mazhalai's world

#503 Weekend Warrior Projects - Week 1 - Dessert Stand

2012-01-08T21:00:00.000-06:00

I had seen a DIYed cupcake stand at C's home in Dallas last year. Inspiration hit again when I saw this pin, so decided to make my own.

First up what's needed: 10' diameter glass plate, 8' diameter glass plate, glass/crystal candle stick/stand, tape, E6000 (any glue that can be used on glass - this one is from hobby lobby) and not shown a heavy book.

I used the tape to mark centers of the plates. On the bigger plate, put it on the under side and for the top plate on the top.

Carefully put a thin layer of glue on the narrow end of the candlestick and press onto the center of the bigger plate. Once that is somewhat set, glue the wider end to the underside of the smaller plate. Wipe of excess glue with a damp paper towel. Place a heavy book/box for weight and let it set fully (a couple of hours)

and TA-DA, theres the dessert stand

Make goodies to display on it. I only made the mango cheesecake with berry sauce which are on top, below those are red velvet cupcakes.

P.S.#1 The ends of the candlestick can be switched as required. I liked the narrow end being down.
P.S.#2 More tiers can be added as needed.

#502 Handmade Christmas

2011-12-18T10:31:00.000-06:00

As the season to deck the halls fall upon us, we got bitten by the handmade bug. Made a festive wreath with a knitted rectangle, pool noodle and some knitted flower. Rav details here & here

Inspired by this post on Pinterest, made paint chip trees.

and reused felt trees from last year. These were made with tutorial from here, which is actually for a wreath, but I adapted it for cones to make trees.

Also made pomanders for a festive aroma. Tutorial here.

Last but not least, is Christmas present knitting. Almost all projects took 2-3 days to make. I love Christmas knitting, but only second to baby knitting.
Instant gratification!

#501 Knitting updates

2011-12-10T10:36:00.000-06:00

I did not expect it to get cold so fast after that drought we had. So I had to scramble to make a warm hoodie for N. Getting it on him is a challenge, but he loves to run around in it. Rav details here.

Remember this beautiful pink mohair I got at the SLK Christmas Yankee Swap way back in 2008? Well, thanks to C's suggestions, I made a cowl neck pullover called Spring Cloud! I love it, even though some parts itch me. Rav details here.

Made a dress to match the uber cute lamb hat. Rav details here.

In tune with using yarn from long ago, I finally made mittens for N with the yarn Sue so generously handspun for me. Thank you Sue! Rav details here.

#500 Neyan 2.25 years summary

2011-11-13T14:13:00.000-06:00

This quarter, N started in a new class for 2 year olds - Get Set. Transition was much easier than the previous class.

He enjoyed cooking with appa

and operating all the controls in the car (especially that of the garage door)

He had fun in a castle we built for him

and enjoyed seaworld with Ashwin

where met Rosita from Sesame Street.

He still enjoys gardening

and found a new hobby in painting the bathtub (makes for easy cleaning)

and also drawing on concrete floors

On sick days, he tried Appa's chappals

and painted his hands with my lip stain. (yeah! i actually had one in my purse!)

Here he is 2.25 years old- refusing to pose without Muno. See him grow here.

Last but not least, here's a video of him walking in my chappals and using his imagination. (another not so clear one of him singing along to Lakdi Ki Kaati Song from Masoom)

#499 Mini break

2011-11-05T14:03:00.000-05:00

We reached San Antonio Wed night and had a wonderful partial view of downtown.

Day 1

Here's the view of the river-walk

N and me headed out and took numerous photos of beautiful carvings and decorations on Spanish influenced historic buildings. This is my fav of the lot.

Inside a bank building N admired quilts

and then later painted tile.

We walked by numerous serene scenes of water

and waited patiently for streetcar ride.

Here is N on the streetcar which he really enjoyed.

Day 2

On Fri we visited The Alamo

and its beautiful grounds with lovely rambling trees.

N checked out canons

and enjoyed music by a Peruvian band.

We took a boat ride and saw numerous gardens and historic buildings like this one with gargoyles

and this building which is an optical illusion and looks 2D

More streetcar rides and walking around later it was time to head home. Took this photo of the colorful umbrellas along the river-walk.

and sculpture of the torch of friendship.

All in all a lovely mini break. Now back to routine.

#498 Happy Halloween

2011-11-01T19:00:00.000-05:00

We finally got pumpkins for our entry and N had most fun with them

He carried them over to the driveway and pretended to photograph them with his rubber duckie.

We made some paper pumpkins decorations too. Tutorial here.

For Trick or Treating, made this pumpkin bag for N. It was fun knitting the bag, but not so much assembling it. Had to use plastic reinforcement. More details on Rav page.

N of course had fun with it.

He was a pirate! ARRRRRR.

Homemade pirate costume inspiration from here. Pirate hat pattern from here. For the sword, wrapped cardboard in foil. Fake boots turned out to be too small :(

#497 Yarn crawl 2011

2011-10-09T14:07:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, I participated in the Hill Country Yarn Crawl with some fellow fiber enthusiasts. We visited 5 of the 9 participating stores. Here is my loot.
Click on photos for more info/notes.

yarn crawl 2011, a set on Flickr.

#496 Fall is here!

2011-09-26T15:13:00.000-05:00

Even though the high temperatures are still in the 90s; it IS cooler than the triple digits we've had. Time for fall!

What better way to welcome fall than with a handmade wreath. Inspiration was from various posts on pinterest

Here's a closeup of the felt flowers. Tutorial here.

Paired with some season appropriate mums, our entry is fall ready. Just need a couple of pumpkins!

#495 Garden updates

2011-09-25T14:59:00.000-05:00

Texas is suffering from single driest year since 1895 (since they started collecting weather data) That and a couple of incidents of heat exhaustion affected our watering schedule and hence our garden. A lot of bushes in our front garden and many veggies did not survive.

However I was happy I did not pull out this weed.. which gave us pretty mini sunflowers.

Globe amaranth did make an appearance this year.

and so did various varieties of Ipomoeas (morning glory).

Last but not least, the carrots survived under-watering and here is our harvest. They were yumm. We made poriyal.

#494 More Knitting updates

2011-09-12T14:59:00.000-05:00

More knitting updates:

For Ns birthday I made Muno from Yo Gabba Gabba.

He obviously loved him and has fun wrestling with him. Ravelry details here.

For months I wanted to make a lacy shrug and it took a couple of months to get this one done. I love it to pieces and wish it gets cooler so that I can wear it. Ravelry details here.

It took a weekend to make this cute little vest for W's little one. Pink lemonade seemed like an appropriate name.

Loved the bright buttons that matched the vest. Ravelry details here.

It took forever (since 2008 I think) to finish S&P's wedding blanket.

I'm so glad to be done with it and the recipients tell me they are so very pleased. Here's close up of the details. Ravelry details here.

As I finished up the blankie above, T wondered if the color would bleed and so made this fishy to test. Guess what it does bleed. I guess it will be dry clean only blankie. The fishy is Ns bath mitten now. Ravelry details here.

Last but not least is this uber cute lamb hat made on request for C&F's soon to arrive little one. It turned out to be too big and fit Ns head. SIGH.

Here's a close of up the cute little ears! Ravelry details here.

#493 Neyan turns two

2011-08-21T14:21:00.000-05:00

On 11th Aug, N completed 2 years. 2 whole years. I still cant believe it!

He woke up and we welcomed him with a couple of presents (yes we went way overboard - but saved some for later)

He had cake with his friends at school

Here he is enjoying cake.

Later in the day he got more presents (I must admit, T and me had more fun with them than N did)

That weekend was the big bash at Safari Champ and we took this just before we headed out.

He was initially hesitant, but then got used to it and was brave enough to make it up by himself.

It goes without saying he had LOADS of fun!

Cake was a yumm mango filled one from Hot Breads. Here is N blowing out candles.

I still cant believe hes 2. SIGH

P.S. Monthly updates will be now quarterly updates.

#492 Neyan month 24 summary

2011-08-15T16:15:00.000-05:00

This month, N ruled over his playroom mess

and pretended to photograph us back when did the same.

he wore a lei for an event at school

and enjoyed checking out the computer at the older kids' classroom

He loved being a mechanic and checked the underside of his walker - which even though he has outgrown, is still good for stunts!

He had an unusual way of playing with drums

and made T a horsey.

He sat on an unique swing at a friend's birthday

and enjoyed early birthday presents. More on his birthday celebrations soon.

#491 Knitting updates

2011-08-07T14:26:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe that it has been since May that I had a knitting update. I have been busy.

First up, place mats to match rav friend's C's dining/breakfast room. She hosted a lovely housewarming party and me managed to knit only 3 of the 4 I intended to make. Being a knitter, I was able to hand her the yarn to make the 4th one. Rav details here

I loved them so much that I cast on for my own set of denim place mats. It's my knit in public project.

I finally finished and mailed a project I started last year in India with lace acrylic. Black+lace+beads were a challenge to photograph. I hope you can use your imagination to see how light and beautiful it turned out to be.

close up of the pattern.

Here's N posing with me. Rav details here

Another lace project, which was done considerably sooner, was for a dear colleague who retired recently. Her favorite color is rose and I this super soft Lisa Souza yarn was perfect for this project. Rav details here

With the teeny tiny bit I had left over, a cute headband was made for her grand baby!

