And Baby Makes Three

The night before I met B for the first time (nearly 14 years ago), his old friend from high school was showing me yearbook photos of the people that were going to be at the party the next night. B was the last photo he showed me and when I saw him I got chills. I won’t say that in that moment I knew I was going to marry him. But I knew that something special was going to happen. As we approach our 11th anniversary (this Sunday), I am once again reminded of how right I was that night.

I can’t imagine my life without him. He is truly my best friend. He makes me laugh, he is my shoulder to cry on, he is my anchor in times of uncertainty, and knows me to my core. I can’t even tell you how many times I have fallen in love with him over the last 14 years. It makes my heart hurt when I think about how much I love him.

And now we are about to embark on a new journey in our lives together…growing our family. For the last 10 years, this has been our family:

(Those of you with ‘licky’ dogs may recognize what has just happened here.
In fact, you can still see the culprit’s tongue sticking out of her mouth!)

But in February next year, we will add a new member! Yes, I am pregnant! Officially 12 weeks along today :-) Although it’s still kinda hard to believe there’s something growing inside of me sometimes! We are super excited, a little nervous (after all, neither of us has ever changed a poopy diaper and we have joked that we may be doing a lot of coin flipping for the job in the future), but excited none the less!

(This is my 9 week sonogram where we were able to see

the little guy's heart beating for the first time.)

I won’t be bogging you down with pregnancy details here, I’ve started a family blog for that, but I will be sharing plenty of baby projects in the coming months. I also wanted to take a moment to say that I know how fortunate we are to have been able to conceive this growing little baby. I know that for some it can be very difficult, so I wanted to acknowledge that we are not taking one moment of this pregnancy for granted. We truly understand how special and miraculous this gift is for us. So far things have been going well and I really can’t complain about any discomforts I've experienced so far, but as I mentioned to Nonnahs yesterday, this has been the slowest fastest time ever!

The Past 30 Days

No, I don't plan to start doing monthly retrospectives. It's just that I'm making knitty progress, and I got through the first 30 days of my 365 days project and the latter feels like kind of a milestone. People, taking a self-portrait everyday isn't easy! After all, my everyday life is pretty mundane. On work days my routine rarely varies- during the daylight hours I am either driving to work, at work, or driving home from work. Then I'm at home for a few precious hours at night. This schedule does not make for interesting photos each day, let me tell you. Which is part of the reason I'm glad I decided to embark on this project. It has made me look at my day, or parts of my day, in a different way, and has forced me to find at least one picture-worthy moment to capture. I kind of like that. On the flip side, taking so many SPs really makes you more self-aware about how you look - for better or worse. Sometimes, I've been pleasantly surprised - other times, literally shocked (not in a good way).

Generally speaking, it's been a great learning experience, both for the reasons I've already mentioned, and also because I've been learning a little more about, and gaining more interest in, photography. I hope to improve my photography skills over the year. And, it's also been fun to play around more in Flickr. It's interesting to see everyone else's SPs in the group- one picture a day really does provide a unique glimpse into a person's life.

Recently, I've also been thinking a lot more about food and, more specifically, the food I eat. I've been trying to eat healthier for various reasons, and it seems like my friends are going through a similar thing as well. Dis and I have been having many discussions about food, and a few other friends are reading Michael Pollan books. First Lolly posted about this one, then Lori told me about how she's reading this one, and now Amiee is reading this one. I plan to order and read these soon. I'm sure they will be enlightening (to say the least).

Last week a friend was back in town visiting from New York and I met her for lunch at an organic vegan restaurant called Real Food Daily. I had driven by so many times, but that was the first time I'd eaten there. Let me tell you - yum! I got the Real Food Bargain, which included soup, corn grain bread, and this masterpiece, the Real Food Meal:

Real Food Meal: From the RFD website, "Based on the principles of macrobiotics, the ‘Real Food Meal’ is a balanced selection of foods representing the five elements of Eastern health philosophy. "

"Bargain," indeed. I had enough leftovers to last me for 2 whole other meals! And, like a gift that keeps on giving, that meal inspired me to cook up a whole mess of food on Sunday, which I've been eating for days since. My dinner on Sunday didn't rock nearly as much as the RFD meal, nor was it nearly as colorful, but I was still impressed at the variety and simple deliciousness of my creation.

