SPC: Blue Week #1

Blue (the photo is, obviously, a very literal interpretation of the theme -- though it also captures the mood of "having the blues," as I took it last night when I was tired and worn out after Ruby being sick all day. Also, no make-up, which is a sign of not having left the house all day, thus giving me the blues).

* the colour of my daughter's eyes, even though mine are hazel and Aaron's are a deep soulful brown

* how can you think about blue today without thinking about the Democrats? So exciting -- way more exciting in these parts than that Superbowl business

* baby boys clothing. Everything is blue -- it's really quite difficult to find something fun for an infant (i.e. not "manly" outfits that are essentially business casual for babies) that isn't blue. Even the orange and red stuff usually has a flower or a heart or something to girlify it.

* Blue Bayou, Blue Moon, Forever In Blue Jeans, Blue Suede Shoes, Blue Moon Of Kentucky, Blue Velvet, Blue Monday, Blue Skies, Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue, Behind Blue Eyes, Lady Sings The Blues, Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain, Navy Blue, Song Sung Blue, Famous Blue Raincoat, Tangled Up In Blue

* Other than jeans and a navy sweater, I don't own any blue clothing. I also can't stand blues music.

more blues next week...

Baby Boy In The Hood

Whew, it's been a little tough around here. After a fun, but stressful birthday party for our little lass, she came down with a horrible cold and fever yesterday. Ugh. Plus Aaron's all stressed with Aaron stuff and I've been diagnosed with pregnancy-related carpal tunnel syndrome. Ouch. It'll go away after I have the baby, but it also means that production will slow in the craft department, since it hurts to knit for more than a half hour and I'm not even going to think about hand sewing or embroidering anything.

So, you're looking at what will probably be my final baby knit before the baby moves up to a larger size. It's the Hoodie Baby Blanket from the November 2007 Magknits. Not much to report here: I used Lion Brand Cotton Ease in the green and blue colours. I kind of miss the old wackier colours, but the subdued ones are kind of nice too, in that I appreciate Lion Brand's efforts to make themselves more appealing to yarn snobs, because it makes me more comfortable in making such an economical purchase -- even though the cost isn't high, I still feel like I'm making something nice with a yarn worthy of my effort.

Anyway, this is simple as pie -- I didn't modify the basic pattern or try to do anything fancy since time was definitely a factor on this one (and I'm still hurting from NEVER finishing the baby blanket I was knitting while pregnant with Ruby). It's just a nice big square of stockinette with a little triangle attached, then edged in broken rib. Easy.


Here's Snow White modeling the blanket/towel. With Frank I'm being really careful about only spending my time making super practical things. I know that Leena has been working on a beautiful wool blanket for him, which will be his heirloom piece and I wouldn't be surprised if my mom crochets or cross-stitches something. Fancy-pants baby stuff is for gifts. Mama's gotta keep it real.

Family Photo Friday: Happy Birthday Ruby

Despite the growing popularity of the name Ruby, I didn't choose it for my little gal because it's now and hip, or because it appears in so many songs (though, with the exception of that Kaiser Chiefs song, most Ruby songs are way too sad to name a kid after -- though I will note, she was born on a Tuesday). I named my daughter after my grandmother, who I always thought had a beautiful name to match her beautiful self. I'm sure I'll talk much more about Grandma Ruby in these Family Photo Fridays (she's still alive and well, so she's a fountain of stories), but I thought this picture was particularly appropriate for my little Ruby's third birthday.

A funny thing about Grandma Ruby's name: when she was born in 1923, her parents Fred and Lydia had a hot debate over what to name their little daughter. Lydia liked the name Ruby (which was very popular at the time) and Fred wanted to name her Frieda, after himself. It's puzzling to me why he would be so stuck on Frieda, since Ruby did have an older brother named Ted -- I guess Fred didn't win the name battle with him either. Anyway, Lydia was apparently not the kind of woman you wanted to mess with, so Fred agreed to name the baby Ruby. He went off and registered the name (you can see where this is going).

So, about 40 years later, the now grown Ruby went to the local records office to get a copy of her birth certificate because she needed to apply for a passport or something. After searching through the records (this was in the pre-computer days), the guy at the office regretted to tell her that he didn't have a certificate for a Ruby Frieda, but he did have a Frieda Ruby with the same parents and birthday as hers. That rascal Fred went behind his wife's back and named the kid Frieda anyway, with no one the wiser. Fred was gone before this news was revealed and I'm not sure if Ruby told her mother what had happened or if she just let it go. Either way, she had to legally change her name to what she thought it was for the first 40 so years of her life.

So, there's a picture of Ruby, on what I imagine is her fifth or sixth birthday. I love the picture even though it doesn't really capture who she is -- I've never known her to be scowly or morose, she's actually very sweet and delightful. Like another Ruby I know.

P.S. Sorry about the tiny-ness of the photo. Pictures in those days were pretty small and my scanner couldn't make it any bigger.

Dear Ruby: Volume Three

Dear Ruby,

This is the third time I've written to you on the eve of your birthday -- by the time the sun comes up tomorrow morning, you'll be three years old. I can't believe it; I say this every year, but it feels like you were just a baby, though I can't ever remember life without you.

In the last year you've grown from a fun and curious toddler into a beautiful and clever young lady. While you often try my patience (usually unintentionally -- you're actually an amazingly well-behaved girl), you're delightful and charming and I feel honoured to get to spend my days with you (if you're reading this as a teenager, please don't let that last statement go to your head).

Here are some of the special things that make me think of you:

* You love music. One of your favourite games is pretending that you're Tina Turner or Marc Bolan from T-Rex (yes, we're warping your sense of musical currency) and singing while Daddy plays the guitar.

* You love swimming. Daddy takes you to lessons and you always impress the teacher.

