Nursery Rhyme

The old crib was not safe at all, so unsafe infact there was a recall.

So we picked out a second bed, for little eleni to rest her head.

and while she can use it all her life... poor mommy couldn't use that pretty crib skirt in it anymore. (oops, that doesn't rhyme.)

Ladies

Well, after a few weeks of waiting Lady reappeared. At first I thought this was her, and her two babies. The cuteness is overwhelming.

I squeeled when I saw them. Too freaking cute. Then a couple of hours later I saw a movement through the patio door and look who it was...

I think that is Lady. I should knit her some leg warmers or something so I can recgonize her. So while I am pretty confident she didn't just have twins (they where no where to be found) perhaps she was the midwife, or proud aunt who helped deliver those darling fawns.

A less adorable Lady...

Sigh... for those of you who I didn't whine to yet, I dumbly stuck this baby into the front loader washer on "gentle". It felted up a bit. Still fits, but not the way I drempt about. And it got itchier rather than softer. It is soaking in the sink now, and I hope to stretch it out a bit. So lesson learned. Gentle cycles are not gentle enough for Cascade 220!

Amanda Shoes.

I have always wanted to be one of those girls in great shoes. You know the ones. Walking confidently in a pair of heals, making the rest of us wonder where they get shoes that are so cute but comfortable enough to walk in. Having the perfect pair to complete each outfit that was both trendy yet classic at the same time. This is something I had wished would happen to me. As if by magic, overnight. Not a wish worth persuing with actual effort. So I remain a jeans and t-shirt gal. I am ok with that. Over the years I have grown up a bit and my jeans are less frayed and my t-shirts are a bit more mature. My sneakers seem less appropiate outside of actually exercising. So I have come up with a new strategy. To stop wanting to be one of those girls, and taking more time to just be myself. New shoes included.

Privo Maltese. K said they looked like Amanda shoes when I pulled them from the box. That made me happy.

PS I know those girls in heals feet hurt, no matter how happy they look. And it makes me smile inside.

Tagged...

Grumble. The tag is like blogging homework. They even come with directions:

Name five things that you can't live without. It can't be a person, it has to be something material that actually makes your life easier. It can't be something in general, it must be exact. Also, it can't be the obvious like a cell phone or computer.

Annie tagged me, and now that it is Monday and I am back at work I have time to come up with some of my own "5 things I couldn't live without". It is hard reading other lists without having the urge to copy them... but lets see how creative I am this morning.
Five Things I Couldn't Live Without by AJKnits
1. Coffee. I used to swear I would never be a coffee drinker. It was yucky. Then I started drinking it late night at eat'n park with about 3 spoons of sugar and a creamer. Once I started working a real job I would pick up a Latte on occasion at the local coffee shop. Slowly I weaned off of the sugar (8 packs in 16oz!!!) and I am down to just cream in my coffee. My morning is not complete without a cup, especially if EJ doesn't sleep well. So what if I am an addict.
2. Public Transportation. As a reformed driver, I have experienced both sides of commuting. There is nothing like zipping past all of the traffic on the trolley each morning. I can sleep, I can squeeze in some precious knitting time, I can chat with a friend, or just space out. Plus only having to put gas into Fritzie once a month is great with the cost of gas being what it is now. Sure, there are annoying people on cell phones, ignorant people who won't give up their seat for a pregnant lady, and an occasional broken down train. All minor inconveniences in the grand scheme of things.
3. Online Shopping. Really, I can find anything I need or want, and have it delivered to my house. With a 36 inch inseam, and a baby this is the best thing ever. I love having packages waiting for me on my front porch.
4. Yarn. It holds so much potential. It gives me a creative outlet. I can boss it around and force it into perfection. It led me to a wonderful group of ladies when I was in need of some friends. What more can a girl ask for?
5. DVR. Seriously? How do people without DVR get by? While I am not like Annie, and record everything I watch or like Amy with the nearly full DVR. Either of those situations make me feel behind on viewing. My DVR is never more than 40% full. I love pausing live TV, rewinding when we miss something, and recording shows we love when we are not home. We would have to be pretty broke to cancel our DVR service!

That is all. I tag... nobody. Unless you want tagged. Then I tag you. Back to work.

Its Magic!

I am working on my February Lady Sweater, and started the sleeve!

Do you see that twisted up circular needle? Well I decided it was time to learn the magic loop method of knitting in the round. My size 8 DPNs where wood, and I was knitting the sweater on my knitpicks options. I was afraid that my guage might be off with the change in needles so I went to knittinghelp.com and was educated. It is a great alternitive, and I am very pleased with this technique for this project.
Am I ready to swear off DPNs for good? Nah, I am a big fan of those pokey sticks. The dazzle the non-knitter. And I like that.

I don't know what the deal is with this yarn but I cannot get the color to show up right. I thought the natural light would help. No such luck.

Also, the previous post of mine was post 100! I can't believe I didn't throw a parade, or party or something to comemorate this moment. So happy 101st post to me! Woot.

Back to my magic looping. Until next time...
aj

Inspiration

It took me a while to get back my knitting drive after having EJ. First finding time to do anything at all was hard, let alone finding time to be creative. Returning to work helped with that, EJ having a regular bedtime is awesome, and the February Lady Sweater really pushed me over the edge. I still have not done any sewing. Nothing yet has inspired me to pull out Taylor. That is until I saw this cute little project via Craftzine. Simple, fun and very useful for me at this point in life. I think it would also make a quick gift for new mothers! Now I just need to find a few fun fabrics!
ETA- I found fabrics! What do you think?

All purchased from Sew,Mama,Sew!. The top four are all part of Lightning Bugs & Other Mysteries collection, and the bottom two are Robert Kaufman fabrics.
Also, I decided the deer should be "Lady". So you win Michelle . Your prize is you get to gloat about winning. If that isn't enough, well that is too bad. I hope she visits again this Saturday so I can tell her she has a name!