Molly Molly Bo Bolly Banana Fanna...

Never again will I pick a project with miles of stockinette stitch. This lovely little number is ribbed thoughout, and what a difference it makes. Just over the weekend I finished the front, and will be moving on the the sleeves tonight. Sweeeeeet.

Have you ever considered looking for a job that is further away so you may take the commuter rail rather than sit in miles of traffic? That was my thought this morning while I was sitting on Route 3 eating my second granola bar in stop and go traffic. Wouldn't I rather be sitting on the train with a newspaper, book, or (of course) knitting. If I weigh the benefits of taking the T, this is what I come up with:

1) no more anxiously watching my gas gauge (I HATE pumping gas)
2) at least 30-40 minutes of time to fill frivolously with reading, phone calls, or knitting

However, I also considered:

1) no more fun stops on the way home at Pier1, Trader Joes, or HomeGoods
2) no flexibility with time, no lingering around the house in the morning if I feel the desire to eat some breakfast or sleep in
And last but not least..
3) Who was sitting in this seat before me? ewww.

Dog-O-Lantern

Just so happy its friday...thought I'd share a little domestic moment. This is Scout, waiting dutifully at the picture window. From here he waits to see our cars as they turn onto the street. The best part of this little habit is that when you come home from a hard day at work, the first thing to greet you when you pull in the driveway is his big fuzzy face in the window.

I'm not sure how he feels about the jack-o-lantern dish that Phil bought, but I love it.

See you all monday!

Wishful Thinking

Well, its easy to see how I pick my projects. Could this model be more 'heather-y'? So maybe I'll look like that in my dreams, or maybe I was somewhat close about six months ago. Whatever it may be, I was lingering in Borders last weekend while all of you were in fiber paradise and finally found a purpose for those two enormous skeins of sportweight alpaca that I picked up in Connecticut this year. Molly Ringwald.

Yes, Molly Ringwald. From the pages of KnitScene (I guess the designer thought calling it "Pretty in Pink" would be a bit cliche.) I prefer to call this project Wishful Thinking, as I hope to fit into the finished project by the summer. My version will be a bit softer and more gauzy hopefully. Otherwise, I think those shoulder caps would look a bit silly on me. But to be honest, if I didn't have 20 extra pounds of babakins to carry around, I would steal this girl's outfit in a heartbeat. In fact, there's a black shirt in my closet exactly like the undershirt she's wearing..too funny.

But on to wishful thinking. With the baby boom going on around me at work and socially, the common sentiment among my adorable friends is the longing for our pre-baby figures. The new silhouettes we cast after five months of pregnancy are a bit difficult to accept, and I think we all took for granted the comfort of tailored pants and princess-seaming. My closet (now half empty because I have banned all pre-pregnancy skinny clothes) is now sparsely filled with voluminous empire-waist tops and unflattering pants that bag up around the bottom. I feel, in fact, that some time in September the circus came to town and must have mistaken my closet for one of their clown cars.

So, the best outlook until I can return to my dainty little self is with humor. After all, the preggie-walk is funny, the clothes are funny, and the weird yelps I let out every time babakins decides to give a good kick are really funny. And if I'm lucky, the little one will be able to hear me laughing.

On The Farm

This just reminded me of growing up on the farm. Usually our sheep were hungry enough to be waiting by the barn door at dinnertime. Sometimes, they weren't so hungry...

I Missed It All.

Well, I missed the greatest fiber fest of the year, and a whole lot of great news from the sound of it! But thursday before my foot became its worst, we did get to a Bruins game-and they won. I LOVE hockey. And yes, that is me and my two husbands on the big screen, belly and all.

Things you do when a bum leg keeps you from playing with the other kids at Rhinebeck:

1) You begin thinking about what to make with that soft grey alpaca you picked up in Connecticut this year, and find yourself wondering what posessed you to buy 1280 yards of sportweight?
2) You desperately rush to the mall when no one's looking in the vain hopes of getting a set of US 3 needles at JoAnn's, with no luck of course.
3) You teach yourself how to knit I-cord. (It was very easy after all!)
4) You cry like a baby, much to your husband's confusion. This includes kicking, hiding in the bathroom, and wailing "I want to goooooo!" and other various immature behaviors that you would see only from a 2 year old.
5) You eat. A lot.
6) You spend. A lot. In this case it was on furniture, since there are many stores in our immediate vicinity, so I didn't have to walk far or sit for too long in the car.
7) And last but most strangely, you feel a distinct sense of loss and loneliness, and find yourself sniffing and hugging the most wooly-scented bundles of yarn in your stash throughout the weekend.

