I finished this before he can drive!

I consider the completion of this sweater to be doubly sweat.  Not only is it finished but Mr. Puddin' can actually wear it.  I panicked about three weeks ago that he's growing so fast I would never complete it in time.  But here it is.  I actually started it the day before he arrived, at that point I was so frustrated that he was never going to come out that I literally just gave up and started a new project, should have done that the week before I guess.

It's a little mini peacoat sweater, the pattern calls for pockets, but he has yet to use the pockets in any other garment.  So I felt it was fine to take the liberty and leave off the pockets for this one.  He doesn't look like he minds one bit!

In other news,  Christmas is over and the New Year is coming.  I don't know if I'll make any resolutions for this year, granted I need to exercise.  I can't even write the word "more" there since "exercise more" would imply that I exercise at all.  I'll leave it at that.  I could eat less sweets, but that always happens anyway when the holidays are over.  Sleeping more would be fantastic, but I am not in total control of this either so alas, leave that one off.  I might follow in the footsteps of my favorite roommates and give up dry skin or maybe resolve to flip over my mattress more frequently.  We'll see.

SNOW DAY!!!!!!!

Pause for just a second and think back to when you were 8 years old living in New England in the winter time.  The excitement that would grow the day before a snow storm was forecast,  would tomorrow be a snow day, will we be able to stay home tomorrow?  Never mind the thrill of waking up in the morning running to the window to see if it had indeed covered the ground and road and then running to find mom just to make sure that we didn't have to get on the bus.

As the years have gone by, I seem to have conveniently remained tied to the thrill of a snow day.  In college we followed the school districts so closely that there were frequent snow days, then working for school districts for ten years has continued the trend.  Today was the best by far though, I got to have a snow day with baby Puddin' as he's called these days.  I'm sure the day will come when I am overwhelmed with snow days and being home with a bored kid, but today felt like an early Christmas present.  We (as much as possible) decorated the tree, played peek-a-boo, took a nap (HUGE bonus), made dinner and sang.  It was a perfect day, next time I might miss the nap and knit a bit - but that's all I'd change.  I can't wait for the next one!

One day on, one day off, two days on, three days

off?  Doesn't that sound like a wonderful work schedule?  Keeping whatever your current salary is off course, just adjusting the days on and off of course.  Well that's want this week has looked like.  The joke has always been that I would be more than willing to work between 10-2 four days per week at my current schedule.  Just enough to allow me to be involved in something other than my own selfishness, but short enough to allow me enough time for all my hobbies if laziness didn't take over.  Well on paper this week might look somewhat similar to that but not of my own doing.  Mr. Romance had day surgery one day = day off from work to be at hospital.  Then the daycare provider's daughter had a 103 fever one day = the little boy wonder having no place to go so mommy got to stay home another day.  Now I need to find a profession when I can keep this schedule, adjust the work load to fit the schedule and keep my current salary to pay the mortgage.  Any ideas?

Regarding work,  I'm back at it again, full time and the darling boy is in daycare full time.  I continue to be torn about this on many levels.  It is our reality so I'm of the mind set I'm not going to lament and dwell on it for too long, but I think getting my thoughts out completely might help the process some.  1.  I love my job, always have deep down inside, why else would I have traveled 100 miles a day for 8 years and decided to buy a house within a reasonable distance (Is 60 miles round trip reasonable?).  It's a great job that has given me many opportunities and some fantastic stories.  2.  My job has been my social outlook for years, only recently have I developed great friendships outside of work.  3.  We need my health insurance as a family.  4.  I have found a great daycare provider who has other children and I want Mr. S to be with other kids and learning by watching (good, bad - as long as he's learning to interact socially in this world, dad and I help him learn the logistics later).

I've rambled on now for long enough.  As with everything, it's a personal decision that we had to make and to do what is best for our family.  I could think about it and make myself sad and depressed and I do worry about it. Then at times I feel with confidence that I'm doing okay and it's what's best for us as a family.  What I really need to do is find peace with it, not get defensive and relax.  I know that I'm in for a bit of a roller coaster ride for a very long time, I need to remember that and to be completely corny "just let it ride".

Upon looking at it all.......

