Various and Sundry

I've been helping a friend with her new knitting skills this year and she gave me these for Christmas... black for me, white for Peanut.

Cool, eh?


I'm playing around with MacGourmet, a new (to me) program that organizes your recipes like iTunes does your music and iPhoto does your pictures. This is good and bad; I am trying to organize my home and my life, step by step, and it's helping, yet I could spent hours importing and playing around with this new toy! I've decided to start small and just import the recipes I have in my Epicurious recipe box and then slowly add things as time goes on. You can try it out before you buy it, goody goody.

Speaking of recipes, I just tried out this Tomato and Sausage Risotto (from Martha Stewart via Ring Around the Rosies) for dinner tonight. (Picture from Martha's site.) Mama mia! I love one-skillet meals that are healthy, delish, and pretty all at once. Ding! Ding!

Dumb knitting question of the day:

Does a yarn have approximately the same gauge if it is knit in st st as it would if it were knit in a Fair Isle pattern? I guess that depends on how tightly or loosely one knits Fair Isle, is that correct? I have yet to try colorwork with knitting, but I've fallen in love with the shape of a Fair Isle sweater pattern and want to knit it in a solid color. I have a feeling that my question is a little too lame to even ask. Just remember that I'm running on about 2/3 brainpower... the other 1/3 was lost when I got pregnant. D'oh.

An End and a Beginning

As 2006 comes to an end, I have a half full/half empty perspective on the year. I mean, how can you possibly feel grumpy about not getting to your knitting (and home organization goals, etc.) when you have this little face to look at each and every day?

Peanut turned six months old on Christmas Day. She started rolling over about two weeks ago, from her back to her tummy. Today she rolled back all by herself! Yay! She's now eating fruits and veg, too! Peas, pears, sweet potatoes, carrots, yeah baby. And she's clapping her hands! Oh, and she giggles -- no, truly cracks up -- when she sees and tries to interact with our Lennon kitty cat. So if I think of this year in relation to her life, it has been amazingly productive. A year ago, you could barely tell I was pregnant, and now we have this brand new human being with a sparkling personality and a killer smile. What more could you ask for?

I have to remind myself of that once in a while when I feel a bit overwhelmed with it all. And when the new knitting magazines come to my mailbox. And when I see all the beautiful things you all are knitting! :)

Jemima is sitting here, ready to be blocked. I did knit the two sleeves for my Excellent jacket during my two weeks off. That's something to be excited about. So 2007 will feature at least those two finished projects! Yay!

Happy New Year, everyone. Try to remind yourselves, once in a while, of what makes your glasses "half full".

Merry Merry!

Testing

Am tinkering with the new beta.blogger and giving the ole place a facelift. Am having trouble getting Haloscan commenting/trackback re-installed. In the meantime, comments will be turned off... hope to be done soon, and have knitting and sweet baby photos to share!

Edited to add... Thanks to this guy, my comments problems are solved. If you're running the new beta.blogger (aka beta.blocker to some who are having many problems...), go see his post for help.

Yadda Yadda Yadda

This was taken a few weeks ago. hee hee.




I cast off Jemima last night and hope to get her washed and blocked today. Peanut has a fever this weekend, so we're spending a lot of time cuddled up together relaxing. Poor little butterbean.

Oh! I've seen several inspiring Central Park Hoodies on the internets lately. My most local yarn shop doesn't carry Knitscene. So. Lame. Anybody want to sell their copy to me so I can make one, too?

The Perfect Pairing

Superstarra Christie is making a knock-off of this sweet Banana Republic hat; Nik made up a pattern for it and calls it Republic. The original is made with a chunky cashmere; Nik used Plymouth Encore Chunky, which I have never used.

I thought it would make a sweet gift for a couple of the ladies in my life, paired with Kate Gilbert's Gifted mittens. She makes these with Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky.

What a perfect pair, no? I had dreams about this last night, people. I think I'm going through knitting withdrawal.


So I'm wondering if Knitpicks Sierra, Panache, or Decadence would work well for a cap and mittens? I think I'm the last person on earth to use KP yarns. Are any of these yarns soft enough yet sturdy enough for the job?

