A Few Sheep Shy of a Farm

Design projects

As I mentioned in the previous post, I’ve been working on a few design projects . . . and I’ve added one since that post!

The “Mini-Must-Have” is finished except the buttons . . . and the pattern is currently in the test-knitting stage of things thanks to [Tallgal], Kim and Jen.  Once I’m sure we’ve worked out the kinks (writing is rewriting, right?) then I’ll make it available through Ravelry.  And once I have the buttons selected and on it we’ll take some photos with it modeled.  In the mean time:

Mini-Must-Have

I’ve also been working on “Simplicity”

Simplicity

I’ve also started a new design project that I’m very excited about . . . its a twisted stitch sock pattern in two versions, his and hers.  Here is a little bit of his . . .

sock

This one hasn’t been named yet, but if all goes well it will be available as a free pattern in the Butterfly Yarns Newsletter later this month so if you haven’t signed up for it, check it out!  This pattern will available on Ravelry as well . . .

Farmyard

I’ve almost finished planting our garden for this year . . . I wait until Memorial Day weekend every year to be sure we really are past any danger of frost; after all this is New England!

my garden

It isn’t much really but I don’t dare plant too many things since the garden bed is inside the play area.  I’m cautiously optimistic that the boy-child will leave the garden alone this year but have a feeling the girl-child is going to find flowers and tomatoes hard to resist.   That said, I’ve got tomatoes, basil, rosemary, peppers for Dom, Eggplant and a few other herbs and flowers.  We’ll have to wait and see how they do.

And a few chicken pics for you:

and these are the new Eggie chicks, learning to forage:

chickies foraging

I’ve also taken up coffee roasting, using the wood-fired oven which works out wonderfully since all the smoke and smell is outdoors.  We were given several pounds of coffee beans but I have not idea what type they are . . . here is them being roasted:

roasting coffee

coffee roasting 2

roasted

and on that note . . . see you next post!

I realize I haven’t posted for a while now . . . but I also haven’t done much knitting the past few months . . .

We had a busy spring with Mimmo finishing up his first year of Preschool (loved it); me taking a cake decorating class and Caterina’s First Birthday.  In late May we also hatched a new crop of chicks, 8 in all and we are now waiting to see just how many hens we’ll get . . . Then we had about a month of rain, something like 3/4 of June and into July and now we are trying to enjoy summer.

Mimmo had a terrific 4th Birthday.  He was so excited about having his party this year and had requested a dinasour cake but later changed it to a Dragon.  My plan for putting it together didn’t come off as well as I’d hoped but we regrouped and turned it into a slain dragon, which the birthday boy loved! He had a ball with his friends and cousins and they are getting closer to actually being able to break the pinata themselves, maybe next year!

Mimmo is now taking Karate classes and he’s really getting into it.  He already has his first yellow stripe on his belt and we are all very proud!  We’re also going swimming in Gloucester with the cousins twice a week; he likes the beach but isn’t thrilled with the cold, ocean waters.  Caterina is liking all the outdoor time but going through sunblock at an amazing rate!

Knitting wise, I’ve just gotten back into the swing of things. . . I’ve finished up a pair of socks I had started last fall and I’m currently working on a pair for Caterina for this fall . . . just my basic kids sock pattern so its a relatively quick project.  I’ve also noticed that Mimmo’s legs are much longer now and his feet are HUGE so he’s going to need several pairs of socks before the weather gets cold!  Looks like I’ll have my work cut out for me this year!

I still need to figure out what is going on with the photo portin of the software for this so I’ll try to add photos but I’m not certain in will work.

Yeah, I’m not even going to try to catch up but I’m just going to jump back in!

I’ve got photos from our trip to Italy, from Halloween and fall and now from Christmas and I’m going to load them soon . . . really I am.

Christmas here was terrific – it almost has to be with children involved, doesn’t it?

The little ones had a great time – Santa was good to them and the big one got most of what he asked for (lucky for Santa he only asked for 3 things!) including a bug catching vaccum thingy which he’s having a ball with even though there are no bugs to chase, save the random ant here or there . . .

Christmas night, as Daddy was tucking him in, he said that “This was my first Christmas” and he’s right, in all likelyhood, this is the first Christmas he will ever remember. When I tucked him back in he told me that “This was my best christmas ever” and I believe him on that count too. So very cute and he totally made our holiday.