Lastly, I was really impressed by this West Elm basket, and decided to make my own with some burlap/coir yarn i got from goodwill. I took just a couple of days and achy hands, but oh its so slouchy! Its standing up in this photo cos it was stuffed with yarn. I need to try using some plastic reinforcement to make it stand up. Rav details here

This is not a recently completed project, its actually a really really old FO from 2002 or 2003. A scarf i made for myself with yarn and needles from a kind friend. Its what helped me get over homesickness! Its too heavy and bulk to wear, but really nostalgic!

#490 Citrus Cake

2011-07-31T12:59:00.001-05:00

I love baking and sugar, and ever since I laid eyes on Citrus Cake with Lemon Curd Filling and Orange Lemon Icing (a.k.a. Stella Cake) (doesn't it sound luscious?), it has been calling me. Make me Make me. I guess that's what happens when sugar is limited!
So started the recipe 2 weeks back for a potluck, which was canceled due to a nasty bug that left us debilitated! Into the freezer it went.

This weekend, it was finally completed and assembled.

The cake itself was a little dry, but together with the filling and icing, oh so delicious.

While making it, I missed our impromptu get-togethers in VA: just cos I experimented and they just had to come over and devour it.

Princy & Sini I miss you guys!

#489 Neyan month 23 summary

2011-07-15T19:48:00.000-05:00

In his 23rd month, N enjoyed hanging out with Amma,

and with friends at new india cusine (yumm).

still enjoyed riding in boxes

and celebrated Ashwin's birthday at Olive Garden.

he had fun at the tennis court

when we visited with his Arul athai and family

Here he is with Nitin Anna,

with whom he had a lot of fun wrestling :)

He finally wore the EMS hat he got last month

and enjoyed being sprawled on the couch watching Curious George.

T is teaching him to read Tamil - here is a video of him repeating words in the Tamil alphabet book.

23 Months old.

#488 What's growing & flowering

2011-07-09T14:39:00.003-05:00

Veggies:

Cauliflower

Carrots

a couple of Amaranth Greens, This one shows where the rabbit (we suspect) chewed off a couple of leaves.

We are hoping to make Cabbage thoran soon

and harvest tomatoes too.. flowers are indication that fruits are not far behind.

We did harvest 3 cucumbers earlier, but in the excitement we forgot to photograph them. One was 1/2 chewed up by the rabbit, and the others were bitter. have been reading on how to avoid bitterness.

This one still on the vine.

Flowers:

We do have few zinnias

close up of a zinnia

and elegant Canna

and roses.

#487 Neyan Month 22 summary

2011-06-19T21:41:00.024-05:00

N enjoyed playing with buddy Ashwin in the park

and a slinky toy

He tried a marshmallow

And is now able to climb really high chairs all by himself.

He insists on carrying his own lunch bag.

Had fun at a birthday party and made friends with Mahati.

Pretended to drive a firetruck at the Safe Summer event at the mall. He loves emergency vehicles, but was a little wary of seeing them up close.

Inside the mall, he had fun train ride with Ashwin.

He made messes,

and cleaned them up too.

He had fun with L during our visit to Dallas (sorry not too many photos of the trip)

Here he is- 22 months old and enjoying posing!

#486 Trip to DC area and beach

2011-06-04T10:48:00.048-05:00

Fri

We visited GMU and N had a fun time running through the fountains there.

Sat

We had a wonderful brunch with knitting buddies Anne and Amber.

N had a fun time playing with the blocks.

Our trip was to celebrate the wedding of Jon and Sarah in the beautiful Algonkian park. N had a fun time running on the grounds

Here is Jon and Sarah feeding each other one of the yummy cupcakes!

With Sarah

Sun

En route to a beach, we stopped at a grocery store, where Megu and N enjoyed driving the shopping cart.

We drove to Lewes, DE from where we got on the ferry to Cape May,NJ. These are some of the cars on the ferry.

Here is Sini, Megu and Sony on the ferry.

After lunch, we headed to the beach and N had a fun in the sand.

and chased seagulls.

Megu and Sony made mini sand pools :)

N was tired and fell asleep soon after. On the trip back, Megu and N enjoyed a video game on the ferry. It wasn't turned on, but they still had fun!

Mon we headed back to TX. We miss all our friends :(

SIGH

#485 Before and after

2011-05-15T21:40:00.002-05:00

We harvested a bunch of methi from our tiny garden.

The Before:

The After:

Methi Parathas with yogurt and raw mango.

#484 Neyan Month 21 summary

2011-05-11T10:20:00.000-05:00

In his 21st month, N enjoyed ice-creams

scared us with stunts- here he is jumping off the arm of the sofa.

drove the shopping cart car at HEB

Got a big loot at Easter egg hunts.

Watered seedlings

Discovered Elmo

Figured out how to use the sprayer

And build tall lego towers

Enjoyed sand boxes at parties

and inflatables too.

He pretended the microwave splatter cover was a hat,

and wore an actual hat.

He rolled around on the new carpet

but mostly enjoyed jumping into the pile of pillows.

Here is his 21st month portrait. He was dressed up for yet another birthday party. His social calendar is getting to be busier than our :)

P.S. He is talking a lot.

#483 Knitting & crafting updates

2011-05-08T12:59:00.065-05:00

A couple of quick projects this month:

I made fake billy buttons for the yellow and eventually grey room. More details here.

Made a blue rose head band for Gavi, but not in time for her to wear it with her blue outfit :( See N model it here.

For easter, I hoped to make a handful of bunnies, unfortunately my disdain for hand sewing got in the way and only one of them got done. See more photos here.

Working on gigantic lace shawl got tedious and hence I cast on for this instant gratification project. It only took a day to knit and another to finish. Easy since I already had all materials on hand. More detailed photos here

Lastly made a owl plushie for N's classmate for her birthday.

#482 Home updates

2011-05-06T14:57:00.046-05:00

As promised in the last home update post, here are stuff that's sprouting around here. Methi, cabbage (shown here) and tomatoes, cucumbers, chillies, watermelon, onions.

Our roses, however did not do so well, only one of 3 survived. Here is the first flower since we planted it in the ground. (technically second- since a caterpillar ate the first one)

We also had a visitor - a grasshopper, and have plans to attract more birds.

Inside, we haven't done much except for the terracotta lamps which we carried all the way from home. One of the lamps was severely damaged, thanks to mod podge and a paint job it looks as good as new.

#481 Neyan Month 20 summary

2011-04-14T19:42:00.035-05:00

Neyan celebrated St Patrick's day with Ms Alex and Ms Megan this month.

Enjoyed play-doh.

He and appa still spent sleepy weekend afternoons like this! See previous similar pose here.

Fed geese and ducks near M&S's home.

Played in the slide with Sarita

Saw rabbits at M&S's home.

Wanted to push the wheelbarrow, but it was too big for him.

Got a big boy haircut - he was mostly good and cried only when they got the hair clippers out.

Had fun with Appa chasing kites in the park..

Had fun with Gavi Chechi

and Bini who were visiting.

Enjoyed playing with the tent (which he got for Christmas!)

Here is his monthly portrait- a very serious looking 20 months old. See him grow here.

#480 Home updates

2011-04-10T18:19:00.084-05:00

Note: Drafted 10th Apr 2011; Published 20th Apr 2011

Work in progress @ home.

Lets start with the yellow and eventually grey room. Its the front bedroom and the yellow art work is fabric framed in an embroidery hoop. Actually, half of a embroidery hoop. Got it from a freecycler who did not have the inner loop. However made good use of it. Tutorial here. So far so good eh?

Next up in Ns room which is orange and navy themed. Close up of the "happy" themed artwork here. The grey and orange ones were from Sprik Space Freebies. The blue one I made. The shelves are from IKEA and the boxes are actually cardboard boxes that water jugs came in from Costco that I wrapped in fabric which I scored on sale from JoAnn.

More practical free printable posters and a book rack which is actually a re-purposed lid rack from our kitchen in Fairfax. Its not ideal for the # of books N has, and we are planning something else for there.

Near it is a cozy reading corner. The ottoman was knitted and more on that later. The mobile was handmade with craft paper from the dollar store. Combination of this and this.

The remaining wall has number + spacey looking decals from BabiesRUs. The stars glow in the dark :) Also the blackboard is a DIY project - got a ugly framed painting from goodwill and spray painted it with blackboard paint.

Next up, master bedroom - where a couple of IKEA floor lamps from our previous place have been converted to table lamps. New shades which were plain initially, were then stenciled with motifs. Somehow it seems incomplete, perhaps I should add orange ribbon borders on them.

Art above the bed is actually T's and my fingerprint. Tutorial here.
The frame was recovered from a thrift store and spray painted orange.
I am unhappy with the scale of it, and have other plans for the art work.

Outside, T's friend - Freddy and T built this flower box that will eventually home roses. YAY roses!

This one T built mostly by himself. Trying to get perennial flowers planted here.

T and me built these veggie boxes (we have since added a 3rd one). We are attempting to follow the square foot gardening technique. N has way to much fun watering the plants and playing with water!

We do have soil in all of them now and few seeds are sprouting- more on that later. For now we got some flowering petunias - Enjoy.

#479 Knitting updates

2011-04-10T12:28:00.000-05:00

Note: Drafted 10th Apr 2011; Published 20th Apr 2011

I got a long list of FOs since my last update.

First up the Gail Nightsongs shawl for Nik+Arch. More photos and details here.

Made a cabled vest for N to match the one I made for T way back in 2005. More photos and details here.

Of course here is the ottoman mentioned in the previous post. It took me 3 days to knit. It does knit up fast, but took forever to finish. 2 comforters are stuffed in there! More photos and details here.