* You love to talk. You talk more than anyone in our house (which is saying a lot, because as your Dad will tell you, I have been known to be pretty verbal myself).

* You're very sensitive. If another kid is crying, you get incredibly concerned.

* You're going to be an amazing sister. Your brother (who you call Frank) is due in a month and you hug and kiss him every day.

* Every day you tell me "Mama, I love you all the way to the moon. And back." I can't type any more about that without starting to cry.

Obviously, there are so many things that make you you, but that's just a taste. For now, happy birthday, my baby. I'm looking forward to many many more to come.

SPC: Celebration Week #4

So, I was going to photoshop Michael Cera into this shot in case the reference was lost, but I think my striped shirt does the trick. Now, I've already mentioned that I didn't LOVE Juno with a capital L-O-V-E but, I'm feeling celebratory about my Canadian brothers and sisters who heard their names in last week's Oscar noms. Now, it kind of drives me crazy when the Canadian media get too frothed at the mouth about any Canadian connection in a hit American movie, but you gotta be proud of little Ellen Page and Michael Cera. Overrated? Perhaps. But still pretty darn good.

I love celebrating the Oscars, and I'm taking my chance now, since the show may or may not actually happen this year. Last year I won my Oscar party pool plus my annual bet with my dad -- what will I do without that thrill this year? Well, I guess it's really about the movies, not the awards, so I'm going to do my best to see No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood before Frank is born. To celebrate the cinema.

Ruby Red

I finished my final handmade gift for Ruby's birthday. I didn't make her anything for Christmas, so I figured I'd make up for all those made in China toys with plenty of handmade goods. After the two aprons I figured she needed an actual toy. I've been meaning to make the Ruby Doll over at One Red Robin for ages (for obvious reasons) so I finally got down to it.

This gal is easy, easy, easy to do, even for novice sewers like myself (though I did give her a very rustic look, not entirely intentional). She's pretty 2-D (i.e., no bottom), so there's no round pieces or gussets to worry about. I used a bunch of fabric scraps left over from last year's Wee Wonderful-mania and I really like the folksy look of this doll. Plus she took about two hours to make from start to finish, which is a big bonus. There's also room for tons of variation: check out the other Rubies over at the Ruby Doll Flickr Group.


Speaking of bright red, I made some delicious beet soup the other day, courtesy of Martha Stewart/Everyday Food's vegetable puree soup recipe. I don't have time to look up the link, but you basically just saute an onion in olive oil, add a couple of pounds of beets (or whatever else you fancy), a cup and a half of chicken stock and enough water to cover the beets. Simmer for 20 minutes or so, puree, and to make it really good, add a few tablespoons of lemon juice. If you want, do like I did and pour portions into ziplocks and freeze. Yum! Though, be careful if you're using a hand blender -- I'm still cleaning up beet juice.

Family Photo Friday: Archie and Ed

I've long wanted to participate in Andrea's Photo Booth Friday, but I just don't have enough photo booth photos to sustain it and really, it's so much cooler if you're using old photos rather than only ever brand new ones. I recently dug up a bunch of my grandma's old pictures and I'm scanning them into Flickr. Since my crafting is going to grind to a halt before long and I want to keep the blog rolling, I thought it might be fun to post some of them here and share the stories.

The above is a picture (I think) of my Grandfather, Ed. The caption on the back reads "Archie White and I gassing mites at Munson Annex. 1941". He would have been in his early 20s, and I guess this would have been shortly before he was shipped off to war. Munson is a rural prairie town when I think he worked as a grain elevator man. I don't have them, but there are bunches of photos of him in the early 40s (before he married my grandma) squiring around young ladies -- I think he was a rather popular figure. You can't tell with the gas mask, but he was a pretty handsome guy and seems to be having a lot of fun in a lot of these early pictures.

Grandpa passed away about 10 years ago, so I can't ask him any more about this day, but I think it makes for a pretty cool picture. And I have absolutely no idea who Archie White is. But he apparently did not like mites.

Petit Apron #2

Here it is, the skirt-style apron to compliment Ruby's smock. I like the smock a lot, but Roo is a very particular little lady and I know that she'll want a skirt like mine. I used Amy Karol's Vintage Apron pattern from Bend-The-Rules Sewing, and it really was easy as pie. I reduced the dimensions to 65 per cent (except for the width of the waistband and ties, which I kept the same) and added the bias tape pockets, also from the book. The whole thing took a couple of hours and was really easy.

It's not a perfect work by any means -- I'm still learning and my finishing skills are kind of crap (Tim Gunn would gravely furrow his brow if he looked at the back side and the stitching). The gathering is a little lopsided too, but I'm thinking that Ruby won't really care. The material is from a local fabric store that was having a going out of business sale, so I picked up some of this daisy fabric. It's weird how the difference between an awesome design and a so-so design is such a fine line -- it the daisies were just a slightly different shape and the yellow was a slightly different shade, this would sell on SuperBuzzy at 12 bucks a yard. But it's just a wee bit off, so it was three bucks a yard. I still like the way it looks, but it doesn't have the pizazz that the smock does.

I still have one more little project to do before Ruby's birthday. Here's hoping everything gets done on time.

SPC: Celebration Week #3

I have a sneaking suspicion that I've run this photo before as a Self Portrait Challenge -- apologies for the cop-out. But, since we have a major celebration coming up at the end of this month, it seemed apt to run this one. It's still a little over a week away, but we'll be celebrating our little gal's third birthday. I'll go into more detail on the actual day, but with all the talk of Frank's arrival and the celebration surrounding that, it's important for our family to stop and pay tribute to our special girl, who may not be getting as much attention as she's used to in six to eight weeks' time. So, here's to Ruby. She's a good one.

