So, I’ve managed to take photos of some of the things I’ve been working on lately. And here they are!

The cozy v-neck pullover from Fitted Knits. If it weren’t for the yarn, it’d be much cozier. That llama in the Pastaza, it just pokes through all the layers! But I do love the sweater and I’m thinking I’d like to knit it out of the Blue Sky Alpaca’s worsted handdyes. It would be $$$ but wow, would it be nice.

Fingerless mittens for the kids. I didn’t use a pattern, but just figured my own based on the gauge. Honor’s are made out of some leftover louet gems worsted that I had (but we want to carry it at Tangle next fall) and Eden’s are made out of our new PJ’s yarn. It’s a poly fleece ribbon that is SUPER soft!

Pics of the playroom turned office. It’s usually not quite as cluttered, but Jim had all his music equip and snowboard out from recent use. The floor is painted the same color as the dining room because we had A LOT of extra paint. (And I love the color.)

A baby hat and sweater that I made for our new nephew. I need to get it to him as I hear he’s packing on the pounds! Sweater is the Knitting Pure and simple baby pullover pattern #214 and the hat is a free pattern that you can download from tangle’s website.

Curtains that I sewed for the dining room. If you happen to see similar fabric at Urban Outfitters in the bedspread dept, just don’t go making the connection…

And my new neckwarmer. This is handdyed yarn similar to Colinette Point 5. I knitted a lining (Christina’s idea) out of a super soft acrylic yarn – GGH esprit. I LOVE this neckwarmer.

“So take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky legs. Mark out the straight path for your feet. Then those who follow you, though they are weak and lame, will not stumble and fall but will become strong.”
-Heb. 12. 12 & 13

Monday
Lemon Olive Chicken

Tuesday
Soy/Ginger Chicken with rice (crockpot)

Wednesday
Salmon Cakes

Thursday
Tamales at my Aunts

Weekend
Sausage & Kale soup
Tacos
Skillet potato cake and omelet

“Mom, this bean is Lord of the Beans!”

handmade cloth napkins – I need to make a giant stack of these and stop using so much paper – even if it is recycled. Maybe it would be nice to screen print or fabric paint the napkins too – I want everyone to be different.

How to make gift boxes out of cereal boxes good idea

Hanukkah Crafts for kids

All links via Craftzine.com

Today I woke up to a thick blanket of white, powdery snow outside. This means that I had to shovel all the sidewalks in front of Tangle. (Can I just say that it’s a major pet peeve of mine to have sidewalks shoveled now that I walk to and from work? You’d be surprised how many people don’t.) I let the kids run around outside while I shoveled and everything was going swimmingly until Honor tripped head first into a big pile of snow. Let’s just say, 3 hours later, he’s finally stopped whining about it.

I have to say, though, that snow makes me terribly happy. Here in the desert, we don’t usually get a ton of snow, so each snowfall is a treat. I love it because it covers all the ugly brown. It also provides a great backdrop for photos that would have happened had Honor not nearly died in the snow.

I’m not feeling very well. I’m really tired of not feeling very well. The last couple weeks I’ve had to deal with some family issues, so I can’t tell if it’s the emotional let down (things are mostly settled down now) or maybe some bug I’m fighting off. But I found myself telling Honor, “You have to be nice to me, I don’t feel good” and I realized why he always says the exact same thing to me when he’s not feeling good.

And he told me, “Mom, you’re so tute (cute)” so that made me feel much better. And Eden read a level 5 book today. Sometimes it’s the little things you have to hold onto until the big things right themselves.

Once and awhile I wonder why you love me.
Me and my not so perfect body.
Me and my crazy moods.
How could you in your wonderfulness love me in my messes?
And every time I find myself doing things that hurt you, somehow you can forgive me.
And on top of that you help me out of the hole that I dug for myself.
You forgive my constant mistakes and forget them.
When I do things that embarrass you, you don’t look the other way and pretend that you don’t know me. You walk over, take my hand and stand with me in my shame.
When I’m hurt, you cry with me.
When I’m angry, you counteract me with peace.
Through all my mistakes, embarrassments, heartaches and anger, you love me.
In my unperfectness, you always love me.

I’m so behind on posting and taking pictures of what I’ve knit it’s ridiculous. It seems like my knitting and the camera are never in the same place at the same time. But I do have a small offering for you.

The Matilda hat: I knit this one out of Eco Wool. Can I just say how great that yarn is? It just seems like the skein is never ending. This hat was knit from the leftovers from my fitted knits cardi.

With this hat I also demonstrated the power of blocking. The brim was all floppy and mooshy and after an agressive steam, it turned out perfect! Christina shared with me her German way of blocking. She lays a damp towel directly on the knitting and then lays the iron directly on the towel and steams away. It’s nice because it drys in no time.

Overall, I love the hat. I just wish I would have made it a tad smaller.