That comes to the other project that took forever to finish too! My first felted bag! More photos and details here.

I loved felting the bag so much that I made felted roses as curtain ties! More photos and details here.

Phew!!

#478 Visiting DC metro region

2011-03-23T13:11:00.004-05:00

Note: Drafted 23rd Mar 2011; Published 10th Apr 2011

So began our whirlwind trip to the DC metro region.
First stop to meet Megu and of course Sony & Sini. Neyan and Megu had a blast with each other.

Neyan also enjoyed yummy idlies that Sini made.

Next, we met Bini for lunch - sorry no photo :( , and then Princy & Ashish for tea #1.

and then Nina for tea #2.

We finally made it to MD. Here is N with Ashley.

and a photo of all of us.

Next, we met Pavi and Varun.

N had fun playing the piano at Susheela Aunty's place. Here is a video.

We also met Rosy Akka and Bobby Anna.

N enjoyed dancing a lot at the wedding, but was shy when the pretty flower girl's father gave him permission to dance with her :)

Our trip was to celebrate this couple's special day. Cathy and Charles - congratulations for the Nth time.

#477 Neyan Month 19 summary

2011-03-16T13:41:00.032-05:00

Note: Drafted 16th Mar 2011; Published 10th Apr 2011

Ns 19th month started with making new friends - Ashwin - sorry no better photo of them together.

enjoyed gardening - well, actually, playing with water.

Tried to climb a slide backwards.

ate an egg.

Drew on the growth chart with a permanent marker; and yes, it did get on the walls and door too.

Decorated with decals around his ~~crib~~ toddler bed.

enjoyed playing with bubbles,

and vacuuming.

He still loves screwdrivers,

but his latest love is Pingu on youtube.

He sat down for his 19th month portrait. Phew!

#476 Home n Knitting updates

2011-03-01T22:51:00.000-06:00

Finally curtains are up. This is the living room (day mode)

and night mode.

Dining room

Front bedroom

N's play room.

Also, hardware is up in the kitchen! woohoo!

Also, few pictures made it to the walls. Sorry for blurry pics but the flash was being reflected in the glass.

Made a heart bunting for Valentines day

And finally finished the socks I was making for T. It only took 972 days or so. But I'm glad to be done. I embroidered hearts on the sole and at Thu night's groups when saying that aloud it sounded a lot like hearts n sole. Cute no? More pics here.

Also, I finished a scarf way back in Dec, and missed posting it on here. Fall scarf

#475 Neyan Month 18 summary

2011-03-01T22:49:00.000-06:00

This month, N enjoyed crawling through the tunnel he got for Christmas

and playing with the ball in the backyard.

He slept like T :)

and drew on his brand new chair with sketch pens.

He enjoyed American Idol on TV

and helped me with laundry (by pushing buttons)

He ate noodles all by himself

and enjoyed a ride with T

We got snow in TX!!!! Here are more pics.

Finally 1.5 years old- 18 months old; And he refuses to sit for his monthly portrait!

#474 Home Sweet Home

2011-01-13T19:23:00.000-06:00

Finally, here is the fruition of the last couple of months! Our home sweet home.

View from the front

As you enter is the great room...

Kitchen to the left

and dining to the far left side.

On the right is the study

and master bedroom

There are 2 bedrooms on the opposite side. This is the one in the middle..

and one in the front.

I love how the home glows (view from the back yard!) and yes we need to change all incandescent light bulbs to fluorescent. Will it glow so well then?

We are waiting for our first house-guests.. will you be the first? when are you visiting?

#473 Neyan Month 17 summary

2011-01-13T19:21:00.000-06:00

This month, Neyan had fun hanging out

and performing stunts!
(P.S. Ottoman was strategically placed so that he couldn't get to the TV.. but then he learned to climb on the ottoman.. so box was placed on ottoman... but he still managed to climb on top of it!)

He enjoyed playing with tools

and helped us unpack as we were packing...

packing, cos we moved to our new home! Here is T and N opening the door for the first time.
(P.S. N is in PJs cos it was pajama day at school)

We moved one day before Christmas and got the tree set up!

N had fun opening presents...

but had more fun playing with the shatterproof ornaments.

He helped us unpack and found boxes were fun.

and so were screwdrivers. Any job now requires 2 screwdrivers... one for us to use and one for N!

He loves eating with a spoon too.

Here is 17 month old Neyan.

#472 Neyan Month 16 Summary

2010-12-13T22:20:00.000-06:00

In his 16th month, Neyan discovered new toys

Contributed a feather to the thanksgiving turkey at school. His is the green one at the upper left side.

Played with tree bark at the park

Got dressed up for thanksgiving.

Posed with Appa in front of homemade Christmas wreath

Still fit in the valentine vest...

to see Santa. He wasn't too pleased :(

Played hide and seek with the growth chart from C&A.

Destroyed handmade Christmas decorations.

We can't wait to see him open presents!

Here he is.. 16 months old!

#471 Neyan Month 15 summary

2010-11-13T13:40:00.001-06:00

In N's 15th month, he had fun playing with balloons from the Chaturshringi mela

Raiding Ammamma's onions

Playing with more balloons, since the previous one burst :(

Plucked chillies from Ammamma's and Thatha's potted chilly plant

Discovered new stuff on Thatha's table,

sat on his chair

Enjoyed sunsets

and a ride in an auto

He traveled somewhat well on a 15.5 hour flight back, and enjoyed very much his trike in honor of his first birthday (thank you Gavi chechi, Choppu mami and Girish mama)

He had a fun time at the park

And here he is again in the chair and with Winnie the Pooh for comparison. 15 months old!

#470 Kiddie shopping

2010-10-26T09:25:00.039-05:00

Note: Drafted 26th Oct 2010; Published 13th Nov 2010

As our trip is coming to a close, I thought I should summarize the fun stuff that we got for N (and had more fun shopping for)

In Velankanni, we got him a wooden cooking set,

a few fancy looking pencil sharpeners,

a rattle,

and a couple of spinning tops. The one on the upper right hand side is unique - once it reaches a critical velocity it flips!

In Pune, at Vishrambaug wada, SMILE (Savitri Marketing Institution for Ladies' Empowerment) had set up a store. They had lots of handmade stuff - I ogled at their bags made with traditional sari fabric. For N, I got this counting/stacking toy.

Finally, I think I found my favorite store! EitherOr.

Found these cute wooden wobbling duckies,

a stuffed elephant

and this cute shirt with dogs on them!

#469 Pune Ravelry Meetup

2010-10-23T09:47:00.039-05:00

Note: Drafted 23rd Oct 2010; Published 13th Nov 2010

A few last minute phone calls from Rupi led to meeting few ravelers from the South Asian Crafters group at Barista.

We discussed projects and showed off some. This is redheadedwoman's silk scarf

This is Shubha's lovely beaded silk shawl. The beads are not really visible in this shot :(

Here's all of us and links to their blogs! Rupi, me, Jotysna and Shubha.

Thank you to Rupi's niece who clicked this shot of all of us. We had an awesome time talking about craft, books, movies and history. There was never a dull moment. Thank you for the lovely time ladies, I hope and wish we can meet again soon!

#468 Neyan Month 14 Summary

2010-10-12T09:30:00.048-05:00

Note: Drafted 12th Oct 2010; Published 13th Nov 2010

N wore a shirt that T wore as a kid!

He loves to play hide and seek, and loves to find interesting hiding places.

He still loves cooking..

and being a stunt man.

He enjoyed the slide

and a chicken leg

He made music with my knitting needles and a steel plate

He has loads of teeth now!

Last but not least, here is N in a traditional outfit, waving like a politician!

#467 Knitting storm part 2

2010-10-01T09:59:00.035-05:00

Note: Drafted 1st Oct 2010; Published 26th Oct 2010

As promised, here is part 2 of the projects that have kept me busy.

A squishy blankie for a new arrival - colors inspired by thing 1 & thing 2 in Cat in the Hat.

22 Leaves (but I counted 42), which I put off cos I thought I needed circs. Turns out it can be knit flat!

Next up was the Annis shawlette. This turned out much much smaller than I anticipated :( However, I loved the bottom up design and the unique construction.

N's daily ritual includes a walk to the main road to watch PMPML buses, and so I made him a sweater with a giant red bus on it. He looks happy in it right? More photos here. BTW circs are here. I missed them so much. I hate seaming!

Finally, I got to the shawl that was 80% complete. Once the circs were here, it was completed in no time. The not-so-square shawl

Lastly, another blankie for the future grandbaby of the proponent of the Quasi steady state
:) :)

I have been busy, haven't I?

#466 More crafty shopping

2010-09-28T09:57:00.014-05:00

Note: Drafted 28th Sept 2010; Published 26th Oct 2010

In anticipation of the arrival of the circs, I bought a whole load of yarn! 1.5 kgs of acrylic lace yarn in various colors. Well, I hope to be busy knitting for a while.
Also found some 8 ply pure wool, and bought a whole box.

Also, found these blocks which are used to make block prints. Cant wait to try them out!

And I found pretty wooden buttons too!

#465 Knitting storm part 1

2010-09-23T09:26:00.033-05:00

Note: Drafted 23rd Sept 2010; Published 26th Oct 2010

I just got 2 circular needles on this trip and one broke at the joint. I had to make do with straight aluminium needles- some new and some old. Here are all the knitting projects I have worked on so far.

First up is Citron for I in bright green acrylic yarn. I loved the simple construction of this shawl, but it did get a bit monotonous towards the end. I did not however use lace weight and the needles specified and hence it is much bigger - exactly what I wanted.

