An Important PSA

If you have ants in your backyard, it's probably not a good idea to let your yarn hang out with the ants to dry. If you do this, there's a good chance you'll being a small colony of them back into the house with you. And find them the next morning while trying to fix breakfast.

Not pretty.

There's More than One Way to Cook your Yarn

Today I tried my hand at multicolored yarn! This is another skein of the KnitPicks Bare sock yarn. I used Jacquard Acid Dyes in Chartruese and Sapphire and cooked this puppy in....a crock pot!

I suppose I should have taken the step by step photos but I didn't have time today so let me see if I can explain for future reference.

First I put my yarn to soak with a drop of vinegar. I have an old crockpot that I don't ever use so it is now my designated dyeing pot. I mixed my dye up (1/4 tsp dye powder with 1" of water and 2 Tbsp vinegar) in plastic bottles, thenplaced about half the yarn in the bottom of the crockpot. I poured half the blue dye on one side of the pot and the green on the other, then layered on the rest of the yarn and poured the rest of the dye on top, keeping the sides seperate.

I know it sounds like it should all mix and muddy up, but I had two distinct sides - green and blue. I covered it and turned it on low and let it sit for a few hours. The blue exhausted rather fast, the green never did totally exhaust. I turned it off and let the yarn cool off until it was room temperature. Then I rinsed it and hung it to dry.

Notes - I need to get a different type of bottle...a small squirt bottle or a few eyedroppers would work well to get the dye on the yarn. Also, to avoid the white patches I need to overlap my colors some. The white patches don't bother me on these colors at all, but if I don't want them I need to push my colors together more.

Farm Days!

Today we took the kids to a local historical farms where they were celebrating the Farmskills Days...there were different booths and people talking about candle making, weaving, pottery, a civil war camp, we toured the historical house on site...it was a great day to get out!

We also went last year and were hoping we could catch a sheepdog demonstration again - lucky us! Toby even got to pet a sheep!

Luci LOVED watching the dogs chase the sheep.

We ate lunch there - they had huge grills up and running. Yum!

Before we left we watching a clogging show. Luci LOVED it...as in, her face lit up and she was enthralled -

Toby like watching the dancers too...
It was so nice to get out and do something close to home! And it's finally drying up around here - we had about an inch of rain from this last system to go through.

Well, it's about time for me to tuck Toby into bed so I'm cutting this short...

Chel :)

A September Nor'easter

Day 2 of wind and rain.l Yesterday was cloudy, gloomy, windy and blustery. A nice day to stay in and nap (anyone want to give Luci the official desecription of a good day to nap? She refused to nap at all yesterday afternoon).

Last night was our last night of swim class! I think all of us are going to miss going - the kids especially, but mom and dad too...it's a good way to wear the kids out! Last night the instructor was teasing Toby and asked him where he comes from...he thought about it and answered, "Mommy!" Too cute :)

I brought my camera and got a picture of Toby and Daddy. I was holding Luci and didn't want to make Curtis try to hold two while I took a picture, so I just took the two of them.

Curtis is in Raleigh this morning and the kids and I are having a quiet morning at home. Luci was up early again, but went down well for her morning nap. Toby was up again last night (I don't know what is up with these night wakings!), but he slept in this morning to make up for it.

Not a whole lot going on here right now. There are some fun things going on around here this weekend so if it dries out we will be getting out. Cross your fingers!

Dyeing to dye

Wanted to bookmark a site for further reference...I am going to try crockpot dyeing next!

http://www.kaleidocherry.com/dyeing/crockpot.htm

Sock Yarn and More Sock Yarn!

First up, I finished this hat and matching socks last week. I sadly ran out of yarn and the very tip top of the hat and had to substitute with another color - could be a better match, but it's ok. And DD won't leave the hat on for anything - of 20 attempted pic, this is the only one where the hat stayed on.



Today I tried dyeing for the first time! I started with KnitPicks Bare sock yarn (merino nylon mix).
Here it is soaking before immersion in the dye
My pot of yarn! I boiled it for almost an hour and still not all the dye was exhausted, so I went ahead and pulled it. I hope it didn't hurt anything to do so, but that's why this was my first run!
Finally, drying outside. It started threatening rain soon after so I pulled it in the house to finish. I love the shade of blue!It's still pretty wet - I have no idea how long yarn takes to dry! I will update more when I have more to update (ummmm.....stating the obvious?)

Ah, fall!

I know, I know, yet another post gushing about the virtues of fall. What can I say? I was tired of summer!