Santa was very good to me as well. I got an interesting cookbook – it had some good recipes and beautiful photos; and the Mason-Dixon knitting book. It was an interesting choice as I did (when I had time to read blogs) really enjoy their blog – and while it would likely be an interesting read . . . most of the patterns seemed kinda basic and not really the type of thing that I’ll do or that I’ll need a pattern for . . .

So back to the bookstore I went to return the . . . and try again. I pulled out a stack of knitting books and a stack of cookbooks and headed for the cafe . . . and I gotta tell ya – after looking at about a dozen of the newer knitting books that are out right now – I’m kinda “over” the whole knitting book thing. I’m sure there will be one or two here and there that are interesting but none of the ones I saw really did anything for me. Ah well . . .

Now here is the part that will tell you just what kind of a geek I really am . . . I bought a Text Book. Actually, a rather expensive text book. Baking and Pastry – mastering the art and craft by The Culinary Institute of America.

Yeah, a baking book, or from the look of it, THE baking book. I’ve been doing a lot of bread baking lately and I love to bake pastry of all sorts . . . and this book covers it all. I’m going to have to go back to the gym soon just to conteract the baking!

 I really can’t believe its been all summer that I haven’t posted! Between being insanely busy (would someone tell me how I’m actually suppose to manage both kids when they want things at the same time, please!)  and the laptop being buried under my pile of knitting . . . . I just haven’t been making the effort to post.  Funny thing is after blogging for so long, I really do miss it.  Not only blogging but reading blogs, which I haven’t been doing either. It feels strange to be entirely out of contact with the friends I have in the blogging world! Strange how something like blogging works its way into every day life and just becomes a part of your routine . . .

It has actually been so long since I’ve written regularly that I’m not even sure what to write to catch up! Now that is bad.  Bad, bad blogger!

Guess I’ll give an overview of what we’ve been up to and post a bunch of photos

The baby is 4 months now and she’s gotten so big! I can’t believe how fast she has grown.  She can hold her own head and even almost sit now.  She smiles and is starting to laugh.  Last week was the first time she laughed for me.  It was the funny little, hesitant laugh, like she wasn’t sure she was doing it right or perhaps was slightly startled when she realized she was the one making that noise.  It was very cute, we were playing peek-a-boo and when I popped up from behind the cloth I was “hiding” behind she started to laugh! That made me laugh which made her laugh again . . . it was all very cute.

Mimmo is 3 now and has become such a “big kid”.  In fact, he’s so big he’s as big or bigger than some of the 4 year olds we know! He’s wearing a 4 and sometimes a 5 for clothes (I think he may be in the 5s by winter!) and he’s up to a size 11 shoe!  At his physical this year we found he’d gained 8 lbs and grown 6 inches in the past year!  I’m no expert but that seems like a lot of growing to me!

 I’ve been trying to make sure that he got to do lots of fun summer things this year even with a new sister.  I didn’t want him to not have a good summer just because of the baby and how much harder it is to get out with two of them. 

We’ve gone to the beach in Gloucester with his cousins for swimming lessons;

to a friend camp in NH where he got to swim with Dom;

he helped his dad with a painting project one day.

We went to the Stone Zoo with our new playgroup friends; and to the Aquarium with other friends (no photo, forgot the camera!);

We drove to NY for Dom’s Aunt & Uncle’s 50th Annivarsary;

and Mimmo was invited to a day of Preschool Summer camp which he LOVED!

We’ve also had a birthday party or two;

hatched a few baby chicks (3 hatched)

We also went to St. Anthony’s Feast at the church where Mimmo went on the rides this year!

And there is much more but I’m going to split it into a second post since I haven’t been able to get through it all yet as the photo thing is moving really slowly . . .

I also have knitting and spinning content but they may require a third post . . . . stay tuned!

Mimmo’s Barlett Raglan, started April 30th, 2008, finished May 21st, 2008
Pattern: Basic Top-down Raglan
Yarn: Bartlett Yarn Fisherman 2-ply
Needles: Size 8
Dimensions: Child’s size 4 with extra long sleeves
Pattern Notes: Should fit next year as well, though I may need to add to the body length
Would I knit it again? Yes, I’ll be knitting at least 1-2 of these a year forever.