Subhuman Superwoman

Hell's Bells! We've got a winner!

2011-02-06T19:27:00.002-06:00

After 2 years of getting a variety of diagnoses for Perrin - ranging from autism to bipolar disorder, we finally have what I think is the most accurate diagnosis for Perrin. We went to see a neuropsychiatrist on Friday who specializes in Tourette Syndrome; this is very difficult around here, as most neurologist seem to specialize in epilepsy. He spent well over an hour with Perrin, did extensive tests that involved some sort of brain helmet thing to test for ADHD, and Perrin's diagnosis is Tourette Syndrome with severe ADHD. He said he saw no reason to believe that any of his behaviors, which often mimic autism in young children, were anything other than the typical developmental progression of TS. In fact, Perrin seemed to have outgrown many of the behaviors that led to the ASD diagnosis originally. He said this was pretty typical. I even talked with John's mom to ask if John did any of the quirky things that Perrin does that led one psychiatrist to diagnose him with autism, and of course, he did all of them. It seems that most of Perrin's issues are from the ADHD; he tested as one of the most extreme cases he has seen. This is why Perrin is behind grade level in reading, can't sit still, and is often very moody. He even showed us in the brain where all of these disorders seem to overlap, all of it centering on the area of the brain affecting Tourette's. He was brilliant! I left feeling like we finally got it right. We're going to keep him on the risperdal because it has greatly improved both his tics and his mood regulation. We are thinking of adding an ADHD med, which he says shouldn't increase his tics now that he's on meds for them. I'm hopeful.
He's moving to a general ed class in a new school after spring break. I know it will cause anxiety, and that we may see some noncompliance and meltdowns during this time, and I've made that very clear to the team that will likely be working with him. Luckily they will be sending a teacher's aide that has worked with him one on one for the last 2 years, and she'll stay with him for 2 weeks to help him with the transition. I feel that with this new challenge, he will have a fighting chance of catching up and doing well. He's such a bright, amazing kid, and I think people are finally seeing his potential. Talking with this doctor, who agreed that Perrin was very smart, I am feeling more optimistic than I have in a long time.
Since we stopped having playdates during the school week, his mood has improved vastly. He's learned at least 15 new sight words in the last 2 weeks, and his reading has significantly improved as well. I can only imagine how quickly he'll be able to progress once we get him on a good ADHD medication.

Best of everything 2010

2010-12-30T09:16:00.009-06:00

This was a pretty damn good year for music, and I snatched up as much of the goodies as I could since I'm insanely obsessed with at least 2 of the bands that had amazing albums this year. I wasn't able to see a lot of movies in the theater this year; however, I did manage to see a few that I absolutely loved, and they will be on this list as well. So on to the list.

In no particular order (until number 1) here is my shortlist of the best albums. You'll not see Eminem or Kanye on this list because, frankly, I'm sick to death of both of them.

iamamiwhoami
For a year, Jonna Lee as iamamiwhoami slowly released several videos on youtube that had sensuality, mythology, and some badass electronica. Her identity was kept secret for months, and with each new video her face was revealed as Swedish folk singer, Jonna Lee. The story of the videos told of the legend of the mandragora, and every song was even more amazing and heartwrenching than the last. In October, the band had an online concert in the woods that was pure imagination and beauty. The band chose a fan from facebook, flew him out to Sweden, and then "sacrificed" him to nature. It was brilliant. I've honestly listened to this album on a loop for hours at a time because it is truly that outstanding.

Broken Bells
Honestly, there are few bands cooler than the merging of the lead singer from one of my all-time favorite bands, The Shins, and the supremely talented Danger Mouse (from such great bands as Gnarls Barkley). This album is bouncy and fun and sometimes dark and creepy. My favorite is "The Ghost Inside" and the video is fabulous mostly because it features the most beautiful woman in the world, Christina Hendricks.

Interpol
I do love me some moody Interpol music. Their newest album isn't as amazing as it could have been, and some songs, such as "Lights," seems to build up to a climax that doesn't come. All in all, it's a good listen. And since I'm actually going to be seeing them live for the first time in February, they go on the list from sure excitement.

The Dead Weather "Sea of Cowards"
The pure cool factor from this group makes me drool from geekdom. Seriously, you combine Jack White's paley brilliance with Alison Mosshart's sultry badassness and you get a band that is so rad I get goosebumps. Sidenote: If you don't yet have "Midnight Boom" by the Kills, I highly recommend you download that baby at this very second. You will not regret it. Even my 6 year old shakes his ass to it. I can't embed the kickass video "Die by the Drop" so here's a link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0YI0UUazkU&feature=channel

The Twilight:Eclipse soundtrack
Right up front I'll say I've not read a single book or seen a single movie from this franchise, but I'll give that writer a bit of credit when I hear the soundtracks. I have zero interest in vampires that sparkle, but I'll listen to a sweet soundtrack any day. This one has quite a bit of great music on it, from the ethereal goddess herself Florence Welch to The Dead Weather. There's even a little Bat for Lashes thrown in for even more adorable goodness.

And the #1 album is, of course, Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs." This album is flawlessness at its best. Growing up in the suburbs myself and having chosen to raise my child in the burbs, a lot of this album seeps into my memories of riding my bike with my cousins to the convenient store for little pocket pies. Of having absolutely nothing to do on a Saturday afternoon but waste time in the department store or go to the movies on a Friday night. It's sometimes sweet and sometimes sour, and it's all glorious. There's the hint of escape or maybe just the understanding of what you give up to get the safety and security of the cul de sac days.

On to movies.
Can there be a "best of" list without the brilliance of "Inception?" I think not. I was actually able to see this one in the theater, and I was blown away by its inovation and intricate storyline. It didn't insult our intelligence with nothing more than impressive special effects; this was a movie with substance. It had a great plot - hey, who doesn't dig dreams - superb acting (can Ellen Page please be in more movies?), and let's face it, eye candy for the ladies. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, AND Leo? My eyes were most pleased.
Next up was Black Swan. I was mostly excited for this film because I love Swan Lake, and I loved the idea of a movie devoted to a ballerina struggling with creating the personas of both the white and black swan. The ballet in itself is breathtaking, and Natalie Portman needs an Oscar post-haste for being flawless. I completely believed that she was this sweet, innocent ballerina driven mad with obsession over being perfect. It gave great insight into the dedication and pain that goes into being a dancer, and yes, there is an incredibly hot girl-on-girl sex scene that even made me blush.
And the last film I'll mention here is Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. This movie was just plain nerdy fun. Comic books, video games, ridiculously over the top fight scenes - it was just pure nerdgasm. Michael Cera, who is now quite famous for playing the geeky underdog who somehow manages to usually get the girl, plays Scott Pilgrim, a guy who must battle his new girlfriend's 7 exes in order to win her heart. It's a great story of the baggage that we carry from one relationship to the next, and how each new person has to deal with all the shit that comes with the complicated mess that was left by the last. Plus, it's just hilarious and fun.

In personal life stuff, the very best thing that happened this year was Perrin's amazing progression in both social skills and his ability to function in school. All thanks to this incredible little pill called Risperdal. Seriously, it has saved our lives. My child learned exactly nothing in kindergarten because his moods were completely out of control, he had zero attention span, and he was constantly in a state of fight or flight. Over the summer, he learned his letters, and he has been progressively learning to read. Through the outstanding work of some incredible women in his life - these ladies will be getting their own post - my son is now spending almost half his day in a general education class and making friends. He's happy, healthy, and loving life. And so am I.

Yo Yo, Roller Coaster. Pick your metaphor

2010-10-13T17:41:00.003-05:00

Getting an accurate diagnosis for children with neurological disorders has got to be the most unbelievably frustrating and seemingly random process. In the last year, we've been told Perrin is absolutely on the autism spectrum, unequivocally couldn't possibly be on the spectrum, is a textbook case of early onset bipolar disorder, and might just have autism-related mood disorders. So...in all of that chaos, how is a parent to even begin to know who is right? I have filled out questionaires, checked off boxes of behaviors, and Perrin has been through countless evaluations over the course of the last 2 years. At the end of it, we are still at the mercy of opinions. There's no scientific test, no blood work to be analyzed. It's just a list of characteristics that are then interpreted by a neurologist, psychologist, psychiatrist, or therapist. And when they don't all agree, where the hell does that leave you? I've mostly listened to other moms and watched how Perrin interacts with other children on the autism spectrum, and for the most part, he's just like them. And in many ways, so very different. Because mixed in with all the sensory sensitivities, rigidity to routine, and mood swings is a 6 yr old boy with his own quirky personality. And he might line up his toys in a certain way because he has autism, or because he has OCD, or just because he likes them that way. It's simply impossible to know. I get told quite frequently that the label shouldn't matter to me; that he's still the awesome kid that he's always been. I do agree that regardless of the diagnosis, he's just Perrin. The kid who loves putting stickers on those paint swatches from Home Depot, who loves ketchup quite possibly more than any other human being on the planet, who has memorized pretty much every line from every show or movie he's ever seen, who collects every scrap of paper he touches, and who can melt anyone's heart with his smile. We go back for further testing with a neuropsychiatrist next month, and hopefully with that will come more answers. What I know now is that he's content and stable. He's learning at school, and he's making friends. He's truly enjoying his life right now, and honestly, what more could a parent want for their child?

Fun with mosaics

2010-07-14T08:57:00.005-05:00

I'm on a knitting hiatus while I experiment with other forms of artistic expression. First up, mosaics. I was inspired years ago at my sister's wedding by these beautiful mosaics that the owner of her wedding site created all over the place. They were massive and breathtaking, with butterflies and flowers. It looked insanely fun to do, so I thought I'd give it a try. I had some tiles left over from some stepping stones made for a friend a few years back, so I busted them out and got to work.
Step one was really creating the design. I had these little cork shelves lying in my closet, so I used that as the base. Once I got the image exactly as I wanted, I used a mosaic glue to stick em on. This process took forever, but with a little help from Doctor Who, it didn't seem so tedious. End product of step one.

A few days later, I attempted the hard part. Grouting. Since this was my first try, I thought it'd be easier and more convenient to use a pre-mixed grout that came in this tube. You just sort of squeeze it out over the work and push it between the tiles. Huge mistake. The grout was very thick, and it was like squeezing cement out of a tube of toothpaste. When I finished (this whole process took nearly 45 minutes b/c of the thickness), I tried to smooth it out as nicely as I could. However, due to the thickness of the grout, this ended up basically covering the entirety of the tiles with the thick goop. According to the directions, I was supposed to wait 30 minutes and then wipe off the tiles. Well, the grout had dried so much at that point, that I had to scrape it off the tiles. This process took over an hour, leaving gouges in the grout in between the tiles that were difficult to smooth. The end result is that the grout is not level with the tiles nor is it smooth. It's rather crumbly and uneven.

It's not terrible for a first try, but definitely not the result I was hoping for. Next time I will mix the grout myself and actually use the proper grout spreading tool to get the pretty mosaic I'm aiming for.

Your songs remind me of swimming

2010-06-24T11:19:00.010-05:00

Summer is here, but it's being very persnickety. It seems for every gorgeous sunshiney day, we get 3 crap rainy days. I've been keeping the boy quite busy at the water park, and he started his summer session at school on Monday, freeing me up a few hours a day. What I've been doing with those days is just about exactly nothing. I've been in a weird funk. Not really blue. Not really tired. Just meh. I'm sort of stuck in this creative rut where I want to make or do something, but I'm floundering when it comes to starting something. I'm not particularly in the mood to knit. What I've been kind of wanting to try is creating mosaics. I saw this gorgeous book at Michaels the other day that showed how to do it, and I felt a slight flutter of inspiration. So, I'm probably going to start glueing tiles to everything, and I feel this may be a new obsession to replace knitting...well, just for the summer. I'll be clicking needles together again in the fall, and I may even have some things up in the shop if I get my ass in gear. My problem is there's so much to do in this life.I want to write, to sing, to dance, to paint, to knit, to read, and do it all NOW! I'm always filled with this urgency, this little knot in my belly that begs me to get up and go.
But alas, that's that. My mom, stepdad, and two of my stepsisters were here last week from Texas. I got to play Chicago tour guide, and I was actually pleased with my ability to not only navigate around downtown with 8 people (my aunt and uncle went with) including Perrin, but to keep from getting too anxious, thus making Perrin anxious. The result was that they dug Chicago, but spent way too much time on public transit for anyone's liking.
We hit up the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Lincoln Park Zoo, and my mom got to have a Chicago style hot dog, which was her only real goal. They got a real kick out of the Chicago accents, my darling son's included. It was a great time, and I wished it could go on forever.

