PhotoKnitNerd

Pacing the Laundry Room

2009-09-09T15:15:00.003-05:00

Ryan over at Pacing the Panic Room just put up yet another great post about cloth diapering (YAY) and is giving away a stash of FuzziBunz one-size diapers to a lucky random parent. I hope to be that lucky random parent. If not, just go there and enjoy the fabulous words and photography anyway.

As for us, we're just nursing on the couch these days... A LOT.

Big H (artist formerly known as Mr. Boy) is getting used to Little W, even with the crying. Little W is now loving to watch his big brother, and readily smiles at him. As for me, I'm feedingchangingfeedingwipinglaundrycookingfeedingnappingfeeding etc. All day. Good times.

"Snow Day", the best day ever

2009-08-04T10:34:00.003-05:00

I have another post a-brewin', but have yet to have the time (and when I have the time, I usually don't have the hands) to fully realize it. Soon. Instead, enjoy a song written by an 8-year-old, which will surely make you wish you could've written such a rockin' song at the age of 8.

Good day.

The new man in our lives.

2009-06-27T20:24:00.003-05:00

Little William was born on Wednesday, June 24th, around 11:45am. Just as I'd hoped, he was early.

He nurses like a champ, and is an excellent cuddlebug. We're doing well and back at home now, adjusting to life as a family of four. Thanks to our network of family and friends--we couldn't do it without you. From the big things to the little things, you all had our backs and we are forever grateful.

OMG, I would love to be a part of this!

2009-06-14T15:45:00.000-05:00

Hey, how have you been?

2009-06-06T12:42:00.004-05:00

As you can see, not a lot of blogging going on here lately. Admittedly, I've been spending much more of my time on Twitter and Facebook these days. Twitter's been feeding my bite-sized need to tell the world what I'm up to without seeming like a looming cloud over my head, waiting for me to whip up a giant word-umbrella of a blog post.

Lots of things have remained the same for me; I'm still pregnant (at least until the end of the month), Mr. Boy is still smart and funny, as is Hubby. I'm still not working much. I'm still knitting.

Some other things have been a little different:

I went to see Nine Inch Nails in Chicago on 5/29, and Jenny Lewis on 6/4. Both excellent shows. Two completely different bands and venues, but both very good.

Hubby ran his first marathon!!! I can't tell you how proud I am that he met his goal and did so well at it--just under the 4 hour mark. My friend Amanda just did her first, too, and let me tell you, I have all kinds of respect for people who make these kinds of goals for themselves and achieve them.

I'm in the middle of revamping my professional website, which is also leading me to clean up this blog a bit. I feel the need to simplify these days.

I'll leave you with a cute photo of the boy, just to show you how big he's gotten.

Just in time for sandal weather...

2009-03-29T14:15:00.002-06:00

...which are slowly becoming the only shoes I can wear with my ever-swelling feet...

I finished the Jaywalkers.

I'm wearing them right now, but I'm also having trouble being motivated enough to find a camera and document them. Frankly, I'm a bit disappointed. Yes, they are a riot of colors, but it's a bit of a cacophony, even for me. And I tried doing a toe-up gusset and heel-flap combo, that since I've never done one before, ended up slightly miscalculated and resulted in a very baggy heel. (Miscalculated meaning I started for the gusset too early, thereby making the foot too long.) In better news, the top part of the sock fits great. And Koigu is soft. I fully expect the color to fade out quickly, though, as did my last pair.

For those of you who know me on Facebook, this isn't news. Speaking of Koigu, the underside of one of my pair of Monkey socks, made with Koigu, BLEW OUT the other day, completely unexpectedly. Big hole there. Not sure what to do about it. I don't know if it's possible to darn it. (That would mean I'd need to learn how to darn the damn thing.) The yarn doesn't match anymore, but not like it really matters; it's on the underside of the ball of my foot. I just put them on the dresser to await further intervention.

All this means that I'm down to one last knitting project, and that's my black sweater. I just finished the second sleeve today, and plan on working the bottom of the body some more, to add some length. I still have plenty of yarn yet, and I'm not really worried about running out. When I finish the length, then I get to pick up for the button band. That should be fun.