Blue Ribbon

Thanksgiving dinner was everything you'd hope for, cooked by my mom and my aunt, who always do fabulous things in the kitchen. I contributed something new: sweet potato and sausage gratin with thyme, which my husband said was the best dish of the night. So. Good. This recipe is definitely a keeper; I'm already planning to make it for Christmas dinner at the in-laws'. I also brought the cranberry sauce that I love to make... such a simple recipe but the twist makes it extra good and it always gets raves.

Here we are the next day (Thanksgiving Stuff-A-Thon, 2.0) at my BIL's place... guess who had her first bite of real food (mashed potatoes!)?



We're snowed in. Second day. Yesterday was spent doing a little knitting but mostly listening to my dear daughter experiment with her vocal chords... her new trick is squealing/shrieking/screaming at the top of her lungs at a very high pitch. Yay!

Today: more knitting. Progress photos soon?

Comfort

The comfort of family... I almost forgot to share Peanut's Halloween picture with y'all.



What's Up, Pussycat?


The comfort of food... I made the best homemade macaroni and cheese last week, recipe from The New York Times via Smitten Kitchen via Supergirl. Truly comfort food during the extra stormy weather we've been having here in Seattle.

The comfort of warmth... This weekend is my annual girly roadtrip to Portland and I'll be driving. Hopefully, the girly that's riding with me will split the driving time so we will both get to knit in the car! I'm so close to finishing the knitting for Jemima and really want to be able to wear it soon. My classroom is so cold this year. The burner is on the fritz in my section of the building and it takes forever for a work order to be filled when there is ONE electrician working on the heating units in the entire school district. This might be a cold winter, my friends.

More Milestones

Real quick:

1. Today is Peanut's four month birthday. Celebrated with a trip to the doc - she's growing right on track - and vaccinations for the both of us. Woohoo!

2. Am wearing skinny jeans from pre-preg days today. Yay!

3. Anyone know of a good yarn shop in Portland, Oregon? Am planning my annual trip with the girlfriends to PDX in a couple of weeks; generally this weekend consists of a stay at Kennedy School, massages, cocktails, shopping, etc. Might be nice to cruise a yarn shop or two while I'm there, celebrating tax-free shopping.

Everyone Else Is Doing It

I had a dentist appointment on Monday, so I decided to take the day off, take the babe to daycare, and treat myself to my First Ever Day Off Without The Baby. Without Being At Work. It felt so decadent! I adore my little Peanut but it was really good for me to take a breather. I actually did some knitting, yay! I finished reknitting the second sleeve cap for Jemima and started the tubular cast-on ribbing for the front. That's the last piece I have to knit.



Today I broke out my Shawl Collar Pullover and wore it for the first time. My new classroom is C to the HILLY and I'm kicking myself for not having finished more handknit sweaters before becoming a mom. Anyway, I love the way this sweater fits, which is a huge relief because I finished it when I was pregnant and wasn't sure if I'd ever get my bod back to close to its original state. I wore my Rib and Cable socks today, too! I did "show and tell" with my students and told them about my knitting hobby. They were quite impressed (come on, they're eight years old) and thought it was hilarious that I could knit while I read, watch TV, or walk. :) All I know is that I'm quite cozy today and I'm even more excited about someday finishing Jemima, since I'm actually using the shaping from the Shawl Collar Pullover pattern and I just know it's going to fit fabulously.

Oh, and my daughter found her feet last weekend. :) It's the little things that excite me now.

48 things you could care less about...

1. first name? Karma

2. were you named after anyone? No. My parents really were hippies.

3. when did you last cry? Oh, it happens about once a week these days. Being a new mom is truly roller coasterish.

4. do you like your handwriting? Yes, I'm a primary school teacher, so I have pretty neat printing and script.

5. what is your favorite lunchmeat? I've never been much of a meat person but I do love deli sandwiches. Usually go for ham or turkey but I like 'em all.

6. if you were another person would you be friends with you? I believe I would.

7. do you have a journal? Very sporadically.

8. do you still have your tonsils? Yes.

9. would you bungee jump? No.

10. what is your favorite cereal? Any of the Kashis.

11. do you untie your shoes when you take them off? I usually wear clogs, so no.

12. do you think you are strong? I was about to say that I'm emotionally strong but physically weak, until I read Heidi's answer to this question in which she declared that she gave birth without medication this year... YES I am strong!

13. what is your favorite ice cream flavor? That's like asking a mother which is her favorite child. Lately it's Reese's (chocolate ice cream with Reese's chunks) from the local Husky Deli, but I love 'em all.