Next up was a textured shawl - and I reminded me why I am not so fond of triangular shawls. Its a bit awkward to wear. I did modify the pattern to suit the size I wanted. Since the yarn is fingering weight, it flew off the needles in 3 days!

I started on a shawl that was loosely based on the textured shawl - but 3 ridges instead of one. However the stitches do not fit on the straights that I got and hence its waiting for the circs to get here.

I frogged a very old UFO to get yarn for this lacy shrug. It was easy to knit - just a plain old rectangle with sides sewed to make sleeves.

More projects coming soon.

#464 Neyan month 13 summary

2010-09-13T20:57:00.026-05:00

Note: Drafted 13th Sept 2010; Published 25th Oct 2010

Some of Neyan's 13th month was spent traveling.

Back in Pune, A & A wanted to take him to all the places they took me as a kid. First stop, the Pune University lawns.

Next, Khadki railway station to check out the trains.

He met my school friends,

and college friend A and her hubby.

He enjoyed raiding the vegetable bag,

cooking,

making a mess of the newspaper pile,

sweeping the floors,

and playing the keyboard.

Phew! What a busy 13th month he had.

#463 Solapur

2010-09-13T00:38:00.057-05:00

Note: Drafted 13th Sept 2010; Published 24th Oct 2010

Last weekend, we took a road trip to Solapur to visit a sick relative.
We left before sunrise, and about 1 hour into our trip, we were welcomed with a beautiful daybreak.

N completed 13 months on this trip! and he had loads of fun..

watching goats

and travelling herds of sheep.

We drove along the Bhima river and on the banks were endless maize and sugarcane fields.

We reached Solapur around lunch, and the restaurant had an antique water boiler.

Ganesh Chaturthi started on Sat, and we went out to the main road to watch the processions and lezim dancers. N had the most fun. Sorry for blurry photo :(

We headed back on Sun, and saw bullock carts.

The road trip took longer than usual due to bad roads, on the plus side they were lined on both sides with lots of trees.

Last but not least, I photographed some interesting art on trucks. Click to embiggen.

#462 Crafty shopping

2010-09-10T20:59:00.039-05:00

Note: Drafted 10th Aug 2010; Published 24th Oct 2010

Most yarn available in India is acrylic. This one store had a lot of lace acrylic yarn - or as they call it 2 ply yarn.

This is the dude, that desiknitter says "specializes in slow motion customer service." :)
Behind him is all 4 ply acrylic, mostly squishy solids and some variegated

I also got some decorative fake zari borders. No, I haven't decided what to use it for.

#461 Vishrambaug Wada

2010-09-10T08:33:00.017-05:00

Note: Drafted 10th Sept 2010; Published 24th Oct 2010

N and me are back in Pune, and I headed out to Tulshi Baug with school friend D. Right next to it is this famous wada - Vishrambaug wada.

Built in 1807, it is a bad shape, but slowly the PMC is restoring it.

Inside are beautiful carvings on wood.

this is a monkey overlooking the busy street.

and a lovely chandelier hanging on carved wooden ceiling.

Every tiny detail is decorative. These are stair railings.

Part of the lowest level is used as a post office, and more recently a local art and craft store. I got a wooden toy for N. More on that later.

Next, the yarn and craft shopping in Pune.

#460 Delhi

2010-08-22T00:37:00.026-05:00

Note: Drafted 22nd Aug 2010; Published 16th Oct 2010

Neyan met among others, Ammamma and Thatha

and Periamma.

He wore a dhoti and kurta for Onam

and pretended to make an atham.

Here are more athams.

#459 Hair today gone tomorrow

2010-08-18T00:38:00.031-05:00

Note: Drafted 18th Aug 2010; Published 16th Oct 2010

Our next stop was Velankanni for Neyan's tonsure at the Basilica of Out Lady of Good Health

This is the last photo of Neyan with hair. He was asleep and

he woke up to this.

He also wet his feet in the Bay of Bengal.

Another view of the bay far away.

Later at Chennai, he enjoyed his 3rd birthday party.

Next stop- Delhi

#458 Neyan's birthday celebrations

2010-08-17T00:34:00.045-05:00

Note: Drafted 17th Aug 2010; Published 19th Oct 2010

Neyan finally turned ONE on 11th Aug 2010!
Can you believe it that it has been a year since he was born?

He enjoyed cake

and played with balloons.

Here's a family photo

The party however was on 15th Aug.

Here he is with thatha

with R periappa and family

and with thatha and ammamma

There were ~150 mostly family and few friends. Someone mistakenly thought that Neyan was a girl and got him a dress.

It was put to good use. (I know he will kill me when he's a teenager and discovers this photo- but I can't resist)
:) :)

#457 Nagercoil and around

2010-08-14T22:11:00.037-05:00

Note: Drafted 14th Aug 2010; Published 16th Oct 2010
(Not in chronological order)

Our visit to Nagercoil included a funeral, 2 birthday parties(more on this later) and a couple of trips.

Neyan enjoyed pretending to ride T's old bike

and drive the car too.

what he didnt enjoy was this last-minute-made-at-home barricade

He discovered leaves of a mango tree...

and visited the nuns at R&S's school for special children.

We saw brick kilns in the backdrop of beautiful mountains

and visited Aralvaimozhi where Devasahayam Pillai was killed.

Here is a better view of the mountains

#456 Thiruvananthapuram

2010-08-10T00:35:00.010-05:00

Note: Drafted 10th Aug 2010; Published 16th Oct 2010

We arrived in Thiruvananthapuram last weekend. Before we drove off to T's home in Nagercoil, we visited Neyan's thathas and ammammas.

Here's Indira ammamma and Ramiah thatha.

met cousin Gautam

and Saraswati ammamma

Thatha and Krishnamma ammama

Krishna thatha

Radha Ammamma

and his 2 week old niece!

#455 Pune

2010-08-08T00:34:00.011-05:00

Note: Drafted 8th Aug 2010; Published 26th Sept 2010

Neyan was welcomed to India by Thatha and Ammamma

Ammamma made him an early Onam sadya which he enjoyed throughly.

He enjoyed raiding kitchen cabinets

and roasted corn

He checked out the pendulum at IUCAA

and was fascinated by the washing machine

He played with a Thatha made toy

and a plastic stool.

He also had fun with Caroline akka and Clifford anna.

#454 Pre India trip

2010-08-04T20:49:00.011-05:00

Note: Drafted 4th Aug 2010; Published 26th Sept 2010

Neyan's 12 month is going to be super-eventful, so there will be more posts.

He said goodbye to Miss Shara

Played in the Dr. Seuss room.

Met Toby and Olive. This is Toby.

Enjoyed the play area at the airport in Doha.

Next stop Pune!

#453 Neyan's Month eleven summay

2010-07-12T00:32:00.058-05:00

Note: Drafted 12th July 2010; Published 26th Sept 2010

This month, Neyan discovered plants in the garden

enjoyed a ride on T

discovered a watermelon

Heres his first drawing! (to be fair Miss Shana drew the Ns)

Enjoyed Ethiopian food

Raided T's snack cabinet

and drank milk in style

dismantled T's phone

checked out the pool

and played with the recycling.

Here's his month 11 portrait. See him grow here.

Last but not least, he has started walking!

#452 Birthday Treat

2010-07-07T00:04:00.007-05:00

Note: Drafted 7th July 2010; Published 26th Sept 2010

I treated myself to not one but 2 lace knitting classes for my birthday. Introduction to lace and lace edgings by the Franklin Habit.

OK i will admit, that I did not really need the intro class, but learned a lot about different types and histories of the different genres of lace. For the first class, we cast on for a lace scarf.

and for the edgings class among other edgings, made this stupid snowflake.

Of course I met Dolores too :)

In other craft related news, me made a stuffed giraffe for a new arrival..

and made stitch markers for Rima. It was my first time making beaded stitch markers, and I hope she liked them.

Another shot

#451 Neyan's month ten summary

2010-06-16T23:24:00.038-05:00

Note: Drafted 16th June 2010; Published 23rd Jun 2010

N traveled a lot this month (see previous posts), so here are other highlights from his 10th month.

He skyped with ammama and thatha.

Attended Tallulah's birthday at Jump and Climb.

Discovered a spool of thread and spent some time unwinding it.

Sale papers were put to good crafty uses :)

Tina took some amazing photos but N was really sleepy and refused to smile. This one was an almost smile.

a funny face one...

We tried to get rid of his fear of the vacuum cleaner.

and watched "Cloudy with a chance of meatballs" at the park.

On the exact day he turned 10 months, we were in WA and caught him happily sitting in the suitcase.

He also visited Mt. Rainer.

Monthly portrait was delayed a couple of days. These photos are getting harder to take, since he wont sit still for long. See him grow here.

#450 Puget sound region - Part 3 - Mt Rainer

2010-06-13T12:50:00.003-05:00

Note: Drafted 13th June 2010; Published 23rd Jun 2010

I reserved whole of this post for our Mount Rainer National Park. This post is very photo intensive!

We started with a visit to T's classmate's Aparna's home. Here is N with Aparna. BTW she made us some really yummy Aloo Parathas.

Their garden is so beautiful and I photographed few flowers with rain drops. This iris was my fav of the lot.

After about 2 hours, we reached the Park and were greeted with giant trees

and beautiful icy blue rivers.

