WOW! It’s been a while since I’ve blogged, let alone written a blog about a “Work in Progress.” Lilli has had a stomach bug going on four days now. (No worries yet though. Dr says it has to run it’s course…just keep her hydrated and rested) At first she didn’t think it was all that bad - what kid doesn’t like to relax, watch movies, & get out of doing chores? Especially since we had rain ALL weekend. Now that the sun is out again and that she had to miss a gymnastics class, Lilli’s getting “frustrated at the “buggie” in her tummy.

I, however, have had a little bit more time to sit and knit. I finished a soaker for Corinne and started on some longies for Eleanor. Let me tell you, I’m so excited about this longie project because:
#1 it’s my first attempt at longies
#2 they are knit on FLAT (woo hoo!) needles
#3 the designer has been so thorough that I don’t think I could mess this up (yes, I’m woo hooing even more now).
They are knit in two sections, a right and left side and sewn down the front and back. I’ve finished one half already and can’t wait to start the other side. I know I have a couple more months until Eleanor makes her debut, but one can never be too prepared
Since Lilli has also had some *down* time, she has joined me in knitting. For her birthday, her grandfather sent her a weaving kit to get her started. (I personally love this because it’s a great tool for hand-eye coordination). She’s been having a blast “knitting” and is in the process of making a pillow for her stuffed animals. She’s finished one half of the pillow…all that’s left is the other side, some stuffing, and them mom to sew the halves together.

Until next week…

Short and sweet “Work in Progress” Wednesday:

I knitted a wool diaper soaker for Corinne:

And am in the process of knitting one for Eleanor…I thought this looked more purple in the store, but it looks a little more blue at home…either way, it will serve it’s purpose

I was originally using BumGenius cloth diapers for Corinne..until I bleached the PUL layer out of them…whoops! So much for “following the directions.” I’ve decided to switch to the “old fashioned” way of cloth diapering - prefolds and soakers. I like this way MUCH better: (1) because I don’t have to handle the dirtiness of the diapers as much. With the pocket diapers, such as BumGenius, you have to separate the insert from the pocket, which I found to be too messy, and then wash both. This way, I just toss the prefold into the wash…after flushing the “dirtiness” out of the soiled diapers, of course. The wool soaker is lanolized so it repels moisture and therefore does not need to be washed…unless it gets soiled somehow. (2) I have found that the wool soaker allows baby’s skin to breathe more than when covered with a PUL layer. (3) I LOVE knitting the little soakers!

For more information about how and why to use cloth diapers for your little one, click HERE.

Oh - I’ve learned to “control” my bleaching addiction

Knitting…it’s a learning process.

I had made Lilli’s tank as I went along and it fit her quite nicely. Corinne’s tank is a different story. I completely made her tank WAY too small…it wouldn’t fit around her pudgy tummy to be sewn up the back. But rather than tear it all out and start over, I decided to improvise. I had some left over white ribbon and thought adding some bows might add a little more “girly-ness” to her tank, since there was more green than I had thought there would be. So instead of sewing up the back, I laced it - perfect for those hot summer days spent playing outside in our backyard (this won’t be something she’ll be in around strangers…lol). I also added the ribbon to tie around her neck. With a few more tweaks, I think this will be a better match for Eleanor next summer, but at least Corinne can get a season’s use out of it first

I’m going to take a break from tanks and begin working on some soakers for Corinne & Eleanor’s cloth diapers. Stay tuned!

It’s been over a week since I blogged…tsk tsk. BUT- I finished Corinne’s dress AND Lilli’s tank (I made this tank up as I went along: used #2 straight needles, alternating knitting and stockinette stitch - four rows each, and then knitted the upper chest area. I used a little under two balls of Cascade Dyed Fixation Effects in Parfait ) I know, I went nuts. I also finished book # 9 in the Left Behind Series, Desecration. Great read…now onto book # 10: The Remnant. So I guess those aren’t really “Works In Progress,” but our vegetables are! Our snap peas, broccoli, & carrots are thriving! I can’t wait to transplant them into the garden this weekend (and get my window sills back!). Our strawberries have begun to sprout, but I’m still waiting on the tomatoes. We’ll see what this next week brings

I have a couple projects I’d like to share today I’ve been working diligently on both Corinne’s Anouk pinafore and Lilli’s summer tank.

I’m almost done with the first half of the pinafore, since I still need to the back side. The seed stitch along the edges looks so nice against the stockinette stitch seen in the main body (the camera flash makes it look a little strange in the picutre though). It’s actually starting to look like an outfit!

