January 6, 2010

WIP Wednesday

Well, I do have some knitting Works In Progress but no good pic's so I will post some spinning instead this week. I just got my new spinning wheel at the end of November and have been trying to scratch out some time here and there to learn and play with it. I spun a bit of Corriedale wool at first before I really could sit down and seriously start learning and it was lovely! I still love my spindles but, oh my! The wheel is so much faster and more relaxing. :) So here are all my current spinning projects:

First we have my spinning wheel project, 7 oz of Humbug BFL
Soft and lovely to spin, here is a closeup of the singles on the bobbinNext are my spindling projects, the first is some merino bamboo blend I got from Fat Cat Knits a looong time ago that I have been plugging away at, aiming for laceweight two ply so I can make an Ice Queen


The next is the Corriedale I have been spinning on my spindle but also tried a little on the wheel. These are slated to become some striped longies or maybe just pants, who knows by the time I am done with them how old miss Belle will be.
Well that is it for my spinning, I really need to take stock of my knitting and get it under control soon, my UFO (unfinished object) list is starting to get ridiculously long. Maybe I should start trying to finish one a month or something...

December 31, 2009

When a woman is not in the mood.

I caught this over at our parish website when I was looking for mass times for tomorrow. I think I will renew an old resolution this year. Here is the LINK.

December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas!

"Blessed are we who celebrate this day as the greatest discovery of all time- the discovery that God, for whom we groped in the darkness, has pierced the darkness with his humanity and has found us. May all who have walked in darkness today welcome the light: Jesus Christ, Emmanuel" -from the Magnificat Advent Companion 2009


I hope everyone is blessed enough to be too busy to read this post today!

November 29, 2009

November 23, 2009

Knowing God's will

Don't you just wish there was an instruction manual for life sometimes? I know I do! My husband and I have been struggling with what we should do about our situation for the last few months. Our situation is this: I am working, he hasn't been able to find work since he graduated in May and passed the BAR exam in July (results came in September) and we have a wonderful little high-needs (to borrow the Dr. Sears term) 8 month old daughter. Our goal when we got married was to have me stay home when we had small children and raise them while he supported the family. The economy being what it is right now, his job prospects aren't looking so good. He has literally sent out dozens and dozens of applications and not a single interview even. I have been praying and praying that he would get a job, even an interview, so that we could make the transition that we need to make, and praying for a sign of what we are supposed to do. It hasn't been good for our relationship for me to be the breadwinner right now and our daughter is starting a separation anxiety phase which is magnified because she is such an intense little thing and it seems to center around me. So we made a decision on Friday. We are moving home to live with family and will have to weather a period of uncertain income in order to make our goal of me being a stay at home mom a reality. The hardest thing about this decision has been that I just kept expecting some sort of 'sign' to appear. You know, a billboard saying "Happiness and security- 1 mile exit to the right" or something of that nature. But maybe sometimes the absence of a sign is enough of a nudge in the right direction. For example: I like my job, it is challenging enough to be interesting without being overwhelming and it is pretty fast paced (well, for the world of nursing anyway), however, lately it has been getting harder and harder for me to go to work and not feel overwhelmed by it. Things that shouldn't bother me do and it is getting harder and harder for me to leave my precious little girl in the morning when all she wants is her mama. It's like when we try to proceed in the direction of my job, me working and him staying home, it gets harder and harder with each step. But when we started thinking about moving home, things didn't exactly fall into place but it seemed like a way opened up for us. It hasn't been clear as day that this is the right choice for us but... It's like the days when you would call someone (before everyone had answering machines) and the phone would just ring and ring. At some point you just had to hang up and move on, call someone else, or whatever. It feels like we have just been waiting on the line forever and nobody is picking up, and maybe that is a clear enough sign to just move on. Jen over at Conversion Diary has written a lot of good posts about knowing God's will also and I have gotten immense insight from reading them. Does anyone else have any thoughts about this subject?

November 6, 2009

7 Quick Takes Friday




1.

I always hated getting up early in the morning when I was a kid. Lately I find that I am enjoying it more and more. It is hard to get a moment to myself during the day because when I am home I am trying to spend as much time as possible with DH and the little one. I work 3 days a week and have to take call on most of the afternoons I am off so time is at a premium for me. I find that getting up early is the only hope I have of finishing knitting projects and almost the only time I can get on the computer without it interfering with my parenting/wifely duties.

2.