Maybe I was trying to capture some of the fun and excitement I was missing....

Beware of Bumps Ahead

DEAR GOD! Why did I not notice this before? About a month ago these signs were erected on Route 3. It was at about that time I popped, like a well-cooked thanksgiving turkey. Someone has to warn the commuters, male and female alike! Turn back! Detour! Don't go this way or you risk getting a serious baby bump! I'm living,walking proof!

OK, in all seriousness I am having the best week ever. One absolutely perfect cut & foil with Stacy at Earth Tones in Duxbury (the most fabulous hairdresser ever), one cute silk dress and brown mary janes, tickets to the Bruins game tonight, and of course knitting/weaving/spinning mecca Rhinebeck this weekend. Could it possibly get any better? I don't think so.

I have my blogger bingo card printed and ready and I am so excited to make the rounds, meet new people, and shop. Only one problem: no project on the needles. There's a silly hat, but that would occupy me for maybe an hour of the road trip. Luckily, the company I'm with can't be beat- Blogless Sharon and Carole will be with there, so I doubt there will be any boredom or dull moments!

(Belly girth- very disappointing last night. Just 34 inches, up from 32 a few months ago. hmm. It may have something to do with the sway-back posture I've been sporting lately. It seems that with all the weight in front, I've developed a strange curve to the spine, making the belly point forward (and the butt stick out too!) Delightful.)

When I'm Happy I Go Country....

Just a little note today-I have noticed that when I'm happy I go country.

I tend to tune into country stations more often. I also pick up my old George Strait and Alan Jackson CD's, sing recklessly in my car along with John Michael Montgomery's "Sold" at the top of my lungs, and dream about getting a pair of real cowboy boots.

My co-workers must think me strange for my selection of music, but you, my friends, know the truth. I'm just very happy.

(i'm also going to the Bruin's game thursday, and Rhinebeck on friday!)

Finishing Touches

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending a baby shower-coincidentally for another Heather. In fact, I think the two of us are quite alike- she's handling the last trimester with a lot more grace than I, but I am trying to follow in her footsteps!

Heather has a warm family, with plenty of sisters, aunts, and nieces to celebrate with, so it was a large shower with lots of pink presents. I was in pink paradise...However, halfway through the presents I became infatuated with her friends' little boy (I forget his name) who had to be about 2 years old, and had the nature and austerity of a little man. He marched purposefully from room to room, consumed anyting you put in front of him dutifully, and answered you directly in short punctuated bursts when asked a question. A no-nonsense little guy. Oh, and he had the biggest most beautiful eyes.

So through most of the shower I daydreamed about what our little guy may be like...And decided some more chunky, stripey, earth-tones raglans would be necessary in case we happen to give birth to a little boy like that. So while I'm plugging away at my silly hat, I'll be searching for some ultra-soft merino wool in off-white, or maybe something tweedy to make into chunky little vests and sweaters. A good mission for Rhinebeck, I must say.

Warm Fuzzies

Nothing beats 'em. I'm definitely not a hat person, but after the last weekend camping I almost broke down and bought a Fargo-inspired fur cap at the army-navy store in St. Johnsbury, VT. I look so terrible in hats that even the grizzly hunter perusing Carhart coats in the back stopped to stare. He may have even considered levelling a double-barrel shotgun at me, but I wasn't sure. After determining I would make a lousy trophy, he preferred to pick through the wondrous selection of plaid flannel.

Instead, I returned home and attacked the tea-cozy hat pattern from miss Woolly Wormhead's site with a vengeance. Ignoring the rules (as usual) I used Rowan Big Wool and started knitting on smaller needles than recommended. The result so far-a snug and airtight headcozy befitting the worst weather new england could possibly throw at me. Yum.

Cpl Nicholas Arvanitis

Please say a prayer today for the family of Cpl Nicholas Arvanitis. Cpl Arvanitis died this week in Iraq after coming under fire. He was serving in the 82nd Airborne out of Fort Bragg, NC with my brother Evan at the time. I feel deeply sorry for their loss.

