WiP Wednesday - FO Edition & Home Update

Although I have a new WiP, I didn't get a chance to spread it out properly and get pictures, so instead I will show what I have totally finished....there was a few FOs that needed to be blocked and finally I got around to it this week.

My maternity leave has been a whirlwind of appointments, household chores, and cooking for after the baby comes.  I have to say I've done really well with that.  I've gotten lots of batches done and in the freezer.  All together I think I will have cooked about 22 lbs of chicken and 26 lbs of beef.  I did not keep track of the pounds of veggies that goes with all of this though.  Needless to say it was an expensive up front cost, but to keep us all fed and healthy for the first couple of weeks with a newborn at home, it was worth every penny and the hours on my feet, in the kitchen.

But I did squeeze in time to knit and crochet, and you will get to enjoy seeing the fruits of that labor....

Serriform Shawl :

Oaklet Shawl :

Simply Soft Blanket : 

WiP Wednesday - Back to the Vest

So, I've taken a break from the baby blanket to work on my vest again.  Just ready to knit for a little while.  I like this pattern, it's simple and I can watch TV while I knit.

I'm having such issues with this yarn, and although I already complained about the first faulty skein, I'm debating to complain about the second.  Likely, I will not, but it's really got me annoyed with the large number of extra ends I'll have to weave in.

Ravelry Project Page
Pattern Page

In the last picture you can see all the ends....

Photo Friday

(spring flower)

WiP - Baby Blanket

I went on to Little Knits the other day.....and I saw this yarn.  It's discontinued, but I knew it had to be a baby blanket and for the price, I couldn't pass it up.

Since it's such a busy yarn, I figured I wouldn't bother with any kind of fancy design; you wouldn't be able to see it anyway.  Instead I chained about 150 and did double crochet until I ran out of yarn...about 10 rows.  I grabbed my Bernat Baby Sport in Kiwi to make an "accent" row of tilted squares, using Mypicot's Openwork Lace # 2042.  I can't link directly to the pattern, but her site is awesome.

The first time, I used the same size hook as the rest of the blanket, but it pulled a little tighter than I would like, and that was with me actively trying to keep the stitches big and loose.  So the second accent row was done in a hook that was 0.5mm larger...so from 4.5mm (body of blanket) to 5.0mm (H hook).  I think it works out much better now.

Here is my Ravelry Project Page.  Don't worry, I'm still working on my vest, but my issue is that I keep finding breaks in the yarn.  Although Knit Picks has compensated me for the one skein, another one has had multiple breaks and weak spots...it's getting rather frustrating.  I'm on my third skein for the project and I have about 30 ends to tie in already.

Dress FO

This dress is adorable and I could probably make hundreds of them.  It's so easy to customize, if you choose and it can be worn as a little jumper or just as a dress with a onesie underneath for warmer weather.

This is the second pattern from her site that I've made and she really has quite a good collection going over there.

My modification for the pattern making itself, was to join in the round after Row 6.   What I will do with it for wearing, is flip it around so that the open part will be in the front and tied with a ribbon.  I might even trade out the ribbon for buttons and then do a ribbon woven around the "waist" and tied in the front.  We'll see, as I really dislike sewing on buttons.

This pattern is the Angel Wing Pinafore by Maxine Gonser.  My Ravelry project page.

Home Life

One more week and I'm on leave from work for 4 weeks (maybe) before Lily gets here.  We've decided on Lily Hope and I think it's nice and not too complicated.  My goal is to make it to 38 weeks, I'm not greedy, I don't need all 40 weeks, but I'd like to get a little further than I did with my son.

I'm both terrified and excited.  With Mr. LIH starting a new job and us having two kids, and the house to juggle, things have become somewhat more complicated.

You know that your weekend was busy, bordering on too much when you're ready to go back to work because it's easier.  The weekend was BEAUTIFUL, it's that time of year again for mulching, planting, weeding, cleaning, and Mr. LIH had so much of it to do...I could only participate so much.

Tomorrow he starts his new job and we're both nervous and excited.  It means more money, but with more money comes more sacrifice from your home life.  I'm a little nervous to handle dinner, bedtime, and cleaning up all by myself while being so largely pregnant, but it's only a few days then at least I'm off from work.  Once I'm not working, I know I can do it.

