Recharge, Restore, Restart

Three weeks ago I folded up my two quilting projects and moved my sewing machine out
of the kitchen. After four long months, the mister was home for a visit. Briefly. But it was a great chance to reset our batteries, remember what its like to be a family, and just focus on the kids. To escape the madness, we ran away. GREAT IDEA.

One week in the lovely Dominican Republic-just what the doctor ordered. When we arrived, I was high-strung and Little P was bouncing off the walls. By the time we left we were all rested, easy-breezing, and totally mellowed out. Its amazing what a difference it made. The baby napped outdoors next to me, caressed by that amazing tropical breeze. We were waited on and served by the most kindly patient people ever. I even stopped caring that I was walking around in a bikini with my post-baby-bod (nobody cares there!)

Now the mister is back to work, I'm positively itchin' to finish my first quilt-now just to figure out where I left off! Back to Fabric.com to order some more Pretty Bird for the border, I believe. I'm also anxiously awaiting my mom's gift for Nathan-she has almost completed his baby quilt, and I can tell you it is totally, wait for it..... gorgeous. One can only aspire to such greatness and skill!!! I promise to share pictures and you will agree.

You have a baby.....in a bar!

Keeping the Balance

Its catch-up time in blogland-and there is a little bit of this, a little bit of that because I have been busy. You see, this time last year I had a BIG bun in the oven, a jet-setting husband, and a career that required a big commute. It wasn't going to work.

So I decided to keep the lovely bun, the husband of course. But 'sayonara' (?) to career. Yep. I did what I had thought I would NEVER do. Well, besides having kids in the first place. But so long law firm. So long lovely paycheck. So long 45-60min quiet time to myself each way, heh. But hello 24/7 supermom. No more dropping off a desparing teething infant at daycare, no more screeching out of the office lot to hopefully get to daycare by closing time, no more quickie bad meals, no more tearful stressed-out skypes with my husband. This is one really happy, well-adjusted household. There is balance. There is love. And learning for me. The choices we make regarding our children and their well-being are the most important.

Oh, but I get the added bonus of having time here aand there to make things, gifts, etc. Like these lovely rosetty bands for my nieces..

And playtime with fabric, like this snowball-squares quilt that will probably be a picnic blanket gifted to someone. I got the tutorial from the lovely blog Cluck Cluck Sew-she has great ideas, and loves to play with color like I do. And you make look at my layout here and think it doesn't make much sense, but to me it makes sense. In its irregularity and joyful colors it makes perfect sense to me.

Rosettes and Other Tutorials

The internet is a great thing if you get the crafty urge and don't want to leave the house on a rainy day. Say you scrounge around your house and college some scrap fabric, a box of toothpicks, and a ball of lint? Simply go online and ask what you can make with this, and I bet you that ball of lint there would be a dozen tutorials out there, maybe by bloggernuts like me.

Well, I had that need last week, so with nothing but a glue gun and some scraps, I went on a rosettathon. Here's a few:

I have a niece who is cccrrrrrrrrazy about headbands, so that may be the direction those go. Either way, it took basically no skill. If you'd like to try I found a great tutorial here: http://bridgetbaxter.blogspot.com/2009/11/tattered-fabric-roses.html

Next on the drawing board, while I avoid my first quilt for a few days, is some seaglass art. The beach is just a few minutes away, so once a week I take Myles the happy dog for a walk so I can scan the beach for sea glass. This week I even found a little piece of broken pottery (the blue shard). We head home after an hour, my fingers frozen but pockets full. I bet there are a million tutorials on sea glass ideas....any suggestions?

Doing The Creative Funk

Winter blahs are the least of my problems right now, but would you really want to hear me go on about my problems? The real ones? I'll spare you the details, but to sum it up, in about six months this blog will go into pre-expat status as we close down the house and move to a different state, a teensy apartment, an everlasting and extremely adventurous way of life. Its a welcome change. I swear. But all the little details that go along with it are enough to drive one crazy.