Camping

I have come to understand that knitting does not mix well with vacation, at least in my case. When packing for our nice long camping trip last weekend I managed to limit myself to two small projects to bring along. Did I touch them? Not a bit. Now I did get a bit done on the ride home from New Hampshire, but that was only once we hit the Boston traffic.

Otherwise, it’s hard to concentrate on knitting when my eyes are drawn to the beautiful White Mountains and fall foliage.

We had a blast-did some late season apple picking. Phil (despite the baby weight) easily hoisted me onto his shoulders to pick any apple of my desiring. Scout assisted by, well, providing constant companionship and his own sense of doggie humor. I firmly believe that our beloved Scout is quite the joker, and tries constantly to make us laugh. He did this for most of the weekend with great success.

We rewarded him Sunday by taking him to Stephen Huneck’s gallery for the dog party. Apparently, Stephen has since appeared on Oprahhhhhh, and the party was quite big, and a bit more attended than the one we went to a few years ago. Yup, it was the Oprah effect. Due to his celebrity status, we have yet to actually meet Mr. Huneck, as his time was monopolized by some annoying celebrity-seekers and their snuffling pug.

We also passed by a ‘fainting goat’ farm. If you haven’t seen the tv report, or received the email, lookee here. I couldn’t result snapping a shot.
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/faintinggoats.html

Halfway There...

....to the weekend. Big plans this time! Camping in New Hampshire, apple picking, some (very slow) hiking, campfire cooking, and on sunday?
Another Dog Party at Steven Huneck's gallery in Vermont. Scout is included in this trip, so its a true family vacation. The last time we went to Dog Mountain we had a blast. It was like heaven- dogs were eating treats, roaming through all the buildings, splashing in the ponds, frolicking in the fields. Pretty cool. I should also mention that when Phil was deployed, the people at Steven Huneck's gallery were kind enough to ship a whole roll of prints of our favorite artwork to him to cheer up his living space and remind him that his best buddy was waiting for him to return home.

My quest today is to search ahead for local knit shops and alpaca farms, since Phil might be willing to stop and shop with me a little this weekend. Blogless Sharon has also been talking about acquiring some merino for her flock, so its always a good idea to keep an eye open in our travels!

Small Things

Wow, it seems sometimes like I hate to finish projects. There are a million of them around the house, competing for my attention, like the nursery that needs a second coat of paint, the pants that could use a crisp finished cuff, the pea pod sweater that STILL needs buttons and a matching hat... But last night I began carefully seaming the raglan baby sweater and found that the finishing touches made me feel so..relaxed.

Every moment we are thinking ahead-how best to utilize that commute home, what we might need to pick up for dinner, did I RSVP for that shower yet? My mind is always racing, I'm always keeping in mind the next bill to be paid, the next call to make, the next weekend's plans.

So, its time to remind myself to keep things simple. To not sweat the small stuff, but to savor it. After all, we don't get forever to enjoy these things, like dinners with the family, couch time with Scout (he's a great foot warmer), and taking a few seconds every morning to watch the waves from my kitchen window while taking a couple deep breaths.

So we shut the TV off last night, Phil read a book, and I meticulously seamed that itty bitty sweater before going to sleep. So I have learned another lesson from knitting; sometimes its important to master a new skill, or finish a daunting task. But sometimes it is enough to just enjoy a few simple stitches.

Show and Tell

So I was a bit frustrated with all I have to do, but last night was just not the night to get anything done. Nope. Last night I watched bad TV, put my feet up, and ate a lot of Kraft Mac&Cheese. Oh, I also took Scout for a walk, in my pajamas. Well, he wasn't wearing them, I was..nevermind.

It may have been because Phil was working, or perhaps because my little foray into Kohl's maternity section was soooooo depressing. And I want to know why are those clothes so nasty! Peak childbearing years for women these days seem to be the mid-30's, which I think is an age in which most women reach a better self-awareness, have created their own sense of style, and probably have a bit more in their pockets to spend on decently-manufactured clothing. So why is everything I get to pick from for the next four months made of 100% poly-rayon blends? If my body is going to change drastically why are seams and stitching so cheaply done? And why does the Motherhood clothing manufacturer think I want a velour sweatsuit?