And now, I shall put a pizza in the oven, because, as my son likes to say, "Baby's hungry."

Ahem. Long time, no see, eh?

2009-03-16T14:55:00.005-06:00

Well then. I could make up some bogus story about how things have been crazy-busy around Chez Nerd in the last month, but really, all there has been to keep truly "busy" has been cold after cold, followed by periods of laziness and lack of anything interesting to say.

So I'd rather keep to myself instead of blathering on about nothing.

Not Much in the knitting department has been happening lately. Well, some things have happened. I've almost finished that second sleeve on Mr. Greenjeans. I'm doing the pattern at the bottom. However, it's been sitting there, languishing on its needles, since my sister reminded me of some knitting I had intended to do for her, um, "cousin" (in-laws' family friend, not blood-related) who is having a baby soon.

"Oh, hello there. Don't mind me."

I knit her new baby-to-be a February Baby Sweater. This time, all stockinette, considering they don't know the baby's gender. The new mom's a knitter, so she'd appreciate the EZ reference and the superwash wool.

Meanwhile, my second Jaywalker had also been suffering from a bit of Second Sock Syndrome, until it got a shot in the arm (as it were) from a woman I met on Ravelry. She doesn't know it, but the pretty stitch markers she sent along with a skein of yarn I traded her really helped get the mojo going back on this thing. However, with the weather warming in the upper Midwest, I think this might be the last sock I knit for a while... I don't really want to think about wool on my feet much anymore. I just busted out the Birkenstocks today because it's gorgeous outside, and my feet are getting so swelly that it's about the only pair of shoes I own that will allow for such foot-growth.

Now, I'm off to scavenge for sweet snacks and knit some more, hopefully while the big, grown-up two year old I have has a nap. The unborn one's bouncing around, looking for a treat.

Updates.

2009-02-16T15:30:00.002-06:00

Things have been going well in the Nerd household. Hubby's been writing for Scrotorr.com, and I highly recommend you peruse his weekly music column. Especially the one about Foreigner. Yes, I said Foreigner.

We had our 20-week ultrasound last week (halfway through, yes!), which was highly educational and fascinating. Baby's gender was not revealed to us, as we wanted it. The tech didn't even try to go there--she was so busy telling us all about what she was looking for and looking at, and man, it was really cool! I love medical imaging!

Last week I finished the new baby's blanket. This was completely surprising, as Mr. Boy's blanket wasn't finished until he was about 3 months old. Since I had that experience, I chose a worsted-weight yarn and size US7 needles. It went much quicker! I will post more details and photos as I get the chance.

As of right now, while Mr. Boy naps, I only have 2 projects on the needles, and they're both for me! My Mr. Greenjeans sweater is nearing completion: I am just starting the second sleeve, and from then on, it's collar, then done! No mind that I still have the bottom of the sweater on a holder--I just want to make sure I make it long enough, and I don't think I can judge that until I get both sleeves done. I'd rather err on the side of caution. The second project is my pair of toe-up Jaywalkers in Koigu. Let me tell you, the colors looked much nicer in the hank. It's a little loud (even for me), and this pattern was my first time knitting a reverse heel-flap and gussets. It's not as elegant as I'd like, but they'll keep my feet warm. I'll try Wendy's toe-up flap sometime and hope it's much nicer.

Speaking of knitting, I better get to it while I've got the chance!

The time to procrastinate is... now?

2009-01-17T16:29:00.002-06:00

This is currently serving a purpose to let off a little steam while I whip up a business plan. Why do I need to do that, you ask? Don't you already have a successful business, you ask? The answer is that I'm getting in on some studio space, and in order to gain my own set of keys, I need to provide the management of the building with proof that I'm legit, and not going to sell drugs out of said space. It's both exciting and intimidating as a prospect. Exciting, mostly because I've always wanted some studio space, and intimidating because I have to put my money where my mouth is. I really need to push myself this time.

