FO: Lara

So, about 9 months after I learned to knit I took a class to learn how to make a sweater. It is a pattern that looks like the Debbie Bliss Lara pattern. I loved the sample. One of the suggested yarns was Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran. The yarn is absolutely gorgeous. And sooooo expensive. I took the plunge and went for it. I purchased the appropriate number (16, I think) of skeins in a beautiful royal purple and went on my merry way.

Problem #1: The class was weekly for 4 weeks. During the class I was away for just over a week on vacation and get really behind in knitting and in understanding the pattern. At the last class some people were completely done and came to class wearing their sweaters. Most were seaming up during the class. But I was still knitting away.

Problem #2: Gauge. Well, I was a very, very loose knitter when I started knitting, Now I am a loose knitter. I really wished the teacher paid better attention to how far off my gauge was because I clearly didn't understand. I knew I was knitting a little loose and was ok with it because I was a little bigger than the largest size. I just figured it would make a sweater a little bigger and I would be fine. Little did I know! Also, I was going to run out of yarn and I had bought literally all of the yarn that the yarn shop had. Luckily, a very nice member of the class picked up 5 more skeins for me at another lys near her work. I hoped that the different dye lots wouldn't matter too much. Somebody say something about a river in Egypt?

At some point I put the sweater down. I think I was confused by the directions and was afraid of making a mistake. (ha!) I knew how nice (and expensive) this yarn was and I really wanted a sweater I would be proud of.

About two years later I picked it back up and brought it to the free knitting help night and was able to re-start. It was at that point that I realized how different my gauge was from how I use to knit to how I now knit. I knit on it for a little while and put it back down again.

Finally, a month or so ago I picked it back up again. Four years after when I first started it. Of course, I noticed the gauge issue and the size issue. Also, I had also lost weight since I started it. I really didn't have much left to do on it. I finished the right front and back, then the shoulder, then the right arm. I weaved in the remaining ends, gave it a bath, and laid it out to dry on the guest bed. I tried to stretch the side with the tighter gauge and tried not to stretch the side with the looser gauge. I stepped back, checked out my just finished sweater, and realized this things is HUGE!!!!!

I checked on it the next morning and am sad to say it didn't shrink up at all while it dried. I then ignored it for about a week while trying to get over my disappointment. I seamed it up and didn't want to try it on. I finally mustered up my nerve and faced the inevitable. Yup, it was huge. It hung to my knees and I had to cuff the sleeves about five inches.

So, now I have the softest, most beautiful, most expensive bathrobe I never knew I wanted. I do use it all the time. Most evenings I wear it over my pjs while relaxing on the couch knitting and watching tv. I know I get more use out of it as a bathrobe then I ever would as a sweater. So, it isn't a completely sad ending. But, oh man, I have I learned a whole lot about knitting in the past four years!

I do like this pattern and will probably try making it again. I would go down several needle sizes and make a gauge swatch. I also think a heartier yarn would make a denser fabric. Maybe a 100% wool would be better. While looking through project notes on Ravelry a lot of people have said that the sizing runs big and the yarn pills. Good to know. The construction is awesome. It starts with the left cuff and ends with right cuff. It is all knit in one piece with 2 seams--from the cuff up the inside of the arm to the arm pit and down the side of the body to the waist.

What was that? Pictures? You want to see pictures of the finished object? Well, I still have not brought myself to taking pictures of it. It is not at all flattering on me. Ya know, like a bathrobe.

Yards Per Year

I saw an interesting thread on the Stash and Burn Ravelry group this morning. It pertains to how much we knit or crochet per year, and then how long it would take to knit up stash. The easy way to figure out yardage of knitting per year is by finished objects. So, obviously you could start a project one year and finish it another year. So it isn't a completely accurate formula, but kind of fun to figure out.

In 2007 I knit approximately 2000 yards.

In 2008 I knit 2373 yards.

So far in 2009 I have knit 7344 yards.