On the other hand, in the middle of this windy, bone-chilling February my mother at long last started to teach me her quilting craft. It means more to me than I can express-there is something about my mother's quilts that make us all beg, hoard, and yes sometimes steal her creations. Being able to sew and gift my very own quilts will be so much fun! So, driving away those winter blahs and the creative funk I fell into after making a dozen of those baby sets (that shall be another blog), I worked the brightest, loudest hues into this Disappearing Nine-Patch. My very first quilt. This week the blocks have been assembled, and its time to decide on the border and backing-suggestions are most welcome!

Wedgewood Blouse-Not So Blousy

Finally, I broke down and took a pathetic picture of my wedgewood blouse, knit in Berrocco's Ultra Alpaca, some leftovers from the cabled hoodie I knit for LBB last year. As usual, the torso is too short for my liking, due to someone not checking her guage as usual, but I like the fitted top.

Also notable, this was my first project with dreaded bobbles...And like all the othet things I feared before, lace, charts, complex cables, it wasn't as bad as I expected. Silly girl...

And speaking of silly, here's my silly party face at my adorable cousin's bachelorette. I know, I know-we're not supposed to show pictures of these events, but it really was a good time. The bacherorette was sweet, cute, and even when tipsy, dignified in a way that made me both proud of being in the same family, and embarrassed about what a mushy mess I was at mine over seven years ago. I wish I could have been as composed and cute as this little bride. Isn't she beautiful? Makes me just bubble over with happiness . She's going to look picture-perfect in a wedding gown. *sigh*

Empowered

I got this forward in my email today-usually I ditch forwards like hot-cakes, but there were a few of these that made me go "hmm...I'm doing okay."

25 TIPS FOR A BETTER LIFE


1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile.
It is the ultimate anti-depressant. (okay, I can vouch that getting in better physical shape does wonders for your mood)

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to. (rrrrrriiiight....can I hire someone to do this for me?)

3. When you wake up in the morning complete the
following statement,
'My purpose is to __________ today.'

4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and
eat less food that is manufactured in plants. (fresh food, CHECK!)

5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries,
wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts. (CHECK!)

6. Try to make at least three people smile each day. (and to those who say I 'try too hard' go sit in your grumpy little corners)

7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment. (or to paraphrase, keep moving forward, move on, get over it, look ahead)

8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince
and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card. (Ramen?)

9. Life isn't fair, but it's still good. (I would love to tell some people that no one ever said life would be fair, but that sounds very trite.)

10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. (I have never managed to hold a grudge longer than 48 hours...hehee)

11. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does. (But some manage to put every word I say under a magnifying glass *ahem*)

12. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present. (Exes? What exes?)

14. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. (Do they make this one in a bumper sticker?)

15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you. (And only you can make good things happen. Why not do that, and then do something nice for someone else too?)

16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words:
'In five years, will this matter?'

17. Forgive everyone for everything.

18. What other people think of you is none of your business.

19. GOD heals EVERYTHING, in HIS time.

20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. (Some people dwell so much in misery, it seems they wait for the next bad thing to seize upon. Those people are their own worst enemies.)

21. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick.
Your friends will. Stay in touch.

22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. (You probably have more than enough. Try downsizing a little-you'll appreciate what you have even more.)

23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following
statements: I am thankful for __________.
Today I accomplished _________.

24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed. (you lost me on this one....talk to the grey hairs....)

25. Please Forward this to everyone you care about.

So, I apologize for a non-knitty post, but I have two items in the works: one is a gift for a baby shower agaaaaain, and the other is the much sought-after version of the slouchy beret, a la fields of heather. Once its done I'll post the pictures and the pattern for FREE. Yay *ding ding ding*

And finally, have I mentioned I love my latest FO the Wedgewood Blouse? I just need to get my picture taken in it, which is challenging lately. Maybe I could teach my little lovebug how to use a camera, once he masters the potty, (not eating) crayons, and basic speach......

