Spin.Knit.Kids.School.Repeat

I just finished up the third week of school for the quarter and it's taking it's toll!  I'm beyond exhausted but I'm really excited!

Finished Object #2 in 2011

It's been getting colder here lately.  And I made this just in time.  I actually wore it clipped together yesterday when we ran to the grocery store amidst the foot of snowfall we got and my ears were the toastiest part of me!  The pattern is beyond simple using short rows to create the shape.  Calorimetry is a free pattern from Knitty.com. 

The yarn I used is Sunshine Yarns Worsted Merino in the Fall Kit Color "Plum Spice".  I love it!  The colors are a joy to watch as it all comes together.  The pattern only used up 51grams of the skein, which came out to about 90 yards.

I do still need to find a few buttons for it still, but it so squishy soft I see it being around for a while & making more!

Can you imagine me banging on one of those triangles hanging on the front porch?

I can...well, sort of.

Anyways, last night for dinner I made Broiled Salmon.  It was so good, even the kids ate all of theirs!

1 lb. of Salmon (I bought a frozen, boned, and scaled one at King Soopers...worth it!)
1 tbsp of EVOO
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 small cloves of garlic, minced
1 sprig of rosemary, strip the leaves and chop them up a bit (you can probably use dried rosemary, just crush it before adding to the mix.)

Mix the EVOO, lemon juice, garlic and rosemary up. Place the Salmon on a broiling rack (I seriously just use a cooling rack, like for cookies, and a cookie sheet under it.) then brush the mix over it evenly.  Set the broiler to 500 degrees and then cook 4-6 minutes for each 1/2 in of thickness, turning half way through.  (Mine cooked for 12 minutes total, turning the pan around at 6 minutes.)

Mine sat in the warm oven for about 15 minutes until my husband got home from work before we ate and it was still juicy and delicious.  We had steamed asparagus & garden salads with some light ceasar dressing with it. 

Project 1/12in2011

As part of the 12in2011 group on Ravelry participants pick 12 projects that they can complete with out purchasing the yarn.  My first project that I wanted & needed to get finished was a baby set.

The yarn I used for this entire set is the December 2010 club shipment from Rainy Days & Wooly Dogs.  It is a striping GothSocks skein on the Strychnine base.

I made the Easy Peasy Leftover Sock Newborn Hat first. The pattern is found on the blog Knitty Gritty Thoughts This little hat used less than 20g (17g or 44 yards to be exact) of fingering and seems pretty accommodating size wise.  I can't wait to see the new arrival in it.

Next, I made Magic Slippers from the SockPixie blog.  These were pretty simple and very quick and used up next to no yarn!  These took 42 yards (11g) of sock yarn.

Third, is the matching rattle.  I used Rebecca Danger's "Holly, Ivy & Steve: Three Christmas Hooligan Ornaments" Pattern (available in her etsy store, here, or on Ravelry).  I used the Steve pattern for this particular rattle and he came together really quickly.  I sewed on the eyes and mouth with some black cotton DK weight cotton, just because it was what I had it on hand, and stuffed a little rattle insert in with the body stuffing.

Here's the whole set:

How am I supposed to be patient with the most destructive children on the face of the planet?


Those of you who know me outside of this log, know the trouble I have with this.  I thought this year I would try to be more patient with them.  

But when my 3 year old comes downstairs and hands me a permanent marker and says to come look at the 'masterpiece' my temper hitches up a wee bit. 

The 5 minutes of peace I find while washing dishes is obviously not allowed in my house.  (My husband wonders why there is a tower of them sitting next to the sink nightly!)  Apparently those few minutes that I thought I'd get something done in the kitchen and told the kids to color on their papers quietly so mommy could finish up the dishes obviously were ill-advised on my own part.  They sat quietly for a few minutes and I got to work.  5 minutes later, Char arrives with the marker.  

They were drawing all right!  
Just not in the living room, and definitely not on the paper!


I now have 3 murals in the hallway upstairs, one being on my studio door, as well as a long coiling design trailing down the banisters in the stairs.

Obviously, these were the work of my 5 year old son, Jack, seeing as the drawings were not in the styling of 3 year old Char.  And then there is the fact that he signed all of his work.  Right there in the middle of each is his name.  But he says his sister did it...


Uh-huh...

IT'S 2011!!!!

Can you tell I'm a wee bit excited about the new year?  I've decided that this year is gonna be good!  I've got lots of things that I want to accomplish this year, but I'm not gonna stress out about it.

Defining 'Goal':