Yesterday we went to the NC Turkey Festival. I think I had high hopes that it would rival the grandeur of the Pork Festival, but alas, it just did not. But we got out of the house and it was free, so I can't complain too much.

Here's Luci (in a jacket!!!! Thanks, fall!!!) at the Turkey Festival

Both kids at the Turkey Festival...I don't know what they were watching, but it sure had their attention!
Out back swinging yesterday afternoon.
Luci in her new hat and socks I knitted for her. She won't leave the hat on - boo!
Today I dyed yarn - a new venture! It's still drying but I think I did it right :) Curtis was busy with school work today. It's been a nice (cool!) weekend...highs in the mid 70's. AHHHHHHH.

Two's are Tough!

If you can't tell Toby has been giving us a rough go of it lately...Today he has refused a nap, colored on the carpet, dumped soap on the bathroom floor...and other minor irritations. Ergh! And this morning he took a walk with friends of ours and we went to the park, so you'd think he'd be a little worn out for these shenanigans.

In other news, new pics!

Look at her standing! The most I've counted is 9 steps, she usually makes it 4-5. Wow!
Having a blast making a mess...
A little lesson...when your son is driving you up the wall, you can always challenge him to get his foot in his mouth! Kept him busy for a few minutes anyway...
Have a great weekend all!

9 Months Old (Wah!!!!)

Ok, I'm the only one crying that she's getting so old already! I am SO not ready to have a 9 month old! Here is her picture from yesterday:

And you can see the little climber in her coming out...
And Toby!
This morning Luci went in for her 9 month checkup. She was 19 lbs, 2 ounces, so she's gained about a pound...you could have knocked me over with a feather! I thought she'd put on all sorts of weight! She's 28.5 inches, so plenty tall...and 50% on weight. She does have an ear infection, which explains the last two nights of utter misery.

Yesterday was awful. Toby was being...well, 2, and Luci wasn't feeling well...finally Curtis gets home, we eat dinner, while I'm cleaning up Toby pees on the register grate (he was looking out the window and apparently had to go), so I pop both kids in the tub while Curtis cleans up the mess in Toby's room. I just finish getting them clean when Luci gets a mouthful of water, starts coughing and ends up throwing up in the bathwater!! GROSS. So then I had to clean the tub, Luci wouldn't sleep...yeah it was a mess of a day. So far today's been better, and now that we know she has an ear infection she will hopefully be much better soon.

We have a cool front going through which has pushed away our 90 degree weather and today it's in the LOW 70's! WOOHOO! It's cloudy and just perfect! Couldn't ask for better weather.

Take care!

Where is Fall?

Today is September 15. The high is supposed to be somewhere in the low 90's. Hm, things that don't mesh? Well, we all have colds, so in some ways fall IS here, but I'd much prefer beautiful crisp Fall days. With any luck we'll be looking at highs in the 70's to low 80's by midweek.

Like I said, the kids have colds. Toby's started Saturday morning, then Luci started Saturday night with an unholy night to end all nights (I think she was up for a total of 3 hours, and up for the day by 6...not fun for anyone!). She's teething too, so she's just plain miserable. Last night with the help of Motrin she was only up twice and went right back down, and today she's still snotty but not as overtired as she was yesterday. Curtis and I are fighting a touch of the cold, but hopefully we can hold it at bay.

Another Monday. Curtis has class this afternoon, so he's busy this morning preparing. Luci is now napping and Toby is playing with Thomas. Have I mentioned he is now a HUGE Dora fan? I let him watch an episode last week and ever since it's "Dora this" and "Dora that"....and since Dora is hugely into commercialization, every time we walk into WalMart he goes into a tizzy with all the Dora merchandise. LOL! He has for the time being given up his Sesame Street obsession in favor of Dora and the occasional Blue's Clues.

Luci is still working on walking. She's up to 5 steps at the most and will take off for the middle of the room, just to fall flat every time. But I think she's bound and determined to figure this walking thing out. Today she is 9 months - eek! I will have to get the camera out later and take pictures. The camera has been suprisingly lazy lately, which is why there haven't been any new pictures up. I suppose I should remedy that. Tomorrow is her 9 month checkup so we'll get to see how big she is. She certainly feels heavier to me so I think she has gained a LOT. She is a girl who loves her food. Poor thing, the only thing she got from me was her thighs.

