I just have to say...

...thanks. It is so nice that my different knitting buddies have been so positive and supportive to talk to about the pregnancy. Especially the NwAnon group. It is nice to be around other women who are positive mommy role models, and who give positive advice. It truly means alot to me to be surrounded by optimistic people.

I have to admit that I am really lucky and have not ran into TOO many negative people, but there are some out there. Like the woman who told me that children never get better after the newborn/infant stage. Yah, thanks for that one. Thanks for making me feel like I am sentenced to prison for 18 years. And then other people who (alternately) complain strongly about their kids in private, but do nothing but laud them in the public arena like they are saints. Which is it? I know it is both, but don't act like it isn't. I know I didn't always make my parents smile. :)

I don't know, I guess it is hard for me to understand because I tend to be an optimist. Even when things are really cruddy in my life, I don't stay sad for long.

Ring Momma Administrivia: AlaskanKnitters RingSurf

I hate to be a negative ring momma, but I had to finally crack down and delete some sites out of the ring. This is because for days, weeks or months now, these websites have failed to carry the ring code. If you are interested in rejoining the ring, life is simple:
1. Add the ring code back to your MAIN blog page.
2. Request to be added back into the ring.

Alright, easy then, huh? And if you need help, let me know. The only thing is, I am about 3 weeks from my due date (I am pregnant), so I may not have the speediest response time anymore. Just be patient with me. :)

In the interest...

...of full disclosure, I forgot to say in my last post that things have also been just crazy IRL (in real life).

Family issues, vehicle issues, etc.. So that is another reason why I have been away so much. I have to take time out to handle family issues and to handle business. I know you all understand what that is like.

When will these crazy winds die down? I need to clean my back porch, but it is no use if the wind is just going to blow the red clay dust back into my face! :)

I will be volunteering at Paris Mtn Park tomorrow, for Music in the Woods. The concerts are free with admission into the park. Come, hang out and knit!

One month to go...

...until the baby (should) be born. It is so hard to believe I just let time slip by so much between updates for my blog. But I have had to realize in the last few weeks that I need to slow myself down. I am so freakin' independent and headstrong that I am always trying to do so many things. But my body is telling me, woah. I was getting nauseous just grocery shopping today (after other errands of course). But it is getting tougher and tougher to get stuff done.

In the last few days, I can feel the baby starting to push his head down (the beginning of lightening). It is right on time, according to baby websites.

A friend of mine in one of my knitting groups told me about the hooter hider. So I am going to try to make one. Let's hope my sewing curse does not rear up.

I did finish DH's socks in time for his birthday. I have put away my camera so it is ready to go to the hospital. Let's just say he was thrilled. He has waited WAY too long for those. AND I have frogged back the EZ baby surprise jacket for the 7th time or so, and it is slowly going. It is hard to knit as often when my most comfortable prone position is to lay down on my side.

The nursery is pretty much done. It is time to put away the power tools and set up the lamp and air purifier. :) Maybe then it will be picture worthy.

And here I was...

...thinking that I was only one week behind in posting to my blog. Man, how time flies. This morning I went to the SC Native Plant Society Sale and bought Darrow's Blueberries, Coral Trumpet, PeeWee Hydrangeas, and Crested Irises. Only the weather is supposed to get really cold at night for the next week. So I will have to make DH help me on his BDay weekend next weekend to plant them all then. I hope that my blueberries really do grow. I recommend trying to find organizations such as this in your area, so that you can learn to landscape your yard with more native plants. Not only will you be working to preserve local wild beauty that is often destroyed by urban growth, but the plants will be much more tolerant of severe weather, frosts and drought in your area. Also, many of the plants are lower maintenance, which is nice if you have a busy lifestyle or physical limitations. Okay, enough of that PSA.



I am also taking a beginning scrapbooking class today. I know a little, but I figure I need to be schooled before the baby gets here. I want to do things right so that I can print out all of these digital pictures I have accumulated in a form where I can actually share some of them with people in a nice format.