Fake RFD Meal: Kale, roasted asparagus and mushrooms, rice pilaf with lentils, steamed broccoli and snow peas, black beans, roasted zucchini, yellow squash, and onions.

I doubt I can keep this up for long, because I know me and I can't stay away from fat, carbs, and meat for any extended length of time, but I will make the most of this inspiration for as long as I can sustain it, and just do the best that I can. That's all we can do, right?

And finally, thank you, Mother Earth, for helping me culminate the first 30 days of my 365 days project with an earthquake. I don't care how long I've lived in California, I will never get used to these things. Scary business! At least everyone and everything seems to be fine. But yeah, way to disrupt a day!

Positive Thoughts for Nasus

For the next 3 days, please send your positive thoughts Nasus's way as she is currently sitting for the California Bar Exam...as we speak!!

We are super proud of her and even more happy that she will finally be able to relax and go on vacation soon! She has worked so hard to get here!

Three cheers for Nasus!

FO: Ruby Red

I just love when I can roll out an FO. This one is special because it is for a friend/co-worker's birthday. It's a milestone b-day, but I won't disclose the number. Even though you don't know her, it doesn't feel quite right to out a gal's age, you know? ;)

Ruby Red
Pattern: Silk Purse by Veronik Avery from Knitting Classic Style
Yarn: Tilli Tomas Disco Lights (spun silk with sequins) in 179 (American Beauty) - less than one skein
Needles: US1

I had a little bit of trouble finding the right yarn for this project. I wanted silk and I wanted red, since red is the recipient's signature color. I finally saw this in a LYS and, although the sequins intimidated me somewhat (I'm not a sequins kind of girl, though this wouldn't be for me, so) I decided to try it out. And you know what? I like it! And I think my friend will like it too. She is all about accessorizing. Okay, so it would just end up being a glitzier bag than originally intended!

Modifications: Thanks to everyone who commented and made me feel okay about turning this sucker inside out, that's just what I did. (She'll never know! Shh...) The stitch pattern is just so much more defined when seen this way, and I really like the texture. I also lengthened the main section of the purse a little. This little purse actually makes me happy- sparkly little thing that it is. I hope the birthday girl likes it!

And moving on to the WIP Report section of the day's affairs...I finished all the pieces to Oatmeal. Now I just need to psyche myself up for seaming (easier said than done)! Added motivation, however, is that the recipient of this little sweater was born just last week Wednesday and he is adorable! Don't worry, Henry (ps: is this a redonkulously cute name, or what?), your sweater is almost finished!

Oh, and what's this? Yes, I started a new project. I decided that I needed an easy take-along project, one that can live in my super cute Ravelry veggie bag and travel with me at a moment's notice. And, I decided, it was high time I knit something for myself! And so, I started a pair of Tidepool Socks by my ever talented and fabulous friend, Mary-Heather Cogar.

This drool-worthy yarn is Lori Lawson's Capistrano Fiber Arts Studio Hand-Dyed superwash merino that I purchased from last year's trip to the SoCal Fiber Festival last year. I'm at a loss for words on the colorway. Love (1) doesn't even scratch the surface!

I'm calling these Pupukea, after tidepools I used to frequent as a child back home. They will always remind me of summers at the North Shore and of my friend MH. Fond memories all around.

PS: My mom's birthday was yesterday, she would have been 62. Just thinking about her (as always).

one more mosaic!

I've been going back and forth about answering this meme, mainly because I was thinking: is three too many for one blog? But, then another friend of mine posted his responses and it got me inspired all over again!

So here are the rules yet again:
- Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
- Using only the first page, pick an image.
- Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.



The Questions:
1. What is your first name? Jenifer
2. What is your favorite food? sushi
3. What high school did you go to? Rancho Buena Vista
4. What is your favorite color? teal
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Matt Damon
6. Favorite drink? basil martini
7. Dream vacation? deserted island
8. Favorite dessert? fresh berries
9. What you want to be when you grow up? my own boss
10. What do you love most in life? my little family
11. One Word to describe you? real
12. Your flickr name? Disentangled

(The photo credits are in the links to my answers.)