Lilli’s tank is another story. I’ve decided to knit the whole on a straight needle, rather than two halves and then sewing them together. The pro is that I will only have to sew up the back; the con is that I’ll have to place the stitches on a holder to make sure the tank straps are where they are supposed to go…but like I said, I’m making this one up as I go along…it will be a learning experience :) I’ve decided to add some texture to Lilli’s tank: alternating four rows of knit stitch and then four rows of stockinette stitch. 

I really like both yarns I’m using. They are both so soft and Lilli’s has elastic in the cotton so it will be a little more stretchy. Lilli’s really excited about her tank because “the colors are so beautiful!” Beautiful? Sure I’ll take that…but in my opinion, it looks like confetti birthday cake…lol.

This isn’t quite a “knitting” project…but another one of my projects that is a work in progress We found out today that Eleanor Louise Clarke is right on schedule and is expected to debut July 16th, 2008. Even though I was WAY off in my prediction that the baby was a boy, we’re so excited that God has blessed us with another healthy daughter

Yes, I realize I’ve been on a knitting kick. The past few posts have been about my knitting progress, which I won’t hold back to say that I’m so excited about! I have a few projects I’m working on right now:
1) a tank top for Lilli (which is knitted with size 2 needles and of course will take a little longer…I’ll post that project next WIP Wednesday)
2) a baby blanket (knitted with size 10 needles and four strands of yarn) that I’ve been working on for the past month…it’s my “thing I knit when I’m bored” project.
3) a pinafore for Corinne, called Anouk, which is pictured. I’ve upped the needle size from 6 to 8 in hopes that it will fit her better, since she is now a size 24 months! This is probably my favorite project so far - it’s going to be such a cute dress (& later a top since it will grow with her) and the pima tencel yarn is to die for…so soft! So far, I think it’s looking great

It took me a week, but I finally finished the cardigan! I probably would have finished earlier, but I have about three other projects (no I take that back: two…since I finished the knitted loofahs for the girls) on needles at the moment. But guess what…it fits Corinne wonderfully, with a little room to grow. The sleeves are cropped so it will be perfect even for spring time. I didn’t add any flowers or other “girly” decorations to it, since I don’t know if Baby Clarke is a boy or girl yet. This way, the cardigan is gender neutral. I’m actually quite pleased with the result, even though at first I was a little skeptical because the arm holes weren’t exactly even. Then again, is anything handmade ever 100% perfect? A big thanks to Vicki for all her “email” help. Every time I got stuck, I’d email her for advice, since she is an AMAZING knitter. So now the question is…do I finish my other projects or do I start on a new one? Hmmm….

I’ve decided to jump on the bandwagon…that’s right, I’m participating in Mrs H’s WIP Wednesday. I’m working on my first, yes VERY FIRST, cardigan. What can I say? Bibs, scarves, slippers…they just weren’t doing it for me anymore. So I had some left over yarn (el-cheapo acrylic) that I wasn’t worried about destroying and decided to give Daisy a try. There are pros and cons to this: Pro: I learned that I can, in fact, seed stitch (as you can hopefully see on the borders of the cardigan in progress). Cons: I’m such a perfectionist that it drives me nuts that it’s not completely even (notice the arm holes….eek!!) But like I said, it’s my first cardigan and I can only get better with time….ahem….lots of it

Now that my second trimester is underway, every day seems to be better I have no nausea, have more energy, and can actually cook dinner without wanting to pass out! Woo hoo!

This morning has been especially awesome…the girls and I woke up around 7:30, ate breakfast & got ready for the day, homeschooled, and thought it was a good idea to head out “into town.”

By 10:30am we were at Apple Blossom Mall, which I’ve probably only been to maybe 4 times in the year and a half we’ve been in Winchester…what can I say, I will always be a Tyson’s  & Garden’s gal.

Motherhood Maternity was a huge success…no pun intended and then it was off to Border’s, where Lilli & Corinne each got to pick out a book.

We were home by 12:30pm, ate lunch, and now the girls are taking a well deserved nap.

What a busy morning! But the girls and I really enjoyed our time together…and are now looking forward to Papa getting home from work later on
Now, I am going to take advantage of my quiet time: kick my feet up, continue to knit a baby blanket I’ve been working on, and turn on an episode of Little House on the Prairie (or as we say, “L-HOP”)

Psalm 118:24
“This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (NASB)