8ball Knits

The blanket in action

2011-06-04T14:03:00.001-07:00

The blanket in action, a photo by hannah8ball on Flickr.

This year has been a year of big gift projects. And I've been surprising myself with how quickly I'm burning through these projects. I decided (rather late) that my gift to brother-in-law and his fiance for their end-of-May wedding was going to be a blanket. And no, that is not my (now) sister-in-law trying the blanket out. She was far too busy to take a breather on the couch. I hope she is enjoying it now though!

So, I ordered my yarn and got to work on the wonderful Hemlock Ring Blanket. And even though I'd left myself barely a month to knit a blanket (and a super-duper busy month at that!), I finished this lovely work in 20 days. And the bind-off took 3 of those days! But look how gorgeously it turned out!

Worth every moment of it. My only regret is that I decided for some crazy reason to use size 9 needles, and so the blanket only measured 54" at the end (even with an extra lace repeat in there!).

The pattern was a delightful combination of mindless and pay-attention rounds - perfect for TV and camping knitting. And I love how the shape of this blanket is so atypical. I'll be on the lookout for more interesting doily patterns to make large. Yes, there are definitely blankets in my future.

And doesn't it look just perfect on their couch in their livingroom?

Ravelry deets here.

Lace

2011-02-18T16:30:00.000-08:00

It's lace, not woven, but as I'm working on this shawl for my wonderful, amazing mother, this poem keeps running through my mind.

She who reconciles the ill-matched threads
of her life, and weaves them gratefully
into a single cloth—
it’s she who drives the loudmouths from the hall
and clears it for a different celebration
where the one guest is you.

In the softness of the evening
it’s you she receives.
You are the partner of her loneliness,
the unspeaking center of her monologues.

With each disclosure you encompass more
and she stretches beyond what limits her,
to hold you.

~Rainer Maria Rilke

Remember me?

2011-02-11T20:44:00.001-08:00

Snowy vista, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

I know its been a while, but I'm here and things are brewing. I'll be back soon with something substantive. I've been uploading a bunch of pics to my flickr photostream the last couple of weeks, so if you find yourself with some time head on over. But for now, may you find peace in your journey. Hasta pronto!

Playlist for Tonight's Mosaic

2011-01-16T10:17:00.000-08:00

Music that goes with the idea of tonight's service. Or not. But enjoy!

Today is epic

2010-08-29T14:02:00.000-07:00

For your listening pleasure, some epic songs that have been bouncing around in my head this week.

Listening to epic music makes some of my mundane tasks seem more than just the boring, repetitive things they are. And I find I get them done faster if I feel like a superhero while I do it.

How do you get through those tasks that have to be done, but you'd rather do something else instead?

Pilgrim

2010-08-21T19:08:00.000-07:00

I was getting the music ready for tomorrow's Mosaic service today because tomorrow I will be attending a moonlodge service (more on that later hopefully), and this song just spoke words of wisdom to me.

I know that Enya has been described as cheesy (and she can be), but her art connects me to my spirit and breathes wisdom to my heart.

I give you Enya's song Pilgrim.

The lyrics:

Pilgrim, how you journey
On the road you chose
To find out why the winds die
And where the stories go.

All days come from one day
That much you must know,
You cannot change what's over
But only where you go.

One way leads to diamonds,
One way leads to gold,
Another leads you only
To everything you're told.

In your heart you wonder
Which of these is true;
The road that leads to nowhere,
The road that leads to you.

Will you find the answer
In all you say and do?
Will you find the answer
In you?

Each heart is a pilgrim,
Each one wants to know
The reason why the winds die
And where the stories go.

Pilgrim, in your journey
You may travel far,
For pilgrim it's a long way
To find out who you are...

Pilgrim, it's a long way
To find out who you are...

Pilgrim, it's a long way
To find out who you are...

I hope your journey take you to a beautiful place.

Troubled times

2010-08-16T11:46:00.000-07:00

Spring Skies, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

I had a dream about tornadoes again last night. The tornado dream has been a recurring one for me and they usually go something like this: I'm doing whatever I normally do in a dream, and then I look out a window and the entire landscape is covered in tornadoes. I then spend the rest of the dream running and hiding and generally spending my time freaked out and high on adrenaline. Usually, I am by myself in my terror and my running and hiding.

These tornado dreams usually come in periods of high stress, when I'm dealing with difficult issues or having upsets in relationships. So, I wasn't really surprised when I had a tornado dream. Things have been really stressful lately. We just moved (stressful in itself!) and my whole ordered world has been turned upside down. It really doesnt help that things at the new house just haven't quite been working out like I thought they would. The house we thought was move-in ready, turned out to not be move-in ready. Of course, we only discovered that AFTER we moved in. Fast-forward a month of chaos and exasperation, things finally seem to be getting back to that baseline of content with the house at least.

But, as these things tend to work out, it's never enough to have just one stressor at a time. My relationship side has been rather tumultuous as well. Thankfully, my husband has been extra strong and supportive through all of it. But I feel like I have been on a roller coaster lately, with no sign of the end. I'm beginning to feel like this time, this ride, I'm going to have to come to a decision. With all of the broken hearts and dashed hopes and lost opportunities, I'm not going to be able to sweep this one under the rug - we're going to have to decide to turn it into art or to leave it all together. And right now, which way I'll end up is as murky as the end of the ride.

So, what was different about this dream was two fold. First, I wasn't by myself - my daughter was with me. Which meant that I wasn't just concerned with protecting myself, or with how fast or cleverly I could run away from the storms, I had to protect her first, bring her with me first. Which made the whole dream that much more terrifying and frustrating. The second piece is that this is the first time the tornado has ever caught me. Every other time, it's been close, but I have escaped the storm itself. This time, no such luck. The storm caught A and I, and we were thrown around inside it. I woke up from this dream, protecting A with my body, and I was whispering (like a mantra): "Please be gentle; please be gentle."

What does this all mean?

I think it means that I can't avoid this one, the storm has come to me and there is nothing to do but head into it. Which makes my heart beat hard just thinking about it. I really would rather not face this head on, now is not a good time (when is it ever?); and I really don't need this right now (when do I ever?). This conflict is weighing me down so much, I can feel a physical weight on my chest, literally keeping me from being able to take a full breath.