It was a cloudy day and we could not see Mt Rainer. Imagine the mountain here where the thick clouds are. The valley is a moraine. i.e. a glacier probably advanced here. See the bridge there? We drove over that

on our way to Paradise, but thanks to the clouds all we saw was thick fog :(

The ranger at the visitors center told us that we could probably get a better view from the east side, and thats were we headed. On the way we saw a white fox.

and absolutely breathtaking waterfalls. We saw many waterfalls, but this one is my fav!

We saw the thawing refection lakes. Yes it was June and the lakes were still frozen. BTW how pretty is that icy blue color.

and finally after a winding road saw Mount Rainier. It is actually a dormant volcano!

On this side of the mountain, visibility was so much better. We saw picture perfect sceneries

and beautiful tall and magnificent trees.

After endless stops for photographs, we reached the trail that we wanted to walk. A short 45 minute trail called the Patriarch of Groves. Ont this trail we saw a river that is a runoff from the Ohanapecosh Glacier.

Volcanic ash residue from Mt St. Helen eruption in 1980.

and of course giant trees

All in all it was an exhausting day and I got loads of photos.

Last but not least, I crossed #107 from my list :) even though I did not get as close to a glacier as I wanted.

#449 Puget sound region - part 2 - Pikes Place & Snoqualmie

2010-06-13T09:15:00.006-05:00

Note: Drafted 13th June 2010; Published 23rd Jun 2010

WED - We visited the famous Pikes Place Market. Of course there was fish everywhere, but me loved the pretty flowers. Check out these giant poppies.

N and me went out for a bit and saw a juggler performing.

The market is very colorful and attractive. It made me want to buy stuff, but how would I get it home?

Walking around, we found an interesting map store. This is one of the maps displayed there titled - worldbeat music. Its all done in musical score!

We finally sat down to have cupcakes and hot chocolate at Seattle's best coffee. Here is N enjoying being out of the baby carrier!

Later that evening, we joined the conference attendees on a Cruise of the Puget sound. It was N's first time on a boat/ship, and he loved it.

He was busy observing the water and the scenery.

This was the (grainy) scene on our way back to the harbor. Notice the space needle on the left.

THU:
After T's conference's closing ceremony, we headed to check out the Snoqualmie Falls. It was a little chilly and rainy and so we waited in the car for the rain to subside. N made the most of this opportunity, since most of the time he is buckled to the car seat, and explored inside of the car!

This is the falls, through the clouds that were passing by.

When it was a bit clearer, we got more photos. There is a lot of construction going on here(hydroelectric generator) and hence some trails were closed, so no photos from the bottom of the falls :(

Better view of the falls.

T said the clouds reminded him of Ooty.
.

#448 Puget sound region - part 1 - Chihuly

2010-06-10T19:14:00.066-05:00

Last week we visited the Puget sound region. T was in a conference all week, and that left N and me to discover all fun things to do.

SUN - Our trip started at the AUS airport and the kind TSA was handing out these sticker badges to the kids. N got one and it says "Junior Officer"

MON - We headed to Tacoma to the Museum of glass. Cool looking building right? But we did not go in.

Instead we headed to the exhibit outside - bridge of glass - by Dale Chihuly (wiki). The first part was the venetian wall. (BTW Tacoma is his birthplace)

This was my fav piece there.

The 3rd part of the bridge absolutely breathtaking - the seaform pavilion

Later that evening, we headed out the Crab Pot with T's colleagues. Here is N checking out the menu

TUE - We visited Cummins batch-mate - Gauri, her MIL and her ~ 4 month old Ameya.
Ameya slept most of the time. N was fascinated with him and wanted to grab him! Here is N with Gauri

#447 Knitting + Crafting updates

2010-06-03T16:02:00.045-05:00

Note: Drafted 3rd June 2010; Published 15th June 2010

Its been a while since I showed off FOs. I started with a spring shrug for a ~2 year old. What better way to say hello spring with a welcome sunshiny shrug? Yarn is actually sock yarn which is inspired by this painting. Rav project details here. (YAY!! Rav projects are now visible to the public for ogling)

The SACers are on a UFO completing mission, and I started off with completing the waves of grain shawl for a colleague. Have I mentioned how much I adore lace? More photos here.

After the lace project I got bored of my UFOs and decided some instant gratification was in order. I couldnt knit so I sewed. First a whaley for N. Yes thats supposed to be a whale. but i guess 200% enlargement of pattern does not equal 300% and hence its sorta weird looking. T says more like an amoeba. ahh. On the plus side it is cuddly. Pattern here.

Next up was the wasp bag. It was a bad idea to sew with silky fabric. Yes! it is pretty and all that, but oh what a pain to sew.

Last up - a tiny hip bag. Inspired by a pattern from here - though its not quiet the same. I love this bag. Perfect for keys, phone and other stuff when I'm out and about with N.

#446 Surprise

2010-05-17T16:29:00.043-05:00

Note: Drafted 17th May 2010; Published 15th Jun 2010

tickets $$$ - flowers $$ - balloon $ - surprise PRICELESS

We surprised Swapna and Girish on the 10th anniversary. We were waiting for them on their driveway and wished we had our camera ready to capture the unforgettable surprise expressions.
Some highlights from the weekend.

It started with an impromptu music performance.

Gavi let N try her bike

Here is she in her tent.

We visited Martha and Tim. N was fearless around their dog and their daughter's dogs. He had a blast

Here he is with Martha and Tim.

We attended a birthday party and N enjoyed playing with a balloon

and wearing a hat

Sun morning we hung around with Gavi

and she picked a flower for Neyan.

He also tried out her tiny chair.

#445 WI

2010-05-15T12:46:00.017-05:00

Note: Drafted 15th May 2010; Published 15th June 2010
Yes we are in WI. We visited Shuchi, Arun and Ronav. Here is Ronav and Neyan

They had a good time together.
And the grown ups ate awesome fish biryani. YUMM.

We are here for a surprise (see #446). While waiting, to keep N entertained, we let him check out the steering wheel of the car.

Also saw a birdie :)

#444 Neyan's month nine summary

2010-05-12T20:49:00.029-05:00

Note: Drafted 12th May 2010; Published 29th May 2010

3/4th of a year has gone by! Has it really been 9 months since he got here?

This month he discovered unplayed toys

tried chikoo milkshake

saw a rabbit on our walk

checked out the sale papers

crawled through a box

wore sunglasses.. yes it has been getting warmer in TX.

played with an empty water can

Here is his month 9 portrait.

He celebrated with chocolate cupcake!

#443 TX Wildflowers

2010-04-22T15:25:00.003-05:00

Note: Drafted 22nd Apr 2010; Published 3rd May 2010

Its spring here and TX is full of bluebonnet blooms. Not to miss a photo opportunity, we set off to the local park for a couple of shots (OK a lot of shots- but here are just the highlights!)

Yes he was really tired by the end of it.

#442 Neyan's month eight summary

2010-04-12T14:41:00.056-05:00

Note: Drafted 12th Apr 2010; Published 3rd May 2010

Neyan completed 8 months this week. Here are the highlights of his 8th month after Amma left.
He can pull up to standing and loves to stand by the glass door and lick it (much to our dismay).

He used the bubble wand as a flute :) (not really - he was actually trying to lick it!)

He helped T fix furniture

and got his first tooth (yay!)

I decorated around the crib and he loves to scratch the decals out.

He participated in his first easter egg hunt and here is his loot with bunny!

He started day-care. This was after his first day.

Safety gates are finally up since he has been crawling all over the place

and investigating everything on his own. I found him like this after he dumped his snacks on the floor.

On lazy afternoons, he enjoyed naps with T.

Last but not least, his month 8 portrait. See him grow here.

#441 Bye Bye Amma

2010-03-25T14:42:00.052-05:00

Note: Drafted 25th Mar 2010; Published 23rd Apr 2010

311 days. Thats the longest number of days I got to spend with Amma since I flew the nest. The second time she stayed apart from Appa in ~33 years of marriage(even though he visited us briefly). The first time was when I was born and this time for her grand-baby! I cannot express how thankful and lucky I feel for the time I got to spend with her. I learned a lot from her and about her. And even more lucky is N, to be able to bask in her love, attention and being spoiled by her!

Amma left last week and we miss her a lot. Highlights of her last week with us:

N can stand with minimal support. Here is he leaning on the sofa

he ate ammamma made dosas :)

enjoyed first blossoms of spring

played see-saw with her

had a fab bon voyage dinner at the clay pit.

were really sad to say goodbye to her. N is lucky to be little enough to not understand goodbyes. He was just delighted to be in ammamma's arms!

After goodbyes, we decided a distraction was in order, and so we visited Cummins friend Sarita and her hubby Mahesh. Here's him playing with N.

We met their very intelligent African grey parrot- Waffles who wanted to play with Ns toys :)

We are now trying to get into a new routine. Needless to say, posts will be super sporadic.

#440 Sewing

2010-03-17T15:08:00.025-05:00

Note: Drafted 17th Mar 2010; Published 23rd Apr 2010

I vowed to other SACers not to cast on for new projects (with one exception) before I complete at least 80% of my UFOs. Instead of focusing on the UFOs, me has been coming up with various sewing projects. Well, in my defense, they are useful projects - mostly for N.

First up, cushion covers for N's play-area. Much needed especially since he is getting more adventurous by the day.

Next are bibs

and wipes. These are lined with terry cloth for soaking up messes.

This is not exactly a sewing project.. but involves fabric. I covered a cardboard box with fabric to create a catchall for office supplies.

Me is now on a box collecting spree. As if I did not have enough already. Now to look for more fabric!

