It seems only fitting....

...that there are two FOs today -- just in time for Ali's baby shower this afternoon!

• Project:  Chunky Hoodie - Comfy Hooded Jacket by Lion Brand Yarn
  
• Yarn:  Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in "Barley"
  
• Needle:  US 13
• Start to Finish:  September 10 - November 28, 2013

Katie left this yarn behind when she moved to Scotland, so I looked for a project. I loved the color and sometimes chunky looks so cute on little. I knit the jacket in the 12-month size, and found the buttons in my stash.

• Project:  Vintage-Style Baby Bonnet - Modern Baby Bonnet by Hadley Fierlinger
• Yarn:  Make.Do Essence DK Superwash, <1 skein (leftovers from Le p'tit mousse)
• Needle:  US 6
• Start to Finish:  August 21 - November 28, 2013

The bonnet is knit flat with a small seam up the back; the chin strip worked separately and attached. It's apparently both vintage & modern! I like that. Either way, warm baby head.

Happy St. Andrew's Day!

VoteLoLa.com!

NaBloPoMo is a wrap!

OK! I'm off to make final preparations!!

 

Chevron Baby Blanket

• Project:  Chevron Baby Blanket from Whit's Knits at The Purl Bee
  
• Yarn:  Stitch Nation by Debbie Stoller "Washable Ewe" (discontinued) - 2 skeins each of Dragonfly, Robin's Egg, and Duckling
  
• Needle:  US 8
• Start to Finish:  July 29 - November 27, 2013

I suppose that if I was the very best Nana in the world, I'd give Parcheesi to Zim; instead, we'll snuggle under it together at my house.

The overall size is 28" x 38" -- basically "stroller" size. It's shown atop my queen-size bed.

I knit an entire skein each of Dragonfly (dark teal), Duckling (yellow), and Robin's Egg (light teal) to begin; I then knit up another skein of both Duckling and Robin's Egg in a random stripe pattern; finishing with another skein of Dragonfly -- two skeins of each color.

I've already washed it and dried it -- using cold water and the Permanent Press cycle in my front-loading washer, and medium-low heat in the dryer. It softened up a little and even has a little bit of halo.

 Beanie Baby giraffe for scale. And because he's my favorite.

 

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my U.S. family & friends!

Happy Thursday to "the internationals."  :)

 

Soup's on!

We are doing Thanksgiving completely out of order this year, what with making the spatchcocked turkey already on Sunday, and tonight (Thanksgiving Eve) there's turkey soup on the stove.

Tomorrow, it's lasagna on our Thanksgiving table again. That's twice now -- not in a row, and not with full approval, but that's what's happening. We have the turkey thing covered!

Cara told me once that if you do a thing three times in a row (like go to Rhinebeck) then it's a tradition. Almost, not quite... I really wouldn't mind.

There will be pumpkin pie. That's the most important tradition! :)

* * * * *

I started my day cutting out paper onesies for baby shower decoration.

I made turkey soup.

And two trips to two grocery stores, one to Target, and other various stops.

Picked up Mom and took her to physical therapy (an issue with her shoulder -- it's getting better), and then to do a little shopping.

Did a lot of cleaning -- Maddy's here and what began as your basic cleaning/organizing has now turned EPIC.

She also helped with me with a BUNCH of baby shower stuff.

Soup's on and I'm hungry.

Hope your day went well!!

* * * * *

Once a day (voting ends on Dec. 1st):   VoteLoLa.com!

 

Ten on Tuesday: To Be Thankful

Ten on Tuesday:  10 Things For Which I Am Thankful

1.  I am thankful that I have a husband who can -- and likes to -- do things... and who indulges (most of) my little whims, even when it means bashing a big hole through a wall. We have been do-ers together from Day 1!

There will soon be a hole in the wall where those doors are leaning -- for those doors to be installed!

2.  I am thankful that Katie is able to follow her dreams (and earn her Master's at the same time) in Scotland. And that she'll soon be home for a visit. And that the possibility of visiting her there next summer is still very real.

3.  I am thankful that Alison is a happy married lady and soon-to-be mum. To see and feel her happiness is... always amazing.