My dream confirms that this time is different, this time I have to take a stand and ride it out. I'm not by myself this time - I have someone else to think about, to protect. And maybe, the end is that everyone will be fine, but we'll all be moved to different places with a sense of wonder that we were spared. Or maybe the storm will destroy us completely, so that what once was, is no more and we all have to pick up what is left and move on. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

I don't know how to weather the storm. I don't know how to protect myself or my family. We are completely at the mercy of this thing, this chaos, this tumult that has caught us up into it and all I can think to whisper is please be gentle. Because it is already too late to ask to be let out. Please be gentle.

My dreams in a cloud

2010-05-26T12:49:00.001-07:00

As part of an exercise at Mosaic, we were asked to write down our dreams. Below is a word cloud version of my dreams. I'm rather pleased that go is so prominently featured. Guess I better get out and go do something.

On the fence

2010-03-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

On the fence, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.
One of the things I will miss dearly about living on the edge of the city - being able to walk to pasture and uncivilized land. We'll enjoy it while we can.

Found: Hair rules

2010-03-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

From time to time, I venture back to check in on the highschool that I graduated from and I find beauties like this one hidden in their website.

This lovely depiction of what is acceptable (note the happy face) vs. unacceptable (poor depressed youngling plagued by his modern haircut) was followed by this delightful bit of copy:

Male contestants must have standard, conservative haircuts. The hair is to be tapered and off the collar. It is to be above the ears, with sideburns no longer than the middle of the ear. Please refrain from modern hairstyles (emphasis mine). Male sponsors and guests may wear neatly-trimmed facial hair.

Those who require a haircut will not be permitted to register until they have located a barber and complied with the directive of Master Control.

Surprisingly, as this is your typical right of conservative Christian organization, the stipulations for the female appearance aren't nearly as explicit. Just that you may be asked to kneel to ensure your dress or skirt is long enough. And don't even think about wearing pants. And you better be wearing hosiery. But no helpful pictures - sadness.

I think I go back (virtually) to be grateful that I'm no longer in that community and to be amazed that this organization is still around. I can only hope that at some point the children who are being indoctrinated to this way of life get a chance to meet someone who can show them that this faith that we share is more about love than judgment - both toward ourselves and others.

I love this girl!

2010-03-07T09:09:00.000-08:00

Greeting a friend, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Time to retire the shoes

2010-03-06T18:30:00.000-08:00

Time to retire the shoes, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

These shoes were well loved.

Have I mentioned how much I love baking?

2010-03-05T15:01:00.001-08:00

Have I mentioned how much I love baking?, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

I do. And these little muffins are delicious. Raisins + honey + raw sugar on the crust = more please!

And did I mention these were made with whole wheat flour? De-licious!

If you've been living under a rock all this time and haven't heard of Artisan Breads in Five Minutes a Day (and their second child Healthy Breads - from which this particular recipe comes), take a moment, go check out their blog. Then get thee to a bookstore, so your home can become a bakery. You will not regret it.

Snow Covered

2010-02-23T14:59:00.000-08:00

Snow Covered, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

I love the way snow naturally desaturates everything. It does all the hard work for me.

On sleep

2010-02-16T12:05:00.000-08:00

Some of you may know that my husband (who now blogs) and I work at the same company. Which definitely has it's perks. One of the non-perks is that the office is 52 miles one way from our house. And the traffic is terrible. So, we get up at 5AM to get into work by 7. Fortunately, I get to work from home 4 days a week, so when my husband wakes up at that horribly early hour, I don't even hear his alarm. I just snuggle down for a few more hours of restful sleep.

However, as I've been pondering what I should give up for Lent this year, it occurred to me that perhaps I should give up my sleeping in. My darling husband drags himself out of bed most days of the week, and manages to come home after a long day at work, make me dinner, and play with our daughter. So, I'll be giving up sleeping in order to live in solidarity with my husband during Lent.

And since I'll have an extra 2 hours in my day that is normally spent dreaming, I plan on taking that time to finally start exercising, which has been on my list of things I want to do for a few years now and which I think I'll need to do first thing to ensure I don't just crash on the couch after he heads to work, and to spend time reading and/or meditating, none of which I really have much time for in my current day.

So. The rules. (Rules are very important as once they are written down I can't change them or pretend I had different rules).

The Lenten fast will begin Weds, Feb 17. and will extend until Good Friday, at which time I reserve the right to continue the habits that I've hopefully acquired.
I will get up when my husband gets up - for the purposes of going to work.

If husband is getting up early to take care of our daughter, this does not apply (the sleep-in day rules apply here)
If we are on vacation, then the rules do not apply.

I will spend at least the first 30-45 mins of my waking day engaged in some sort of physical activity
The second hour of my extra time will be spent doing some quiet activity that does not involve my computer, tv or iphone. I may listen to a meditative podcast if I choose - but no politics.

So what are you giving up for Lent?

Coming to the blog-side

2010-02-05T10:18:00.001-08:00

My husband has finally decided to start blogging. Which is shocking, considering this one moans and groans if I ask him to send an email.

So, head on over to his new place. It's sure to be entertaining and witty :)

New Favorite Font Collective

2010-02-04T07:38:00.000-08:00

I've found my new favorite font place! Its the League of Moveable Type. Its a great collection of free fonts (which can be hard to find sometimes), and a great attitude. Their tagline: "No more bullshit. Join the revolution." Fits right in here at Casa Ball.

Also, did you know that the ampersand (&) symbol was originally written as a combo of the Latin word et (means and). Check out this awesome font project focusing on this interesting symbol. The fonts featured on here, however, don't tend to be free. But - they are pretty!

Found: Library List

2010-02-03T13:22:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I find really interesting things in library books, little forgotten moments from someone else's life. So, as I find these interesting little tidbits, I'll share them on here.

I've just finished reading Malcolm Gladwell's latest book Outliers: The Story of Success, which I borrowed from my local library, of course.

I found someone else's list of checked out books and thought it was interesting to see what else they were reading.

They checked out:

Outliers

How babies talk: The Magic and the Mystery of Language in the first 3 years of life

Why America's Children Can't Think: Creating Independent Minds for the 21st Century

Tales from the Dad Side: Misadventures in Fatherhood

Interesting list. Sounds like this person was interested in helping their child make it. I'm wondering if, perhaps, just a wee bit, I too am worried about my daughter being successful. It's a common obsession we Americans tend to have. But, should we instead be concerned with giving more children the chance to succeed (including my own) instead of figuring out how best she can edge out her peers? I'd like to think that I'm in the charitable, egalitarian first group. But as my Little Bit gets older, I find myself falling back into the "let's beat them all" category. And I'm not ok with that.

