All For Naught

easter 023

Originally uploaded by miss moonbeam

Middle child had to have this hat. He begged me to make it for five months. Then, when it was done, he wouldn’t wear it. Go figure. I told him he was off the ‘handknits’ list until he shapes up. Harumph! 

 The truth:  I love this hat and am secretly glad he hates it so I can sport it around.  Admittedly, I felt like a total knob wearing it in public.  I purposely wore it to scouts to pick up middle son.  He was horrified.  I told him it was retaliation for his refusing to wear it.    Mostly I wear it to haul wood to the house and driving around town.  It’s an incredibly warm hat.  Miss Moodle, 6, is begging to have the hat.  She loves it and will probably inherit it next season. If not then the saga begins again when I make a pink mohawk hat for her that she’ll probably refuse to wear as well….

Knitting for loved ones is a tough gig.

When You Can’t Lead a Horse to Water

Last night was our local La Leche League meeting.  I have been a leader for six years, and along with another woman, we have been having monthly breastfeeding support meetings(or not so monthly during this crazy flu season we’ve had).  We used to have a pretty hoppin’ group.  In past years we would have 6-8 mothers with maybe 4 babies and a few toddlers running around.  The meetings would be so loud with fussy kids we could hardly hear ourselves. Man, those were the days.  I wish I would have enjoyed them a bit more, instead of complaining about how nuts it was.  It was definitely crazy, but we were meeting a need and mothers were glad we were there for them. 

Things have really changed for our group.  Last night we had one person attend other than group workers.  We expected four newcomers who never showed up.  It’s so frustrating when I know we’re providing an important service to the community, yet no one’s showing up to benefit from it.  I blame it on the internet.  When you can get instant answers to any BFing problem, why leave your home to attend a meeting?  But that isn’t completely it.  We are still doing something the internet cannot yet provide.  These four women contacted us and WANTED this meeting, and then didn’t show.  I just can’t figure it out.  We are so close to being done with meetings and being a ‘phone-help only’ group.  In fact, that’s what we’d basically decided until these women called us.  I do think times are changing and our group will have to change to survive, but some women really do want the fellowship of other nursing moms and I think we need to provide that on some level. 

The other issue is, how long can I really keep doing this?  My youngest is six and I don’t plan on doing this forever.  The meetings are a huge disruption to my family life.  We have three kids who have homework, music lessons, scouts, etc. and the meetings take time and preparation.  I planned to keep leading until the time was right to step down.  I have wondered if I’m there yet.  My co-leader says no, so I continue on.  I think I’ll know when it’s time to be done.  But will we know when it’s time for the group to be done? 

Spinning Lesson

www.bubbleshare.com/myalbum/339190.b0e93d7604f/11941791

Middle son had such a good time learning to spin last weekend.  He thought the wheel was cool, and he was determined he was going to make yarn he could knit with.  He did an awesome job and actually made decent yarn.  (Beginner’s yarn is actually amazingly fun, thick and thin, which is very hard for an experienced knitter to do.  I can’t do it anymore, I’ve tried.  shoot.)

Other photos are of some booties which are headed to Canada soon for a new nephew.  They are supposed to be felted, but I think they’ll be too small and they seem fine now since they were knitted on #2s, I know that’s odd, but the pattern called for it.  Anyhow, I think if I felted them they’d not felt properly since it’s such a dense knit already.  The pattern sucks, however. I think there must be a mistake in RS/WS or maybe a row missing in patt.  I had to adjust pattern for it to work.  I have no clue what ’s wrong, but they weren’t fun to knit.  Who knits on #2 for felting???  Duh.

Other lace photo is of my latest scarf project.  It’s actually a narrow shawl, Trellis Scarf from an IK 2006 issue.  It’s a lovely scarf from photos I’ve seen on ravelry, I hope mine is lovely when I’m done.  Lace is so very time consuming, and it takes so much attention to the pattern.  I don’t think I’ll ever memorize this pattern. No way.  It’s 16 row of pattern.  ugh.  But I only started it on Friday night and I already have about 8 inches done, yay! 

 I’m on spring break from work and supposed to be cleaning my house.  Blech.  Where to start?? 

I am so annyoyed. I had the photos in this entry, hit one foul button and they were gone.  Tried everything to put back, nothing is working that should be.  Gotta dash, will try later.  I hate ‘puters. What an effin’ waste of my last 30 minutes!  ARGH!