14. shoe size? 40 or 9.5US

5. red or pink? purple

16. what is the least favorite thing about yourself? Insecurities about my body. It's all mental.

17. who do you miss the most? My kitty, Julian, who died in June.

18. do you want everyone to send this back to you? I think everyone else has already done this one.

19. what color pants, shirt and shoes are you wearing? blue plaid pajama bottoms and blue pj top, no shoes.

20. last thing you ate? Red dragon roll and chicken donburi.

21. what are you listening to right now? Calm Baby CD playing very quietly in Peanut's bedroom as she slumbers.

22. if you were a crayon, what color would you be? I always liked Red Violet.

23. favorite smell? bread baking, my mom's house.

24. who was the last person you talked to on the phone? My brother. I told him we were invited to a cider pressing party today and he said, "So basically you're going to an apple squeezing party." Yeah.

25. the first thing you notice about people you are attracted to? The teeth (worked for a dentist for 9 years before becoming a teacher), the eyes.

26. do you like the person you stole this from? I love you all!

27. favorite drink? Fresh squeezed lemon drop, up, in a martini glass.

28. favorite sport? I like watching basketball.

29. eye color? brown/green

30. hat size? I love the idea of hats but I almost never wear them, so I don't know.

31. do you wear contacts? yes.

32. favorite food? Oh I love food so much... Indian is a big favorite (Saag Paneer, Tikka Masala, etc.) and I could eat good sushi pretty regularly.

33. scary movies or happy endings? Happy endings

35. summer or winter? I love the cheery blue skies of summer but not the heat, I love the coziness of winter but dread the grey Seattle sky for months on end.

36. hugs or kisses? hugs.

37. favorite dessert? warm berry pie or crisp or cobbler with vanilla ice cream

40. what books are you reading? I recently started The Golden Compass; I'm reading Mrs. Piggle Wiggle to my class; I read Pajama Time! to my baby last night. Notice the absence of adult materials here...

41. what's on your mouse pad? the earth

42. what did you watch last night on tv? Project Runway (WTF?)

43. favorite sounds? baby babbles

44. the rolling stones or beatles? Beatles

45. the furthest you've been from home? India

46. what's your special talent? People are always telling me how patient I am. That and I can make milk.

47. where were you born? Seattle, Washington, USA

48. who sent this to you? everyone on my Blogroll!

Knitty Trellis Sighting

Remember when I finished this cardi before Peanut was born? I finally captured a picture of the sweater in its natural habitat. hee hee.

Click here for project notes.

The End of the Fourth Trimester

My little lovey is three months old now. Mommyhood is amazingly life changing... all those cliches you hear about how your life will change and how wonderful it all is? They're so true. And the first few months can be tough but now she's all smiles and play and babbles and coos... so much love.



A couple of weeks ago, I had to go back to work suddenly, and my happy little stay at home with the baby world came to an end. An abrupt end! Fortunately, the stars are all aligned and it's working well. The only thing is that my life is literally all about pumping, cleaning bottles, doing laundry, getting to bed early and getting up early so I can get the baby to daycare and make it to work on time. Hugs and kisses all afternoon and evening. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Before I went back to work, Peanut started some routines, including a midday nap that afforded me some knitting time. I finished Jemima's front (yay!) and decided to reknit the caps of the two finished sleeves. So when I finish those, all I'll have left is the back to knit. Maybe I'll be able to share it with you before winter 2007? hee hee.

Cathi just posted that Cotton Ease is making a comeback. That ought to make some people very happy.

Bonne Marie's new pattern really catches my eye... knowing her and the way that she writes patterns, this one will be a hit for new and experienced knitters alike. I'm already eyeballing my stash, though heaven knows I have too many projects in the queue as it is.

I'm full-on addicted to Project Runway... am Netflixing the last few episodes of Season 2 while watching the last few episodes of Season 3. Good times. I adore Michael Knight (isn't that Knight Rider's name? Kit?) and hope that he goes the distance in this race.

Have a fabulous week ahead! I'm off on a stroller walk in the fall sunshine with the girl.

