my size 2 circular needles or my missing cross-stitch pattern so I could work on something fun (I have made progress on Sammy’s quilt, too) then I’d be set. My craft room seems to have eaten everything I am currently looking for.

Happy 2006. Not.

Sarah General

What a way to start the new year. I woke up at 4:00 this morning feeling like I had the flu…and feeling like I had a plugged milk duct. Add the two together, and I get to start off 2006 with mastitis. Yippee. I’m praying my pharmacy is open today, because the nurse at my doctor’s office is calling in an antibiotic for me.

The good news is, the whole year probably can’t go much worse than today. OK, well, I take that back, it could, but I feel like crap right this minute, so indulge me.

And yes, I am still nursing my 14-month-old, and I’m going to go all on the defensive now because I already get a lot flak for it (despite the AAP and WHO recommendations) and I really don’t need any more. So comments are closed on this entry. Don’t take it personally, I just don’t have the energy to deal with negative comments.

Bye-Bye 2005

Sarah General

I think at this point it’s safe to say I’m not changing any more diapers this year!

I didn’t quite manage to finish everything I’d planned, although all that’s left is something for Carrie that I’m going to give her for Epiphany and Sammy’s quilt – I remember now why I hadn’t finished it: the top is all pieced but it’s bigger than my backing fabric so I have to piece that now. Those are projects for this week, since I want to participate in the selfish challenge but I’m not going to until those two projects are done!

I also didn’t get the house as clean as I’d like, but the beds all have fresh sheets, the dishes are done, and the floors are vacuumed. So I’m going into the next year with a moderate amount of laundry and messy bedrooms. Oh, well, everyone always needs room for improvement, right?

Off to watch the ball drop! Happy New Year!