#439 Happy pi day

2010-03-14T22:33:00.011-05:00

Note: Drafted 14th Mar 2010; Published 22nd Apr 2010

Me made pie pops for pie day.

#438 Neyan's month seven summary

2010-03-12T10:33:00.038-06:00

Note: Drafted 3rd Mar 2010; Published 22nd Apr 2010

This month, N finally got the the taboo box and its contents.

He learned spoon tricks

and traveled a lot. This is him watching fish at a mall in Houston.

He played with balloons

and learned to stand holding on to furniture.

He can now travel to India

and dressed up in traditional clothes to celebrate the occasion!

We blew bubbles to entertain him

and he taught us more yoga. Here is plank pose

and here is child's pose.

This is when he tried a teeny bit of fish curry with rice and broccoli.

Here is his monthly portrait. See him grow here.

#437 Wisconsin

2010-03-09T15:07:00.034-06:00

Note: Drafted 9th Mar 2010; Published 21st Apr 2010

Thats the 35F place that we have landed to hang with friends and family. Well its not really 35, it's warmer than we expected!

Gavi was super excited to meet her little brother and wanted to do everything for him. Here she is feeding him.

and she let him play with her duckies, in her old tub.

N mainly spent his time trying to crawl and being frustrated from not able to do so... but did carve out time to play with a toy from Shuchi. (No pics of Ronav since me forgot the camera! Duh me!)

and also try Arpith's slide.

Here's Arun and Arpith.

On our way back we stopped at BK for a quick bite and the kiddos got paper crowns :)

and N licked his first French fry

He liked it :)

#436 Non-Ravelympics Knitting updates

2010-03-04T18:32:00.037-06:00

Note: Drafted 4th Mar 2010; Published 21st Apr 2010

This post is just a random post of stuff that I knitted in the past couple of months.

First up, knee highs for Neyan.. to deal with the temperature change from 68F to 35F. Yes we do see a trip in the near future and needed to be prepared. The yarns used are actually scraps leftover from other projects. Here is N modelling them in 68F!

Last minute knitting also included a pair of mittens for N. Here is he fascinated with it and wondering how to get it off.

Here's a closeup of the mittens.

This was a scarf for rav knitting buddy C. Yes this is how it looked before it was blocked... all curled up looking nothing like a beautiful elegant scarf- appropriately named Saroyan after a beautiful forensic scientist on TV.

After blocking, it sorta bloomed and turned into all that it was meant to be! Here is C modelling the scarf. Thank you C for the photos.

Sometimes a knitting project is just meant to be... like when I found this dress to match the yarn, after I decided to make a shrug for a ~ 6 month old. No I did not carry the yarn to the store. Yes I am amazed at how much it matches. Made-for-each other! Perfect for spring.

Last but not least, this sweet little cupcake hat was made for a little cutie cupcake! Modeled shots here.

Phew! I hope I didn't miss any project.

#435 Ravelympics 2010

2010-03-01T19:42:00.028-06:00

Note: Drafted 1st Mar 2010; Published 21st Apr 2010

Yipee I did it. I compeleted my Ravelympics projects!
First up is the Work In Progress (WIPs) dancing and here is my e-medal!

I finished this one just in the nick of time - during the closing ceremony.

Here is my progress during the last 2 weeks.

Here is the finished blocked scarf!

This is my e-medal for the hat half-pipe event.

My entry - Mike Wazowski hat. Here is N modelling it. I wasn't too happy with the finish of duplicate stitch, especially in the decrease sections.

But the hat was really useful during a snow storm.. yes a SNOW storm in TX! who would've guessed. BTW it was Neyan and Amma's first snow. And they had a blast with "Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes" :) :)

#434 DIY Magnetic Chart holder

2010-02-25T19:48:00.005-06:00

We interrupt regular Neyan and knitting programming to present a DIY which might be useful for my knitter/crafty buddies.

A magnetic chart holder can run be super fancy and expensive so I decided to make myself one. It is probably NOT cheaper than some chart holders, but fun to make.

Ingredients
One clipboard - A4 size
One and a quarter of magnetic sheets - A4 size
2 or 3 big binder clips
4 to 5 small binder clips
A spool of ribbon (cuteness optional) - I used 4 feet
Exacto knife or sissors
Ruler for straight lines
Glue

Procedure
Glue one magnetic sheet to the back of the clipboard. That leaves the font of the clipboard to hold non chart pages of the pattern. Place heavy books on the magnet to ensure proper adhesion.

Glue cute ribbon to the other magnetic sheet. Once glue has dried, use exacto knife/scissors to cut the magnetic sheet to match the width of the ribbon. Make as many strips as possible or required.

That's the most basic part... now to make the chart holder stand. Use the 2 binder clips on whichever side will be the lower edge of the clipboard as shown below. (use 3 or more for more stability). This will help the board to stand on its own (as long as base surface is not too slippery). This idea is adapted from real-simple.

ETA: This is not really that stable. I am planning to make a stand along these lines to avoid the holder from toppling over.

Use smaller binder clips to hold the flyaway papers clipped in the back.
This is my finished chart holder.

P.S. It works fine for most of the time... BUT the magnet strips are not as strong as I hoped. When turned upside down, they fall off.. So it goes without saying it will not travel well unless you find a stronger flexible magnet.

I found that there is some sort of grain (like in fabric) in magnetic sheets. So the strips adhere well only along the same grain and not perpendicularly. I made a new set of strips cutting strips perpendicular to what I cut before to test this and voila, the strips do not fall off when upside down!!! woohoo!

Few action shots:

P.P.S. I initially thought of using fabric or wrapping paper to prettify the magnetic sheet, but found that the magnet strength was compromised :(

Comments and suggestions to make the tutorial and the chart holder better are most welcome.
If you make this please send me a photo. I would love to see your version!

ETA: 26th Feb 2010 to add action shots and info about grain in the magnetic sheets.

#433 Ravelympics 2010

2010-02-12T20:00:00.018-06:00

Note: Drafted 11th Feb 2010; Published 12th Feb 2010

Let the games begin!

As the winter Olympics begin at Vancouver, BC, Canada.. Ravelers all over will cast on for the Ravelympics with just one motto - "Challenge yourself by starting and finishing projects during the 2010 Winter Olympics"

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonquilmom/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The concept started in 2006 by the yarnharlot as the Knitting Olympics and has morphed into Ravelympic (more inclusive than just knitting). BTW there is a 2010 Knitting Olympics.

I joined the Ravelympics for the team spirit! The South Asian Crafters group on ravelry have 2 teams and I am co-captain for both teams.

Our first team will tackle UFOs or unfinished objects; and our team name is UFO Invaders!!!(thanks Josie) This awesome logo was created by Crochetress's hubby.

My challenge is to complete the DNA scarf for Sakshi. Its so overdue! The last time I worked on it was Dec 09.

The second team is Head-Huggers - in which we will make hats. Again thank you to Crochetress's hubby!

My challenge is to make a Mike Wazowski hat for Neyan.

On your needles, get set, GO!!!!!!!

#432 Neyan's month six summary

2010-02-11T19:26:00.017-06:00

Neyan's semi-solid food adventure continued this month. Most memorable were egg yolks (yukkyyy!!) and beets (yipee!!). We did enjoy the horror movie shot!

We went on several trips to the park.. he slept through the walks on some days saw fearless duckies on others.

He sat on a swing too.

He tried yoga...

and made us exercise our arms by jumping up and down... so a jumperoo was promptly provided for his enjoyment and our relief.

He enjoyed the view from T's shoulders and also enjoyed chewing his hair!

He learned to make new wrist and arm movements and has been waving a lot.

I made Meyer Lemon Cranberry Cupcakes (super yummy!!!) for his half-birthday. Some cupcakes got cute valentine day sprinkles!

We put one cupcake in front of him and he lunged at it with both arms..

within a matter of minutes, icing was in his hair!

He has also started babbling non-stop, but the moment we turn the camera on he senses it and stops.. also the few so far are too grainy. Anyway here portrait time.. here is he with Ammamma

Here is his monthly portrait. (see him grow here)

#431 Neyan's month five summary

2010-01-17T15:18:00.007-06:00

N started this month with solids. Rice is a hit, oatmeal not so much (but still edible).

carrots are good, peas not so much (not at all in fact).

he still enjoys tearing up posters and tries to eat it.

in addition to licking his feet!

He made new friends

... rode in a red box

and blue box (we pushed him around like in a wagon!)

He tried to kiss the baby in the mirror

and tried to eat sweet potatoes all by himself.

Here is his monthly portrait. (portrait set here)

Next up would be half birthday!

#430 Knitting updates

2010-01-01T14:01:00.016-06:00

Since the last knitting disaster, I decided to knit Neyan a Christmas vest and it turned out to be too big. So it was instantly turned into Valentines day vest- it might fit him well by then.

Raveler Chaitanya thinks i am being too optimistic that Neyan will need a vest in Feb in TX. BTW I met her - twice!! It has been super fun to meet a fellow raveler and discuss craft!

She made this lovely sweater -lil longhorns- for N which was designed by Rima.

My second try at the Christmas vest was this argyle vest. I regained my knitting mojo with this project! It fit perfectly. Pity he can wear it only for a couple of weeks.

After the Christmas vest, I cast on for this cute sweater for a new arrival. The cute summer top was intended for her! I think I like this better. It's got much more room for her to grow and is very light so can be used as a spring cardigan.