I have knit far more this year. I started and completed a sweater for me and a sweater for London. Also, I had started a sweater for each of us in previous years and finished them this year so that skews the numbers. I don't bother with the yardage on the appliques on the Itty Bitty Hats. That would probably add up if I counted it all, but it seems tedious to figure all of that out. Also, I'm looking at it as yarn I am using as opposed to actual stitches---because there are many times I rip back and re-knit.

I have been on a big finishing binge this year, so a lot of yardage is counting towards this year even though I actually knit the bulk of it in previous years. Anyhow, I thought it was pretty interesting to really think about how much yarn I am actually using.

FO: My Little Pumpkin Hat

I just love this sweet little hat on my sweet little pumpkin.

The pattern is Little Pumpkin Hat by Susan B. Anderson. I used Tahki Cotton Classic from my stash. Super easy pattern from the Itty Bitty Hats book. This is part of the KAL I am doing to knit every hat in the book. See the list in the sidebar? I think I am doing pretty well!! :)

WIP Saturday

Is it WIP Wednesday? Oh, it's Saturday? Uhm . . . ok. How about a WIP Saturday? :)

This is a scarf I'm doing on commission. It is Blue Moon Fiber Arts Icelandic in Jewel of the Nile. I am doing the My So Called Scarf pattern, which is a really cool simple stitch that results in a woven look. It has been awhile since I have knit a scarf. Now I remember why I stopped making them. It is seriously monotonous!

This will be a felted tote bag. I have been working on it for forever. I am almost done knitting the body.

This sea of purple stockinette is finished and is currently blocking on the guest bed. Once it is dry I have to seam it up and then it is fini! I am afraid it will be much, much too big. I started this four years ago. Can you believe it?

And this is the very beginning of a Christmas swap. But, it is a secret so that's all you're getting out of me!

Happy Halloween! I hope yours was safe and fun--ours was! :)

my lil pumpkin

WIPs Wrestlemania Day 27 and another FO!!

This hat TOTALLY cracks me up.

From these pics you wouldn't even know that it is a hat.  

It looks like a full over the head furry ski-mask. 

It is pretty funny!  

So, I designed my own pattern for this.  I really like it.  The hat was super simple--of course knitting with fun fur is a little annoying, but the hat itself is super simple.  Then the eyes and nose really threw me.  I totally stalled out while contemplating how to do them.  My mom crocheted the nose and then she couldn't figure how to do the eyes.  I tackled three crochet projects and felt more confident in my crochet skills so I decided to give it a try.  I got mad crochet skillz!!  Hahaha!!  Anyhow, I think it came out great! :)  

London totally loves it.  He is wearing it right now.  Yup . . .  July, hot, humid, and super warm hat.  He LOVES it!  What more could a Mommy ask for??? :)

Updated August 6, 2009:  I linked this to Kimba's DIY Day over at A Soft Place to Land.  I always love checking out the amazing things that bloggers are making.  I thought that I couldn't participate because I'm not blogging about projects I am doing around my house--but today Kimba specifically said recipes and crafts count!  Yea!!  So, here I am in my first DIY party!  So, go check out what all of those amazing ladies have been up to.  It makes for great inspiration!!

WIPs Wrestlemania Day 26

I have another finished object!  Yea!!  

But, my model is in bed after a busy summer day rockin' the kiddie pool.   

Hopefully he will be able to fit me into his busy schedule tomorrow.

WIPs Wrestlemania Day 25

And another finished object!  

This is the Flower Pot Hat also from Itty Bitty Knits by Susan B. Anderson.   I used Tahki Cotton Classic in colors that were all left from my Marley Hat that I traded in the swap last month.   I like the bright green with the purples and blues.  I am often drawn to a combination of greens, blues, and purples.

