Swinging Along

Little Sir and I went to the park on Thursday. We took our new camera.
















I just had to include this one. I love it. My mom told me that we used to get so mad at her when she would take pictures of us crying.

Madrona

What do you get when you put two 4 month old babies and two fiber fanatics into an SUV and drive them to Tacoma for the day?


Chameleon Colorworks Optium (stretched merino- to DIE for soft. It has properties of both silk and wool, and it is machine washable- Amazing) in color way Briar Rose.
(this was a b-day gift from Sarah- thanks Sarah! I'm spinning it now- it's wonderful.)


Crown Mountain Farms Merino in color way "Light My Fire".
This is the same company I purchased the BFL roving from that I spun for this sweater. I loved spinning it, I loved knitting with it, I love wearing it. Recipe for repeat.


And the absolutely unbelievable 70/30 Alpaca Silk from Tactile. They are scheduled to have their website go live on 3 Mar. Until then, you can find them at Stitches West if you are lucky enough to get to go.

Progress and a Meme

I am slogging along. I have to get to 13 inches before I start the color work.

I have been dealing with an Econ midterm, but I turned it in tonight. I am working into recovery mode (yes, it was that bad.)

I'll have some photo oriented posts in the next few days, but in the mean time, Heather over at Magically Mama has tagged me for a meme about the Duke, and I am happy to share a little with you about my guy and the way we live.

How long have you been together? We are soon approaching 7 years of marriage.

How long did you date? Well, that is kind of hard to quantify. We went on 2 dates while both or one of us were in HS. Then we didn't see one another for over 2 years. Then we spent quite a bit of time together as friends and then started to date for a few months. Next we spent nearly another year apart, and when we were again reunited we dated for a few more months and then got engaged. We were engaged for nine months.

How old is he? 30

Who eats more? Oh that depends on the food, the meal, the day, the cycles of the moon. Both of us have strange eating habits. The Duke has the ability to eat enough for someone twice his size (without gaining an ounce of weight I might add.) He also has the ability to survive, at times, on nothing but oatmeal and PB&J sandwiches.

Who said "I love you" first? I haven't a clue. We both knew it before it was ever said.

Who is taller? We are EXACTLY the same height.

Who is smarter? Oh- that's a dangerous question. That would certainly depend on the topic at hand. We are a good match.

Who does the laundry? We both do. Lately the Duke has been doing it more often.

Who does the dishes? The Duke. He does the dishes and I clean up the kitchen. It's a nice time for us to talk.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? We have what we call "an equality of space" in our house. We don't have sides of the bed, we trade back and forth. We also don't have places at the dinner table.

Who pays the bills? I did until about 18 months ago when the Duke took that over when he was looking for ways to help me decrease the stress in my life. (Isn't he a good one?)

Who mows the lawn? Again, we both do, but I do it more often. Also, this isn't really a very big job when you only have 100 sq feet off grass.

Who cooks dinner? Either I do or we do it together.

Who is more stubborn? We are both so stubborn it's scary.

Who kissed who first? The Duke kissed me. (one of my sweetest memories-)

Who asked who out? He asked me on pretty much all our dates.

Who proposed? Well, we aren't really sure. We just knew it was time. The entire situation was very strange. Maybe some day I'll write about it.

Who is more sensitive? I am- but that's not to say he isn't.

Who has more friends? We pretty much have the same friends.

Who has more siblings? The Duke, by one sister.

Tagging? Sara- how about your first meme? Lucy at An Ordinary Mom. Oh and Heidi- how about your first meme too!

Oh and one last thing (or two)

All of you go over to Anna's blog and see some seriously beautiful photographs with some of my favorite subjects.

And if that isn't enough to make you say awwww- go on over to Georgia's blog and see her fresh from the oven Mr. Fatty Cakes.

Ahhhh- I love babies! It's so very strange.

An Epoch Begins?

The Genesis. . . (because a project like this should have its cast on called something grand.)
-CO 250 stitches with a size US 2 (2.25mm) needle.



Exodus- will this sweater take 40 years of wandering in the wilderness to finish? Or perhaps a miracle akin to the parting of the Red Sea will be required.