4.  I am thankful that Maddy has found her path. It's a little longer than she'd like and there have been some bumps, but she is getting it done. Her excitement about teaching is infectious.

5.  I am thrilled -- and thankful, of course -- that I will not only become a grandma as the new year begins, but that I will have (hopefully) helped & supported Ali and Rod through the process, and that I will be part of Zim's welcoming committee.

6.  I am thankful for ALL of my family -- parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Due to the natural ebb and flow of relationships, there are various measures of connectedness at any given time, but we are connected to the core and I wouldn't be the same without every last one.

7.  I am especially thankful for the makers among them, and for their inspiration. I am grateful that from an early age I had a full arsenal of tools at my disposal for making all sorts of things -- and people willing to teach me how. Sewing, embroidery, knitting, cooking, painting, quilting, basket-making, furniture building... the list goes on.

8.  I am thankful that my mother taught me how to knit. Where in the world would I be without knitting? I bought an Elizabeth Zimmermann "Quote Tote" from Schoolhouse Press a few years ago: Knit on with confidence and hope through all crises. It is so true! My tote is a little different from the current version, and I think quite a bit bigger, so I only use it for big projects -- but those are exactly the types of projects I choose when there's a crises to knit through!

9.  I am thankful for blogging, which stems directly from knitting, and all that it's brought to my life. I am thankful for you, dear reader. Thank you for following along... reading, writing, and often encouraging me with whatever my whim-of-the-day, including spatchcocked turkeys!

10.  I am thankful for my hearth and home. I have been wrangling quite a bit lately with stuff and trying to reconfigure things -- not easy -- but I am grateful that I have a home that I love, near to so many of the people that I love.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Golden deliciousness

The process is not for the squeamish, but I channeled my inner Julia Child and muscled through. A good, sturdy kitchen shears is a must. That's the turkey right out of the oven. I transferred it on the rack to another pan and tented with foil, as directed, and after a :20 rest began to carve.

I will never cook a turkey any other way again. It was SO quick to cook, with none of incessant basting & worrying -- and I didn't get sick of it while it was still in the oven -- and it was SO much easier to carve, as well. Unless you're a family that makes big show of the carving-at-the-table (and we never ever were), I can't think of a good reason to roast a turkey any other way.

A co-worker told me today that he spied spatchcocked turkeys for sale at a local grocery chain; I have previously seen spatchcocked chickens available there.

In other news, I've begun the last color/section of Zim's knitted blanket and should have it finished just in time for the baby shower on Saturday afternoon!

 

I have...

SPATCHCOCKED!

Therefore, I must BE.

Crisp-Skinned Butterflied (spatchcocked) Roast Turkey: here. The slideshow immensely helpful -- doubt I'd have tried it, otherwise.

It's still in the oven. That's a fresh 13-lb turkey and it will cook in about 90 minutes. I haven't done all the pre- stuff, because I haven't been very good lately at reading *all* of the directions and fine print, but I'm confident that it will be amazing. It sure smells amazing in here. I also have the beginnings of an awesome soup (not gravy) on the stove.

I love trying new things in the kitchen.

 

Busy!!

I just remembered that I need to NaBloPo today and if I don't do it now, I might not do it at all. I've been holed up in my room all morning and foresee the same for the afternoon. Hopefully, things will be fairly roughed-in at the end and I can concentrate on other things tomorrow -- like spatchcocking and cooking my turkey!

Once a day (voting ends on Dec. 1st):   VoteLoLa.com!

 

Eye Candy/Flashback Friday

Rusty made my birthday card, as he often does, this year using a photo from a small forgotten pile he found stashed in the basement, and enclosing the rest. I love this one of curly haired, standing-on-one-leg Kate, rough-and-tumble Ali, and our at-the-time neighbor Luke. They're standing at the playhouse door -- by the looks of it, the fence had been just completed.

Always a little late for Throwback Thursday, at least there's Flashback Friday!

 

Randomly, as one does.

And does it get any more random than Andy Gibb on the cover of a knitting magazine?