The business plan needs to be in by the end of the month, as does the first month's rent. I've known about the business plan thing since just before Christmas, and I've put it off this long already. I've got the first third written as of this afternoon, and I figure if I work on it a little at a time over the next week, I can have it done by the weekend, and in to the management soon thereafter.

Now, though, I need a little break. I think I'm going to pick up my needles and put in some time on my sweater.

Well, gee, I'm posting already!

2009-01-09T14:56:00.004-06:00

I realize that things in life get busy for lots of people, and inessential things start falling by the wayside. For me, sometimes even essential things start falling by the wayside when I get up to my ears in things to do, as well as STUFF. Ach, the stuff. A lot of times, stuff keeps me from the things I want to do, and right now, since there's no work to speak of on the horizon (which I hope to change, with some help), I'm feeling compelled to clear out the stuff in my life.

In running my own business, the first of the year marks quite a few things. A new fiscal year, new goals, and sometimes, a reinvention of sorts. I've been clearing out the old files, organizing new ones on the computer, and getting my financial ducks in a row for tax time. Ideally, this is the time of year to do all this, since there's not a lot of outside playtime, and not a lot of work-time, either. However, as I've said before, having a child eats up a lot of one's time. Not that it isn't fun, mind you; Mr. Boy is quite the talker, and likes to say funny stuff, and likes to play games. Even still, there's a lot of detritus that has built up in our house over the last 4-ish years we've lived here, specifically in the office. It's been the out-of-the-way hiding spot for us. It's gotten to the point where I really don't like spending time in here. I'm feeling the urge to purge it and start over again. It's been going on alongside another urge to branch out my business and do more kid/family portraiture, since commercial work has been hard to come by lately. But this, of course, means more work to do to get more work: website redesign, marketing, studio space, yadda-yadda-yadda. And it means more money going out than what's coming in right now, which I am desperately trying to avoid, if I can.

I keep feeling this push, though: Am I doing enough? Am I creatively fulfilled? Where is my business going? I miss seeing my work friends. I miss the idea that I can pull in some money to help pay bills. I miss scratching that creative itch.

But enough about business. Boring, boring, boring, right?

In other creative news, a lovely package from elann.com arrived today:

Worsted-weight superwash wool in Pewter. For what, you may ask? Well, my friends, I shall knit another baby blanket out of this, for our new baby. This new baby will arrive mid-June, and Mr. Boy will have a new brother or sister. (We're not going to find out the gender this time, either.) We are very excited at this prospect here at Casa de Nerd.

In other knitting news, I've taken up some toe-up Jaywalker socks:

and have made quite a bit of progress on my Mr. Greenjeans sweater as well:

I've come to grips with the fact that I just need to keep plugging along with it--it's not going to finish itself. Plus, with this sudden surge of baby item knitting (for me and for others), I still feel that I should make it a priority. You know, so I actually have a sweater, made from my own hands, that I actually want to wear. Unlike that other time I knit a sweater for myself. Ahem.

But for now, it's mostly clearing out the old, and getting in with the new. Forget resolutions. I've got work to do.

Merry Christmas.

2008-12-25T18:51:00.002-06:00

It always seems to happen this time of year: more than at Thanksgiving time, I feel reflective on the life I have, and feel grateful for those I have around me. I have a fantastic husband, a delightful son, and another little one on the way. (June-ish.) We have a nice roof over our heads, food to eat, and we're not hurting for clothes or things to play with. We may not have very much money at this point in our lives, but who cares? We have each other--we're healthy. Unlike a lot of others out there, we have health insurance, and Hubby has a wonderful job with a wonderful company full of amazing people. We're really quite lucky, in the face of what's happening in the world economy, and what kinds of things that can go wrong in people's lives.

I am grateful.

I have several amazing people I feel proud to call friends around me. They, their kids, and even their pets, are good people.

We don't live very close to our families, but when we get together, it's usually a good time. Everyone is, in their way, doing okay. Jobs may have been lost in the last year, and health problems may have bloomed from time to time, but all in all, we're all still here.

I splurged a little with the gifts for Mr. Boy this year, but it's really hard to deny the fun he's having. In the few years prior to having him in my life, Christmas seemed like a pointless exercise in excess commercialism. I can see a little why a new toy (or a toy that's new to him) can be such a joy to a good little boy. It's contagious.