Numbers: (yes, I know I skipped Leviticus- you try to relate the Levitical Law to knitting)
Now I have to increase to 264 stitches and knit a trillion little tiny stitches before I get to more color work. I do get to switch to a size 3 needles, though. Yep, I must be nuts!

Here we GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. . . .

Proof

These are the needles- (size US 3)


That met this yarn-


That knit this swatch-


That proves the Duchess is INSANE!

Yes the time has come at last. It has been over a year since I bought the kit. The thing must be knit (on size US 2 and 3 needles.)

Really I am looking forward to the challenge. I'll let you know how I feel after 8 zillion stockinette stitches before I even get to any significant color work. Yep- I do love my Duke.


Mama, you are crazy!

Baby vs. Fiber

In this corner we have the Ultra Feather Weight Champion Time Snatcher: Little Sir.

In this corner we have the Ultra Fiber Weight Champion Time Snatcher: Knitting and Spinning.

I will give you .37 seconds to determine who is going to win the title of All Time Ultimate Time Snatcher!



Here is a sweater that I started sometime during my pregnancy.
The bottom is my hand spun, the top is Cascade 220.

When these photos were taken I had run out of yarn with about two inches of the sweater to go (it was knit bottom-up so two inches of small neck rounds.)



It took me about 3 days to make it to the yarn store to get the yarn needed to finish the sweater.
It took me another 4 days to get it wound into a cake.
It took me about 20 minutes to finish the silly thing.



I will have FO pics, oh you know, as soon as I can find time to put the sweater on, try to get the Duke to take more than 2 photos for me to choose from, when it's light outside (it was still light at 5:00 pm today- YAHOO!) and manage to do it all without getting spit-up on.

So what I'm telling you here is, don't hold your breath.


I did get a tiny bit of spinning done as well. This lovely BFL that Sarah brought me while I was frantically searching for ways to keep my sanity that didn't involve my pregnancy disabled hands, has been in single form on bobbins for many a moon now. It was time to ply some of it. It's lovely. I just love the color.



I went to Spinning Night on Friday as well, and got a very small amount of spinning done, but it did feel good to have my right foot being used in yarn production as opposed to sleep production (I often use the same treadle motion on Little Sir's bouncy chair to lull him to sleep.)



Superwash Merino singles, destined to become a two ply sock weight.

And there you go, a full fledged fiber post.

Wait until you see what craziness I am planning next. . .

A (Silent) Poetry Reading

It 2 Feb. 2008, the Third Annual Bloggers (Silent) Poetry Reading.

I didn't participate last year, but I did enjoy the event, so I thought this year I would participate. I went looking for a poem the captured how I have been feeling these past few months of new motherhood.

I couldn't find anything that resonated with me.

So. . . I did something that I rarely do. I wrote something.

I used to write quite a bit of poetry, but it has become a rare occasion in the past 8 or so years.

I am now also going to do something I have NEVER done. I'm going to share it with you all. So, um, be kind. I'm no Walt Whitman.

I Never Knew

It is a street lamp that illuminates your peaceful face.
Still sleeping, by instinct, you draw milk from my breast.
Bundled tight against the night, compact and tidy.
My exhaustion answers your father’s sounds of sleep.

It is a halo of innocence and light that humbles me.
In perfect peace you draw life and return awe, strength, assurance.
Presented, wrapped as the greatest of gifts.
I am fulfilled and realized, protected by sacred union.

I never knew, my child. . . my child.
You have made me new.
I love you. I love you.

Megan Wright
2/2/08

There you are, a perhaps not so elegant look into my heart. I do love that little boy in a way and with a strength that I could have never comprehended before.

I know I promised you knitting, and I have it to show you, but Photobucket is being a pain in the bucket, so you'll have to wait one more day.

Talk to you then!

Knitting Coming Soon

In the mean time let me distract you with one seriously cute baby.

A Great Man

President Gordon B. Hinckley
23 June 1910- 27 January 2007
One of the greatest men to ever walk the earth is now reunited with his beloved wife. We mourn the loss of you in our lives, but rejoice in your reunion with Sister Hinckley and our Heavenly Father.
You will be missed.

