my 25 days of crafting...

...are not going as planned.

Pregnancy is making me slow. Really slow. *sigh* I have a number of gifts done but it's not the 1 per day I really should be accomplishing. Oy. Part of the problem? I just want to knit baby things. It's true. This is what I did with my weekend:

 This is the beyond puerperium pattern available from Ravelry. It's not finished- it needs buttons obviously- but I am totally and completely in love with this pattern and the yarn. The pattern was awesome to work with, super easy and it looks fantastic. The yarn is Plymouth superwash merino in a kettle dyed scrumptiousness. It's knit in the 3-6 month size at the suggestion of my favorite LYS proprietor to get the most use out of it (and the projected size of my babies... yeah, probably a good idea.)

 This sweater... I'm less tickled by. I'm not sure how I feel about it just yet, It's cute and soft but... Hm. Its a funny shape. :P This is crochet from the Carle Baby Cardigan on Ravelry using more Plymouth superwash merino (really... I'm in love with this yarn for these baby sweaters. It's soft, smooth and machine washable. amazing.) It was super-duper quick to work up (an afternoon and an evening) and used so little yarn from each skein I can hardly complain. I think it's growing on me though... It will make a good little jacket for spring. :)

You can follow my projects on Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/LadyBrower 

So far, it's just a few things, but I've made a vow to keep it updated and going. :) Feel free to friend me too! I love friends. :) 

As for the Elving.... Well, I'm making progress! 

Looks like the girls are going to get some spa kits consisting of handmade sugar scrubs, lotion and lip balm in a little bag. I have the goodies made, just have to make the bags! 

Sugar scrubs- top: Sweetpea and jasmine sugar scrub with olive oil and vitamin e. Bottom: Brown sugar, honey-vanilla scrub with vitamin e and olive oil. 

The recipe? 

Plain scrub:

Sugar

Olive oil

vitamin e

Essential oil (for fragrance)

container

Add enough olive oil to sugar to make a paste. Squirt in some vitamin e and essential oil to smell how you like. Mix. Put in cute jars. 

The End. :)

More things to be thankful for

Yesterday morning, I was terrified that I would be delivering my babies more than 3 months early. I was having painful, regular contractions and went to the hospital at 4 AM.

I've already said I'm thankful for modern technology, but I'll say it again. I'm VERY thankful for modern technology to monitor what was going one. (I plan on having a natural birth at term, but this early I am all about the medical intervention!) I'll cut the story short (which included two hospitals, several doctors, ultrasounds, monitoring and more). We're all fine, and I'm CRAZY thankful for that, and I'm thankful I will not be delivering this week. The babies are measuring two weeks ahead so that's good. One of the biggest problems with twins is low birth weight, if they keep this up, they will be in good shape. :)

I'm thankful for my husband's boss who got a 5am phone call explaining that we were in the hospital and hubby would be late to work. "no problem" the guy says. And it really wasn't.

I'm thankful for comfort foods and nice people- after more than 12 hours of our ordeal yesterday, we got dinner at this place call Mix and Mac. They have gluten free mac and cheese. And it's amazing. After a long day, I didn't feel like cooking. It was so nice to get a yummy, comforting dinner and the people who own the place are just fantastic. If there hadn't been a counter in the way, I totally would have been hugging the owner. SO sweet. This is their facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/MIX-N-MAC/225633727498987 tell them the pregnant gluten free girl sent you. :P

Again and always... I'm super thankful for my hubby who makes everything better. I love him.

Thanksgiving is in two days.... What are you thankful for?

7 more things I am thankful for

I was "slacking" I didn't blog my thanks like I meant to, though it doesn't mean I wasn't thinking it.

1. I'm thankful for my mother, who gave birth to me and is REALLY excited about being a Grandmother!

2. I'm thankful for the generosity of others- last weekend so many friends and family turned out for my family baby shower and REALLY showered us with gifts! I was thankful to be able to see these people whom I rarely get to visit with, and thankful that they love my sons already too!

3. I'm thankful for our truck, which got us upstate and back safely

4. I'm thankful for modern technology, which was able to assure us all that our babies are doing just fine and my heart is okay too, especially after last week's scare.

