Saturday drive

So, I'm sitting here trying to knit Jim's socks, since Peregrin and Gabriel are napping (and Jim too!). I'm watching BBC News and I'm feeling like I should/need to do a million things which is probably why I'm blogging instead of just knitting. I really need to turn on the Celtic radio and just listen and knit.

However, we took a nice drive out to Multnomah Falls yesterday. I love going there, and so does the rest of the family. It was after 3pm when we left though, so we got there around 5pm since we had to stop to eat first. It was pretty cold, and to make it colder, the wind was blowing like hell. The river was completely choppy and being at the Falls wasn't exactly a warm idea. Ah, but it was still pretty. And I love drives. I don't need a destination, I just need myself in the car and some time. My favorite thing is to drive and see where I end up; to discover new things and new places. It always settles the kids down, and I feel completely at peace. Especially if there are lots of trees nearby. I love trees....woods....forests.

I also love to feel like I don't have to do anything in particular. Like when I get on the freeway and I feel like I can just keep going. I don't have to go anywhere but where I want to. Just keep on going until I get to where I want to, and have a new adventure. Life seems like that, like I can just keep going down the road, and enjoy all the stops along the way and just enjoy where I end up as I wander along. I mean that metephorically and literally.

Well, back to reality right now, and here's some pics of the kids and the falls. We weren't there long as it was getting a bit dark, and for once, I wasn't in the mood for a hike up the mountain to the falls. I really just felt cold.


This is what it looks like when I look back in our van. Carseats, boosters, everywhere. Oh yeah, and kids too.


Top of Multnomah Falls, from the bottom.


Whoa, look at the water!


"We're a wild and an untamed thing!"


"No, I'm not coming!"


OK, so that's it. I'm going to get back to knitting now because I'm paranoid that the kids are going to wake up before I can do anything. And PS, I'm pretty happy that I've only got about 20lbs left to lose to get down to pre-pregnancy weight. I was so puffy at the end of my pregnancy that for the first time I honestly didn't want my picture taken. Now, I finally get that. I really should work out a little though. My tummy is always the hardest thing to get back down and into shape.

Yarnie Yarnie - Pics - Massive Yarn Score!

I'm trying to catch up with all my yarnie goodness, so here's my package from Biscotte & Cie that I received on Feb. 6th. I have made little progress with Jim's socks, but I'm centered on making longies for Peregrin right now. This yarn, however, will be socks. Socks for me, socks for Peregrin, and socks for who knows who!

The Harry Potter Yarns....

This is the Watermelon self-striping yarn. I wish I had an example of how it knits up. Well, I will when I get to some socks for Miss M with it.



And, finally this is my Sgt. Pepper's yarn from her Yarn Club for February. I just love hand-dyed self-striping yarn!





Now here's my February yarn for The Unique Sheeps Lord of the Rings sock club. The package has a pin, some dreamy tea, the Hobbiton sock pattern, and the Hobbiton colorway.




Here's my Three Irish Girls yummy BFL yarn that we picked out for Peregrin's soakers.


Aiden


Nolan



And finally, if you've made it to the end of this post, then I'm going to reward you with some chubby cutie-pie goodness!

Valentines

So Jim and I hadn't really discussed doing anything for Valentines. I pretty much think it's a greeting card holiday....well it really is thanks to that Victorian card designer whose name escapes me. Ah, but anyhow....and Jim was working a late shift that day as well. I think just having a glass of wine and hanging out is enough. Just taking a little time together. Gifts and cards are nice, but I like making Jim cards and notes for holidays. It seems so much more true of a way to let him know how I feel.

So we did that Friday since he was home - had some wine and watched LOST (which can be downloaded from xbox live ....I had no idea!). Jim brought back chocolates from the store with the wine though. Sneaky. Then when we got up Saturday I asked Jim to make me coffee and he made me a latte instead.

Then when he came back from Baker & Spice Saturday he had a cake for me along with the bread. He's relentless! And it was delicious....



I also got some flowers from Jim, which were waiting on the table for me.

