Listen

Do you ever feel like the universe is talking to you? Leaving little clues, that if you're perceptive enough to pick up on, can be decoded into one blaring message thats been right before your eyes for the longest time. I don't mean to get all hippy dippy, but I feel like I'm always searching for answers- answers to everything and maybe all I need to do is listen to the universe. I don't have the slightest idea why this thought just popped into my head and why I feel the need to document it in this blog, but I do so I am.

Since I'm here, might as well talk about crafty stuff. My needles have been click clackin' like crazy. I've been repeating the mantra "knit faster, winter is coming" as I knit warm woolies for the family. I started with hats for the twins,

 then moved on to a hat for hubby

 and recently finished a hat for my older son. 

I had to compromise on his hat because he wanted a yellow hat with black zig zags on it to simulate the hair of his favorite Dragon Ball Z character. I let him have the yellow, but I picked the pattern I liked and omitted the black. I also finished cowls for them too. I made the structured cowl for hubby

 and the ribby cowl for boy wonder.

Next on the needles are mittens and gloves and then I'll have time for some selfish knitting.

Memory Lane

I found myself taking an unprompted trip down memory lane. Just taking a peek at some of my blog posts from a couple of years ago and I have to admit that I got a bit nostalgic. I didn't tear up or anything but it was a special moment that made me feel some kind of way. I guess I needed that. I needed that moment to remind me of "why", the reason that I do this.

When I started this blog eight years ago ( Wow, can't believe it's been that long), my motives were kinda selfish. Well, not kinda, they were. My goals were to improve my writing which doesn't come easy to me and to show off my creative side which I didn't get a chance to do that often (back then).

By my account, my writing did improve. But then I started slacking. Postings were scarce and my writing suffered. Reading those old posts put a battery in my back so hopefully I can keep this new found motivation going just like the Energizer Bunny.

As I started to get the hang of things, another one of my goals was to improve my photography skills. That's one of the main reasons I read a lot of blogs are for the beautiful pictures. I even took a class at one point! Of course that fell by the wayside too. The lighting is so poor in my tiny Harlem apartment so it takes a lot of effort to shoot something that fits my standards. Most of the time I'm fiddling with the pictures for hours in Photoscape trying to get it just right. I've been taking it easy on myself regarding the picture quality for my last couple of posts. My new mantra is, they don't have to be perfect, as long as I'm posting then I'm happy.

I don't know where this post came from. Babies just woke up for their 3am feeding so I guess that's my cue to go. I dint know when my next post will be, but I can guarantee knitting content. Toodaloo!

Not quite right

Remember the teal and gray baby sweater from my last post? In case you don't, here's a pic.

Nice, right? Let's take a closer look shall we....

Notice anything? I'm not talking about the difference in color between the blue's. I'm talking about the shoulder.

Guess who forgot to sew the shoulder seam before picking up stitches for the hood? Yup, this chick right here.

I just haven't had the energy to rip it out and fix it. Luckily I have a few more months before the boys will be able to fit them. I started the second one, but as usual, I ran out of yarn. I ended up starting a new project in the meantime, in between time.

I have a bunch of pre fold diapers, I mean a BUNCH! I failed to realize before putting a gaggle of them on my registry, that you need a wool cover to go over them. You also have to lanolize the cover which is a whole 'nother story which I won't go into just yet.

The great part about knitting soakers is that you don't need much yardage so I can use up some of the handspun stash. Only downside is most of my handspun is in feminine colors so it was really hard finding appropriate yarn.

I finally settled on yarn I spun from my previous Spunky Club subscription ( which I miss dearly). I'm almost done, just have to add the ribbing to the legholes.

Even though I'm getting some knitting done, I'm still pining for my other crafts. I can't wait to break out the wheel and sewing machine. Hopefully they'll make an appearance soon.

Hiatus

I seem to be a pro at disappearing for long stretches of time, and yet for some reason I always seem to return. A lot has happened since my last post. The most notable is that I had a couple of kids and at the same time even! I just had twin boys two months ago and I guess the monotony of daily life has me wanting to mix it up a bit, hence this post. I probably won't be posting any pics of my little one's faces just because I'm one of those paranoid moms. Since this is a craft blog, I'll oblige with a little craft update.

Since having the boys, I've wanted to knit a whole lot more than my free time allows. I'm one of those knitters that likes to work on one project at a time. I'm currently working on hoodies for the boys. I finished one and working on the second. I'm making both in contrasting colors using a pattern called Hooded Baby Sweater by Halliday Nelson which can be found for free on Ravelry.

I like the simplicity of the pattern which makes it easier to customize. I'm actually following the pattern to a tee but I made it my own by changing the sleeve and band colors.

I'm also using this project to practice my lever knitting. Lever knitting is a way to knit with the right needle tucked under your arm. The Yarn Harlot knits this way and it is known to be a more efficient way to knit. It also produces a more even fabric. In my case, I knit tightly and it has relieved some of the tension I use to feel in my wrist and I noticed that I don't "row out" as much too. Here's a video of Stephanie lever knitting.

The boys are starting to stir so I'll catch this blog on the flip side. Craft on.