Nathan is just about 4 months old now, and I feel as though the days are just racing by. He's still waking me up at night all the time, and I won't lie that the interrupted sleep isn't taking its toll on me. In the past 3 days, I've sent Andrew out the door twice without his shoes. Oops. Still, I know this won't last forever, as with the gummy smiles, and lazy days of just cuddling. Andrew turned 3 on Monday, and it hit me that I'm going to be registering him for kindergarten in January. Since having the kids, I feel really aware of how much can change so quickly. I mean, I'd been working at the same job for 5 years before having Andrew, and things always seemed to be the same old, same old. But in the last 3 years, we've watched Andrew go from a newborn to a headstrong little boy who loves Lightning McQueen and rocket ships, and isn't afraid to tell us that. He knows all his letters, can count to 30, and has so much to say that it sometimes astounds me that all that started from a blank slate. I want to remember how he sits in my lap and tells me "I'm so happy to see Mommy!", or the fact that he is happy to share toys with Nathan as long as they're the broken ones. He runs in the backyard like a mad man, but stops in his tracks when an airplane flies overhead, reaches up with his little arms, and claims that he's going to touch it. There's so many little things that I want to remember about my kids at this point in their life, and yet it's often so hard to write those things down. Still, that doesn't mean I'm not going to try.
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
I know this is supposed to be a craft blog, but...
Nathan is just about 4 months old now, and I feel as though the days are just racing by. He's still waking me up at night all the time, and I won't lie that the interrupted sleep isn't taking its toll on me. In the past 3 days, I've sent Andrew out the door twice without his shoes. Oops. Still, I know this won't last forever, as with the gummy smiles, and lazy days of just cuddling. Andrew turned 3 on Monday, and it hit me that I'm going to be registering him for kindergarten in January. Since having the kids, I feel really aware of how much can change so quickly. I mean, I'd been working at the same job for 5 years before having Andrew, and things always seemed to be the same old, same old. But in the last 3 years, we've watched Andrew go from a newborn to a headstrong little boy who loves Lightning McQueen and rocket ships, and isn't afraid to tell us that. He knows all his letters, can count to 30, and has so much to say that it sometimes astounds me that all that started from a blank slate. I want to remember how he sits in my lap and tells me "I'm so happy to see Mommy!", or the fact that he is happy to share toys with Nathan as long as they're the broken ones. He runs in the backyard like a mad man, but stops in his tracks when an airplane flies overhead, reaches up with his little arms, and claims that he's going to touch it. There's so many little things that I want to remember about my kids at this point in their life, and yet it's often so hard to write those things down. Still, that doesn't mean I'm not going to try.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
New Year, new stuff
So, it's been a while since my last post. A bunch of stuff, both crafty and not have happened. Let's start with the biggest news.
Baby Nate showed up on January 3, 2013, and has been a wonderful addition to our family. He was in a big hurry to show up, and we were seriously half an hour away from a home-birth. Only Jamie's nervous nature and our midwives' sensible advice prevented that from happening. Here's a few more photos, since you really can't have enough photos of cute babies.
I didn't manage to finish his blanket before he arrived, but we've got so many from Andrew's baby days that I'm not worried. Still, I want Nathan to have something that was just his, so I'll be sure to finish it before too long. Being a second child myself who always got hand-me-downs from my older brother, I'm pretty conscious about making sure the younger child gets new stuff too.
Andrew's been adjusting to being a big brother, and more importantly, having to share our attention with Nathan. Can't say the transition hasn't been bumpy, and it continues to be a challenge, but we're happy with our family make-up. Here are some photos of Andrew to round out the kid-related part of this post.
In crafting news, here are some photos of things I finished since my last post.
There's a bunch of stuff that I'd like to make for myself, but I'll save divulging those until a later date. Jamie is going away on business soon, so I'm pretty sure there will be no time for crafting until he gets back.
Hello, Baby Nathan! |
I didn't manage to finish his blanket before he arrived, but we've got so many from Andrew's baby days that I'm not worried. Still, I want Nathan to have something that was just his, so I'll be sure to finish it before too long. Being a second child myself who always got hand-me-downs from my older brother, I'm pretty conscious about making sure the younger child gets new stuff too.
Andrew's been adjusting to being a big brother, and more importantly, having to share our attention with Nathan. Can't say the transition hasn't been bumpy, and it continues to be a challenge, but we're happy with our family make-up. Here are some photos of Andrew to round out the kid-related part of this post.
Chinese New Year dinner at the grandparents'. We could only get him into half of his celebratory outfit. |
With moments like this, we get the feeling that things will be okay. Then again, the camera didn't capture Andrew diving onto Nathan. |
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Here's the finished doggie toy that I gifted to my good friend's daughter for Christmas. |
Finally finished the Milkweed Shawl |
Made this scarf for Andrew, which he refuses to wear |
Just finished this hat for Nathan. I've since blocked it, but you get the idea |
Friday, November 30, 2012
Planning for the holidays
The last little while hasn't been devoid of crafting, though I've been pretty slow with things. I have some fun DIY stuff that I've been doing, but I can't post it here just yet because they're Christmas gifts that I'm planning to give away.