Don't they notice that stores like Banana Republic and The Limited, who cater predominantly to women in my age-bracket do NOT stock their shelves with hideous bourbon-colored paisley tops? Do I buy pants that say PINK or PRINCESS across my butt? Do I slouch anymore? By 30 we all grow up a little (hopefully) learn to stand taller, have some dignity, and dress ourselves with a little pride.
Sweatsuits are for the gym, and I'm about as likely to go jump into a sculpting class as a rock-climbing competition right now, so spare me. I guess Kohl's maternity feels that pregnant women should be locked away in confinement, only to surface for food-shopping in their sloppy sweats, dragging their feet in loud flip-flops. I personally was hoping to show of my maternity glow, wearing some sparklies and elegant pants with at least a halfway decent drape. Dammit, I'm calling Nordstrom.

That's my friday rant. At this time I would like to bring your attention to the CUUUUTE buttons I picked up last weekend. Teeny little airplanes, rustic wooden leaves (and the stitch markers I whipped up from some leftover beads.)

Bender Update: Turbulence

My good old boyfriend Joe Bender is hitting the rapids today. Why, you ask? Well, when you get a lot of pressure at the dam, the result will be more turbulent waters (or so I learned at Zoar white water rafting in western MA). So my 'turbulence' is a result of putting too many things off for tomorrow. Now its time to buckle my PFD and take the plunge.

1)We have a big vacant master bedroom that needs to be de-wallpapered before my father-in-law can come in to fix it up.
2)We have a nursery that is half-painted. I'm also down to my last pair of pre-pregnant pants, and shamefully must admit to myself its time for elastic waistbands.
3) After a fun trip to Windsor Button last weekend, I came home with these gorgeous wooden buttons, shaped like leaves, for my baby raglan sweater. However, making buttonholes big enough on the raglan decreases has proven more difficult than a simple YO. Today, in between my legitimate work (believe it or not I actually do work) I need to find a pattern to assimilate into my own design..
4) Friends? Where are they? I need to set aside some serious QT for my buddies, because not everything in this world revolves around babies. Or knitting. Just everything in MY world.
5) October. Almost here. How the hell did that happen?

Loopy Wednesday

Ha ha! Rhinebeck is going to be a blast! I signed up this week to be a player in Blogger Bingo, so watch out! I am a fearless hunter who will be on the prowl, come hell or high water!
I decided not to be a square because right now I'd most likely be known as "Fields of Heather, WHO?" I peeked at Stitchy's list of participants and see there are a ton of bloggers who will be squares that I can't wait to meet. Being a newbie, I think this year I will really enjoy making new friends and finding new bloggers to learn from. So let the games begin!

I also worked on my brother's care package this weekend, and decided to go the frivolous route. Mom is sending home-made brownies and neccesities to comfort him. I'm sending toys, movies, and assorted crack-ups, such as windup rubber bugs the size of your hand that scurry across the floor, and of course the greatest action figure in my mind, Joe Bender.

Joe is pretty cool, and I like to keep him around, but he would make a very bad boyfriend. As you can see, sometimes he grows his hair way too long, and he obviously spend a fortune on sporting goods. In his collection is hockey, football, baseball gear, assorted skiing and snowboarding equipment. He recently splurged on a sporty little kayak. Oh, and apparently he doesn't bother with the PFD. So unfortunately our relationship would not last. I will rest my hopes with good old G.I. Joe.

Again, no camera handy

While my mother may remain blogless, I apparently from time to time am cameraless. What a terrible weekend to leave my camera at work! Saturday with friends at a cheezy Journey/Def Leppard concert, sunday in Boston at the Knit-Out-what was I thinking?! Fajitas & 'Ritas with new blogger friends, building up excitement for Winebeck, I mean, Rhinebeck was purty cool. Attacking Windsor Button in a frenzy-also purty neat. Tomorrow I will be able to post pictures of my new stash, and some of the goodies I snagged at the Knit-Out on the Common yesterday.

To be honest, I'm still feelin' a bit special because my LYS was there to represent, and the ladies from Duxbury's Wool Basket Yarns even recognized me. I'm proud to be such a yarn-shop haunt. More tomorrow, as I am sagging under the weight of a million hearings, and goody-goody that I am, volunteered to adopt a few extra just to be helpful. And they took me up on it.

