Baad Medicine

For Healthy Girls

2008-10-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

Let us be thankful.

Thanks to everyone for their kind words and thoughts. It took a while but the new one arrived on October 9. We are doing well if somewhat tired. My Mom has been a big help. Maybe I'll get the chance to do the same for one of my girls.

Happy Thanksgiving!

She's Arrived!!

2008-10-09T19:29:00.000-07:00

A bouncing baby girl arrived this evening to Mama J and her dude.

Everyone is doing well - J. sounded amazing when I talked to her.

Baby Girl was ..... you're not going to believe this .... 9lbs 8oz. Whoa.

I hope to meet the beautiful baby this weekend.

Stay tuned.

I got nothin'....

2008-10-05T07:20:00.000-07:00

I know you're all waiting for a post to say "Hey, the baby is here!" No one more, I'm sure, than my partner in crime.

But I got nothin' to tell ya.

So instead I'll woo you with pretty pictures of something I finished a while ago, and was just blocked last week with my newly purchased blocking wires (which are heaven....).

My Hanami v. 2.0.

Now, last I talked about this baby, I said that I was going to throw it in the Christmas Cumulus.

I've changed my mind.

It's mine, all mine.

And in another attempt to woo you, I'll show you my first completed sock for the September STR shipment. Spoiler Alert!!

The colour way is called Tidal Pooling and is my favourite so far.

Did it work? Did I divert your attention? I'm sure I didn't, but it was a worthy try, right?

(and we're all sending good thoughts to the baby......go towards the light baby....gooooo....)

In which all is made well

2008-10-02T08:58:00.000-07:00

Don't be scared. It all turns out right in the end. See?

It's not easy to knit other projects when you know you have a sweater that just underwent major surgery. When I got home from the massacre, I sat down to finish the edging.

Before all this cutting and sweing nonsense started, I used some yarn in a contrasting colour to mark some important stitches. One line of running stitch marked where we would be cutting. Two more lines marked where I would pick up the stitches for the buttonbands on either side of the steek.

I attacked the buttonhole side first, picking up stitches along the marked line. I used the ole pick up 3 stitches for every 4 rows and that seemed to work nicely.

A little 2 x 2 rib and some buttonhole magic and I was almost done that side. All that was left was to sew done the cut edge. T. and I attended a workshop with Lucy Neatby a year ago and she cut a sweater before our unbelieving eyes. Then she used a simple blanket stitch to sew down the edge. Now, I'm no former Sailor who knows a whole lot about knitting, but I figured if Lucy could do it, without batting an eyelash, then maybe I could do it.

And I think it turned out quite well. All that remained was to repeat all this business on the other side and I was mostly done. A bath, some blocking and buttons and I have a lovely new sweater.

I did make some mods early on by making 3/4 length sleeves which I prefer. I cast on 60 stitches, worked the twisted rib on these and then adjusted the sleeve length to match a couple of other 3/4 length sleeves that I like from other sweaters.

Overall, I think I will love this sweater but it's hard to know how well it will fit given my advanced stage of pregnancy. Hopefully I'll be able to model it for you soon. In the meantime, think happy thoughts and let's hope this little knitter in training hurries up.

In which I cut my knitting

2008-09-29T07:32:00.000-07:00

The idea of steeking has always scared me. To cut your knitting on purpose seems very counterproductive, don't you think? So this summer, when I was looking for a new challenge or skill to learn, I naturally turned to the freakiest thing I could think of and that is steeking.

For those of you unfamiliar with the theory of steeking, you basically take a shortcut to knitting a sweater by knitting it in the round. This allows for easier colourwork and faster knitting since you probably won't have to purl. Once your piece is complete, you simply stitch around the area that you would like to open up, grab some sharp scissors and your nerve and hack away.

I had recently completed the patterned yoke of my Bountiful Bohus sweater and was ready to proceed. In a rare display of knitting awareness, the Dude told me that it looked good. Without prompting. To which I replied "Now I'm going to cut it." He was appropriately appalled.