This book wasn't quite what I expected. Mostly, he completely debunked the fairy tales we tell ourselves about successful people. Outliers, when we take a close look, end up being that way because they were fortunate to be born in the right time (month and year in some cases), to the right kind of parents, and are given the right kind of opportunities. Which all adds up to the conclusion that success in our society really isn't something you have much control over. Kind of depressing. But something I've felt/believed for quite some time.

Lest you think this book is a complete downer, Gladwell actually has several great ideas for ways we can improve our education system to remove inherent biasing as well as overcome the growing distance between american students and their international peers.

His first contention is that birth month does matter. Since we separate out the "gifted" students so early (kindergarten/first grade), the students who are on the older spectrum have quite an advantage over their younger peers as they are more mature (both emotionally and physically) and appear more "gifted" than younger children. He goes through and shows how this is true with pro hockey players in Canada.

We could compensate for this bias by either waiting to separate out gifted track children until there isn't as much developmental difference between a child born in January and a child born in September, which ends up being about 4th or 5th grade (9 - 10 years old). Or, even more intriguing, we could divide up the classes (and gifted testing) into thirds - so all students born between Jan and April in one cohort, May - August in another, and Sept - Dec in a third. That way students are only competing with others who are within 3 months of their own development.

This is quite intriguing to me because my daughter's birthday is on 12/26. The cutoff date for entering kindergarten is 9/1, so she'll be on the older side of her class. I've been talking to various parents to see what they thought as far as trying to get her into school earlier. The advice has been quite unanimous. Don't force it. Wait a year. The overwhelming reason is that this gives her more time to develop intellectually before she has to perform on the required tests. Even though she is curious and delights in learning - the longer we can keep her out of the formal school system the better chance she has of being successful in it. And Gladwell confirmed the anecdotal evidence I'd collected. It's better for your children to be the older ones in their class.

The other suggestion he had that I'd like to see get more attention is to drop the whole notion of summer vacation. It is summer vacation where we see the learning gaps between rich and poor get way out of proportion, mostly because poor children are not given the same opportunities to improve their skills during their time off. I vote to get rid of it. Not just for the learning part. But also because working parents now have to figure out child care (since most of us don't get a nice long 3 month break) which puts unnecessary stress on everyone.

Anyway - I enjoyed Outliers. And when I take it in context with some of the other great books I've been reading lately, has a lot of big ideas on how to change our children's future. And not just my child. Everyone's child.

This feels like this is going to be a theme for me for a bit. Stay tuned for more rambles on this topic.

PS. In other news, the camera repair geniuses have said they can have my camera back to my desperate hands in about 2-3 weeks. I cannot believe how very much I miss my camera. Here's hoping I never have to send my baby off like this again!

Merry Christmas!

2010-01-07T15:04:00.001-08:00

So I know I am totally late, but I really hope everyone had a great holiday season.

Snowy Fence, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

We got snow for Christmas! It was in the upper 70s the day before. And Christmas Eve, snow on the fence. Unbelievable. It's apparently been something like 50 years since TX got snow for Christmas.

We got all bundled up and went out and played in it. The snow wasn't that great for building snow people, but we still had lots of fun playing in it. And then went inside for a nice cup of hot chocolate.

Hoping you and yours had a great holiday!

The moment

2009-12-04T13:47:00.001-08:00

You know what I'm talking about.

You settle in with a hot cup of tea or coffee, or a cold beer, with a good book, or your knitting project, or your new game. You've had a good day. You had a lot that needed to get done today, and here you've managed to get all the balls in the air at the right time, in the right order, and everything fell into place just like it should have.

You've called the babysitter to remind her about tonight. You've prepared the dinner fixings so everyone can eat. You even managed to try that new bread recipe you've been dying to taste.

Your husband calls to let you know he's ahead of schedule. So you move your timeline back and hour to make sure that everything still gets done before the horde descends and this moment of calm is overwhelmed.

At this precise moment, when you feel your body relax. Your brain betrays you.

Suddenly you realize that you have forgotten one very important thing. That one thing that needed to be done before you can enjoy the evening with your love, before the babysitter gets here. That little load of laundry with the baby's things in it that absolutely must be done for her to be able to go to bed tonight. That also requires the hot water you'd been counting on for your nice, hot shower.

At that moment, every word your mother ever told you never ever to say comes streaming out of your mouth. That moment, all of your well laid plans, and flawless execution. All meaningless.

Why is it that I always forget the one thing that absolutely had to get done until it's too late to get it done?

First Snow!

2009-12-03T14:59:00.000-08:00

First Snow!, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Just to prove that yes, indeed, we can get winters down here in TX, it snowed on Dec 2! Didnt stick arond long, but wow - I think its gonig to be a cold one this year!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-27T09:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone was able to enjoy good food and got to spend time with family, both those you chose, and those you didn't. We had a great visit with my mom and Richard, and we also got to spend the Thursday meal with friends. Jason went all out on the cooking, and everything turned out really well - except that I burned the bottom of the bread (I attempted to bake it at the same time as the turkey and the shelf ended up being too close to the bottom). Still, everything was great, and so are the leftovers :)

Here's a great little video from the last glee episode that just made my heart happy (ok the vocal effects are WAY overdone on this show, but bear with me...)

Well, I'm off to enjoy the rest of our time off and this gorgeous weather we've been having lately. Have a good one!

In a world with more than 6 billion people...

2009-11-10T18:59:00.000-08:00

it was bound to happen...
There is another red-headed Hannah out there who likes coffee, sometimes. Check it out on etsy. I'm surprised by how tempted I am to buy this...

Its interesting also because I just listened to this episode of Radio Lab. Yes, I know I'm way behind, but these shows are like gold - I like to spread them out to make them last. The concept of the show is fascinating - that the perception of fate is really just a failure to zoom out far enough. And here, my friend Nancy, dropped a link on my facebook page to this delightful work of art to prove that, even halfway around the world, there is someone out there who, freakily enough resembles me in some key ways (but I'm sure she doesn't resemble me in other key ways).

Ladies and gentlemen, your moment of zen.