It's a "Jacqueline Special" from 1984, "Knitting For Your Favorite Men." Within? The likes of William R. Moses (Falcon Crest), Timothy Murphy (Dallas), John James and Geoffrey Scott (Dynasty), Ted Shackelford (Dallas and Knots Landing), Carlo Imperato (Fame), and a few others.

Prime time soaps RULED in the 80s! They all seemed loosely related, too, didn't they? Lots of spin-offs. Not unlike the CSI and Law & Order "franchises" today.

It's not that I was a huge fan of any of those actors, or even those shows (outside of a few seasons of Dallas), but that little rag has so far been spared. I did take a bin full of mostly knitting books to my local Half-Price Books yesterday, where Katie used to work; while I didn't recognize a single soul, I did walk away with some jingle in my pocket. And a universal bike mount for my phone.

There's all that time to kill shop while they're figuring out their offer. As they do.

Hello, my name is Vicki and I have a scrap problem. My sock yarn stash wasn't nearly as embarrassing once the scraps and partial skeins were removed! I have since organized it in bins, more or less by color (ROY G. BIV style), and I believe it may be time for another scrappy blanket! I am considering something along the lines of Cornerstone Blanket, A Light In The Window, or Mitered Crosses -- all three patterns currently being offered (through Sunday, 11/24) by Kay at Mason-Dixon Knitting for a $20 donation to Mercy Corps for Philippines relief. As she does.

I am happy to make a donation to help with relief efforts, whether or not knitting patterns are involved, but was nonetheless saddened to discover that I already had all three of those blanket patterns in my Ravelry library, which can only mean that we've had way too many disasters.

The boys were so sweet yesterday, helping me get a progress shot of Zim's blanket! I'll continue randomizing the yellow and light teal, bookending with another section of dark teal. It won't be long, now, and I even wove in ends last night!

Oh, I miss those boys already. Mack is such a heartbreaker -- he knows just what the girls (especially his mom, aunt, and grandmother) want to hear. Addy was so excited when he thought there was a possibility that I'd be going along to Rio. It's sure going to be tempting in a couple of months.

Except for the squishy little bundle of joy that will automatically warm up our January.

Adorable plush bear made by Alison

Oh, and Addison thinks the baby should be named Addison Junior!

 

Once a day:   VoteLoLa.com!

Even Michael Pollan tweeted (@michaelpollan) yesterday in support of Locally Laid! So cool.

 

Meanwhile...

Would you be surprised if the parade of finished baby knits carried on?

• Project:  Garter Yoke Baby Cardi by Jennifer Hoel
  
• Yarn:  Make.Do BE Fingering/Sock Superwash
  
• Needle:  US 4
• Start to Finish:  August 25 - November 14, 2013

I love the sophisticated, vintage buttons that  Alison chose at Soutache.

This little sweater is a free download on Ravelry, and I'm sure I'll be knitting it again!

 The color is called "Grandpa's Jeans" -- old, faded, dark denim. Comfy.

* * * * *

I'll be taking Ann & family to the airport this afternoon, as their impromptu, unscheduled, week-long visit comes to an end today... or, for them, tomorrow when the plane touches down in Rio.

So much bittersweet.

* * * * *

 

Once a day:   VoteLoLa.com!

Ten on Tuesday: 5 + 5

Ten on Tuesday:

5 Favorite Sweater Patterns +
5 Favorite Yarns To Use = 10 Things!

SWEATERS

Here are the last 5 sweaters I pinned to I Don't Have Enough On My Plate:

1.  Firth o' Forth by Kate Davies

2.  Maude by Carrie Bostick Hoge

3.  Sweatrrr by Asa Tricosa

4.  Spaghetti by Valentina Cosciani

5.  Faro Pullover by Amy Christoffers

YARNS

I'm not really trying to match yarn to project, but I'm dreaming and it just so happens that...

6.  My Kate sent me about 1750 yards of Belle Epoque lace-weight yarn for my birthday! On a clear day, she can see the actual Firth of Forth from her kitchen window, and it's just natural to my mind that this yarn and that pattern would make a wonderful pairing. I'm about 350 yards short but there are options:  a) I could make the sweater a wee bit shorter, b) I could make the sleeves shorter or possibly even eliminate them, c) see if Kate can pop over to K1 Yarns to see if there's one more hank in this color/lot.