I enlisted the help of my sister in law, LittleMissBossy to you Ravelers, because I needed support and am still use alcohol as a mood stabilizer. LMB is the sewer in the family, so I "let" her do the stitching while I drank coffee and chatted with my brother and my nephew. I had marked where the stitching should occur with some yarn in a contrasting colour. That made things a little easier.

We ran lines of stitches along the centre stitches which would eventually be cut. The tutorial on Knitty suggested two lines of stitches on either side of the area to be opened up. We did three cause I'm anal like that. LMB seemed to think that was enough.

(That's her Don't-Mess-With-Me face.)

We also did a line of stitches along the row of stitches which would be folded back and from which I would pick up the button band. More on this later.

When we had sewn more than the required number of rows and I had collected myself sufficiently, I started to cut. The whole time, I kept saying to myself "I can't believe I'm doing this. I can't believe I'm doing this."

My nephew was shocked.

So was my brother.

I cut quickly. There's really no point in prolonging these things. And do you know what? Nothing bad happened. Some of the stitches unravelled slightly, but it is all in one piece, ready to be finished.

Next time, I'll show you how I finished the button bands and stitched down the facings. I may even block it, just for you.

This is all assuming there is no baby between now and then. I wouldn't bet the farm.

T's Guide to Freakin' Out People

2008-09-25T11:40:00.000-07:00

Step 1: Look like a normal suburban mom. Preferrably in the normal suburban mom uniform of Lululemon. Looking like a normal suburban mom also means you have to look a little rushed and under pressure, but also sport perfect eye makeup and hair.

Step 2: Carry a normal looking bag. Not a bag with any knitting or crafting reference. A bag such as a those made by Coach, or Kate Spade, or Burberry. Truly, any high end bag (and make sure you refer to it as a bag, not a purse) will do.

Step 3: Take your child to their activity of choice. Swimming lessons, soccer, fencing. Whatever your uber-suburban pre-schooler is into at the time.

Step 4: Get your child appropriately introduced to the activity. Make sure they are comfortable in their surroundings. Give them a hug, whatever you need to do to urge them into full participation.

Step 5: Step back. Take a seat with the other normal suburban moms. Observe your child for a few minutes, give them a wave and a smile, then throw them a kiss.

Step 6: Engage in idle chit chat with the women around you. Discuss your child's other activites, how great they're doing in their new school, how excited they are to be swimming/soccer-ing/fencing. Make the other mothers truly believe that you too are a normal suburban mom.

Step 7: Now, this is the key to the Freak out. While talking to the other mothers, slowly and methodically, pull .... out ... your ... knitting.

Step 8: Wait for it. Wait for it. There is it. Shock, furtive glances, chairs turning. You have accomplished the freak out. It usually, in my estimation and experimentation, takes approximate 1-3 minutes for this to occur.

Then you have it. Peace and quiet. You are no longer forced to engage in the idle chit chat, or the comparisons of Bobby Sue's* busy after school schedule or Johnny's* difficulty with his Montessori program. You can sit, watch your Punk swim with an amazing all-encompassing grin, and knit in peace. It works, I can guarantee the results.

*note that these are made up names for the other children that were there. Also note that no normal suburban member of the mom-fia would name their children Bobby Sue or Johnny. I have yet to come across any children with these names in my uber-suburban neighbourhood.

Done.

2008-09-23T06:53:00.000-07:00

That's about all I can muster up to say about these socks. They are DONE.

They are being added to the Christmas Cumulus, and will be given away with love to someone who will appreciate them far more than I can.

I feel better about these socks when I put them next to these lovely flowers our family received to brighten our last few gloomy weeks.

Thanks Catknip.

Waiting Game

2008-09-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

I am not a patient person. Waiting is one of the most difficult things I ever have to do. I fidget. I pace. I bug the Dude.