The hat is knit in basket weave and then the little flowers are crocheted and attached after.  The pattern also has flowers sprouting out of the top of the hat from i-cord stems.  But, i-cord does not float my boat so I decided to skip it.  I have plenty of yarn leftover if I ever decide to do it.  I am knitting these hats for a knitalong, but I wonder if I had an actual little one in mind for it if I would drudge through the i-cord.  Time will tell!

WIPs Wrestlemania Day 24

We have a finished object!  Yea!!  This is the Rosebud by Susan B. Anderson from Itty Bitty Hats.  This is part of the knitalong I am doing to knit every hat in the Itty Bitty Hat book.  We are doing two a month and this was from June.  

I used a varigated bamboo yarn on a size 5 needle.  This is the newborn size.  I have no idea how bamboo will hold its shape for a hat.  The pink roses and green leaves are Tahki Cotton Classic leftovers from my Upside Down Daisy hat.  Yup, we're all about the Itty Bitty Hats around here! :)

Link to my Ravelry project page is here.

I've been focusing on the Flower Pot Hat the past couple days.  I have also been thinking about how to line my Larger Than Life Bag .  I've spent a lot of time looking for tutorials on lining a bag.  It seems like they are designed more for sewers that are making bags as opposed to knitters and crocheters that want a very easy way to line a bag.  Ah well, I'll figure it out!

FO:Victorian Beaded Scarf

I am super excited to have finished this project!  I cast on in May . . . wait for it . . . 2007.  Yup, 2 years and 2 months ago.  I finished the first half of it pretty quickly and then totally stalled out on doing the second half.  It is necessary to string all of the beads for the half before casting on and that totally derailed my starting the second half.  So, a couple months ago I strung all of the beads and started casting on for the second half and I stalled out again.  I just picked it up again last week with the lofty goal of finishing it for my mom's birthday on Wednesday.  

The scalloped edge is created when casting on.  This means that there will be two halves that need to be garter stitch grafted together.  I did a REALLY good job grafting.  I have never been able to graft until this project.  Yea!!!!  :)

My mom does wear browns, but not much red.  I was concerned that she would not have a shirt to match it so I picked up this shirt for her at Target yesterday.  Last year at Rhinebeck (the New York State Sheep and Wool festival) we kept seeing this scarf and my mom went on and on and on about how much she loved it.  I had intended for this scarf to be a gift for my mother and I hinted to her that she would probably end up with this scarf "someday".

I used Schaefer Yarn Company Anne.  I really don't know how much yarn it was, but it seems like it less than half a skein.  I bought the beads at my LYS and was pretty limited in my color choices.  I really wanted a chocolate brown, but had to settle for the orangey-red.  The pattern was designed by a local teacher, however I have seen this same idea in several other patterns.  The one I linked to in Ravelry was not the pattern I used, but it looks similar.

I am thrilled to have finished this!!!!!  I really hope my mom likes the colors.

WIPs Wrestlemania Day 12

I finished a project today!!  And bonus, it is my mother's birthday present!!  WAHOO!!  :)  Man, this Wrestlemania thing is really working for me. :)  Details and pictures tomorrow.

WIPs Wrestlemania Day 10

Very Quick Update:

I have been working on my Victorian Beaded Scarf.  My mom's birthday is the 15th and I have this totally unrealistic notion that it will be done in time.  Ha!  I have also done a little bit on the Rosebud Hat and a repeat or two on my February Lady Sweater.  Monday-Thursday was busy so knitting was minimal.

WIPs Wrestlemania Day 5

Notice the sticks in his hand?  Sticks, rocks, pine needles . . . all wonderful treasures.  I hope you had a great 4th of July.  Ours was focused on spending quality time with our loved ones.  Perfection.

So, Day 5.  Today I finished weaving in all of the ends on my Larger Than Life Bag.  This means I have completely finished all of the "yarn" part of the project.  Now I need to figure out how to line it.  I have all of the supplies, I know what I want to do, I just need to figure how to do it.