It is a strange thing to find myself packing for work tomorrow. It's a two day work week this week so don't get me wrong, it's not the same as being BACK to work completely, but it's back none the less. How things can change so completely in such a short period of time. Just simple things, I haven't spend a dime on clothing for myself, there is not a "going back to school" pair of shoes in the mail for me, nor have I purchased a sweater's worth of yarn destined for a new fall project. It's not as miraculous that I haven't done these things, it's that I haven't wanted too either.

I think this is the biggest change that has come over me since becoming a mother, I am very content with my possessions. I've admired new things, thought about their wonderful qualities but there is a feeling of contentment with what I have that honestly thrills me. Don't get me wrong, the checkbook is taking a major hit between diaper supplies and daycare. I NEED to be frugal and responsible, especially in areas where the gluttony has been out of this world (don't look at the yarn stash). But it's nice that it's hasn't resonated as a must or a need, but rather as something that feels good. There are sacrifices that every person makes when they enter a relationship and I knew this when we decided to have a family, I just didn't realize how they wouldn't feel like sacrifices so immediately...........

I need help.

Awhile ago I decided to change the picture in my header. Now it's been a year since the previous one went up. I did what seemed like the logical method to get a picture up............... to big. Tried again, even bigger....no good. Tried again, baby cried, 2 hours of sleep the night before finally got to me..........left it that way. I've been assuming it happened because I was using iphoto for the first time and I'm still a bit challenged there. Well, here I am back in the old pc, reverted back to the same old picture AND .............................I have no idea how to make it smaller and fit across the header without being huge. Any advice?

"They" say..............

The general consensus from other mothers has been that parenthood seems to bring the advice givers out of the woodwork. The strange thing about me and advice is that there is good advice that I listen too and agree with. I'll make a mental note of the idea, think about how to implement it, picture it in my day and have every intention of taking that advice. The problem, that's as far as it ever gets. I seem to lack the gene to implement advice when given, especially if that advice would make my life easier. Stranger still, if it's bad advice or isn't of the type that would work for me, I am able to put it right into action, jump on that bandwagon and watch it fail. How do I possess the bandwagon gene but not the other? Funnier still the particular advice that I am thinking of isn't being implemented right now because I'm procrastinating and writing about it. Typical me.

Ok, so I have been knitting a bit, a very little bit, but a bit. Another thing to add to the brilliance of Elizabeth Zimmerman, the BSJ doesn't require extraneous thought. You can still enjoy knitting on limited sleep and it's such a great pattern that with fun yarn it looks great. I do love Elizabeth, be it my love of all things squishy or my enjoyment of a pattern that doesn't require me to keep track of every row I knit, I'm not sure. But she is my favorite. Now with a child of my own I can continue my quest to knit every pattern she ever wrote. If Mr. S's expression means anything in this picture, modeling of the garments might be up to someone else.............. but his hair do is rather fancy, don't you think?

We are into our sixth week at home. We seem to be getting on rather well. I can identify the "burp me" cry, and the "I'm tired" cry. I have some trouble with the others, oh except the "I'm in extreme pain and you need to do something now" I have that one down too - that one is very similar to "Don't you ever eat garlic again, it's killing me" cry, which I am completely okay with following. There is some confusion between the "mom, you're an idiot, THAT is not what I wanted" cry and the "hurry up already, I can't see from down here". Oh I don't give myself enough credit, I completely understand the "this car seat blows and I don't like you very much right now" cry. All of these different cries are fine, but I think I like the "gee, I love milk" gurgle, and the "hey look, I have hands and I can actually move them myself" babble. I think his favorite is the "look how fast mommy/daddy can run into the room" yelp, but if I could actually see the panicked look on my face that might be mine too.

Life changes

Here sits she who has more bicycles then pocketbooks, more yarn then pants, and too many hobbies so that none of them get done well in the few summer days that New England actually experiences. Yet I find myself in this fortress against heat, with the blinds drawn, AC constantly on, and watching weather.com to determine when a more suitable temperature will be coming our way, with no intention of going outside EVER. It's not for my own purposes that this is taking place, I feel like a mother bird protecting her young. If you actually come to close to me right now, I might actually fake a broken leg and hobble in the opposite direction to lure you away from my tiny peanut to protect him from your body heat. It's a funny place to find myself. I have little regard for my own safety during the best of times (I've been informed that 90 degrees is to hot to mow the lawn, yet I found myself contemplating it just a moment ago) and here I am responsible for an actually person who can't defend himself, and won't be able to for awhile yet. I'm sure it's hormones, but today I'm just caught up in the fact that this little man will grow up sooner than I will be ready for.