So this whole being off of work and waiting for a baby thing is really not my strong suit. Fortunately, I have still been able to do some knitting.

Socks for a nephew.

Socks for a neice.

I'm half way through a pair of pink socks for the Princess in this yarn.

My mind, however, is always drawn to the what ifs. What if my water breaks in the frozen food aisle of the grocery store? What if I have horrible labour that scares the Princess? What if I can't get a hold of the Dude? (Don't laugh. My husband is very difficult to reach at times. Don't confuse this with being important.) What if the Princess totally rejects the Baby and her Mother? What if I don't get the next STR sock club shipment before all of the above happen?

Waiting sucks.

Scarves across Canada

2008-09-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

I am participating in a bit of a crazy endeavour. I joined up in the summer and am in the midst of it. I had actually forgotten about it until another package arrived the other night.

I'm in Traveling Scarf group on Ravelry. The premise is that you start a scarf in some yarn and a stitch pattern of your choice. Then you pass your scarf on to 11 other people to work on, and in the end you get it back. There are examples of works in progress from other groups here and here and here.

It has been a great way to use up bits of yarn I have. I can not throw yarn away, so I have bits and pieces of every type of yarn I've ever bought. It's kind of fun to rifle through my old yarn and pull stuff out.

This is how my scarf started.

I used up my leftover Andean Silk that I made my Candystripe kerchief out of. I picked out a pattern I liked from my Harmony Guides and cast on. I sent it off to someone in Burlington and now I wait for it's return.

In the meantime, I work on everyone else's. I received Vivian's yesterday and picked out a coordinating color, and this is what we have.

The blue is not near as bright as the picture leads you to believe. So I'll finish this up today and send it off to the next person and wait for my next delivery. Getting yarn / knitting in the mail is so much fun - even if it's not for me!

Mama, you knit me a sweater?

2008-09-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

The Princess has been as patient as a two year old can be lately. She's had to watch me knit baby sweaters, baby hats, socks for Dad, sweaters for Mom. At last, there is something that she can model for her adoring public.

This is the Drive-Thru sweater. It is a terrific pattern and a really fun knit. I usually shy away from colour work because it freaks me out a little and you know that I don't deal well with change.

The body of this sweater goes very quickly and the yoke keeps things interesting with the colour changes. I understand that the pattern is based on EZ's percentage system which just goes to show how brilliant that lady was.

I made this sweater out of Cotton Fleece which is soft and has a nice drape to it. It isn't as heavy as 100% cotton and I think I'll be using it again if I can find it. It would seem that our local LYS's don't carry Brown Sheep products. May I suggest to you local LYS types that this line of yarn would be welcomed by the local knitting community?

Friends

2008-09-12T08:02:00.001-07:00

This last week has kicked my butt over and over again, for a lot of reasons. There are tragedies occurring to people I know and love, and it's been a hard week for our family. Not as hard as it has been for the people around us, but hard nonetheless.

Then I got this.

From two wonderful people. With a card that said things that meant a lot and things I needed to hear.

It was a reminder of what friendship means.

Thanks ladies. The farkly* yarn is lovely, and your friendship is farkly to me.

*farkly - a combination of the word sparkly and another word I will not use on the blog, because I don't want to offend my readers. Coined by the two ladies who gave me the yarn

Say What? T. actually finished something???

2008-09-09T17:46:00.000-07:00

That's right - she did.

Two things actually.

Crazy, I know.

First, I finished the Hanameeee. That's my made up word for Hanami for me. At least originally it was going to be for me, but now I don't know. I don't love it. It's lovely, but I'm not sure. It may go in the Christmas pile. I should make that sound a bit nicer. Pile implies, well other things. Let's call it the Christmas Cumulus.

It still needs a bath and some stretching, but I am awaiting some blocking wires to help in that endeavour.

Second up, the Bainbridge scarf.

Another thing to put in the Christmas Cumulus. This little number took 2 short nights of knitting and is quite warm and fuzzy. I can think of a couple people I know who would appreciate this one.