Mirkwood (cargo) Longies are the cuteness

So here are is latest FO for Peregrin. Jim picked up this delicious Araucania yarn in color #805 last Saturday. It was right before store closing and I started freaking out that Peregrin needed more longies as newborns go through them a bit faster with all the constant changes. I had only made two since I wanted to wait and see what sex the baby was before I made too many "neutral" ones.

eta - i did make a newborn curly purly which was too small for him right after birth, and the wrap i was testing for snasna which works great except it's too narrow to cover the prefold and is merely a spare for emergencies.



Luckily for me, Jim completely understands what colors and textures of yarn I like. I sent him with the mission of finding a good color in either the Aysen or Malabrigo worsted. He did well, because I love what he came home with. And then I set to work to get some longies done. It took me a couple days to get started on them because Peregrin and I were trying to get into our groove of doing things. Up to this point I had really only held him and sat down and relaxed.


Here's the link to my project in Ravelry.
I decided on doing pockets for these longies (faux ones as he doesn't really have anything to put into them right now..). They became the "Mirkwood Longies" as I'm kinda going into a LOTR thing again lately and after all, his name is Peregrin right. So all things LOTR is good.


So, complete with little wood leaf buttons on the pockets, the cargo longies are complete. I decided on doing a longer rise, and did a size small. I added in three short rows in the back, and instead of doing seed stitch cuffs, I left them in stockinette so they'd roll naturally. The benefit to that is that you can add onto the leg length with many options if the body still fits as they grow. I don't think this will be necessary as Peregrin seems to have a longer truck and shorter legs. We'll see.

I made a twisted cord for tieing the waistline, and I did the waist ribbing in a 3x1 twisted rib, with eyelets on every purl about halfway down the ribbing.



Overall, I'm very happy with them, and they are currently laying to dry after lanolizing them this morning. I especially love the pocket and button detailing on them. Now I just need to start collecting some shirts to match up with his longies that I make.



I really am in love with longies right now. I never really wanted them with the other kids, but they are so easy....just put on a prefold or fittted diaper and then the longies over them. One less step of a cover and pants as well, as the cover itself is a pair of pants. Less bulky and oh so cute to have knitted pants. He got lots of compliments yesterday on the "pants" he was wearing made of Manos del Uruguay.

I've ordered some Three Irish Girls BFL worsted in colorways "Aiden" and "Nolan" for his next pairs of longies. That should be arriving this week and then I can get to work on those. (eta - just got an email it shipped out today!)I haven't picked out any complimenting colors for those yet, so I'll see what I do with them. I really do need to start buying him some clothes though to match with the longies. I've only gone out of the house once since he was born - yesterday in fact. We took the kids to a Valentines party one of the moms hosted. Lucky for me, it was fairly quiet. As silly as I can be at times, Jim's the one to do all the physical jumping around and playing with the kids.

I've got more yarn from Biscotte & Cie in mostly all Harry Potter colorways to post about. That will be coming next. Right now I've got a sleepy newborn and a fussy 2 year old to deal with...

Welcome Earthside! The Birth of Peregrin Jameson

I'd like to introduce the newest member of our clan!
Peregrin Jameson
Born Feb. 2nd, 2009
4:15am
Weight: 8lbs 10 oz
Length: 21 inches
Head: 14 1/2 inches



It was a wonderful and quick birth. I woke up with a contraction at 2:40am, I called Jim at work at 3:15am right after my water broke, and I was holding him in my arms at 4:15am. It was a water birth, in our tub at home, and this time Jim got to catch him himself! Peregrin's shoulder was stuck on his way out, so I changed position and asked Jim to come over and help catch him while I pushed.



We are absolutely in love with our little darling, and I will probably be adding in a more complete birth story later on. I've always written them right away, but I just don't feel like sitting down and doing that just yet.



I spent our first week together doing nothing but relaxing and recuperating with Peregrin while Jim was here and did absolutely everything else. He was amazing, and I really couldn't have asked for more. I feel great, Peregrin is doing wonderfully, and generally, there's a whole lot of love and contentedness in our house. He is getting a ton of love from his three big brothers, and his big sister.