This week is a busy one. Tomorrow is Luci's appt, then the kids start swim class. It's an infant swim, designed to build comfort in the water. Both kids will be in the same class - it's for 6-36 month olds, so I've really been hoping we could find a time when Curtis could go so we could get both kids in. The class is this week and next, Tues and Thusdays from 5:30 to 6. Then Wednesday is when MOPS starts up - YAY! I am so excited to get things going again. Luci will be in the childcare for the first time, so I'm a little nervous since she is most certainly a "Mommy's Girl" and has a tendency to Freak Out when I'm not in sight. I think it will be good for her. Toby will have a blast in the Moppets program - the 2 year old program has a structure to it much like a preschool, so it will be great for him twice a month! Thursday morning is story time at the local bookstore so I'd like to at least take Toby, but will probably take both of them. And then Friday we have plans for a playdate. Whew! I'm tired just typing all that out! next week is book club so I need to work in enough time to finish my book - AND I'm hosting and since we just don't have enough room here (and it's in the evening and with the kids rooms so close to the living room I think it would = no sleep for the kids) I am looking for a local restaurant where we can meet. AND I have to find 3 books to suggest for next month's read! At this rate, September is going to fly by!

All right, off to finish some things up, I will update with 9 month pictures later!

Vine Lace Scarf

My finished lace scarf! This is my first attempt at knitted lace and I found to be thoroughly enjoyable. Knitting the lace was soothing, and this pattern was super easy and really repeated the same each row so once I had the pattern down, it was nice and repetitive.

This is a ME project (yay!) and while I don't see it being super warm, we don't get super cold so I think it will even out.

Last night I blocked and thought I'd share the process...

First a soak with a drop of baby shampoo to wash the wool. This is NOT superwash wool, so it must be gently handwashed. After the initial soak I rinsed two times, then squeezed out the water with a towel.

Luckily this fit on my ironing board, so I pinned and pinned and pinned and finally had it all stretched out on the ironing board- it just barely fit!

And here is the finished product! I love it :) The color is a little different, but I like it.

I have tons of this yarn so I think I will make at least another scarf, maybe a tiny one for my DD too. Although I'm not sure I want to dress a one year old up in a handwash-only scarf. We'll see.

On the needles now....socks! I have some sock yarn and am working on a pair for DD now, have skeins marked for myself, and this weekend I hope to try my hand at dyeing yarn in manly colors for my husband.

Toddler-isms

I never thought that life would be particularly clean living with a toddler. And to be honest, until Today toddlerhood has exceeded my expectations, as Toby is generally a very good boy. But when he does it up, he Really Does It Up.

This afternoon I decided to make a lasagna for dinner. Normally, the kitchen is off-limits to those under 63 inches, baby gated and all. It's just easier for me to keep little ones Out from under my feet while I cook and mess with the hot oven and stove. Today, however, I was feeling magnamanious and thought that since lasagna is a relatively easy meal , perhaps Toby could help me. Luci was down for nap and Curtis could have some "me" time with his football team and the tv while Toby and I worked on dinner.

For a bit all was well. Toby sat on the floor and ate his snack, then played with a bowl and wooden spoon...which turned to smashing goldfish crackers on the floor, but I stopped that pretty quick. Small mess, and the floor needed a good mopping anyway, so I figured once we were done I would commence the cleaning.

Then he noticed the soda cans. Earlier I was tidying up and noticed one box of soda had only 3 cans left, so I stacked them on the windowsill and trashed the box. Enchanted with the idea of lining up soda cans on the windowsill, he started opening other boxes of soda to get more cans (before you think that we consume soda by the gallon, let me clarify that my grocery store puts soda on sale buy 2 get 3 free, and they just had one of those sales a week ago so I had stocked up). Pretty soon soda was stacked three tall all along the window sill. Sensing a potential disaster, I told him he could stack the soda on the floor, but the window was probably not the best idea. I showed him what I meant, then went on to other tasks (like layering my lasagna).

It wasn't long after this that Toby was distracted by something else and wanted to play in the living room, so I let him out of the kitchen while the lasagna baked and I tidyed up. Soon it was time to set the table though and I let him back in to help.

The cans (still in the window because he'd been distacted mid-moving them) were like a magnet. I turned around just in time to see a stack fall (onto his toe I might add), and then....oh then....the soda started spewing. Literally spewing all over the floor, the wall, the window, my son, my own legs. I grab the can and head for the sink. Curtis hears the commotions and yells for Toby to go to his room; I start yelling, no he can't leave (he's covered in soda!), and at this point Toby loses it and starts bawling.

I check his toe (it was fine, I don't think it ever hurt), strip him down and heads with Dad to the bathroom for the wipe down. I turn around and survey the damage. Coke is dripping down the wall, puddling on the floor, and decorating my white cabinets. Oh, did I mention the timer is also going off, as the lasagna is Done, and ready to eat?

