Knitting Update

It occurred to me tonight that this website is supposed to contain some actual knitting content. I've been terribly remiss in my duties. I've been much too absorbed with my adorable children to mention all of the adorable yarn I've been enjoying these days!

Sadly, due to the season, and consequentially the nature of my knitting, my main projects have to be kept under tight security. But here's some pretty yarn that has been approved for viewing:
I'm not even sure if you're supposed to wind sock yarn into cakes or not. I was very gentle, but let me know if I shouldn't do it. It's Lorna's Laces sock yarn. The color is called "Rainbow".

This is yarn meant for a gift, so I'm not telling what it will become. It's not socks, though. But you can still enjoy the undulating waves.

Here is one project that I've finished. It's a pair of mittens for my daughter, A. I used a pattern by, um, Ann Budd, I think. I doubled up some sock yarn and knit 6 stitches to the inch on a pair of size 1 needles. It's mate is upstairs on my dresser, waaaaay too close to sleeping children for me to go in search of it. I'm worried that I mixed up sizes on the first mitten while I was knitting it--Drat!--and that it may have to be redone. I'm going to go forward in faith, however, and just call these done anyway. The colors in this picture aren't great, but you get the idea.


Have a good night! I'm off to watch Andy Griffith reruns.

Chatterbox

I tried to take a picture this morning so you could have a visual aid to go along with this post, but the light was not on my side. All of my attempts were too blurry or too flashy so I've given it up as a lost cause. If I were a better photographer, if I had actually gone through that online tutorial that P showed me when we first got our camera, I'd be able to make my own picture instead of relying on the unlikely sunlight, but right now I just have to work with what I got.

But the point of my post is to let you know that A has started using real sentences! I know this is much more interesting to you than anything else I might share. What were her first sentences, you might ask?

"I like pepper."

"I like car."

"I want pizza." --she said this when P was scrambling an egg for her breakfast.

Minnesota Girl

You can tell that this picture was taken about a month ago. My daughter is not only missing a jacket in this picture, but she is also dressed in short sleeves. We went out today wearing our winter coat.

But despite our lack of pluck in the face of 40 degree weather, A is still a Minnesota Girl. Whenever anything happens that surprises her she give a hearty "Uff-da!"

I couldn't believe my ears when I first heard it. It's not like I go around spouting random colloquialisms throughout the day. My best guess is that she's been spending a lot of time around her grandma--the Queen of Minnesota. My mom knows a dozen hot dish recipes and can tell the difference between a jello salad and a jello dessert. You think Fargo and Grumpy Old Men are humorous movies based on a stereotype of Minnesota culture, but I believe that they are more documentary than comedy.

In any case, I'd just like to mark the moment that A began the path that will eventually lead her to earn a college degree at St. Olaf college. It will be a teary day for me when my little girl grows up--and wears her first Nordic sweater to church on Christmas Eve.

My Monkies

Merrily, Merrily

I don't need to be reminded that I'm lucky. I don't. I've got a wonderful husband, a reasonably healthy family, am blessed with meaningful friendships, have a comfortable home, and am able to choose to take care of my kids all day. I know it. I even appreciate it most days.

But once in a while something will happen, usually something small, and I'll be reminded of just HOW lucky I am. It's the difference between being able to carry a tune and being able to sing La Boheme. It's when I recognize that I've been well blessed.

My moment today was when I asked T to take out the compost garbage for me. He was getting his shoes and coat on and A rushed to get dressed for the outdoors, too. She wanted to go outside with her "brithr". I ushered them both outside to do the chore with some small, inane comment about, I don't even remember what for sure, but maybe something like "keep an eye on your sister and come right back in" since it was very windy today with a sharp chill in the air. I peeked out the window to make sure they hadn't gotten immediately distracted by the swing or a trike. What did I see? I saw T holding out the compost bucket and taking A's hand to show her how they could carry the pail together. Then they walked as neatly as can be to the compost bin. From time to time, I see these flashes of such patient consideration and thoughtfulness on the part of T and such playfulness on the part of A, that I am amazed that these kids are even related to me. Where does that come from? I am amazed most days that these small people not only play together, but play together well and that they enjoy each other's company so much. They really are friends.

Let's only hope it lasts. As a parent, I realize that I didn't do much to create their relationship. It seems to be the happy result of their respective personalities more than anything. But as their mother, I can't help but wonder what I can do to encourage it as they grow into the adults that they will become.

Any ideas?

Autumn Update