Miralda Done!

I finished last night, while watching Emma on PBS (sorry Superbowl - Jane Austin won).  Normally this kind of project would have been full of fits and starts, but since we've been snowed in for almost a week now I've had plenty of time to finish. 

The latest round was this past Saturday. Snow Friday, rain, then snow all day Saturday. We got 6 inches or so. Our total for this year is about 33 inches.

 Poor big - sis is ready to go back to school. We had a late opening last Thursday, but between the snow and the teacher workday after exams she's not been to class for a full day since Wednesday before last. She spent most of yesterday frantically making worksheets for herself, and getting the husband to create selling lists for her.

Little-sis is thrilled with all the time off, and would spend the rest of the year playing quite happily at home if given the choice.

 

Miralda

 

We've been snowed in since Saturday - 13 inches this time. The last winter with this kind of snow was 2000, but this time we've had two big ones. No that I am not totally fond of the short people, but it is proving to be a lot of time entertaining kiddos.

Yesterday we made marshmallows. Today I hope we can get out to the bookstore for a bit. Big - sis and I are reading our way through the Sisters Grim series. I had checked out books 3 - 5 before the storm, but t we're almost done. Right now we're both reading the fifth-tough to share.

Anyway, this is the yarn I got from the fiber festival at Montpelier back in October. It is the Classic Merino Lace from Knitting Notions in Green Apple. It is my favorite green.  I had bought a pattern to use with it, Lacewing, but on second look it is way more complicated than I thought. I've not done a huge amount of lace.

So instead I am doing Miralda from Knitted Lace of  Estonia. The thing I love about this pattern is that you cast on a bazillion stitches, then reduce each row making the triangle shape - also making it go faster. I had to pull out yesterday when the center diamond section got off by a good five stitches. Thus, the photos.

I am having one bit of a puzzle - the pattern uses a three-cross stitch that I cannot find described anywhere in the book - I am sure I can't find it. I did find it described on Things Soo Likes. 

Her description:

The cross is worked over 2 rows. On the first row you slip the first stitch purlwise, knit the next tow stitches together and then pass the slipped stitch over (so 3 stitches become 2). On the return row you insert a YO between the two stitches (so the 2 stitches become 3 again).

If this weather keeps up I should finish this week.

 

Sometimes you just gotta have it

Wednesday, March 28th, 2007

The husband and I got a day out a few weekends back and we ended up doing the thrift stores. I know, exciting lives.

This is my new favorite thing. It is a lamp for a child’s room.

Aren’t they great? They are painted wood. The center part can be wound up and then they spin and play music.

I am revamping the guest room. Right now it is where the kids play stuff is. The plan is to turn it back into a fully dedicated guest room and do it in red and white. I have an old red and white quilt from my mom’s family, and this lamp will work perfectly.

This makes me so happy!

Happy Spring…Achoo!

Monday, March 26th, 2007

I truely have not meant to ignore this lonely blog the past few days. We’ve been in Williamsburg heping the parental units get their house ready for sale. They are moving up here near us. (Yay!)

The husband has now tiled their kitchen and master bath, hung new lights, plumed things…all sorts of general handyman things.
Moi? What have I been doing? My KoolAid sweater is almost done…I lost one ball of the purple yarn has disappeared, so I am having to improvise a bit.
I have also done some shopping for fabric for the girl’s spring wardrobe. I need to get cracking on this too, they have outgrown most of the rest of their clothes.

We now resume our regularly scheduled program

Monday, March 19th, 2007

Today was soooo much calmer. Kids survived school. I survived school. Thanks for all the lovely comments…I will catch up on responding, promise!
And this evening I got an hour to work on:

Sorry for the grainy photo…The camera doesn’t work so well indoors.
I started this while we were in Florida. This is a better shot of all the colors:

It is a bunch of Knit Picks yarn I over-dyed with koolaid. I was almost done, but the sleeves were getting tedious. I figure I have a few weeks left where I can use a lightweight sweater, so I might as well crank it out. It now has half a sleeve and a neck.
In the vien of sprint cleaning I am trying to finish a few things.