More Gift Knitting

It just dawned on me that, aside from Grayscale, the Endpaper Mitts that I finished in January, I've only knit gifts this year. How crazy is that? There have just been so many people (babies!) to knit for this year. Not that I mind one bit - I love knitting for babies, and for friends. I have plenty of time to knit for myself later- for now, special occasions take precedence! I have two more on the needles as we speak.

The first is Oatmeal, a Get Ziggy sweater by annypurls. She seriously has some of the cutest patterns and has knit some of the most adorable pieces. This is for a dear friend's first baby, who is due to arrive well, anytime now! I've been friends with his mom for almost 20 years. She was the first friend that I made in college - actually, during summer orientation before freshman year. She transferred back east during our second year, but we've remained good friends all this time, mostly through handwritten cards and letters. Which I truly treasure. Anyway, given that she is due this week, I don't have any delusions of grandeur that this will be done by then, but I am flying through it, so I should be able to send it off soon enough. Oh, and in case you're wondering, I'm using O-Wool, for the first time, and I love it.

The second gift is for a friend and coworker, for an upcoming very special birthday. It's the Silk Purse from a book I absolutely love, Knitting Classic Style by Veronik Avery. And the super sparkly yarn is Disco Lights by Tilli Tomas. I'm calling this purse Ruby Red. The shades of red are impossible to photograph with any kind of integrity, but you have to take my word for it that it's gorgeous. Personally, I could do without the sequins, but I (am boring and anyway I) think it makes for quite a stunning evening purse that I think the recipient will love. Hope so, anyway!

Is it an offensive faux pas to gift something that is inside out? Because I may be doing just that. The stitch pattern is a trinity stitch, which is reversible after all, no?

"right" side out

Just with this yarn, the inside is more visually appealing to me:

"wrong" side out

Care to weigh in?

Another book meme

Since my two current projects are still a little secret right now, I thought I'd take a little time to answer this book meme I saw over at Indigo Mouse:

1. One book that made you laugh: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. I think this goes without saying and his readings are hilarious as well.
2. One book that made you cry: I've cried during lots of books, so I'll just list the most recent, which was the end of The Amber Spyglass, the last in the His Dark Materials trilogy. Regardless of what you thought of The Golden Compass movie, the trilogy is wonderful!
3. One book that you loved as a child: Anne of Green Gables - I wanted to be Anne for the longest time.
4. One book you’ve read more than once: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. This is a rarity since I usually read something once and then return or give away the book. But Bilbo was such a great character! In fact, I have plans to read it again after recently finishing The Lord of the Rings trilogy for the first time.
5. One book you loved, but were embarrassed to admit it: Hmmm, I'm usually pretty good at owning up to my guilty pleasures, so I can't think of one at the moment.
6. One book you hated: Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson. This remains the only book I didn't finish in school. In fact, I faked a whole book report (and was caught at it too, I might add).
7. One book that scared you: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski - This is an amazingly crazy book that chronicles the mental breakdown of 'its author' while he edits a story about a house that is bigger on the inside than the outside...The best part? The book is printed as if you are watching the mental deterioration. If nothing else, flipping through it at the library is entertaining.
8. One book that bored you: I would have to list Kidnapped again. There was a reason I never finished it.
9. One book that made you happy: I'm going to list the His Dark Materials trilogy here again. It was such a complex story line with so many characters but it made me so happy and the character evolution over the course of the three books was very endearing.
10. One book that made you miserable: She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. Great book, but made me so angry. I was tense the entire time I read it.
11. One book that you weren’t brave enough to read: While I'm not brave enough to watch a lot of movies, I can read anything. In fact, I was quite the horror book junkie when I was in Jr. High and High School. So, I've never not read a book for lack of bravery.
12. One book character you’ve fallen in love with: Gilbert Blithe from Anne of Green Gables.
13. The last book you read: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
14. The next book you hope to read: I'm in the middle of The Constant Gardener by John Le Carre and plan to read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami next.

I'd love to see what books have affected you!

My Life in Pictures

Or at least 365 days of it...or, at least 7 days of it to start with.

With an optimistic outlook, I decided to participate in the knitterly and crafty version of the 365 days project on flickr. I got the idea from Mary-Heather, then Lori and I talked about it and she started, then I started right around the same time as Ms. Lick My Sticks and Ms. Lotus Knits. It's so much fun to be jumping in "with" friends! If anyone else is interested, it's never too late!