Click on the photo to read more of the great life and accomplishments of this amazing man.

We've Been Thinking

Here's what I've been thinking about:


A new blanket for Little Sir.


What other fabric than knit socks, hats, and mittens on one side,


and the print of knit stst on the other.

Perfect for a Yarnnation baby.

Other knitterly things going through my head. . .


hmmm. . .


hmmmm. . .

HMMMMMMMMM!

Little Sir has been thinking too. . .


I think I'll be a Greek God when I grow up.


I'm strong, not to mention devastatingly handsome.


Logan will be my faithful attendant. It will work out perfectly!


Yes, yes, I defiantly think I will be a Greek God.

This is what happens when a baby spits up all over himself, leaving him soaking wet, is only about 20 min from bath time, and the closest thing to wrap him up in happens to be a Moby Wrap. Oh yes, a silly mother also helps the situation.

Hi Everyone!


Um, this is my first crack at blogging, my mommy said I could show off my new blessing sweater and these cool pants that our friend Sonya knit for me.


So, what do you think?


What do you mean you don't like them?


Mama, I'm not so sure about these bloggy people!


HE HE I'm just kidding! I know you all love knitting. My mama told me so. It's my first blogging joke! I am SOOOO funny!

Note from the Duchess: Yes I survived my first class. I have to go do it again on Wed. I hope it won't be as hard. I certainly won't be forgetting my knitting! For those of you who don't know, I am eight long, frustrating classes away from getting my MBA.

Little Sir's sweater is my design, knit on size 6 needles with Sirdar Snuggly. His pants were knit by Sonya (thanks Sonya, we love them!) The pattern is Baby's Denim Drawstring Pants from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, and the yarn is Rowan's Denim.

Breath- Breath- Breath

I am halfway through my first class of the quarter. I think the prof is talking about economics, but I am focusing on not having a nervous breakdown, so I'm not entirely sure.

I called the Duke during the break and he assured me that Little Sir was fine. Lucky for him my phone died so he didn't have to endure me asking for a minute by minute breakdown of everything he and Little Sir have done since I dropped him off.

I forgot my knitting, HUGE HUGE HUGE mistake.

So, instead, I am blogging during class.

BREATH!

Ok, I am going to go look at pictures of my baby before I go into shock.

What is WRONG with me?

It is 5:10 am PST here at Yarnnation. That's right, the middle of the night by my standards. I don't think anyone should ever see 5:10 am on their clock if they can at all help it.

I could say that I am awake because I was happily nursing my adorable (if somewhat vampiresque) child who is going through yet another growth spurt. And I did nurse him- you know, about an hour ago, after I had all ready been awake for about an hour.

So there goes that excuse.

The real problem is that I woke up in the VERY middle of the night- around 3:00 am PST and realized that. . .

I HAVE TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL TOMORROW!

What was I thinking? I am not ready for this.

So, I am freaking out in my own particular Duchess way, which of course involves no sleep, because heaven forbid I be well rested when I am going through a stressful event in my life. That would make no sense what-so-ever.

OK- I'm going back to bed (so I can stare at the ceiling and wait for the doom of daylight to come.)

I'll let you all know how it goes- assuming I survive.

A New Year

So Sarah came out of hiding for a brief moment to share this meme. So good to hear from you Sarah, and as her 2007 story resonates loudly with me, I was inspired (or something like that) and now I'm adding my bit of personal mumbo jumbo to the internet.

1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?


I got pregnant and had a baby. That's the big one right there. There were other firsts last year, but they all are pretty insignificant compared to this.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?


I'm not a resolution making kind of gal.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?


HA! Well, myself for one, my little sister, my cousin, my friends Sarah and Heidi, and more than a few women that I go to church with.

4. Did anyone close to you die?


Not to me, but the Duke lost his Grandma Great. It was time for her to go, and he was happy to know that she was, at last, reunited with her husband, who we named our son after.

5. What countries did you visit?


Does Pregnancy Land count as a country? New York might also qualify under some definitions. I didn't leave the USA this year.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?