Things are flying off the needles here at Baad Medicine. Watch out for flying wool.

There's a Rocket in My Pocket

2008-09-07T08:06:00.000-07:00

Here is the next in a line of projects I have finished lately. It confirms my love of baby clothes. They are unapologetically cute and fast to knit. I whipped this up in a little over a week.

It's the Rocketry Sweater made famous by the Yarn Harlot. I can totally understand her obsession with this little number. It comes in a kit with several different colours of Dream in Color Classy. It might be one of my new favorite yarns. It is soft and blooms nicely with washing. The colours are amazing and one day I'll make a sweater out of this stuff. (T., I know what you're thinking. We're not ordering any more yarn right now. Maybe next week.)

I had little bits of yarn leftover so I whipped up a matching hat. I used the Umbilical Cord Hat as the base pattern and did the colour changes as suggested by the Rocketry pattern. Overall, a very cute little set.

I'm not sure who will be the baby who gets to model and keep this ensemble. I have quite a few sweaters that will fit the under 1 year old set and my little bun couldn't possibly wear them all. A few will likely be set aside for the happy day when some people in my life have new little buns of their own. (You know who you are.)

The end of an era

2008-09-04T07:21:00.000-07:00

From this...

(in his mother's knitwear right out of the gate....)

To this...

I can say a lot of cliches about where the time has gone. But they won't describe what I'm truly feeling on the eve of his school debut. Excitement, anxiety, nostalgia. Those words only touch the surface.

Mostly I feel love.

He's ready, he's going. He will develop his own little persona. It's good.

Catching Up

2008-09-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

I seem to have been neglecting my knitterly duties here at Baadmedicine. I have been knitting and I have lots to show you....

BUT....

Ok, here's the thing. I'm due to give birth in a month. As a mother who is quite advanced in her pregnancy, I am starting to really feel it. My back gets sore, I'm tired, my hands are achy and swollen when I wake up. All of these things have taken a toll on my knitting. To keep you interested, I thought I'd dish out a finished project every few days.

The Project du Jour is ly Olympic Socks. There were designed by yours truly and knit for men's feet. I always aget a little nervous when I start a pair of men's socks because I know it takes a long time to finish a pair and it really is a big commitment. At the same time, I don't want to knit up plain socks for the men in my life. A little pattern every now and then is a good thing.

Therefore I present to you Faux Paw. They are men's socks with a linen stitch Argyle pattern that I think works fairly well with variegated sock yarns. You like it? Let me know.

Obsession

2008-08-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

I get into these moods.

A new pattern comes out and I want to knit it. Now. Immediately. I spend my time trying to find the perfect yarn to make the perfect sweater.

It has happened with this one. And this one. Most recently, this one.

Then I don't knit them.

I've done some thinking about this and why I don't follow through. I think it has to do with being worried about being let down. I'm a glass is half empty kind of person. I automatically think it just won't turn out. It'll be too small, or too large, or not flattering. I'll be horribly disappointed.

I retain my obsession with them, but I don't want to be let down.

The newest sweater on the block is in the most recent Vogue Knitting.

So will I actually follow through on this one? I feel like doing some fall knitting and this would be perfect.

I think I need to go peruse my Knitpicks options....

Eight Years Later

2008-08-26T07:19:00.000-07:00

Eight years ago, I woke up to a rainy morning. I couldn't sleep. I got up and got dressed, did my hair, prettied up my face. I looked around the house and couldn't find anything to keep me interested. I looked at the drizzle. I paced. I read the paper but didn't take anything in. I made my sister and my cousin play Scrabble and I'm pretty sure I didn't win.

It was my wedding day and I couldn't wait to walk down the aisle.

It's funny how certain images stick in your head from significant occasions. I remember the Dude standing at the end of the aisle waiting for me. He looked a little pale. I remember the Gerber daisies I held in my hand. I remember my nephew saying, in a loud and very 2 year old voice "I dropped my tractor" at a very quiet moment in the ceremony. I remember pausing to let the lump in my throat go away while I tried to make it through my vows. I also remember the pause getting longer and longer. The Dude winked at me and I almost cried. I danced with my brother and he swung me around the floor. My dress became a sail as we swooshed in great circles.

We're different people today, eight years later. We've laughed. We've fought. We've disagreed on what colour to paint our living room. We've bought a house, new cars, a couch. We've travelled together and cuddled in front of our fireplace.

Eight years ago, I didn't realize what today would be like. We have one beautiful child and one on the way. We are each individuals with our own interests who love and appreciate each other. We make each other laugh.

Eight years ago, I thought I was going to love this man forever. And I was right.

Stay-cation

2008-08-24T12:18:00.000-07:00

A week "away", but not leaving home brought us a....

...Trip to a swimming pool (one of the most exhausting endeavours we had all week)

...Trip to a museum
(the highlight was the bug room - even the bug-phobic ones in our family, ie. me, found it fascinating)

....Trip to the dentist, specialist, and other health-care professionals (can't be all fun all the time, right?)

...Trip to a local festival I haven't been to in years (a least 4 1/2 years, the same age as the Punk). We even took in a play that I could relate too personally.

....A birthday party (I am married to a very old man....cute, but old)

It also brought some good knitting.

New Socks

A Scarf - finishing this makes me a Ravlete

A Hat

I'm exhausted. I think I need a week off.

The Princess is a Dancing Queen

2008-08-20T17:03:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves a wedding, especially if you're the Bride's neice.

See? Three neices all looking delightful and in need of a snack.

My Princess was the star of the dance floor. She danced with her Uncle D and her Great Baba (that's my Mother's Mother, just to clarify).

She danced with her Uncle Mark who is also her Godfather and her legal counsel.

She danced with other pretty little Princesses.

She danced with the Bride. A lot.

And she danced by herself when she had tired everyone else out.

And sure we're happy for the Happy Couple but my Princess stole the show.

Olympic Coverage

2008-08-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

I love the Olympics. I'll watch anything. Sometimes I know the rules of the sport and sometimes I don't but I love seeing people doing their best. I cheer for the underdogs and scowl at cocky winners.

In my own pursuit of excellence, I have completed one of my events. This little hat was knit up for the Baby Dressage and will be much worn by the little person in waiting.

I used some cotton/silk I had bought months ago and it's very soft and cozy.

In the Sockput, I have completed one sock and am picking away at the second. Due to family events and a busy schedule, this project is taking longer than I had hoped but I'm making progress none the less.

I'm looking forward to watching some track and field events this week. There might even be some diving. (Those divers know how to work a Speedo, don't you think?)

And we're off....T's version

2008-08-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

I'm am officially off for a week. As is my love.

People keep asking us where we're going. I always feel like it's a cop out to say nowhere.

We aren't going anywhere this year. For a variety of reasons, not the least of which is having a rather precocious 2-year old, we're vacationing from home.

We have a list of 4 or 5 destinations in and around our city that we want to get to over our week off. Places we always say we're going to go to because they're so close, but we never get there.

My goal is to get a few things done around home before the insanity of the fall which includes new schedules, and new schools, and new activities. My other, and more important goal, is to spend time with my family. We may not be able to give the boys an exciting vacation this year, but we have the time to spend with them and do things they'll love to do. And that's the most important thing. Time together as a family.

So having said that, I'm going to computer-free for the next week or so. I'll be back to tell you tales of trips to historic villages and escapades of museum visits with rambunctious children. I know you're shaking with anticipation!!

The Eye of the Storm

2008-08-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

It is so rare that the Dude and I can take the Princess and escape our lives for a few days. Work and life seem to intervene and it just never happens. That's why the last few days were so precious.

We swam.

We rode on gandolas

to the top of mountains.

We looked at waterfalls

and threw rocks.

We visited a lake

and threw rocks.

Every year I would travel to the mountains with my family and I have pictures of myself at this age riding in a gondola, walking in the mountains, being a kid. I'm glad we can make time to share this with our daughter.

We even went to a zoo and met a baby elephant

and a baby giraffe.

Someone rode a train all by herself.

We ate ice cream and Greek food. We snuggled by a fire and roasted marshmallows.

I even knit a bit.

These are my Ravelympics project. I am designing and knitting a pair of men's socks. I think I might be nuts.

Now I have a couple of days of respite to relax, do laundry, get a pediacure (thank goodness) and pack my bags again. My sister is getting married this weekend and there is much to do

And the answer is....

2008-08-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

Handball. Olympic coverage can be found here.

In Canada we call it Team Handball, to differentiate it from a game that's played with 2 people on a squash court.

But in Europe, the birthplace of the game, they just call it Handball.

It's a wicked game. Vicious, fast, and scary. It's kind of like water polo on a court.

I played primarily goalie, but have also played out.

Our Canadian team has to qualify (via World Championships) to make it to the Olympics, and in my memory we never have.

From former handball player to mother, knitter, and sometime pharmacist.

Man how life changes!

Every 4 years

2008-08-11T07:19:00.000-07:00

I will pretty much watch any Olympic event. Dressage, water polo (it's vicious! I love it), gymnastics, trap shooting, fencing. Whatever. I will watch it.

I find my Love and I start throwing around vocabulary that we don't normally use in our house. We become experts of obscure sports (at least self-proclaimed experts) and use our new found knowledge in such ways as:

"I sure hope our men's lightweight eights can make it to the finals without having to go to the repechage."

"It sucks that our guy lost out in the epee"

"Guo and Mingxia are unbeatable in this event"

I am watching as much as I can, while participating in my Scarf Stroke event. I am almost thru my first ball of yarn. I only have 2 balls of this Handmaiden Samira silk, so when it's gone, I'm done. My lovely friend J. picked this up for me on her trip to Toronto.

The pattern is working well with the yarn, and the end result will be a gorgeous silk scarf.

As a competing Ravelete, I think of the possibility I had long ago to become an actual Olympic Athlete. Yes, it's true, I did at one time have aspirations of playing on a national team. I played on a provincial team in this event, and hoped to one day make the national team. My sister played on the national team for a few years. To be honest, our Canadian team never qualifies to participate in this Olympic event. But, it was still the closest I ever came to being an acclaimed athlete.

Any guesses on the sport?? (and I'll give you a hint - it was NOT basketball)

And We're Off...

2008-08-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

...Like a herd of turtles!

The Ravelympics start today. I'll be trying to catch some Olympic coverage while packing for a little holiday in the mountains with the Princess and the Dude. It's been a while since we all went away together and I'm looking forward to the pool, some easy hikes (I am seven months pregnant so nothing crazy for me), ice cream, a zoo and hopefully a woodfire or two. (That reminds me that I have to pack some marshmallows...)

During the pre-game, I managed to finish up these socks. They were a delightful knit and I'm amazed by the fact that you can wear them inside out and they look equally as good.

Note the Twizzlers and M&Ms on the left, Gumdrops on the right. Lovely! The colour isn't something I would have bought for myself but I think it's starting to grow on me.

I also started this Rocketry sweater. I've never used Dream in Color Classy before and I think I might be in love. The colours are variegated in a very subtle way and the yarn has a springiness to it that I really like. The pattern is simple and I think the finished sweater will be incredibly cute.

I'm hoping that the 4 hour drive will afford me some time to work on my Ravelympic project. I'll be designing and knitting a pair of Men's socks and then in my free time, I hope to crank out an Umbilical Cord hat or two. Good luck to all competitors! I hope we follow in true Olympic spirit: Citius, Altius, Fortius which means Swifter, Higher, Stronger. Perhaps as knitters we should adopt the following : Obesa cantavit. The Fat Lady has Sung.