Slow Motion Knitting

I finished another Daisy, a cardi for Peanut's buddy, Jack. A very simple baby cardi that would normally have taken me a week or so to knit, depending on how busy I was, took a couple of months to make. Oy! That's life with a baby for you. I finished it just in the nick of time for our baby shower (Jack's mom and I work together and our coworkers threw a party for us this past week). And I forgot to take a picture before I gifted it. D'oh. Anyway, it looks just like my baby's Daisy, but it's a pretty jade shade of Cotton Fleece, with cute white star buttons.

Am I the last person in the world to figure out that Project Runway is really fun? This is the first season I've watched and I like it so much that I went back and Netflixed the first season. Don't tell me how it ends!

Dr. Girlfriend posted a knitting backwards tutorial recently; I've always wanted to try it out because I purl slower than I knit and I think it would be really handy to know how to knit all rows when you're not knitting in the round.

Big Sister just posted her list of unfinished projects. She has 21. I was really proud of her for listing all of them because I also have many WIPs in my knitting basket(s), but don't have the guts to make the list. I think I already have enough self-inflicted guilt! Some days I wish I could go back to pre-mommy time and just have a day to knit and catch up with my projects (plus all the ones I have in my head that I'd like to make), but then I look at my sweet baby girl and no sweater in the world is equal to the time I'm having in my life right now.

AWOL

Hello. Remember me?

Baby A and I have kept ourselves very busy and I'm actually getting a few rows of knitting in here and there. I've been (mostly) keeping up on reading all of your blogs, but somehow posting to my own blog hasn't happened. A and I are starting to get into some routines, though, so maybe it will be easier now.

Baby stuff:

She's seven weeks old and smiles and coos like crazy. She's sleeping through the night! Eight hours straight last night! She has these amazing big blue eyes; when we stare at each other (and I'm singing goofy made up songs and such), I can see her soaking up every little thing in her world. Anyway, we absolutely adore her and once in a while we look at each other and say, "Woah. We made her!" It's a trip and a half.

Knitting stuff:

Here I am, knitting with baby in my lap. It's almost the only time I can knit unless she's napping. It's easier with the napping, lemme tellya. I'm still lumbering along on Duke. Duke is the name I gave to this little green baby sweater, which is truly Daisy from Knitty, just like the red one I made for A, but it's for her little buddy Jack, so I thought I'd give it a dude name. A's Daisy whipped up so quickly... this one is taking weeks because it's hard to find time to knit. But I'm almost done! I'm on the second sleeve!

Since I have so much time to knit and so few projects to work on (snort), I finally ordered the Schoeller Stahl Merino Stretch to make this cabled cardi. Every time Elann posts more of this yarn, it catches my eye and I wish for it, but then I look over at my stash and my long list of projects and step away from the computer. This time I decided that since it *still* catches my eye after all this time, it must be for me.

The new IK is yucky. I'm super disappointed. I haven't seen much chitchat about it in blogs, either. The new VK is better... at least, there are a few things I could imagine knitting and wearing. The Gray's Anatomy section is lovely. I'm also lusting for design #3, the violety/maroony deep v-neck pullover with lace details. It reminds me of one of the newer Glampyre designs. I think that, at least with the VK sweater, I would need to make the v-neck less deep to go with my bod. As it is, I can imagine my impressive breasts popping right out of the front of the neckline. So modifying that has been running through my brain. Because I have so much knitting time. (snort)

Okay, just one more sweet baby picture to say goodbye. In this one, A is showing that she truly is her daddy's little girl: she has the same crooked smile.

My Little Buttercup Has the Sweetest Smile

Not that you'd ever know it; her smiles are so random that we can't capture one with the camera yet!

But she does love taking a nice warm bath!

I can't believe she'll be three weeks old this weekend! Mr. Goodkarma and I are very much in love with our little girl and couldn't be happier to have her in our family.

I promised to show off Daisy. This cardi was meant to be part of a 4th of July ensemble. See, we have friends who have a houseboat on Lake Union where the big big fireworks display is every year in Seattle, and of course the 4th of July is their favorite holiday of the year. I bought Peanut a little American flag onesie and some blue pants and thought a red cardi would be the perfect topper. Well, we didn't end up going to the party (she was only a week old!), and the clothes were too big for her, but she's growing.

Daisy, Knitty.com
Designed by Stephanie Pearl McPhee
Cotton Fleece in Barn Red, 1 (and a tiny bit of a second) skein

This is a really, really, easy peasy cardi to knit. I knit most of it in one day in the car, and the trip was probably two hours roundtrip. Highly recommended pattern, easy to follow, simple for the babies, and Stephanie's directions are hilarious. I mean, she tells you to stop for chocolate for goodness sake! It's so easy, I started a green one for A's little buddy, Jack. I've knit about one row since Peanut was born...