So I get most the soda cleaned up, and mop the floor, wipe down the walls. Turn around and notive a secondary spew across the refrigerator and cabinets by the stove. Then in wiping down the soda cans remaining on the sill, I knock ANOTHER one off and of course, it starts spewing (Squirt, this time).

By this time I can see the humor in the situation, but I really want to eat dinner! I get as much cleaned up as I can, and we eat (the lasagna was delicious, by the way!)

After dinner I mopped twice more, and it STILL feels sticky to me. But at this point I can't tell if it's just my feet or what, so I'm leaving it until the kids are in bed. The floor hasn't been this clean in a long time! (At least not mopped three times in less than an hour. All in all, it could have been much worse.

Anyway, I thought I'd share...my life, for your amusement!

One Colorful Peacock

Luci's Halloween costume came in the mail today! How cute it she???


Ooh, I just love it! It's a little big, which is good since we have another 2 months until Halloween (what can I say, I shop ahead!) So so so cute! I love it! I could barely get her to look at the camera with it on since she was so fascinated with playing with it!

We are feeling the effects of Tropical Storm Hanna today. Actually it's close enough to being a Cat 1 that they're saying you wouldn't really know the difference. Still, we're just out of the high wind warnings and such, so that's good! We should just see some rain and good wind gusts. We've been through several of these, so it's nothing new, but still exciting :) I'm sure some of you remember the tornado of '04...ugh, I don't want to relive that one...and we're still convinced that that is the reason Lex is still to this day terrified of storms. Poor puppy may be in for it tonight.

Anyhoo, have a great weekend!

Michelle

So what have I been up to, you ask?

Longies! Yes, September is here and while we're still waiting for a certain crispness in the air (which just simply doesn't mesh with 94 degrees, what we have today), it is getting to be longies weather!

These are my two newest creations -




The first are a small pair for a friend, made with Berroco alpaca - a DREAM to work with! The second pair are size mediums for my daughter, made with Ella Rae wool - affordable and cute! Ah, I am in longies mode now!

Almost Walking!

Luci is just a hair away from walking! I think it was 3 days ago that she started taking 1-2 steps and today she is up to 4 at the most! Eek! I almost have a walker!

This video has 2 clips, the first is Luci playing with Toby's rocking horse - she LOVES this horse and will hunt him down in Toby's room, lol. Are you seeing a pattern here - she loves Toby's toys far more than her own! The second clip is Curtis working with her late this afternoon on her steps. She was getting pretty tired at this point so this is definitely not her best from today, but it gives you an idea of what she's up to!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Toby and I were running errands today. I have the kids signed up for infant swim lessons later this month so we stopped by the Fitness Center to pay for the class. Toby of course saw the pool, and now that's all he can talk about! I guess I'm going to be hearing about the pool for the next two weeks until it's time for the class.

I won an Ebay auction for Luci's Halloween costume this morning and was PSYCHED over the great deal I got! I've been looking for Toby but hadn't seen anything that jumped out at me. So this afternoon I took him to look at sewing patterns and we picked out a pattern that has a Panda, a Skunk, a Monkey, a Lion, and an Elephant. He can't decide which of those he likes best, but I'm betting he'll end up the panda bear. So I'm looking for fabric now!

Enjoy the video!

Happy Labor Day!

Nothing too exciting going on here. Curtis grilled hot dogs and brats for dinner tonight and I made mashed sweet potatoes - yum! Though Toby wasn't a fan - I thought he'd like them. But, alas, the allure of watermelon was far stronger. Luci however, loved the sweet potatoes and hated the watermelon! Go figure.

We've been watching the hurricane coverage today. I was glad to see it was less than it could have been but we are watching the Atlantic with some trepidation. If Hanna comes north and hits South Carolina, it could quite feasibly come straight north to us. We don't want to see that kind of rainfall right now - that's just too much. And of course the current track (I'm watching the 11:00 news) has it heading straight to us. Yipee.

On to other subjects - like my cherry tomato plant. Ah yes, the only way to get Toby to eat his tomatoes...and I have a Tomato Hornworm horning in on MY plant! I know that's what it is from the way he is stripping the plants bare and I have been practically laying in wait for him today, and wouldn't you know he hasn't shown his face once? I even had Curtis out looking for him. I can't wait to smash him to bit! YUCH! I just want him to quit eating my plant!

I can't believe it's September already. Soon we will have more fall-like weather - and none too soon, since Luci is fast outgrowing her summer wardrobe and all her 12 month clothes are geared for cooler weather. In fact this week we're only supposed to see one day above 90! Wheeeeee! Break out the jeans!

Well it is my bedtime, so I am signing off....Good night!