bad blogger, bad!

So I am around, it's just that every time I try to sit and write what's going on, either a little kid comes up to me with a crisis (like Dora the Explorer is over), or there's a computer slow-down, or I really am supposed to be doing something else like de-disgustingifying the kids' bathroom or...well, you all get the idea.

I did have a great trip to Israel once we were finally able to leave the snow-deluged US East Coast. I didn't even have a camera along, but other family members' photo albums are here and here, plus there's an article about my uncle's project, the object of the whole trip, here. Every time Adele sees the photos of the playground, she complains that she's not there and wants to be there right now. I only wish I could take her!

We continue to have stupid issues with MCPS, but at least the current one is really stupid and not high on my "pick your battles" list. They sent home a copied letter announcing that the kids' Alt-MSA portfolios would be available for parents' review on a single day (and they got the date wrong in the letter); I'm sure 90% of the parents never saw the letter as they didn't even manage to get it into the students' communications folder, it was just loose in Feivel's backpack. Once I sorted out the actual time and date, Adele wound up sick at that time so I couldn't go and when I called to make alternate arrangements I was told that's not possible. So a great waste of time was had by all, and separate continues to not be equal. Way to go MCPS. Oh, and it looks like after spending $1.7 million for 2 years worth of use, MCPS is abandoning its online IEP system in favor of the *FREE* one provided by the state that every other jurisdiction in the state has chosen to use the whole time. Good thing they didn't try to spend that $1.7 million on actually educating the special ed students or anything wasteful like that.

We had Purim, hosted by the perfect pink perky pretty poodle puppy

but it was the day my grandmother's z"tl burial was held, as she passed away last week at the age of 90, so the girls and I went to the burial in NJ while Jeffrey held down the Purim fort here.

And I have been trying to do a little knitting in the meantime, while waiting for yarn to come in for Feivel's sweater he's demanding:

headband in Kollage Luscious

fingerless mitts in yarn contact-dyed in cutch, plus a sheep

cashmere scarf in historic Estonian pattern stitch

Some finished objects

Finished a pair of socks--yarn is Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Sun River colorway; pattern is Classy Slip-Ups from the book Knit Socks!

And an Estonian lace scarf and cowl to be donated to a service center for homeless teens:

and an extra picture of a cute Adele:

Hippo Gnu Year!

It's 2010 and I'm still catching up on 2009.

Gilad is now officially 5 years old (the cake is evidence that it's all official and everything):

Adele just keeps getting cuter and goofier:

Jeffrey just keeps getting more wonderful:

And I keep getting crazier, as evidenced by the fact that I'm proposing to do two OWLs for this new Term over in the Harry Potter Knit/Crochet House Cup game, for the glory of team Hufflepuff:

The one above is actually 4 different projects representing 4 different magical creatures: 2 pairs of socks (blast-ended scroots and kappas); a lace shawl (dragons); and a hat and mitts (bowtruckles).

This one is a Fair Isle steeked vest, to be knit in some of my hand spun (natural colored or natural dyed) yarns as shown above.

what's new?

Very little. I've had Adele at home the last two days getting over a virus; she was a sick little puppy yesterday, but she was all better today with no fever, so she goes back to preschool tomorrow. At least with my not working now Jeffrey didn't have to try to watch her. Sachy was also home sick yesterday, but got sent back to school today. He just seems to have Sachy-itis.

Tirtze got glasses! Actually what you really should have seen was her get up yesterday. They're having colorwar at school, and her class/team has various themes, one of them being Asia...so yesterday she was a panda from head to toe, complete with face make-up. It was very cute. Her glasses are very stylishly cool, and she noted that she sees much more clearly with them on. So one complaint dealt with.

I finished Addie's second dress (same pattern as last time, with a few modifications made to get it to fit her better, ie, it's shorter than the other one):

and I'm trying to finish the matching (boring to knit) shrug. Then it's on to finish the Estonian lace scarf and hat set I started while I was waiting for the yarn to arrive to finish the dress last week.

MS4: Let the theme guesses continue

I've rushed to complete clue 4 of the Mystery Stole 4 KAL, so that I'd be done before yom tov.  Everyone is still guessing what the theme of the work is, and designer Georgina won't give any clues except to say that no one's guesses so far have been close.

On the home front, the men got home from camp safe and sound, though Feivel is still very oppositional and now has a sore throat, and Gilad is quite hyper at the momen, all excited to have everyone back.  We didn't go farm hopping due to the continued bad weather and the mud buildup, but we're hoping for better conditions the next few days at least.

Slow Bee II, the mystery and bad photography continue

Here is my Slow Bee Mystery II stole, after clue 12:

The pattern is gorgeous, the work goes well, I love it, I only wish I could get a good photo!

Baby Owl Sweater

I actually knit this a long time ago, but tonight was "finishing night" and I was busy finishing up a few old projects--a toddler sweater that photographs terribly but is adorable IRL (it's a shiny/dull multistrand flag yarn in bright pink; I can't imagine what anyone would make from it other than babywear); a blanket I wove on the triloom but which won't be photographed until it's washed and fulled; and also this:

It's Penny Straker's Baby Owl pattern, worked in Rowan Cashsoft Baby DK yarn.  Love the pattern, absolutely hated the yarn--I ran low and had to buy extra from a different dye lot and even though the color matched quite well the gauge was completely different!  I double and triple checked that it was the identical yarn, and it was, but if you hold strands of the different balls next to each other, you can see a difference in grist right away.  I was able to get away with using the newer yarn just for the sleeves and edging, so it doesn't show, but I will not buy this yarn again for anything!

Now Addie just has to grow into the sweater.

Some Lacy FOs

I finally have photos of a few FOs, most of which were knit a while ago.

First is my Shetland shawl blanket, as knit for Adele:

Second is my grey alpaca Swallowtail, as knit and given to Margo:

Third is my Estonian shawl, as knit and given to Happy Albeyaz, our babysitter (but modeled by Kayla):

The Shetland was knit primarily as a project to keep me busy the last few weeks before Addie was born, though it kept me busy until she was almost a year old; the Swallowtail was just and experiment to see what it would look like in a very different yarn from the first Swallowtail I had knit (in Sockotta cotton/wool sock yarn).  The Estonian was knit to use up some leftover tencel lace yarn and to keep me busy for a while, and because the Piecework magazine with the pattern arrived just as I was contemplating exactly this kind of pattern.  All are considered successes by me, and I'm happy.