If you want to destroy my sweater, pull this thread as I walk away

2010-05-11T13:45:00.005-05:00

So here's the sweater I started for Kate in February. It's a design based on a photograph of a sweater she liked at a department store. I wrote out the charts for the cable and the lace and did a helluva lotta math to get this thing right. It took the better part of 2 months to complete, but she looks cute as hell, right?
Yarn - Woolease in oxford gray - a little less than 4 full skeins
The pattern itself is based on the shape of "Bobble Blue" in Interweave Knits Spring 2006. Highly modified based on her measurements and the cable and lace patterns.
All in all, I'm very pleased with the results. This was literally the most work I've put into a sweater, and it paid off. I think she likes it :)

Florence and the Machine at House of Blues

2010-04-13T14:01:00.003-05:00

Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine has, without a doubt, the most haunting, powerful, beautiful voice I've ever heard in my entire life. Not only is she an amazing singer, but her lyrics are so enchanting, sometimes painful that it's hard not to cry when you hear her songs. "Cosmic Love" has got to be the most beautiful song ever written in my lifetime, and she has quickly become my new favorite artist. Sorry Tori; you've been usurped.

The entire experience of this concert was amazing in every way. My darling friend Kate (my new concert buddy) and I trekked into Chicago to the House of Blues last night for the show, and we were blown away. The band started with my absolute favorite song on the album "Lungs" called "Howl" which makes me think of werewolves and Michael Jackson's "Thriller." Just awesome. The set list included pretty much every song on the album, since she only has the one album out right now. During "Drumming Song" the entire floor was literally shaking as the audience jumped up and down with the beating of the drum. Florence commented in her adorable little British voice about how awesome it was that we were making the stage shake. She took the time to talk with the audience, which I'm noticing fewer and fewer performers doing during concerts, and it's always something I loved about Tori when I saw her in Austin. It was all very cute and silly, asking us to jump up and down and raise our hands during "Rabbit Heart" and sing along, but it was much fun. Kate and I had a fabulous time, and I'm excitedly anticipating Florence's new album. If you haven't heard her, I highly recommend that you immediately buy her album. You will not regret it.

Here's the set list

1.Howl
2.Kiss With a Fist
3.Hurricane Drunk
4.My Boy Builds Coffins
5.Between Two Lungs
6.Hardest Of Hearts
7.Drumming Song
8.Cosmic Love
9.Blinding
10.I'm Not Calling You A Liar
11.Dog Days Are Over
Encore:
12.You've Got The Love
13.Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)

Shameless plea for donations :) Please read!

2010-03-26T18:29:00.005-05:00

I have this marvelously kind friend named Stacie who rocks my socks. She is a single mother to 3 gorgeous kids, and two of them have autism. Her youngest son, Erik, was just approved for an autism service dog that will be trained to aid him, keep him safe, and be a loving companion to him. The organization, Wilderwood Service Dogs, specializes in training dogs to each specific child, a process that takes a year to complete. Please visit the website at http://autism.wilderwood.org/ to see for yourself all the wonderful things these dogs can do for a child living with autism. Unfortunately, these dogs are extremely expensive, and my friend needs help in paying for this. This is an opportunity that I would hate to see her and her family be denied because of the cost. I'm working on a few fundraising opportunities locally to help her with this cause, but she needs all the help she can get. Here's where I need you. She has opened a paypal account in Erik's name, and I'm pleading with all of you to donate if you can. I know these are hard times for everyone, but if you can donate any amount, it would mean the world to this amazing family. Stacie is a true warrior who dedicates all of her being to caring for her children, and she's the most loving mother and friend anyone who could ask for. I'll be donating any money I earn through my etsy shop, so if anybody would like to get a cute hat or sweater out of the deal, hit me up.

Donations can be made to her paypal account at eriksservicedog1@aol.com.

Thank you

Getting it right....we hope

2010-03-11T20:53:00.002-06:00

So here's the story. Several months ago, I felt it was time to get Perrin offially diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome, since we felt it would help him with getting appropriate services for school and possibly medication should he need it. His tics were getting more severe, more frequent, and his OCD was getting out of control. We took him to a neurologist, who diagnosed him on the spot. Of course this was no surprise to us since John and I both have TS. The neurologist asked me a few additional questions about Perrin, and based on the speech and social skills delays, he also said "he's on the autism spectrum." That was it. No testing. No nothing. We accepted it b/c based on our knowledge, it seemed to fit. His behavior was similar to autistic children of my friends, so we didn't really question it. Until Perrin's behavior took a turn for the worse, he began to withdraw socially, and his mood swings became much more dire. Two weeks ago, Perrin had a manic episode that lasted for days (brought on by prozac he was prescribed for OCD) that eventually led him into a depression. We took him off his meds, went to a pscyhiatrist, and he was diagnosed with early onset bipolar disorder. Based on what she saw and heard, she said she doubted the autism diagnosis entirely but wanted to hear what the psychologist said. I scheduled an intake with the psychologist, and based on the information I gave her (prior to meeting Perrin) she said that she, too, did not think he had autism. Today the psychologist evaluated Perrin and said that she saw no evidence that would lead her to believe that he was on the spectrum. That all of his symptoms fit the Tourette Syndrome with bipolar disorder diagnosis, which she wholeheartedly agreed with. We also learned that the teaching staff and social worker at his school have felt he didn't have autism for some time, and they believed he was bipolar for days before we got the diagnosis. I feel pretty confident that we've got it right this time. Does the label matter much to me? Nah, not really. Perrin is still the quirky, special, amazing, and CHALLENGING kid that he's ever been, but I know feel that he is more likely to get the appropriate therapy now. In fact, we are starting behavioral therapy this weekend with a specialist in early onset bipolar disorder. She will help us teach the school how to teach him, how to prevent his aggressions, and understand him a little bit better. So that's where things stand now. All of the pain and chaos we've been through for the past few months finally has a face to it, and with medication and therapy, I'm hopeful Perrin can be a happier, more stable child.

Happy 6th Birthday to my live-in Zen Master

2010-02-10T09:26:00.005-06:00

Six years ago at this exact moment, I went into labor with the coolest, funniest, and most incredible human being I've ever known. I won't go into specifics on the labor, cuz nobody wants to hear all that, but I will say that I cherish every second of it all to bring this unique and special child into this world.
When I was pregnant with Perrin, I read this book called "Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting" back when I was a more devout Buddhist than I am today. It was refreshing and honest, and there was one part that rings especially true for me today. The author compared children to zen masters in that they are ever evolving, adapting to what is around them. "They are undeniably present. They are constantly learning, developing, changing, and requiring new responses from us. As they grow, they seem to challenge every place that we might be holding an expectation, a fixed opinion, a cherished belief, a desire for things to be a certain way." Children teach us about the world, about ourselves, how to be in each moment without obsessing about what will happen in the next. Perrin has been my greatest and most faithful teacher in this way. He embodies both consistency and unpredictability. He lives in a world apart from ours, and some days I want so desperately for him to spend more time in ours, and on others, I envy him the ability to exist inside himself without thought or care to the chaos that surrounds him. He is beautiful and strange and has many gifts to give the world. I can't wait to see what he does next.

Just the knitting

2010-02-05T15:57:00.004-06:00

This post contains no mention of anything that doesn't involve yarn and needles and sweatery goodness.

The Montera Heather Tuck Bodice or some such nonsensically named sweater has been completed. The sewing was every bit the pain in the ass that I suspected it would be. In the 4 years I've been knitting, this was only the 2nd sweater I've attempted to knit in pieces and sew together. I'm a huge fan of the top-down sweater knitting in one piece b/c I am not gifted in the art of sewing. The following picture may make it appear that I have, indeed, successfully constructed a nifty little cardigan, when in fact, the inside looks fairly jacked up from my ineptitute. However, it looks pretty decent from the outside, and honestly, who in the universe would ever flip it wrong side out and inspect the seams? Only another knitter, and I tend to avoid letting those peeps look too closely at my construction.
So, here are the deets.
Pattern: Montera Heathered Tuck Bodice Cardigan from Classic Elite #9105 Saturday Afternoon Booklet.
Needle Size: US 8
Yarn: Naturally Caron Country. It's a lovely charcoal merino/acrylic blend. Pretty damn soft and fairly decent to knit with; a bit splitty at times, but nice to work with.
Honestly, that's all I'm going to talk about in this post. No talk of any neurological unpleasantness at all :) Just my obsessive knitting addiction.

The uphill battle worth fighting

2010-01-26T17:41:00.004-06:00

I posted recently on the difficult, often painful journey through autism that we are taking. Sometimes, when we are in the middle of the climb, it's hard to see the destination. The peak. We can only see what's directly beneath our feet, and each step seems more daunting than the last. It's easy to forget the reward at the top - the breathtaking view. And now that I've hammered this metaphor to death, I'll move on to my point.
I'm honestly starting to believe that the end of this journey can be joy. That, along with a wonderful team of therapists, teachers, and of course me and John, Perrin has a true chance of greatness. That all of my hopes and dreams for him may actually come to pass. I will never give up. Never back down. Never forget that with every day that passes, Perrin learns a little more, talks a little more. I am starting to see the traits that seen in a 5 yr old are frustrating and exhausting can actually be strengths for him as an adult. He's bright and tenacious and knows what he wants in this life. I wish I was a little more like that actually. So I suppose what I'm saying is that (returning to my little metaphor) I am at a point right now where I can look up and see the beauty that is around me while I continue the climb.

Knitting and Life

2010-01-21T16:46:00.004-06:00

So, most of my life these days has revolved around autism. Since the Christmas break, Perrin's behavior has been very erratic and sometimes very aggressive. He simply cannot cope with a huge change in his daily routine, and the 2 weeks he was at home with me, though very fun and pleasant, really threw him off, and he's still recovering. However, in the process of getting him back on track, we're dealing with a lot of unpleasantness. Autism is a thief that steals from my child. It takes his joy, his feeling of safety, his progress and leaves behind a child who doesn't yet have the language capability to express his frustrations, his anger. It's heartbreaking to watch your child struggle, to constantly be on the outside, never quite understanding how to play with his friends. My family lives in a bubble, and Perrin seems content most of the time to exist inside that bubble, never leaving the safety and comfort of his home, but the longer we stay inside, the harder it is to leave. I've returned to a sort of hermit-like existence, and I myself am slowly losing my ability to interact with my friends. It's almost easier to not even try to be a part of the world that doesn't understand what our life is like. I know my friends and family care and love us, but with a few extraordinary exceptions, they will never get it. I see the pity and confusion on their faces. I've been told "He'll grow out of it." I haven't yet lost hope that one day Perrin may live what we might consider a "normal" life, but I'm not delusional enough to think that one day he will suddenly wake up and no longer be autistic. I have the same hopes for Perrin that all mothers have of their children. I want him to be happy, fall in love, have a career. But right now I'd be happy with him writing his name, eating with a fork, having a conversation. Things I wish I could take for granted. Perrin is hilarious, affectionate, and has a great personality. He is my whole world. I have to force myself to not make autism my whole world. It is a daily battle.

Now that the bummer portion is over, I am still a knitter. And this is a knitting blog, so now for some yarny goodness. My current project is a lovely cardigan for myself.

I've got the entire body knitted up, currently working on the 1st sleeve. It's been going rather quickly, as the yarn (NaturallyCaron Country in a gorgeous charcoal gray) just flies off the needles. It's a luscious merino blend that is uber soft and should be very warm and toasty. It'll likely take me days to sew up all the pieces, b/c I suck at sewing, but I'm excited about getting it completed. That's all I'm working on right now

Best of 2009 - Music Edition

2009-12-23T10:33:00.005-06:00

Let's begin with the greatest rock band of all time. Think I'm exaggerating? Then you've obviously never experienced Muse. I discovered Muse 10 years ago when John and I were dating in San Marcos. A little song called "Muscle Museum" was played mostly just on the college radio station, and I fell in love. Their music is epic; a little bit Queen, a little bit Depeche Mode, a whole lot of awesome. So my pick for the best album of 2009 is Muse's "The Resistance." From start to finish, the listener is in their world, a dystopia of Orwellian fascism and revolution. And apparently, teddy bears.

And in no particular order b/c it's impossible, the rest of the best.

Florence and the Machine. What's not to love? Kickass redhead. Check. Voice so powerful it could drive you to tears. Check. Lyrics so beautiful it makes it hard to breathe. Check. Her album, "Lungs" is one of those albums you put on repeat on a bad day, a good day, during sex, during a fight. You get the point. I've said "Cosmic Love" is probably the most painfully beautiful songs I've ever heard, and I stand by that statement. Judge for yourself.