Super Surprise

And the machine doesn't stop. Seriously, I'm feeling an internal drive to finish as much as humanly possible in the next month or so, with ideas constantly popping up into my mind. Prepare for it to stop at any time, but for now I'm having fun.

I completed the knitting for my Baby Surprise Jacket a few weeks ago (I think) and I finally took the time to carefully seam the shoulders, weave in the edges and sew on the buttons. So, here are the official specs:

Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman (I ordered the pamphlet from School House Press
Yarn: Colinette Cadenza in Slate and Rowan Tapestry (for the button band)
Needle: US #6
Mods: I made the button band and bottom edge about three or four rows shorter than the pattern called for and also only put in three buttons.


I love how this turned out. It was exciting to knit and the surprise construction was really worth my obsessive knitting (I finished it in less than a week of evening knitting). The yarn is really spongey and soft -- and superwash! I did run out of yarn at the button band, so I switched to a colourway of Rowan Tapestry that had a similar gauge and colour, rather than going for a contrast. I think it still looks pretty good, even though you can tell that it's a different yarn.

I stupidly did my gauge switch in stockinette without realizing the pattern is entirely in garter stitch, so it's a little bigger than I would have liked, but since Frank seems also be a little bigger than expected, it may be for the best. This sweater is really fun and I know with the big wide arms, we'll actually get some wear out of it. Hooray!

Calorimetry Part Two

I must be going through some weird nesting thing, because the making is in full force around these parts. Even if I feel the need to rest, I find that I get twitchy if my hands are idle. The other day I showed my mom my finished Calorimetry and she mentioned how much she could use one, since she also doesn't really like wearing a winter hat. Now, my mom doesn't often ask me to make her stuff and I don't often do handmade gifts for her because our taste tends to differ. So, I couldn't say no.

My mom isn't a particularly fancy lady and she said she wasn't fussy about yarn or colour as long as it was warm, so I dug out some Brown Sheep Naturespun from my stash and went for it. Since I was using a not-quite-worsted and the gals on Ravelry have all said that the recommended 120 stitches was way too much, I cast on 110, which was 20 less than my previous DK version and also used a U.S. 7 needle rather than a #8. I also made it four rows shorter than the pattern called for, and I'm telling you, this sucker is still really big. The length is just right, but when I tried it on (I'll spare you another picture of my face in model-look mode) it went from my hairline right to the back of my head. It fits my mom a little bit better, but I'd really urge anyone who knits this (and I know there are about a million of you out there who are still planning to try this one) to really use your judgement when sizing it.

On another note, I saw my doctor today and he told me that Frank is in the 90th percentile size-wise, which means that if he goes all the way to 40 weeks, it's very likely that I'll have a 10 pound baby. A gigantic super-active boy to match my tiny demure little girl. They say that siblings can be so different and it looks like I'm in for a crazy new experience. Yikes!

Petit Apron #1

Although I've been yearning to knit, there are a few sewing projects that I've promised myself I'd take care of before it's, you know, too late. I've wanted to make Ruby her own apron for a while now and ages ago, I bought the Simplicity 4286 pattern with the notion of making the smock style. So, I did it. Here it is. Upon inspection, there are a few little details that need finishing, but this is pretty much it.

I can't quite remember where the fabric came from, but I'm pretty sure it's Reprodepot. In retrospect, I think it would have been easier to have just used the Swing Smock pattern from Bend-The-Rules Sewing, but the end result is pretty close to being the same. This one was super easy, but I did find the amount of bias tape really annoying. Still, it's super cute, so totally worth it.

With all that said, after prodding Ruby a bit, it's clear that she wants an apron more like Mommy's, so I'm going to whip her up a wee skirt apron. I still have another couple weeks until her birthday, so as long as I don't go too heavy on the bias tape, I should be fine.

SPC: Celebration Week #2

I'm beginning to realize that our trip to Hawaii was by far our biggest December celebration this year. As much as I love Christmas, it was far too busy and stressful this year, what with my pregnancy, coming back from our trip and scrambling to see visiting friends. Too much. We all ended up getting sick, which made it even worse. But Hawaii, that was a celebration.

For some reason, that place does something magical to us, and it was really important for us to go there as a family of three, without any other friends or family along for the ride (in the past we've always gone with my parents and my brothers, which is awesome too, but in a different way). It was a celebration of us: where we are now and where we're going in a mere eight weeks.

p.s. check out how long Ruby's toes are! She gets it from her dad.

Warm Ears, Happy Hair

Even though I have tons of sewing projects that I actually need to get done in the next little while, I've been craving the feel of good old knitting lately. I pulled out a ball of Rowan Tapestry that I got from a secret pal exchange last year to finish the button band on my Baby Surprise Jacket (more on that once I finish the finishing on that thing) and after some poking around on Ravelry, I realized that the rest of the yarn would make a great Calorimetry. I've been meaning to make this little scarf for about a year now and I'm really happy I did.


Isn't it cute? It would be more practical if I still had long hair in an up-do, but as someone who can only wear toques for a limited amount of time due to hot head, I think this will make for a good winter alternative. Not that I need it just yet -- I know many of you across North America have suffered some pretty terrible weather this winter, but it's actually been pretty nice around here since late November (um, knock on wood). Anyway, this is a pretty straight-up Calorimetry, only I cast on 10 extra stitches, since I was using a DK yarn and size 6 needles rather than a worsted and size 8s. I didn't add any extra rows because I didn't want it to be too wide.

In other news, I've followed Andrea over to this site, since I have so much time that I'm trying to waste these days. Oh, Internet, you're trying to kill me.

Baker's Secret

Ruby has developed a huge enthusiasm for baking. It's so great -- it's something I need to start doing more of anyway (so she can bring homemade snacks to preschool instead of the shamefully convenient pack of goldfish) and it's a good way to keep her busy in the afternoon so that she doesn't fall into her default activity of pestering me to turn on the TV. I'm even making her her own apron for her birthday, though it's smock-style and I think she may demand a skirt apron like mine. Maybe I'm making her two aprons for her birthday, we'll see.

