Dec 8, 2016 | DIY, Family, Knitting |
Thank you so much for your kind words regarding last week’s post. It was truly a horrible day and waking up the next morning and reading all your encouragements and funny antidotes of similar experiences really cheered me up. The week improved a bit, but not by much. I had a fever and developed a horrible chest cold within the next 24 hours. Sam’s tantrums were just terrible that week, which resulted in many FaceTime lectures from Daddy and me making a late night, very expensive purchase of parenting books from Amazon because obviously I have clue what I am doing.
Sam was my biggest challenge last week. His temper was volatile and I just couldn’t control him. It seemed like he spent half the day in time out, screaming and kicking walls. He’s never been one for huge displays, but since he turned four this summer, I feel like his emotions and lack of self control are just too much. I’m sure Gabe being out of town contributed, as he never throws these fits when Gabe is around. He argues with me constantly and purposely waits until I enter a room before doing something he knows he is not supposed to do, then waits for my reaction. When he is punished (which he knows will happen) he acts as though it is the greatest injustice that has over occurred in his life and screams that he had no idea he was doing something wrong, which I know isn’t true. I get the impression that he is really testing me and only me. I don’t know why. Perhaps it’s just a phase? I’ve been trying to give him more positive attention and praise when appropriate but it’s hard with two other littles running/crawling around. Any advice, friends?
On to bigger and better things. I’m almost done with my Hollows shawl (my illness delayed me finishing it last week) and I need to start on my Christmas/Chanukah gifts ASAP.
Smooth Operator Socks by Susan B. Anderson
Gabe, Sam and Eddie have all requested knitted socks, which should be easy enough. (Except for Gabe. He has the biggest feet and knitting socks for him takes forever.) I’m thinking of trying the afterthought heel, like this pattern by Susan B. Anderson calls for.
Beau Slouchy Hat by The Velvet Acorn
Color Dipped Hat by Purl Soho
Classic Cuffed Hat by Purl Soho
A slouchy hat for a teenage girl is on my list of gifts this year, and I am undecided as to which pattern to use, Teenagers are so picky, aren’t they? She said she wanted slouchy, so I immediately thought of the Beau Slouchy hat by The Velvet Acorn, but perhaps it’s a bit too slouchy? I’m just not sure. I also like the Classic Cuffed Hat and the Color Dipped Hat both by Purl Soho.
Welted Fingerless Gloves by Churchmouse Yarn and Teas
Last year I knit the Welted Cowl for a friend and this year I plan on knitting the matching fingerless mitts.
East Lake Lamb Hat by sam lamb
Sam really liked the East Lake Lamb Hat, and so I plan on using the leftover yarn that I have from knitting the adult version and making one for him.
It’s a lofty goal and I don’t know if I will have time to finish even half these gifts in time but nevertheless they are on my list and I am going to try. There’s something so satisfying about making someone a gift, isn’t there?
What about everyone else? Any knitted gifts on the agenda this year?
Nov 30, 2016 | DIY, Family, Knitting, Yarn Along |
Joining Ginny and Nicole.
Yesterday was hard. I screwed up. A lot. Both as a mother and a friend. Sam woke up in the middle of the night with a runny nose and I couldn’t go back to sleep for hours. I slept through my alarm. There was tantrum after tantrum, and instead of handling the situation with patience and grace, I yelled. A lot. My mother had car trouble and I rushed to pick her up, forgetting to cancel my knitting date at my house with a friend who I hadn’t seen in a while. Something I had been looking forward to for weeks. It took multiple texts from her (while she waited in my driveway) before I realized what I had done. I was late picking Sam up from school. I missed the window for Caleb’s nap and when I tried to lay him down he was so frantic and over tired he refused to sleep for the rest of the day. I accidentally fed Eddie sour milk. I ran out of diapers. Caleb scooted/zombie crawled over to a pile of folding chairs we had leaning against the wall and pulled one down on himself. He’s fine, but it scared the shit out of me. I gave up on cooking and ordered Dominos. For lunch. I mopped the floor and while I was putting the mop away, Eddie threw up on the floor.
As the day progressed, the family cold that I had managed to avoid the past two weeks seemed to finally catch up with me and my head began to pound and my throat started to ache. More tantrums. More yelling. More tears. It was like I couldn’t stop screwing up. It’s incredibly rare that I go to bed at night feeling like a failure in all aspects of my life but yesterday was one of those days. The house was in total disarray. After the kids went to bed, I cleaned up and took a hot shower and cried into a large cup of tea (okay, fine, half tea, half whiskey). I decided not to knit, and instead curled up on the couch in front of the fire with a blanket and watched trashy television for two hours.
Yesterday was rough, but I’m determined that today will be better. Gabe is out of town for the next few days and I refuse to spend those days wallowing in self pity. As I type this, Eddie is screaming on the floor because her favorite dress is dirty and I won’t let her wear it. My optimism is already waning.
Yesterday was bad. Today will be better. If I say it enough, perhaps it will become true.
This post was supposed to be about my knitting but I ended up whining instead. Let’s focus on happy stuff now. Yarn makes everything better.
I finished my test knit for sam lamb. She will make the pattern available shorty and I highly recommend trying it out, especially if you are relatively new to colorowork. It’s not too complex and it’s so fun to see little lambs appear before your eyes as the pattern progresses. Although I knit the adult size, Sam is modeling it for me because I’m terrible at selfies. Must be a generational thing. This was my first attempt at knitting continental. I think I did an okay job. I didn’t catch my floats either, and even after blocking there is a spot where it pulls a bit because my tension is off. I’m not sure if that’s because I’m a novice at continental or because I didn’t catch my floats.
I’m still working on my Hollows shawl. I’m nearly half way through. Once I finish, I will start on Chanukah gifts. In the meantime, I’m enjoying making something just for me.
Nov 23, 2016 | DIY, Family, Homeschool, Knitting, Yarn Along |
Joining Ginny and Nicole.
I started the Hollows shawl a few days ago. While it’s slow going (as most lace projects are), I am enjoying this pattern immensely. The yarn is so soft and I just love my color choice. I did a quick test knit this weekend for sam lamb. It’s blocking right now and I’ll show off the finished product when it’s done, but I couldn’t resist giving you a sneak peek because, well, lambs.
This is the second week of Sam attending a “real” preschool. I enrolled him at the local Montessori school and he wuvva it. Our current co-op is just a little below his level and he was getting bored. The only other co-op in our area that has a pre-school class doesn’t allow you to bring other children unless they are enrolled and since I’m not a fan of leaving my two year old and 6 month old home alone for four hours a day, I figured I needed to enroll Sam in a different pre-school.
It’s only four days a week for a few hours. Just enough time for me to get home and get a few chores done with one less child. Even better, I’ve been spending more quality time with Eddie, which she is loving. Mostly we read books but sometimes she likes to serve me tea or watch a Disney movie together. She is obsessed with Cinderella and insists that she has a fairy godmother somewhere out there. Wouldn’t that be nice if it were true?
Happy Thanksgiving, my friends.