Just today we got a surprise package from our friend Parikha. This I was not expecting at all. I opened the box and saw this sweet little handmade bag...



and inside were these sweet little booties! Ack! Tooooo cute. And Parikha, thank you for putting a little dab of pink on them but not going totally Pink Crazy. They're perfect!

Peaceful, Easy Feelin'

Our dear, sweet A is already five days old. Or should I say, only five days old?! The first couple of nights home were rough; she thought it would be a great idea to have lively chats and cries from 1:30am to 5:30am each night! Yeah! But I have to say that the last 24 hours have been the most joyful and amazing hours I could ask for. She's a champion nurser and must have a little clock in her tummy; she wakes up every two hours for a change and to eat, then drops off to slumberland or plays "Let's Stare Lovingly Into One Another's Eyes."

Daddy and I are enjoying every moment and are so in love with our little peanut. He's already looking at sweet girly things to give to his little baby and I can't stop kissing those big cheeks! I took this photo of her sleeping in her crib tonight. Although she came in at a healthy weight and has big cheeks, she still is such a little one with cute skinny arms and legs and absolutely edible feet.

Let the adventure begin...

PS Thank you so much to everyone who left such loving comments. Mwah!

PPS I did finish up a Daisy cardi for A and will post it soon... too cute!

Introducing: The Peanut!

At long last, the moment I've been waiting for! It's a girl!

Peanut Baby "A"
Born June 25, 2006 at 6:05pm
8 pounds, 9 ounces
19.5 inches

Baby's First Mama-Made Sweater

Knitty's Trellis
Size 6 months
Lion Brand Cotton Ease, Vanilla: about 1.5 skeins
Cast on: Mother's Day
Cast off: Father's Day
Finished up: Due Day
Isn't that a coinkidink?

What a fun pattern. The stitch pattern kept my interest and, after a bit, I was able to memorize the twists and turns of it all. If you're interested in making this for a little friend, it's highly recommended!

ETA:

Peanut wearing her Trellis at age 3 months! :)

Yes, today is my due date and no, I haven't had my baby yet. Wanna see what I look like?

You're perfectly allowed to say things like, "Holy cow!" and, "Wow, your belly is huge!" I'm measuring right on track in spite of the tent-like effect that my shirt is making. My body is definitely making early labor noises and I don't expect that I'll go toooo much longer like this. Wishful thinking? Maybe!

Here's a picture of my dad, me, and my brother... they came over just to make fun of little ole me.

Next up: a baby and a Daisy cardigan that's *this* close to being finished!

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

Hello, my name is Karma and I am the luckiest girl in blogland! I'm sitting here waiting for peanut to be born, knitting, house cleaning, relaxing... the most exciting thing is when the mail carrier comes. Usually the best part of the mail being delivered is that a new DVD comes from Netflix, but that's not a surprise because I picked out what's coming.

Last week, the same day I had to say goodbye to my Julian kitty boy, I got a little package from Superstarra Christie. Isn't this the cutest thing? Not only is the monkey probably a spitting image of the alien that is growing inside me, but the color combo is so NOW. So brownand (hi Cathi!). I will have the best dressed baby on the block, lemme tellya! It couldn't have come on a better day. I was so emotional about my kitty and there was this sweetness in my mailbox.

Today, when I'm truly on maternity leave and getting used to my days being pretty uneventful, a package came from Meredith at Mer Knits!. She made an extra cute Winnie the Pooh hat for the peanut, but says it can be any bear, or even a dog, or her husband says it can even be a camel! What a joker. Guys really know just what to say, don't they? Heh.

She also included a little sweetness for Lennon. Notice how excited he is to have a new mouse to play with! He literally just killed his last (store-bought) mouse this week. So Mer's new mouse couldn't have come at a better time.

Finally, thanks to everyone who left such kind comments to my post last week about Julian. It was really hard to say goodbye to him... his health deteriorated pretty rapidly so it was a little shocking for me. As much as I miss him, I feel better about my decision to let him go since he was feeling so badly. At the very end they diagnosed him with a brain tumor, possibly cancerous. Poor little boy.