Yesterday we made a batch of Martha Stewart's Oatmeal Raisin Squares, though we used craisins instead of raisins. I also used a combo of butter and applesauce since the recipe calls for a whopping three sticks of butter. That's crazy -- if I'm making anything with three sticks of butter it better be a chocolately dessert or shortbread, not a hippie mom oatmeal snack. I think I should probably have put in even more applesauce, because the oatmeal part was a little dry and floury. Next time. But they're still delicious -- I've eaten a ton of them myself, since my pregnancy appetite is finally kicking in. I took a picture, which is entirely unappetizing, but take my word for it: delicious. Next time I might branch out and try dried apricots or something crazy. Anything for my little chef.

p.s. It just occurred to me that this is hardly the sublime blog picture that you see on some of the other blogs out there, mainly because Aaron has decided to claim a corner of my baking space as his liquor cabinet. Ruby and I don't drink scotch and gin when we bake -- obviously, she and I don't drink hard liquor at all. This is what's keeping me from reaching the upper echelons of bloggers -- my inability to catch these things before I take or post the pictures. Sigh.

And... Ta-Dah!

I think the phrase is "obligatory BSJ shot." So, here it goes.

Before:


And After:


Even though there's only two seams and I only made holes for three buttons, I can't guess as to when I'll actually get around to finishing this, so for now you have the "what is that mess?" and "omigod, it's a baby jacket!" shots. I found this knit so addictive because I couldn't wait to see how it turned out. Now that I have a jacket and (hopefully) no baby for another two months, I'm in no hurry to get out the old tapestry needle. Mind you, I just found a sweater that I knit out of sock yarn (!) for Ruby before she was born that never got buttons or ends woven in. Jeepers.

SPC: Celebrate Good Times, C'mon

Okay, so I've been a bit of a complainer for the past couple posts. Yes, I've been sick. But in the grand scheme of things, a cold isn't that bad -- on the whole I'm pretty damn healthy. And yes, I'm tired. But it's because I've been chasing around an increasingly charming and beautiful three-year old (how is it that they get more amazing all the time?) and I've got a very healthy baby boy kicking up a storm in my tummy. And yes, I'm busy. But it's because I've got lots of interesting things to do and lots of interesting and lovely friends to see. Is that any reason to complain? No sir.

So, here's another belly shot (c'mon, it's been months since the last one!) to celebrate the good times. C'mon!

W.I.P. Friday

I'm still here. I'm still sick (coughing a lot while 7 mos. pregnant is not a fun thing) and I've been kept really really busy with a new development in my career, but I've actually been doing some crafty stuff too. The work stuff that I'm working on hasn't come at a particularly convenient time for my crafting, what with Ruby's birthday and Frank on the way, but I'm determined to get a couple things done.

What you see above is my first Frank project. In case you can't tell what this big blob is, I'll drop three words: Baby Surprise Jacket. I've always wanted to try the way of the Zimmerman, but have always been too chicken/confused. I thought that the perfect project to start with is the much discussed BSJ. So far so good -- I know others have found the "pattern" (okay, two paragraphs of instructions) confusing, but I think I'm getting it. The problem is, of course, that with this one you gotta have faith, and it's driving me nuts not knowing the pattern well enough to tweak things like length as I go. I'm also a little worried about my yarn supply -- but my fingers are crossed.


I also went to good old Michael's and picked up some Cotton Ease for the Hoodie Baby Blanket from the November Magknits. I'm feeling like with this second kid I definitely have more realistic ideas of what to knit for the babe. Don't expect to see any cute but ridiculous baby booties in these parts any time soon.

New Year, Old Projects

Not much to post about today -- everyone in these parts is sick, sick, sick (except Ruby -- big knock on wood). The house party we were planning to go to last night was canceled at the last minute due to illness on the part of the hosts, which left Aaron and I kind of relieved (not that our friends were sick, but you know). So, we still let Ruby sleep over at my folks' house and we went out for a Moroccan dinner and a movie (Juno, which is funny and cute but waaaaay over-rated by my fellow critics. The dialogue is far to stifled and clever for it to be movie of the year). We were in bed by 11:30. Now Aaron is groaning on the couch over some kind of tummy bug and my throat is rapidly closing up. Great. But it's off to work for both of us tomorrow (I'm taking a writing contract to busy me pre-baby), so we better heal fast.

Like many of you bloggers, I've put together a little Flickr mosaic, rather than boring you with the details of my crafty year that was. I'm shocked by how many projects I actually finished, considering how pregnant I was for half of the year. Sadly, I'm not expecting as grand a grid next year, unless I decide to fill it with baby pictures.

Foxy Socks

I've hinted about a Christmas knitting project, which I barely finished before the Christmas Eve deadline, despite starting in November. Well, the were socks for Aaron's mom, Leena, who sometimes reads this blog, so I didn't want to spill any beans. I refuse to knit socks for non-knitters who won't appreciate the work and time that goes into them, and it's also pointless to knit socks for people who knit their own. So, other than for Leena, who is an amazing knitter who hasn't yet delved into the realm of the sock, I don't do a lot of gift socks.


I also don't often repeat sock patterns, but after doing Favourite Socks' Go With The Flow for my Sockapalooza pal, I realized that they're the perfect gift sock. The pattern is easy and can be memorized in about two seconds, and they're so stretchy that they're easy to fit to a foot that is a different size than your own. I won't bore you with any specs, they're just your garden variety Go With The Flows, knit in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in the Envy colourway. There you go.