Bat for Lashes. If you, like me, like science fantasy books, love "Lord of the Rings" and just in general wish magic was real and sometimes want to escape into a fairy tale, then "Two Suns" is the album for you. Ethereal, whimsical, enchanting, haunting, this is an album about lost love, a love torn apart by distance and is split between Natasha and her alter ego, Pearl. It sounds a little weird, but it worked for me and other whimsical fairy-tale loving geeks like me. My favorite - "Glass." It's just very sexy and striking.

Gossip. "Men in Love" No list of the best of anything would be complete without my darling Beth Ditto. In my richest fantasies I could never be as badass as Beth. Watching her sing live was one of the highlights of my year. Her voice has a lioness power to it, and listening to this album makes me miss my old club kid days where I could drink and dance until 4am, go to work, and then repeat as needed. Best songs are "Heavy Cross," "Vertical Rhythm," and "2012." If you like a good bassline, glitter, glam, and excess in every way, please do enjoy.

There are a lot of decent honorable mentions that are still far superior to most of the crap out there.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs "It's Blitz" It's good, not great. They're still one of my favorite bands, and I'm tickled pink by Karen O's adorable "Where the Wild Things Are" soundtrack, but this album was kind of a disappointment. Again, still better than most. "Runaway" "Heads Will Roll" "Zero" - all highly recommended.
Tori Amos "Abnormally Addicted To Sin" Hate to say this, but again, not great. There are some gorgeous tracks here like "Give" and "Ophelia" but for the most part, it's just okay. She hasn't been able to touch "Scarlet's Walk" and likely never will. She's still a goddess and should be worshipped accordingly
Imogen Heap "Ellipse" I was really looking forward to this one b/c her last album was breathtaking, but this one I just haven't been able to get into as much.

Next year is looking to be great in music. Interpol and Sia both have albums coming out in the next few months, and I hear rumor of a Maynard James Keenan project - probably Puscifer.

30 Day Shred progress

2009-07-04T10:40:00.002-05:00

I started Jillian Michaels 30 Day shred on Thur, so today I'll be doing day 3 of Level 1. I'm going to track my daily progress here to urge myself on.

Day 1 - I pushed through the entire workout without any breaks, but I was ready to die by the end of it. Was massively sore in the thighs and ass the entire day.

Day 2 - I really didn't want to do it b/c I was still really sore and hobbling up and down my stairs, but with John's motivation (Do it!) I muddled through it taking only a couple of 5 sec breaks to catch my breath. Took a long hot soak with epsom salts and crashed.

Today I'll be doing Day 3 even though I'm still really sore.

My goal is 10 lbs or at least a few inches off my waistline for Kelly's wedding on July 29 in Vegas. No more muffin top!!!!

I am knitting but with all my stress and my obsession with a new vampire novel series, I have been slacking a bit on that. I never really knit much in the summer anyway. Slowly and only when I really feel like it.

Don't go in if you are abnormally attracted to sin

2009-06-01T12:20:00.003-05:00

Ah, the fabulousness of the great Tori Amos. While I'm not going to get into a full review of her latest album, "Abnormally Attracted to Sin," I will say it's the best she's released since the masterpiece that was "Scarlet's Walk." That one simply cannot be beat. I've been one of those insanely loyal Tori fans since 1996, when I was a moderately melancholy high school senior desperately trying to find myself amidst the fiercely conservative small town in which I was raised. Tori helped me immensely, and for that, she can do no wrong. Well, okay, "The Beekeeper" was slightly wrong, but I can forgive her for that. :)

In knitting, I've mostly finished Morgan's dress - just sewing on buttons left to do. I'm being rather lazy about it too, since it'll likely not fit her for several months.
What I've really been working on in my little Tucker factory are my own designs for my little slice of the etsy pie. I have in my mind all these really cute and maybe slightly left of center design ideas for kids, and I've been sketching and devouring awesome cables and embroidery options. I just received some business cards that I designed myself that will mostly be for my friends and family to hand out to peeps. Also, it really helps for mom networking to have something with your contact info already on it so you're not digging around your purse trying to find a pen.
So, here's a little sampling. The background is from an actualy celtic cable I knitted.

So, right now I'm in the beginning stages of being a designer. For my shop, I'm going to have ready to wear pieces, but also have the option of ordering something custom. And eventually, I'll work towards writing out patterns. It's a start.

In the springtime of his voodoo

2009-05-12T15:07:00.004-05:00

Spring has finally sprung in Chicagoland. I'm giddier than a school girl. I've been communing with nature in hidden places in the wilderness, soaking in the beauty of the green under canopies of trees. Oh, and I've been getting craftier than I have in a long time.
Here's a peek

This is a little cardi I'm knitting for one of my dearest friend's baby, who is due this summer. Boheme by Allegra Wermuth. It's a free ravelry download, super cute.

Next, I've been experimenting with headbands. I had these elastic headbands sitting around, and I thought it'd be cute to glue some flowers on. See, I've got mega spring fever, and my obsession with flowers has taken on a life of its own.

I plan on making some more with smaller ponytail holders, barrettes, and different styles of headbands. Now that my hair is longish, I've been learning how to style it since I've had a pixie cut for the better part of 3 years. So...more to come.

2009-05-06T10:12:00.002-05:00

Feb Lady Sweater Part 2 is complete. She's actually been finished for a week, but I've been super lazy about pretty much everything.
Mods are really simple - short sleeves obviously, and 4 buttons instead of 3.
This is probably my favorite style of sweater ever b/c it really hides the muffin top that I've been growing for the last year. I'm furiously trying to get rid of it b/c I have to wear yet another bridesmaid dress in August. And by furiously, I mean really half-assed, which consists of going for fast paced walks or riding the elliptical 3 or 4 days a week but still eating burritos at Chipotle on Friday night with the boys. Life is too short for no burritos, damnit!

You take the good, you take the bad, you take 'em both and there you have the facts of life

2009-04-09T11:19:00.005-05:00

Things haven't been so blissful in the Tucker realm lately. And it's all this shit in my head swirling around, that inner critic that insults my every move, the daily frustrations of being a stay at home mom, and the 5 month long winter that may be finally coming to a close. I realize logically just how lucky I am; I have a supportive husband who has a great job in this terrible economy, I have a lovely home that I'm having fun slowly decorating and personalizing, and I have a great kid who warms my heart and puts a smile on my face with his quirkiness and flair. So I won't begin to bitch and moan about the little things that add up to take me out of the grateful comfort of this quiet life and make me want to claw my way out of what can, at times, be slightly less than fulfilling. Instead, I will just say that I am working on silencing the negativity and breeding some more creativity. With that, here are a couple of progress shots from the 2 knitting projects I've got going.

Kelso Lace Cardigan

I had intended to rush through this for my trip to TX, which was 2 weeks ago, but I got a little frustrated with the raglan decreases within the lace repeats, so it's on brief hiatus while I finish up my 2nd February Lady Sweater

February Lady

I wear the warmer version all the time, so I wanted to create one that I can wear in the spring and part of the summer. Short sleeves, which I have bound off already but may pick up and lengthen just a little b/c they flare out strangely right now. Shorter body, maybe 1 or 2 fewer repeats.

Both sweaters are made with Cotton Ease, which is quite possibly my favorite yarn to knit with.

So, more of life as usual.

The Good, The Bad, The Evs

2009-03-14T13:51:00.004-05:00

I finished the big cables sweater a couple of weeks ago. It turned out beautifully and horribly gigantic on me. I don't know what happened there b/c I knit a 37" bust, which is 3" smaller than I am. Oh well. It'll be frogged for next winter. I'm done with wool for the next several monthsThis is my newest project. The Kelso Lace Cardigan by Suzanne Frary I downloaded from Ravelry.

It's knit in one piece from the bottom up, which I've never done before, so it's interesting. I'm using some light grey Cotton Ease, which was on super sale at Michael's last week, so I stocked up for the spring. I got some light pink as well for a possible 2nd February Lady Sweater with shorter sleeves.
I also finished Entwined from Knitty for my friend Emily. I used LB Homespun in a gorgeous color called Painted Desert, which actually reminded me of sunsets in Phoenix when I was a kid. She loves it.

In actual life news, the last few months have been extremely stressful. We're trying to figure out where Perrin will attend kindergarten next year. He's doing really well in the small, contained classrooms that are solely special needs children b/c he gets the one-on-one attention he needs to learn. Our options seem to be to throw him into a classroom with 30 students and hope he's not distracted enough to have a hard time focusing. The school doesn't have adequate sensory supports, and if he's disruptive, they don't really have much in the way of help for him. The other alternative is to put him in a school that has a class that is much more restrictive; it's solely special needs kids with behavioral problems. This year there are 4 kids in that class, and the ages range from 6 to 10. Perrin would likely be the only kindergartener in this class, which raises the issue of adequate socialization. But it is the better of the two options, so it looks like this is what we'll have to choose. For such an "affluent" community, there don't seem to be a lot of options here for children with disabilities, and that's incredibly frustrating. He's back in private occupational therapy twice a week, and we're going to get him started with therapeutic listening, which is supposed to be very helpful for kids with attention problems. This has been a very emotional roller coaster, and we're always trying to do what's best for Perrin, but it's very hard to know what that is at this point. I guess we just make a decision and hope for the best.

Bow down before my face

2009-02-16T13:28:00.005-06:00

Found this great website, via Friendly Atheist, where you can create your own miraculous image on a pancake. I fully expect to be worshipped now.

http://www.glassgiant.com/miracles/

Best YouTube videos I've seen this week

2009-02-11T16:26:00.002-06:00

Seriously, I've watched these a gazillion times, and I laugh my ass off EVERY time!

The search is over. Love of cables continues

2009-02-04T12:53:00.003-06:00

After days of agonizing scrutiny of every pattern under the sun, I found exactly what I was looking for. Something with the ease of February Lady but with interesting cables. The original plan is to knit this in the round as a pullover, steek it, and knit on some buttonholes to make a kicky cardigan. I love working with the Wool of the Andes; it's just the right sproinginess, and it's just flying. This is the funnest project I've had since the Bubble Pullover which ended up being a bit of a frumpy pink mess.

Proof I AM knitting

2009-01-31T14:33:00.003-06:00

Pattern: Petal by Stefanie Japel
Yarn: 3 1/2 skeins Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Emporer's Robe
Needles: US 6 for body, 5 for edging
This baby took forever b/c of endless stockinette stitch and the eternal edging, but I really like how this turned out.
I found some darling buttons with cutesy faces on them, but I can't seem to get a decent closeup shot of those.
I am now off to the library to spend hours rummaging through pattern books to find the perfect sweater for some Knitpicks Wool of the Andes I just bought.

If you like fabulousness

2009-01-21T14:45:00.002-06:00

Do yourself a favor and watch this amazing performance from this weekend's SNL. The band is "Fleet Foxes," and they blew me and John away. Rocked my socks! Reaffirmed my belief that we are in a magical time in music. Every member of this band sings in perfect harmony with one another, and it is sublime. You have no idea.

Thank you, Mr. President, for including me.

2009-01-20T16:25:00.003-06:00

"For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers.”

I nearly wept at hearing myself, and many wonderful fellow non-believers, included in Barack Obama's inaugural address. Most of the time, we feel overlooked and deemed less than American (for example, George Bush saying that we were "unpatriotic" b/c of our beliefs..or lack thereof I should say). I can't fully express how it warmed my cockles to hear him add us onto the list of all of those who shape this nation. We are your friends, your coworkers, your sisters and brothers. We are the same as anyone else and deserve recognition as Americans, and it's about damn time someone had the courage to say it. Thank you, Mr. President, for adding those simple words that will bring a sense of comfort for many atheists, agnostics, and humanists of this country.

A new edition to the blog

2009-01-16T16:00:00.004-06:00

Up to now, this blog has been mostly fluffy knitting stuff and the occasional cutesy kid story. And with all likelihood, the only people that ever read it are my blood relatives. Hi Mom :)
And while creating a new blog to delve into deeper subjects would probably be more appropriate, I'm super lazy, and it's just easier to dump everything into one blog. So from now on, all kinds of crap will be on here. From book, TV, and movie reviews, to my views on religion, morality, politics, and feminism. I'm a fairly well-rounded individual, and I believe that I'm quite capable of mingling my thought-cicles (more 30 Rock ridiculousness) along with the pictures of fluffy sweaters.