There will be other things to write about than baby news someday, but for now just bare with me, this is all very new, and honestly I had no idea I'd be this smitten with him. I miss him when he's sleeping four feet away from me. When he's crying and mommy doesn't understand why, I will admit that I'd wish he'd fall asleep, but then I miss him all over again.

Normalcy, I can see it from here!

Everyone said after two weeks it gets better, and honestly on exactly the two week mark to the day the veil lifted and even though his sleeping schedule didn't change that dramatically I felt human again. Human I tell you! Holy smokes, human again. Now mind you I will not be signing up for anything strenuous any time soon. Running is not in the cards, getting out of the house is still very ambitious in my opinion and fitting in a shower falls fairly low on the totem pole, but who cares. I'm human again, and look at this cute little human who lives here now. It is all really just jibberish after that!

sleep, it's NOT overrated.

So I've never been a napper. I've laid down for three hours before to only get an extra 30 minutes of sleep when I desperately needed all three hours. I've been up for 24 hour stints to just have to wait for bedtime again because napping is not in my constitution. Well the true test is here and it's official. I am not a napper. The little man is up three times in the night, which is great, I'm not complaining AT ALL. When he was first born he was up for 3 1/2 hour periods, now he's just up, eat, poop, sleep in that order. But mommy's internal clock thinks that the times in between are more like naps, and now even when he is sleeping - she is NOT. I'm beginning to feel like I"m on a bad chemically induced trip, minus the hallucinations - this baby seems real to me. Everyone says it gets better. I'm a little skeptical at this point, those people also said they napped when their baby napped - oh sleep, I miss you so.

Amazing, Alarming.................

He's here, Mr. Simon! He arrived on 7/17 early in the morning, or rather late in the night if you take into account that I went into the hospital 10 hours before he actually came. We keep commenting that it's amazing we've only known him for four days. On one level it feels like we've always known him, and on all the other levels we have no idea what we are doing and have never had such a foreign experience as understanding what a baby needs or wants. Many people already know this, but the lack of sleep is equivalent to nothing I've ever experienced. I'm somewhere between exhausted, delusional and ready to collapse, but I'll just keep going like everyone else does. His eyes are open and I don't want to miss a minute of it!

No baby yet, but

it has a nice new sweater. I love this little pattern! It's so cute and I think will be a favorite for gift giving too. How do you not love something with only two buttons? Big girl sweaters are great with only two buttons, so little sweaters must be even nicer. It's knit from some handspun with fiber from Spunky Eclectic. It was lovely yarn, but an even better sweater.

So baby is now two days overdue, still cooking in there. No indication that there is any change coming my way. Still hoping though. I've washed the kitchen floor today, walked, swam, thinking about getting a trampoline. Ready to eat some spicy food, someone suggested a foot massage for acupressure points. Welcome to the beginning of my child running my life, I have officially lost control. My family thinks this little fact is hysterical I might add.

It's finished!

Here is a sweater for a four year old, size wasn't my goal, I was more interested in the process than the product. The product is very nice though. The pattern is a tomten by Elizabeth Zimmerman and it's has some cascade 220, but the beautiful yarn is Spunky Eclectic, burning bush colorway. She is an amazing dyer.

It was a fun project, I'm thinking I deserve a big girl version, don't you?

I really have been doing things........

I'm not just sitting around eating bon bons, honestly. I've been knitting and sewing and eating lots of popsicles! I haven't read in any books that popsicles are good for prenatal development, but they are very tasty! Have you any favorites? I'm taking suggestions, Edy's grape are doing it for me lately. Baby seems to agree. Growing without any problems from the feel of things.

I'm all done sewing little diapers I think, for now anyway. I have 18 at this point. We'll see if baby likes them before I get anymore going. I used some minke fabric to make two and I liked the fabric so much that I made some of these. I have some fine tuning to do with my sewing skills, but I've learned more about my sewing machine which should make the next pair go a bit easier. I'm kind of excited. They are really cute and easy, which is a bonus. I'd like a big girl pair, but there is a weight issue that needs to be taken care of.

OK baby, I'm ready - come out come out!

People's kindness can overwhelm me.