From the garden

2009-10-23T14:53:00.001-07:00

From the garden, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

This amazing little cantaloupe came from our garden. And it was awesomely yummy. Too bad I didn't get any good pics of Little Bit consuming it. Garden cantaloupe kicks the pants off the store varieties.

Sun Shower

2009-10-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

Sun Shower, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

We've had a LOT of rainy weather here this fall. And by a lot I mean, like there have been a total of about 12 days of sun since the beginning of September.

On this particular day, we had torrential rains, and then we had rain with the sun shining down. The double rainbow this caused was spectacular. Not to mention the sunlight reflecting off the raindrops was breathtaking. Too bad this picture didn't quite capture it - but it looks cool enough :)

Fall memories

2009-10-06T15:04:00.000-07:00

Fall memories, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Somehow the blurriness of this one reminds me of memories - they are just clear enough to give you a sense of what happened, but not quite as clear as it was when you were experiencing it.

I won!!

2009-10-05T06:52:00.001-07:00

So, I have apparently won this contest, that LOTS of people had entered, and now my blog, my poor neglected blog, is linked on this fantastic blog.

I've got all kinds of posts in my head and pictures in my camera to share, just no time at the moment to get it all out.

So, if any of you are still out there, I've got camping this weekend, but after that things should slow down just a tad and we can sit down, share a cup of tea and talk about what's been roiling around in my head and what's occupying my hands.

Go enjoy this gorgeous fall!

Why, Momma?

2009-09-22T06:43:00.000-07:00

I got my first why question from my daughter today.

"Mommy, is it time to get up?"

"Not yet."

"Why, Momma?"

"Because the alarm hasn't gone off yet."

That was it. Nothing terribly profound, and yet, when she asked me why, it was like my whole body noticed. Asking why is a big milestone - it means that understanding what goes on is no longer enough, its time to start exploring the causes. I hope she never stops asking why.

Yes - I actually do still knit

2009-08-30T13:19:00.001-07:00

Mini Circle Shrug, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

In case you were wondering, knitting (and photographing) still actually happen :)

This one is a circle shrug for my daughter's first school sweater. I'm rather pleased, especially considering I just kind of was winging it from the big(ger) one I did for me. There've been some unintended occurrences - the ruffled edge - that I actually rather like. So, while this isn't actually designing, it gets enough of that DIY attitude that I want for it to suffice :)

Now I just need to put forth the effort to finish the sleeves and I'll have a FO on my hands.

Ravelled here.

The hour is getting late...

2009-08-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

"All Along the Watchtower" is one of those songs that is rather special to me. Back when I first got started doing the band thing (gasp - that was really 10 years ago!!), "Watchtower" was the song that my bandmates chose to end the practice with.

It was a pretty easy song to rock out on - there are 3 chords in the song, and they are some of the easiest chords (for the keys anyway) out there - Am, G F (repeat until your hands hurt). At the time, it was really important that every instrument get their solo - which was fine for everyone else. I, however, had just ventured into the world of playing without pre-written music and I can remember just dreading my turn. Still, even with the dread, it was awesome to get to play around and really experiment and I have such fond memories of that time in my life.

Some of you will also know that I am a complete Battlestar Galactica (not the 1970s one) nut. If you haven't seen the show (unfortunately it's now canceled), add it to your must watch dvd queue now. Its an amazing show, and oh yeah, it happens to have spaceships and robots in it :) They did an excellent job of discussing/bringing up really deep questions about identity, violence, faith - really what does it mean to be "human". It wouldn't be a huge leap to think of the show as a rather relevant thought experiment. Ok, so lots of love here for BSG.

The awesomeness of that show increased by about 100-fold when "All Along the Watchtower" played a key role in the last episode of Season 3. And then they kept it as a theme during the Season 4. Its been somewhat my music theme this week - work seems so much easier when I imagine I'm on a spaceship :)

Click here to see a live recording (the video gets the whole song) of Bear McCreary (BSG composer) and Katee Sackhoff (played Starbuck) playing the most kick-ass version of this song yet. You've never heard 3 chords rock out so well :) And I highly recommend the rest of the soundtracks - they are awesome.

Twenty Four Hours Later...

2009-08-13T20:43:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching Little Children. This was one of those movies that was on my queue that by the time it shows up in my mailbox I can't remember why I ever put it on my queue. But, the husband was in Dallas playing Starcraft with the boys, so what else to do but watch it.

And here I am, turning the laptop back on at 10:45 pm to blog about it. It was amazing.

It seemed a timely film. All about not fitting into the suburban SAHM life. About feeling frustrated with your lack of options. About feeling like you've sacrificed so very much to spend time with a demanding child who really only cares about you insofar as you remembered to bring her a snack. About questioning the decision to ever do this in the first place.

And then there was the scene where Sarah had been gone overnight and she came home and her daughter had made a picture frame for her, but Sarah was too busy doing her own thing to even take the time to notice the gift. And my heart just broke.

Our children are gifts that annoy the hell out of us, but also bring the brightest rays of sunshine and the most beautiful moments. I have wondered (too often) if my child was genetically modified to be just the level of annoying that drives me to want to hurt something. And yet, while I'm grumbling at my computer for not doing what I thought it should do, she appears and comforts me. Gives me a kiss and tells me it will be alright. Asks me if I feel better now.

And, I really DO feel better. There is something so incredibly sweet about receiving love from a tiny tot, who can't really understand the source of the frustration, but who can understand a grumpy face and being sad, and that a kiss can make it all better.

In one of the final scenes of Little Children, Sarah collapses, weeping, into her daughter Lucy's lap. And Lucy touches her mommy's hair and says, "It's ok". This is why we are blessed with children - to remind us of the power of unconditional love. That kind of love, regardless of how imperfect and flawed I've been makes everything EVERYTHING worthwhile.

And I'll try to be better tomorrow...

The Work/Mommy Divide

2009-08-11T10:39:00.001-07:00

I have a confession to make: I suffer from mommy guilt. I googled "mommy guilt" and it came up with 32,400 results. I could have gotten even more if I'd removed the quotation marks, but I think that'd have been slightly dishonest searching, as mommy doesn't always go with guilt (or does it?!). But, I digress...

See, when I first found out I was pregnant, I was completely and utterly unaware of how many decisions, and hours of worrying would come with the tiny bundle of joy we would receive in approximately 9.5 months' time.