Darn.

Needles of Fire!

I picked up a Debbie Bliss publication, the Baby Knits Book, this week and went to town. I had seen her hooded cable sweater pattern online and just couldn't get it out of my head! After I got the book home I read that it would require about 6 skeins of cotton on something like a size 3 needle. Hmm... how about I just put that off a little longer. Sounds like the perfect project for next Christmas.

But, to have something fun to whip up, I nabbed a few hanks of Plymouth Yarn's Suri Merino (55% alpaca, 45% merino) in a soft sage color to make the raglan sweater. My half-stitched idea, however, is to combine this with another pattern so I can have a 2-button closure on the shoulder. After all, who wants to pull a fitted rollneck collar over a baby's head? Debbie should have though of that... If anyone has any ideas let me know, otherwise I'm just going to play it by ear.
The baby Pea Pod set is so fun to make. I'm working on the cap right now, and possibly matching socks if I have enough cashmerino left over. This sunday at the Knit Out I will need to hit Windsor Button for some nifty little buttons.

On a side note, I peeked through Knitting Nature and spotted the coolest pattern for woolen women's tams, and thought this might be a fun idea for Christmas gifts. I know I would wear it, and it's simple enough that I could make enough for my friends. Does anyone have a similar pattern they could share?

My Favorite Guys...5 years later

(With the exception of my wonderful dad).

Here's to Ed, Kevin, and Mr. Phil-the best lookin' guys I know. I love them, I love them I love them! Kevin is happily married to Michelle, five+ years and counting. They were wed within the same year that Phil and I said our "I do's". To this day we are still close friends. I cheekily call Ed 'my other husband' but to be honest these guys are more than just friends-they are family.


And this next picture just grabbed me, as Phil was walking with a little guy to show off the jeep, it hit me that this might be identical to the way things will be just a few years from now, right down to the little blonde boy in cargo pants, no less!

I'm the bad Mommy....

So I was at a lovely baptism yesterday for our friends-the kind of friends that live close by, you love them dearly, but for some crazy reason you don't see often enough. You know those? Well, at the party afterwards us mommies-to-be flocked together for a few minutes like we always do, to exchange info (how far along? have any names yet? who's your doctor? etc) and compare tummies. Of course, we love new mommies too, and they always join us to share the joy. They also join us to share a lot of No-no's. For this reason, I'm a little wary of first-time moms. They always have a strict and sensitive list of things you MUST not do or touch when you're pregnant. They carry a bottle of antibacterial gel wherever they go, and are acutely talented at pointing out your boo-boos publicly.

I have a lot of those.

So we were sharing with a friend who had just announced her pregnancy and talking about food, of course, and how funny it is (not really) to say goodbye to the world of sushi, beer, and rare meats. She wasn't too happy about the caffeine restriction and was admitting she still gave in often to diet coke, and I was confessing the same, when the 'fresh off the delivery table' mom joined in and began expounding on her lengthy list of no-no's. "And NEVER drink those protein waters," she bellowed and looked pointedly at me. I froze, a bottle of Vitamin Water poised at my lips. Somewhere on the patio a glass broke, the music skipped, and a sweet italian grandmother slid to the ground in a faint.

I smiled as innocently as I could, and slowly lowered the bottle, certain that I would be taken to the ground by a SWAT team if I dared another sip, based on the consternation I saw on SuperMom's face. Aw, hell. Sometimes they take it so seriously you feel they have created their own philosophy, and you have ventured into the Parish of Perfect Motherhood without respecting their principles. By sucking down a water beverage fortified with electrolytes I had just tread upon her ethos. Thinking of the cold cuts accidentally eaten the day before I blushed.

Then little baby Rand from down below gave me a big boot, like some silent confirmation that all was alright. I hadn't messed up anything seriously so far. So maybe "What to Expect When You're Expecting" is gathering dust under my coffeetable. Imagine the looks on their faces if they knew we were going camping in late october in new hampshire, and that I planned on not bathing for four days *gasp* and would definitely NOT bring any antibacterial gel! Mercy!

On a side note- I hope to see you at the Boston Knit-Out on sunday-I am so excited! Just please don't point and scream if you see me with a bottle of gatorade...