#429 Neyan's first Christmas

2009-12-28T15:13:00.010-06:00

Note: Drafted 28th Dec 2009; Published 1st Jan 2010

Neyan's first Christmas started with a trip to various neighborhood in the Austin area checking out lights.

He had fun at a party with T's team and got early presents - toys that are mostly frustrating for him, since they are not bite size.

We took him to the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar where he had fun looking at more bright decorations and bright art. We went with Rav friend Chaitanya!

He wore mommy hand made Christmas vest

Sucked on a piece of candy cane briefly (very briefly!)

wore adorable "first Christmas" PJs

and tried to pull decorations on the tree

He got more "first Christmas" gifts and enjoyed licking the labels more than playing with the toys.

Over all a very fun first Christmas!

#428 Neyan's month four summary

2009-12-14T21:36:00.010-06:00

Note: Drafted 12th Dec 2009; Published 1st Jan 2010

Neyan's fourth month started with a visit to the Zilker botanical garden(which he slept through) and a visit to meet Shivani.

We took advantage of the Thathas visiting and went to a lovely photo shoot.

We miss the Thathas now.

Neyan got a super early driving lesson with his toy.

and wore innovative tees from Bini

We set up a play area for him which he enjoys thoroughly on a daily basis.

He also enjoyed playing with the toys on the booster seat

We took him to story-time at the Round Rock public library- which is more of a playtime than story-time! He seemed to be super excited to see others almost his own age.

This is his month 4 portrait. (portrait set here)

Family portrait.

#427 Knitting updates

2009-12-08T19:56:00.005-06:00

Note: Drafted 8th Dec 2009; Published 1st Jan 2010

I started knitting a cute summer top with oh so lovely Lisa Souza Alpaca.. but it turned out to be too small and so

i redid it in acrylic and it was still too small!!! I was so frustrated and decided to give up on the pattern.. it is just not so stretchy...

Here's a close up of the pattern that made me want to knit the top.

This project was supposed to be my first project as part of the SAK's baby KAL.. me is rethinking my to-knit list now.

#426 Birds

2009-12-01T09:34:00.008-06:00

Note: Drafted 1st Dec 2009; Published 1st Jan 2010

Its been a couple of months since we moved to Round Rock TX and every time we go out I have been noticing birds.. birds that are so large in number - its creepy..
Sometimes its hard to tell the power cables apart from the birds perched so densely on it.

A close up of the above view

these birds were not so dense

another example...

Mornings are lovely tho- watching birds fly around.

#425 Neyan's month three summary

2009-11-13T17:49:00.006-06:00

Neyan's third month was jam packed. He met both grandpas and enjoyed new toys.

He dressed up as a cowboy bandit for Halloween.

Got baptized

wearing a handknit!! (for project details see Rav link here)

He met his Gavi chechi

and went to Sea World with her.

This is his month 3 portrait. (portrait set here)

Family portrait

and with the grandparents

We celebrated his 3rd month with made-from-scratch pumpkin cupcakes. (Recipe for cupcakes here and recipe for making pumpkin puree from scratch here)

#424 Sea World

2009-11-09T20:03:00.006-06:00

Note: Drafted 9th Nov 2009; Published 13th Nov 2009

We spent the weekend with Gavi, Girish and Swapna. On Sat, we drove to Sea World at San Antonio. Here is our guests enjoying a sweaterless November day :):)

After a quick meeting with the penguins, we headed to lunch (we had a really late start!).

While waiting for the sea lion show to start, we went along with Gavi on her first roller coaster ride - Shamu express. Gavi's first trip was really good. We howled and screamed, even though it was just maybe a max 10 feet off the ground.

The Sea lion show was really really really good. We were really impressed with how they had been trained to do the show. here is 2 of them taking a bow at the end.

On our way to see Shamu, we saw a pond full of various duckies and pale pink flamingos. It was fun to see them stand on one feet. They supposedly do that to conserve body heat and energy (from here).

Next was the killer whale - Shamu show. Here is Neyan, Gavi and T at the entrance.

I couldn't get a decent photo of them in action, so took videos of the same.

Neyan was just oblivious to his surroundings and graced us with smiles :)

Gavi got a pretty half butterfly painted on her face. She was amazingly patient and did not get tickled or giggle like the other kiddos there.

This is us with 3D glasses at the 4D pirate experience. Be warned that this is not for the weak of heart!

Overall a fun trip, though we wished we could have enjoyed more rides.

#423 Crafty updates

2009-10-31T16:01:00.013-05:00

Note: Drafted 31st Oct 2009; Published 13th Nov 2009

At our farewell party, Bryna gifted Neyan with a handknit blanket. I believe the pattern is - Big Bad Baby Blanket (rav link to project here) . Here is the in action shot of the blankie and Neyan.

Neyan also received this beautiful handmade quilt from our neighbor Ratna Ajji in Pune. We love the shades of blue and so does Neyan.

My knitting buddy at work showed me the owl patten on a sweater. She later adapted it to make adult mittens. Ever since I saw this pattern I so wanted to make it. Got a chance to finally make it for our friends in Pittsburgh who welcomed Yuvaan on June 29th. Rav link of project here.

I made matching mittens too. I used white thread instead of buttons - which can become a chocking hazard. This pattern was adapted from the adult version of the same. Rav link of project here. I hope Y enjoys it as much as I did making these for him.

Last but not least, even though its not really craft related: Neyan in his Halloween costume - cowboy bandit! Only thing store bought was the hat. Everything else, we had at home. I really intended to at least seam his handkerchief, but that dint happen. So it was just a piece of fabric left over from our bag project.

#422 Appa's super-fast sightseeing tour

2009-10-28T16:46:00.007-05:00

Note: Drafted 28th Oct 2009; Published 13th Nov 2009

T took his appa on a super-fast sightseeing tour last weekend. They covered highlights of NYC, DC and VA beach. Typical touristy photos, so instead I picked highlights of the trip - him meeting our friends and family:

With Sini and Sony

with Aunty and Uncle

With Andrew anna and Bernice akka

With Dhana and family

With Sindhu and Sundar

And just one exception - a photo of fall colors. I miss fall colors so much here in TX. Have been sending thank yous to anyone who posts fall color pics on social networking sites!

It was a fun and hectic trip. But I think Appa had fun meeting everyone the most.

P.S. All photos taken by T.

#421 The Appas are here

2009-10-21T22:26:00.007-05:00

Note: Drafted 21st Oct 2009; Published 11th Nov 2009

They are finally here! here is T's Appa meeting Neyan for the first time.

and here is Appa.

It was Neyan's first road trip - Austin to Houston and like his first flight, he did really well. This is him waiting at the airport.

We visited Sarita and her family and in all the hulla of meeting Neyan we forgot photos. Sarita thank you so much for hosting us. We had a wonderful time with all of you and wished we could spend more time with you.

#420 Neyan's month two summary

2009-10-15T16:08:00.007-05:00

Note: Drafted 15th Oct 2009; Published 11th Nov 2009

Neyan's second month was really eventful. He remained calm as we packed up all our belongings and moved to TX. He missed my wall of handbags and hence I cut out some animal figures out of sale papers for him, which he tried to grab

He absolutely loved the mobile and enjoys it ALL the time.

he learned to hold his bottle (I think it was by fluke cos he hasn't really done that again)

enjoyed his first flight on Southwest - he was really calm for the entirety of the flight

he started grabbing on to things and tried incessantly to put them into his mouth

he started noticing toys on his swing

took monthly portraits on the same day as the welcome reception in Church - which explains why we were dressed up.

family photo

and one just with me :)

It was hard leaving all friends and family in the DC metro area. I am :( Neyan will grow up without them, but we need to bend with the wind and move on.

#419 Updates from Round Rock TX

2009-10-01T13:45:00.012-05:00

Note: Drafted 15th Oct 2009; Published 11th Nov 2009

We have been here a week since we landed in Round Rock TX, and we miss all our friends and family. We had a fun farewell party before we left and want to thank all who made it. Neyan of course was the center of attention - here with Bini

Thanks to Sony and Abraham who helped us with packing the container with such high density. It is scheduled to arrive here anytime this week and then uphill task of unpacking.

Before we left, Susan took some awesome photos of Neyan and us. This is my fav one.

Neyan was visited by his paati and family

and also by others. Anne made these beautiful booties for him.

Neyan too made a couple of visits before we left- here he is with Varun and Pavi who took turns holding him.

#418 Crafty & Misc updates

2009-09-19T16:34:00.006-05:00

First crafty updates: I have been knitting, but progress has been extremely slow. Neyan and packing* takes precedence. I did however manage to hand sew this pennant. I roughly followed a pattern from moonstiches.

During the course of packing, inspired by the stash flash on the Rav South Asian group, I decided to document all stash and related stuff.. here is all my yarn... related stuff here (pics have notes. Move your mouse over the photo to see them).

Neyan got this beautiful hand crocheted hat from Anu, a new friend and fellow raveler.

Sue made me some beautiful handspun! I think I know exactly what to make with it!

Now for the Misc updates... Here's a ladybug I found on one of my plants.

and a last get-together with the gang! We will miss all of you! The fun, the laughter, the food and especially the taboo wars! {hugs}

* to moving ~1500 miles.

#417 Neyan's month one summary

2009-09-17T19:33:00.013-05:00

Neyan's spent most of his first month sleeping

sometimes during the day and kept up at night

he loved talking to the tortoise

and trying out outfits we sewed for him.. and of course smiling all the time!