Most of the women of my generation want to do things differently than our moms before us. Its an interesting cycle. But I wanted to do something my mom didn’t – which was be a mom and be at home with my daughter. I was fortunate enough to have the kind of job (and a boss) who was flexible enough to let me do that, so my journey as some kind of hybrid mom/worker bee began

As soon as the little one made her appearance, let me tell you, I realized why moms make end up choosing to either work or stay home. If you don't pick one, you end up stuck in grey limbo - always feeling left out of the SAHM (Stay At Home Mom) life of playdates and library readings and park visits and being totally absorbed with your child's daily accomplishments because you have deadlines and projects to finish. But you also miss out on the WOHM (Work Outside the Home Mom) perks of breaks, being able to choose where and when you eat lunch, regular adult interaction and being forced to bathe regularly because you have a child who wants to "help" you do your work.

Of course, each side of the work divide feels deprived of the others' perks - and you are, but let me tell you, attempting to straddle that line has really stretched my sanity. And it’s mostly on the mommy side that I feel inadequate and like a general failure. Work, since it has the most immediate consequences, gets done on time, if not completely to the level that I'd always like it to be - I do enjoy having a roof over my head, after all.

The child, on the other hand, while being incredibly demanding, ends up losing out most of the time. She would rather that Mommy play sleepy time with her, or piggy back ride, or play in the pool, or blow bubbles, or even read a story, rather than be chained to my computer. One of the most heartbreaking things that she says is "You're all done now?" followed by "Now we can do..." whatever it was that she was wanting to do all day. And it really stinks to have to say "No, I'm not done yet, I'm just changing projects" (because the kid can tell when I'm closing down documents and spreadsheets - WOW).

I've been feeling torn between doing a good job at work and doing a good job at being mommy for most of my daughter's life. I started reading books on early childhood development and realized that now is probably some of the most important time in my daughter's intellectual development. And she is really interested in learning - this child already recognizes most of her letters, ALL of the colors, and can count correctly to 10 if she wants to, help me make coffee and roll out pita bread, help make our beds and fold clothes. She is amazing. And she has picked this stuff up from the air.

As I read more books, the responsibility of teaching and training our hope for the future became more and more overwhelming. It is clear that she needs individual, expert attention, but here I am, plugging numbers into spreadsheets and making pretty graphs. Let me also get in here that I love my job. I love what I get to do, who I get to work with, and that I get to do something that makes the world a better place (I hope). Oh yeah, and I get paid to do all that! My Grandpa told me many years ago that I needed to find a job that I loved, because everything else will fall into place if you love your job. And it really makes a HUGE difference in my contentment levels, let me tell you.

So, what's a woman to do? I have a job that I love and a child that I love and who needs me to be more present during the day than I am. What it comes down to is realizing that I am NOT an expert at early child development. And I can't possibly fulfill both roles of mommy and employee, particularly when mommy needs to put on the teacher hat more and more often. And, most importantly, the more pulled between the two I feel, the less happy I am, which affects my quality in both areas.

We've decided that the best solution for our family is to put our little one into a preschool. Can I say that the decision was a difficult one to arrive at? I mean, I made my daughter's baby food from scratch, used cloth diapers, struggled and struggled (and are still struggling most days) to get her to sleep without resorting to letting her cry it out - and here I am, deciding to let someone else teach my child.

But, I feel like a huge weight has lifted off my chest. I know that in just a few days time I'll be able to turn my daughter over to the willing and capable hands of her teachers and she will get to play with other children her age and really get to explore in a way that she can't at home. And I get to be one thing at a time (well, 3 days a week anyway). I feel released to be who I am and to do the best that I can within the circumstances that I find myself.

Which, really, in the end, is what we're supposed to be heading toward, right? It’s all about trying to live as authentically as possible without taking up too much space or resources. Hopefully, I'm one step closer to that than I was last week.

Now I need to go play hide and seek with my daughter...

Some light reading...

2009-08-07T15:58:00.001-07:00

Some light reading..., originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

And, more significantly, my camera seems to be working again :)

Watercolor

2009-08-05T15:59:00.000-07:00

Watercolor, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

My daughter has been into painting this week.

I'll admit, I'm a bit taken with it myself. I love the way the colors flow into one another and build depth. Even accidents (like spilling the water glass) end up looking beautiful.

I may have to end up taking up a brush or two myself...

On Choice, and Why I Believe in It: Part 1

2009-06-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

This is a 3-part series on choice. Part 1 deals with abortion and contraception. Part 2 deals with birthing. Part 3 deals with breastfeeding and childcare.

I believe in choice. For women specifically, because that is the experience I have had. Men can decide for themselves whether they want choice (or not).

But I digress. Choice and women. Two words that are surprisingly inflammatory when put together. And I'm not just talking about the A word, although that is part of it. I'm also talking about birthing choices, and contraception choices and breastfeeding choices and childcare choices. All of these are particularly relevant to women because, well let's face it, my body is involved.

On Monday, on my way home from work I heard a story on NPR about the aftermath in Wichita of George Tiller's murder. Let me just get this out here so we can get it out of the way... I am pro-choice. Which means, that some of you reading this will now look for anything and everything that you can find to disagree with my position. I am also pro-life, which means that others of you are now struggling to keep reading.

But I want you to hear me out. I believe that the decision to continue or terminate a pregnancy is a decision that can only be finally made by the woman whose uterus is in question. I believe that there are other stakeholders (such as the father) whose opinions should be given weight; but, in the end, it is the woman who will bear the vast majority of the weight of the decision one way or the other.

I don't think I need to explain how mothers experience discrimination in the workforce and how that decision to have a child can have an adverse affect on your career. Or how having a child (and the concomitant costs associated with that birth - see part 2) can drastically drag down the family finances. I can go on and on about the negative effect having a child can bring to a woman's life.

But, a child also brings much that is positive. However, those positive things don't really factor in to our current American idea of success and happiness. Which may be one of the reasons that we're seeing our birthrate decline - we just don't place enough value on children and parenthood for today's generations to be willing to give up some of the pluses of not having a mini-me around.

I believe that the decision to bring a child into this world is probably one of the most important decisions you can make. And that if you don't feel that a child will have more pros than cons you shouldn't have one. Period. We have enough screwed up people in this world without adding more to it. And there are enough people out there who love children and who will decide to have them that the human race won't cease to exist. So, let's not make a baby unless we have thoroughly thought out the consequences to having one.

