Knit Bits- a technique you want to try!

For this addition of Knit Bits I want to hear about a knitting technique that you would love to try out for the first time and a project you would use it on!

The new technique that I have had my eye on for quite some time is this method of cabling without a cable needle! How cool is that?! I especially want to use it on a cute cabled baby hat (after the baby is born so I can make the color gender specific) or pattern such as this for some little wristlet gloves (my hands are always so cold)!

Want to get involved in this Meme? Just write a short (or long!) blog post about the technique you want to try and a project to try it on, and post the link in a comment so we can all see! If you have recently done something new we would all love to see that too! I can't wait to see what you all have to share!

Blog Focus and Buttons!

Lately I have been wanting to better define the direction of my blog. With more clearly followed themes that I regularly write on I thought it would be more interesting for my readers. So, I have been busy figuring out just what it is I want this blog to be about, and the truth is... there are a lot of things! Doesn't sound very focused does it? Well, in order to focus on a few different topics I have decided to incorporate more memes into Mama Kenz Studio. The memes I have decided to participate in will focus on (as of right now): Tot School, Knitting, and life as a Christian Homemaker. Some memes will come from other blogs (such as Tot School), and others I will host right here on my blog.

I also plan to continue writing about our life- especially regarding my pregnancy and birth, but am not sure that that really fits into a meme. Once this babe comes I plan on incorporating lots about our adventures in cloth diapering and definitely about breastfeeding (which I have a very fun meme planned for, so if you are or are about to be a breastfeeding mama keep your eyes open for it!).

The first meme I am going to introduce and host on Mama Kenz Studio will be:

This meme will be about all things knitting, yarn, wool and fiber, and I can't wait to see what my readers have to contribute to it! Each week (to every other week) I will make a post with this meme for people to participate in. It may be something as simple as "What's on Your Needles" or something more complex, such as a challenge to create and share a custom pattern or skill. I think it should be fun and a great way to get inspired by other knitters! Look for my first Knit Bits Meme post within the next couple of days!

Also, you may have noticed that I finally posted a button with code for my blog! It took some time but I finally found the directions and figured it out! (Here is the basic route I followed) The buttons still need a bit of tweeking, but they are better than nothing, and if you enjoy my blog I would love for you to post one on your blog! Let me know if you do and I will definitely stop by to visit! You can also grab a button for the Knit Bits Meme if you plan to join in the fun!

That's all for now, but keep watching because there is more to come!

Knitting Fool!!

Well, all the spare time that I could have spent blogging lately has been devoted to my recent knitting projects- and there are a lot of them! I think I have been teasing a few of my readers on Facebook for a while now about these knits, so I thought it was about time I started posting! So, here is what I have complete:

A pair of "Just in Case it's a Girl"Newborn-size Perfection Pants longies- hey, I couldn't help myself! This yarn colorway was just irresistible! I plan on knitting a lacy hat and puff painting a shirt with the first letter of the name we have picked out so that the whole outfit can be used that first day for pictures, but that will come in time. And yes, I do intend to make a boy version of the outfit as well!

A Size-Small Curly Purly Soaker in wool I got from 100purewool.com (sorry I can't remember the name). I prefer the rise folded over and if I make the pattern again will probably shorten it throughout the body. All in all, I am happy with it though!

A dishcloth from the Monthly Dishcloth KAL Blog. This particular one is the mid-month cloth for January. I am going to attempt to make all the cloths for the year (24 in total) as I think it will be a fun challenge, plus we could use the cloths! (Sorry the pic is a little dark- I had to take off the flash to pick up all the detail)

Now, as for what is on the needles! I am working on a earflap hat for my father-in-law's birthday (which is today but we won't be celebrating until Sunday- luckily, since it isn't quite finished yet). He has been begging me for one of these hats since we saw them at a street fair last August and was so dissapointed that he didn't get one for Christmas! Since money is tight and he wants it so badly, I figured his birthday would be the perfect opporunity to make one for him! I created the pattern myself, so needless to say, there has been a lot of ripping out and reknitting! But I thinkit is finallys tarting to take shape and I will hopefully have it done in time!