So, just to top things off, here's my current favorite quote, via feministing.com from the incomparable Rev Al Sharpton.

"There is something immoral and sick about using all of that power to not end brutality and poverty, but to break into people's bedrooms and claim that God sent you. It amazes me," he said, "when I looked at California and saw churches that had nothing to say about police brutality, nothing to say when a young black boy was shot while he was wearing police handcuffs, nothing to say when they overturned affirmative action, nothing to say when people were being [relegated] into poverty, yet they were organizing and mobilizing to stop consenting adults from choosing their life partners."

I could not agree more.

My love affair with hats continues

2009-01-03T15:13:00.005-06:00

I present to you my favorite of the bunch. I've been cranking out hats like a crazy person, and this one is hands down the cat's pajamas.

Side Slip Cloche from "Boutique Knits" I want to make everything from this book and might eventually do just that.
Cascade 220 - less than 1 skein of this gorgeous purple/blue I got from Ana years ago.
US 5 needles
Verdict - to say I love this hat is putting it lightly. In the words of the great Tracy Jordan, "I love it so much I want to take it behind the middle school and get it pregnant."

Shoe fetish

2009-01-02T15:52:00.006-06:00

I have no idea when this started or how or why, but I'm now madly in love with shoes. I think it may have sprung from my lust for the particular brand. T.U.K. which birthed both pairs of my "cat shoes."

The left is a hard leather mary jane with a bit of a heel. The right is a sneaker with a velcro face, and they're totally beat up b/c I wore them daily for 3 years (and all 9 months of pregnancy). T.U.K. shoes will last an eternity and are comfortable from day one.
And here are the ones I just got today in the mail. T.U.K. has a line of "Emily the Strange" shoes. You've probably seen some of her clothing at Hot Topic; it's adorable and slightly disturbing.

I psychotically love these shoes. They're slightly roomy, but with my mom's handknit socks (that she actually made for my hubby, and I stole) they fit like a dream.
Next, 2 pairs of shoes I bought from Payless b/c I'm not made of money, ya know. One day I said to myself, "Self, you need a pair of red mary janes." So I scoured the pre-Christmas sales and found these for less than $15. They are fabulously cutesy. The black ones I bought ages ago, and they aren't the most comfortable shoes around, but I do like that they are shiny and simple.

I will delve into my newfound love for fashion in the next post. This one got a little heavy on the pics, so I ran out of time.
In knitting, I'm almost finished with the side slip cloche from the marvelous book, "Boutique Knits." I want to make virtually everything in that book, but right now am sticking with just all the hats.

Blerg!*

2008-12-23T17:24:00.007-06:00

SO MUCH SNOW!!! It has been snowing nonstop all damn day, and I'm starting to feel like one of the Little House on the Prairie girls all cooped up in my house with a 4 yr old who desperately needs a lot of physical activity. So we've been wrestling and running circles around the house all day. Here's a shot of our patio table; it's hard to tell b/c I took it 10 minutes ago in the dark, but there's almost a foot of snow on that thing.

In other winter related wonder, we finally bought a Christmas tree. We do enjoy the comforts of a good old-fashioned secular Christmas, complete with pine tree goodness and presents aplenty :) Perrin was delighted to be the one to put the star on top.

In knitting related awesomeness, I whipped up this little camera case for our new camera. It's a purple Nikon Coolpix, and it's so darling and fits right in my pocket. Who couldn't love that?

The future of my needles? I've got 2 sweaters waiting on yarn. First is the garter yoke pullover from Knit.1 magazine created by one of my favorite bloggers, Knitting School Dropout. I'm just anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in a gorgeous deep green for this one.

And I'm super stoked to get started on Coraline from the darling Ysolda. I've admired her patterns for years (and crushing on her cuteness a little) but this is the first one I've purchased.

I'm a little uncertain what yarn I wanna use for this. I have some Knitpicks Shine Sport in a light blue, but I'm meh about it for this sweater. I was thinking of using some light grey Cascade 220 that I have laying around, but I don't know if I have enough. We'll see.

Next post will be all about my new obsession with shoes.

*In reference to my favorite catchphrase of Tina Fey's in 30 Rock. I discovered this fabulousness last week and have since watched all 3 seasons whilst knitting some armwarmers for John's aunt and eating homemade chocolate biscotti from mine. It's been a rather slow week.

Grace Lace Beret

2008-12-15T13:37:00.004-06:00

Slouchy berets are quickly becoming a staple in my wardrobe due mostly to super windy Chicago winters and hair that isn't quite long enough to put back out of my face. I wear my green Le Slouche pretty much daily to take Perrin to school and for those days when I don't feel like dealing with hair at all. So I was pleased as punch (I love that phrase even though I don't understand it) to find this adorable lace beret pattern at http://www.loopknits.com/2008/10/13/grace-lace-beret-class/. The pattern was easy to follow, quick, and too cute for words.
I used Caron Simply Soft b/c I'm on a sort of sabbatical from wool right now. Yeah, it's super warm but every brand seems to be itching me like madness, so there may be a return of my wool allergy from childhood. It blows muchly, but I'm finding a lot of acrylics and cottons that I like just as much and are cheaper anyway.
So here it is in all its unblocked glory. Eventually I'll figure out how to easily block a beret since pinning it out on my head would be rather unwise.

Next up, possibly legwarmers to wear over my jeans and boots for sledding since snowsuits are outrageously expensive.

Odds and Ends

2008-12-04T14:04:00.005-06:00

I've been a bit of a knitting fool lately. John's company is having a holiday party next weekend, and I bought this adorable little black dress. However, I have tons of tats, and it might be a little chilly, I designed this adorable shrug with a lacy cuff. I used some cheapo Red Heart soft, which I've used before and dig. This will not only keep me toasty, but it'll also cover up a couple of tattoos should there be some stuffies there. Normally, I'd just say "fuck 'em" and show them off, but this is a new job for John, and I can spend one evening not stickin' it to the man :)

Next up, we've got some mittens I knitted up in 2 days out of some hand dyed wool I bought over the interwebz over a year ago. It's a little itchy, but it's so gorgeous I can endure. I used a pattern from kpixie, which is very well written and easy.

And the last little bit are gloves I'm knitting for my best friend to give her boyfriend for Christmas. They're kinda big, so I'm going to rip back the pinky and thumb, as per the recommendations from my hubby hand model. I'm using the leftover RH from the shrug, and they're super soft. It's my first time knitting gloves, so the fingers are a little tricky, but I'm enjoying it. I think I'll make some for JOhn for Christmas if he's a very good boy.

So that's all for now. Up next, a hat for my best friend's brother and the beginning of a little cardigan I'm designing pretty much as I go.

February Lady Sweater and John's scarf

2008-11-16T10:57:00.006-06:00

Everybody's made one, so I jumped off the lemming cliff and made one too. It looks pretty much fabulous on every single person who's knit one, so you kinda can't go wrong with the standard top-down raglan babydoll cardigan. I normally don't dig garter stitch much, but on this sweater, it's perfection. So here's the specs
Pattern: February Lady Sweater by Flint Knits.
Yarn: About 4 1/2 skeins of Lion Brand Woolease. Cuz I'm broke, and really if you wash it in wool wash and dry it in the dryer, it's soft as any really fab wool you can buy for more. And who hates saving money? Not this kid.
Mods: Just shortened the sleeves and went down a needle size to make them a little more fitted. Other than that, followed the pattern.
Verdict: Love to the power of 10!

Here's a little scarf I whipped up for John so he can protect that pretty face while walking from Union Station to his office in Chicago.

It's some cheap, but soft acrylic yarn I bought for another project and the stitch is a checkerboard pattern. He likes it.

Yes we did!!!

2008-11-13T14:53:00.003-06:00

For the first time in my adult life, I voted for the guy that won. In both 2000 and 2004, I automatically voted for the Democrat, b/c, well, I don't think it's a secret that I'm a bleeding heart. And while I agreed with many of Al Gore and John Kerry's policies, they just didn't get that heart of mine bleeding nearly as much as Barack Obama. Not only does he stand for everything in which I believe, he's just the coolest cat I've seen in a long time. In the debates with McCain, he was calm and collected and stated facts, while McCain got flustered and rolled his eyes, and made incredibly idiotic comments, such as "That one."
My voice has finally been heard, and it feels damn good!
John and I watched with a collective sigh of relief as Obama's name was shown on our TV screen as the next president. And I don't mind admitting I got a little weepy. Yeah, I could go on and on about the importance of electing an African American as president, and it IS important and historical and warm fuzzy making. But what is important to me, and I hope to everyone, is that this is a turning point. Do I think he's going to have time or power to undo all the damage that Bush caused? Absolutely not. But a dent will be made, and dents are a damn good start. I've never been more proud to be an American.

Something Kinda Heathered Blue

2008-10-16T12:14:00.004-05:00

This is the project I've been working on for the last 3 weeks. I'm amazed I got it done this quickly, since life crap has just exploded in my face. I was determined to get it finished b/c it was made for a friend, and I like to get things done in a timely manner for peeps I dig. For myself, I linger on a project for a lot longer than necessary b/c I let that life crap hover over me.
Anyway, here are the deets.
Pattern - Something Red by Wendy Bernat. Excellent pattern. I love her stuff so much, and I will definitely make one of theses babies for myself when I lose the 15 lbs I gained over the summer. More life crap.
Yarn - Knitpicks Swish Superwash in Delft. Lovely yarn, knits up like a dream. You can't really tell from my craptacular photography, but it has little slivers of purple throughout, and it is stunning. The yarn is super duper soft too, and a little tumble in the dryer after a wooly soakage made is even more soft. I will def use this more for myself. Very reasonably priced too.
Size and mods - 45" bust. The only mods I made were to Emily's measurements that she gave me. She wanted the sleeves 3/4 length, so I extended them to 14." She also wanted the sweater to hit at her hips, so the ribbing is a bit shorter than some of the others I've seen. Hope she likes it. I blocked the hell out of it in hopes of getting just the ribbing to look a little longer without going over the length she gave me. She can tweak it a bit more at home if she likes. The beauty of wool
I got a cute little button with a celtic looking knot on the front, and voila! I am so nervous that she won't like it, or that it won't fit. She lives in TX, so I wasn't able to do the cool "try it on as you go" thing, but she was so easy to work with and gave me all the measurements along the way that I needed.

Back from the dead

2008-09-18T13:53:00.005-05:00

Never finished the 2nd sock. Sort of stopped knitting altogether since the last post, which was an eternity ago. I like to keep really active in the summer, which means I don't sit around and knit as much. I've had so much stuff going on since I last posted. One of my sisters graduated from pharmacy school.The other one got her own place and is all growns up. I lost a friend, gained a friend. I've been to TX and South Beach. Here's a little South Beachiness for you.

Yup. That's gator in the face.
Other life stuff. Perrin spent the summer in an awesome extended summer school program and is now back in his last year of preschool. He's doing really well. He's also in a small gymnastics class for kids with special needs. He's all over the place there, but he loves it.
Anyway, now that fall is upon us, it's time to return to knitting, and thus, this little knitting blog.
I tried to knit Rosalind from A Mingled Yarn. I had all the pieces and it was a gorgeous sky blue Knitpicks Shine Sport, but when I tried numerous times to get the pieces seamed up, I was always off. I tried 4 times, and by that last time, I said "fuck it" and put it away. It's in the frog pile, b/c I'm now disgusted with it and my shitty sewing.
I'm back as knitter for hire. I'm working on a sweater for a girl who dated my hubby in college a million years ago. I also just finished a Snickers costume for my best friend Kelly.

It's super Becky Homecky, but she seems to think it's cute, so it works. I sewed 2 rectangles together and used some talented fusable tape to put on the logo, which I cut out of felt. It was a lot of fun, especially while watching season 3 of Buffy.
Next up, the fabulous February Lady Sweater, which may or may not be knitted with some frogged Mesilla Cascade 220.

A sock and stuff

2008-04-28T15:55:00.002-05:00

So I've ventured into the exciting world of sock knitting. I used to find it ridiculous and boring to knit a damn sock, but I actually will admit to digging it now. I just sort of grew weary of spending a month knitting a sweater that I feel totally meh about once it's done, so I needed something else for a change. Plus, I got oodles of sock yarn for trade on knitty, so I didn't spend a fortune. Here's the first sock of the Rib and Cable Socks from IK sometime or other. Adore it at your own risk; its awesome may burn your retinas.

