gratitude

...for little boys who "eat" with spoons

...and talk on the phone (a surge protector...don't you love the expression--"can't you see I'm trying to talk on the phone here?")

...and for living in a place where we can watch seagulls and pelicans (!!) on Thanksgiving day.

what to wear during an economic collapse

You know, to wear while warming you hands over the fire in the trash bin.

The handwarmers pictured in the pattern are more delicate and not at all hobo-appropriate, but I screwed up the eyelet row (obviously). I think this is because I used thicker yarn and knit too tightly. I used the magic loop technique which I had derided before as being too much of a pain to be practicable, but I got all obsessed with it and couldn't sit still until I had successfully knit something in the round. So I checked that off my list and proceeded to knit a few miles of scarf (merry Christmas, family members!).

Anyway, I think they're perfectly serviceable, albeit not as pretty as the originals. I've already worn them a lot in the garden and sitting in the yard with Joseph, who thinks digging in the dirt with a spoon is the reason he was born. I think I might make another pair of handwarmers, but longer, prettier, and in some kind of dirt-color that will match my clothing, but that will have to wait until after the holidays.

this is one fine looking loaf of bread

But it took forever to knead and now I have carpal tunnel. It's the 100% whole wheat bread from the excellent Bread Baker's Apprentice. It really was delicious, as was everything I made from that book, especially the pizza dough, which I'll write about some other time.

I'm really not interested in kneading anything right now though (maybe when it gets colder?) so I'm going to return BBA to the library for now and focus on Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day which I actually dream about. It's due back at the library on Friday and I'm so okay with paying the late fee just so I can try out the panetone recipe this weekend. I've made a few sandwich loaves, all of which were very good, but the most fantastic thing to come out of this book is the BRIOCHE. It involves like a dozen eggs and a gallon of melted butter, but it is heavenly. I just made croutons out of the last few slices and they are the best croutons in the world. I think I need this book from Santa.

The real lesson here is that everything I've made from either of these books tastes better than any bread I've made from internet recipes.

in which I embarass myself

I've been a loser over the past two weeks about posting, but I've been a loser about ever so many other things:

• I'm kind of bored of reading to the baby (bad mama!). He's very interested in books right now, or at least in sitting in my lap and turning pages, and I'm at the point where I groan inwardly when I see him toddling over with yet another book. Don't worry, I read to him anyway.
• I spent about a week glued to the internet playing with the New York Times website's interactive electoral map, and playing with all possible permutations of outcomes. There was definitely a point on Tuesday when I knew how many electoral votes every state had.
  
• I'm so excited about having a potential self-diagnosis about my stomach issues. I heard in interview on NPR that resonated, then I did a google search, and I decided that I have a migraine in my belly! Who knew that such a thing existed? So exciting. Who needs gastroenterologists? This was hands down highlight of my week, even more than the election.
  
• When I finished reading all the Harry Potter books (I was very late to that party) I got very depressed for several days, and spent too much time looking up wizarding trivia on the internet (information about Hogwarts is pretty much why the internet exists, apparently). I discovered that there is a sizable nexus of knitters who are extremely fond of Harry Potter. A Ravelry search turns up all manners of Potter-inspired hand knits. Very comforting, in a people-are-weird-like-me kind of way.

I have some creative endeavors that I'll post about next week, so the lameness will stop, or at least be interrupted.

garden carnage

Here's Joseph trying to finish what Freckles started earlier this week--the near-total destruction of the vegetable garden.  I think there must be lizards or ants living in there, because she was hell bent on tearing the whole thing up.  I caught her at it, yelled a lot, replanted every single plant that still had an in tact root system, and then she tore it up again.  I think what we have left are a few lettuce plants (which are getting a little too old to eat anyway), a little bit of basil and spinach, and maybe some carrots (can't tell yet).

Today I found her sleeping smack in the middle of one of the garden beds.  I hardly had the heart to make her leave it.

We're sitting Halloween out this year.  Joseph's too young to know what's going on, so he won't miss having a costume.  I'm promising myself that next year I'll do something fantastic, costume-wise.  The candy situation is making me resentful because I hate having piles of it lying around the house when I can't have any--I'm allergic (or something, google hasn't been able to diagnose me) to corn, and you can't find much candy that doesn't have corn syrup.  Bleh.  I prefer holidays that are celebrated with baked goods.

this is the best picture you will ever see

Awesome.

Indiana has to visit Joseph's crib after nap time, otherwise he barks. I don't get it.

Joseph's latest accomplishments:

• when you ask him if he wants to "fly" (get tossed in the air), he crouches and puts his arms out at his side
• when he sees his cup, he becomes rapturous
• he dances when he hears music
  
• he says mama (and "mamamammamamamamammamama"). Sometimes mama means me, sometimes it just means "somebody had better come love me now."
  

Typical conversation with Joseph:

Me: let's say hi to dada
Joseph: mama
Me: HI DADA!!
Joseph: mama
Scott: dada!
Joseph: mama!
Karen: dada!
Joseph: mama!

I love you too, baby.

symmetry is hard

 
I found a pattern on ravelry for mittens that are knit flat, so I guess I didn't need double pointed needles after all. They knit up very quickly, and it wasn't until I was done with the second one that I realized that its thumb was significantly longer than the first mitten's thumb.  Actually, that's not true--as I was knitting the second one, I had the notion that thumb on the first mitten was too short, so I had better make the thumb on the second mitten longer.  Which makes no sense, I realize:  a pair of mittens, only one of which fits, is no better than no mittens at all.

I do this all the time when I'm making sleeves, hemming pants legs, etc.:  after making the first one, I decide I can do better, so--instead of doing the first one over--I "improve" my technique on the second one and wind up with two totally unmatching hems or whatever.  Stupid.

Anyway, I wound up making a third mitten to match the first one, whose thumb was the right length after all.  And Joseph can pull the mittens off in no time so none of it matters.