There are many incarnations of the 365 project. The one that appealed to me the most is 365 days of self portraits. I have to be in the photo somewhere and I have to be the one taking the photo- though tripod* and self-timer assistance is allowed. I don't especially like photos of myself (does anyone?) so this will be extra challenging, also so because for the most part I feel like I lead a pretty mundane, routine life. I look forward to finding at least 365 interesting "me" shots, glimpses into my day to day life to document in photos. So far I've come up with these.

First row, left to right: 365.1 - my daily commute, 365.2 - i'm home!, 365.3 - pointy, 365.4 - so sleepy. Second row, left to right: 365.5 - a simple bow, 365.6 - sara's party, 365.7 - workin' on the invites, and a bonus: NOT a fan of fireworks.

re: the bonus pic...(I'm not sure how well you can see it, but that dark mass is the backside of Dakota, sticking out from behind B.) Our next door neighbor's kids lit fireworks all day on Friday, some alarmingly close to our house. Poor Doogles. He was so scared, more so than usual. He was literally trembling, trying to find the smallest possible space to crawl into. This is where he seemed the most "comfortable," although I use that term very loosely. *sigh* Poor guy.

Sorry for the bad quality. Over the next 365 days the plan is to develop and improve my photography skills, to include among other things, indoor/flash situations. Hmm, maybe if I get really good, I can justify an SLR! :) Anyway, it should be interesting, and I've definitely been enjoying it so far. Wish me luck sticking with it...365 days, after all, is a long time!

* Many thanks to MH for not only inspiring me to give this a whirl, but also for leading me to a most excellent gadget, my new gorillapod! I love this thing!

FOs: Snailstace and A Soaker

It's no secret, I love knitting for babies. What has been kept secret until now (post-baby shower) are these two projects, knit especially for Julia and her baby. Now that they have been gifted, I am free to share them here! And so, it is my honor to first introduce you to Snailstace:

Pattern: Garden Snail by the incredibly talented Hansi Singh of Hansigurumi
Yarn: Cascade 220 (100% Peruvian Highland Wool) in 9455 (Turquoise Heather), 2452 (Turtle), 7826 (California Poppy), 7822 (Vandyke Brown) - far less than one skein each
Needles: US5

Where do I start? I LOVE this pattern. This was the first of Hansi's patterns that I've knit, but mark my words- it won't be the last. Her designs are so creative and amazing- I had a difficult time choosing which of her lovely creatures to knit for this special occasion, but for some reason the snail just spoke to me. (Not literally, but almost!) I just had a feeling Julia would like him.

Anyway, I can't say enough about this pattern. Honestly. The way it was constructed- I wasn't sure what I was knitting at times, unsure of how it would come together, but I trusted and what do you know- it eventually morphed into a snail! I could gush for days. This was so much fun! I love this little guy. And I hope Julia's little guy will love him, too!

The other knitted gift (which ended up coordinating very well with Mr. Snailstace) is a soaker. Julia had mentioned her plan to use cloth diapers on the baby, so I immediately thought to knit a soaker.

Pattern: Curly Purly Soaker Pattern by Marnie Ann Joyce
Yarn: Cascade 220 (100% Peruvian Highland Wool) in 7822 (Vandyke Brown) - less than 1 skein
Needles: US4, US6, and US8

This is a great pattern. As evidenced by the myriad of Curly Purly FOs on Ravelry. And for good reason. It's easy to follow, quick to knit, and well, the cuteness is undeniable. Now, I am not too up on how the whole cloth diaper thing works (yet - I plan to have Julia teach me), but I do know that wool soakers are useful for this kind of diapering regimen. Interestingly, there really seems to be a trend back toward using cloth diapers these days, which appeals to me in theory, at least from an eco-minded point-of-view. I'm not sure if I could do it, but again, I hope to learn the ins and outs from Julia and see what this is all about. It would be pretty cool to have fun soakers, in any case. ;)

I'm glad I had a reason to knit one of these! Julia is my first friend to try cloth diapers, so I snagged my chance to knit one. Hopefully there will be other opportunities in the future. :)