So... Christmas. After all that prep and all the anticipation it was... well, a little bit too crazy. We're going to have to change the way we do things -- hitting both grandparents' house for gift opening on the same day does not make for a restful holiday. I've spent most of the last 24 hours throwing up, I'm thinking mostly out of stress and over-eating. Yuck.

Can you believe it's here?

Christmas Eve, how did you get here so fast? We've had a crazy week, so the big day has really crept up on us. Ruby is already full of beans and pregnant old me has already cried twice in the last 24 hours (watching Rudolph with Ruby and watching her help me make my Grandma's famous pistachio pudding pie, which we always eat on Boxing Day).

Today we will spend our time: baking, wrapping presents, napping, crafting and then heading to Aaron's folks for the fun. What you see above is one last little Xmas craft -- the Wee Wonderful Pig On Wheels. Mine isn't nearly as perfect as Hilary's, but it's so imperfect and funny. It's a pig on wheels!

So, if Christmas is your thing, have a good one. If not, enjoy a day when most of the Western world is quiet. xoxo

Hold Me Close, Tiny Crafter

As I struggle to finish a knitting project before Monday (it's in a dead heat race with an Amazon order that I ordered in November -- and shipped Tuesday -- for my biggest holiday stresser), Ruby hit the craft table today. Nothing heavy duty -- I just bought a little ornament kit for us to do together and she loved it. Just some beads strung on wire and twisted into snowflakes for the tree. It was very sweet because she kept looking up at me and saying "Mama, are you proud of me? Are you?" as she skillfully slipped the beads on. What a girl.


And, I thought this deserved a photo. Some friends came by for dinner the other night and arrived with this gingerbread house that their three-year old daughter made with her grandmother. Since we didn't get around to doing anything like this this year, it makes a very welcome addition to our growing pile of holiday treats.

Getting The Point

You know what's hard? Taking a picture of a tall pointy hat atop your own head. Yow.

Anyway, I did have a little non-holiday project before I left for Hawaii. Aaron and some of his friends performed a live version of Harry Nilsson's The Point!, which for those not in the know, is pretty much the greatest kids' record ever (really -- I can't stand Harry Nilsson's other music, but even I love this '70s gem). Aaron politely asked me to make some Point! hats for the band, and I of course, turned to Bend-The-Rules Sewing's elf hat!

Now, I had to wing this to fit some adult sized heads and I also used cruddy acrylic felt (for cost purposes), but apparently the crowd went wild when the band put them on. So yes, The Point. We bought Ruby a copy of the DVD for Christmas and I was planning to make her a proper kids' size hat (in wool felt), but it'll have to wait for her birthday. I'm scaling down this year, to save my sanity.

Mele Kalikimaka

I realize that this photo is as un-Christmasy as it gets, but our little family just returned from a blissful six days on Maui. Aaron surprised me with news of the trip about a month ago. Now, don't be mistaken -- we're not the kind of people who can afford to jet off to tropical locations on a whim. But Aaron's had some good news at work and he figured that this would be our last time to have a really special family time with Ruby before she loses her reign as an only child. Plus I think Aaron wanted to remove me from a little bit of my Christmas craziness (yes, they do have Christmas in Hawaii, but it's pretty easy to ignore it there if you chose to)

Here's what I did on my winter vacation: as little as possible; beach every morning; pool after nap; read some trashy novels*; ate crab cakes and ice cream almost every day (but not together -- I'm pregnant, but not crazy); gave Ruby millions of hugs; got a tiny tan; showed off my baby bump in a bikini; ordered virgin Pina Coladas; watched Roo play her new ukulele; counted all the reasons why my family is the greatest and I love them more than anything.

So, back to cold and back to Christmas. I can't believe how much there is to do... I'm actually scaling back on my original plans, which is something I wouldn't have allowed myself to do if I wasn't still chilled out from the Maui way.

* after spying a recommendation on Angry Chicken, I picked up Plum Sykes' The Debutante Divorcee at the library and devoured it over the course of about a day and a half in Hawaii. I was so surprised by how much I loved it I immediately picked up Sykes' first book Bergdorf Blondes, which isn't nearly as good. I still read it in, like, two days, but I hated the characters. Which I think was kind of the point (satire, you know), but the Debutante Divorcee is much sweeter. If you're looking to kill some time with a silly book, that is.

Cookie Confidential: Success!

Our holiday open house was today and the cookies were a huge success. The lemon sandwich cookies were by far the biggest hit -- I'm so proud! Here's a picture of our table of yummy-ness (I won't show you an after -- with a houseful of adults and kids, it wasn't pretty).

With that stress out of the way, I'm going to take a wee break. See you in about a week.

The Apron That Saved Christmas

This year it isn't Rudolph that is saving my Christmas, it's Amy Karol. Not only has the Angry Chicken posted soooo many great links to gift ideas and books to read and such (I'm beginning to feel like I'm stalking her and trying to steal her life -- sorry Amy! I'm not trying to become your clone, I swear. You just have really good taste), but I hit full-on panic mode this morning when I realized that I was a gift short for Aaron's sister's girlfriend, Erin. This is the first Christmas that Aaron's sister Daniella has spent away from our family (she's hanging with Erin's fam in Vancouver this year -- they thought that if they're starting to alternate that next year when Frank is here would be a good one to spend with us), so it's the first time I've had to send a nice big package thousands of km away. I started wrapping their gifts this morning and realized I was short.

Luckily, the item I was planning for Erin took literally two seconds to make (well, not literally, but you know). I dug into my vintage tea towel stash (which is shrinking rather than growing -- why are these things becoming so hard to find?) and whipped up a tea towel apron, as seen in the crazily popular Bend-The-Rules Sewing. Sewed some ribbon on and poof -- a fun Christmas gift in no time flat. I love these things so much -- so perfect for someone who loves vintage stuff and also loves to cook, which is Erin to a T. Thank you Amy, you rock.