Peace, calm, stability, sanity

7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?


Aug 24th and Oct 14th. The days my little sister and I became mommies.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?


I GREW A PERSON!
I am also proud of taking second place in the SU business plan competition, but again, compared with growing and giving birth to a human being, it seems pretty insignificant.

9. What was your biggest failure?


I failed to ask for help sooner, when I really needed it.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?


Yes, in a very major way. My pregnancy was debilitating and birth by cesarean was horribly painful.

11. What was the best thing you bought?


Well, I didn't buy it, but I am very excited about the camera the Duke gave me for Christmas.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?


The Duke's- he is amazing- many men would have walked away from the trial that was our life for most of last year. Also, my mom's and sister's. I don't know what I would have done without daily phone calls and eventually my mom coming to the rescue. And our wonderful wonderful friends who jumped up to help us when we needed it so badly. We are so blessed to be surrounded by such giving and loving people.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?


Appalled and Depressed are a little over the top when it comes to how I feel about other's behavior. I have been frustrated and disappointed a few times this year. I will keep the individual identities to myself, as I am not anticipating a great change in the coming year, which is too bad.

14. Where did most of your money go?


To the mortgage, medical bills, school loan repayment, and baby stuff.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?


The Duke graduated from Pharmacy school, (very very exciting.) Princes P. brought "W" into the world (such sweet happiness) and Little Sir (complete elation does not adequately describe how I felt.)

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?


hmmm- I don't listen to music very much. I will have to think about that.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
 a) happier or sadder? 
b) thinner or fatter? 
c) richer or poorer?


A) So much happier B) I gave birth 2.5 months ago, you can guess C) Oh, probably a little better off. One of us actually has a real job, but the student loans are heavy.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?


SLEPT!

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?


Paced.

20. How did you spend Christmas?


We had a quiet morning with just our little family, then brunch with friends and finally prepared to fly out to Utah the next day. It was a very peaceful Christmas.


21. Did you fall in love in 2007?


Oh yes, deeply, devotedly, astoundingly in love with my little boy.

22. What was your favorite TV program?


Well, before the strike the Duke and I were enjoying Moonlight.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?


No, no. I try to keep the hate at bay.

24. What was the best book you read?


Oh, I read some good ones this year. Blink, The Female Brain, The Great Gatsby, and Reading Lolita in Tehran were all wonderful.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?


Ryan Shaw- amazing.

26. What did you want and get?


A perfectly healthy baby and some good deep sleep.

27. What did you want and not get?


An easy pregnancy and enough good deep sleep.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?


I'm fairly certain I didn't see a movie in the theater this year. We did watch a couple at home, but nothing that impressed me terribly.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?


I was 28. I'm not sure, but I think I went to work.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?


I don't really know. I would have to experience it first I think.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?


I wore a lot of skirts because I was HOT HOT HOT- and I don't mean in a Paris Hilton sort of way.

32. What kept you sane?


Friends and family tried their best, and did great for a while. I will remember this year as the year I truly lost my sanity for a time.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?


I'm in the dark about such things.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?


Traffic in Seattle, maybe? I don't know. The Duke and I have made a specific effort to ignore politics last year, it irritates us that the presidential election has all ready been under way for a year. We decided to wait until the first of 2008 to begin our personal political education.

35. Who did you miss?


My sister, I always miss my sister, and now my newest little nephew.

36. Who was the best new person you met?


Little Sir, I've never been so excited to meet someone. (Can you see a reoccurring theme here?)

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.


Stubbornest is NOT a virtue.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

How about a book quote instead

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. . .

-Charles Dickens

Now, I don't normally "tag" other bloggers for this, but I would like to hear from the newish bloggers in my family.

Princess P.
Amanda
Lindsay
Aunt Carma

Happy New Year!

Cute Overload!

We had a wonderful Christmas and a great (if somewhat short) visit with our families in Utah. We blessed Little Sir and stocked up on cuddles and kisses from grandmas and grandpas.




Little Sir is wearing the blessing sweater that I knit him (finishing it at 1:30 am the morning of the blessing!) I will post a photo of it soon.