I am really making an effort to try and fill the role of a stay at home mom whenever I am home. It is tough sometimes when I get home from work in the evening to resume that role since I am tired and drained from working and dealing with other people all day but someday (hopefully not too far off) that will be my role. Anyway it should always be my first priority even if I have to remain working for a while longer.

3.

I am getting super excited to go back to Michigan for a visit with family next week! We are going to have an early Thanksgiving at my mom's house with my little brother who I haven't seen in a long time.

4.

I want a spinning wheel. It has started to consume my mind lately. This one in particular:


The only thing I am worried about is if I will have a steep learning curve. I am getting pretty good at using my drop spindle but I haven't ever spun yarn on a wheel, except once at my aunt's house when I was very new to spinning and I found it difficult at that time.

4.

I am feeling antsy lately. I feel like we are on the brink of change just waiting to fall. DH has been trying really hard to find a job and we are praying that one of the ones he has applied for will hire him. Otherwise we have a couple backup plans but things might be really tough for a while if/when we have to implement them.

5.

Recent finished objects: Baby cardigan for a friend:

This was a nice knit I could do anywhere or anytime and didn't have to think too much. It is a seamless, top-down sweater with DK weight yarn on #2 needles. Pattern here and yarn here

6.

I need an eggless pumpkin pie recipe. Anyone?

7.

I am liking daylight savings this year, now that I am getting up early it is nice to see the sunrise in the morning. Of course I will probably hate it when spring comes and we lose an hour.

October 21, 2009

WIP Wednesday

Well, I dont have any good pic's to post this time for my Works In Progress Wednesday but I will tell you about them anyway. I am still plugging (slowly) away on my mom's scarf and I keep thinking I want to make one for myself, that artyarn's silk is scrumptious! There is a yellow/green baby hat that has been plaguing me forever and is slowly getting close to being done. Note to self: no more fingering weight merino on my #4 size Knitpicks harmony interchangable needles, too sticky and frustrating! Then there is a big pink garter stitch bulky Alpaca/wool cowl for me and a pair of 2 at a time socks on #2 circ needles that I have just barely started. A pink hat for Bella that she has been wearing despite the fact I have not put ties on the earflaps yet. And in the spinning department I am working on some red, green, and tan colored Corriedale yarn. I am making some of it with the colors in solid stripes and some of it with the three colors plied together in various combinations to coordinate. I hope to make Isabelle a pair of cute Christmasy longies out of it. And finally in the planning stages are: a pair of longies for Isabelle out of some SoHo thick and thin yarn, slippers for Christmas presents and, scarves, socks and hats for Christmas presents. What are you working on right now?

October 17, 2009

Redecorated for Fall

Orange, brown, green and dark purple. Reminds me of fall leaves, Halloween, thanksgiving, and pumpkins. Yay!

October 16, 2009

7 Quick Takes Friday


--1--

Hurrah! My first time participating in 7 quick takes hosted by the lovely Jen over at Conversion Diary. I really like the idea and have just been too busy/lazy to do it in the past. Of course there is nothing to say that I won't revert to that state busy/lazy but, hey, I am trying.

--2--

Speaking of Friday, I am sooo glad it is Friday and what is more I am not on call for work this weekend. It is so nice to have a job that does not require me to work weekends most of the time. It is also nice to have a job (as a nurse) that is a regular 8 hour daytime shift instead of crazy 12 hour evening, midnight, whatever shifts.

--3--

PIE. I like making it. I like eating it. Currently on the menu is apple since they are in season. I just need to find a recipe for pumpkin that does not include eggs. Anyone have any ideas?

--4--

Since we are on the topic of eating. I can't tell if this recent baked goods craze is related to the weather changing and getting colder, or my stress level. Either way I am not worried since breastfeeding seems to be keeping the pounds off for now.

--5--

STRESS. Now, I am sure my stress level is laughable compared to some people's but nevertheless it is present and difficult to deal with at times lately. My husband is having a hard time finding work so we are living on my part time income. Our goal is for me to be home with the little one while he works but it doesn't seem to be working out that way for us right now. Any prayers directed in our general direction would be most welcome as we are trying to discern God's will for our life right now.

--6--

My husband is a wonderful man. Enough said.

--7--

I have almost completely switched from wanting to shop for clothing for ME, to wanting to shop for clothing for my daughter. For one thing she doesn't need to try things on, if something is too big she can grow into it and it is a good thing (for me this would not be the case), price tags are nicer on little one's clothing (well for the most part), and baby clothes are just so stinkin cute!

October 12, 2009

Cozy Morning

Snow outside my window


Homemade cherry pie and warm tea for breakfast

Sleeping angel.