Beauty and the Beach

So, to play a little catch up, I collected a few pictures of the projects finished in the last few months.
First is the Kai sweater I made for Miss Dina's baby shower gift, as I love love LOVED the one my mom made for us. I deviated from the pattern just a scootch, and left the collar a little more open by creating a split in the front. My version, unlike my mom's, was way too tight around the neck, and babies aren't fond of that! I'm still worried about how closed it was at the neck, but we'll have to see.

I don't remember the yarn, but maybe it will come to me, but the pattern I believe, is from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms by Louisa Harding. A fantastic book, one of the few that I have knit several objects from, and I will most likely go back to it again and again. Thanks for lending it, Momsky!
Second is a little set I created without a pattern, just because I loved the soft blue of this Lorna's Laces bulky. My husband thought it might look a bit girlie, so I added a few stripes on one sleeve to make it sportier. The hat was just because LBB looks so darn cute in accessories...
So we set off for the great holiday weekend, which begins with a bang on the 3rd down on our beach, with wild bonfires and a great display of fireworks. I usually spend the night keeping cityfolk from parking on my lawn and discarding their trash in our pretty little neighborhood. Its not fun, but at least the police shoo them away at a decent hour. I get the added bonus of a fresh supply of sea glass to hunt down and collect, after all their fun & games are over. Thanks tourists!

Color Me Amazed

Hmm....Isn't technology terrific? So now I can do anything from my little cell phone; surf the internet, pay bills, navigate to Mars. Last week I decided it was high time to upgrade my phone, and when I checked my contract, lo and behold, it could have been done back in......2006. Shame on me.

So a week later this nifty little shiny black contraption is in my hands. And its shiny, and swirly, and makes funny sounds. And has moving graphic and pictures. And I am vvvvvery scared. So I stare at it for a few minutes, and then put it away for a few days. Not ready to commit just yet. (I have the same problem with my knitting projects, and every book of patterns currently in my posession)

But after a weekend of cautious 'getting to know one another', I'm sending photo messages to my hon, and WIP's to my email account. I'm saving personal pictures as my 'wallpaper' and poking in on my favorite websites over lunchbreak. And duble-checking the weather and tides before walking to the beach! And wondering if perhaps I should have scrapped the old digital camera, and spent a little extra for a phone with better pixels or whatchamacallits.

Well, anywhoooo, here's a fuzzy photo of my fuzzy Wedgewood Blouse, from Interweave Knits. I carefully checked the gage before beginning, but I believe its going to be very 'blousy,' and that seems to be the overall design. So that should be kinda sexy/cool with some superskinny jeans this fall. And its in ultra alpaca, so the yoke work will be softer and fuzzier, which I like much more than crisp cables and such. Those seem very old ladyish to me lately, and I'm favorite things that are soft and romantic. It goes along with the crazy long wavy hair that I'm struggling with, but more on that lata'

Back Again??

Two months since my last post?! How embarrassing! Even with a new digital camera from Christmas! Well, here's a quick catch-up from new-mommy-and-job-land:

First we have some clawing and pushing and nagging and lots of fingernail-biting over the last several months to get Mr. fieldsofheather the job of his dreams. And that was no small feat with all the reports and paperwork that our physician failed to complete, which ended up with me banging on his office door at 8AM with threats of violence (don't worry, no knitting needles were involved.)

Second, we have LBB turning ONE. I celebrated mostly because I couldn't beleive I have been a halfway decent mommy so far. Of course the celebrating came too soon, as LBB encountered his first ear infection that weekend, and I was too clueless to understand what was going on for a few days. Bad mommy.

Then we have some reading, and some daydreaming over Stephanie Japel's "Fitted Knits" book, none of which has come to fruition. I'm still mulling over my next ME-ME-All-about-ME project, while working on some baby shower gifts. Priorities, ya know!

