I took Friday off to give myself a four day week. I figured that it may very well be the last time I can take off before all the big projects hit at work, and I thought it would be fun to knit, knit, and knit. The Husband decided to try to spoil my day by coming home sick around 2:00 and sleeping. How dare he? Poor thing was sick most of the weekend. At least on Saturday he had the day to himself as I went out with my very awesome friend from Sweet Gracie Mae. We had a blast shopping for fabric things, eating vegan, and buying the best pasta I have ever had from Flour City Pasta.

Am I not the queen of linking to stores today?

Anyway, I then started getting a nasty cold, but I had hoped that it wouldn’t become the nasty disease the Husband had. Yesterday, it started and last night I couldn’t sleep. I’m home today doing some work, failing to sleep, and resting.

So what else is going on around here?

OP is obsessed with her snow boots. That’s all she wants to wear and it’s driving me mad. I guess it’s because they are outdoor snow boots and make her feet smell. They are not easy running around like a mad child shoes. I’m trying to let it go and let her express herself, although I have thought about buying her a second pair of boots but then she probably wouldn’t wear them anyway.

I found Raising My Rainbow (link crazy!), which is a mommy blog covering the “Adventures in raising a slightly effeminate, possibly gay, totally fabulous son.” The parents of this kid are amazing. They let him express himself through clothing and toys that are non-traditional for boys. In other words, they let the kid wear tutus play with barbies if that’s what he wants. It’s inspiring. I suspect they have to put some limitations of course. If it’s cold and raining, maybe he wears his pretty pink galoshes instead of the sparkly dress shoes.

We try very hard to do the same with OP. Not because of the blog, we’ve been doing it since day one although I’m not great at it yet. OP is very normal in her gender issues, and obviously it’s not the same for a girl if she wasn’t (for some reason it’s okay for a girl to wear camo pants, a football jersey, and work boots while playing with cars but if a boy plays with dolls the world will end!!!). But we try to let her express herself through her clothes and play how she wants, within reason. We have some limitations. She can’t juggle knives of course (unless mommy is really tired and desperate) and she’s not allowed to wear PJs during the day unless there’s a special reason. One, in the winter it’s not warm enough, and two, we don’t have enough of the darn things and I don’t want to do laundry every 3 days. I’m a bitch that way. But the boots are driving me nuts. I should get a picture of them, though, they are adorable. It’s a learning process and I’m getting better at it. Why can’t she just wear her sneakers some times!?!

Wait until I'm a teenager, Mommy. You'll be in the loony bin!

Hat Pattern: My Own
Handwarmers: Sucky Thumb Mitts
Yarn: Knitpicks Shine Sport
Needles: I don’t remember. AUGH!!!!

She seemed to like the handwarmers overall

Yes, it’s another hat and handwarmer set, but I have both a niece and nephew. They must each get something to fight off jealousy. Granted, both are 1+ but still.

As soon as the hat went on, it came off.

Since I need practice working with 2 colors, I decided to make the hat my practice piece. My original intent was less hearts and a bit more background color, but it had a mind of it’s own. I like it a lot even with the changes. I am hoping to make a pattern for this hat, but I will make it a little more like what was in my head.

A bit too long on top.

There are a few things that I wish I had done differently. The hat is too long. I’ve been thinking about slouchy hats lately, and I sort of knit it with that in mind. I’m just not sure it worked well in this style with this yarn. Of course she didn’t keep the hat on long enough to make sure so I have no idea. Other pictures it looks less pointy.

Less pointy and back seam

I do love the hat, though. A lot. It’s so cute and was a TON of fun to knit. I may become addicted to two-color knitting. Of course, ask me when I finish the Husband’s scarf.

Handwarmers!

I love the handwamers. It’s the usual pattern and I had no major issues. I think they turned out well and she seemed to like them. At least they stayed on for about 5 minutes–with a one-year-old, I consider that good. Plus, I used up 2 items in my stash! Take that, stash! I will get you down to a reasonable amount yet!

I’ve decided to add a third goal to my 2012 list. For those who have no memory or just skim what I write (because really, I do go on, don’t I?), my goals for 2012 are more consistent exercise (because I was less than stellar) and basically stash bust this year (get through the yarn I own and don’t buy yarn unless I have a project in mind).

After reading that paragraph, one might think my third goal should be to use less parenthesis, but it’s actually to try to post at least once a week in my blog. I tend to be very inconsistent. I’ll have tons to say, but then go quiet for months. That’s no way to treat my blog. It’s like I’m only interested in it when I have no one else to write on. There’s a word for that, but I can’t remember it and am too tired to look it up.

While I’m on goals, let’s run a highlight on how I’m doing with my 2012 goals. This probably won’t be a weekly post. Although it would help fulfill my newest addition, I suspect it would generally be more boring than not.

Goal 1: Less Yarn!!!!

I’ve been knitting away on my Skew socks and the Husband’s scarf. I have finished cataloging every usable yarn in my stash. That is, everything not in my bag of “What the Heck is This and Why do I have Only 3 Yards of it” yarn that I’m afraid to throw out, but don’t know if it’s worth keeping. When I started cataloging, I had 70 items. I’m now at 67. I’m getting there, right? I do have a lot of yarn, but to be fair about 14 items were gifts and at least 20 are project leftovers. That’s over half!!! Why yes, I am rationalizing.

Goal 2: More Consistent Exercise

6 of 7 days with workouts. I struggled with a few because I’ve been feeling like crap, but, unlike last year, I made myself go. Yay!! I also started a profile at active.com to track my workouts. I just need to do something so I can give myself accountability when I my back hurts or I’m tired or I have too much work to do whine whine whine.

Goal 3: Blog at least once a week

Score!

Goal kiss!

I’m so tired. I did weights and ran today, and it’s just hitting me hard. While I did push and run a 5k in 30:06 with about 30 seconds of walking to fix my iPod, I’m most likely tired because I’ve been very inconsistent with exercise lately. Actually, through most of 2011. I let too many things get in the way–work, baby, illness, laziness–and I just kept putting it off. I have too much cholesterol and cancer in my family to do that, so I’ve decided that I will work to be more consistent with exercise this year.

With that decree out there, I have to say that I’m not a huge fan of New Year’s resolutions. I do admit to making goals at the start of the new year, so I guess while I say I’m not a fan of resolutions, I do do them. At least I try to make them realistic. Last year I decided I wasn’t going to buy any yarn in 2011, unless I had a specific project in mind and no yarn in the stash. I met that goal with flying colors. I also planned to get my photography in a show. Sadly, I did not have time to build a strong portfolio, and I realized that I don’t think my work is that good. You can’t pimp yourself if you think you’re sub-par. On a positive note, I did get my work in a show at the Y. That’s something.

So if I’m setting goals and consistent exercise is one, I will continue my yarn limitations. I’m at 51yarn items on Ravelry (down from 53!!!) , but I still have more to add in. And the Husband bought Cookie A’s 2012 sock club so I’m getting 6 skeins throughout the year. I need to spend 2012 stash busting, cataloging the last of my yarn yarn, and knitting knitting knitting! Even if it drives me crazy, which it will. The Husband’s scarf will slow me down, but it will be so pretty when it’s done.

2012 is going to be a crazy year. Now through June, work will be insane. We’ll be rolling out new designs, a new content management system, and new apps. Plus I’ll be taking a class and doing homework for a grade. Do we all remember how crazy I went in my sweater class last year and there was no grade? Yeah, I’m doomed. At least I only have 2 goals to contend with and my class on exercise science may help with my fitness goals.

Okay, my chai is kicking in. Time to do some dishes. What are your resolutions this year?