22 February 2008
Links to my Flickr photos
If you're interested, you can find photos of some of my projects at Flickr, both knitting:... and crochet:
A bit o' history
Since I did promise this would be the topic of my next post...
As I remember it, my first experience with any form of needlework was when I was in kindergarten or maybe first grade. My mom sketched out a cross-stitch pattern of my name for me to follow. I believe my brother, a year younger, did his name as well (on a separate piece of fabric).
I continued to do at least some cross-stitch until shortly before my first daughter was born; I have since discovered that for me at least, cross-stitch does not blend as easily with having young children as various other types of needlework.
I learned to hand sewing sometime in elementary school, machine sewing in junior high school. (I vividly remember being annoyed that by the time I got truly good at making doll clothes, I was too old to play with them.)
My aunt tried to teach me to crochet when I was in my tween or very early teen years, but I ended up teaching myself when I was sixteen (from a "Learn to Crochet" article that I still have, somewhere). I actually crocheted a fair amount in high school, during class — it helped me focus, and I was fortunate enough to have teachers who didn't mind as long as my grades stayed good.
I made my first attempt at knitting sometime in late high school, a dolman sleeved sweater to be made from a pink/gray variegated acrylic yarn — what can I say, it was the 80s. I got several inches done before deciding that I would stick with crochet.
I pieced my first blanket top, a log cabin pattern, from material I had tie dyed myself during the summer before I went away to college. I didn't return to piecework and quilting until the spring of 2004, when I made a baby quilt of my own design for a friend (at left). I've since make one other baby quilt, when I took a class on paper piecing in 2007. Both of these can be seen in my Picasa Web Album:
In the fall of 2006 I decided to give knitting another try and took a class. Fortunately for me, the instructor looked at how I was holding the needles and said, "Oh, you'd do better with Continental knitting than American..." She was right, it suits how I already hold yarn from years and years of crocheting, and I've been happily knitting every since.
And what that doesn't cover, no one needs to know! (It's questionable whether anyone besides me needs to know this muc. *grin*)
As I remember it, my first experience with any form of needlework was when I was in kindergarten or maybe first grade. My mom sketched out a cross-stitch pattern of my name for me to follow. I believe my brother, a year younger, did his name as well (on a separate piece of fabric).
I continued to do at least some cross-stitch until shortly before my first daughter was born; I have since discovered that for me at least, cross-stitch does not blend as easily with having young children as various other types of needlework.
I learned to hand sewing sometime in elementary school, machine sewing in junior high school. (I vividly remember being annoyed that by the time I got truly good at making doll clothes, I was too old to play with them.)
My aunt tried to teach me to crochet when I was in my tween or very early teen years, but I ended up teaching myself when I was sixteen (from a "Learn to Crochet" article that I still have, somewhere). I actually crocheted a fair amount in high school, during class — it helped me focus, and I was fortunate enough to have teachers who didn't mind as long as my grades stayed good.
I made my first attempt at knitting sometime in late high school, a dolman sleeved sweater to be made from a pink/gray variegated acrylic yarn — what can I say, it was the 80s. I got several inches done before deciding that I would stick with crochet.
I pieced my first blanket top, a log cabin pattern, from material I had tie dyed myself during the summer before I went away to college. I didn't return to piecework and quilting until the spring of 2004, when I made a baby quilt of my own design for a friend (at left). I've since make one other baby quilt, when I took a class on paper piecing in 2007. Both of these can be seen in my Picasa Web Album:
In the fall of 2006 I decided to give knitting another try and took a class. Fortunately for me, the instructor looked at how I was holding the needles and said, "Oh, you'd do better with Continental knitting than American..." She was right, it suits how I already hold yarn from years and years of crocheting, and I've been happily knitting every since.
And what that doesn't cover, no one needs to know! (It's questionable whether anyone besides me needs to know this muc. *grin*)
14 February 2008
Happy Valentine's Day
There was actually a rather good editorial in The Observer a few days ago — and by "good" I mean one that well expressed sentiments similar to my own. *grin* Unfortunately, I can't seem to find it in their online archive, so I can 't send you off to read it, but here's the gist:Valentine's Day should be about celebrating those who we love and those who love us. (For those of us called to it by our personal beliefs, it should even be a reminder to love those who do not necessarily love us.) Not love = sex, not love = romance, but rather love = that much harder to define and act on thing, caring about our fellow human being (whether they've earned it or not).