Which brings me to my second point: contraception. Abortion is NOT a valid method of contraception. The word contraception broken down into its parts means "not/against" + "conceiving". Abortion occurs after that conception and prevents the process from continuing. Abortion ≠ contraception.

I believe that abortion would never be necessary if quality birth control were freely available to all. But, it's not. Even to me, a woman who is of majority age, married, and who has decent insurance - contraception is still held hostage. Birth control, the kind with the highest effective percentages, is a controlled substance. Which means that my doctor (or in my case midwives) and my pharmacist get to have a say as to whether or not I get the kind of birth control that I want and when I want it. And that insurance companies also refuse to cover various methods of proven birth control.

It happened to me not that long ago. Communication between my midwife and my pharmacist got a bit wonky and I was unable to get my prescription refilled for 3 weeks. And my insurance company denied coverage of a birth control method that would make my life so much easier (and would prevent that miscommunication problem from ever happening again). Even in 21st century America, the land of the free, where choice is king, I am not able to choose to control my fertility.

In such a system, its no wonder that women feel their only option is termination of pregnancy. I'm certain that women who choose abortion would have preferred to never have had to make that decision. No one likes abortion.

But we cannot, and I repeat, we cannot remove that option from women without first providing adequate and 100% available birth control. Second, we must remove the negative effects that motherhood has on the woman by providing equal pay, adequate leave, affordable birthing options, and accessible child care. We must allow women to make the choice for themselves.

Stay tuned for Part 2 where I'll talk about birthing choices (or the lack thereof); and Part 3 will focus on breastfeeding and childcare choices.

Things I Have Said or Thought in the Last Week

2009-06-14T12:25:00.000-07:00

2.5 years and I've finally put a diaper on the child without waking her. I am amazing!

Dead means no more moving (discussing with my child about why the fly wasn't moving after I gave it a good smack with the fly swatter).

Dear mother of god, how long is it going to take these charts to print? (after I'd already been waiting on it for 30 minutes, and we were only at page 6 of 16)

Here comes a tornado (it didn't, but the wind did blow down our fence).

What's the best way to approximate creamer?

They almost hit us (the person who was turning left into our lane stopped just shy of t-boning our car)!

Coming Soon!

2009-06-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

These socks have been a work of love. I've never ripped and reknitted ANYTHING this much - I think the final count is 5 times I started over - and that doesn't count the times I've tinked back to get something right. But I think, at last, I have a sock pattern that you're going to just HAVE to knit. And its top down OR toe up - you pick your poison.

And yes, it includes the comfiest, cushiest sole ever. You'll want to make ALL of your socks this way.

Stay tuned for more.

Has had a week to remember

2009-06-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

First, my beloved cat, Ivan, who was the first cat to ever choose me to be his pillow decided he wanted to spend some time outside and went missing on Saturday morning. Just poof gone. We were, unfortunately for him, getting ready to head out on a romantic weekend and so we had to hope that he'd be there when we got back. But he wasn't there when we returned. And he still wasn't there after we got back from Mosaic. I'd decided that he was just gone and was getting ready for bed when I decided to call for him one more time in the garage. Sure enough, I called him, and he waltzed right back in the house as if he'd been gone minutes instead of days! I'm still in a bit of shock that he actually came back home, but I can tell you that I'm being extra vigilant about him getting outside!

Going back to the romantic getaway - Jason swept me off to Dallas for a fun-filled afternoon and evening. We met up with our friends Tim & Jenny and had a fantastic dinner at Bengal Coast. The food was delicious and we got to chat it up with the chef who was the one who sat us at our table. If you are ever in the Oak Lawn area of Dallas, you should definitely check it out. Great food and affordably priced. Then we headed over to Chocolate Secrets for dessert. Wow. Chocolate + wine + live jazz = perfect way to end the evening. My eyes ended up being way bigger than my stomach and I think next time I'll just get one chocolate and one glass of wine instead of going with the chocolate and wine pairings (FOUR chocolates and TWO glasses of wine - oh my!). Still, the chocolates were fantastic - I'm hoping there's more of this place in my future :) We got a great deal and scored a luxurious room at the Warwick Melrose. Did I ever feel pampered! It was a great weekend and Little Bit had a blast at the Lientz's - I think we can definitely do this again.

I'll leave you with a link to my last picture - my neighbors apparently have decided that they want a bit of ad revenue in their lives...

Pandora and her box of goodies

2009-05-23T18:18:00.000-07:00

So, coming up with a topic to blog on once a week is, well, rather difficult. I am in amazement that there are those out there who blog just about every day, or more than once a day - wow.

This week started off crazy, but ended well. I find myself with a glass of wine from a local vintner, hoping my daughter decides to fall asleep, listening to my Ulrich Schnauss station on Pandora. And let me say, this is a good way to end the week.

First, if you haven't had the pleasure of interacting with Pandora, then well, take a moment, check it out. Not only is it FREE (which is amazing in and of itself), but it is so intuitive and user friendly that it has drastically changed my radio/music listening habits. Pandora is the result of the Music Genome Project. And let me tell you, their database is amazingly complex and just wow.

I'll admit that I am an info junkie. It is after all, my number one strength (or in some cases weakness); but I am really excited about the fact that someone has created a database that compiles hundreds of characteristics for millions of songs.

What is incredible to me is that it learns my likes, so songs and/or styles that I've marked as yes show up on other stations - but not in an annoying way. Is it weird that my musical wants are so well understood by an algorithm? But seriously, you type in the name of an artist or song that you want to hear similar music to, and voila, you get endless hours of music.

If you are already a Pandora fan, share some of your favorite stations with me. Its like the new version of the mix tape!

Before I forget, you must needs watch Ira Glass's This American Life. This is one of my favorite radio shows, and the TV version is perfectly, wonderfully the same interesting stories, only visually.

The Mosaic Principle

2009-05-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

My friend Stephen asked me the other day if I was done blogging, and I really had to think about that. I've been in a bit of a creative funk lately. I've been doing a lot more frogging (deleting for knitting) and deleting than actual creating. I've stopped the daily discipline of getting behind my camera, or even checking up on the creative endeavors of others. So, really it all adds up to me feeling like there's nothing to share.