Right now I am drooling over the following Fuzzymitten patterns, because I am such a fan of Little Cotton Rabbits. But, I can never seem to get in on purchasing any of Little Cotton Rabbits' productions. My husband is a huge fan of bunnies, and I don't know if you have noticed, but these days EVERYTHING in the baby store that has a bunny on it MUST ALSO BE pink. It is sexist. So anyway, I am drooling over the little floppy-eared bunny (because again DH loves floppy-eared bunnies) to knit it up for our (expected) baby boy.

In the comments to my last post, Tiffany asked if this was my first Baby Surprise Jacket. Yes, it is. And I honestly have not picked it up again for the last two weeks. Bad momma, bad momma! What little knitting I have been doing has been on my DH's sock. Admittedly, I am reading a lot of baby books and doing GRFB chores. So maybe I am not such a bad momma. :) In one book I am currently reading, I actually read a story where one set of parents did not even realize they needed to set up a changing station with all of the supplies, and the crib with all of the bedding, before their baby was born. I can't believe that. You would think some things would be so basic and intuitive. But maybe they work at jobs that take up all their time and stress them out, like I used to. I should pat myself on the back for having two changing stations set up already (on both stories of the house), and all of the same supplies in the bathroom to be used for bathing. And the crib has been ready for a month. I just installed the carseats last week, and will get them inspected this week. I am trying to be ready if the baby is premature. Because that has happened to two of my friends.

Well, I better run and eat something before my scrapbooking class.

So much better...

My back healed up fine by the next day. No pain at all. I don't know how that is possible; it must be some sort of baby miracle. Either the bath and tylenol worked, or the same hormones that make your joints all lose and drop things also helped my back to loosen itself up. All I can say is thank goodness. Because normally I would be fighting the pain for 3-4 days (or longer at the worst case).

I am trying to get my knitting mojo back. I think it is slowly. I am trying to fit some knitting back into my mornings while drinking my coffee and watching the news. Then I can still spend most of my time later in the day still "getting ready for baby" (GRFB). Part of it is some finishitis (DH's socks) and startitis (Baby Surprise Sweater).

DH's socks are the Garter Stitch socks I have been working on forever. I am finally past the gusset and working on the foot. He will be so happy now since the weather was 78 degrees yesterday and I am finally finishing his first pair of wool socks! (Yeah, doh!)

My baby-chemical addled brain is easily tricked by the sketchy instructions of the EZ Baby Surprise Sweater. Bare with me if I sound like a whiner; I honestly don't mean to. I am normally very good at less than obvious instructions that lead to math, hence the engineering degree. I am just easily confused right now and when I have a tendency to set this down for a week at a time, I forget where I was. The colors are actually much deeper and intense in person.

Pattern: EZ's Baby Surprise Jacket

Yarn: Yarn By Mills Worsted Hand-Dyed

(sorry, I can't find the label)

Needles: Size 5, 36" circ Addi Turbos

And my new STR kit came in! It is gorgeous. I will post about it soon.

Why oh why?

Why oh why can't my husband remember to take out the recycling ever? Or to even sort it correctly (he is getting better).

I have killed my back today lugging out the paper and aluminum recycling, even with splitting it up into two different containers to lighten the load.

I don't need this with the pregnancy. I *just* entered the last trimester. To try to counteract it, I have already done my physical therapy today but it is not enough. I envision some light walking and ice in my near future. Darn it. I wish I could take advil, but with being pregnant I am stuck with tylenol only.

I had the blood glucose test yesterday. The doctor went to check the fetal heart rate and immediately said "He is a really active baby, isn't he?" My husband and I had to laugh. Because I have been saying for at least two months now how active he is, but honestly we have no point of reference. And I don't want to label my child as "hyperactive" from the womb. That would be some bad parenting right there. But it did reassure me that all of these Rocky Balboa punches that I am receiving indicate that he is THAT active and not just my bad judgement. It took the doctor a little longer to find the heart rate for all of the noise and moving the baby was doing. (I suspect he also enjoyed the sugar rush of that fruit punch flavored glucose drink. :) )

Boston LYS Reviews

Windsor Button - This store looks a little bit like an old, run down Woolworth's when you walk in the door. But don't turn around and walk out the door! It has a great selection of yarns (including sock yarns), and of course, buttons! Also, the staff was very friendly and helpful. It is a nice place to stop in and get a yarn fix if you are in the area. I bought some plymouth sock yarn there, which I have since sold to a friend at cost. But I also purchased some Malabrigo Worsted in a lovely orange and light blue colorway called Sunny Valley which I have not seen anywhere else. It may be turned into a scarf for my husband.