I also did another lace repeat on my February Lady Sweater.  I tried it on and the yoke looks like a perfect fit.  Yea!!!  It definitely needs more length, so I need to keep plugging away on those lace repeats.  

These updates are really exciting, aren't they?  I need to figure out something I can finish to keep my two readers from bailing on me! :)

WIPs Wrestlemania Day 4

Happy Fourth of July!!!  We enjoyed the beautiful weather with a trip to the park and the farmer's market.  Nice, low-key 4th.  I think some BBQ is in our future tomorrow.

Well, I had just finished weaving in the ends on my second clog and was about to start joining the second sole when I realized that something was really not right.  The toe part of the clog was super, super tiny.  I took out my other completed clog to compare and I definitely made a HUGE mistake in knitting the toe.  UGH!!!  So I frogged, and frogged, and frogged.  By the way, frogging wraps and turns is a serious pain!  I now have one completed clog and one sole on the second clog.    I am done with the clog for today.  I'll probably do another lace repeat on my February Lady Sweater.  Or maybe weave in the ends on my Larger Than Life Bag.

WIPs Wrestlemania Day 3

My two potential knitting times are nap time and after the little guy goes to bed.  So, today during nap time I picked up my Felted Clog again.  Guess when I started them.  Go ahead, guess.  February 2008.  I am ridiculously close to finishing it.  Today I made the second sole on the second clog.  It only needs to be seamed up, joined, and bound off.  Another nap time should have it finished.  Although with the weekend coming up I may not have another free nap time until next week.  My evening knitting tonight consisted of one lace repeat on the February Lady Sweater.

FO: Sweetheart Washcloth in Pink

Day 2 of the WIPs Wrestlemania and we have a finished object.  Yea!! :)

It looked like this when I put the little guy down for his nap.

And it looked like this by the time he woke up.

It is the Sweetheart Washcloth pattern by Susan B Anderson.  I cast on before Valentine's Day right after I had completed one in chenille.  My crochet skills have GREATLY improved since then and I was able to do the crocheted picot edging.

Gotta go do a lace repeat on my February Lady Sweater!

WIPs Wrestlemania Day 1

Here is my February Lady Sweater.  The picture is from Monday, so pretend that there are 2 more lace repeats.

I haven't knit yet today (ya know, work and parenting and all that) but as soon as the little guy is in bed I will be doing another lace repeat.  Remember my plan is one repeat a night and so far I have been doing well with this plan.  What?  It's only Day 1?  I know, I know.  But, I have been doing one lace repeat a night for the past 4 nights.

peekaboo, i see you

I just love this picture. :)  He was playing with my friend's sunglasses yesterday and I was lucky enough to catch this pic.

For the month of July I will be rocking the WIPs.  I am not taking any classes--which always distracts me from my WIPs.  I am not casting on for anything new aside from the Itty Bitty Hat KAL that I have already committed to.  I am going to focus on my WIPs and get some things off of my needles.  I am participating in the WIPS Wrestlemania on Ravelry.  The idea is to tackle some projects and train for the Winter Ravelympics which are fast approaching! :)

Do you see that WIPs list on the sidebar?  I'm at 20.  Yup.  That's a lot.  My current focus is the February Lady Sweater.  I am trying to do one lace repeat a night which takes me about an hour.  I am also going to throw in some almost done projects to mix it up a bit so I don't get bored.  My lack of attention span is part of my problem, so I am hoping the diversity of projects while also focusing mostly on one project will be the best of both worlds.  

I am also aiming for really regular blog posting to keep me motivated!! :)

Woah!

I can't believe how long it is has been since I last posted!  

Life got ridiculously busy for awhile there.  I have been making all sorts of great stuff though!

I have been working on my February Lady Sweater that I have wanted to make for forever.  

I am further along then the picture shows--about 5 repeats into the lace section.  And there is no shame in having markers every 7 stitches!!! :)

Here is my Baby Surprise Jacket with buttons, finally.  They are cute little sheep that I picked up from Rhinebeck.  I put basic plastic buttons on the back because the sheep are quite heavy.  I also single crocheted around the edge of the button holes because the sheep were getting caught.