However, my family agreed to pare down on the gift-giving this year, in light of everyone's economic circumstance, and it really didn't impact how much fun we had with each other. I think it was a lesson to all of us that it's not about stuff--it's about us. Family. Those we love. (I was especially happy with this arrangement, as "stuff" and having too much of it has been making me crazy lately.)

I hope for all of you who read to enjoy your holiday season as much as you can, with as much or as little stress as you wish, but with health, happiness, and peace. And to my friends and family: I love you guys. Truly. I feel very blessed by your presence.

More sick days and quick knits.

2008-12-05T15:38:00.003-06:00

Last weekend, in the midst of celebrating holidays with loved ones in another state, I came down with a lovely, ooey-gooey head cold. I realize that this thing has been going around, so I'll spare you all the moaning and groaning about it. The good thing that happened was that since I was feeling so knocked down, Hubby stayed home to watch Mr. Boy so I could recover. I got to remain in bed, blow my nose 100+ times, catch up on the Office, and knit.

Knit, I did.

Toddler-Sized Thrummed Mittens
Started: November 30, 2008
Finished: December 3, 2008
Yarn: KnitPicks Wool of the Andes in Carrot
Fiber: Mountain Colors roving in Northern Lights
Pattern: Improvised

More good news: it was QUICK. Even better news: HE WEARS THEM WITHOUT TOO MUCH COMPLAINING. Whew! I was worried it would just be another thing he'd rip off his hands, but the squish factor is really what keeps him from doing so.

I think I might make myself a pair. Right after I finish my socks and sweater in progress. You know, the ones I'm making for myself.

It seems like I'm going through this malaise with the knitting I've already begun, and am longing to cast on for another project. Or two. The siren's song is getting louder in my own head. I know I can stick this out, and just need to keep on with what I've got going, considering the pair of socks is nearly completed, and the sweater, in all its glory, will just need persistence. With regard to the sweater, it just feels like I want it DONE! NOW!, so I can wear it. Maybe instead of blogging, I should be knitting? Eh?

It's getting cold here.

2008-11-23T16:36:00.002-06:00

In this week before Thanksgiving, here in the upper midwest, ponds are beginning to freeze. We've had flurries of snow, but so far, nothing has stuck. My thoughts are turning to the fact that my son WILL NOT WEAR HIS MITTENS, and the fact that they're getting small. And with them just being only made of wool yarn, my instinct is to make something warmer.

My thoughts are turning to thrummed mittens. Not only for my son, really, but for myself, too. It can get bitterly cold and windy here, and although I do own some cashmere-lined leather gloves (purchased for a song at the Lands' End Inlet), they, too, leave me desiring warmer handgear.

I got wind of a great thrumming tutorial at Hello Yarn, and really, it's quite comprehensive. It's the kind of tutorial that makes me say, "I can do that!" (It must be good to instill that kind of confidence.) Since I've never worked with roving before, and really am not interested in spinning, it was a little intimidating at first. How much roving would I need? What kind? This answered my questions, so now I feel confident enough to get out there and start it up.

Plus, my little boy's hands are getting redder and redder each time we're outside and he refuses to wear the mittens. Time is running out!

Yes, We Did!

2008-11-05T09:20:00.002-06:00

I am so relieved today. For a man to dare to include "hope" as one of his talking points, I look forward to a less dismal view of the future. I did it for my son. I voted for, not only him, but for the sake of my future family.

Looking at the electoral map last night, and seeing the results, lots of people share my optimism for change in our country over the next 4 years.

I think Dr. King would be proud. Lots of people made his dream come true last night. And guess what? It's a lot of other people's dreams, too.

I'm proud of you, America. Way to take your country back.

YES, WE CAN! AND WE DID! AND WE WILL!

Happy Hanuween!

2008-10-31T19:23:00.006-06:00

That's how Mr. Boy says it, anyhow. And heeeeeeere we are:

You can practically hear 'em yelling "NERRRRRRRRD!" from the rooftops. (Or maybe that was just in my imagination.)