Who's the Best Boy?

Julian 1996-2006

In loving memory of the prettiest, most graceful, softest, velvetiest eared, smartest, lovingest cat there ever was.

T Minus 16 Days And Counting...

Lennon says, "Mom, it's so nice to erm, ugh, cuddle with you, even though your lap disappeared..."


"...what's in this bubble, anyway?"

Notice the knitting by my feet? Yes, I've been knitting away on Trellis while also trying to prepare myself, my home, my workplace, etc., as much as possible for the baby that's due in 16 days. SIXTEEN DAYS. Sorry, didn't mean to yell, but woah. I've been doing pretty well up until the last couple of days when it's become pretty uncomfortable to sleep and I can't seem to get caught up on rest. So I'll be working a few days this week and then I'm done. I hope this baby will let me rest a few days before it decides to make its grand entrance. My mom and sisters are predicting June 14-15ish, and I could live with that.

Here's my progress on Trellis... I like how the white cables look like cake frosting. I just have the two little sleeves to knit and then the finishing. I thought it would be a pretty easy pattern, and really, it is, but since I'm tired a lot of the time, and you really have to pay attention row by row, I've had to do some ripping and reknitting. If I weren't tired, it would be so easy; the stitch pattern and cables are pretty intuitive.

Time to knit a bit more while my eyes are still open... I hope to have a finished cardi to share very soon!

Time, Goes By So Slowly, and Time Can Do So Much

Are those the right lyrics? Well, they're a lie. I should have written, "Like sand through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives," because my goodness it's already late May and

the baby progress bar just moved to 90%.

Holy cow. I have four weeks to go. That is, if this wiggly little person can stay put that long. Whew.



I'm knitting Trellis for the same wiggly little person and am nearly done with the back. That "left twist" thing threw me for a loop! But after restarting the piece at least 4 times, I've got it down now and barely have to look at the chart. It's a fun pattern, keeps my interest, which is good because I seem to be bored with plain stockinette right now.

Also, did you watch 24? Oh. My. God. Can you believe we have to wait until JANUARY to find out what happens next? The pain! The torture! Oh Jack, can you hold on that long? The sad thing is that he's been a super action hero for the past "24 hours" (riiight... and yet I suspend disbelief more than willingly every single week) and now he's going to go without sleep for another 24 hours, undoubtedly while he's fighting terrorism. (Shut up, Karma, don't ruin it for yourself by thinking about it too much...)

On Ribs, A Robot, and a Really Big Belly

The Ribs

I finished the second Rib and Cable Sock pretty quickly, I must say! They've been sitting here patiently, waiting for me to share. Just in time; the weather is forecast to be in the high 70s all week.



Rib and Cable Socks by Nancy Bush
Interweave Knits, Fall 2005
Mountain Colors Bearfoot: Wildflowers
Addi Turbos US1

I really liked this pattern a lot. It's only the second pair of socks I've knit for myself and they're a super fit. Either I'm getting used to placket and flap heels, or this one was just very well written and relatively easy to do. The toe is the 5 point toe from Knitting Vintage Socks and is just lovely.

The Robot

On to the robot. (backstory) I'm trying not to say, "I told you so," at all to Mr. Goodkarma, but he is returning the robot. The robot was pretty expensive, even though he bought a refurbished model, and I thought it was a ridiculous expense for such a basic function in life. However, since he was really, really excited about a litter box that would keep itself clean while I'm not allowed to clean it, I left it up to him.

- The entrance to the robot is smaller and narrower than the entrance to our normal litter box with lid.
- I think the inside is also smaller; it's just the globe part of the top that your cat goes into.
- I saw Lennon use it several times and he's the bigger cat! He's very easy going as long as there's a steady food supply.
- Julian only used it once or twice. He really avoided the robot.
- The noises and motions were weird... Lennon got used to them but Julian never trusted the thing. He's more skittish.
- Finally, sometimes when Lennon used the box, the way he positioned his body was... well, as if there were no litter box at all. He pointed his tail out the door and sprayed! Ack! Fortunately, in the place where the litter box is we currently have old carpet that's going to be replaced, but it's still disconcerting (not to mention smelly) to see a spray of cat piss coming out of the entrance of the litter robot onto the carpet.

Enough of that. Bye bye, Darth Vader Robot!

