My first Mother's Day was quiet and relaxing (similar to my birthday), but again, it's just what I wanted: sleeping in, going to church, finishing up my mom's present, having a small BBQ with my parents, having a movie night with my husband. We watched Juno, which I think was an appropriate Mother's Day film. Now I know why the movie received such high praise--I had much sympathy for all of the characters, and I liked how the issue of adoption was explored. I could relate to Vanessa, the adoptive mom, and her longing for a child. The director did a great job presenting a delicate issue.

Last night I finished my first crocheted garment: "Ring a Round the Posie" from Interweave Crochet, Spring 2008. It was a pretty fast project, and I enjoyed working on something different. About half-way through I didn't think I would like it, let alone actually wear it, but after I finished, my opinion changed. It actually doesn't look half-bad on! (I did take some pics of it being worn, but they were horrible--consider yourselves "spared").

Now I have finished two larger projects for myself while Pat has been waiting for a sweater for about a year and a half. I also owe him a completed counted cross stitch piece that I started over a year ago. So, next up: the Cobblestone Pullover. My goal is to complete it, as well as the cross stitch, by Father's Day. Hopefully I won't get side-tracked! :)

Swap Bag Received!

Today I received my swap bag in the mail, and I absolutely love it! Joanna did a fabulous job, and I can't wait to use it and show it off! It has a double pocket inside plus a magnetic closure (a very good idea for this bag). Joanna also generously included extra fabric and trims, Japanese incense, a coin purse, and a recipe for strawberry shortcake. I am one lucky gal! Also, I wanted to maintain the element of surprise so I couldn't mention this before, but my swap partner, Ellie, received her bag on Monday. Coincidentally, she lives near some relatives I have in Wisconsin. It is such a small world... Definitely check out both swappers' blogs--there are sure some talented and artistic women out there!

Receiving my swap bag was perfect timing today as it is my birthday. I had a very peaceful and quiet day. We had dinner with my parents last night at one of my favorite New Mexican restaurants, I talked to some special relatives today, and of course there were a few presents. :) My favorite was a necklace from my husband. He bought it at the local craft fair over the weekend, and it's just perfect. I love handmade gifts--they're so unique and special. This is NOT the best angle of me, but I wanted to get a shot in of the necklace:

Thank you for all of your comments on my "mother guilt" post. Even my "little" brother left a sweet and helpful comment! I am feeling much better about it all. I think that happens sometimes--the highs and lows of motherhood. I know that I love my son, I'm not perfect, and I'm doing the best I can. I don't believe there's much more I can do than that. I'm also trying not to obsess over the news, but I'm trying to make small changes in my life for the better. That helps me as well becuase then I don't feel so helpless.

Now I'm off to share some cake and wine with my husband and watch The Milagro Beanfield War (and excellent movie!).

Show and Tell!

On my last post I promised some finished projects, and here they are! I've been quite busy! First, I have the "Pleated Beauty" bag I made for my swap partner. I hope that she likes it. Even though I made a test Pleated Beauty bag, I still made some pretty stupid mistakes this time around. I know that I should view each mistake as a learning experience, but really, I don't think I'll ever make this "Pleated Beast" (as another swap member called it) again! It is a cute design, but the instructions are a little difficult to follow, especially for a beginner like me (no offense, Amy Karol!). I wanted to throw in a little something extra for my swap partner, so I decided on this knitted washcloth along with a bar of juniper-scented soap I picked up at a craft fair a while back. The washcloth pattern is from Weekend Knitting (a book I highly recommend as much for the commentary and pictures as the patterns), and I used Knit Picks Crayon. I really enjoyed the yarn--a very economical, yet soft and natural, alternative to the suggested yarn.

I also used some stash yarn to quickly knit up a flower to felt and pin on the swap bag. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite the right shade of red. I'll save it to embellish something else down the road...

A couple of weeks ago I picked up Simple Crochet from the library. The projects are all, well, very simple, so I probably wouldn't buy the book. The fibers suggested, however, are unusual and surprising. I love Ericka Knight's ideas of using cloth strips, kitchen string from the hardware store, raffia, and leather. I made the following remote-control holder (now being used for keys instead) using one ball of kitchen string. Pretty good for 5 bucks!

Finally, my obsession with cloth diapers continues. It's been a long journey, so I won't go through it all again, but basically Matthew does best in pocket diapers as they wick the moisture away from his skin. Unfortunately, most pocket diapers cost at least $18 each! I would really like to cloth diaper him full time again, but our budget just doesn't allow for the upfront purchase right now. So, for the past week I've been searching the internet for pocket diaper patterns and doing some research about fabric. I ended up placing an order of PUL, microfiber and Aplix from Very Baby, which I received today. The PUL feels just like that of my name-brand diaper, and the microfiber is very soft. I decided to do a test run first on some fleece I had lying around. The pattern I used is for Rita's Rump Cover, but I did my own thing for the elastic casing. I'm glad I did a test run on some less-expensive fabric first, as there are definitely some things I'll do differently next time! Hopefully this will all work out with the PUL and microfleece. I'm just so excited about cloth diapers, especially the prospect of making my own, that I think my husband thinks I'm nuts. Hey, he won't think so when I save us hundreds of dollars, right? Riiiiight.