For those who aren't as video-game-savvy as some, we dressed as the Super Mario Brothers and Princess Toadstool.

Hope your Halloween went well! We had some fun!

EDITED to add:
We got our picture taken by the lovely Lea Wolf of Happy Bambino and Lea Wolf Photography. This one's my favorite!

'Nuff said.

2008-10-26T13:12:00.002-06:00

Halloween is just around the corner...

2008-10-23T20:35:00.002-05:00

I am currently dyeing something a completely different color (a BIG something) in order to have a coordinating costume to my toddler. Am I completely nuts? Oh yeah, and I'm going to dye my hair, too, but mostly because I've been itching to since my sister's wedding. Aaaaand it just will happen to coordinate with the costume.

I've even persuaded the Hubby to go along with it, too. Family costuming! How charming!

Just wait until you see the photos. Eventually. Like after next Friday.

What I did this weekend.

2008-10-05T21:15:00.003-05:00

My little sister got married this weekend. (IN THE SHAWL I MADE.)

Mr. Boy was ring-bearing.

Hubby looked hawt in his new suit, although I don't have any photographic proof until the photos from the hired photographer get released.

We had lots of family fun.

I am exhausted.

I'm thinking of something BIGGER.

2008-09-26T17:51:00.003-05:00

All my big, present-y knitting is pert near completed. Just one little jacket needs buttons sewn on, and I'm done with the gift-knitting. The February Baby Sweater was very very very cute indeed. It makes me want to knit the February Lady Sweater for myself, but alas, I don't have the kind and color of yarn I'd like for that project. I have to do a little research on that one.

So that leads me to shop in my stash, so to speak. I have a few ideas of what I'd like to do next, and mostly, my ideas all are full-blown sweaters. Yeah. I haven't knit one for myself since the Tubey Wiggles disaster. (Look at the pattern, then look at the yarn, and you do the math. Poor substitution indeed.) I have a strong hankering to knit a go-to sweater. You know the kind: neutrally colored, goes with everything, not too schlumpy; a classy, timeless knit. I think a cardigan will be the ideal for me right now. I have a tendency to get warm, and pullovers are a bit of a fussy thing to keep pulling on and off. I can't even think of the temperature getting that cold just yet.

Oh, I got the darlingest little hip pouch from Etsy:

I find myself without pockets from time to time, and just wanted a little something to throw the wallet, phone, and keys in. It's ADORABLE. Go buy something from SophieMarcoux!

I realize there hasn't been a whole lot of content dealing with Mr. Boy lately, and it's kind of an unintentional side-effect of toddlerhood. We're just busy going going going. I have yet to fully update Flickr, and I'm percolating a makeover to this site, as well as my professional site. There's a lot going behind the scenes, and during naptime, sometimes I find it difficult to motivate myself to do anything but nap or knit. Or watch movies. Or read. Yes, I've made a triumphant return to movie-watching and book-reading. Recent good ones: No Country for Old Men and The Golden Compass. Good times.

One of these days, I'll get around to posting photos of the recent works in progress and finished knits. Soon.

Finally, the reveal.

2008-09-07T21:03:00.004-05:00

Made with one skein of Misti Alpaca Laceweight in Natural. I hardly had any left!

Made with Regia Silk in Stone. Two skeins is what this one took, and I was running on fumes at the end. This one was knit because I was having the darndest time seeing any stitch definition with the laceweight.

Okay, so I made two Swallowtail Shawls. Big deal, right? Well, for me, it kinda was. My first lace, my first beading, all that in these projects. Plus, I wanted to make something nice for my sister for her wedding at the beginning of next month. I started them at the same time, but when I discovered a fatal mistake in the one for my sister (the center stitch had migrated), I ripped hers back and continued on with the one for me, and finished it. I waited to block them both with my new blocking wires, so they didn't get blocked until last Thursday, when they had been finished for weeks.

She loves it. I gave it to her Saturday at her wedding shower.

The end!

Oh, the knitting going on!