I do have a couple things that I've been working on gift-wise that I CAN post about here. The first is a Citron that I've just set out to block tonight.
It's made out of Dream in Color Starry, in the colour In Vino Veritas. This was a great subway knit since it doesn't take a whole lot of brain power. I was a little surprised how much bigger it got after blocking.
Another thing I've been working on is improving my crochet skills. I'm currently working on a doggy amigurumi toy pattern called Buffy.
As you can see, I'm not exactly done yet, but I've been having a lot of fun with it. Since it's a toy, I just picked up some acrylic worsted weight at Michaels. Cheap and cheerful. I've finished all the limbs, and am working on the body now.
In other news, I've discovered Pintrest recently, and have been having lots of fun with it. Mostly, I've been using it to keep track of recipes I'd like to try, DIY projects, and some helpful hints for organizing and/or cleaning the house. Very domestic, I know. Still, I've learned a bunch of nice little tricks that have come in handy leading up to the holiday season.
Hope you're all doing well!
I do have a couple things that I've been working on gift-wise that I CAN post about here. The first is a Citron that I've just set out to block tonight.
It's made out of Dream in Color Starry, in the colour In Vino Veritas. This was a great subway knit since it doesn't take a whole lot of brain power. I was a little surprised how much bigger it got after blocking.
Another thing I've been working on is improving my crochet skills. I'm currently working on a doggy amigurumi toy pattern called Buffy.
As you can see, I'm not exactly done yet, but I've been having a lot of fun with it. Since it's a toy, I just picked up some acrylic worsted weight at Michaels. Cheap and cheerful. I've finished all the limbs, and am working on the body now.
In other news, I've discovered Pintrest recently, and have been having lots of fun with it. Mostly, I've been using it to keep track of recipes I'd like to try, DIY projects, and some helpful hints for organizing and/or cleaning the house. Very domestic, I know. Still, I've learned a bunch of nice little tricks that have come in handy leading up to the holiday season.
Hope you're all doing well!
Thursday, November 01, 2012
Vacation!
So, we just came back from vacation in Orlando, Florida, and we had a fantastic time. This was Andrew's first trip to Disney World, and based on his reaction, this will not be the last. He. Loved. It. He probably won't remember going since he's only two and half, but Jamie and I certainly will.
As you can tell from the photo, I'm getting kinda big. That made things a bit more tiring on this trip, seeing as Andrew still wanted me to play with him and do stuff with him, but since I had no responsibilities after he went to sleep, I would just shower and go to bed right after him. I had brought knitting with me hoping that I could get some done, but it just didn't happen.
We have a bunch more pictures with characters and stuff, but they were taken our Disney PhotoPass, so I don't have those photos just yet. We're going to buy the CD of them, so I'll post some more pictures up when we get it. We had a super time, and we can't wait to go back again!
Waiting for the Disney shuttle bus to take us to Animal Kingdom |
In the lobby of the Art of Animation Resort. |
Halloween decorations! |
Dumbo at night |
Andrew giving us his "say cheese!" face |
Andrew loving Cinderella's Carousel |
"Hi, Pooh!" |
Posing with Buzz Lightyear |
Andrew went crazy for Lightning McQueen! |
Checking out Guido's tires |
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Some things the same, some things a little different
Hi there, good 'ole blog. Yes, it's been a while; I hear ya. To tell you the truth, I haven't really managed to get much knitting done for a while. Here's a photo explaining a good chunk of the reason why. Andrew is a real handful these days - 2 years old already!
And just as the photo would imply, I am expecting again. Baby Wells #2 on the way sometime between Dec and Jan. |
Below are some photos of stuff he's been up to this summer. We've taken him to Canada's Wonderland a couple times (getting a season's pass next year for him), and he was the ring bearer at my brother's wedding.
Even with all that, I did manage to get a few things done. I finished that Baby Yours sweater, but was on such a deadline to finish that I didn't manage to take any photos. I also finished knitting my Milkweed Shawl, but it still needs a blocking. I've started a baby blanket for the little one on the way.
It's made out of Dream in Color Classy, in the colour Good Luck Jade. From the first photo, you might be able to see that the two skeins I got don't seem quite the same. I checked that they were the same dye lot when I got the yarn, but perhaps I was mistaken. I have since lost the ball bands, so I can't confirm. Even though it looks a little weird, I don't want to rip it all back so that I can better integrate the two shades by alternating their use. If the baby isn't going to be fussed about it, neither am I.
Lastly, I've been wanting to try something a little different than my usual yarn crafts, and picked up some Pyssla beads from Ikea a while back. Here's what I made with them.