7.  I like the idea of unpretentious Cascade 220 for Maude. After my weekend of moving stuff around, I am quite familiar with some aspects of my stash -- worsted-weight being one of those aspects -- and don't think I have quite enough of any one color. I love the everyday comfy vibe of this sweater!

8.  Low Tide is ready to rip. I ran into it over the weekend, tried it on, and it hasn't magically shrunk... it's still too big! That background color could be interesting for Sweatrrr... and there is no shortage of scrap fingering-weight yarn 'round here. I'd play around with making it a cardigan, though.

9.  For Spaghetti, I like the idea of saturated color... Tosh Merino or something similar.

10.  And for Faro, I have a cone of aran-weight yarn that could be anything at all!

Wow, perusing my Pinterest board beyond those five... there are SO MANY great sweater patterns out there! How does one even decide anymore?

 

Weekending

There's been a three-panel french door leaning against a pillar in the living room for months. It was a "summer project" to get it installed. Ahem.

It seemed an overwhelming, almost insurmountable, project to begin at times; bookcases -- five of them -- and all of their contents needed to be shifted around in order to clear the space. I guess it's a testament to just how much I want those doors restored that I finally began the process over the weekend! Annie & her crew were visiting family in Madison and, well, if I want them in by Christmas (which I do), it has to happen now. Also, the place where they were leaning is sort of right where I like to put the tree!

Anyway, a move like this is like busting open the archives. I have found a bunch of stuff that I no longer need, stuff that tugs at my heart, and stuff like the knitting patterns shown above. Ripped from Woman's World magazine, I knit both the sweater and the girl's dress, ca. 1984, sitting in my little apartment on the Wilson River in Tillamook, OR.

They were both very interesting knits -- the dress, in particular, with pleats, ruching, bobbles and lace! That little dress had it all and I learned so much! When I think of my early projects, and my progress as a knitter, it's this little dress that made me a knitter.

Annie's still here 'til Wednesday, I took an extra day off today, and we're having the first "Thanksgiving" of the season tonight, so I'm in the middle of this epic project that's just going to have to sit for a little. And that's fine. The hard part is over!!

 

Wild & Crazy Baby Legs

• Project:  Wild & Crazy Baby Leggings - Baby Leggings by Heather Saal (a Shibui Knits Pamphlet, available from your Shibui retailer -- mine is Iris Fine Yarns)
  
• Yarn:  Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Lightweight, mill-end
• Needle:  US 3
• Start to Finish:  9/24/13 - 11/12/13

There are short rows and increases in the behind to provide the added fullness needed for a diapered baby butt.

These leggings are knit in one piece -- as seems to be my theme for recent baby knits -- with one seam up the inside of each leg, continuing up the front from where they meet at the crotch to the waistband.

And, of course, finished with the lovely machine-knit I-cord.

Being a winter baby, I'm pretty sure Zim will make use of these!

* * * * *

Once a day:   VoteLoLa.com!

 

I-cord all the things!

OMG, that was so FAST and so EASY!

Gotta say, that Embellish-Knit Machine is some of the best money I've ever spent! The boys weren't quite as excited and intrigued as I'd hoped, but you should have seen Joe! My stepdad is a mechanical engineer and, well, he was fascinated by the mechanics! The Embellish-Knit recommends sport- and fingering-weight yarns, but I didn't have any problem with either of the worsted-weights I used.

• Project:  Wool Soakers - Wool Soaker, Diaper/Nappy Cover by Val Turner (available on Craftsy)
• Yarn:  Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool (Natural)
• Needle:  US 6
• Start to Finish:  October 26 - 27, 2013 (for the first)

I started with the smallest size and have worked my way up the sizes, knitting one of each of the first three, so far, all from the same skein of wool. I've also used some of that skein for some baby legs and I-cord, and there's still more. The first/smallest soaker weighs approx. 45g with I-cord.

 This is the second size, I-cord is made with some leftover Encore Worsted.

And this is the third size; I-cord knit with some leftover Socks That Rock Lightweight. You'll see much more of that tomorrow!

