What I've Been Doing Besides Knitting...

1. Cooking and baking for a surprise picnic in the park on Friday! I made vegan potato salad, fried tofu, fried chicken for Nature Boy (yuck!!!) and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies for desert, packed it up in our picnic basket, grabbed Wee and Nature Boy and headed outdoors. I have to say it was a lot of work so I don't know when I will go all-out with it again like that. Maybe some peanut butter sandwiches next time...

2. Gardening. Weeding, watering, transplanting. Blisters, poison ivy, back pain. I love every minute of it though!

3. Daily walks with the Wee.

4. Reading. This is a library book and I love it and hate it. Does anyone else have this relationship with Martha? I love the idea of it and reading it. I hate the front photo (gag me!! Who looks like that when they are sewing? Whose space looks like that as they are sewing?). I hate some of the wording (like anytime she uses the word "must"). I love the detail but hate the fussiness. I'm not sure I will make anything from it but it's fun to look at when I am in the middle of a nursing session. Wonder what you'd say about that, Martha?

I also scored this one from Half Price Books for $3! I've wanted it for years so this is particularly satisfying to me. It's on my bedside table in case I get into bed and don't fall asleep in 3 seconds flat...which is now never...

5. Sewing. Oh my where to start? The tragedy first.


Here lies the Flapper Camisole. So I sewed the shell together and then added binding from the top of one bust around the back and to the top point of the other bust. Before adding more binding around the front V section, I thought, hmm, maybe I should stop and try this one on? I did and it was skin tight. Completely unwearable. It hangs on the chair, mocking me as we speak. So Twinkle Sews went right on back to the library. I made the size 12 shirt, which normally would fit me and be a bit larger too. The next size up would be a 16. To me that would be crazy big (or at least I would hope so). I might try and sew the fabric strips onto another shirt, either one I just wing free handed or cheat and find a pre-made top at the thrift store. On top of the other 500 million billion things I aim to do and make...

I DID go up to the master bedroom of the estate, find a shirt in my closet that I never wear and transformed it into something wearable. This chick here was my inspiration; apparently she finds dresses at thrift shops and changes them into cuteness (shirts, skirts, dresses and coats, to name a few). Here is before:

The problem areas: weird "Hi I'm so corporate" tie along neckline that is not fun when trying to nurse a baby in public and sleeves that are much too tight. In fact, the button on one was missing as I must have popped it off while flexing my python arms. I mean, my arms are not the smallest but they are not so massively built that a sleeve shouldn't fit...

Here is AFTER:

So flex-able! I cut off the neck-tie deal and then cut off most of the sleeve, sewing close to the raw edge.

I think I might wear it now. I think I might try this sort of thing again with some other things I'm not wearing as it was more successful than the whole pattern thing...

Last, I also whipped up this little makeup bag. I lined the inside with clear vinyl layered over the lining fabric. My current makeup bag is really yucky inside, it's lined with a nylon you would think could be wiped clean but the spots are there to stay. I recently bought some awesomely vegan AND cheap (the two never meet this way) makeup by eyes.lips.face or e.l.f. At my local fricking drug store! I can't tell you the last time I bought makeup at the drug store...circa pre-vegan way way back...

Since I haven't shown what the new print from Strawberry Luna looked like post-framing (frame made by Nature Boy), here it is. The cuteness of it all kills me. I'm sure it won't be long before Wee One wants to paint his room black and hang up posters of bands and such so I'm glad I have this one pic. So when cute is no longer good, I can still go there.

I suppose I should now try and talk about knitting. Since this blog is named Knitsburgh and all. Well, there is not much to say here. I swatched for the Every Way Wrap but did so in stockinette instead of moss, so I swatched a second time. I'm not on gauge but close enough, especially for a wrap. I figure the most important dimension will be the length, not width, so I can make row adjustments easily enough as I go. At least with knitting, I feel like I know what I am doing. I have confidence. I can take comfort here and lick my sewing-project wounds.

The Good Life!

Where do I even start? How do I speak of all the wonderful things that have happened lately? I'll do it chronologically from last week...