Oh, and the tea towel is a calendar from 1971, obviously some kind of souvenir from Australia. I've had it for a while, but I don't remember exactly where it came from.

p.s. Martha Stewart is also saving Christmas. Is it just me, or is she twice as cool since prison?

Game On

Okay, it's December 3 and I'm starting to go into "Oh my god, I have to get ready for our party/get ready for vacation/finish sending out Xmas cards/finish gift packages that should have been in the mail last week" freak-out mode. Oh, and have I mentioned that I'm starting to feel really, really pregnant? Ack.

On a calmer note, here's a little something that I whipped up last week to send to our little friend Lilly, who was born in August, but didn't get a baby gift, since I was in my early "I'm feeling really really pregnant" stage. This is the Bunny Bug from the Aranzi Aronzo Fun Dolls book. I love this bug so much that I started concocting all sorts of reasons as to why I had to keep him for Ruby/myself -- the main one being that he turned out waaay bigger than I expected and it's going to cost a small fortune to mail him across the country. But, off he will go.


I used a really fuzzy material that was a pain to work with and really messy. I think he's done shedding, but I'm going to recommend that the parents use this to decorate the babe's room rather than let her cuddle it in bed, since I don't want any fuzzy particles going up her nose. Still, I really love this guy and he was super super easy to make. Hooray.

Okay, I've got to go. I think Ruby has dumped every toy she owns in the living room and she's eyeing the Christmas tree.

Ghosts Of Christmas Past

Last year I decided to make a couple of pairs of Sweet Mary Jane slippers, one for myself and one for a gift. The ones for myself worked out okay (and have since worn out), but my crap crochet skills prevented me from giving away the other pair. I was going through an old knitting basket the other day and found the incomplete slippers and realized that I can crochet well enough now to finish them off. So finish them I did.

Not much to tell here, just your garden variety Sweet Mary Janes knit out of some Lamb's Pride Worsted. The only mod is that I didn't do the button, I just sewed the strap on both ends. Viola! Instant present.

Books: Fun Dolls and Cute Dolls

Okay, these are some books to get excited about. I was so happy to see Aranzi Aronzo's Cute Dolls and Fun Dolls books. I love the previously released English versions of the Aranzi Aronzo books, but the projects in them were all "mascot" versions of the characters, which were felt and only inches high. I wanted some real softie action! These books, filled with patterns for doll-sized stuffies, are both awesome. The projects are super super easy, really cute and wonky enough to look good even if you're not a perfect sewer (i.e. me).

The projects in Cute dolls are your standard Aranzi Aronzo cast of characters: bunnies, bears, monkeys, cats and faves like The Bad Guy and The Liar. Fun Dolls is even better, with totally crazy little guys like Silky Kay (pictured on the cover), a sad little donkey, a pig, cars and coffee mugs. Like I said, they're all easy peasey to make and can usually be whipped together with things you have lying around the house: small amounts of fabric, old towels, t-shirts, whatever. Which means you can make gifts that are hand-made and recycled.


I've already tried my hand at a couple projects: (do NOT click this link if you are related to me, I mean it) this guy is a Christmas gift and I'm also almost done a Bunny Bug from the Fun Dolls book (pictures later this week). They're addictive and easy to personalize, so even if you don't follow the pattern to the letter there's a lot of potential in these books. Expect many more projects from these babies in the future.

SPC: Wardrobe Week #4

As indicated by yesterday's freeze-out story, it's finally got cold around here. I hate it, but I'm glad. It was just so creepy to go around the neighbourhood in a jacket (no gloves, no scarf, no hat) and see people's Christmas lights on, even though it hadn't really truly snowed here yet (there was a sprinkling before Halloween, but nothing major). I mean, this is Canada. It's supposed to be cold.

And now, man, is it ever. We had a very dramatic dip over the last couple of days. When I woke up this morning and saw that it had snowed, I thought I'd take a picture of my boots in the snow, maybe with Ruby's little booted feet in there too. But I'm not going out of the house today -- not if I can help it at least. So, here are my sock feet, which hopefully won't see boots or shoes until I venture out tomorrow.

You know, while I'm ashamed that this NaBloPoMo thing (or whatever it's called, I just winged that acronym) has got me writing about the weather, I'm glad I'm back on the SPC train. I kind of stopped taking my own pictures once I started contributing to their blog, but now that I'm not doing that anymore I have more time to snap some shots. Hopefully I'll keep up with it once this crazy November is over. In the meantime, check out more SPC shots here.

Brrrrrr....

I had a post all ready in my head this morning, but soon after Ruby and I returned from the library, I noticed it was pretty cold in our house. So I turned up the heat a notch. After lunch I noticed it was still really cold. And I hadn't heard the furnace go on for some while. Yep, on the first really really cold day of the year (we're talking about -15C), our furnace crapped out. So, after my attempts to restart the electric pilot light, we evacuated and headed to my folks' house. Aaron came home and was able to get it going again and we're nice and toasty, but no real post today. Sorry. Keep warm.

Cookie Confidential... The Final Chapter

Okay, I'm done. I'm done the cookies. I know some of you probably think I'm insane for calling my cookies done a full month before Christmas, but man, am I glad I started a month and a half in advance (and, if you consider that our big cookie event is our Christmas party, which is in two weeks, it's more like a single month in advance). As predicted, I'm now feeling really really really pregnant and the thought of standing in front on a mixer/food processor/floured workspace is enough to make me keel over. My second trimester energy is over and I'm satisfied that I put it to good use. I thawed out a small assortment of cookies to give to Ruby's teacher last week and they all seemed to be in good shape, so I'm confident everything will stay tasty.