The soakers are knit all in one piece with some grafting/kitchener to finish, and two tiny little seams to sew. I did as instructed on the first but, of course, had to change it up a little... and I tried a three-needle bind-off on the other two. The binding off is perhaps not quite as elastic, but I'm thinking that if that was the designated "front" of the soaker, where stretch isn't quite as essential as in the back, it would be okay.

We'll have our verdict in a few months! And then I'll knit some more!!

Don't forget to VoteLoLa.com!

 

Eye Candy Friday

Taking a break from the parade of finished objects, the light illuminating the flowers on my mother's kitchen table the other day was breathtaking. While the awesomeness is not fully captured in an Instagram photo, it is nonetheless quite beautiful.

The boys from Brazil (and their parents) flew in on Wednesday for an impromptu and surprising week-long visit, and I'm thinking they are just the manpower needed to crank out the yards of I-cord needed to finally call a few projects finito! (She thinks. Hopeful that the novelty lasts long enough.) I figured out the set up & operation of my Embellish-Knit Machine last night and it's ready to go!

And, with that, we're half-way through NaBloPoMo. Stay tuned!

Oh, and don't forget to VoteLoLa!

Secondly - Le p'tit mousse

With perfect buttons!

• Project:  Le p'tit mousse -- Le p'tit mousse by Miss Grain de Sel
• Yarn:  Make.Do Essence DK Superwash, <1 skein
• Needle:  US 8
• Start to Finish:  8/14/13 - 11/12/13

This is another garter stitch baby sweater -- a pullover this time -- knit all in one piece and requiring only to be finished with one long side/sleeve seam on each side and, of course, buttons! In this case, the buttons are purely decorative. 

Naturally, that clever little pocket drew me in, but so, too, the flippy little sleeve detail. The pocket could easily be done in another color -- complementary, contrasting, the possibilites are endless.

This was also a very quick knit, the long pause between start & finish mainly due to procrastination about seaming up and, then, the buttons.

Yes, more to come!

 

The first of a few -- Stitch!

To get the party started, I sewed the seams of Le p'tit mousse the other night and then couldn't find the buttons I'd bought for it a few months ago.

So, I stopped at my LYS yesterday on the way home and, of course, found buttons I liked even better! Phyllis at Iris Fine Yarns has a wonderful collection of buttons!

But we're actually not going to talk about that today. Today we're going to talk about this:

• Project:  Stitch -- One-Stitch Baby Sweater by Lion Brand Yarn
• Yarn:  Lion Brand Cotton Ease, 2 balls?
• Needle:  US 9?
• Start to Finish:  ??? - 11/12/13

I put the start date on Rav as November 1, 2010, only because there's not an option for "a million years ago." I have no idea when I started this, but it's been finished for almost as long, with coil-less pins marking five spots and awaiting only buttons all this time.

Alison picked the buttons herself last week at Soutache, and they are perfect -- the light blue buttons with the pale yellow yarn gives a nice vintage-y feel.

I'm unsure of the size -- it will probably fit 9m to a year or so, depending on the baby.

Aptly named, it's knit entirely in garter stitch (my favorite stitch) and all in one piece, finished with one long side/sleeve seam on each side and, of course, buttons! Cotton Ease means easy care -- one of the best and most affordable there is. This would be perfect in all seasons.

Voila! Ooooh, I can't wait for a squishy baby!!

There's more to come... stay tuned!

* * * * *

And don't forget to VoteLoLa today (and everyday)!

 

VoteLoLa.com

Local Chicks Are Better!

Locally Laid Egg Company, Duluth, MN, is in the Final Four of Intuit's Small Business Big Game contest -- the one where one small company wins a big commercial spot during the Super Bowl!

It's a great story (not to mention the BEST COMPANY NAME EVER), but I especially love the part where my cousin Gail is great friends with the owners of Locally Laid, Jason & Lucie Amundsen. Gail's sons work with LoLa on a regular basis and Gail, an architect, designs cool chicken houses for Jason and is involved in many other chicken-y projects with them.

Do me a favor, will ya? VoteLoLa.com -- once a day, everyday, thru December 1st. There's no registration necessary -- just click the link, VoteLoLa, and be done. Once a day, everyday. It would be so cool to see them win... I really want to see that commercial!!