Some HAPPY Thoughts

My biggest happy thought right now: Matthew is walking! He took his first steps a couple of weeks ago, but this weekend walking became his prefered mode of transportation. He loves to grab a toy (especially my yarn) and walk from one end of the downstairs to another. He is so proud of himself! He also loves to terrorize the cats and dogs and shrieks while doing so. The little stinker. Of course, with this new-found freedom comes more bumps and bruises, as well as more work for mommy, but it has been so amazing watching the process of coordination, strength and confidence grow. (The pic is a little blurry due to the "action" quality).

Another happy thought: the Summer issue of Interweave Knits. I looked at the preview yesterday and loved what I saw. SO much better than the spring issue, which I didn't even bother buying. My favorite patterns so far: Tidewater Wrap, Drawstring Raglan, Wallis Cardigan, and the Eyelet Surplice Dress.

We had a simple dinner this evening of tuna chowder with bread and baby carrots. The recipe is so quick, easy, economical and yummy (and I am not usually a tuna fan) that I thought I'd share it. It came to me via my favorite aunt. :)

Tuna Chowder
Ingredients
2 carrots, shredded
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/4 c butter
1/4 c unbleached flour
2 c chicken broth
2 c milk
6 oz tuna
1/2 t celery seed (it's ok to omit this if you don't like celery)
1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
1/4 t salt (or to taste)
1 1/4 c cheddar chees, grated

In a large pot, saute carrots and onion in butter until onion is transparent. Remove ffrom heat and stir in flour. Return to heat and stir in broth and milk a little at a time. Stir constantly until thick and bubbling (don't let reach a full boil). Add tuna, celery seed, Worcestershire sauce, and salt, and heat through. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until it melts. Serves four.

I hope that everyone had a terrific weekend, and I promise some finished projects for next time!

Some Thoughts

I am currently in the middle of several projects, so I don't have much crafting to share. I do have some personal thoughts to share on a couple of subjects, though, and I hope that no one takes offense.

First, where does mother-guilt come from? Has it always occured or is it especially prevalent in our society? Is it a feeling that is timeless and universal? I know that I need to "trust my instincts," but sometimes that is difficult when so much contradicting information is out there, especially in the news. My son always nurses to sleep, so I feel good about not letting him "cry it out," but then I feel guilty that he doesn't know how to put himself to sleep. We have chosen to have him vaccinated, but then I read reports urging caution about doing so. I am thankful to be at home, yet sometimes long for "something more." Do I feel guilty about having such feelings? Yes. Should I? I'm not sure. Many other mothers I know have similar feelings. The thing that's odd to me, however, is that it seems like the working mothers I know don't have as much guilt as the stay-at-home mothers I know. What a contradiction! Could it be that the working mothers just aren't sharing their feelings? Or maybe the stay-at-home moms are so entrenched in their children's lives that they have difficulty separating?

I believe that it's so important to have your own passions, hopes and dreams, which brings me to crafting. I love to knit, crochet and sew. It helps me be creative in ways that i haven't in the past. Sometimes I even feel like I'm neglecting my son because I want to knit just one more row or sew just a couple more stitches. My housework definitely takes the back seat. Then I feel guilty that Matthew's precious nap time was spent sewing instead of cleaning the bathroom or puting the dishes away (I also feel guilty about being excited for Matthew's naptime).

Then there are blogs such as Angry Chicken and Soule Mama...how do those two women do it all?! Plus, they both have three children each. I know that I shouldn't compare myselves to either of them and their accomplishments, but really, how do they do it?

I have many more concerns with what I've read about/watched on TV lately, such as products made in China, toxin levels and greed, but I will save all that for later. I don't like to get political, but I think that these concerns cross party lines.

One last question today: is it more important to watch the news and read current event articles to stay informed, or should I just turn it all off so as not to be frightened and paranoid?

April Showers Bring...

More inside crafting time! Since I hadn't made the Pleated Beauty bag for my swap before, and my swap partner in quite the seamstress, I was a little intimidated. So, I dedided to make a test bag for myself. It took me a day to cut out the pieces, and then two days to complete the bag. The designs from Bend the Rules Sewing are adorable, but I have to be honest: I find the patterns a little hard to follow. In the end, I am VERY glad I made a test bag. There are many changes I'll make for the second one that will hopefully make the process and the finished product a little better. I do, however, really like the fabric I chose for the test bag--very springy!

The showers yesterday were actually SNOW showers! Sadly, I think my newly-planted raspberry plants are not going to survive the multiple freezes they've endured. I have not had good luck with raspberries: the summer before last the dogs dug them up, and last summer they weren't watered when Matthew was in the hospital so they died. Anyway, the cold weather led me to crave tomato soup and grilled cheese. A little known fact about me: I am absolutely hopeless as making grilled cheese sandwiches. I burn them every time! Any suggestions are most welcome!

Presenting...

...The elegant, yet earthy, Lady Eleanor! All the stats will be up on Ravelry (eventually), but I'll give you a little summary: I used Noro Silk Garden for this beautiful Lady Eleanor Stole designed by Kathleen Power Johnson. The pattern can be found in Scarf Style by Pam Allen. It was a very satisfying knitting project. I did take some time off during February, so in all it took me about four months to knit--off and on. It is cozy, soft, rustic and sophisticated all at the same time--I just love it! BTW: the fringe took me longer than I projected--about four hours of very tedious work. It was, however, very meditative.

I was feeling a little under-the-weather yesterday, so she kept me nice and warm and cozy.