Mind's Eye Yarns - This store is very close to the T stop. It has a small selection of yarns, I think about 1/3 of which are dyed by the owner. I picked up some lovely tencel blend sock yarn, custom dyed in the University of Florida colors orange and blue (she dyes it custom for the new yarn shop in Gainesville) and then in black, red and white (NOOOO, not for Harvard or MIT. For Cornell.) Locals rave about this yarn, so I can't wait to knit with it. The flash I accidentally left on shows the tencel's sheen. The shop owner is very friendly and happy to stop what she is doing to talk with you.

A Good Yarn - This yarn shop is RIGHT off of the T stop. It is on the same street as the station, so you can't miss it! They have a great selection of yarn packed into their little shop, including plenty of sock yarn. They also have a decent selection of books. These ladies were also helpful, but knew when to let you alone to browse. :)

Newbury Yarns - Very small shop tucked away in the beautiful shopping district of Newbury St., so it is a worth a stop in if you are in the area. I only bought a book here...there is not *alot* of yarn, but apparently they have another store somewhere else in Boston. The employee working there was very nice.

Knit and Needlepoint - This shop is also on Newbury St. The person working there was helpful and friendly, but there was not much of a selection of yarn and some of the prices were quite high (compared to other shops in the area with the same yarn). I imagine it is to cover there overhead of high rent for the location.

Woolcott & Co. - in Harvard Square Area, Cambridge. It is a small store, but not as small as some of the others I have already reviewed. They have a good selection of yarns, and sell enough of some of them such that you can knit a whole sweater (that is something to be said in a world where it seems most yarn stores are leaning away from that trend). They have a good selection of sock yarns too. I bought two hand-dyed sock yarns there. The lovely, subtley variegated red one is Scarlet by Madeline Tosh (a wee pricey but I hope it is worth it) and the blues is Blue Ridge Yarns Jubilee in Ocean Wave.

Dear shop owners,

I wish I could have bought more, but with all of the baby gear I am buying, I really need to limit my purchases. I know you understand the need for financial discipline. Honestly, I bought too much even with my belt tightening.

Man, I need to quit with the sock yarn addiction. The stash is outgrowing my time availability and knitting speed.

My Celebrity Look-a-likes....

Not the best picture...I had to pull it out from a group picture that was stored on this computer.

Jimminy Crickets!

Good God! Has it been over a month since I have posted? It does not help that we took a trip to Boston for a conference, and since then I have been generally freaking out by cleaning out closets and cupboards purging stuff. Trying to make room for baby. Getting rid of junk I don't use. Many of you know that I do this periodically anyway, but since my feet are starting to hurt so soon after standing (even with shoes on) that I am trying to find ways I can help fix up the house without my husband being here to help...as in small projects.

The good news is that we have finished painting the nursery and setting up the furniture. I need to get crafty and try to convert the unused bumper pad into a wall hanging for toy storage. Maybe I will do a tutorial on that! That would be cool. The room is still a mess because I turned out the entire closet (aka yarn stash storage central) and am still trying to find places to store the stash. I purged 3 grocery bags of yarn to donate to charity and friends. So I still kept most of my stash of course. I still have to find someplace to put the UFOs, and then organize all of my sewing and knitting stuff that is now relegated to a tiny corner of our office. I will try to get this done today. I hope to install rubbermaid adjustable shelving in the nursery closet this weekend to expand baby stuff storage. I have to wait for DH's help as that will involve leveling an 8 ft track which is a little hard to do on your own. :)

I have already sold a few skeins I bought in Boston. I always go overboard. I will try to take pictures of what else I bought, do some store reviews, and a nursery in progress picture this weekend.