Last Monday (Memorial Day) I made this vegan cake:

It was yummy and I was smart enough to freeze half of it, for the "Wee One Afterparty" --meaning for when we come home from the birth center and have Bill and Kay here and need to eat something good and fast!!

Wednesday, my lovely, sweet, kind, thoughtful, giving and just awesome co-workers suprised me with a bag of Wee One fun! There were clothes, in organic cotton. There was organic vegan baby shampoo and diaper cream. And there were two books for the Wee One's library. Let me say I only worked with them about 6 months and was blown away that they got me anything, much less hit the nail on the head as to what Nature Boy and I love. I can't say thank you enough!

Then Thursday, oh my! More co-worker suprises! A homeade chocolate vegan cake, balloons and a homemade card for my last day. I left work that day very excited to start this new journey into "Stay at Home Mom-ville" but sad about leaving such good people behind. I got home and Nature Boy and I ate, then rushed off to our last birthing class, where we graduated. Now if labor would just start....

Friday!!! Friday was my first official not-going-to-work day. I made a list of things to do because I felt so overwhelmed when I woke. I did some cleaning and organizing. When I came down after my shower, there was a package at my doorstep--here's what was in it:

A beautiful hand-knit sweater and the cutest darn hand-knit bunny hat you ever saw!!! How fitting that there should also be books in this package; it came from my dear friend Reilly, the librarian! I can't wait til we can dress the Wee One in all the Wee One finery and ooh and ahh over the absolute sweetness. Reilly, thank you so much, all the gifts will be treasured indeed!

The weekend came and went in a blur. I finished a needlework project, then hung it on the wall in the nursery:

I made another pair of pants, this time from a Pittsburgh Pirate's t-shirt:

I made a bag for the ENORMOUS pile of blocks Nature Boy has made for the Wee One. I think I need a rope for the tie, only had very thin hemp or ribbon around the estate, will need to replace it:

We watched some Penguins hockey and hoped the next game would be better....we took a nap, we weeded, we grilled some yummy food and ate. We got to the store for some last-minute things. We packed the Wee One's diaper bag and clothes. I made some vegan cookies. That was the weekend with Nature Boy.

So yesterday, another Monday. Another list, with errands checked off. Managed to get a package out to a friend overseas. Sterlized bottles and breast pump equipment (oh my....). Stocked up on my favorite incense to take with me to the birthing center. Another midwife appointment.

And today? Cleaned the first floor of the estate (I'm too tired to do the full house like I normally do). Baked a vegan poundcake for strawberry shortcakes tonight. Laundry. Selected some music to take with us to the birthing center. I think I am ready. I think these will be the longest days of my life!!! I guess I can get back to knitting on the Nursing Wrap soon...until I think of something else that needs to be done before the big arrival...

Gifted

Look what Kay made for me!

It came in the mail last week. She crocheted this lovely vegan ruffle for me and sent it to me out of the blue. I love suprises like that!

This weekend I made it out to the Handmade Arcade. It was busy so at times was hard to see all of the wares for sale. I bought a necklace, by Ursula and Olive:

I guess my hand is not that steady! It says, Wonder Twin Powers Activate! I also bought a vegan choco chip bar from My Goodies but of course, ate it before the photo shoot.

There were so many beautiful things there but with me being on a budget right now due to my being unemployed, I really couldn't do any more than admire. Plus I had to get back home to watch the Steelers game, which unfortunately, did not end in the way the Steeler Nation would have liked.

Today I went to another interview with a temp agency. I now type 51 wpm, up from 49. At least there is improvement. Honestly, I haven't knit in about 2 weeks now and I need to just jump back on that horse already. Maybe today. Maybe...

I'll leave you with my List of Things I Believe:

1. Karma will find you, you know who you are!


2. Sometimes seemingly bad things happen as a way to protect us from further harm.


3. Chocolate improves mental health.


4. Cats that are sleeping are one of the cutest things on this earth.


5. Cats that are awake and bad are one of the cutest things on this earth.


6. Sunshine is medicine.


7. Obama is going to change things for the better.


8. Thanksgiving Dinner will taste so good this year and I won't be working--yay!


9. Sometimes if you tell yourself not to throw up inside your head over and over, you won't throw up.


10. Your mom won't know if you don't make your bed every day once you grow up and move out on your own.