The last addition to the great cookie experiment were these chocolate pecan mounds, which I think came from this year's Canadian Living Holiday Celebrations magazine. Now, if you recall (which I doubt anyone does), the very first batch I made this year were similar shortbread, pecan-studded, chocolate snowballs, but these babies are much better. Rather than using cocoa, they're flavoured with a load of melted bittersweet chocolate, making them unbelievably delicious. Put it this way: I ate three of them before sticking them in my jammed freezer.

So, that's it. I might brave some of the candy recipes in my vintage cookbook collections just for fun, but we'll see. I am intrigued by something called Apricot Fancies. Maybe I'll find a burst of energy and try them... or maybe not.

In Praise Of The Post

I have a love/hate relationship with Canada Post: I hate how slow they are and that I'm pretty sure there's no one working my route on Fridays, but I love, love, love getting mail. After we moved to Toronto I decided it would be nice to send paper Christmas cards to people we knew -- mainly so that we could keep in touch with all the people back here in Alberta. In the beginning I bought those super cheap but really kitschy boxed cards from the dollar store (you know, 50 Assorted for $2), but as the years go by, it's been harder to find the overstock designs from the 70s that I tend to favour. So, the cards have got a bit nicer (though not handmade -- I'm not a masochist), I've started including wallet sized portraits of Ruby and the list grows every year.

Here's my stack of finished cards for this year, just waiting to be stamped and stuffed with Ruby's picture (from Wal-Mart, which I loathe to support, but they do offer quite the deal on kiddie photos). The stack on the left are the ones that need addresses tracked down, which is always a pain. Since we've lived in a couple different cities, have a lot of friends that have moved around and have massive families, the cards number at about 100 this year. I love this tradition of sending cards -- I know some people think ecards will do, but I totally disagree. Paper all the way.

And of course, if I get some back in return, I don't mind that at all. Not one bit.

America, You Crack Me Up

As I was lounging and watching Miracle On 34th Street yesterday (it was on in Martha's usual time slot -- which is my pregnancy ritual during Ruby's naptime), I was laughing every time a commercial for one of those goofy "Black Friday" doorbuster sales came on. 4 am? Really? Here our Thanksgiving is in early October, so our Christmas shopping season just slowly drifts in after Halloween. There's no "on your marks, get set" kind of day. In some ways, this fills me with relief, in others, I'm kind of jealous of your opening the floodgates mentality. Either way, Happy Yanksgiving.

(Random picture of Ruby inventing a craft for her Nana's birthday party. It's basically smiley face confetti stuck on the end of birthday sparklers in a bouquet)

MePod

I've finally become a member of the iPod generation. I know this may sound weird, since as some of you may know, that pre-maternal bliss I was a professional music writer, on staff at a music magazine. I still write about music, and even though it's pretty much a barely-paid hobby, it seems ridiculous that I'd wait until late 2007 to start using a MP3 player. But, I'm a Luddite at heart and I don't like giving up my CDs (which, until recently, I'd been getting totally for free). We have been using iTunes on our computer like a jukebox since we shelled all our our CDs and put them in those big binder things about two years ago (a baby proofing necessity), but no iPod for me, who usually prefers to listen to CBC radio during the day anyway.

Aaron got a free iPod Nano as a gift at work the other day and I swiftly claimed it (he already has one of those big fancy iPods with a huge memory, so he didn't need it). I've already fallen in love with using this thing in the car -- I love the concept of the mixed tape and iPod shuffle is the ultimate mixed tape. I do find myself skipping over happy songs and dwelling on the sad, though. I don't know what it is, maybe because I've had relatively little heartbreak in my life thus far (BIG knock on wood), I like hearing other people's pain through song so I have a taste of what it feels like. Sick, I know, but don't deny that you do it too.

Anyway, I usually keep my music life out of this blog, but here are some of the songs that have been affecting me in my car lately. If you want a good pre-Christmas cry, feel free to make a similar playlist of your own:

Belle And Sebastian "The State That I Am In"; Bob Dylan "A Hard Rains A-Gonna Fall"; Bright Eyes "The Calendar Hung Itself"; Neutral Milk Hotel "King Of Carrot Flowers"; Johnny Cash "If You Could Read My Mind"; Evan Dando "The Grass Is All Wine Coloured" Damien Rice "The Blower's Daughter"; Elvis Costello "I Want You"; Liz Phair "The Divorce Song"; Neil Diamond "Red Red Wine"; Nick Lowe "Only A Fool Breaks His Own Heart"; Bevis Frond "He'd Be A Diamond"; The Zombies "This Will Be Our Year"; R.E.M. "Everybody Hurts"; Ryan Adams "Come Pick Me Up"; Rufus Wainwright "Dinner At Eight"; Simon And Garfunkel "America"; Townes Van Zandt "Poncho And Lefty"; Neko Case "Margaret Vs. Pauline"; Gram Parsons "$1,000 Wedding"; Weakerthans "Left And Leaving"; Stars "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead"....

I could go on. Forever. What are some of your favourite heartbreakers?

Books: Toys To Crochet

As you may know, I only really started to teach myself to crochet about a year ago, and much of my inspiration to pick up the craft came from my huge attraction to Amigurumi style crochet toys. I still haven't got much beyond crocheting trims on knit items or my every growing crochet afghan (a perpetual work in progress), so I thought Claire Garland's Toys To Crochet would be a good way to get me into the world of crochet toys. I've had this book for a couple weeks now, though, and I have yet to feel the urge to pick up the hook.

It's not that Garland hasn't done a good job with this book -- it's full of nice pictures (and at least a couple dozen animal, doll and mobile patterns) and the instructions certainly seem clear enough for even a novice like me to follow. I'm just not in love with the patterns. Some of them are just clearly not my personal style -- the bears and dolls are long and lanky rather than the squat characters I tend to favour. Others don't really seem to suit the medium of crochet -- because the stitches are so square and bulky, toys like the lobster, the monkey and even the plush cars don't look very polished... in fact, they're kind of messy looking. Again, not really for me.