In other news, I'm going to Miami for Labor Day. My bestest girlfriend since 7th grade will be turning 30 on Aug 29, and for her bday, she's flying me down for 3 days of fun and sun and probably booze. And since this is Kelly we're talking about, I'll probably come back with a new tat, a sunburn, and have married a college freshmen from Oklahoma.
So, to save up for this vacation, I have put up my adorably and made for me hoodie for sale on my etsy shop. If it sells, I'll be sad to see it go, but I can always make another one, and it's spring, so the number of folks out there looking for a nice warm, wool cardigan may be slim pickins. I gotta try though, cuz I'm broke as a joke (as my ex Army buddy used to say).

Rusted Root Part Deux

2008-03-30T18:53:00.003-05:00

Rusted Root was my first real sweater that I made about 2 years ago. It was fun to make, gorgeous color yarn, and I felt super proud when it was finished. However, I followed the pattern to the letter and ended up with the waist shaping too low for my body, and the armpit too long, so it was not a great fit. Plus, the wool content in the yarn was a bit itchy and way too warm for spring. So....here is my 2nd and final attempt at RR. I love this one. I now know more about my body shape (super high waisted and not much difference between bust, waist, and hip width), so I think it's a much better fit. I made this with Cotton Fleece in emperor's robe, which is quite possibly the most beautiful blue yarn I've ever seen. I love this, my hubby loves this, and I've already worn it twice.

As close as I'll get to being a green beret

2008-02-26T10:08:00.005-06:00

If you knew how very far away I was to actually being anywhere near a decent enough soldier to be a green beret, you'd laugh your ass off. In the 365 days I was in the Army, not once did I salute an officer, rarely did I show up for formation, even more rarely did I wear my uniform or treat my superior officers with anything but typical teenaged disdain. How I made it that far without brutal punishment is beyond me. I think they realized early on I was a lost cause and just sort of ignored me like one might a defiant toddler.
Oh, yes, the knitted object. This is a modifification of le slouche. I have a freakishly small head (I can wear my 4 yr old's hats), so I used size 5 needles instead of 8. Plus, the Cascade 220 that I used seemed a bit thinner than the average 220. I love this color, and now that I have hair, it's not quite as itchy.

Plus, a little future hat lust. Here in Chicagovilleland, winter is still very much upon us, as we got 6 in of snow just last night. Hats and mittens have become my newfound love affair. The chick in this band, has such a cutesie pie hat that I simply must yoink one for myself. Their music is actually pretty adorable too, but the hat is the most important thing to notice.

Make it work, people!

2008-02-22T16:48:00.002-06:00

I have what some might consider an unhealthy love of Tim Gunn. I want to steal him, chain him up in my closet, and make him tell me what to wear everyday. I do have a great fashion sense b/c of him; I just lack the funds and energy to go out and buy the right clothes and such. So I wear a lot of tshirts. Here's one I just made with a homemade stencil of my personal god, Mr. Gunn.

Never felt more special in all my lives

2008-02-21T07:43:00.002-06:00

I finally got my ravelry invite! I swear I couldn't be more excited if I had just won a Grammy. My username is Tucker104, and today I will be feverishly playing with my shiny new toy.

Girl crush

2008-02-19T15:30:00.003-06:00

http://www.theblackapple.typepad.com/

Have you seen this cutie pie's blog? She wears these adorable vintage dresses, has awesome rosebud red lips, and sells the most amazing prints on etsy. Go check out her blog. It's just loaded with cuteness to the power of 10. Go! Now!

Done, Done, and Done

2008-02-12T14:18:00.000-06:00

First up is my own design, although when I finished I realized it looks a lot like Arwen from IK, and that if I had followed that pattern, it might've been a helluva lot easier.

I used Knitpicks Merino Style in Maple Leaf. I love this yarn; it was so fabulous to knit with and really makes the cabling pop.

Next is a highly modified version of the placed cable aran from IK Fall 07. I worked it in the round from the bottom up, then worked the front and back cabling. I skipped the cowl type collar altogether, and instead of knitting flat and sewing the sleeves on, I just picked up stitches evenly around the sleeve openings and knit straight down with no decreases for a flare. I used Red Heart Soft Yarn, and this yarn is so surprisingly soft after you wash the sweater that I'll definitely use it again.

And the last is my first pair of mittens. I used the pattern for the litte flip top mittens in SNB Nation, but I realized that it's so freakin' cold out there, I'm not ever going to flip them open, so I just closed it off. I used some Lamb's Pride bulky; it's a wool/mohair blend, which I love. It's soft and fuzzy, and the colors are yummy. They only took me 2 days, which I love even more after working on mostly intricate sweaters that each took about a month to finish.

Next up, a couple of hats for the wee ones of my friends and possibly a hat or two. We shall see.

Happy birthday to my favorite son

2008-02-10T19:40:00.000-06:00

Nice thing about having only one child is that you never have to lie about who's your favorite. Today is my kiddo's 4th birthday. Amazing and insane. We had a little party with his best friend whose mom happens to be my best friend. We gorged on the delicious Rosatti's pizza and cupcakes that I baked with my own two little hands. And Perrin didn't really bother to use his hands....or utensils to do his gorging.

He got his first big boy bike, and although it is freeze your nose hairs cold outside, he insisted on trying it out.

It was a great day. I have a wonderful, sweet, funny, and crazy child who I adore more and more with each passing day.
Ne

Unweary now

2008-02-08T08:57:00.000-06:00

So, things are looking up. And I've missed blogging and having a place where I can ramble on and on about my latest knitting project. I have had a few things in the works in the last several weeks, and they will be unveiled shortly.
I will post later about Perrin's preschool evaluation to determine what modifications his disability may require for him to function "normally" at school. Our IEP meeting is on Valentine's Day, so we will get a better sense then of what help our school district can offer him. Blah, blah, blah. There I go again. Ah how I've missed this.

I've grown weary

2007-12-06T14:35:00.000-06:00

Ah, such is life. I've grown bored of this whole knitting blog. Truly, there's no real relevant information being put on this blog that can't either be ruminated over at my myspace page or displayed on my flickr page. I simply don't have the time or energy to keep up with this anymore. If you have been a reader of my little corner of the universe, I thank you. This year has been quite an adventure in knitting and in life.
My son was recently diagnosed with sensory processing disorder, and we have started occupational therapy to help him rearrange his neurons or some such craziness. This has become quite all-consuming in itself, and I need to devote more of my energy into helping him cope with this.
I will still lurk on the blogs that I adore and covet your talents and wares. Much love and luck to all. I will be deleting this blog in the next week.

I turned 30 today

2007-11-28T16:10:00.000-06:00

What did you do?

I thank you for thangs

2007-11-23T13:27:00.000-06:00

Camera is still broken, so no pics. I've finished the cardi, the trinity hat, and I am almost finished with bubble pullover. I wish I could post these things, but oh well.

Yesterday we spent Thanksgiving with very good friends and their gigantor family. It was wonderful and made me miss my own family so much. I introduced them to the joy of butt rolls, and we circled the table and announced what we were thankful for that year.
My top 3 were good friends, a happy family, and not being in TX anymore. But it's so much more than that. It's walking into Helen's house and knowing that no matter how difficult Perrin is or how stressed I am, it all melts away in the presence of a great friend who has not only been in my shoes but who makes me feel like a great mom even when I'm feeling like a beast. It's knowing that everyone in my family is happy and healthy and with the person they are meant to be with. It's waking up every morning, looking out my window and sighing b/c I always love what I see. It's feeling, for the first time in my life, that I am truly home. It's realizing how extraordinary this simple life has become for me. It's sitting by the fire, knitting a sweater next to my husband and feeling content.

Victory is an elusive whore

2007-11-07T09:24:00.000-06:00

Lovely cabled cardi thingy is finito, but unfortunately my camera doesn't seem to be wanting to work these days, so no pics yet. Please stop the crying. It's unseemly.
It turned out pretty well, even though I may have fudged up some numbers on the decreases around the elbows, so it may be a tad tightish there. All in all, I dig it. I put a trillion buttons on it b/c I know with the harsh Chicago winds, I'm gonna want that thing snug as a bug. Speaking of which, it is starting to get ultramegamulti cold up in here, like it's nearing winter. Time for hat knitting to cover up my now over exposed ears. This is the one I'm working on currently. It can be found at http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=204368.0

The girl who designed this is darling, with this gorgeous dragonfly tattoo on her chest. I seriously am aching for a new tattoo, but that is neither here nor there at the moment. I'm just rambling now.

OH HEY THERE!!!

2007-10-24T13:56:00.000-05:00

Not dead in a fiery car crash. Not wandering in the desert after a psychopath put a car on top of me b/c Grissom loves me. Just lazy and busy. What a bizarre combination. Too busy to think straight. Too lazy to care much. What we do have, dear people, is an almost FO. Yeah, just almost. If I had a little bit more moments of sanity, it'd be an FO, but for now, it's just almost.

We covered the doing stuff, on to the knitting

2007-10-02T14:47:00.000-05:00

Finally, a cured child and time to knit. All things are looking up. We're in talks with a Montessori school for Perrin. They are a lot more flexible and nurturing for the unique child. I'm optimistic that we'll find someone who has the patience and compassion to teach Perrin and not treat him like an out-of-control brat.
Yes, yes, knitting.
Here's a little progress report on my cardigan.
Brown Sheep cotton fleece
Size 7 needles
It's a standard top down, raglan style cardigan in stockinette, with the celtic cable from "Girl from Auntie" on reverse stockinette sleeves. The rest of the cardi will be simple and plain, but with gorgeous buttons. I'm going for the classy style that I believe I might finally be able to pull off. Less skulls and junior department print tees for this grown-ass woman. I'm knocking on 30; time to put away the kid's stuff. I'm actually wearing skirts and dresses these days. Once I no longer look like Susan Powter, I might actually resemble something of a girly girl, which is what I really am on the inside. I've been watching too much Tim Gunn, babes.

Yeah, I know I take shitty pictures. I'm definitely not a photographer. Oh, and I'm fickle and switched my blog title back to its original name. Like you care.

Ima crawl in a hole and cry a little

2007-09-30T20:53:00.000-05:00

Preschool didn't work out well at all. Teacher turned out to be a bit of a rigid bitch who would rather churn out little mindless robots than spend a half a second actually teaching children who may need a little extra attention with the huge adjustment that is school. So, after a total of 3 hours, she decided that my son was not right for her program or that her program was not right for my son or what the fuck ever. We withdrew him from the program. Thankfully he doesn't have a clue that his awesome individuality scared the shit out of this idiotic woman, and we can try again later in the year with a more flexible program.
So, now he has an ear infection, and is in total misery. Ever hear a 3 year old whimper with pain? It's the worst sound on the planet.
It's been a hideously awful week. There's been little knitting, little anything other than being pissed or sick or tired. That is all.

Too cool for school

2007-09-24T11:44:00.000-05:00

Today was the niblet's first day of preschool. My little baby is all growns up. Or getting there. He was thrilled to bits to get to wear his new backpack; not so thrilled to have to cut the cord and go in by himself. To say he's a mama's boy would be putting a little too lightly; he's more like insanely in love with me. It was hard for me too, but it gave me a much needed hour and a half of knitting time, which I will now get 3 days a week. Hurray for preschool!!

In knitting news, I'm almost finished with the cabled cardi I'm working on for my etsy shop. I want to make extra money for next year's girl trip, but I have so much on my plate right now, that it's taken a back seat. Oh well, there's time. If I don't make a cent, I have peeps who will wear the stuff.
So here's that.

The wheel weaves as the wheel wills

2007-09-16T22:01:00.000-05:00

Today, we lost a great mind, a great artist, and an even greater storyteller. Robert Jordan, author of "The Wheel of Time" series, passed away. It is with such terrible sadness that I type this, as he created this perfect world full of magic and wonder; a rich tapestry of characters and love. For those that don't know just how geeky I am, I actually named my son after my favorite character. These stories teleported me out of this dreary ordinary world into a world where everything is possible, where small town dreamers can become heroes. There will be a giant void in this world without him and his characters that he breathed such life into.
May the light be with you, Dragon.

Keeping it unreal

2007-09-07T14:17:00.001-05:00

This is my dream hair. This is the fantasy. The long, luscious red hair that I could spend hours brushing and twirling through my fingers. The hair that makes men turn their heads as I walk into the room. A wig is fun as hell to wear. It's soft and shiny, and nowhere near what my hair is capable of being on its own. John says it's incredibly weird, but that he'll get used to it. I'll probably only wear this when I'm in the mood for some pretending. Today, I'm the Little Mermaid.