Hmm...throw in some philosophy ("Plato and a Platypus" really good night-time reading), some home decorating (more on that later), and one of my favorite new developments, this old bookcase that was scavenged from a local school and remodeled by Mr. to house all my knitting 'stuff.' I absolutely love it, but need to reorganize all my books and yarn to look a little more crafty and neat. Its still have to make things managable with a little boy wobbling around, but its certainly getting a lot easier than those first few months! Hopefully, I'll be able to reconnect with my the bloggers I admire so much, and reconnect with my own desire for handiwork. *Big sigh!*

True Love

Happy Holidays to you all, and thank you for the birthday wishes for my momski! I have been deliberating over my next mission, and think I finally have a solution to that extra three skeins of red alpaca in my stash. Its knit in one piece, on size 8 circulars, and has that cutesy feel that I just adore. Thank god for knitty:

I'm going to cast on this weekend. And away we go!

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to Blogless Sharon!!

Pre-Christmas Madness

Crunch time.

I'm not kidding. The monthly bills are due. The fridge is embarrassingly empty. I haven't had a free moment to food shop. We're living on Kraft Mac & Cheese. But after some furious penmanship, the Christmas cards are done, the extra cards ready and waiting for those "oopsies" that I forgot to send the first time 'round. (You know you do it too-don't even try to say you don't!)

I stress the holidays a bit too much,-either I go way too far, or not enough. This year, I fear, may be one of those overboard years. If you don't know why, let me give you a hint; he's about 20 pounds, smells like bananas, and only says "ta-ta-tah!"

Not only having LBB to shop for, but the holidays are heaven to me. If you have met me, you might know that I am 'jubilant' and 'quirky', and that's according to the people who like me...so during Christmas I am in my prime. Around that time its permissible to sing out loud, even if its limited to holiday tunes, splurge on small wind-up toys that hop and flip, wear seasonal themed sweaters or in my case, envy the people who daringly do, and drink syrupy sweet eggnog drinks. I dance around the house in my pjs at noon. I sing along to Mariah's "All I Want for Christmas is You" at the top of my lungs. I bake biscotti in the hundreds, and experiment with different flavors (pumpkin was NOT good) and dipping in all kinds of chocolate. And baking more biscotti. Why, I do not know. Probably because its hard to get biscotti wrong. And it sounds fancy.

So its only the 3rd, and already I'm embracing my inner elf. Are you?

Lusty Me!

Hummana hummana hummana

Having a child, among other parts of becoming a 'grownup', means that you have someone else you really wish to indulge in. I don't acquire new knitting goodies very often anymore, since I'm more likely to be caught browsing the sale rack at Baby Gap rather than my beloved LYS. (With the exception of some Debbie Bliss yarn and some gorgeous patterns that have been donated by Blogless Sharon, since she needs more room in her house for her own fleece and homespun! Thanks Mom!!) So I just wanted to share the lusty, hungry eyes I was sportin' a few weeks ago, when my cable dictionary, the Vogue Stitionary, finally arrived. It was pure yarnasm, I swear. Seconds after this photo was taken, I had delved into an enclosed cable pattern for my little croppy vest. (Still in progress, since I am in the throes of holiday shopping and decorating.)

Me likey.

By the way, me also likey Etsy. Positively addicted to handmade stuff. Someone PLEASE take my credit card away!

Time Flies

Something no one told me before LBB was born: time FLIES when you have a child. I swear that on Monday before I went to work he was gurgling, drooling, and banging his toys against his big head. Just seconds later, or maybe a few days, he's teaching me dance moves, clapping his hands to get our attention, and rearranging the furniture to his liking.

So its normal I suppose that since we can't prolong the adorable babyhood, I find myself wishing for another one. I know. What the deuce am I thinking? Anyhow, I was just informed that one of my buds who also has a little one under a year old is expecting again! Sooooo jealous. Well, that won't be me again for a little while, but I am truly excited for her.

Also excited for little Phil to wear the yummy red cardigan Blogless Sharon made for him-mom, want to let us know what that cool yarn is? I absolutely love it, especially the rolled collar.