 

Thanks!

Direct from his "Vietnam and Other Tales" scrapbook, my then 22-year-old husband in Vietnam. First a company clerk, he later directed an arts and crafts program where soldiers could work on making models, jewelry and other art, instead of, ahem, enjoying other types of R&R popular at the time.

Thanks, Rusty, and all veterans! Happy Veterans' Day!

 

Iron-y

So, we've used cloth napkins in our household for as long as I can remember. I've purchased some new, lots of old/vintage, have been given some, and repurposed many. You can get a lot of good napkins out of an old cotton tablecloth marred by an unremovable stain or two. I don't even hem them -- just rip along the grain and let 'em fray.

Today was "kitchen" laundry day -- dishtowels, dishcloths, potholders, and napkins. I like to fold them neatly, but I'm not too particular about wrinkles and whatnot. It helps when I hang them on the line to dry, especially on a breezy day, because the sun and wind do a good job of "ironing."

There's a particular set of 6 that were my grandma's and they seem to wrinkle more than the rest. I thought that maybe I'd bust a move and actually iron them today.

In order to do that, though, I needed to clear a path to the cupboard where my iron is... to get the iron and also to have room for setting up the board... which I did, and I'm really glad I did, but the iron wasn't in there!

There's a moral to this story, I'm sure of it...

 

Marin

I'm not sure why it's taken so long to blog this little project.

• Project:  Marin -- Marin by Ysolda Teague
• Yarn:  A Verb For Keeping Warm Annapurna Cashmere Yarn, one skein
• Needle:  US 5
• Start to Finish:  November 12 - December 16, 2012

I bought the yarn and pattern for this shawl about a year ago when I took a little birthday trip to the west coast.

It didn't take long to cast on, and I was finished in about a month.

It was a fun and very interesting to knit, with some different but very simple construction & stitch techniques, and it's completely reversible!

I recall that when I unpinned it from blocking last year, I wished that it was slightly larger. If I knit it again -- and I might -- I'd probably go up a needle size.

I could probably block it a bit larger next time, too.

Anyway, I've been wearing it a ton this year. The color is fabulous with the knit jacket I've been wearing most, that someone recently described as being "raisin" colored. 

Originally, I was going to just post the photo above, write a few words, and call it a NaBloPoMo day. Ha. The light's not so great today -- and I may as well get used to that situation for the next six months -- but I managed a few FO photos. Progress!

Hope you had a good start to the weekend.

 

Friday foolishness

Thor: The Dark World is on my short list for the weekend. (It's my birthday (week) and I can do what I want to!!) I recently watched the first Thor on Netflix and have been looking forward to seeing this on the big screen!

For now, how about a slumber party with Tom Hiddleston on the little screen:

Flippin' awesome.

Chicago was fun but it's been a busy week and I feel as though I've hardly even unpacked. Laundry, a little cleaning, cooking, some knitting, I have some bebe sewing projects that should get started, too.

The apartment also awaits; I sort of conveniently dropped that off my radar. I did clean up the new/used stove and ordered new drip pans. I guess I needed a break from that, and now that I'm recharged (sort of) it shouldn't take too much more. I believe the painting is finished -- even the porch -- and it looks great!

What's up for your weekend?

 

Chicago weekend - part 2

After a short walk for coffee and breakfast on Sunday morning, we checked out of our hotel and started to make our way north!

First stop:  The Spice House. We were there a few minutes before they opened, and the aroma was amazing even out on the sidewalk! This was my first visit to The Spice House, and I had a few things on my list! Those items procured, we walked down the street for coffee. I'd checked in on FB and my friend Amy piped up about their Chicago Spiced Sugar being a favorite, so we went back for that... and more!

I seriously love that about Facebook... and my friends... when I'm in a place that's new or unfamiliar! It was SO helpful when I planned the trip Sharon & I took to Las Vegas a few years ago, and there's just nothing better than a recommendation from a friend!

Our next stop was Soutache. I learned about this shop at Stitches Midwest where they had a booth. We visited earlier this year, but I had left all of my sweaters-in-need-of-buttons at home. This time, I'd grabbed a couple of Zim's in need of closure, and Ali and I had a fun time choosing... including some cute vintage buttons. It's not as extensive as Tender Buttons, but it's as close as I've seen.