Weekend Wrap up

Sunday, March 18th, 2007

(Warning: This is a long post mostly concerned with near-miss disasters. If you are looking for crafting content please check back later. This mom is lucky to be awake, and should not be touching anything sharp or pointy.)
This weekend was one of those where you can’t quite wait for Monday to get here.
It all started Friday afternoon…40 degrees, pouring rain…you get the idea. Big-sis tripped as we left my school and landed on her bottom in a puddle of water.
Actually, calling the moat that surrounds the back of the building a puddle is a bit of an understatement. She has more chance of leaping the River Nile.
So there she is, submerged up to her waist in 40 degree water…pants soaked, shoes filled with water. Total disaster.
Let this serve as a word to the wise: your car cannot be well enough stocked in time of emergency or disaster. I had always planned on keeping an extra set of clothes in the van…as of today they are firmly in place, but I digress.
I did have dry socks, and I managed to sop up some of the water in her pants with paper towels. I poured the water out of her shoes (yes, poured). Then I wrapped in in the spare blanket, and called the husband to let him know he needed to pick up Little-sis since I needed to hurry home to get big-sis dry.
At this point it is important to set the stage. I teach in a school isolated from the hustle and bustle of city life. Cows roam across the street. The picture of rustic simplicity.
This means the “highway” we use to drive there is narrow and has no real shoulder. Not entirely safe.
It winds over hills through gorgeous farm land. Gorgeous, unless your power steering goes out because of a puddle. A puddle that cannot be avoided because of an oncoming truck.
I did manage the next few miles to town without crashing and stopped at the local tea house and called the husband (my hero!) A mini van is not easy to steer even with the power steering, and at five foot one and a quarter inches I am quite proud of myself for being able to get to a place I could stop without needing to be towed out.
The folks at the tea shop were wonderful, and gave Big-sis an extra big hot chocolate with lots of extra whipped cream. They didn’t complain when I let her take her wet shoes off.
Never fear, the husband arrived about 30 minutes later with clean clothes and Little-sis. Everyone is dry and safe now, fully restored.
The rest of our weekend was eaten up with getting the van fixed…the serpentine belt fell off, if you ever heard of such a thing. Not broke, fell off.
Today the super-husband (he might need a cape) spent the day tiling my parents kitchen floor. They needed this done super fast since they are moving! They were down in Williamsburg, but will now be about 10 miles from our house, mere blocks away from big-sis’ school.
As Big-sis put it: “Once they move I won’t ever have to wait an hour for dry pants again!”
Amen, sister!

Window Shopping

Sunday, March 18th, 2007

Look at this site, go ahead, I’ll wait…

They have the best shirts! This one is our favorite right now…As the mother of child determined to be the first librarian in space (and no, I’m not kidding), I have to endorse this shirt. Isn’t that the best? I am planning on ordering one ASAP.
She plays library almost all weekend. Makes you sign out the books and sends out overdue notices. For my next paper project I am planning on creating a printable for her to make the little library cards and pockets so she can check things out for real. I might even request the Easter Bunny deliver a rubber stamp that does dates. If I work it out I’ll post it. My child can’t be the only library freak out there.
As a side note Big-sis has announced her backup plan in case the whole librarian thing doesn’t happen. She wants to be a crossing guard and live in an RV. That way she can just drive her house to work.
We are all keeping our fingers crossed about the librarian thing.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Saturday, March 17th, 2007

 

The how to and stencil are here.

Spring has Sprung

Thursday, March 15th, 2007

This is the witch hazel the girls gave me for Mother’s day 3 years ago. I haven’t been able to see it bloom since we’ve been in Florida the last two springs.

It smells amazing!

Mia’s Blanket Done

Wednesday, March 14th, 2007

I just finished this blanket for the girl’s newest cousin this weekend. I started in November, when my sister in law asked for a blanket with holes in it.

a tease

Since I slammed my hand in the car door a few weeks back I wasn’t sure if it would ever end. I do not crochet much anymore, so with the bruised hand it felt like it took forever. . but now, done!
I used Valley Cotton from Webs, which is always one of my favorite yarns. Little sis’ ni-night was made in this yarn, and it has survived for four years now.
There was also this:

Needless to say I love the stuff.