I am also working on completing a couple other soakers for the babe, an adorable stuffed animal for a friend's daughter's birthday (next weekend, sheesh! What's with February and the birthdays?!), the current dishcloth for the Monthly Dishcloth KAL blog (plus the one for the beginning fo January), and a couple other adorable projects I found on Ravelry that aren't quite started yet but hopefully will be soon! Phew... that's exhausting just writing it all- my fingers need to get flying on the needles!

In other knitting news, I have also managed to get my page up and rolling on Ravelry.com- an awesome Beta site for those in the fiber-arts! So, if you are on there, check out my page (I am ChicMama) and link up as a friend! I would love to knit with you!

September already?!?!

Alright, I can't believe that September is already here! I kept thinking it was farther away than it really was and that August was going to last longer- but it didn't and September is here! This officially marks the beginning of me getting VERY busy!! Check out my fall:

Doula Stuff:

• Will attend my first birth (a UC) as an assistant doula next week- I will also be the postpartum doula for this client
• Will attend an infant adoption education seminar next weekend to supplement my doula work
• Apply for a scholarship for my Lactation Educator training
  
• Acting as back up doula for a client due in early October
• Doing a TON of doula reading before October 31!!
• Going to my postpartum training workshop (and hosting it!) October 31- November 2
• Getting my CPR certification November 6
• Going to my birth training workshop November 8-9
• Sometime at the end of November, beginning of October I will be attending my first official solo-doula births and postpartum doula-ing for those clients
• Oh and the 3rd Saturday of each month I will be attending our local doula network meetings!

Do I sound crazy yet? There's more!

Projects:

• Sewing somewhere between 30-50 stockings for my parent's home decor shop (Labor of Love Creations) and customizing some with stenciled names and sayings
• Knitting booties and a hat to match the sweater I posted here
• Finishing a larger version of the hat I posted here for a friend's daughter's birthday (which was at the beginning of August! Oops!)
• Knitting my father-in-law this winter hat (he saw a similar one at a local street fair we went to and has been begging me everyday since!)
• Finishing Roman's Ditto Daddy training pants (although I don't think we will need them anymore since he is doing so well wearing normal big boy boxer briefs- they are hysterical!)
• Oh, and I recently found some fabric at the local fabric shop that I fell in love with and am desperate to make a quilt out of!!
• Plus I want to do a few projects as Christmas gifts, probably bath teas, bath salts and knitted wash clothes!

Hmmm... on top of that we are trying to get pregnant, figure out Chic & Savvy Mamas (and try to expand), do TotSchool with Roman and be a better wife and housekeeper than I have been lately! Okay, deep breaths... I work better under pressure... I WILL be more productive this way... I can do this... pray for me and wish me the best!

Pieces of Art

Well, Roman and I both expressed our creative sides this week, just in different ways.

Mine...

A knitted sweater for a friend's baby shower.

His...

Crayon masterpieces using the back of our couch as a canvas! Sadly, this wasn't the first time he has deemed this spot as a perfect location for his creations, but luckily he used crayon instead of ball point pen (like last time) and it came out pretty quickly (you can see I had already begun scrubbing when I decided to take the picture). I became aware of the situation when things got very quiet and then Roman ran into the office squealing, "Mama! I write AND color!!" Uh-oh! Not a good combination, especially with that bright green crayon poised in his victorious fist! Oh well- he's two! At least he didn't brake something! And hey, I think he has a future as an artist- don't you?!

Something Pink... and something brown!