5. I'm thankful for yummy food. My mom cooked for us all last weekend and it was fantastic

6. I'm thankful for the friends I've made online. They are truly fantastic women who keep me motivated, and provide support even though we've never met!

7. I'm thankful for the hard work of my husband. I know I've said something like this before, but as I type, he is building the hearth for our woodstove so I can be cozy and warm. He's been working around the house non-stop all day. I love him so.

Fabric bucket tutorial

By demand... here's a tutorial for fabric buckets. I saw something similar on my favorite blog: www.soulemama.com, and naturally I bought the pattern she used, but still have not received it so I decided to make some of my own. I have NO idea if this is how they are made or not, but this is my interpretation and I totally "winged" the first one (the blue stripey) which came out quite well if I do say so myself. So without further ado here's how to make them.

You will need:
1 30x18 inch piece of heavy canvas
1 30x18 inch piece of cotton batting
1 30x18 inch piece of your outer fabric
2 3x 9 inch pieces of handle fabric (I used canvas for the wool bucket and the outer fabric for the other two)

Cutting mat
rotary cutter
scissors
iron
sewing machine
thread

Cut your pieces 

I made the handles out of the left over end piece

Cut batting 

Lay batting over canvas, with "right sides" (the canvas) together, fold and sew down side and bottom

Seaming..... 

Trim away excess. this stuff is BULKY and we don't want too much

Seam the outer piece and clip corners

 To square off the bottom, line up side seam (and side fold) with bottom seam and press, then, use your ruler thingy to make a triangle, I use the 45 degree angle that is built into mine- in brings the side in about 3 inches from the corner. Repeat on the canvas and batting.

While you are at the ironing board, make the handles....

You will sew this together- I like a zig zag right over that crease

Fold the bottom up wide and fold the top down narrow, then fold the top over to enclose raw edges

Sew along your mark and cut off the triangle

Here's the tricky part.... Take both pieces and put them right sides together matching the side seem and corners. Sandwich your handles between the pieces, leaving an inch or so sticking up. Make sure they are equi-distant from the sides and match each-other. Pin all the way around, then sew leaving a good size opening (I like leaving the side between handles open) to turn. 

Turn the whole thing right sides out

Stuff the canvas inside the outer piece. Bring it over to the ironing board and press your seam allowance in where your opening was and press all the way around.

Top stitch all the way around... 

Fluff and stuff!

That's it! Now you have a bucked for all sorts of stuff. Mine are holding fabric scraps, but I'm going to make a few for toys and for the boys' room. 

I hope it all made sense! lol

Veteran's day

Aristotle said, "We make war so we may live in peace." Modernly, our brave servicemen fight wars so YOU (and I) may live in peace.

Every day, I am thankful to our men and women in uniform who have served in wars past and present. I am each and every day thankful and proud of my husband who has chosen to serve.

God bless you all and God bless America!

4 am on a Thursday of a rough week

Okay, it's 4:40, but I've been up since well before now.

I've made myself pancakes

I've checked my favorite blog (www.soulemama.com)

I've picked up my knitting. I'm letting myself have this time- quite time before dawn just for myself. I think I need it. It's been a rough week... I had 6 doctors' visits in 3 days with no naps, and woke up at 2:30 this morning. The boys just didn't want me to sleep but I'm trying not to complain. It was even nice just to lay in bed in the dark counting their kicks (46 in half an hour and then I lost track). They are very busy in there, even now they are still popping around.

I'm thankful for these times, even if I am crabby. Thankful to have the time for myself and the comforts of creation- knitting and growing humans. And tea. I'm very thankful for tea.

Cowl in progress for my mother in law knit from Kolage Solace- alpaca and silk- in the broccoli pattern.Yummy! 

My ducky PJ pants. :) 

3 days thankful....

I'm thankful for advanced healthcare

Yarn (and knitting needles... and other knitters... and crochet....)

The ability to create and cook.

Thankful

I am thankful for the food we eat- for where it comes from (thank you plants and animals), the people who raise it (farmers), the people who transport it (truckers), the people who stock it at the market, and for the person who buys it (HUBBY!)

Thankful more

I'm thankful for our fantastic friends and support system. They are just amazing and fun.

Thankful Today

For our lovely home, and being warm and safe. :) (With a little extra sprinkle of thankfulness to my husband who makes it possible by how hard he works!)

Thankful, 26 days to thanksgiving

I'm thankful for the little boys growing in my belly. :) Children are such a blessing and I've been doubly blessed.

Thankful

This morning a friend posted to facebook a lovely idea; each day until thanksgiving post something you are thankful for. I think this is a beautiful thing to do.

I'm incredibly thankful for my wonderful husband who is kind, caring, generous, a hard worker and the love of my life. This year, this wonderful man's birthday falls on Thanksgiving. How appropriate? :)

A rare moment of relaxation with the pups. How cute is that?

So please feel free to do this for yourself. Share the things you are thankful for in the comments, on your facebook, on your blog.... There really are so many things to be thankful for and to cherish. :) 

It's a boy! And another boy!

TWIN BOYS! What am I getting into?

I should have known... I've been chowing down on anything with hot sauce. LOL

We had a wonderful gender reveal party with our close family and friends! It was such a wonderful way to get together and celebrate with some more adult time than a shower (not that I'm knocking showers, I can't wait for mine, this was just different!) We played a few games and everyone voted on what they thought the gender of the twins were! Most thought they were a girl and a boy, some wishful thinking ladies thought 2 girls, and only three people chose 2 boys (my mother in law, sister in law and step sister in law! LOL) On the menu was a bunch of my "craving" foods: Buffalo chicken, ranch meatballs, munchos, chips and salsa/ queso dip, pudding, jello, olives, pickles, ranch dip, mac and cheese.... Oh it was yummy. :)

A garland made of sonogram pictures... just paper clip to a wide ribbon and pin up!

Find the blue paci and pink ribbon to win a prize!

My cute prize table! It's a wooden ironing board with cloth diapers as a table cloth!

Photo albums for the winners of the gender guess, little socks stuff with organic lollies were the favors and monkey bread kits went to those who found the paci and bow. :) (We are doing a monkey theme. :))

I made handmade bunting for decoration- these will go up in the boys' room

cute right?

Some of the food with the cake- all very random cravings! And yes, that's a bottle of tums- that stayed on the table!

? What's inside? Pink? Blue? a layer of each? EEK! It was gluten free to say the least. :P

oh! Gramma's cutting the cake to see what the grandbabies will be!

BLUE!!!!!! 3 layers? Oops. Nope, not triplets, but mommy ran out of batter for the fourth layer..... 

So that was the party! We had such a blast! It was a lot of work for this mama to prepare for and BOY were my feet swollen by the time I got to bed (WAY passed my bed time!) but it was worth it! It's so lovely to share this sort of thing with those closest to you!

Two skirts on a Sunday morning.

With my expanding waist comes the shrinking of my wardrobe. It's sad.

So.... I made myself two new skirts. cost? $0. They were made from fabric and an old skirt that were in my stash already.

Tada!

This one was made out of just over a yard of wool flannel for the body, and a bit of leftover black cotton interlock for the fold over waist. The front and back panels are essentially the same, but I cut an extra low dip in the front to accommodate my growing belly. I made it to measure a bit wider than my hips so there would be ease in the unstretchy wool, and added a giant pocket on the side front.

This one was an existing skirt that had a fixed waistband and a zipper. Good golly that was NOT going to fit in the near future... I cut it about 8 inches below the original waist, cutting off the zipper and making it wider than my hips. I added the same fold over "yoga" waistband out of another piece of cotton interlock. This one is a bit bigger which is fine.

I figure these will work for pregnancy and after since they are stretchy and not specifically maternity.

If anyone is interested, I'll make a tutorial later, there is another piece of wool that is calling out to be another skirt.

What I've been knitting...

Soaker sacks!!! Well, one soaker sack. I knit it with a striped seed stitch pattern and I'm rather pleased with it....

Sleep Sack basic pattern

For newborn size:

Supplies and Materials:

• size 5 16" circular needles
• size 8 16" circular needles
• stitch marker 
• measuring tape
• worsted weight wool (I like Peace Fleece)

Abreviations:

• k- knit
• p- purl
• m1- make one (increase)
• yo- Yarn over (increase)
• k2tog- knit two together (decrease)

With smaller needles, CO 64 stitches. Knit 2" 1x1 ribbing (k1, p1) 

Switch to larger needles

Rnd 1: (k8, m1) around (72 stitches total)

knit plain until sack measures 14 " from cast on edge

Eyelet band for drawstring: 

Rnd 1: purl

Rnd 2: knit

Rnd 3: (k2, yo, k2tog) repeat around

Rnd 4: knit

Rnd 5: purl

Final round, bind off

Make a cord or use ribbon (I like a plain crochet cord or icord for this, it's more secure). Thread it through the eyelet row.

This is awesome for little babes to sleep in. It keeps the toes warm and makes midnight diaper changes a breeze. :) 

Cuddle sack pattern for newborn

Materials and supplies:

• Apx. 200 yards worsted weight wool (I used PeaceFleece, but alpaca, merino and others would be lovely)
• US 8 16" circular needle
• US 8 double pointed needs 
• Cable needle or one of the DPNs for pattern
• Stitch marker for round

Abbreviations:

• k -knit
• p- purl
• k2tog -knit two together (decrease)
• m1- make one (increase)

Pattern:

Cast on 84 stitches and join to work in the round, place stitch marker. 

Knit in stockinette for 1.5-2 inches, on last round, mark the center of work (knit 42 stitches, place marker, knit to end)

Start cable pattern as follows: 

Rounds 1-5: Purl 4, knit 8 purl 4, knit 8, purl 4, knit to center marker, Purl 4, knit 8 purl 4, knit 8, purl 4 knit to marker

Repeat this round 4 more times

Round 6: Cable Round

(Purl 4, slip 4 onto cable needle and hold in front of work, knit 4, knit four from cable needle (twist made) purl 4, slip 4 onto cable needle and hold in BACK of work, knit 4, knit 4 from cable needle (twist made) purl 4, knit to marker), Repeat to marker (Purl 4, slip 4 onto cable needle and hold in front of work, knit 4, knit four from cable needle (twist made) purl 4, slip 4 onto cable needle and hold in BACK of work, knit 4, knit 4 from cable needle (twist made) purl 4, knit to marker). Note: The cables should twist towards each other. 

Rounds 7- 16: Repeat cable pattern round 1. 

Round 17: Repeat cable round 

Rounds 18-23: Repeat cable pattern round 1

Round 24: Switch back to stockinette. 

Round 25-27: Knit plain

Round 28: (Increase round)  (k21, m1) 4 times

Knit plan until sack measures about 14 inches from cast on row. It will be curling at the top and it's supposed to, it will make it more comfy. :)

Decrease: 

Round 1: (k 20, k2tog) repeat around 

Round 2: knit

Round 3: (k19, k2tog) repeat around

Round 4: knit

Continue this pattern until there are 56 total stitches, now we'll decrease more quickly:

Round 1: (knit 5, knit 2 together) repeat around

Round 2: knit

Round 3: (knit 4, knit 2 together) repeat around

Round 4: knit

Round 5: (k3, k2tog) repeat around

Round 6: knit

Round 7: (k2, k2tog) repeat around
Round 8: knit

Round 9: (k1, k2tog) repeat around
Round 10: knit
Round 11: (k2tog) around
Round 12: knit

break yarn, thread through tapestry need and pull through remaining loops. Weave through several times. 

Children's Growth Awareness Day by the Magic Foundation

Today is Children's growth awareness day. I got this from an e-mail list I subscribe to, and think it's so important! 