I updated my WIPs and FOs on the side bar with Ravelry links in case you are so inclined.  I'll be back sooner then 2 months this time!! :)

FOs: Bunny and Chick

I simply love Susan B. Anderson.  Love, love, love.  So, as the mother of a toddler and lover of all things Susan B. Anderson does--I had absolutely no choice but to knit both the bunny and the chick for my son for Easter.

I really love my bunny.  It is pretty cute.  I would love to learn how to embroider for purposes just like this.  I totally winged it.

My chick looks a little . . . well . . . off.  I think it is the crooked beak.  And honestly, my son doesn't seem to really like it either.  I am always finding it behind a piece of furniture.  Oh well.  At least he likes the bunny.
These are easy, simple projects that could be done in a few uninterrupted hours.  The knitting skills needed are super basic.

For both projects my gauge is waaaaay too big for a stuffed animal.  If I ever do them again I would go down probably 3 or 4 needle sizes.  I did go down one needle size, but obviously it wasn't enough.   Also, my animals' heads are very small compared to the pictures on the pattern.  I followed the pattern for how many inches the head should be.  Of course since my gauge was so far off, the head is much smaller as compared to the body.

Why am I so opposed to gauge swatches?  I guess if I am going to make something that truly matters what my gauge is then I really need to do a gauge swatch.  Gauge isn't a four letter word!!! :)

FO: Bunny Tail Hat

Here is yet another finished object!  Seriously, this is totally a record for me!! :)

This is the Bunny Tail Hat from Itty Bitty Hats.  Except, I did short ears like a bear and sans tail.  I made the 1-2 year size and it is quite big on my little guy.  I went down a needle size, but it is still too big.  I am sensing a theme here.  Are you? :)

Ravelry link here.  My little guy turned 16 months.  It is going too quick!!

I have yet another finished object to blog and I'll be finishing another one tonight.  Seriously, this is unbelievable!!

FO: Quilt Medallion Scarf

He is 16 months today!  

Can you believe it?  Another finished object!

Quilt Medallion Scarf from Interweave Crochet Magazine.  I took a class at Saratoga Needle Arts with the wonderful Cookie.  I used several different colors of Mission Falls Cotton.
If I had it to do over, I wouldn't have used the white yarn.  It doesn't look as stark white in person.
It could use a steam blocking before I wear it.  I'm not sure I will though.  I'm a rebel like that! :)

FO: Wonderful Wallaby Willie

I loved this project!  This is the Wonderful Wallaby made in a size 4 which is the Willie size.  Started March 7, 2009 and completed April 2, 2009.  If you have been reading my blog for any length of time you know this is a lightening fast project for me!! :)  

I used Malabrigo merino worsted in the color Pimenton.  The color is kind of a rusty orange.  Gorgeous!!  I had the yarn in my stash for a few years from a 20% off sale waiting for the right project.  It used three full skeins with the tiniest bit left over.  I started getting nervous that I was going to run out of yarn towards the end. 

The Malabrigo is a slight think and thin and seems a little thicker then worsted weight to me.  The sweater seems larger than a size 4 which is fine.  Better too big than too small!  I planned on London wearing it next fall and winter, but it will probably still be too big on him.

I went down a needle size and used 5's for the ribbing, 7's for the body, and 6's for the sleeves.  I was afraid I would have hugely puffy sleeves so I went down two needle sizes.

I found on Ravelry an alternate method for putting on the pouch that uses yarn overs from a new skein of yarn.  I will be trying this the next time I make it because I had some difficulty with the pouch.