I also finished his Oz vest, (from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms) just something whipped up from good old Lion Brand wool, and a bit too late I must say. It fits him pretty snug, so we'll only get a few weeks of use out of it...Note to self: knit several sizes larger!!!

But Can She Wear Boots?

I am still designing off the top of my head the croppy vest that was begun several weeks ago. It’s filling the time while I deliberate over which floppy hat pattern to use-there are just so many cute ones out there. I am so torn, but I think I may go with Gretelhttp://ysolda.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=3
In the meantime, I have begun the back of my vest, deciding finally on a rounded band over the neck and shoulders that dips lower in the front. On order is Vogue’s Stitionary, Vol. 2 so I can pick out a gorgeous cable pattern that will stretch well over the shoulders and bust. We’ll see how it goes-even if it is relegated to my collection of never-to-be-worn FO’s I will share my pattern. But you must keep in mind that I am designing it for my figure, which I am sorry to say resembles that of a 12-year old girl lately. Optimistically speaking, it might turn out to be perfect for your teenage sister. Ha.

But the feminine musing of the day involves boots. Boots. My passion for fashion has been dulled this year since nothing looks good on me lately, no matter how carefully I search. However, the lust for shoes is never affected by weight gain or loss. My lust for boots though, has tormented me for ages. Seven years ago I had a pair of stacked knee-high black boots that I wore proudly, until being hollered at crudely by some scumbag in a Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot. Since I really value the elements of class and dignity, it mortified me. To think that I might look sleazy! Words could not express my shame, and the boots were tossed. I dreaded ever attracting that sort of attention, and took steps to avoid any manner of dress that may directly OR inadvertently send the wrong message.
It’s been a long time, and though I envy the girls who pull off boots, I have been ever so fearful of wearing them myself. So it was with all the courage I could muster that I grabbed those shiny knee-high boots off the shelf this week, paid out the dough, and prayed they would get more than a few wearings before I get mortified again. Tentatively, they have survived a day at the office (but I confess I have a backup pair of heels in the car) and no one yet has screamed, “Oh my gawd!” or whispered in my vicinity enough to make me self-conscious. Maybe the curse of the crude DD van man is finally broken.

ZAP

That might have been the sound my television made at 2AM on thursday before it died a not-so-glorious death. I'm not exactly sure because I was too busy huddled on the floor in the center of my living room with a frightened infant and a cowering dog trying to climb into my lap at the same time. We had a freak lightning storm that night, which knocked out the power at our house, and filled it instead with creepy flashes of light.

At that moment it occured to me that "The Nightmare Before Christmas" type of halloween decorations we had picked up at HomeGoods were not the best choice.


Things I enjoyed during a weekend of no TV:
Depending on the good ol' radio for ambient noise
Staying up late for stimulating conversation rather than late night comedy
Facing the other people in the room with you, rather than straight ahead at the tube


I'm also brainstorming a little knitting project-nothing has quite grabbed me yet for my next project, so I'm going to play with some gorgeous sportweight from Foxfire in "Russian Sage." The idea forming in my mind is some kind of fitted croppy vesty thingie. We'll see how it turns out. The handpaint is just beautiful, and feel fantastic to knit with. How spoiled I am!


I also whipped up a toddler hat for the winter in Blue Sky cotton. There's just one problem; I can't get him to leave it on his head. Not even long enough to nab a photograph!

Color me happy. Would you like to know why? The Christmas cabled sweater is done-but guessing by the size of its recipient, I had better start calling it the Thanksgiving cabled sweater.