Even Le Slouche looks better with the long hair.

Le Slouche

2007-09-06T15:16:00.001-05:00

Want a great motivation for knitting up a hat? Shave yo head.

Pulling a Britney and yarny goodness

2007-09-05T10:03:00.000-05:00

So, if you want the whole story, read my myspace blog. Bottom line...I gots no hair now. Well, I have some platinum fuzz, but mostly I'm kinda baldy. I'd be devastated if I either was really fixated on looks or if this wasn't the 3rd time I've had to shave my head b/c of a bleaching catastrofuck. And if you think I'm posting pics of it, well, I'm not quite ready for that. I did, however, buy a wicked wig online, just for the shits and for the giggles.
In good news, I have just spent oodles of hard earned $ on some goodlicious yarn. Here's the haul.

What we got here ladies (should I assume there might be gents?) is Brown Sheep cotton fleece in pine green (this is going to be the Tangled Yoke Cardigan in the latest IK), some gorgeous handpainted wool I got on ebay for cheapsies, Rowan yorkshire Tweed in scarlet (it doesn't know what it wants to be yet), and some stuff I got in a trade...Encore chunky (future cardigan for Perrin)and some cute wool. Everything was on mega sale, so I can justify the costs b/c it will all one day be knitted up in something beautiful. And can't we all justify anything if the end result is beauty?

Get thee to a nunnery!

2007-08-27T14:12:00.001-05:00

Ophelia, she is finished. Here are the pics and this is the gist.

Pattern by A Mingled Yarn.
Yarn used: Just over 3 skeins of LB Cotton ease
A little about this yarn. My newest and dearest love. Cheap, easy to work with, stretchy for a cotton blend, and dreamy knitted up. This entire cardigan cost me a little over $8 to knit. Can't beat that deal.
The pattern: Perfection. Well-written, adorable, and enough lace to keep it interesting without being too complicated to knit whilst watching TV. In fact it took me about 8 days of knitting during the kiddo's naps and in the evenings watching the summer fluff. I love this little cardigan. It is just the right weight and coverage for chilly mornings here in Chicago, cutesy enough to throw on a t-shirt and pretend I'm girly. I could see this going with jeans, a skirt (like I'd wear one), and even a little summer dress. Gloriana has created something I will wear often and will very likely knit again for my little sister, who would look darling in this. Jen, if you read this, I'm talking bout you babe.

Breathless Antici (Frankfurter pause) Pation

2007-08-26T12:28:00.001-05:00

I am very nearly close to completing 2 projects. One is the purple cabled tube top thingy, which is looking like it's going to look like ass on me. The other is the Ophelia cardigan by A Mindled Yarn. Check out the pattern, um, over there to the left...that's the link. I'm loving this knit, but there will be oodles of info on that when I get done with it. For now, kiddos, I leave you with a video. Anybody who is offended by flaming homosexuality and lewd behavior, I'd not click on it. If you are a super cool person, however, do check this out. It's a song from the Diner Girl Road Trip 07 and has been stuck in my head for DAYS!!!!
I now present Scissor Sisters, "Filthy Gorgeous." Not a new song, but still a badass one. Enjoy....if you dare.

Cuz you're filthy. And I'm gorgeous.

2007-08-13T16:43:00.000-05:00

Lookeee. An actual WIP. I started on this during my girly road trip a coupla weeks ago. I'm almost finished. Gotta sew on the cabled edge at the top and figure out what the harfnar I'm going to do with the bottom. I was going for the cutesy baby doll top kinda thing, but I always get lazy and bind off too short. So...it needs length. Just a few inches of another cutesy edging perhaps or doing the same cabling at the bottom. Still working ou the kinks.
My hubby has commissioned the weirdest thing ever. He wants me to knit a tube for the plastic sacks we keep for various tasks around the house. He said, "Like a sock, you know? With a small hole at the bottom to pull the sacks out." Now doesn't that sound like oodles and oodles of mind-numbing circular knitting? I'll get around to it eventually, I suppose, since he is nice and stuff. After this stockinette nightmare, I'll probably end up doing some kind of intricate cabling or something to break up the monotony. Won't that be fab?

Everything's coming up Milhouse

2007-08-04T15:03:00.001-05:00

Meet the new member of the Subhuman family....Milhouse. He's a 3 month old schnoodle (schnauzer/poodle), and he's the cutest damned thing I've ever seen.

In other news, I'm back to knitting. And if you think I'm the kind of person that would take her knitting on a wild road trip through the midwest, you'd be right. I just didn't get a whole lot done for obvious reasons. Damn this social life getting in the way of yarny progress. I'll have some sort of progress pics when it's sort of obvious what I'm making. At this point, not so much.

If I could turn back TIOME!

2007-08-01T16:42:00.001-05:00

Highlights from the diner girl road trip. Too tired to discuss in detail.

Accidentally broke into Ft. Knox
Got to reenact the Prehistoric Forest scene from Tommy Boy
Karaoked to Cher
Hung out with bleacher bums at an Irish pub in Cleveland and discovered my love for Guiness and apple cider
Wore tshirts with the phrase "I Love Butt Drugs" to 2 baseball games, causing more than 100 people to inquire (drunkenly) "what are butt drugs?" Hint: it's a pharmacy.
Joined in a "soul train" line on a Chicago cruise
Visited 6 states in 6 days
Stayed in a glitzy Mag Mile hotel for about $50.
Gazed upon the genius that was the werewolf mask and red leather jacket from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" at the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame
Visited a 2 story outhouse
Had the best chocolate malt of my life at Butt Drugs
Spent 6 days with 2 of the coolest chicks to ever walk the planet

Good gravy. There's oodles more. Manda took nearly 3000 pics (not an exaggeration) That's all I've got for this day.
Enjoy some pics

Half-assed fanny pack

2007-07-23T16:39:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow Manda will be here, and I'll show her around Chicago. Wed, Kelly arrives, and we take a lake cruise and sip martinis. Thurs, we out. Not to return until Monday, and we're so exhausted and vacationed out that we're walking comas. I'm so excited I could pee my pants every second until they're here. These are my girls. I would walk through fire for either of them, and they know it. Kelly and I have been friends since the 7th grade; we can practically read each other's thoughts. Anyway, there will be mega recaps when it's over and oodles of pictures of us grabbing each other breasts....and probably some architecture.
Item essential for the trip...the fanny pack. I wasn't about to go out and purchase one. Not b/c I think I'm too "cool" for one; hell, I've never cared one bit about what was considered cool by the masses. I just had yarn and a desire to make my own. Here's what we're calling the most half-assed knit ever. Sure it looks decent from the outside; what you don't see is the craptacular liner I "sewed" (we're using this term loosely here) so my keys won't poke out between the stitches. Did I have some kind of proper materials for this? Of course not, so I used an old white tshirt. MacGyver, look the hell out. Yup, those are apple buttons for added cuteness. I like it, and it'll hold my necessites...ID, cashola, chapstick, and cell. What else does a girl need while looking at the world's ugliest Lincoln statue?
Behave, my lovelies, cuz I sure won't.

Sneakpeeksville of Fairy Princess sweater

2007-07-12T16:03:00.000-05:00

I am so proud of myself that I have managed to do enough maddening math to come up with a design that I think I can easily manipulate into at least 3 different sizes. This is my "rough draft" if you will of the fairy princess sweater. Puffy sleeves, ruffled cuffs, and the schematics for the wings. I've got the pattern written up for the wings; I just have to get started on them. They will theoretically be sewn onto the back and buttoned at the top of each wing so that they can be released to flap around as the little princesses fly around. I'm nervous and excited about how it will be received if I ever manage to get the other 2 sizes knitted up and the whole thing written to perfection and submit for publication somewhere. Yes, I'm aware that this post is loaded with run ons, but I've had WAY too much caffeine today, so I'm a little wired! If you happen upon this blog, or are one of my lovely friends, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think. By the way, the sweater shown above is a size 4T, and I actually made my son wear it so I know it fits that age. He actually kinda liked it.

Maybe a prostitute could teach you how to take a compliment

2007-07-10T12:21:00.000-05:00

I actually finished the Krista tee a few weeks ago. I knew I would run out of a very impossible to find yarn, so I made it a tank top. I sewed on some i-cord, and I hate it. I like the tank just fine I suppose, even though the cotton is a tad stiff, but I truly despise the i-cord straps. I'm going to take them off and try something else...maybe some a thick band of elastic so that they'll actually stay on.
My new obsession with stenciling has reached mega fun proportions, but I've had to add a few tshirts to my wardrobe to accomodate it. Here's a little sumthin' I whipped up with a handmade stencil (it's our little family symbol John and I will be getting in tattoo form one day) done with the awesome bleach pen.

I'm so over trying to pose all pretty-like, so this is what you're getting.
My first attempt at design is coming along beautifully. Once I finish the cuffs, I'll post a pic. I'm pretty delighted with the way it's turning out, even though I'm not thrilled with the yarn. I think I'm just flat out tired of cotton. I'm ready to go back to wool.
2 weeks till my diner gal road trip! I'm so excited. No, excited is too boring for what I'm feeling about this trip. Elated? Overwhelmingly blissed out? Getting closer.

There is no Dana, only Zool.

2007-06-26T08:38:00.000-05:00

Now we're getting somewhere. I have felt a sudden surge of inspiration from deep within my belly. I don't know why it's there; I don't question these things. I've been designing my little ass off, knitting feverishly, and making birthday presents with a burst of energy and much fun. Here are the recent fruits of my labor.
The Krista tee. I bought this pattern ages ago and have just never found the time to do it. It's worked flat in pieces, but I'm doing it in the round to the pits, just cuz I hate the seaming. I'm also finally using the green cotton that Robin gave me when I first started knitting. This would be the 3rd project started with it. For some reason, I muck up every pattern I have tried. This time, I think I got it right.

Then there's this darling hat that I designed myself (minus the flower. that required a pattern) for my dear friend Koz, who just had a baby girl this month.

But wait. There's more. Here are the tshirts I've reconstructed for my sisters for their upcoming birthdays. I used stencils I made myself, some strategically sprayed bleach, and cut the long sleeves off.

And just for good measure, I thought I'd throw in the tank top I'm working on. I'm making this out of a sheet that was my husband's as a baby.

Rather productive, wouldn't you say?

One day you are gonna get hungry, and eat most of the words you just said

2007-06-20T18:37:00.001-05:00

Oh, new stuff galore. I've been playing around with tshirt reconstruction, and so far, I've done one stencil and one freehand. Here's what I came up with.
The first is my favorite quote from "Romeo and Juliet." There's more to it, of course, but I ran outta room cuz I did the stars first.

This is some lyrics from Ani DiFranco's fantastic song "32 Flavors."

And the last thing is the Cubs koozies for my road trip with Kel and Manda next month. Easy peasy; just took a few hours, and now our beers will stay lukewarm.

That's it for now. Stay tuned for an adorable tank top sewn from an old baby sheet of John's that was handed down to Perrin and some more tshirt designs.

Stop looking through the peephole. You look like a cameraman

2007-06-11T12:53:00.000-05:00

Why have I not been updatey? Cuz, I haven't really been doing much knitting. I've been painting and moving and unpacking and organizing and decorating and cleaning and biting the heads off bats. Oh wait. Forget that last one. I haven't been doing that one....yet.
I am delving into that wonderful, yet overly mathematical world of design. But my flakiness and fickletude is getting the better of me, and I'm starting to feel defeated by it. In the last 5 years, I have flirted with at least 5 different career paths. It isn't that I'm not ambitious or that I'm lazy. It's that I truly want to do everything. I want to be a writer, a knitwear designer, a rock star, and every other superiorly fun thing out there. This life is simply too short to do one thing forever. However, once I get into something, I always find a reason to give up. I think I'm just overwhelmed by all the possibilities. I do have a few things that I'm working on, but I really hate talking about it to people b/c I know everyone thinks I'm a flake and that I won't follow through on it. So rather than get all excited and make myself look like a giant ass when I put it aside later, I'll just keep it to myself and try very hard to ignore that part of me that wants to surrender to mediocrity.

It was money, baby!

2007-05-28T19:05:00.000-05:00

Got back from TX last night, and man alive, am I tired. There was much booze, much fam love, much friends, much yummy food. Here are the highlights.
Steph, my little baby sister, graduated high school. I got a little weepy. Yeah, I'll admit it. It wasn't until the end when the grads gave their parents roses that the waterworks began. Here we are...the 3 Tucker girls.