Another planned stop was at The Container Store. We'd spied it on our way out of town last time and immediately put it on The List. Ali was looking for some baskets for shelving in her new bathroom -- and if you can't find something like that at TCS... 

Lunch break:  Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine. Delicious. It was nice enough that we were able to eat al fresco. I also had my first San Pellegrino Grapefruit -- yummy! Like Fresca, but not Fresca.

Our last stop before heading home was Bellybum Boutique. I have a feeling we were at that store before, but Ali thinks not... that it's the one that was closed that day. I dunno. Cute shop, lots of great stuff for babies, their mums, and even their grandmums-to-be!

* * * * *

Thank for all the wonderful birthday wishes!

I had a great day! No cake, but gelato works (Talenti Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip). Phone calls, Skype chats, both lunch & dinner away, hearing Zim's heartbeat at Ali's midwife appointment (next one in two weeks!), a couple of new books from my Wish List, a video "Happy Birthday" sung in Portuguese from Mack & Addy! Really. How could it be better?

 

55

Here are 55 amazing(ly) random things because...

1.  Today, I am 55!

2.  I was born at 11:26 a.m. on a Thursday.

3.  That's a long clip, but quite entertaining.

4.  David Bowie.

5.  Thursday's child has far to go.

6.  I just discovered/realized that my birthday falls exactly 7 weeks before Christmas.

7.  Always has.

8.  That means Christmas is on a Wednesday this year.

9.  "Hump day" is a great day.

10.  Except when it's also Christmas Day.

11.  Wednesday is one of the dumbest days for any holiday.

12.  It's a great day for a regular day off, though.

13.  Never thought I'd like it, and then I tried it.

14.  Wednesday's been "my day" for almost 10 years.

15.  Staggering.

16.  My birthday present from Kate arrived in the mail yesterday -- some lovely hand-dyed 80/20 BFL/Silk laceweight from Scotland -- 1600 m/1750 yds!

17.  It's a bit more blue than gray in real life.

18.  Sanderling has been on my radar (and in my library) for a while... Wray.

19.  I'm leaning toward a garment.

20.  I'm not averse to a shawl/stole.

21.  I do love my one & only laceweight shawl.

22.  Hwy. 55 goes right through my town. It's also one of my favorite routes to take in a southerly direction. That side of Lake Winnebago is gorgeous.

23.  State & county highways are so much more my style these days.

24.  55 is also the speed limit on many of those roads.

25.  A Bugatti Type 55 drives square into "dream car" territory.

26.  Today is the 3-week appointment with Ali & her midwife!

27.  Soon they'll be 2-week, and then every week appointments.

28.  So far, The Birth Partner is the best book I've read on the subject, and the one I'd recommend to a "birth partner." (I have the third edition, shown/linked below; the text link is to the fourth).

29.  Hard to believe my first grandchild will be here in only two months!

30.  I'm still pretty focused on baby knitting -- just finished my third soaker, and started a pair of leggings/baby legs.

31.  The first leg was knocked out last night. I'll knit one or two pair in worsted weight, but can't wait to pick some fingering weight from the stash to knit some of Ruth's Baby Leggings.

32.  0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55. Fifty-five is the 10th number in the Fibonacci sequence.

33.  I still have another "Fibonacci" project on my mind.

34.  It may be time for an epic project.

35.  Knit on with confidence and hope, through all crises. --Elizabeth Zimmermann

36.  That's two Ns.

37.  And it's a religion!

38.  Forgive me, Mother, for I have sinned...

39.  I have knowingly started a project without enough wool to finish...

40.  What do you suppose would be the penance for that?

41.  Kitchener the toes of two pairs of socks...

42.  Knit one Baby Surprise...

43.  Teach a muggle to knit.

44.  FINISH ONE OF YOUR MARINATING PROJECTS!

45.  The oak leaves are falling hard right now.

46.  It's also raining.

47.  A few leaks have been discovered in our roof.

48.  Buckets have been employed.

49.  Plural. I did not make further inquiry.

50.  Because, thankfully, that is not my domain.

51.  So, 55.

52.  On track to be an unforgettable year.

53.  The year I become Grandmother.

54.  Schmandmother. (In a good way.)

55.  Schfifty Five. (You're welcome.)

Ten on Tuesday: Zzzzzzz

Ten on Tuesday:  10 Thoughts on Daylight Savings Time

SATURDAY:

1.  Remember to set the clock back!

SUNDAY:

2.  Did my phone automatically "fall back"?

3.  Reset the alarm clock, living room clock, kitchen clock, stove clock, water softener clock, set-back thermostat clock...