So tonight I've been thinking about things-happy thoughts really. Mostly. Because other than almost always having an immediate family member situated in a COMBAT ZONE, I'm pretty fortunate. Life is good. I love my life, my husband, my silly child. I have amazing family and friends. My job kicks ass. My mother and father have an unending supply of 'moo' for us. Heehee. In general, health, no wealth, but plenty of blessings. Yet, I know a few people who have similar lives who consider themselves not so lucky. It just amazes me, but even worse, pisses me the hell off. So I'm going to blow off some steam today. I mean, honestly, the nearest men in my life have gone to war, lived in intolerable heat and other conditions, worked the most challenging hours, and lived over A YEAR away from the ones they loved, and I don't EVER remember hearing them complain as much as some of the spoiled, self-absorbed people I talk to day-to-day.

Okay, I just deleted about four paragraphs worth of venting-believe me. The point is-well there is no point. Just thank God for what you do have. If you are sick or suffering, my heart goes out to you. But if you have health and someone who loves you, just thank your lucky stars. I have worked for people in worse situations. And even though I'm working in a new area entirely, I can't stop thinking about those people I used to work for. Just can't shake it. Then to hear able-bodied people complain about fatigue and sound generally miserable. Well, I guess tonight is my 'just deal with it' post. Does anyone else ever get irked like this?

Seasonal

Knitting is on the upswing too-in a few days I'll be able to post two FO's for the babbakins, basically the only items I have been able to focus on since the birth back in January! How some of you do all this, and spin is beyond me. A little detour into baby-beanie land helped to break up the monotony, and also whittle away at my stash. Above, I had a ball of Blue Sky organic cotton that Blogless Sharon had given me along with that super Kai sweater, and I wanted to make a hat with a frosty white trim. I also had some leftover homespun from her farm- Perfect! So that was cast on this morning. I also whipped up in some random blue cotton the pinwheel beanie from Just Jussi. He won't let it stay on his head just yet, but I'm hoping to teach him to keep his noggin warm with this by the end of October!

Just look at those baby blues.....they might even cure me of my blues. Hopefully.

Stylin'

I can't believe a month has passed.



So much has happened-LBB is crawling, smiling, laughing, playing with toy trucks, I'm working full time at a fantastic new firm, the Fall is here, with its beautiful crisp nights, and last night was a wedding we had anxiously awaited all summer long. It was by far one of the most stressful weddings I have ever heard of, although I wasn't one of the people affected by it. When all is said and done, I sincerely hope the bride and groom were pleased, because it turned out to be a beautiful affair.

That being said, I must admit that stretching these wedding nights out for as long and for as much enjoyment as possible is an art form practiced by my hunny, so we mosied over to the nearby wine bar to meet up with some friends and recap the events of the evening. After all, three hours in the stylists chair that morning was not going to be wasted by going to bed early! I felt absolutely gorgeous, tipsy, and ready to sip something better than the cheap-o merlot I had been downing all night, and nibble on bruschetta and olives. All in all, a perfect night.

And of course, I have some progress to report on my projects. The Geordie vest is being finished off, I cast on a simple winter hat for LBB this week, and finally am working on the hoodie for his endlessly cabled Christmas s

weater. And since the little pumpkin has just undergone a growth spurt and shot up to a size 12, I might be just in the nick of time to complete it. Maybe if you could throw a little encouragement my way, I might be spurred on enough to complete those last few rows....help me!

The Angry Eggplant

Sadly, I did not finish the cabled christmas sweater in time...So this saturday as we loped into the agricultural and craft exhibits at the Marshfield Fair, I was doubly disappointed. Where were the bloggers? I didn't recognize any of the FO's, nor names. It appears we have all reached the summer lows, which isn't a bad thing. It just seems like we have all reached the epitome of relaxation. And perhaps just a bit of elan.

This lovely vegetable sculpture was worth the trip, though. Behold the menacing eggplant. This is one vegetable you don't want to mess with!

There was also some chicanery at the national guard tent. Gunnery Sgt FieldsofHeather took position, aimed, and fired upon (in her imagination anyways) some 30 year old women who were innappropriately dressed in stretch jeans, belly shirts, and tramp stamps. Gotta love the locals.

Upon returning home, I self-medicated with two episodes of What Not to Wear on TLC and went to bed, feeling much better.