With that said, there are a few things -- mostly larger, cleaner looking items -- that I would like to try after Christmas once I have some spare time. The mama pig on the cover is super cute (and very baby appropriate) and there's a horse puppet that I think would be perfect for entertaining a young baby. So, not a total loss, but not the right place to go if you're looking for hipper or quirkier art piece toys.

SPC: Wardrobe Week #3

I'm sorry I'm using Self Portrait Challenge as an excuse to show the state of the bump, but this blogging every day thing was bound to get desperate sooner than later. Anyway, here's another example of my non-maternity maternity wear, another item pulled from the juniors section of H&M.

Speaking of H&M, is it not great? Back when I was a younger woman, I exclusively wore vintage -- I'd regularly go to a rock show or something wearing a '50s cocktail dress. But, as I moved out of the 119 lb weight range and ebay pushed the price of vintage clothes through the roof, I was forced to settle into the weird stuff that ended up on the Gap and Old Navy sale racks (you know, those few items that the designers managed to push through alongside the classic pocket ts and ribbed sweaters, yet, unsurprisingly, few people actually wanted to buy). Once H&M finally came to Canada, though (maybe three or four years ago), I was sold. The Calgary store just opened this summer, blissfully within a year of my arrival here.

Still though, I sometimes feel that at 32 I might not be best suited shopping in the junior trendsetters department. I once ran into another thirty-something friend at a Toronto H&M on what happened to be a holiday or something and I couldn't believe how many teenagers were in the store. My friend looked at me like I was crazy and said "You know, this store is for them, not us, right? I mean, I shop here too, but it's marketed at teeny-boppers."

Ouch. I used to live across the street from a junior high school and I'd cringe whenever I'd walk by with Ruby's stroller and realize that a kid was wearing the same outfit as me. Oh well, if I'm feeling youthful, I should dress the part right. I just am glad they haven't brought Forever 21 to Canada. I wouldn't be able to stop myself.

Check out more SPC here.

Handmade By Other Hands

So, I'm actually feeling pretty confident about my Christmas shopping. Now, in the olden days, I never started shopping until December 1. But, as I grow (larger and older), I've felt the need to start earlier and earlier. The reasons are many. First off, kids want certain things from Santa. These things often sell out of stores fast. You can not explain to a three-year-old that the elves sold out. So, you buy in October if you're reasonably sure the little one isn't going to change his/her mind. Secondly, as extended families grow older, they tend to scatter throughout the world. The post is not a particularly efficient system this time of year. Gifts must be sent at least a month in advance (and that's when you're willing to shell out for airmail. The surface deadline overseas is somewhere in October). And thirdly, I like to give handmade or unique gifts. Which means either making stuff or sniffing through Etsy and the craft fairs like a pig for truffles.

On that note, I don't have a ton of time to make stuff this year, what with our vacation coming up and the creature growing in my belly, so I'm letting others do a lot of the work for me. I've been on Etsy like mad (again, the whole issue of the post comes up) and the craft fairs here all seem to be happening, like, this week. Most of the stuff I've picked up can't be discussed or shown on such a public forum (what's Christmas without secrets?), but aside from Ruby's much coveted Snow White doll, I'm trying to stay away from the whole made-in-China thing. Here's something, I can show you, a super-cute little bunny necklace for Aaron's cousin, from TV Tray Art. Cute, no? There's another big craft fair this week and I'm hoping to pick up some ornaments. Since American Thanksgiving is only days away, I'm ready for the Christmas flood gates to open (as if they haven't already).

Cookie Confidential... Part Three

Oh my, I am exhausted. Between Leena's birthday party yesterday, Aaron's work Christmas Party the night before (yes, in the middle of November it was a fun time, but not very Xmas-y) and more family fun today, I'm ready to keel over. Needless to say, the cookie baking has slowed this week. In fact, it may soon be grinding to a halt -- nine batches in, I barely have any room in my freezer. But, I did manage to do some production since we last spoke cookies.

Earlier this week I did a pan of yummy lemon bars, but did not photograph them, since they just look like some lemon curd on a shortbread crust. You've seen it before. The recipe I used (I think it was from last year's Chatelaine Christmas baking special, I don't remember) called for more lemon juice than I had, but they still turned out to be sour to the point of puckering, which I kind of like. I'm craving sour these days -- so if they're too sour for others, I'll be the crazy pregnant lady scarfing them down.

I also made about 150 of the Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies from the current issue of Chatelaine, which are delicious. Of all the cookies I've made, these are the first ones that I think will become a family gotta-make-em every year classic. They just taste like Christmas. Ginger-y and full of molasses, they have just a few chocolate chips in there for an extra surprise. There are the kind of cookies worthy of leaving out for Santa. Ruby is pleased.

Happy Birthday To My Baby's Nana

Today is a milestone birthday for someone really special in our life: Ruby's Nana (and Aaron's mum) Leena. A beautiful knitter and absolutely devoted Nana, we love her more than any blog post can express. Today feels like Christmas -- family from all over the world flew in to surprise her yesterday and I best be getting back to the celebration.

Now We Are Two

I'm a little surprised that I haven't had a lack of stuff to write about with this blogging every day business. In fact, I missed celebrating my own blogiversary because I was blabbing about other stuff. On Wednesday, Elizaboothy turned two. Hooray. Since then I've watched Ruby grow from baby to mini-teenager and expanded my realm of craft beyond knitting. Oh, self, you've come a long way.

Speaking of which, here is a picture a sock that belongs to the second pair I ever made (Mata Haris). I've worn a hole in it. Strangely, I'm not miffed about this -- it kind of feels like a right of passage. Like I've somehow arrived.