The Really Big Belly

And now what you've all been asking for.... a belly picture. First off, let me say how fortunate I feel to be pregnant and how much I am looking forward to knowing this little peanut that's growing inside me. However, and I know I've mentioned this before, but the whole pregnancy/weight gain/body morph thing has been really, really psychologically bizarre for me. Some women say that their pregnancy was the best time of their life, they loved it, bladdyblahblah. My pregnancy has been relatively easy and I'm feeling pretty good physically, but I guess I'm so used to working hard to lose weight when I was heavier and working hard to become more fit, that this is not the golden goddess time of my life.

Click here to read my Invasion of the Body Snatchers post, including a before picture and a 24 week picture. And now I present a 34 week picture taken a week ago at a baby shower:



So the countdown is progressing... about five weeks until Baby Karma makes an appearance! My midwife today told me it could really be any time, but she hopes I'll stay pregnant for at least two more weeks. Wish me luck!

Jenny I Got Your Number

Just a few tidbits and I promise soon I will be back to being a knitblogger.

1. If your name is Jenny Z and you're from Cali, will you please send me an email? I got your sweeeeet package today and I want to thank you for it. But I don't know who you are! This is the ultimate mystery.

2. Many of you asked how the Litter Robot is working. I haven't replied to you because we're still letting the boys get used to it and transition from their old litter box. Today it looks like there's some action in the Mr. Roboto, so hopefully I'll have a full review for you soon.

3. Has anyone knit with Schoeller Stahl Micro Cable? (Googling didn't help much, sadly.) Or has anyone seen/touched it? Is it going to be nasty acrylic-ly yarn or is it really, as elann describes, going to be a "Satiny smooth, airy light microfibre!"??

4. Have you seen these ads? Super cute.

Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto!

When you're pregnant, you're not supposed to change the cat litter box. Mr. Goodkarma wasn't very happy about that. He made the loudest, most dramatic protests every time he had to do this chore that I've been doing for the last ten years and insisted that it was time to get an automatic litter box. The kind that basically cleans itself. Right. Away. This is what he came up with. Naturally, he chose black.


It's enormous and robotic and the first time Julian and Lennon saw it do its thing (the globe part mechanically rotates more than 360 degrees and then back again to clean itself, each time a cat leaves a deposit), they must have thought Darth Vader just invaded their home. BIG eyes. Very curious and a little scared. But now, a day or two later, they seem to think it's just another part of the house.

In more interesting news, I met Sundara and her friend V again last night, and their friends S and D were there, too. This time, we actually knit! Yay! These are four really great gals and I'm glad to have met them. Plus, V taught us all about hush puppies. She thought we were all so cute for not knowing what they are. I've had them a couple of times but most of the others hadn't. Next time, though, I want her to explain the mystery of grits.


I finished the first Rib and Cable Sock over the weekend and it fits perfectly! Yay! Nancy Bush is really smart and I should just follow her directions. (Unlike with the Conwys when I assumed that my feet were bigger/wider than they truly are and ended up with sloppy socks.) I like the toe shaping; I believe it's the same as the Star of Three Points toe in her Knitting Vintage Socks book. Here's the first one:

And so of course I cast on for sock #2 right away. For me, in my limited sock experience anyway, sock #2 always goes so much faster. I take my time with sock #1, sometimes putting it down for days/weeks, because I worry that it won't fit or that my heel will suck or that I'll run out of yarn or some other ridiculous thing. I think now I'm going to attack socks much more confidently (as long as I have a pattern that I know is well written) and not worry about that stuff. I have yarn for a couple more pairs of socks (thinking of those Retro Rib Socks by Evelyn Clark in IK for one pair) and then I've got to try out Sundara's sock yarn. So. Pretty. She tells us about the yarn that she chooses (only the best, none of this cheap stuff for her), and tells us what she does or doesn't like about other sock yarns out there, which is really good information for me since I'm still experimenting so much with different yarns/fibers/brands/etc. I am super tempted to buy her yarn already, but I'm trying to be reasonable and not have tooooo much "overstock" in my house at once.