2008-08-29T15:13:00.003-05:00

Since I'm lazy about getting out the camera lately (because it feels like WORK, mind you), I'll just tell you that some socks are done, the cool stuff is done, and I have started two baby sweaters for mamas I like very, very much. One is a very good friend to me and her son is a good friend to my son, and the other is a very sweet woman who runs a library program my son lives for, who is having her first baby in the winter. Luckily for me, one will be a girl, and the other will be a boy, so I get to knit up two completely different sweaters whose patterns I've been dying to try out.

The girl's sweater will be the February Baby Sweater (Ravelry Link), and the boy's will be the Baby Surprise Jacket (Ravelry Link), both by the indomitable Elizabeth Zimmermann. I picked up some lovely eggplant-colored tweedy wool for the girl's sweater at Stitches Midwest, and have some mercerized turquoise blue cotton for the boy's left over from a super-sale many years ago.

Since I started the February Baby Sweater, it's just been flying on the needles. Before I knew it, the garter stitch yoke was completed, and I was on to the first sleeve. This is going to be a pretty one! The tweed in this color is beautiful. Once I get done with the first sleeve (and the sweater doesn't look so torqued on the needles), I'll take a picture. Until then, just use your imagination with this photo:

There's no image for the boy sweater yet. Soon, though. I may just sweep right through the girl sweater, then move on. It's THAT fun.

Have a great Labor Day, friends. I aim to.

They are finished.

2008-08-24T21:52:00.002-05:00

ALL THE SECRET KNITTING HAS BEEN COMPLETED! WOOOOOOOOOOO!

Now, I just need to block two of the 3 projects, and then gift the one.

It feels good to move on.

Nearing the finish line!

2008-08-22T15:26:00.004-05:00

Just 14 more rows left in a chart, a bind-off row, and voila, another knit will bite the dust. I can't tell you how exciting it is to finally see a knit you've been working on (in conjunction with the same pattern in different yarn) for the BETTER PART OF A YEAR completed. When I first started it, it looked like a tangled ball of fuzzy string. Those of you who remember working with laceweight yarn for the first time know what I'm talking about. Ick. Not pretty at all. Now that I'm almost finished with it (and the beading), I can detect the beauty in the object. The ladies who fawned over it last weekend, asking me a bunch of questions, certainly didn't hurt the ego, either.

Plan on seeing the debut of said item following its gifting on September 6th.

In other news, I'm working on the foot part of a top-down & toe-up pair of socks. They will also be done shortly. I'm planning on keeping a pair on the needles (for myself, naturally) at all times, so I can expand my cold-weather sock wardrobe. It was such a joy to have the two pair I had last winter, and I was gifted quite a bit of sock yarn in a destash not too long ago, so I have great plans to have a large wardrobe of handknitted socks. Yay!

There's been a lot of activity lately around here. I've been working out of town, Hubby's started fall league Ultimate Frisbee, and Mr. Boy has been entertaining us by talking a blue streak and learning how to sing. The latest is "Hey Jude."

And then, there's the first salon haircut for Mr. Boy. He was terrified, but we powered through it. Once he was all done, and balloon was in hand, he kept saying, "Balloon. Haircut. Balloon. Haircut."

Ok. Time to go get him up from his nap before it's dinner time.

YouTube has everything.

2008-08-12T21:16:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I have a penchant for the Muppets. Just this evening, I wondered to myself if they had this little gem, and YES, they do:

Just a peep to say hello.

2008-08-12T14:11:00.002-05:00

Summer is still in full swing here at Chez Nerd. I have just discovered the joy of pulling weeds. It's such a righteous activity, with such tangible results. It's like therapy.

We've been pretty busy with Ultimate Frisbee, biking, playgroups, and secret knitting. I've finished one project, and am rounding the bend with the biggest project. I still won't be able to post about them until I gift them (late September for both), so it will be soon. At this rate, it may just be my next post.

I finished one sock of a pair of garter rib socks, sadly, with no photos so far. I'm almost at the heel-turning stage of the second sock, so it won't be long for that pair, too.

We're all doing well, here, and I hope you all are, too. Go out and enjoy your summers!