Catching up on Craftster Blog posts, I found this fun tutorial on patching holes in sweaters using crochet. If you don’t subscribe to the CRAFT blog, you really ought to consider it. It’s definitely a busy blog, but full of great ideas.

Alright, I have decided to embrace my inner geek. I have resisted just-for-fun geek knitting, because I still have little use for things that are neither functional nor beautiful (bonus points if you can name who said this). But I’m starting on a string of geek knitting that does have function.

Project One: Dragon Gauntlets in bright blue, reminiscent of Saphria from Eragon. (see, I warned you.)

And here is the link to the project’s page at Ravelry, with pattern information. No yarn information though, it’s from my mom’s stash with, predictably, no label.

After I get these done, I’ll be doing some socks with the same dragon scale pattern, then a few other geeky surprises, including Star Wars, Star Trek, and Nintendo Geekiness. Some Stargate thrown in there, too, for good measure.

We made this little lamb for a homeschool craft project this week. Take a toilet paper tube, stuff it with waste paper. Wrap two black pipe cleaners (sorry, chenille stems). Cover with glue. Cover with cotton balls. Glue on eyes. Glue on mouth. Chuckle at how pathetic it looks.

These are a gift for a friend who might read this blog, but who doesn’t know I’m making something for her. The mitts look freakishly thin, but they’re 2×2 ribbing so they stretch nicely and give the mitts a nice hug. I made them with stash yarn, as I’m making most of my projects these days. This was yarn I got from my mom’s house when she died. More on pattern and yarn here at Ravelry.

See, it all started mid-week a few weeks ago. I cleaned out the pantry. It was Pantry and Entry week in my modified FlyLady schedule. The pantry looked all spiffy and, after sweeping the back entry (where the pantry is), I decided that we really needed to paint the walls.

So I painted them. I used a light mint color that we had leftover from another project. Then, well, the trim really needed some work, too. I didn’t have time to remove the paint and stain them like I wanted to, so I painted them dark brown, also with leftover paint. So, four days later, it was all painted and looking pretty good.

But the old wooden blinds that were on the door when we moved in just weren’t right any more. Voila…a nice linen curtain with a nice Craftsman stenciled design.

Then I had to paint the stairs going down to my office (gray to match the walls in the basement entry - they were just kind of a mixture of all sorts of gross colors before) and then also installed a panel of fabric UNDER the stairs (which do not have risers) to hide the under-stair storage.

I’m quite pleased, and the only thing I had to buy was the curtain rod - $3.25.

I just realized I’d left this languishing in my Drafts folder…

Phew. I really do not recommend knitting four pairs of socks in a row with the same yarn. Um, boring!!

But they’re done and aren’t we cute?? Plus, this is our first family picture now that we’re a family of four.

(cross posted at Wallypoppers.)

It was 71 degrees out today, a stunningly beautiful day amid a week of 40s and predicted weekend back in the 40s. Both children are still coughing, but nobody seems on the brink of death at this point, and we were all eager to get outside. We went to the zoo as soon as it opened for the day!

Here is Genna, enjoying her first trip to the zoo.

And two swans, enjoying the nice day next to their still-frozen pond. Wally got a kick out of watching the swans and ducks slip and slide on the ice.

This silly goat had climbed up onto the bridge over the sidewalk, and he brayed down at us forlornly, vainly trying to get us to feed him. If only our arms were a few feet longer…

Wally now loves this “bubble” window into the aquarium, though he used to be scared of it.

Can I pause for a minute and say that I love babywearing? I was the only person at the zoo today not pushing a stroller. I had Genna bundled up on my front, where I could protect her from the occasional slightly chilly breeze, and our backpack on the back. I did not feel weighed down, and was happy to not have to worry about a stroller.

We were also able to enjoy about an hour and a half of outdoor play in the backyard after I finished up the days’ work and before the dipping sun made it just a wee bit too chilly to really enjoy ourselves any longer. Well, too chilly for mama, anyway.

Come on, Spring!!

I was happy to log on to Old School Acres to find out that I’m not the only one who detests changing the thread in my sewing machine. (or who feels oogy when thinking of the long to-do list of projects.)

Laurie writes:

To match the long list of things to do is a long list of reasons I don’t want to start.  I hate rethreading my sewing machine for new colors of thread.  I’m never happy with the first version of anything.  I want to keep all my beautiful cotton prints in the cupboard so that I can admire them and not have to cut them.

A total copy from MamaP

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me. I will try to make these tailored to those five people. The restrictions and limitations:

*I will make no guarantees that you will like what I make.

*What I create will be just for you.

*You will have no clue what it will be

*The catch is that you have to post this as well, if you expect me to do something for you.

*I have to be able to afford the postage, if you live out of country.

* I (you) have until 2009 is up to complete

Please link to your blog, if I don’t know you, in case we are new friends.