So, I say Happy Valentine's Day — and remember, someone loves you!
08 February 2008
07 February 2008
Happy Chinese New Year
Today begins the Year of the Rat — the year I was born in. Also the year my third child will be born in. (I discovered in researching characteristics that I am a "Water Rat" whereas this child will be an "Earth Rat".)If the child arrives as predicted, she (or he) will also be born between March 21 to April 19, making her (or him) an Aries child. Again, just like mom.
Those of us born in the Year of the Rat are said to be:
"Meticulous, intelligent, shrewd, compassionate, charismatic, charming, ambitious, practical, industrious, honest, eloquent, versatile, familial, creative, hard-working, neat, organized, lovers of music, loving" but can also be "[c]ontrolling, obstinate, resentful, lacks-a-sense-of-humor, manipulative, cruel, vengeful, power-driven, critical, possessive, stingy, bossy, fickle, defensive"Aries are typically described as:[Source: Wikipedia: Rat (zodiac)]
"... brave, bold, fearless, exciting, energetic, active, warlike, dynamic, fast, quick, competitive, impulsive, adventurous, but also aggressive, violent, unpredictable, rude, short-tempered, angry, daring, primitive, reckless, rash and self-centered."If I put much stock in astrology, I might be a bit worried about now. As it is, I simply find it intriguing.[Source: Wikipedia: Aries (astrology)]
06 February 2008
33 Weeks, 2 Days
I am starting to feel like time has slowed to a standstill, but I think that is mostly a side-effect of the insomnia / lack of sleep of late. It really feels like it has slowed, though. It's taking at least two days to get through every one day.
I haven't decided whether packing my hospital bag this weekend will help or not, but I think I'll do it nonetheless. I fear that if I don't, the next time I think of it will be when my contractions are five minutes apart — life seems to be like that lately.
The weather is driving me bonkers again. In the past twenty-four hours, we have had drizzle, thunder and lightening, heavy rain, snow and then more rain. I am grateful, however, that we have not had tornadoes.
I'm resisting the urge to do one or both of the memes on doomseeddiary's journal.
I know there are things I should be working on — rather than posting to my blog — but I just can't seem to care. Probably another effect of whole the lack of sleep thing.
No, we haven't picked out a name for the baby yet. We don't decide until we see the little one. Tradition.
Can we have spring now?
I haven't decided whether packing my hospital bag this weekend will help or not, but I think I'll do it nonetheless. I fear that if I don't, the next time I think of it will be when my contractions are five minutes apart — life seems to be like that lately.
The weather is driving me bonkers again. In the past twenty-four hours, we have had drizzle, thunder and lightening, heavy rain, snow and then more rain. I am grateful, however, that we have not had tornadoes.
I'm resisting the urge to do one or both of the memes on doomseeddiary's journal.
I know there are things I should be working on — rather than posting to my blog — but I just can't seem to care. Probably another effect of whole the lack of sleep thing.
No, we haven't picked out a name for the baby yet. We don't decide until we see the little one. Tradition.
Can we have spring now?
01 February 2008
Killing the photo blog
I haven't posted to it since the fall of 2006. There are only ten posts total, only some of which had pix included. Time to let this thing die a natural death, I think.
A brief summary/eulogy:
10.02.2006 — The Road Before Us
A picture I took September 24, 2006, at Yankee Springs Recreation Area, during a trip there with my friend Willoughby.
10.03.2006 — Hold still, now...
Mairi getting her face painted at the Renaissance Festival, photo taken on October 1, 2006.
10.05.2006 — Digging into my personal backlog
This picture was taken at the Detroit Zoo, when we visited in March of 2006.
10.23.2006 — Warning: Mushiness ahead!
A picture from May 2006 of my mom with her three girls, at Paul and Emily's wedding.