But I was struck by a bit of interesting thought while listening to my husband talk EVE with his buddies this morning. It doesn't matter whether or not I feel like I have anything to say, or new knitting to show, or a design in process - my life is worth sharing. As boring as my life may seem to me at certain points, I still find that I am inspired and calmed by reveling in the details of these women's lives. Go, take some time. Each of them does such a great job of taking and mulling over the mundane details all of us experience and share them in such a way as to make it art.

So, what is the Mosaic Principle? (Saying it like that makes it sound so official and well thought-out.) A few years ago, Jason and I began attending a small startup church called Mosaic. And the idea there, stated over and over and over and over by our leaders, is that we call it Mosaic because we are all broken pieces, but that in coming together, our individual brokenness creates a work of art, our mosaic. But this is key, you have to bring your piece. The mosaic isn't complete until you share your piece. Whatever that is. A beautiful blue button, or a broken piece of plate, or some dirt - it doesn't matter, we need your piece.

In the end, I think it comes down to mindfulness and community. Too often (what am I saying, all the time) I get caught up in wanting my life to be interesting (to whom?), or in having the best pictures, or in designing the ONE thing that everyone must knit, that I blow right on past the details, the mundane, the everyday that makes up my life. And then one day, I realize its been 2 months since I took time to journal, or even longer since I've taken a picture (!).

And yet, when I go back to look at my 365 project, I realize that in that daily discipline is real beauty (well, ok, perhaps I'm a BIT biased). In my desire to live up to some unknown, nebulous expectation that probably isn't out there, I've missed the point. Its not about reaching that expectation all-at-once, every time. Its about being willing to put myself out there so that maybe, when I reach these doldrums, I can still find the beauty in the stillness and the lack, instead of being disappointed with myself.

All that to say this: I want to make a commitment to the internet ether that I'm getting back to practicing creative discipline. I'll start with baby steps, but for now, I'll pledge to write/journal/share at least once a week - no promises on the scope of said posts, but it'll be here.

I'll leave you with this: what beauty in the mundane do you have to share?

Singles: Merino & silk

2009-03-28T09:17:00.000-07:00

Singles: Merino & silk, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

This is spun on my new-to-me Ashford Traveler. Spinning is so much fun. Its definitely here to stay.

Spring Skies

2009-03-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

Spring Skies, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Texas spring means severe weather... and fantastic cloud formations. Fortunately, this storm only brought much needed rain and a bit of coolness.

2009-03-20T22:29:00.001-07:00

Battlestar. You will be missed.

But it was a good end.

(And yes. I did come out of retirement to make this very short comment. Don't worry, I've got more percolating.)

The smell is heavenly

2009-03-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

The smell is heavenly, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

The wisteria has been amazing this year. The honeybees have been busy collecting pollen, and I've been enjoying the smell. Hello, spring!

Spring sunrise

2009-03-19T09:14:00.000-07:00

Spring sunrise, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

We say hello to the morning with a warm cup of coffee, a blushing sky and the fragrance of the wisteria blossoms. It will be a good day.

Serendipity

2009-03-18T09:13:00.000-07:00

Serendipity, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

And just like that, spring is here! The plants put out their leaves, flowers open up and the bees have a heyday. I love the way the new green of the leaves looks against the endless blue of the texas sky.

Growing up so fast

2009-03-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

Growing up so fast, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Today was a cold day, so we put on our winter coats, drank hot tea and snuggled.

Mosaic - take it to work

2009-03-06T09:10:00.000-08:00

Mosaic - take it to work, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Mosaic's new mugs rock. Not only do they hold lots of whatever warm beverage suits your fancy, but they have snazzy colors too.

Check it out, the orange actually matches the orange in my spreadsheet!

Handspun: Wisteria

2009-02-19T09:08:00.000-08:00

Handspun: Wisteria, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Here it is, my very first handspun. Its about 4 oz of merino silk combination, estimating about 85 yds, bulky, spun on a borrowed majacraft (Thank you, Micol!). I'm loving its nubby goodness!

Handspun: Wisteria Singles

2009-02-17T09:06:00.000-08:00

Handspun: Wisteria Singles, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Here are my very first singles, waiting to be plied. I'm loving the spinning! Can't wait to see how it looks all together.

Breakfast bones

2009-02-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

Breakfast bones, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Today we had hot tea and oranges for breakfast. My soul is warm.

367/366

2008-12-31T13:06:00.001-08:00

367/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

These books are pretty good. I read the first one the first week in December and am now buried in Book 8. See, mom, I can still read fast!

I seem to have gotten off on my numbering somewhere... too late to go back and fix it now. Oh well.

It has been a good run. I've really enjoyed the discipline of getting that camera out every day, and then having to publish at least 1 picture. While I'm not going to continue with the official 365 project, I do believe that the habits I've acquired over the last year are going to last.

Thank you Project 365ers from Ravelry! I have enjoyed the journey the inspiration!

366/366

2008-12-30T10:14:00.000-08:00

366/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

These were also given as gifts, although I think I must make a pair for myself. Perhaps with a wider stitch pattern to cover more of the hand, but I love the way this looks in this yarn.

365/366

2008-12-29T09:54:00.000-08:00

365/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Ninja gloves - complete! Gave these to Tim today and he seemed most appreciative :)

I tried the tubular cast on for the second glove and I really like the way it came out.

Close-up of the stitch pattern.

Details are on Ravelry.

364/366

2008-12-28T09:51:00.000-08:00

364/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

The requisite family picture. The weather has been perfect, albeit a bit windy, but one can't complain about 70 degree weather in late December. :)

Do you have any idea how hard it is to get three people looking at the camera at the same time? Harder than you'd think...

Case in point. The remote is much more interesting :)

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2008-12-27T09:50:00.000-08:00

363/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Playing with the remote I got for Christmas - oh so fun!

362/366 - Happy Birthday, Annan!

2008-12-26T09:49:00.000-08:00

362/366 - Happy Birthday, Annan!, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Happy Birthday to a very sweet little girl!

361/366 - Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T13:40:00.001-08:00

361/366 - Merry Christmas!, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Opening presents is so much fun!

Hoping you and yours have a very merry christmas!

360/366

2008-12-24T13:40:00.000-08:00

360/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

My two loves.

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2008-12-23T13:42:00.000-08:00

359/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

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2008-12-22T13:43:00.000-08:00

358/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Through the peephole...

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2008-12-21T13:44:00.000-08:00

357/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Tomato gothic.