At my first meeting with Sundara, I had Jemima with me and she said I was "brave" for knitting sweaters while I'm so preggo. That made me stop and think. Am I being brave, am I determined to get my figure back as much as reasonable, or am I in denial? Something to think about while I redirect my attention to socks! haha


And speaking of babies, I have received the sweetest gifties in the mail recently! The first one came from Mitten's mama, Heidi. She's makes baby bibs and changing pads out of cool vintage fabrics and sells them at her shop. I was surprised and happy to receive this cool one! I love the red print and it's reversible with an olive green back. Tres chic! My little peanut is going to be so stylin'. Heidi also sent a couple of great articles; what a good pal.


I was really surprised to get a package today from New Zealand. Kim (aka Kozmic at Knitty) knit this sweet baby sweater for the little peanut! I love the colors. The yarn is a machine washable wool blend with primary colored flecks, from New Zealand, naturally! Can't wait to see this on the little one, maybe with the red Robeez monkey slippers my mom gave me. How lucky am I?

Finally, I got the new KnitPicks catalog this week and decided to skim through it this morning. I found two projects that look strangely familiar....

Tidbits

I brought the Shawl Collar Pullover to my mom's house for a visit a few days ago. Guess who it fit perfectly? Grr. Jealous? Me? Hmph. She said she wants "hers" to have longer sleeves, though. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

Guess who I'm planning to meet tomorrow for the first time? I'll give you a hint. You might know her by her purly whites. And she dyes really beautiful yarn! We've been chatting for ages about meeting up sometime to knit and we finally made plans for tomorrow, after my yoga class. Can't wait!






I'm still in love with Jemima + Rowan Cashsoft DK + Addi Turbos. I finally found a good solution for Jemima, too. I've been mentally tinkering with how to add length and waist shaping, possibly keeping the lovely tubular cast-on and subsequent ribbing, without having the puckering at the hip problem. Wanna know what I'm doing? I'm using the directions for Shawl Collar Pullover for the bottom half of Jemima! I'm also thinking of ixnaying the placket and buttons. I don't think I'll ever find buttons that will match my colors, and I hate that poorly matched buttons might make the whole sweater look cheesy. So now, is this still Jemima? Maybe her name will change to Jemi-not. Or something equally dorky. 'Cause that's how I roll. har har.

I had to buy a new bra today. In a new (read: bigger) size. And dangit, the lovely associate at Nordstrom wasn't convinced that I'm done growing in bra sizes. She thinks I should come back again a couple of weeks before my due date and get fitted AGAIN. Like expensive supportive bras for girls like me grow on trees. Aiya. Whatareyagonnado.

Have you heard of mail2web.com? Maybe I'm the last girl on earth to find out about it. I thought I'd never be able to access my home email on the web (what a pain when you're traveling, out and about, at work expecting an important message to come to your home email addy, etc.) and the Mr. just found out about this one. Cool.

Adrienne Vittadini Shawl Collar Pullover

We haven't had many shiny happy days in Seattle lately, so I forgot all about photographing this finished sweater. In fact, since it doesn't fit me right now, I put it in my knitting basket and forgot all about it!

Adrienne Vittadini Shawl Collar Pullover
Vogue Knitting Winter 2004/05
Cascade Lana d'Oro, Heathered Purple, just over 10 skeins

I love the shape of this top. The pattern is exceptionally well written with clear instructions on which increases and decreases to use when. Gentle waist shaping means it's going to fit me well this fall. It's really a simple design, and the collar is all the detail it needs. I didn't have to make any alterations to the pattern to make it fit (my normal body) just right, except for adding some length to the sleeves. I tried it on today, just for kicks, and I can tell that later I'm going to love wearing this sweater!

Now I just have to translate this fit to Jemima and I'll be flying high!

Cascade Lana d'Oro was discontinued a year or two ago, so I'm lucky to have bought a couple of bags of it when I did. This purple bag has been sitting around waiting for just the right project. It's a great yarn to knit with and I can't wait to wear it. Lovely soft heathery goodness, great stitch definition with the ribbing.

I'm on spring break this week, which means getting lots of things done around the house, but it also means a little much needed R&R time. It was spring break two years ago when I bought my first needles and Lamb's Pride Bulky to make my first scarf. Two years already! Wow, this hobby has really taken hold.

P.S. Just have to share this sweetness sent to me by dear Karen. A Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran baby hat, so sweet, and a great book of fairy tales, poetry, etc. that will, I know, be a bedtime staple in Casa de Karma. I'm such a lucky gal! I can't wait to show a modeled shot of the little hat. Thanks again, Karen!!! Mwah!