Mr. Crabby

Has escaped!!

How did he get out??

I went to feed him a little bit ago, and when I looked, he was gone. I really don't know how he got out, but I found him snuggled into a ball of roving that was sitting on the counter waiting to be dyed. Who would have thought hermit crabs liked wool!

So now he lives in a taller container. It's a little smaller around, but it's taller so he can't run away again.

He doesn't seem to care, but I'd rather not get up to pee in the middle of the night and hear his shell scratching along the bathroom floor in the dark....

We're Back!

We just got back from Calebs first trip to the shore. It was really sunny out the whole time, so most of the pictures didn't turn out very good.



Of course he was terrified of the ocean!


Before we left, I had decided to use cloth diapers on the new baby. So, of course that gave me the perfect reason to stop at a yarn store on the way! I didn't get anything really interesting, just some plain old worsted weight wool to knit some soakers with.


The ladies at the yarn store seemed to think I had no clue what I was doing though! I kept getting comments about how the yarns I had chosen were different weights, and how they needed to be handwashed, etc. Ummm, I was also buying a cute felted baby bonnet pattern, I think that should have shown them I know what happens when you throw wool in the washing machine! Then when I told them what I was planning to use the yarn for..... they really thought I was nuts! Oh well, at least I came out with some pretty yarn!

Caleb got his first pet, a hermit crab. He couldn't care less about it, but of course I had to be a Good Mama and stop at a pet store and spend way too much money buying stuff for it!

When we got home, I even had two packages waiting for me!


The first was a Knitty SP package with some pretty sock yarn. I already have some pattern ideas for it, but think I may just put it aside for now because I think it would also make an adorable baby hat if this little one pops out and is a girl. She also sent chocolate, cat treats (which came in very handy-- our cats always get mad at us when we go away!) and and a lovely vintage apron with the cutest little pocket on it!


Then I opened a package from the Knitty sock swap (and of course I forgot to get pictures of the two pairs of socks I knit for others!).


I was really excited for this package, because even though I've participated in several sock swaps, this was the first time I actually received any socks!


She used Regia silk and the "Love Me Knot" pattern. Also included were some cute sheepy things, a row counter and some pretty stitch markers she made from origami stars!


Thank you Donna and SP, those were nice to come home to after a 3+ hour car ride!


Oh, and if anyone gets a chance to eat at a Fractured Prune, do it!! I wish there was one in my town.....

Party!

We had Caleb's birthday party today.


He loves yogurt so much, he'll sometimes carry around/ play with empty (clean!) containers...


What are these for?

Ready to mail

They're a week late, but I'm finally mailing my Sockapalooza socks! They would have been done long ago, but then I didn't get much knitting done last month...

I hope they fit! It's my first time kntting for someone with larger feet and ankles, and then after I finished, I remembered that the SKS books don't figure negative ease into the patterns! I chose a stretchy pattern, so I hope they aren't to big...

SP 11 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I've been knitting a lot of socks lately. I like most soft wool/ wool blend yarns, but nothing that sheds a lot. I wear contacts and shedding fibers always manage to find their way to my eyes!

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I have two needle rolls for my straight needles, but my DPNs and circular needles are just thrown in a box.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I've been knitting about 6 years.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

5. What's your favorite scent?

I like most plainish floral scents and food smells (fruity or baked goods type)

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

I love maple sugar candy, but chocolate is always good!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I have a spindle, but haven't had enough practice yet

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

I like pretty much all types of music. The husband has decided we should do the ipod thing for the car and home, so right now we're putting everything on the computers. I have about 600 Cds, and he has even more..... we like all kinds of stuff!

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

I love reds/ pinks/ oranges, but also adore greens and some blues. I'd say I love most colors!

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

Right now we have a 23 month old son, but baby #2 will be here in the beginning of November. We also have two cats.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

I'm the snow shoveler in the house, so hats and scarves get use. I've never actually worn mittens...

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

Right now socks and hats. Pretty much anything small I can carry around.

13. What are you knitting right now?

A couple of pairs of socks for swaps, some baby stuff.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Of course!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

I like short straight needles, so it something has too many stitches to fit them, I'll use a circular needle. But if choosing between circulars and DPNs, I'll choose the DPNs.

I've been preferring aluminum needles lately, but bamboo/ wood is good for slippery yarns or larger DPNs.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

Yes to both.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

There's a half finished baby blanket that's a few years old around here somewhere...

18. What is your favorite holiday?

I guess Christmas. I love to give people gifts and bake cookies.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

I seem to collect vintage aprons and tablecloths and erotica books. I just recently noticed that I also seem to be collecting cute tea tins.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

I'm hoping to try fair isle soon, probably as a hat for my son.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

Yes, I love knitting socks. I wear a US womans size 8 1/2 shoe and my measurements are:

length 9 1/2 inches
ball 8 3/4 inches
ankle 9 inches

23. When is your birthday?

March 8th

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?

mamaknits!

Is it over?

Little Guy went to sleep last night with minimal crying. He laid down all by himself after a few minutes, and even though he laid there like that for about an hour before falling asleep, he was quiet the whole time.

Then just a little bit ago, I was sitting on the floor and I realized he was really quiet. I turned around and saw this.


He had just climbed up on the couch and went to sleep all by himself (and yes, that's a cat toy he's holding. I have no idea why.) I can't remember the last time he took a nap.

So I actually have a bit of time to myself right now!

I hope his sleeping troubles are over. Neither one of us have had hardly any sleep the past two weeks. And every time I could get him to fall asleep for a bit, the baby would wake up and start kicking really hard so I couldn't get any sleep myself.

Oh well, I guess it's just practice for when baby #2 gets here...

A little goodness in a crappy week

Little Guy won't sleep. He cries and cries when I put him to bed and won't even lay down. He's almost two, but he still won't talk, so I have no idea what's going on. I don't know if he's having bad dreams and scared to go to sleep, just being scared of the dark, being extra needy because I'm pregnant or what. Or maybe he's teething. He has had a few rashes this week and they only happen when he's teething. I don't know.

So of course I've done absolutely no knitting this week.

But there was a little goodness too!

Yesterday the mailman brought me three packages.

Something for my Knitty SP, so I'm not showing a picture!

A birthday present for DH.

It says "I love you more than zombies love brains". Of course it's from etsy!

and something from my upstream Knitty SP.


I have already used the tea and mug, because in addition to no sleep this week I also ran out of coffee and tea (well, there's plenty of flavored teas, but in the morning I prefer coffee or plain tea). I've also been planning a vacation, and I think the cute little row counter will be perfect for car knitting! Plus, since we're planning a shore vacation I already had seafood on the brain, so the lobster mug and gummies were perfect.

Should I be embarassed to admit that I knew what the maple sugar candy was before I unwrapped it? I could tell just by feeling it through the tissue paper....

Then, to top it all off I checked my email and found my Ravelrey invite. I guess I better start taking stash pictures!