Also tomorrow is the first night for the Passover Seder.  We will go to my in laws and hope that Ethan stays content in his chair for the readings...fingers crossed.

Enjoy some spring leaves.

Photo Friday

(spring buds)

Product Review - PB2

I have to say...this stuff wasn't bad.  I mixed it with some water, slapped it on toast and ate it all up.

I will say that the water ratio suggested on the package is not all that successful, I had to use rather a bit more water, which I suspect, washes out the flavor somewhat.

The texture was fine, on toast, as toast is inherently rough, but I think that if you were to smear it on fruit, you might find the texture a bit off from regular peanut butter.

I felt it was lacking on salt, but I like salt, maybe more than lots of other people, so there's that.

My next goal is to bake with it.  My biggest challenge with weight loss has been the lack of peanut butter.  I love it and I love it in my baked goods.  I see endless posts of people who swear that it's perfect to bake with, so I will report on that when I get a chance to find a recipe and give it a go.

WiP Wednesday - Mashrabiya Vest & Shawl

I started this a few days ago and I really like it.  The pattern is easy to follow, except for the beginning where it doesn't exactly tell you what needle to use when and I think I guessed wrong, but I can deal with it.

It goes pretty fast once you get the hang of it and the lace pattern is quite pretty.  I do plan to add the armholes to make this more versatile and I'm pretty excited to wear this once the baby is here...no way am I squeezing that poor shawl around my waist...It's almost a moot point as I really don't have a waist.

So the pattern is Mashrabiya Vest & Shawl by Sarah Wilson, The Sexy Knitter.  I also read and follow her blog, go, check it out.

The plan is to use this KnitPicks yarn that I got a few months ago for a different project, but never got around to it.  It's shades of green and I plan to make it stripey...fingers crossed that it won't look cruddy or make me look fat with the horizontal striping.

Here is my Ravelry Project Page and a picture up to my switch to the second color.

Fingers update

So this past week Ethan had the pin removed from his thumb and the enormous cast was replaced with a much smaller cast, leaving his fingers open to the air.

The office visit was awful, he cried the whole time.  He wasn't even in pain, he just cried and cried.  The orderly began removing the cast (they unwind it) and he cried....then they removed the gauze, yet more crying....ugh.  Even when you know it doesn't hurt, and even when you know that the whole process is for their own good, it's tough.  You're never really prepared for parenthood until you're stuck in it.

So, the next steps are to clip his really long fingernails (ick) and then four weeks in this cast.  After the four weeks, he moves into a night time cast with a splint that will accompany weekly physical therapy for up to 8 weeks, depending on how well it all goes (I guess).

Not too shabby, as the doc thinks he will not need further procedures.  He says that the thumb seems fairly stable right now and it's nice and straight, so fingers (er...sorry) crossed that it stays that way.

Photo Friday

(hyacinth bloom)

Sweater FO

Now that I've finished the world's most boring blanket...I'm so sick of that stitch, I have started and finished a baby sweater.

I just love this pattern, the Wrap Diaper Shirt.  I had made one for Ethan and now I have made one for my little lady, Lily.  Here is my Rav Project Page.

This flies off the hook and it literally, only takes a few hours.

WiP Wednesday - Girlie Dress

I have yet to block the monster blanket, or finish the one I started for my little girl, but I need a break from blankets for the moment, so I've made and finished a sweater (I'll post that tomorrow) and I've started a dress.  Ironically, it's not any of the dresses that I have featured on some of my Monday posts about baby girl stuff, but it's quite lovely anyway...

The pattern is called, Angel Wing Newborn Pinafore and so far, it's chugging along at a good rate.  I would say that her patterns aren't very elegant, but they get the job done.

My gauge seems to be off, the pattern is coming out much larger than normal for me.  Usually I have to go up a hook size as I tend to crochet tighter than gauge, but not with this project.  I'm not sure this will fit a newborn...maybe more like 3 months.

This yarn, the Bernat Baby Sport is really nice.  Good stretch and it's very soft.  It also comes in these huge skeins, which is nice for churning out a bunch of baby stuff that all matches (if you're into that....which I totally am).

Here is my Rav Project Page.