11.03.2006 — A (Belated) Happy Halloween
Trick or Treating, 2006. Back row, left to right: my nephew TJ (Batman), daughter Mairi (a blue dragon) and family friend Serra (Tinkerbell); front row: nephew Charlie (a spider) and daughter Nora (pink panther).
A brief summary/eulogy:
10.02.2006 — The Road Before Us
A picture I took September 24, 2006, at Yankee Springs Recreation Area, during a trip there with my friend Willoughby.
10.03.2006 — Hold still, now...
Mairi getting her face painted at the Renaissance Festival, photo taken on October 1, 2006.
10.05.2006 — Digging into my personal backlog
This picture was taken at the Detroit Zoo, when we visited in March of 2006.
10.23.2006 — Warning: Mushiness ahead!
A picture from May 2006 of my mom with her three girls, at Paul and Emily's wedding.
11.03.2006 — A (Belated) Happy Halloween
Trick or Treating, 2006. Back row, left to right: my nephew TJ (Batman), daughter Mairi (a blue dragon) and family friend Serra (Tinkerbell); front row: nephew Charlie (a spider) and daughter Nora (pink panther).
32 weeks, 4 days
1 month, 24 days to go to the official due date. I thought it was time for a pregnancy update.
I saw my endocrinologist last week. Good news there: I'm off the thyroid medication! Yay!! And I don't have to follow up with him until 2-3 months after the baby is born, unless I have concerning symptoms (e.g., losing weight even though I'm eating well or feeling extremely hyper — actually, I'm so tired these days that feeling hyper at all might be a sign that something was up...).
Yesterday I saw my midwife — for the first time since Halloween. My other visits have all been with the Nurse Practitioner. Apparently the hospital recruiter is making little to no effort to actually find another midwife for the practice. Rather nerve-wracking, as I'm not sure how long Kristin can keep this up without burning out.
Other than that, the visit was fine. Weight gain, growth, etc. were all where they should be. I actually passed the glucose tolerance test I took on New Year's Eve day — third time lucky, I guess, or maybe the extra cinnamon did help. The girls both came to the appointment, and Kristin let Mairi be the one to find the heartbeat with the Doppler — quite exciting for her. *grin* Baby is head down, and we talked a little about how to encourage her to stay that way and be in a good position come March.
We're finally all more or less healthy in our household, for a few days at least. Mairi's a bit snuffly, but I hardly count a head cold anymore, especially if it's not slowing her down. She's getting very close to reading it seems, recognizing most if not all letters and some words. Nora continues to go through some sort of growth spurt, outgrowing clothes every time we turn around. We'll have to spend part of this weekend weeding out her dresser (again), as she's very much into dressing herself these days.
Guess that's all to report for now. Here's hoping I don't get snowed in at the office...
I saw my endocrinologist last week. Good news there: I'm off the thyroid medication! Yay!! And I don't have to follow up with him until 2-3 months after the baby is born, unless I have concerning symptoms (e.g., losing weight even though I'm eating well or feeling extremely hyper — actually, I'm so tired these days that feeling hyper at all might be a sign that something was up...).
Yesterday I saw my midwife — for the first time since Halloween. My other visits have all been with the Nurse Practitioner. Apparently the hospital recruiter is making little to no effort to actually find another midwife for the practice. Rather nerve-wracking, as I'm not sure how long Kristin can keep this up without burning out.
Other than that, the visit was fine. Weight gain, growth, etc. were all where they should be. I actually passed the glucose tolerance test I took on New Year's Eve day — third time lucky, I guess, or maybe the extra cinnamon did help. The girls both came to the appointment, and Kristin let Mairi be the one to find the heartbeat with the Doppler — quite exciting for her. *grin* Baby is head down, and we talked a little about how to encourage her to stay that way and be in a good position come March.
We're finally all more or less healthy in our household, for a few days at least. Mairi's a bit snuffly, but I hardly count a head cold anymore, especially if it's not slowing her down. She's getting very close to reading it seems, recognizing most if not all letters and some words. Nora continues to go through some sort of growth spurt, outgrowing clothes every time we turn around. We'll have to spend part of this weekend weeding out her dresser (again), as she's very much into dressing herself these days.
Guess that's all to report for now. Here's hoping I don't get snowed in at the office...
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