It was a fabulously relaxing weekend. I did a little knitting, a whole lot of lounging, and even more partying. A friend from high school threw a huge toga blowout for me and Kelly, since we hadn't all been together in more than 5 years. It's funny how when you're 21, all you talk about is college and the last party you went to. In your late 20s, however, you mostly just talk about your kids. It was sweet and crazy and Kelly surprised me by bringing over a great friend of ours from back in our partying days. Good ole' "while you're down there" Brian. Yeah, there's a story behind the name. And you probably don't wanna hear it. A few gems from that evening. It's togarrific.

But if you didn't know already, the absolute highlight of my trip was my awesome meeting of the talented yumminess that is Vince Vaughn. Gaze upon this eye candy whilst you read the story.

I was wandering through DFW on my way back to Chicago when I had a hankering for some Reese's Pieces. So I shimmied over to a little shop, and there was this massive dude standing right in the doorway with his back to me. So I scooted by him with a very polite "Excuse me" and when he stepped aside, it was Mr. Dreamboat himself. I almost swooned. I blinked in my "I just saw a celebrity" dorkiness, and when he caught me, I just smiled and said "Hi" in a much cooler voice than I thought was going to leap outta my mouth. He actually said "Hi" back like any 2 strangers would. I felt ultra mega multi cool that I didnt' geek out and try to be all "I am such a huge fan. Could you maybe, um, marry me a little?" A couple of other goons did it, and he was super sweet and signed autographs, but it was obvious he was really tired.
So, that was my trip. This week I move. Next week, I rule the world.

Need a lipgloss boost in your America

2007-05-21T11:39:00.000-05:00

Finito babydolls - Puff Sleeved Cardigan from "Fitted Knits"
Obvious mod - instead of the kinda tricky lace at the bottom, I did a lattice stitch. Mucho likey this stitch.
Yarn used - Lion Brand Microspun in lavender. It took me forever to finish this b/c Michael's took forever to get more of this color. I chose it b/c I had 3 skeins of it and am truly attempting to destash. It took me a little less than 5 total.

In other news. We close on house in 2 days. In 3 days, I'm off to TX for some fam bonding and partying with old friends. Yay! I hear there is to be togas and booze - a frightening combination. Kel asked me if I was going to go nudely under my toga. I think not, my dear friend. If that sheet loosens too much, that's a nip slip that would not likely make folk giddy.

I am a MILF don't you forget

2007-05-16T16:09:00.000-05:00

So......

We close on our new house in exactly one week. I'm still working on the puff sleeved cardigan. I bought some new shoes. Here they are.

My oldest and dearest friend is a smitten kitten. My baby sis graduates high school in about 10 days. Our mouse in our house who's becoming a louse (who I refuse to kill) has become so bold now that she hangs out with me on the couch while I'm knitting. We've tried all of the humane things we can think of and none of them work, so I'm thinking she's just supposed to live here. She likes Kix.
Not much else going on. I have book club tonight. I inhaled "The Other Boleyn Girl" like crack. It was beautifully written and made me even more thankful that I was not born in a time when women did as they were told and lived miserable lives. Also bought the new Tori Amos album. It is simply brilliant. The best since "Scarlet's Walk." If you love you some Tori, pick it up. You will not be disappointed.

If you don't wanna be down with me, then you don't wanna be from my apple tree

2007-05-09T16:20:00.000-05:00

Behold my highly modified coquette lace tube top from Stefanie Japel's "Fitted Knits."
Yarn - 4 skeins of Elann's Sonata in rosetta
Mods - Well, first off, I put on straps b/c I have too much boobage for a tube top. Then I added 3 repeats of the lace pattern and omitted the ribbing entirely. Instead I added a chunky hem to add a little length. I also threaded some i-cord through the lace on the ribbing b/c it was a little baggy at the top.
Verdict - I adore this top. I can't wait to wear it in public. It's finally starting to get a little hot here, so I'll likely wear this often.

Sure, I can be coquette

2007-05-02T17:37:00.000-05:00

I started this adorable little number this week whilst I wait for Michael's to stock up their microspun. This is a quick, easy fun knit...much like all of Stefanie Japel's other patterns. I'm using Elann's Sonata in rosetta; I got this in a trade with a chickie from knitty. I'm digging this yarn. It's typical cotton in its kinda difficult to knit with craptacularness, but it's so pretty I can forgive it. And I've washed a swatch to the point of groovy softness. That's what is not too terrible about cotton; the more you wash it, the more tolerable it becomes.

Strangers with candy

2007-04-27T12:04:00.000-05:00

Some days, my faith in humanity is restored to its usual vibrance just by a total stranger showing some compassion and genuine empathy. It seems rare these days that this happens, as when Perrin is throwing his legendary tantrums. This is usually a time of much dread at watching an array of shocked onlookers who are quietly whispering to their friends "What's wrong with that kid?" However, today as I was battling with the kiddo at the museum to get his jacket on, and he's thrashing like a great white with a seal, a mom walked over to me, put her hand on my shoulder and told me I was a great mom and that I had so much patience. She said, "We've all been there, and I think you're doing a great job." I almost cried. It was so sweet and so unexpected. She didn't have to comfort me; she could have just walked away with her kids, feeling sorry for me. Instead, she took the few seconds and made someone feel better about a difficult situation. I wanted to kiss her full on the lips, I tell ya. If more of us took the time to verbally show our empathy to total strangers, maybe our world could be a little more pleasant. Just wanted to share.

Stop it now. I mean it. Anybody want a peanut?

2007-04-26T12:58:00.000-05:00

Not a whole lot of progress here. Mostly b/c I have returned to my first love...reading. I joined a book club and am feverishly devouring "The Other Boleyn Girl" by Phillipa Gregory. It is fascinating and beautifully tragic. It is a fictional account of Anne Boleyn's sister, Mary, as her family forced her to become Henry VIII's mistress so that she could bear the heir and gain favor for them. It's delightful. They wanted her to be queen; she only wanted to be a farmer's wife and raise her babies.
Back to knitting. I am working on the cardigan, but I have decided to do the bat shaped lace from Barbara Walker's third treasury instead of the one Stefanie Japel wrote out for it. I just want something a little different. I'm almost out of yarn, and the yarn shop is out of it, so it's on hold for awhile. Gives me more time to wallow in the affairs of 16th century England.

Ultralord is not afraid of chickens

2007-04-20T09:53:00.000-05:00

Progress on the lovely puff-sleeved cardi is going well. I'm suddenly back in love with the microspun. I made Mariposa with it when I was still a newb to knitting, and the yarn split so much I wanted to throw it across the room on more than one occasion. Now that I'm more experienced and have the awesome super sharp Knitpicks Options set, this yarn is once again in my good graces.
Now, for life stuff. I'm so overwhelmingly, smack-yo-mama happy right now I could just squeeeeee. In the last few months, I have made a tremendously awesome friend, watched as my son did the same, bought a great house to spend the next chapter of my life in, and fulfilled one of my greatest dreams. Not too shabby, eh? My marriage is so wonderful; I love John a little more every time I look at him. Perrin is growing to be such a funny, sweet little person that has this unique personality that will inevitably cause him to be both an exhausting and amazing person to know. I have several things to look forward to - the move to Naperville, my trip to TX to see my baby sis graduate high school, and the arrival of "the diner gals" in July for our Cubs road trip. I know where my life is heading, and I am loving every second of it.

the Superwoman's capelet

2007-04-15T13:03:00.000-05:00

This darling thing took maybe 4 hours to complete. Delightfully fun and easy as well. Forgive the lack of cutesy closure; I'm thinking maybe hanging some cute charms on the safety pin instead of a broach. I like to be different.

I'm currently engaged in the puff sleeved cardigan from Stefanie Japel's awesome book, "Fitted Knits." I'm using some lavender Microspun Robin gave me ages ago. Progress pics after today's knitting session with Helen.

"I looked at the trap, Ray."

2007-04-12T19:56:00.000-05:00

I've been a busy bee. Here's the stuff I've been knitting. A messenger style backpack that will be embroidered and felted for your pleasure. And this darling capelet inspired by one Anthropolgie. Got this pattern from Crafster. I'm actually about halfway done with it now; I took this pic yesterday. I'm knitting it with 2 strands of Caron Simply Soft together. The messenger is the leftover of the Peer Gynt wool that I made 2 other bags out of. It's a tad too scratchy to do anything but felted things.

Oh, and then there's the hair thing. I've used Manic Panic dye before and have noticed that it faded to a gross orangey pink after just 3 washes. Not my cup o' tea. So, I took the advice of some chicas on Punk Rock Domestics and invested in some kick-ass Special Effex in Nuclear Red. Trust me, honies. This color is insanely red. Took the kiddo to Burger King today, and the entire restaurant stopped to stare. On to mas knitting.

Ode to the mutha, Thermal take 2, and new hair

2007-04-07T20:01:00.000-05:00

"When life gets you down, you know what ya gotta do? Just keep swimming." Dory has the right idea, and my mom broke it down to me like this. "This too shall pass." When I was in the Army, and I would cry myself to sleep, those words from my mother kept me alive. Restored the hope that no matter what life threw at me, I could overcome. I want those words with me always. So here they are...in my mother's actual handwriting. Thank you Noodles from Tomato Tattoos for giving my mom's words of comfort a permanent home on my body. And thank you Mom, for being a constant force of strength and beauty in my life. I love you.

Oh, and here's the new hair. The yellow was just the middle man from black to red. Can't have the cuteness without a little bleachiness.

And last, but not least, the freshly blocked Thermal. Original picture - preblocked. Looked craptacular.

And now, voila - a sweater I will wear. Who knew that blocking could add SEVERAL inches to this sweater. A lot of girls on the knitalong have expressed issues with the shortness, but after 1 wonderful gal said she was able to lengthen substantially by blocking, I thought I'd give it another chance. Sorry, Jen, this one's a keeper.

So...bought a house today

2007-04-06T20:18:00.000-05:00

This is our new house in Naperville. We move in at the end of June. I'm so excited I could just keel right over. It's got 4 bdrms, so John and I will get our own offices. I will finally get my own room for all my yarn :)
Woo hoo!!!!

Name that color: This IS a test

2007-04-05T22:07:00.000-05:00

This is a very important question. Is this color on my head:

A. Pink
B. Red

If you do not think this is a very important question, meet my husband. Then you will see that it IS indeed a VERY important question. Or rather, the most ridiculous and inane debate known to man. We have our fun. Thank you and goodnight.

Amy Singer at Loopy

2007-04-05T12:08:00.000-05:00

Helen and I drove into Chicago last night to meet the very funny Amy Singer and to get a few pics with the gal. I followed the herd and bought her new book, "No Sheep For You," which I had no intention of buying originally. However, after perusing it in the line to meet her, I realized that it was a terrific book. If you've ever wondered what the hell modal, tencel, and viscose was, read this book. Want to know how they're all made and how they're different from other fibers, read this book. There are comparison charts that help with subbing nonwools for wool, which I'm really digging b/c lately I've noticed a slight senstivity to wool. Not exactly an allergy, just an overwhelming itchiness that is bothersome.
There are some great patterns in this book as well. There are at least 4 that I would love to dive into immediately, but alas, I've taken a vow of yarn celibacy.
So here we are with the lovely Amy and her cute little autograph for me.

She likes her hair to be real orange. She uses tangerines

2007-04-02T15:19:00.000-05:00

So...I got bored. Should I leave it orangey or should I cover it? I was thinking a bright red or even a dark blue. Hmmmm....what next?

Edit: I've decided I kinda dig it. I'm going to keep it for awhile.

Thermal is finished! I hate it!

2007-03-29T15:12:00.001-05:00

here it is folks. The sweater that took me about 5 weeks or so to complete. It still doesn't have buttons, but that's just cuz I'm too lazy to scrounge for some at the moment. Bottom line...it turned out great, the yarn is yummy, and I like it a lot. However, it looks terrible on me. I have a very short body, this sweater cuts right at my waist, which is on top of my 42 inch or so legs, making me look like someone smashed my head into my armpits. Just not right for my body type. I will gift it to the lovely, petite sister of mine who gets everything I knit with the optimism of a person who knows they are a size 12 and insists on making clothes that are a size whatever.

Give up the ham

2007-03-28T12:55:00.000-05:00

this is purely a picture post, although not one of them will be of thermal. I'm getting so damned tired of it, but it IS almost finished. So in lieu of FO, I present to you.....

Perrin in love

Me and my sister Steph during our visit to TX

And the last snowfall of the year.

Did I forget to mention that we got approved for our home loan? So it seems that we may be moving to either Naperville or Wheaton this summer. I'm so excited I could pee myself.