I took a class at Saratoga Needle Arts to make the sweater.  Besides paying for the class, I used everything that I already owned to make the sweater.  Yea!! :)

I may get three winters of wear out of this sweater! :)

Lots of Updates

We did great on our February limited spending goal.  All month we only charged 4 things.  2 were preset charges (i.e. Netflix) and 2 were Paypal charges for internet purchases (which were less than $10 for both).  That is really phenomenal!  Normally we charge absolutely everything so we can take advantage of the cash back.  But, it has also made us less thoughtful of our purchases because credit doesn't always feel like real money.  This was especially hard because we were paying for our purchases that were put on credit cards in January while also paying cash for purchases in February.  I'm not done tallying our receipts so I don't have an exact amount on what we spent.  We did get hit with a nearly $500 purchase on the last day of the month.  My husband's car needed some repairs.  But the good news is--we paid for all of it in cash!!  Seriously!!!  I am so, so, so proud of what we did!!!

We are continuing to be conscious of our spending in March.  We will still try to not use credit cards and to put as much money on debt as possible.  I do have a friend staying with us for a week so I'm sure we will be spending more than our usual while she is here.  We probably won't be as strict in spending as in February.  It is hard to keep up at the level and we have already bought 2 books and a cd, although I did use a $25 gift card towards the purchases.  

I am still working on my Quilt Medallion Scarf.  I really love doing it and actually have to limit myself on how much I work on it.  The crocheting and the cotton has really affected my wrists and the muscles going up my arms.  I hope I don't run into this with all crochet projects because I really love it.  In last Saturday's class we learned row 4 and joining the motifs.  Right now I have 13 motifs joined together and 9 ready for the 4th row and joining.  I am aiming for 36 motifs all together.  We'll see how it looks as it gets close to the 36.  The springy colors are great!  Maybe I will wear it for Easter! 

Quilt Medallion Scarf

I am crocheting again.  It really does seem to go faster and it really does seem to eat more yarn.  I am taking a class at Saratoga Needle Arts 

It is an Interweave Crochet pattern called Quilt Medallion Scarf.  I have 11 of the motifs done so far.  The pattern calls for 69, but with a much finer yarn and gauge.  The teacher's sample used 36 so that's what I am aiming for.

Here is the 11 I have done.

And the 9 in progress.

The one on the left shows one round done, the middle is two rounds done, and the one on the right is three rounds done.
Then, on Saturday I will be taking the second class and learning how to connect them all together.  I am using Mission Falls 1824 cotton.  My wrists are killing me.  I don't know if it is because I am using different movements with crochet or if it is the cotton.  I am trying to take a break and rest my wrists, but I soooo want to be crocheting!  It is addicting!!!!

FO: Sweetheart Washcloth

I made a Sweetheart Washcloth by Susan B Anderson for my son for Valentine's Day.  I am a HUGE fan of Susan and her Itty Bitty Hats.

I used Cotton Chenille yarn on size 5 needles.  I tried the picot crochet edging but I was struggling so I gave up and made up my own edging.  I am currently making another one in Sugar n Cream and I may give the picot edging another shot.

Photo shoots with a toddler are always an adventure!

FO: Lunasea Leticia Hat

I swear my nose isn't really that crooked.  :)  This hat is a Valentine's Day present for my husband and I was afraid he would find the pic if I used the digital camera, so I used the handy little camera on the computer.

I used less than a skein of Leticia from Blue Moon Fiber Arts in Lunasea.  I LOVE these colors.  The yarn is a slight thick and thin--but mostly thin.  I knit it on 10.5 dpns and it is my own design.  Quick, quick knit.  

I was thinking of making a cowl with the other skein of Lunasea in my stash.  Do men where cowls?  Nothing fancy-just a scarf substitute in stockinette.  Maybe I should ask him before taking a chance and making it.

FO: Crocheted Sampler Wave Scarf

This pattern was a great way to learn and practice various crochet stitches.  I used 4 colors of Cascade 220 Super Wash that I had in my stash.  It turned out a little shorter than I would like.  I used half the number of stitches called for in the adult-sized pattern.  Oh well, I'll chalk it up to learning.  London doesn't know the difference. :)

So, my model was not at all into modeling.