Well, first of all, let's talk about the pink! Yup you guessed it- it's that little hat up there! You see, my adorable 8 year old niece, Natanya, has been up from Texas visiting our side of the family for the past two weeks and while she stayed at our house for a couple of days she wanted to do something crafty (the first thing out of her mouth every year when she sees me is, "Can we scrapbook?!). Well, we did do a little scrapbooking but mostly I tried to teach her how to knit. She lost interest pretty quickly but of course wanted me to finish the project- a hat for her 3 month old baby sister Sienna. I think it turned out pretty cute- fun easy pattern called a Baby Pip Hat. However, I am not so sure how much use Sienna will be getting our of it since they live in Texas! Oh well, it's cute anyway!


And then comes the brown! Well, while Natanya was over we stopped over at my parent's house so Jer could look at some work they want him to do in their house. While we were there the kiddos wanted to jump in the hot tub with Papa (my dad), who of course happily obliged. At one point Roman wanted to get out and, thinking he was done, we took off his shorts and wrapped him in a towel. Of course, after a few minutes he decided he wanted to get back in, but we figured it would only be for a few minutes so we just put him back in the hot tub with Natanya (Papa had already gotten out) without his shorts- big mistake!! Soon we heard poor Natanya screeming "POOP!!" The look on Roman's face said it all! I quickly snatched him out of the water and ran him to the bathroom as my dad fished for sinkers and Natanya jumped out of the hot tub and half way across the yard! Needless to say, baths for all quickly ensued and the hot tub was drained and cleaned. Luckily my dad had good humor about it and said, "He's just a little boy!" All in all, I am sure this is a trip that Natanya won't be quickly forgetting!

Fall is in the air...

As I gaze out my front window right now I blatantly reminded that summer is no longer here. The wind is blowing, the sky is gray and the leaves are beginning to change colors. Normally I dread fall- all the gloomy days seem to string together. This year, however, I am actually looking forward to the change of the season. There are lots of changes going on in my life right now and so it just seems to fit.

Jeremiah says he is going to start working on our basement this weekend- a much anticipated and long awaited change! I am working on my postpartum doula training through DONA, steadily getting my reading done so that I can prepare to attend a workshop. Roman is growing and talking more- he even started telling us when he needs to go to the potty! He doesn't always make it in time, but on the whole he is doing much better than I would ever expect a 17 month old to! The picture to the right shows the first time that he actually "smiled" for the camera! We are also trying to get pregnant (as many of you know) and tonight I am going to get my hair cut (I will try to post before and after photos tomorrow and explain the whole situation!).

Chic & Savvy Mamas is also beginning to get more business. The BOLD Red Tent Event was fantastic! What a wonderful experience! I think it was the perfect venue to start getting my name out into the community for the first time! I made lots of encouraging connections and hope that things will really start to pick up. This little community is so soggy that if I can just show mamas how "non-hippie" natural parenting can be I know they will want to change!

OOO- I almost forgot! I also finished my latest pair of longies for Roman, made with the Uraguanian wool I blogged about a while back! They turned out beautifully and are so soft! I just have to make the drawstring and they will be finished! They are a little long but I want to make sure that they would last throught the winter. I will have to post a picture of them in action as soon as I get one! Speaking of projects I really need to get back to working on things for Christmas! I was hoping I would be much farther along than I am right now, and if I don't get back on it soon there is no way I will be done in time!

Well, I suppose that is all for now. It feels so good to blog again- I forget how therapeutic it can be (even if I did loose a lot of my readers during my temporary lapse in blogging- oh well, I can only do so much!). I think I am back though and ready to blog again! See you back here soon!

I think I'm in love!

My new yarn finally arrived today! I am so excited! It is 100% Uraguanian Merino Wool and it is sooooo soft! I bought it a couple of weeks ago from 100 Pure Wool and it is my first really nice yarn purchase. I have used Cascade and a couple other okay brands for Roman's woolies, but this is by far the most luxurious! I just can't stop petting it! I can't wait to knit it up to see how it looks! Jer liked it because he said it looked "manly". A lot of the other colorways I showed him he just couldn't get into, but this one he loved! Good thing, 'cause he is going to have to hold it for me tonight while I wrap it into a center-pull ball! And it wasn't even expensive! Shipping included I only spent about $30! I can't remember exactly how much, but it was only about $7 per skein! Woohoo!