4.  Is that all of them?

5.  Reset the clock in the car -- at the next stop light -- with one hand.

6.  Compare and contrast every clock I see:  Has its owner set it back yet?

7.  This is such a pain...

8.  And I don't even have a watch(es)!

MONDAY:

9.  Aaaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhhh! I'm so... discombobulated. And tired. And look at that, it's practically "night" at 4:00 already.

10.  I hate this.

 

A weekend away - Chicago

Having last left Chicagoland with a few things still on our to-do list, Ali and I took off on Friday afternoon with an aim to cross them off.

And we did.

And then some.

We stayed at the beautiful Hyatt Regency Chicago for a pretty good rate via Hotwire, and had a great view from our room on the 27th floor. Parking kills ya, but it's not like it's a surprise; I like to mosey my way out of town, so this works best for me/us.

I never made it over to The Palmer House where Vogue Knitting Live was happening. I'd just been to Stitches Midwest in August... had almost a half-dozen projects in various stages of finishing with me, as well as one on the needles, and plenty of yarn at home. Someday, maybe.

We bundled up on Saturday morning and took a walk to Navy Pier. Had we been looking for something to do all day, SOFA would have been fun -- the only other time I visited Navy Pier was years ago for Art Chicago -- but we just enjoyed the walk and the scenery and that was that.

It's changed a lot since I was there, by the way; and is very family-oriented in terms of shops and attractions.

From our hotel room, the Navy Pier ferris wheel was visible to the naked eye there between those buildings. Oh, I do love those tall buildings. Having never lived in the big city, someday -- in this life or one of the next -- I'd love to, even if just for a while.

On a whim, having never done it before, Ali and I walked through American Girl Place (and what a place!) on our way out of Water Tower Place. I nearly plotzed when I spotted JULIE ALBRIGHT - 1974! That's me... us... a mash-up of all of us -- me, my sisters, my friends. Crrraazy! I had a lot of those outfits. Heh. Ali was looking for some of her faves... Felicity, Samantha, Kirsten are all "in the archives" now, and another (Molly?) will soon be joining them.

We closed out Saturday by going to the movies! We saw Ender's Game. I enjoyed the movie more than Ali, but she read the book about a thousand times in middle school and I had no expectation since I haven't read it even once! It was entertaining enough; I was quite captivated by the young lead actor/character and how much he reminded me of my nephew Mack!

To be continued...

The suspense is killing us

WHICH SHOES?

Taos Women's Jive Pump -- in the photo posted yesterday, there's a brown pair right at my feet and the very helpful saleswoman was at that very moment getting the black pair that I eventually bought. Oh, I did love a few of the others, but one at a time suits me fine.

I went in for a pair of black flats and, while not quite that, I think it's closer than the time I went in for sandals and came out with Mary Janes!

 

Something I don't do very often

But when I do... and I found a winner!

NaBloPoMo 2013

Day 1. I haven't officially signed on (yet), but it seems a shame not to participate in National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) for the fifth straight year -- even though I'm crazy busy today and nothing is coming together on-the-fly quite as I'd like.

So, today I am relying on a few photos that sum up October around here. It was really quite lovely, but wool socks have come to the forefront, as they do at this time of year.

I'm heading out with Ali later today on a weekend adventure. I'm not sure we -- just the two of us -- have ever done that before! Seems like a good time.

Stay tuned! I haven't quite finalized the NaBloPoMo plan, but there's for sure a big birthday, Thanksgiving, and a baby shower happening this month -- all bloggable -- and perhaps I'll even get my babble back.