Can we say tempermental?
Does every model storm out of their photo shoots?  Or just my model?

Thank You!

I have finished a project!!  YEA!!  I will attempt a photo shoot tomorrow.  Hopefully my model cooperates! :)

On the money front . . . my husband still hasn't produced the receipt for the groceries yesterday so I'm not sure of the exact total.  He also bout $20 in gas today.  After he told me, he quickly said "but the light was on!"  Yea, I guess that would be a good reason to get gas. :)

Thank you for my congratulations on losing weight! :)  I am currently 9 pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight.  That is very exciting!  I am starting to think about rewards for myself.  I want something to celebrate 50 pounds.  I have created my own system of what works for me.  I was thinking that I could share some things that are working for me in some blog posts.  

So, the first one is being really conscious about what I am eating and I what I am feeling.  This is sometimes easier said then done.  I have a toddler and anyone who has spent any time with toddlers knows that meal times can be interesting.  I also have two dogs and I can not tell you how much energy they consume while we are in the kitchen.  Whether it is needing to go out, needing to come in, begging London for food, eating the other dogs food, you get the idea.  Then of course, I'm trying to make food, clean up afterwards, do dishes, etc.  So, being really conscious of what I am eating and whether or not I should be eating isn't always easy.  It is easy to consume without even fully realizing what I am doing.  Also, I need to consciously think about if I am hungry.  Again, it is easier to pop a leftover graham cracker in my mouth then to put it away when my son has decided he doesn't want it.  I believe the first step is to be truly conscious and think about what I am doing.  Awareness.  It starts with awareness.

It's A Party!

There is a party going on!  There is the cool thing called Mr. Linky that lets us link to our posts.  The party topic is taming kid clutter.  Go check it out and borrow some great ideas from lots of creative, organized bloggers.

So, on the money front--my husband bought some groceries during his lunch break today.  He thinks it was under $30, but he isn't home yet so I don't know exactly how much.

And . . . I lost 32 pounds!  YEA!! :)

Free Photo Book

Inkubook is offering a free photo book for filling out a survey about their product and site.  You will need to pay shipping and tax, but the book is free.  Cool, huh?  I've been wanting to make a photo book of London's first year.  My coupon code expires the last day of this month.  So, despite my intention of spending as little money as possible this month I think it is worth paying for the shipping and tax to get the book for free.

By the way, we didn't spend anything today! :)

Ground Hog's Day

Is it Groundhog or Ground Hog?  Either way, six more weeks of winter!  I'm very ready for SPRING!

So, neither of us spent any money today.  Yea!!!

Feel free to share your financial triumphs in the comments! :)

Money Challenge

My husband and I are challenging ourselves to see how little we can spend during the month of February on our non-fixed expenses.  I aim for $125 a week on groceries (although I usually spend more) and we spend about $200 a month in gas.  Then of course there is a little bit here and a little bit there.  We do have Valentine's Day this month and a couple of all ready scheduled social engagements that we will be spending money on.  Also, I have been making an effort to buy more organic and hormone-free food.  So we will continue with these commitments.  I would like us to be more conscious of our spending and think about how to save ourselves money, but we won't be sacrificing other things that we value (eating healthy and spending time with family and friends).  I think blogging about it will help with accountability.  And who knows, maybe someone will join us in our challenge!

Today I spent $5.71 on lunch and $1.25 for tip for a total of $6.96 for the day.  My husband didn't spend anything today. 

Easy Money!

I found this laundry research study that pays $175 for 2 hours of your time.  Here is the link if you are interested.  I am happy to accept $175 for 2 hours of my time!!! :)

Handy Manny

I LOVE Handy Manny!!!  What?  You haven't met Manny?  If you have a toddler or preschooler or just need a dose of beautiful humanity you simply must check out Handy Manny on Playhouse Disney.  