There are many different moments in life when a person just needs to stop and look around them. Over the past few months, all of the wonderful people that I know have been so kind and generous I don't even know where to begin. The women from work, all of my friends, and now the great women from knitting. Tonight they delivered this wonderful gift of a blanket, everyone made a square and they all got together to sew it up so nicely. It's gorgeous and I'm so proud of them all. They are all very talented. Plus look at all the other little gifts people made, bibs, a sweater hat set, a hat and bootee set, and a diaper cover. Thank you so much everyone! You are all so kind and I'm so lucky to have you in my life.

Diaper covers, diaper covers

They aren't the knitted kind, but they are kind of cute. There is a pretty good chance that baby out grows them before we can get our use out of them, they seem small, coming for someone with NO idea what to expect - size, gender, anything. You name it, we're newbies! And yes, the reality is starting to sink in........... holy cow - we're in for a shock!

Anyway, the pattern is from Little Comet Tails and the best one I've found yet! They are just covers, I'm hoping to use G-diapers with them for day care. We'll see.

It's been three long days at home, there is the presence of a persistent cough that can't be shaken, and to top it all off today I've found a new allergy - I seem to be allergic to this "wonderful" face cream that everyone, even Oprah loves. Well, it seems to have caused a chemical burn on my face - now I cough and am swollen and red. Thank goodness he married me two weeks ago and didn't wait for today!

It's taken a week........

It's taken a week to post, how does time go so fast? We got married last weekend, and I'm happy to say it went smashingly! I could not have asked for more and everyone's happiness and generousity was amazing. Now I just need to clean my house and get ready for this baby. I think it's interesting that they always measure time with pregnancy in weeks, so 9 more weeks seems like a lot of time, but holy cow - that's only 63 days! How is that possible? In 63 days I'm going to be responsible for a small being that either has my or John (or worse case BOTH) of our temperments! It been done by millions of others for millions of years, I just figures I'd be the last person on earth for it to happen to. Must get knitting................. need more diaper covers :)

flowers, flowers, flowers

Ok, not much knitting going on here, well there's a bit but I'm waiting until it's completely finished to show you all. However, I have been trying my hand at being a florist, the paper kind of course.


I really like the little ones, the big ones here aren't the best colors but when you put them all together they are rather fun.

They are finally finished!

YAH, they have come to an end. The never ending knee highs are completed. It took months, my mother actually worked on them at one point because they were boring me to death, but I do love them. Pam and I dyed the yarn back in August, so I'm happy to say that two of the three sock blanks have been used.

In other news, the baby bump is LARGE at this point. I had to struggle to get the socks on today, picture me laying on the bed feet in the air trying to pull on socks. Not that tricky except every time your leg comes near you, you stop breathing because there isn't enough room for both your diaphram and your leg plus your bump on the bed with the rest of your body. Interesting hum? Not really, takes me back to the beached whale rolling around in the sand scenario. Not pleasant.

I finished these awhile ago, but I love them and they aren't as hard to put on, so they deserve some blog time! Do you love them?

Here's my friend!

For her birthday, she was happy to receive her apron. The thank you note she sent is a keeper:

"Thank you for my apron. I am going to keep it. Sometime make me a chef hat."

So here is the chef hat! If everyone was as excited about simple little gifts like a chef hat and apron, the world would be a better place, and giving gifts would happen all year round at random. To bad there isn't more time in the day to spearhead that initiative. Maybe later.

Doesn't always feel that way!

Your Word is "Fearless"

You see life as your one chance to experience everything, and you just go for it! You believe the biggest risk is being afraid and missing out on something amazing. Sometimes your fearlessness means you're daring. You enjoy risky activities. And sometimes your fearlessness means you're courageous. You're brave enough to do the right thing, even when it's scary.

What's Your Word?

Did this start as a knitting blog?

Knitting hasn't been the topic for a few entries, but don't worry, don't loss faith. The needles have been out, clicking - though with finishing projects more than making ambitious delves into large projects. Here's another Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise Jacket. If you've never made one, it's fun and the results are worth it. This one needs buttons. The pattern isn't sized, you just use the needle size to fit the yarn and the end result is that size, like it or not. It's made from 8 oz. of worsted weight handspun on size 8 needles, so it will fit a 4 year old. Gives lots of time for buttons then.
Here are some new socks too! Nothing beats a new pair of socks right off the needles! These are RPMs, made from Socks that Rock from Rhinebeck. There isn't anything that isn't great about them!

