At last night's Cub Scout pack meeting, the results from Saturday's race were announced and Aidan was thrilled to learn that his car placed second in his den!
And the cars built by the two overzealous dads? They placed in their den but were completely shut out of the top three in the pack. :)
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Another hat trick
Continuing with the theme of selfish knitting, I completed three hats in the month of January and they are all for me. The first hat is a practical one; I needed a hat that will stay put on my head while I am shoveling snow or tramping around the woods on snowshoes. When design team Tin Can Knits offered a free pattern, I was
immediately smitten with the Hunter hat. I chose Berroco Vintage, a
superwash wool, so I can toss it in the dryer without worry, and decided to use two contrasting colors:
I liked the pattern and the cables, but it turned out far more pointed or “elfy” than I really like. Either I misread the pattern or I would find a way to minimize the pointiness if I knit the pattern again. But I guess some humor is always welcome when shoveling snow!
The next hat was knit to match my brown coats. I had been drooling over Madelinetosh yarn in the Glazed Pecan colorway and a new hat was a good excuse to use it:
How I love the Tosh yarn - the color, the feel, the richness. The pattern is the Slouchy Beehive Hat by Flora Cheung, and the alternating sections of knits and purls made it a great project for watching college football bowl games.
The last hat is pure folly and frivolity. The Easy Slouch Hat was either featured in a Facebook post by Jimmy Beans Wool or one of their newsletters, and I immediately thought it would be fun to knit in a yarn with a metallic thread in it. Then I took it one step further and thought "Sequins! It needs sequined yarn!" I found Universal Yarn's Classic Shades Sequins Lite and bought it in the Primrose colorway.
The pattern was very easy but still interesting enough to hold my interest. This was my first time knitting with sequined yarn and it was much easier than I anticipated. Soon I had a sparkly hat:
I adore this hat! It is just what I wanted, a hat that is not necessarily practical but fun, sparkly and colorful. I wore the hat yesterday while out and about, and three women at the library made a big fuss over it, wanting to know where I got it. When I told them I knit it, they were even more impressed. It was nice to have my work noticed, and their compliments along with the sequins helped to lift my spirits.
I liked the pattern and the cables, but it turned out far more pointed or “elfy” than I really like. Either I misread the pattern or I would find a way to minimize the pointiness if I knit the pattern again. But I guess some humor is always welcome when shoveling snow!
The next hat was knit to match my brown coats. I had been drooling over Madelinetosh yarn in the Glazed Pecan colorway and a new hat was a good excuse to use it:
How I love the Tosh yarn - the color, the feel, the richness. The pattern is the Slouchy Beehive Hat by Flora Cheung, and the alternating sections of knits and purls made it a great project for watching college football bowl games.
The last hat is pure folly and frivolity. The Easy Slouch Hat was either featured in a Facebook post by Jimmy Beans Wool or one of their newsletters, and I immediately thought it would be fun to knit in a yarn with a metallic thread in it. Then I took it one step further and thought "Sequins! It needs sequined yarn!" I found Universal Yarn's Classic Shades Sequins Lite and bought it in the Primrose colorway.
The pattern was very easy but still interesting enough to hold my interest. This was my first time knitting with sequined yarn and it was much easier than I anticipated. Soon I had a sparkly hat:
I adore this hat! It is just what I wanted, a hat that is not necessarily practical but fun, sparkly and colorful. I wore the hat yesterday while out and about, and three women at the library made a big fuss over it, wanting to know where I got it. When I told them I knit it, they were even more impressed. It was nice to have my work noticed, and their compliments along with the sequins helped to lift my spirits.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Derby Day 2013
Yesterday was the Pinewood Derby for Cub Scout Pack 248, the last derby for Aidan and his fellow Webelos II. The Pinewood Derby has often been a source of conflict in our home; in past years, James has had to push Aidan to design and work on his car, often at the last minute. This year, we told Aidan that if he wanted to have a car in the derby, then up was up to him to design the car and start work on it well ahead of time...and if he did not, then he wouldn't have a car. Period.
Much to our surprise and delight, he came up with the concept and plan about a month in advance, and asked James to help him cut out the shape. Then Aidan did all the sanding and once James helped him tape out the design, he did all the painting.The only other work that James did was to place the wheels onto the car and add weights.
Tada! Here is Aidan's Star Spangled car:
The derby was its usual blend of excitement bordering on hysteria, and parents jostling for the best camera angles. There was quite an assortment of cars:
There were, of course, cars that were obviously made entirely by parents; two dads in particular are well known in the pack for expending significant effort and money on their sons' cars. It does cause resentment on the part of both scouts and parents, but there really isn't anything that can be done to prevent it.
Each car raced in each of the six lanes on the track and then times were tabulated. The top eighteen cars - half of the field - then raced again, and again the cars races in each of the six lanes. Aidan's car was in the top eighteen but against the fastest cars, it did not come out near the top on most races.
The results will be announced at Tuesday night's pack meeting, along with the cars that won awards like "Most Colorful" or "Most Imaginative". Aidan knows that his car will not place in the top three in the pack, but he holds out hope that he will place in the top three in his den. Considering that five out of the six cars in his den went on to the finals, I think winning a place in the den in highly unlikely. I hope that all those talks about good sportsmanship will bear fruit on Tuesday night!
Much to our surprise and delight, he came up with the concept and plan about a month in advance, and asked James to help him cut out the shape. Then Aidan did all the sanding and once James helped him tape out the design, he did all the painting.The only other work that James did was to place the wheels onto the car and add weights.
Tada! Here is Aidan's Star Spangled car:
The derby was its usual blend of excitement bordering on hysteria, and parents jostling for the best camera angles. There was quite an assortment of cars:
There were, of course, cars that were obviously made entirely by parents; two dads in particular are well known in the pack for expending significant effort and money on their sons' cars. It does cause resentment on the part of both scouts and parents, but there really isn't anything that can be done to prevent it.
Each car raced in each of the six lanes on the track and then times were tabulated. The top eighteen cars - half of the field - then raced again, and again the cars races in each of the six lanes. Aidan's car was in the top eighteen but against the fastest cars, it did not come out near the top on most races.
The results will be announced at Tuesday night's pack meeting, along with the cars that won awards like "Most Colorful" or "Most Imaginative". Aidan knows that his car will not place in the top three in the pack, but he holds out hope that he will place in the top three in his den. Considering that five out of the six cars in his den went on to the finals, I think winning a place in the den in highly unlikely. I hope that all those talks about good sportsmanship will bear fruit on Tuesday night!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Bathroom renovation - the upstairs edition
One of the reasons why James renovated the downstairs bathroom - other than it just needed renovating - is because the shower in the bathroom upstairs also leaked. Sigh. Based on what we have seen of the bathroom plumbing done by the rehabber, if this house had a third bathroom, that shower would have also leaked.
We, of course, failed to take "before" photos but we did take a "in the process" photo. When James tore out the ugly plastic shower surround, he revealed an former Pepto-pink color scheme:
If you were not already sick when you walked into a bathroom with those two colors on the wall...
With the help (and tools) of our excellent neighbor and plumber, Ben, James redid the pipes and connections to the shower. We had kept a handle set that we purchased but did not use in the Georgia house, and James was able to install it. I much prefer having a separate handle for hot and cold water; it makes hotter/colder adjustments more precise and allows a strong shower even at cool or tepid temperatures:
As with the downstairs shower, James installed subway tile on the shower walls:
The tile is white, although it does not read white in the photo.
James also took the sink off the wall and reinstalled it properly, then used the same color and texture of paint that he used downstairs to freshen the walls. He installed one additional towel bar but we kept all the furnishing and linens the same. If you visited us before, you certainly recognize the same shower curtain:
Although not nearly as dramatic as the downstairs redo, the upstairs bathroom now looks wonderful and the shower DOES NOT LEAK. Never underestimate the importance of a properly plumbed bathroom.
We, of course, failed to take "before" photos but we did take a "in the process" photo. When James tore out the ugly plastic shower surround, he revealed an former Pepto-pink color scheme:
If you were not already sick when you walked into a bathroom with those two colors on the wall...
With the help (and tools) of our excellent neighbor and plumber, Ben, James redid the pipes and connections to the shower. We had kept a handle set that we purchased but did not use in the Georgia house, and James was able to install it. I much prefer having a separate handle for hot and cold water; it makes hotter/colder adjustments more precise and allows a strong shower even at cool or tepid temperatures:
As with the downstairs shower, James installed subway tile on the shower walls:
The tile is white, although it does not read white in the photo.
James also took the sink off the wall and reinstalled it properly, then used the same color and texture of paint that he used downstairs to freshen the walls. He installed one additional towel bar but we kept all the furnishing and linens the same. If you visited us before, you certainly recognize the same shower curtain:
Although not nearly as dramatic as the downstairs redo, the upstairs bathroom now looks wonderful and the shower DOES NOT LEAK. Never underestimate the importance of a properly plumbed bathroom.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Knitting anniversary
Five years ago today, in the home of a woman whose name I no longer remember, I learned to knit. I was a member of a group of moms* who participated in various types of activities and outings, and several women had expressed an interest in knitting. One of the members knew someone who not only knitted but agreed to teach us, and she organized a time and hosted the class in her home.
There were six or seven of us on that Sunday afternoon and although I don't remember any of the other students, I will always remember the teacher, Hannah. She was kind and she was patient in her teaching, but she had two guiding principles for knitting from which I quickly diverged: use aluminum needles and buy the cheapest yarn available. It did not take long for me to realize that I hated the feel of both aluminum and acrylic, and when I decided that I liked knitting enough to stick with it, I purchased better needles and far better yarn!
Hannah showed us how to do a simple cast on and had us practice it several times, then taught us the two basic stitches: knit, and purl. We sat around the living room trying out our new found knowledge, working to get the hang of knitting and laughing at our mistakes. A few members of the first class reconvened two or three weeks after the initial meeting, but I was the only person who had continued to knit after the first few days. Hannah was pleased with my progress - several inches of garter stitch - and showed me how to bind off.
In the five years since my introduction to knitting, I have learned to appreciate good tools and materials. I prefer to knit with bamboo or wooden needles, and I adore knitting with alpaca, merino wool, and other fine fibers. With the basics learned and learned well, I can now expand my knowledge by viewing videos or reading instructions. I have completed over 130 different projects, many of which were gifts. I have learned that many people simply are not knitworthy, but that many other people are. I enjoy the process of knitting, and I enjoy having a finished product. Knitting has opened up a whole new world of fiber crafts and fiber fanatics.
Five years ago, I had no idea that knitting would become one of my passions. Thank you, Hannah!
*That group, the Fun Fayette Moms or something of the sort, taught me that being a mother is simply not enough common ground on which to build a friendship. I am reminded of that fact quite often.
There were six or seven of us on that Sunday afternoon and although I don't remember any of the other students, I will always remember the teacher, Hannah. She was kind and she was patient in her teaching, but she had two guiding principles for knitting from which I quickly diverged: use aluminum needles and buy the cheapest yarn available. It did not take long for me to realize that I hated the feel of both aluminum and acrylic, and when I decided that I liked knitting enough to stick with it, I purchased better needles and far better yarn!
Hannah showed us how to do a simple cast on and had us practice it several times, then taught us the two basic stitches: knit, and purl. We sat around the living room trying out our new found knowledge, working to get the hang of knitting and laughing at our mistakes. A few members of the first class reconvened two or three weeks after the initial meeting, but I was the only person who had continued to knit after the first few days. Hannah was pleased with my progress - several inches of garter stitch - and showed me how to bind off.
In the five years since my introduction to knitting, I have learned to appreciate good tools and materials. I prefer to knit with bamboo or wooden needles, and I adore knitting with alpaca, merino wool, and other fine fibers. With the basics learned and learned well, I can now expand my knowledge by viewing videos or reading instructions. I have completed over 130 different projects, many of which were gifts. I have learned that many people simply are not knitworthy, but that many other people are. I enjoy the process of knitting, and I enjoy having a finished product. Knitting has opened up a whole new world of fiber crafts and fiber fanatics.
Five years ago, I had no idea that knitting would become one of my passions. Thank you, Hannah!
*That group, the Fun Fayette Moms or something of the sort, taught me that being a mother is simply not enough common ground on which to build a friendship. I am reminded of that fact quite often.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Quick knit bit
Here is the cowl that I knit as a Christmas gift for my mother:
The pattern is Shawl Collared Cowl by Alana Dakos. You can see how the cowl is worn by looking at the cowl's pattern page on her website. I first saw the cowl in Soper Creek Yarn, the yarn store in Ontario that my friend Geri took me to visit and it really did not pique my interest; I don't think it was displayed to its best advantage. It wasn't until Geri knit the pattern and modeled the cowl on her blog that I saw just how pretty it is, and decided it would be a lovely gift for my mother.
I chose a beautiful all purpose charcoal grey colorway of Mista Alpaca Chunky, which is 100% Alpaca and 100% divine. I had a devil of a time getting gauge and ended up achieving it with US 4 needles - five needle sizes smaller than the pattern suggested. The pattern was interesting to knit and is a good example of those times when just reading a pattern confuses me but when I get into the actual knitting, it all makes sense.
After I completed her cowl, I knit another buttoned neckwarmer just like the one I knit for Aidan's teacher. I discovered when I finished Mr. A's neckwarmer that I had used just under half of the skein of yarn, and decided that rather than put away the yarn and likely never use it, I would quickly knit up another and see if anyone wanted it:
Not long after I posted the "free to a good home" notice on Facebook, my lovely Mary asked for it. We ended up working out a trade - the cowl in exchange for a gorgeous set of votive candles and tray. I still think she received the short end of the stick on that trade. Speaking of Mary, she is a very talented artist and (shameless plug) you can see a small portion of her work in her Etsy shop.
As for knitting, I am selfishly knitting some items for me - stay tuned.
The pattern is Shawl Collared Cowl by Alana Dakos. You can see how the cowl is worn by looking at the cowl's pattern page on her website. I first saw the cowl in Soper Creek Yarn, the yarn store in Ontario that my friend Geri took me to visit and it really did not pique my interest; I don't think it was displayed to its best advantage. It wasn't until Geri knit the pattern and modeled the cowl on her blog that I saw just how pretty it is, and decided it would be a lovely gift for my mother.
I chose a beautiful all purpose charcoal grey colorway of Mista Alpaca Chunky, which is 100% Alpaca and 100% divine. I had a devil of a time getting gauge and ended up achieving it with US 4 needles - five needle sizes smaller than the pattern suggested. The pattern was interesting to knit and is a good example of those times when just reading a pattern confuses me but when I get into the actual knitting, it all makes sense.
After I completed her cowl, I knit another buttoned neckwarmer just like the one I knit for Aidan's teacher. I discovered when I finished Mr. A's neckwarmer that I had used just under half of the skein of yarn, and decided that rather than put away the yarn and likely never use it, I would quickly knit up another and see if anyone wanted it:
Not long after I posted the "free to a good home" notice on Facebook, my lovely Mary asked for it. We ended up working out a trade - the cowl in exchange for a gorgeous set of votive candles and tray. I still think she received the short end of the stick on that trade. Speaking of Mary, she is a very talented artist and (shameless plug) you can see a small portion of her work in her Etsy shop.
As for knitting, I am selfishly knitting some items for me - stay tuned.
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