Etsy on the way

2007-03-23T14:08:00.000-05:00

I'm going to set up an etsy shop as soon as I can get some decent pics of my original design sweaters and shirts. I just need to pay off my credit card badly, and before I can even think of buying new yarn, I need some cashola. I'm probably going to be knitting mostly children's clothes, but I'll throw in some necklaces I'm making with some dyed hemp yarn. I'm crossing my fingers that I can make a little money from this. I've seriously gotta curb the spending. With the trip to Ranger in May and my road trip with the diner gals in July, my debt will be sky-high. And if you casually come across this blog and are in need of a wedding dress, I'll be posting a link to the ebay shop I'm setting up as well.
Please check it out when I get it set up. I'll link it on the sidebar. Warm fuzzies to all my peeps.

Persephone has come home

2007-03-21T11:50:00.000-05:00

It is spring! And as evidence, my front yard has sprouted some lovely purple flowers. The snow has melted, the rain has come, and the day is long.
Updates on Thermal:
I am furiously knitting the 2nd sleeve. I'm growing quite weary of this pattern, only in that it is taking me forever and a day to get it done, and I want so much to wear this before it's too warm.
My next project is Cubs koozies for my diner gals for our summer road trip to 4 games in 4 days. I can't wait. Kelly has sent me daily texts with her excitement and apparent lack of bladder control over this trip. Her and Manda are hard core Cubs fans, whereas I truly do not follow any sports. I'm just in this for the fun of being with my girls; when the 3 of us are together, I feel sorry for anyone brave enough to be around us. We are insane, over-the-top fun, and loud. My favorite 2 people in the world not related to me. Kelly and I go way back to junior high; she rescued me from a very toxic friendship, took me under her wing, and revived me from a shy wallflower to the brazen chica that those closest to me get to see. She also introduced me to John and forced us to express our feelings for each other when we otherwise might not have. I have no doubt that in 80 years, we'll be screaming at nurses together to get us more brandy.
And next, the wedding. Beautiful day of joy and family. It rained, but it forced all the guests to hang out together in the little clubhouse. We danced, drank a lot of spumante, and watched as Jen and Brian expressed their devotion to each other. His father made a toast that made everyone teary and the best man dropped Jen's ring. Jen was stunning as usual, and once her nervousness subsided, she partied with the rest of us. I sang "Lady in Red" directly to her with at least 2 video cameras on me, but after the first verse, I was living it up. I honestly thought I was going to either vomit or pass out, but I had fun with it. Jen and my mom both cried, as this was one of our many songs we all sang together as kids. I am so ready for karoake now. Singing in front of an audience has both been my greatest dream and my greatest fear for as long as I can remember.
Life is sweet. Love is grand.

Check out this hot chica!

2007-03-16T10:56:00.000-05:00

Beth Ditto of The Gossip. This is hands-down my new favorite band. She kicks so much ass it ought to come with a warning. Voice like butta, body like whoa, and she crochets in this video. A big girl with big talent. Did I mention cowbell? Oh yes, cowbell. Check her out.

More on trip to Texas, progress of Thermal, and yours truly's debut as the wedding singer. Later, babies, later. For now, rock out!

Gone, baby, gone

2007-03-06T13:57:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow morning we are on our fantastic voyage to TX for Jen's wedding to the marvelous and adorable Brian. A Tucker she will be no more. Only one girlie left to marry off :)
I'm so excited to get out of this cold for awhile. It's in the 70s in TX right now; how super-dee-duper. We shall return to the tundra in a week. I should have thermal nearly done by then. I've got the body done and shoulders sewn together. On to the sleeves, which are brilliantly knit in the round to the cap. Why aren't more sweater patterns done in the round as far as they can be? It's just common sense.
I browsed through Glampyre's book, Fitted Knits, and I must say, I have gotta have this book. Simplistic, elegant, and sexy are her patterns. However, since I just spent a bajoogles on yarn, the new Interweave, and other misc crap I don't really need, I'll have to hold off until I actually plan on knitting something from it.
Well, I have to get to Texas.

Anticipation

2007-02-26T20:08:00.000-06:00

I have been a practicing Buddhist for going on 9 years. One of the essential teachings of the Buddha is to stay in the moment. The past is done; it cannot be changed and is therefore irrelevant. The future hasn't happened yet; the only thing that is of any importance is this very moment. This philosophy has been the thing I have struggled with all my life. I can't "live in the now." For some reason, I need something to look forward to. And without that anticipation of some future event, I find it hard to want to do anything. Hard to focus, hard to feel excitement. It is irksome to say the least. But for now, this is not an issue because next week, my boys and I will be road-trippin' it to Texas for my kid sister's wedding and some much needed fam time. Yay doesn't even begin to cover it. So for now, I will bask in the glow of something to look forward to and hopefully one day decide that this very moment, no matter how mundane, is good enough for me.

You're just an empty cage, girl, if you kill the bird

2007-02-17T16:54:00.000-06:00

Thermal is coming along nicely. Slow as all hell, but gorgeous. I'm loving the knitpicks gloss; it's shimmery and soft and slides along the needle beautifully. I fear this sweater will take me the rest of my winter days to knit, but I'm hoping I can have it done by Jen's wedding in 3 weeks. Must keep knitting obsessively as if there are no other things to be done in life!
The stitch pattern is remarkably easy to memorize and looks darling.
In other news, I met some really cool peeps yesterday. It's remarkable how the universe brings people into our lives at the exact moment we need them. Either to learn from or to teach. As a mom with a high needs child, this woman brought something to my attention that I had definitely been denying for awhile. I'm now pretty sure that my darling boy has been given the not-so-cool genetic gift of Tourettes from me and his father. Looking back at the last 3 weeks it has become more evident from Perrin's behavior that we can no longer keep playing it off as normal toddler defiance. The more research I did on early onset Tourettes, the more obvious the signs. I'll be talking to Perrin's pediatrician this week about finding a specialist to do some testing. It was pretty much inevitable. It breaks my heart, but knowing what the problem is might just be the key we've been looking for.

The female of the species is more deadly than the male

2007-02-12T19:29:00.000-06:00

I'm tired. Long day. Nothing interesting. Just this goodlicious hat - design by the adorable Delinquent Croissant, sans ribbon. Mostly b/c I just couldn't get that eyelot row done correctly. Don't know why. Cute just the same.

My baby is 3 today

2007-02-10T18:51:00.000-06:00

Three years ago at this very second, I was preparing to have a c-section to bring my gorgeous boy into this world. A little before 8 pm on Feb 10, 2004 Perrin was born weighing a giganimous 10 lbs 11 oz. The nurses gasped as he peeped his big eyes at them.
Today was spent at the mall. Perrin loves riding on the train and playing in the treehouse. We went up and down the escalator about a dozen times and watched Jimmy Neutron as many times as he wanted. It was a special day for him b/c he finally understood what a birthday was. He enjoyed telling everybody that he was 3 yrs old today.
My baby is growing up. Sob.

Rather fetching, ain't it?

2007-02-06T17:48:00.000-06:00

Fetching from Knitty. Used up some remaining Debbie Bliss cashmerino from the doomed tubey. I love these, and I will probably make another pair with the purple cashmerino left in the stash.

I'm super stoked though about the burgundy Knitpicks gloss I just ordered for Thermal. Cosmicpluto has some adorable designs, and she is a close second to Glampyre as far as being awesome with the top down design. I will eagerly await its arrival so I can cast on for the grooviness that is this sweater. It'll probably be the last sweater I knit this winter. I broke my own resolution to knit only from my stash this year, but what the hell? I like knitting sweaters, and I was out of sweater yarn. Next up, buttloads of cotton for summery knits.

I am so daydreaming about the swan lake top from the spring Interweave coming out in a few weeks. Might be buying some yarn for that one soon. So much to knit, so little time and money.

Oh, and there's so much snow going on out there that I'm kinda disoriented. Winter is quite winterly up here. It's in the 70s in the old town. What a strange and wonderful new world I've moved to.

This is way beyond my remote concern of being condescending

2007-02-01T16:29:00.000-06:00

I am rewarding your breathless anticipation with oodles of photogs. First up - the finished Mesilla. This was a fantastically written pattern by one of my ultra mega fave designers, Stefanie Japel (Glampyre). It was quick and easy and hugs the body in all the right places. What was cool about this pattern was that it not only had decreases for waist shaping, but it also included a few in the back for a snug fit around the waist. This would have been much more awesome had I not had love handles, but all in all, I dig this sweater. I used the 3 skeins of Cascade 220 in gray and 1 in a gorgeous heather teal Ana gave me.

In other deliciousness, here are the cutesie shoes my darling hubster bought for me. They are from www.tukshoes.com. These are my favorite brand of shoes. I've been wearing this brand for 6 years, and their shoes are amazingly adorable, comfortable, and affordable. A little punk rock, a little cutesie. Just my style.

Okay, so maybe I AM that kind of knitter

2007-01-25T17:46:00.000-06:00

I gave the Cascade another chance to do something pretty. I'm froggin' and turning my lovely idea of the cabled increase raglan into Mesilla by Glampyre. Well, sorta. I totally do not like the embroidery, but I love the neck shaping. I've always wanted to try a picot edge too, so not only am I happily starting over with the yarn, I'm learning something new in the process. Stefanie Japel is the queen of the top-down sweater in my opinion, and I love pretty much everything she designs. I'm feverishly looking forward to her book coming out in March.

Destined for frogness

2007-01-24T16:30:00.000-06:00

Grr Grr Triple Grr! Finally tried on the cutesy little raglan I've been feverishly working on, and it's ginormous. I'm talking, falling off the shoulder, cables buried in my armpit kind of ginormous. I think I grossly overcompensated the stitches needed for the neck. Every sweater I've made seems to be a tad tight in the neck, so I added more stitches to the CO. Bad idea. There are knitters out there that don't mind ripping and starting over. I'm not one of those knitters. Into the drawer it goes, only to be picked up when I don't curse profusely at the sight of it. I had such high hopes for this baby. High hopes. Oh well. I'll just start something else. Eventually I will use that yummy Cascade on something else. When I recover from my grief.

How can I see the road if I'm looking at the signs

2007-01-23T19:26:00.000-06:00

More progress on the cably inc raglan. I'll come up with a cooler name later. I'm still pondering what to do with the bottom. I don't want to rib it, cuz that's been done to death. I'm thinking some kind of lace panelling so it won't curl, but nothing too open b/c I actually want to wear this thing this winter.

In other news, the hubby is in Austin this week, so I'm single-parenting again. Usually I enjoy this quite a bit, b/c the kiddo is an angel when Dad's away. However, we have been experiencing some rebellion to the idea of potty training. This has turned my sweet little boy into a poop-throwing chimp. The joys of motherhood.

I get a little warm in my heart when I think of winter

2007-01-21T20:05:00.000-06:00

I just realied that the titles of my posts probably make absolutely no sense to anyone who lives outside of my brain. Most of them are song lyrics; the others are inside jokes or pop culture references between me and my sister.
this particular one is from Tori Amos' "Winter."

Winter. The ever elusive somewhat ethereal abstract season that those of us from Texas believe only exists in some sort of parallel universe. Children spend Christmases playing outside in tshirts just hoping that one year they will see snow. To me, snow is the most beautiful of the universe's wonders. The winter I lived in Wisconsin was magical. I lived at the end of a long country rode with canopies of trees overhead. The ice on the branches looked like diamonds, and I could hardly catch my breath as I drove beneath them. Growing up in a part of TX that just turns brown and dead in the winter will make a person appreciate something that to most people is simply a pain in the ass.

My son will never have to wish for a winter wonderland.

And if you complain once more, you'll meet an army of me

2007-01-20T15:14:00.000-06:00

Shock upon shock! I'm working on 3 projects at once. I know, I know. I said I was going to stick to one at a time, but the truth is that I just can't get excited about something that isn't a sweater. Just can't. I started socks for Perrin, and I just don't want to do the 2nd. I started on some kitchen chair covers with the bulky yarn from that big-ass sweater that turned out to be somewhere around a mamillion pounds of yarn, but I don't really want to do 4 of them. So, I'm just gonna work on this here raglan for meself. I'm spicin' it up though, see. Instead of just regular ole' M1 increases for the sleeves, I'm doing a little lace-cable combo. Here's a blurry pic.

And if you'll notice folks, it ain't green or purple. Yes, that's right. It's a lovely shade of gray in Cascade 220. I will be doing the neck, sleeve, and bottom ribbin in a teal heather.