I love February Vacation.

Productivity with important things like house cleaning, organizing, wedding planning, etc., all those things that don't seem fun or enjoyable have not been attended to this week. But a wonderful time finishing things and getting ready to start new things has occurred. The skirt is finished, with a maternity panel and everything! It's very comfortable and when a little person is no longer being carried around on the inside, simply ripping out the panel and adding the matching material to make it a regular skirt is within the capability range of this particular person.

Note the belly, it's in between "is she pregnant, or is it winter in NH and she's just eating a lot of chocolate?" The doctor says it's a baby, but please don't keep track of my caloric intake for snacks. Thanks.

The largest snow storm of my winter took place over vacation too, and the beautiful thing about it was that the almost 2 feet of snow did not have to be shoveled off my porch, but rather my parents. That is simply NOT my responsibilty, so let it snow some more!

It's February!

And the sweater is finished. You never would have thought it possible if you had watched me pull the thing apart time and time again. But I have finished this sweater within the month it was named, and in enough time to wear it. Life is full of little surprises. One of them being that for a much as I pull apart my knitting, I actually get to the end of projects. Now the socks I need to pull apart next..........different story. We'll see you when/if those are ever finished :(

In other none knitting news, professional cycling is back on tv, it's the Tour of California. What I didn't realize is that all the dopers are back, Floyd, Tyler, Lance.............. yes many won't like that but you have to wonder about it. Given what we've learned over the past years, I find it hard to believe that there are any professional athletes, never mind cyclists who have not at sometime in their careers used something. I'm sure this bothers some, with Mr. Armstrong being such an icon, but my opinion is tarnished.

It's real.

We don't care about the gender, the good news is there are two legs, 2 arms, a spine, 2 kidneys, 4 parts to the heart, and the brain is just the right size! It's really going to happen.

It hurts when your finger gets to close

It actually really hurts when your finger gets to close to the foot of your sewing machine, and the tightening screw hammers down on your index finger. Just something to keep in mind, you don't need to know what prompted this information, I'm sure you can guess.

I have made my little red headed friend her 4th birthday present. I'm rather happy with it. There is an idea brewing and I'll probably make her a little chef's hat too, but right now I don't have any interfacing at home. Her birthday is tomorrow, she likes to help cook and she has a great time cooking in her own play kitchen. It seemed like a good idea. It's sad to admit that I've had this material for a long time now, but I've been rather scared of the project. I'm not sure why, it was just an internet JoAnn's fabric simple print out pattern and I think it's great for a 4 year old!

twice in one week

Can you believe it. Another posting, in the same week, please don't drop from the shock of it. I've been productive this week and am proud of the accomplishments. Somehow all this productivity has come without changing out of my pj's, which is truly the best kind of productivity isn't it?

I've made my new roommate it's first mommy made knit. I love it. Baby's wrapper is perfect and I got to use some of my coveted Fleece Artist yarn which was a dream. It's not the greatest picture to show color, but there is enough red/purple in it to be a unisex sweater, which is great since we want to be surprised.

While the knitting needles were flying for a change, the sewing machine has been commissioned as well and the results are interesting. Through diaperkit I bought a single kit to see what it would be like to sew it. It took about an hour give or take. Now we'll have to wait and see how it works.

It's been awhile.

Well, It's been over a month. It's hard to post on a blog titled purl and pedal when you really have been neither purling or pedaling, especially not pedaling. With 2 feet of snow, pedaling has not been on my must do list. The bike is on the trainer in the basement, but that also was briefly turned into a wood finishing workshop, not an excuse but I used it as one to not go down there and exercise. I must say though, there are some beautiful shelves down there now :) Mr. Romance has done well again. I'm also four months pregnant, and for awhile energy was not my friend. I barely knit, the thought made me a bit nauseous. I have been out snowshoeing and this week knit the first baby sweater, it's almost ready for pictures!

I have finally finished a pair of socks. This was an accomplishment, these things were ripped out many times. That pattern isn't confusing but you have to keep your row count. I'm not the best at that. I've also finished two wool soakers, which I don't have picture of. Plus I've finished knitting something. Sound interesting? I've knit it now I need to decide what to do with it. We'll see how it works up. The sewing machine has come out too, stay tuned!