Oh, and check out these cool stamps from Uraguay! According to the package it cost $150 Uraguanian which translated to about $9 US! Crazy Huh? I want to start keeping stamps like these, and other little bits of uncommon art to put under plexiglass on my craft table someday. When I have a craft table and a studio to put it in, that is! Wouldn't it be cool on an old door turned table? Oh, I can dream!


For now this is my "studio". We just moved it out of our bedroom into the living room yesterday so that I can get more use out of it. It is the perfect place to sit and knit and do my Bible Study.
The blanket across the front is the lapghan I am crocheting for my grandparents. It is slowly growing, taking much more yarn than I had expected! Oh well, it will be nice in the end and they will love it!

The quilt across the back is one I started a few years ago in a sampler class. I really like it but I still need to add a border to it so that it is the right size and then actually quilt it and bind it! Someday it will be finished! For now though, it helps my little chair feel homey and inspired!

On the needles- 8/09!

Okay, I probably have too many projects going at once, but hey- that keeps things interesting right? In the picture on the left, the far right project is a Curly Purly soaker with the yarn I have left over from my latest pair of shorties. However, I am doing Grey with Blue trim- just opposite of the shorties! The middle project is a Double Moss Stitch Scarf for my mom (see below for the nightmare I went through with this yarn!). And the project on the left is the most complicated project I have attempted to date: a Zip-Up Cable Jacket out of the Debbie Bliss book Simply Baby. I am really excited about this one! I think it is really going to expand my repertoire of knitting skills! Hmm... now that I am looking, I should probably be knitting, not typing! Oh the many things I put on my plate!

Oh what a mess!!

Oh my, my! What happened here? Well, I will tell you! My loving mother was working a craft fair (my parents own Labor of Love Creations- they make beautiful signs for the home! Check 'em out!) and she found a booth with beautiful hand painted yarns by Lee Greenlee of Shoalter Bay (she doesn't have a site but if you want her number I can get it to you!). Knowing that I am an avid knitter, she generously bought two skeins for me to make scarves out of- one for her and one for me! However, when I attempted to unravel the first skein to make a center-pull ball I quickly realized that something had gone terribly wrong when the skein was originally made- I found yarn criss-crossing every which way! Then, to make matters worse, my one year old son decided to "help" me! Before I knew it I had a knot worthy of the Guinness Book of World Records! It ended up taking me 3 days and over 4 solid hours to work the whole thing out! I can't believe I stuck with it- probably because it was a gift and I would have felt terribly guilty to give up!

Now that the madness is over I am finally getting to knit the first skein up in a lovely Double Moss Stitch (alternating k2 p2 k2... with p2 k2 p2... every 2 rows). In the end I am sure it will be worth the work, but I am absolutely making my husband help me hold the second skein while I roll the center-pull ball!

Perfection?

Well, I don't know about perfection but I sure do love them! The brown longies (Cascade 220) were my first ever pair. Sadly, they are getting rather short (probably should have made them longer to begin with! Oops! Oh well, part of the learning process!), but Roman still wears them almost every night to bed!

The light green on the left were the second pair I made. Since I only bought one skein they ended up being more like hot pants than perfection pants, but they did there job until I got another pair of shorties made! Some of our friends who lived in Germany for a few years said he looked like a German baby! Well- Danke!

My third pair were the dark green with brown trim. I messed with the pattern a little, wanting wider legs. Well, it seems that I over compensated a bit after the light green pair and I think Roman could probably wear these when he is, oh, I don't know- maybe FIVE! They are huge! Drat! Try again!

Which brings me to my last completed pair- the blue with grey trim! They are the closest thing to perfect I have made! Much better fit and I think the cutest pair so far! My husband even thinks they are cute- and that is saying something!

Here is Roman "helping" me take pictures:

And here are the blue ones in action: