we got frisked

I know it's hardly fresh news to point out that that airport security is very silly and doesn't seem to promote any kind of actual security.  But seriously, Joseph and I got frisked this morning. Because a woman traveling alone with a ten month old is a real security risk.  And traveling alone with a baby isn't stressful enough.  Everybody was very polite, though.  It's important that the people who frisk you at 5:45 am be polite.  Otherwise it might be a negative experience.

Anyway.  We arrived safe and sound in New Jersey, Joseph is being treated like the baby Jesus by my parents, and I have plans to take a forty five minute long shower.  No pictures for the next week because I'm using a borrowed camera & computer and I can't be bothered to figure them out.  

baby hijinks and knit pants

This is what I have to contend with when I use the computer.

It's like he's trying to tell me to stop wasting my time on the interwebs.

Meanwhile, I have knit the baby a soaker instead of finishing the packing and finding dog-friendly hotels for Scott's cross-country journey with the dogs.


I used the free tiny birds pattern but I left off the cuffs because of the laziness issue. I learned the importance of a gauge swatch because when I finished them I had a new pair of underwear for myself. They were, let's say, a bit too big for Joseph. So I partially felted them and now I'm very pleased with the results. I really like having nice-looking diapers & diaper covers because I'm too lazy and it's too hot to dress the baby.

We're full swing into talking and standing here. By "talking" I mean he waves and says hi ("haaaaai") pretty regularly (to the dogs, natch) and he says mama and dada when he feels like it. And he stands like it's his job. All the time.

almost a quilt

This is a project that has been occupying a frightening amount of my time during the past month. I saw this from an old Wee Wonderfuls post and knew I absolutely had to make something like it. I had never pieced curves, and the last (and first) quilt I had made turned out quite wonky, with corners that didn't quite meet up, so I wasn't sure that I had the patience to piece anything as intricate as this. I considered appliqueing the roads on top of pieced squares, but my applique skills aren't any better than my piecing skills. So I made a template, and when that didn't work I kept making templates until I had a set that worked, and then I cut out eleventy million pieces of fabric. It turns out that piecing them together actually wasn't hard at all--you just have to pay attention (go figure) and take your time (which is always a problem for me).

Anyway, I'm pleased with myself. The next step is to embroider a dashed line down the center of the road and then actually quilt the thing. I don't know what the backing is going to be--probably a sheet, but if I can find something with little cars that would be good.

Now I officially have done so much sewing in the past few weeks that I don't want to look at my sewing machine for a while. Which is convenient, seeing as how after we move I indeed won't see it for a few weeks. So I have some knitting to keep me busy during the interim, and then I can return to sewing by making new curtains etc. for the new house (I already have ideas, hooray!).

things you can do in three hours

Out of the blue, Joseph has started taking some pretty substantial naps. Monday morning he slept for THREE HOURS. Considering that up until a week ago he was only taking half hour cat naps (which are useless for everyone concerned), this is awesome. I'd like to say that I've used all this time to wipe out my to do list (which includes minor things like packing all our belongings so we can move next week) but no, instead I pretty much bonded with the dogs while watching television and listening to my iPod. I've been listening to the Anne of Green Gables audiobook. Somehow I never read this as a child. I remember reading Bridge to Teribithia and several books involving mothers/sisters/friends dying of cancer while the popular girls got to read Anne of Green Gables and The Secret Garden. Seriously. Anyway, I'm very much enjoying Anne and it would have been nice when I was in third grade to feel like I wasn't the first girl ever to harbor fantasies of dying of smallpox, but whatever. I'm sure the nuns had their reasons.

Anyway. Knitting. I've been looking for something I can do while hanging out on the floor with the baby. Television is out of the question because he's starting to pay attention to it, and anything involving sharp needles is problematic. So, I spent fourth of July weekend figuring out how to knit, thanks to YouTube. It is seriously like magic. I can't quite figure out why making loops of yarn turns into, say, a sweater instead of a tangle, but I do like it. The green project is going to be part of a pillow from Knitting for Baby. The other thing I'm working on is a diaper cover because I figure it will be less of a tragedy if I make a few mistakes on a diaper cover, as opposed to a sweater. The diaper cover involves ribbing and increases and I feel like a rock star.