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2008-12-20T13:45:00.000-08:00

356/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

*Le sigh*

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2008-12-19T13:46:00.000-08:00

355/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

The weather service called this a freezing fog. Sounds like some kind of supernatural creature or power or something.

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2008-12-18T13:47:00.000-08:00

354/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Happy Birthday, Jason!

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2008-12-17T13:48:00.000-08:00

353/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

It's a grey, grey day. This picture is full color, if you can believe it.

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2008-12-16T13:48:00.000-08:00

352/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

I seem to enjoy taking pictures of these plants. I really liked the way the rain drops looked.

351/366

2008-12-15T13:49:00.000-08:00

351/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

There's no complete darkness quite like that of a power outage. The strange thing about this one was that it was only our segment of our street that was affected. So the people behind us still had their Christmas lights on, while we sat around playing with shadows.

350/366

2008-12-14T09:57:00.001-08:00

350/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

I did a photo shoot for a friend this week. This sweet little girl just turned 2, and was so much fun :) I think this one really captures the sweetness of this age.

349/366

2008-12-13T09:53:00.000-08:00

349/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

We've been enjoying the unseasonable warm weather with lots of playing outside. :)

348/366

2008-12-12T09:50:00.000-08:00

348/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

This has been the week of happy mail! Today I got my Coffee & Chocolate swap package from the lovely Sheri. And oh my, was I spoiled! Lots of yarn, handknit socks (that fit PERFECTLY!!), coffee and tea, an awesome coffee cup with a sp0on (and a slot for the spoon), stitch markers she also made, and of course, chocolate. YUM!

More pics are posted here.

347/366

2008-12-11T09:48:00.000-08:00

347/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Can you hear the purring?

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2008-12-10T09:46:00.000-08:00

346/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

I got a fantastic surprise in the mail today! A skein of gorgeous (and SOFT!) Knit Picks Shadow (must get more of this!) and some lovely stitch markers! Apparently Monthly Adventures 2008 group (on Ravelry) is celebrating our year anniversary and has been selecting random members to send prizes to. Woo!

345/366

2008-12-09T09:45:00.000-08:00

345/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

One of my favorite things about my eyes is the yellow starburst. I think this is the best picture yet to capture that.

344/366

2008-12-08T09:43:00.000-08:00

344/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Got our first Christmas card. Thank you Dick and Joan! :)

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2008-12-07T10:27:00.000-08:00

343/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

A sunny sunday morning in the front room. I really liked the way the shadows worked out on this one.

342/366

2008-12-06T10:25:00.000-08:00

342/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

"You mean I have to wear clothes?"

One of the drawbacks of winter.

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2008-12-05T10:25:00.000-08:00

341/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

More lovely lights.

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2008-12-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

340/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

I went ahead and harvested the rest of my tomatoes (4 dozen!) as the weather looks like its going to stay cold for a while. I'd say my tomato growing this year was a success!

339/366

2008-12-03T10:22:00.000-08:00

339/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Another gorgeous sunset sets off these seeds from our maiden grass.

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2008-12-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

338/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

The holiday season means holiday lights, and our neighbors went all out this year. :)

Out of focus seems to be the best way to photograph these sorts of things. Check out these sweet pics from a friend of mine.

337/366

2008-12-01T10:19:00.000-08:00

337/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

It's cold. Thank goodness I have all these handknits to snuggle into!

Welcome, December!

336/366

2008-11-30T10:18:00.000-08:00

336/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Giggles can be so contagious.

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2008-11-29T10:17:00.000-08:00

335/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

This sunset was gorgeous! We've been having lots of cloudy days, but oh, the sunsets are spectacular. I loved the way this reflected on Jason's car.

334/366

2008-11-28T20:24:00.000-08:00

334/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Some delicious sock yarn I picked up at Stitches East - love that color purple!

333/366 - Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T20:23:00.000-08:00

333/366 - Happy Thanksgiving!, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

What better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than with a harvest? I picked these beauties off my still producing tomato plants. YUM! I can't wait to eat them!

332/366

2008-11-26T20:22:00.000-08:00

332/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Toddler baby cable rib socks. An easy way to use up the yarn that's leftover from my socks. If I make each pair of Little Bit's socks just a tiny bit bigger than the last pair, she'll always have a pair that fit, right? :)

331/366

2008-11-25T20:21:00.000-08:00

331/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

The second installment of the Shalimar Sock Club. While the colors are still quite bright, I think this one has more possibility. And the pattern for this yarn sounds really interesting. I think I may actually follow it! (*gasp!)

330/366

2008-11-24T20:20:00.000-08:00

330/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

These books have been making the rounds at church, and I just couldn't resist. Let's see what all the hype is about.

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2008-11-23T20:19:00.000-08:00

329/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Smiles.

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2008-11-22T20:18:00.000-08:00

328/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Saturday mornings are for yummy breakfasts.

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2008-11-21T20:14:00.000-08:00

327/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Mmmm, cowly goodness. The perfect antidote to cold weather. I can see more of these in my future - fast and useful - just like mitts!

326/366

2008-11-20T20:13:00.000-08:00

326/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

This delicious sock yarn is destined to be Bacchus. I just need to finish the rest of my Christmas knitting first...

Yarn details on Ravelry.

325/366

2008-11-19T20:12:00.000-08:00

325/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

The home office.

324/366

2008-11-18T20:11:00.000-08:00

324/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Mmm, new yarn! This will be for a wrap of some sort. This brown is so deliciously chocolate-y...

323/366

2008-11-17T20:09:00.000-08:00

323/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

One of the stash enhancers I came home with from stitches East is this beauty from Cherry Tree Hill. Now I need to find the perfect pattern for this!

Details on Ravelry.

322/366

2008-11-16T20:08:00.000-08:00

322/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

And a shot of these in progress. I've really increased my speed as it isn't taking me hardly any time at all to knit these up.

Even after doing 2 of these, I think I need to add a pair to my wardrobe. :)

Project info on Ravelry.

321/366

2008-11-15T20:05:00.000-08:00

321/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

Jenny's Mitts - these knit up super quickly and are oh so cozy. I think I need some for myself.

Pattern details on Ravelry.

320/366

2008-11-14T16:26:00.000-08:00

320/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.

I'm not sure what I like so much about this photo, but I keep coming back to it.

319/366

2008-11-13T16:26:00.000-08:00

319/366, originally uploaded by hannah8ball.