This first attempt was pretty fun, and I quite like the result. My plan is to glue some black felt to the back side, and make a few more of them with different colors. I realized a little while ago that we have no coasters in our house, so these would make a nice, if not geeky, set to fill that void.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Already one quarter into 2012
Whoops! Life kept happening, but I kept forgetting to blog about it. First of all, my little man is growing up quickly.

Here he is snuggling the cat on Christmas morning after putting on the Pats jersey that his uncle kindly gifted him with. Since then, he's started talking and making his preferences well known to us. In short, he's lots of fun.
My knitting has been terribly slow, and even though I bought all sorts of yarn at the Romni sale (which I forgot to blog about too. Oops!), I've only managed to get a couple things done, or started.
First up, we have my much abbreviated version of the Bandana Cowl.

I made it from one skein of Diamond Yarn Luxury Baby Alpaca. It feels lovely on the neck, and I wore it a lot during the winter to keep the amount of bulk in the coat down. It's a bit too loose, and too short, but still quite nice. I think I'm going to make another one though; a full version (though with fewer stitches so the whole thing is a bit smaller around the neck). Maybe I'll have it ready for next winter. Haha!
Back in January, Jamie and I took our first trip away from Andrew. It was only one night away, but it was lovely. While there, I started some easy toe-up socks with some self-striping yarn.

That's how much I finished by the time we got back. And then life trucked on, and progress on the sock stalled. I only finished the first sock about 5 days ago, and only just cast on the second sock today. Hope it doesn't take another 3 months to finish, but I'm not making any promises.
Here he is snuggling the cat on Christmas morning after putting on the Pats jersey that his uncle kindly gifted him with. Since then, he's started talking and making his preferences well known to us. In short, he's lots of fun.
My knitting has been terribly slow, and even though I bought all sorts of yarn at the Romni sale (which I forgot to blog about too. Oops!), I've only managed to get a couple things done, or started.
First up, we have my much abbreviated version of the Bandana Cowl.
I made it from one skein of Diamond Yarn Luxury Baby Alpaca. It feels lovely on the neck, and I wore it a lot during the winter to keep the amount of bulk in the coat down. It's a bit too loose, and too short, but still quite nice. I think I'm going to make another one though; a full version (though with fewer stitches so the whole thing is a bit smaller around the neck). Maybe I'll have it ready for next winter. Haha!
Back in January, Jamie and I took our first trip away from Andrew. It was only one night away, but it was lovely. While there, I started some easy toe-up socks with some self-striping yarn.
That's how much I finished by the time we got back. And then life trucked on, and progress on the sock stalled. I only finished the first sock about 5 days ago, and only just cast on the second sock today. Hope it doesn't take another 3 months to finish, but I'm not making any promises.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Still lovin' Knit Picks
So, I alerted the folks over at Knit Picks about this issues I had with the ball winder, and even gave them the link to that pretty scathing review that I wrote last night. I really commend the folks there for being able to read something that harsh about their product, and then to come back and send me a lovely reply. Here's what they sent me:
Knit Picks Customer Service
I really have to say that made my day. It absolutely, totally, made my day. I let them know that I would prefer to take the refund and just get one like I used to have, but other than this one time, I've never had a problem with any of their merchandise. In fact, I usually love their stuff: I love my Options needles, my Harmony wood dpns, the needle case that I got (still need to take pics of this), and all the yarn I've bought from them in the past. And now that I know they've got such good customer service, I have to say that I'm pretty happy to keep shopping with them.
So, lovely knitters, please don't take what I wrote last night as a reflection of what I think of Knit Picks in general. It may well be that I ran into the defective winder in the lot, but I have to say that I'm unfortunately once bitten, twice shy, and so I went ahead and got myself a Royal ball winder again. However, will I be shopping at Knit Picks again? Absolutely.
Dear Karen,
I read your review, it sounds to me like you got a defective ball winder, I'm happy to replace it.
That is the advantage of the Knit Picks ball winder, if you ever have any trouble with it we will send you a new one at no cost. If you are willing to give it a try let me know, otherwise I'm happy to give you a refund and you can toss that one in the garbage.
Sincerely,
JeanineKnit Picks Customer Service
I really have to say that made my day. It absolutely, totally, made my day. I let them know that I would prefer to take the refund and just get one like I used to have, but other than this one time, I've never had a problem with any of their merchandise. In fact, I usually love their stuff: I love my Options needles, my Harmony wood dpns, the needle case that I got (still need to take pics of this), and all the yarn I've bought from them in the past. And now that I know they've got such good customer service, I have to say that I'm pretty happy to keep shopping with them.
So, lovely knitters, please don't take what I wrote last night as a reflection of what I think of Knit Picks in general. It may well be that I ran into the defective winder in the lot, but I have to say that I'm unfortunately once bitten, twice shy, and so I went ahead and got myself a Royal ball winder again. However, will I be shopping at Knit Picks again? Absolutely.
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