Everyone in the town of Sheet Rock Hills is very helpful and loves to help solve each other's problems.  Everyone is accepted for who they are and both their faults and attributes are loved.  The acknowledgements flow and the support is always there.  At the same time, characters offer their assistance and are open to their assistance being declined.  All of this is done without being sickeningly sweet like some little ones shows can be.  This is exactly what I want my child's cartoons to look like.  My husband and I enjoy the antics of some of the good nature mischief that the tools find as well as trying to identify the voices of the characters.  We are so hooked that we now refer to some of our tools by their proper names.  "Honey, I bet Turner could help you with that."  Yea, we are hooked.

So I can cross it off of my list . . .

Before our lives were hijacked by yucky colds, I had been on an organizing and cleaning kick.  

I have a lot of WIPs.  I always have a lot of WIPs.  I've decided to keep track of my WIPs and 2009 FOs on the side of my blog.  I am hoping that with the visual reminder it will help to motivate me to finish.  I'm one of those people that writes something on a list just so I can have the satisfaction of crossing it off my list.  

You'll notice that there aren't any finished objects listed yet.  They're coming.  Soon, I hope! :)  

Have a great Sunday!!

Crocheted Wave Scarf

This is my crocheting project.  Dog nose included for scale. :)  Not really, she just was super close to me all day that day.  The light blue in the middle is actually two different shades, but it is really hard to tell.  London's coat is navy and red.  I'm thinking of trying to find a crocheted hat pattern to make a set.
I had the second class today which is where we learned the "wave" part of the scarf.  It is probably too short for London.  Ah well.  It was a good learning project.  I can now do a chain, single crochet, double crochet, half double crochet, and something else that I can't remember the name of.  I signed up for a scarf class at the end of February.  It is an Interweave Crochet pattern.  I think I also conjured up some interest for the Larger Than Life Bag.  I'm hoping it will be a class in the spring.  It would be a cute spring/summer tote.

I think I now have London's cold.  Some moments I feel like death and then some moments I feel pretty good.  Hopefully it doesn't get too bad.  London is feeling and acting much better.  Still coughing and a runny nose, but I think the worst of it is behind him.

Taming the Toys

Here is our sick little boy.

Poor thing!  We are surviving his cold.

One of my favorite bloggers asked for pictures of how I'm taming the toys.  So, HollyJo here you go! :)

We had purchased matching tv and stereo units from Ikea back when we were living in NYC.  We continued to use the tv stand until London was mobile.  It was very low and on casters, so it was basically a death trap for a toddler.  I looked and looked for another piece of furniture without much luck.  Everything was waaaay more money than I wanted to spend.  So, we finally decided to move our sofa table and put the tv on it.  It had little baskets on the bottom shelf which housed London's toys for awhile.  As he got bigger, he started playing with (climbing on, dragging around, throwing) the baskets and I was afraid that they would start falling apart.  So I moved one of our under the bed boxes to the living room and it works very well. 

It isn't exactly stylish, but I don't mind.  It works well.  London can pull it out and even play in it.  With a December birthday and Christmas, he has outgrown this "toy box".  Now it houses stuffed animals and a few other odds and ends.
We purchased this toy box from Babies R Us.  It is exactly what I wanted.  When London has a big boy room it will be primary colors and we will move this into his room.  I really like how I can anally sort his toys into the bins and he can enjoy un-organizing them.  I also like how he can see all of his toys and choose what he wants to play with.  Traditionally toy boxes aren't as easy to access.
These are 2 small, unfinished book shelves that we bracketed together so he couldn't pull them onto himself.  They house his bigger toys that don't fit into the bins.  He loves taking his toys on and off of the shelves.  Some day I will probably paint them and put them in his big boy room for books, puzzles, games, etc. 

So, yea, our living room looks a little bit like a preschool right now.  I love it!  London spends 95% of his waking moments in the living room and I want it to be comfortable for him as well as us.  I like having a place for all of the toys while maintaining easy access to them for London.