Ring, Ring, Ring, God Calling!

The picture has nothing to do with the story, but what is a blog entry without a photo?

We've been to church with N many times recently and N is very concerned with who God is and what he does and where he lives and whether he is good or not. (I'll be honest here, just between us, my blog readers, and say we did not go very regularly for awhile before that and that my own faith and beliefs are a work in progress. My husband is definitely the more faithful of the two of us and I believe a better person morally.) We've told N in simplistic terms that God loves him, the church is one of His houses, and that God is very good and he created everything. After church last week, we came home and P and N gardened together.

P came in a little later to tell me that the little man had been pretending to talk on the phone for a short bit and that he hung up when P got close. When P asked who N had been talking to, N answered simply, "God." P was a little surprised but asked what God had to say. N replied, "He said thanks for coming to church and it was good to see me."

So, you know, N has a direct line to God apparently. Maybe N can get some answers for me.

Lantern Moon, It Is The Bestest

Remember last year when I bought those ridiculously expensive Lantern Moon needles at Salty Yarns down at the shore? I've used them for about a quarter of one project and three quarters of another and, so far, two of them have snapped. I'm not even going to lie, I possibly wept when the second one was found in the bottom of my purse, having fallen out of both my knitting and my knitting bag. Unlike the Clover needles I previously used, these Lantern Moon have been beautiful, pointy, and smoother, allowing the yarn to be easily picked up and slid down them. I loved these needles.

Well, just yesterday, I wrote to them to ask how much an individual Sox Stix would cost since I just can't afford to waste money on new rosewood needles, though I did not say it that way. They told me that all of their needles are guaranteed! All I had to do was tell them which ones I was missing and they'd send replacements.

Oh, my heart. I now have an excuse to purchase Lantern Moon needles. I won't feel badly about the investment.

Wordless Wednesday #17: It's Been A Long Time

Blogging Train: Still Running

Things that this whole blogging thing is forcing me to do? Get my damnable pictures more up to date. How can I tell you about what I'm doing when the latest photos I have up on Flickr are two months old?

In the upcoming week or next, I plan to blog about how summer feels more summery with my son around, how Lantern Moon is the bestest, and I'll give you another finished project in the form of a baby blanket, but in the meantime, here is a dose of squee from April!

Our next door neighbors have a duck that has taken to nesting in their bushes during the spring. She comes, lays eggs, hatches them, and then she and her brood take off. We do our best to make sure that we see them!

Here they are waddling to the creek in our backyards.




They had some trouble achieving this because at first the ducklings just squeezed under my neighbor's fence while the mother duck panicked like hell telling them to come back here right now or they'd be sorry. Once they had all gathered and got in the water, they were experts at only several hours old!




They were quite keen to take off and we thought we had all seen the last of them.




But momma duck came back for her last unhatched egg! So it was back up to the nest for one last overnight visit.




Hopefully they are doing well!

Finished Project(s): Mommy and Baby Elephant

I've been drooling over the super cute stuffed elephant in Sew Everything Workshop for years now.



Recently, after hemming up some pants and shirts for my mom, I realized I wasn't making fun stuff for myself on the sewing machine because I felt I wasn't thin enough to wear cute clothing. I know this is stupid, stupid, stupid, but it was really killing my enjoyment of sewing. I decided to take a step back and make some of the patterns I have for children. After all, it's hard to feel bloated just because your son is holding two stuffed animals.

I originally told him I'd make him an elephant, and that we had to go to the store for fabric. He had no understanding of what I was going on about. He asked me where the toy elephant was in the Jo-Ann store. He asked me what the word make meant. He begged me for the elephant on the way home from the store. I felt pretty badly about the whole incident and did not delay on starting the Mommy elephant pattern, which I cut out that night.



The next day, I started sewing pre-nap and I showed him the elephant's trunk (which he again did not understand), but got the majority of the body done while he was asleep. I quickly stuffed it, but I had lost my hand sewing needles so I was unable to seam up the open holes in the body and ears, and I was unable to attach the ears and eyes. No matter. When my son woke up, he was astonished to find an elephant like creature waiting for him. I showed it to him and he asked his daddy softly, "Can I hold it?" I said, "Of course." I also explained how I needed to add eyes and ears.

He hugged it gently and said, "I love it."



And he proceeded to hold it for another hour in the car and to lovingly ask me when I'd put the eyes on. He also asked me where the baby elephant and daddy elephant were located. I explained I had to make them. With some quick needle work (and some hand sewing needles from Safeway), I was finished with the mommy elephant in time for his next nap.

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After putting together the mommy elephant, the baby elephant went together super quickly. I have to give a big hand to the author of this book. Her patterns and instructions are fantastic. There was no confusion or guesswork or mismatched pieces in this (or the other three patterns I've made from this book.)



I used a flannel from Jo-Ann for the body of the elephants, some Minky like material for the ears (which I have a ton more of should I ever decide to become a stuffed animal producing machine), and cheap-o buttons for the eyes.

I can't recommend this pattern enough. Anyone seen any other cute stuffed animal patterns out there? Maybe it's time to knit up a stuffed animal!

Testing, Ding, Ding, Is This Thing On?!

Hey, thanks to the advice you gave me, in like, March, I decided to finally combine my love of my son, N, and my crafting. I will now have one blog. If you are following two blogs, or two feeds, might want to get rid of one of them since they'll probably be a bit redundant. On the other hand, my book review blog is finally getting some posts written because I've decided to take it more seriously. No lie, I've posted to it ten time or more this month.

Either way, I've got some crafting stuff to post. I made my son some stuffed elephants. I knit a blanket. I broke my Lantern Moon sock needles and now have half an effing sock sitting in my WIP bag. I hope this works.

Sulky

Ugh. This has been a good month with bad things happening in it. First, it costs a fair bit to buy presents and throw a party for a little boy. When combined with two trips we plan to take this summer, upcoming school for N, and other financial changes, I'm feeling pinched when it comes to finances and it sucks.

It sucks because I want to buy things like yarn and needles, or fabric, or books, or other things that I enjoy and I won't. Worse, I haven't bought clothes in months now and shoes in years. I get money and I immediately allocate it to something hobby wise or coffee wise or to getting N stuff.

I've decided to take some steps re: this. I'm going to stop drinking Starbucks so much. It's killing me even in theory, but those Mocha Coconut Fraps add up both cost wise and calorie wise. I'm going to stop buying so much food for N when we're out. He'll need to learn to brown bag it a little more often. And I'm going to stop buying stupid small things that I want like a new more expensive shampoo or cute little cups for N. Perhaps if I stopped buying them, I could afford some new shoes once in a while.

And now, I'm here to tell you with this depressing financial statement, I think I'm back to blogging. My book blog is actually flourishing, and it's making me feel helpful about my family and craft blogs, which I've finally decided to combine. Also, it is a free hobby. So, wish me luck!