The MAGIC Foundation has declared September 30th as Children's Growth Awareness Day. We have nicknamed this event, Growth Spurt. This year is our first attempt to unite families throughout the world with the goal of spreading information about the importance of monitoring a child's growth pattern. On Sept. 30th, MAGIC families throughout the world will be sending out emails, posting to groups, putting up posters....about children's growth. It is a monumental effort by just a few (our children's conditions are rare) but we are hoping that our friends and family help us and keep spreading the word! Together we will change children's lives! Why is children's growth so important? Children's growth (how much they grow each year) is a major indicator of their overall health. If they are growing at least 2 inches each year (after the age of 2 and before puberty) it is a strong sign that they are healthy. If they are NOT growing this bare minimum, it can be an early warning sign of underlying health issues such as disease, tumors, hormone imbalances or unidentified syndromes. Paying attention to those height markers made on walls by parents, and the growth charts at the physicians offices is a routine and often overlooked tool for catching problems in their early stages. Many people do not realize the importance of this information and consequentially children may struggle for years with an unhealthy body or serious problem developing which can be stopped or treated much sooner if people become aware of the signals his or her body is sending via their growth pattern. True or False? Parents who complain that their child is too small, or developing too early are simply trying to make their kids "designer" kids to given them advantages over other children. FALSE! Parents who face these medical problems only want their children to be healthy. It is just a part of life that unlike as an adult, during childhood how fast or slow the kids are growing can be an early warning signal to medical professionals and parents. The MAGIC Foundation parents are not using medical treatments such as growth hormone etc. for cosmetic purposes. For our children, it is a true medical need which is often overshadowed by the sensationalized abuse of this medicine by high profile celebrity and sports figures. What is The MAGIC Foundation's Annual Growth Spurt? This is an online event by which everyone in MAGIC teams up to go online and spread the word about the medical importance of children's growth. We are mainly parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other supporters who personally know an affected child. We are small in number due to the rare frequency of these medical problems but we are HUGE in heart and effort! We gather online, to reach out to those who may not understand these issues in the hopes of helping those children who are still lost in the system - and have not been diagnosed. What good does spreading this information really do? Efforts like this have literally saved the lives of children. Simple information about children's growth have helped parents realize that something was wrong, pointed them to online educational resources, and helped them find their way to experts- quickly. Serious problems like brain tumors have been identified with enough time to make a life long change for children. What is the goal of International Children's Growth Awareness Day? We hope that our combined efforts will help educate 100,000 people about children's growth. How you can help! If you think someone can benefit from this message, send them to www.magicfoundation.org Why should you get on board with this challenge? Because you are probably just like us...hard working people who have busy lives. Alone, we cannot possibly make a noise loud enough for the world to hear...but together we just might! Take 5 minutes and send an email. Ask your friends to pass along this simple yet potentially life saving information. I assure you that somewhere along this information path, a child's life will be changed! Thank you. Together we are MAGIC!

Sample Grocery List

Feel free to copy and paste this into word, delete the cells and use it for yourself! (This is what we went shopping for yesterday. lol)

Grocery List 9/29/2012

Produce	Dairy	Meat	Canned Foods	Frozen
10 Onions	Milk	2 whole chickens	6 oz tomato paste	Mixed veggies
3 Green peppers	Cheddar cheese	3 lb chuck roas	Chicken stock (4)
1 Red pepper	Monterey jack	1 hambone, 2 c. ham	Beef stock (1)
3 tomatoes	Cream cheese	5lbs ground beef	8 oz. green chilis
Fresh parsely	Sour cream	1.5 lb round steak
Fresh cilantro	Butter	sausage
2 Jalapeño pepper	Eggs (2 doz)	½ lb salami or pepperoni
Celery
Carrots			Dry Food
Mushrooms		Bread/Cereal	Rice noodles
1 lb Romaine  or spinach	Baking	GF oatmeal	Egg type noodles (gf)
Sweets & Snacks	Dried thym		1 lb split peas
	Dried basil		1 lb lentils	Condiments
	Chili powder		Pinto beans	ketchup
	Garlic powder		Kidney beans	Olive oil
	Veggie shortening			Cheap oil
	cumin
Beverages	Health /Beauty	Paper Products	Cleaning	Miscellaneous
Orange juice
Cranberry juice