AnotherPurl :: a knitter's life

Someone is too q-te.

Mild mannered, focused corporate CEO by day (though that face isn't giving out any bonuses soon) and cucumber-powered super hero by night, behold Q-cumberman.

Yeah, we love the PhotoShop.

Q is slowly learning to enjoy some solids. Not that he is eating them so much as tasting them and leaving them damaged, but not appreciably altered. The latest one was a single piece of cucumber from my salad at lunch when I worked from home on Monday. 

My husband took tons of pictures of the cucumber action. It made my short lunch break loads of fun as Q explored the different tastes and textures available to him, including the high chair itself. 

The cucumber had a bitter victory. Bruised and thrown out, but not actually eaten.

It's hard to believe that Q is nearly 6 months old. It is about time for me to finish another sweater for him. The Waffles I finished before he was born is a little short in the sleeves. I have a striped one on the needles that is waiting for a single sleeve and then the collar/button bands. It's the Assymetrical Wraplan (or something like) and is a pretty quick knit even for someone who is only getting about 4 rows done a week.

Of course, I might be finished a lot faster if I wasn't alternating 4 rows a week on about 5 different projects.

What are you working on?

Happy Friday world!

a blanket for baby M

So, gifts for babies. I know it is tempting to make sweaters or other clothes, but after my first experience making clothes that fit for about 6 hours I now make blankets, hats (aiming for year size), or toys. For my friends in DC, I made a baby hat and barely got it done in time. For my brother and his wife? I made a blanket. The knitting was done for over a month before I actually finished it. Yeah, a blanket with both lots of ends to weave in and a seam.

Why did I make a blanket with a seam?

Because it is awesome. I love the bold lines, and because it is high contrast it is supposed to be very good for poor newborn vision.

I used this yarn from Three Irish Girls. It was bold and very saturated. Sadly the red leaked a tiny amount, so the white wasn't quite as crisp as I wanted. Still a beautiful blanket.

This is a modular knit. Very easy and perfect for someone who can only knit in drips and drabs around baby needs. I wanted to make the Sweet William blanket, but it was clear after a single knitting session that I would never be able to concentrate on the blanket enough to finish it in a timely fashion. 

Like many projects, this one also got a little too big to knit on during my commute. Too big to fit in the lap.

After making this blanket, I need to want to buy those little clips to line up the seam. I used removable stitch markers and yarn needles to line up the seam, so I wouldn't have a lot of extra length to ease in at the end. I need to remember to put those on my knitting notions wish list.

One more picture, because I love this thing!

[10 Tuesday] double the does and don'ts!

The past two weeks have been 10 things you do that your spouse doesn't do but could and 10 things that your spouse does that you could do but don't. What a mouthful. Since I didn't do the first one last week, my husband and I came up with a list. Now this is pretty light hearted, and doesn't reflect necessarily everything that one of us does or does not do. Just what we normally do.

Communication:
I make words during normal conversation. My husband speaks this special language: Thingie. We've been together long enough that I'm sadly picking up Thingie as a second language. The flip side of this is that when I am alarmed or see some kind of dangerous situation, I don't use my words but speak in squawks or other non-word indications of danger.

Running far and fast are not skills that we share equally. I'm a slow and steady person and have run multiple half marathons. In the short term, my husband can run faster than me, though not for nearly as much time. Sadly, this would probably result in a very similar half marathon time for him, as he would probably walk for a bit and then sprint to catch up. Who knows!

I do most of the dishes. It's not that he cannot, but during the day he is mostly focused on Q and getting other things done. This is only a problem when the sink is full of dishes that I need to do before I wash pump and bottle dishes. Then I get a bit sad.

He can drive. I'm still learning. The world is going to be a more dangerous place once I have my license and don't need to have a qualified driver with me on the road.

General domestic things. I knit, sew buttons, hem (though I usually make him bring his pants to someone else to do, because I hate hemming).

My husband is the king of the 20 minute power nap. I have a hard time falling asleep, and when I nap it often (at least before baby) was a multi-hour affair.

Putting up with each other. I don't think I could put up with myself if I had a spouse who was just like me. I'm a bit difficult to get along with.

I drink coffee. He makes faces when I do so. 'Nuff said.

My husband is the exotherm in this relationship. I can use my feet even in the summer to cause suffering and cries of alarm.

I'm jealous of my husband's ability to go into a store or online and buy clothing based on a measurement number. Women's clothing sucks in that regard.

My husband has a better sense of rhythm than I do. Mine isn't nonexistant, but it definitely requires more practice and training. On the other hand, I can make my own (hideous) lyrics up for pretty much any song I've heard at least once.

My shoulder blades are very pointy. We joke that I can cut people with them.

He remembers bridge conventions. I remember weak twos and not much else.

And for reading this far: We like the vorpal hoagies. I make them and he eats them. 

Cuteness [redacted]

Q shows how big his heart is!

About once a week or so I get asked how I am enjoying Lexington. It feels like such a weird question. I don't feel like I have a good basis for comparison. I mean, I normally compare it to small town Maine, because it feels more like a small town than city, especially with the neighborhood feel. But really, I went from being a married couple in a house to a mother in a house, and that mother title means I feel like nothing is an apples to apples comparison. 

I am still adjusting to being a parent and working. The biggest area this shows is in my knitting. As in, is it even happening. The answer is yes, but super duper slowly. I started a pair of baby leg warmers on Monday and the first of the pair is still on the needles today. Not a big deal, but it does feel a bit like my craft things are mostly treading water.

Norma might be proud of me though. I have started some broccoli seeds and will be starting most of the rest this weekend. My gardening experience in New England was sad, mostly given my overly shaded back yard. Hopefully I will have more success here. Heck, I certainly have a longer growing season!