He was named by T at a small ceremony with friends and family

and got to wear jewelery as part of the 28th day celebrations. (Traditionally, the expectant mother goes to her mother's home (maike) for the delivery. On the 28th day after the baby is born, the new father and family come to name the baby and bring gifts)

We took a family photo, but Neyan cried :(

But he had fun playing with T

on 11th Sept, he was one calender month old. Here is his one month portrait with Winnie the Pooh

and one as a family :)

#416 Welcome Neyan

2009-09-04T17:40:00.007-05:00

He's here!!
Neyan Nirmal Thinesh was born August 11th, 2009 at 8:51 pm. He came out screaming and yelling! This is my fav of the first few photos. Sabarni interpreted it well -

"Aaiyoo, now i have to start observe and learn and study and bawl.....so much work to do!"

He looks a lot like Gauri. Here is her pic taken a day after she was born! For side by side comparison here.

He spent the first few days sleeping a lot...

and listening to anyone who had something to say. Look at him listening to T intently!

and here with Grandma

He didn't cry at all on his first car ride and took a nap as soon as he reached home!

played a bit with T

and smiled a lot!!

and got grumpy soon after.

Our lives have changed and no words can express the joy he brings!
Welcome to this world Neyan!

Needless to say, posts will be sporadic
all for a good reason :)

#415 I'm back - part 3 - knitting and sewing related post

2009-08-07T21:05:00.007-05:00

OK, if you read part2, you know for sure why all craft related things on this post is baby related.

Lets start with kind knitters/crocheters who made woolly goodness for the impending arrival..

Rima made this baby kimono wrap. I love the blue color and the mismatched buttons.

My knitting buddy at work, Susan, already made B his first toy. For the shower, she made items themed on Beatrix Potter's series - a Jemima Puddleduck sweater (even the buttons are cute duckies!)

and a Peter Rabbit bib.

Amber had to disguise her project on ravelry as a lap blanket so that I wouldn't find out!. Me loves the colors!!

Thank you all. I really appreciate you welcoming baby with hand made love!

In other crafty related stuff:

T gave me a crafty gift for my birthday; a yarn bowl from Jennie the potter. Honestly, it is so pretty, I haven't felt an urge to put yarn it in yet. I have just been admiring it!!

I did complete Ronav's blankie just in time so that I could gift it to him in person! I did not enjoy the hand quilting process at all. I did try to quilt using the machine and was not happy those results either. My hand stitches were a bit wonky but nevertheless looks handmade :)

Amma and me made this cute outfit for B from Amy Butler's Little Stitches. I cut and Amma sewed!

Right now we are in the process of making a quilt.. here is our progress so far.

Amma knitted this diagonal blankie with a hood for B out of 100% cotton.

My stress reliever during quals was this cute sweater - little coffee bean sweater.

These were knit in a day! Cute pointy scratch mittens.

and a simple baby hat which took another day.

Phew!

#414 I'm back - part 2 - showers

2009-08-07T20:46:00.008-05:00

There are few who didn't figure out the hint I gave a couple of months back.. For them, I was due with our little one today, but so far no grand entrance... Anytime now...

Anyway, a couple of friends schemed (and really well I must say! - probably my pregnancy brain failed to detect what appeared to be coincidences!) for a surprise shower. And it was a blast. I am :( I don't have a group photo of everyone who was, but here is part of the group.

Here are the Cummins gals - Shuchi, me, Sabarni and Sarita!!! Oh the scheming they put me through...

Megan met Ronav and they had an interesting conversation.

There were fun games.. even got the guys and this was my fav of the day! T with a balloon as a pretend baby!

I must thank Princy and Sini for planning this shower!!! Awesome way to celebrate B's arrival!

Me also had one at work, which was a lot of fun.. and with yummy food... here's me trying to fill my plate up!

and here's part of the yummy food.

Thank you all who made these two days so very special for me!

#413 I'm back - part 1 - friends and family

2009-08-07T20:25:00.003-05:00

So here's me with my catching up posts. Multiple posts, cos we had a lot going on even though I was supposed to be studying for quals (which I cleared woohoo!).

We visited cousins in MD for a fabulous lunch. Here's Sarah, Ashely and Rohit on our walk around the geese pond in their neighborhood.

Megan was a bit overwhelmed to see T after a long break, and she stuck to him for a good 15 minutes!! We did head to Penang later that night, but no photos :(

Shivani was visiting us from Austin, and here she is with her cousins Varun and Pavi. Last time we saw her she was approx 3 months old! We loved Shivani's and Pavi's traditional dresses.

I met a few Cummins friends... (more of that later in part 2), here's Ronav, Shuchi's son with whom we spent a delightful weekend...in spite of quals being a couple days away! We were up till 4 am one night talking about college days.

Here's my fav picture of that weekend. Shuchi's son Ronav meeting Sabarni!

Here's the whole gang of us in the park just before saying goodbyes...

After written part of quals, Amma and me enjoyed the 4th of July parade at Fairfax City. We were not at a good angle to get nice photos, but we enjoyed the fanfare and celebrations nevertheless. Loved the giant balloons.

More recently, T's college buddy Bibin and wife Sarika visited us from NC. It was fun having them around and T had an awesome time catching up on old days...

Next... part 2

#412 Blogging break

2009-06-18T19:05:00.009-05:00

Me is occupied in preparing for impending quals. Will be back after Pi Approximation Day.

Till then enjoy this pic of cutie pie Megan taken about 2 weeks back.

#411 Weekend with family & friends

2009-06-03T19:57:00.018-05:00

Note: Drafted 5th June 2009; Published 7th June 2009

Last post I completely missed mentioning the visit by family on the long weekend- Dilip, Leena, Sandeep and Jaideep were here and I was enlightened on guitar hero and super mario games :) It was fun spending time with them.

This weekend was spent with close friends. On Sat, we celebrated knitting buddy, Amber's birthday. Here is Amber with the cake she requested - strawberry shortcake!

Here's more the the cake to drool over :) :)

On Sun, college buddy Sabarni visited from NC. I cannot express in words how awesome it is to catch up with an old friend. We talked non-stop and loved every minute of it. We were meeting after a gap of almost 4 years. Here's the 2 of us. Pathu, we missed you - only 2/3 of the butka club was fun but could be so much more right?

Sewing with Amma continues this week with the Amy Butler Birdie sling bag. This was a very educational project - we learned how to use interfacing and many different kinds of stitches. Actually, we knew most stitches, but didn't know their formal names! Here is the bag, and for an inside view of the pockets here.

and here is the closeup of the tortoise that was hand-sewn by me. Yes my hand sewing is really wonky! But it kinda gives a homey feel I think.

Still to do - add a giant yellow button as closure for the bag.

#410 Sewing Projects

2009-05-25T14:57:00.004-05:00

Note: Drafted 25th May 2009; Published 7th June 2009

Since Amma got here, I have been looking for projects to keep her busy. Sewing projects specifically. We started of with a simple project to get acquainted with the sewing machine. One birdie which is supposed to be part of a mobile. This is the result. We used some scrap fabric from freecycle.org and maybe the choice of fabric was wrong, it was way too flimsy and the birdie turned out to be smaller than intended. Also, we should have sewn eyes on before we sewed the birdie! Anyway, here is birdie on the ficus at home. Looks like he is at home right?

After a trip to JoAnn's fabric, where we found pretty pink pre-smocked fabric which was promptly turned into this summery dress. And it only took a day!!!

More sewing coming up... stay tuned.

#409 And the winner is....

2009-05-20T18:56:00.004-05:00

new reader ikkinlala. I will be emailing you shortly.

#408 Happy Birthday Rajnikant and Binita

2009-05-18T19:57:00.006-05:00

Note: Drafted 18th May 2009; Published 20th May 2009

Earlier this week, our fishy Rajnikant completed one year with us. It is really an achievement (that we kept him alive) considering how many fishy have died on our watch :( Rajnikant had an interesting first year which included a trip to Columbus,OH and Pittsburgh,PA. Thankfully we did not try to feed him cake as per Sini's suggestion. Live worms are probably more likely to be well received :)

This week we also celebrated Binita's birthday. It was a fun party catching up with old friends

In other news, Amma arrived earlier last week and she got this adorable "parkar-polka" for Megan. She looks like propah Marathi Mulghi :)

Me is looking forward to spending time with Amma this long weekend. Have a fun long weekend!

#407 Knitting Updates

2009-05-11T19:45:00.003-05:00

Note: Drafted 11th May 2009; Published 20th May 2009

The converse baby booties (I made only one) turned out to be too big for a new born..

so the pebble vest was cast on in a hurry! And it took only a couple of days to complete. Instant gratification!

here's a closeup of the buttons..

and the label. Very easy and quick knit. I was pleasantly surprised by how fast it knit up.

Upcoming new project is a long pending project- DNA scarf for blog buddy Sakshi. Me is loving the yarn - which is super soft Lana Grossa Royal Tweed.

#406 Brookside Gardens

2009-05-09T19:03:00.004-05:00

Note: Drafted 9th May 2009; Published 20th May 2009

As promised in my spring blossom series, here are the Azaleas. Sony, Sini, Megan and me visited the Brookside gardens and took in the awesome blooms. We were probably a couple of days late for peak bloom, but still found quiet a few bushes in full bloom. Of course we took tons of pics. Here are my favs. Obviously most of them are of Megan.

Here's a close up of her beautiful smile.

Here is she smelling some sweet scented flowers.

and with mommy on a butterfly bench :)

It did get a bit sunny and hot at times, and I let her borrow my hat. It matched her outfit perfectly.

We did see turtles, tiny ones about an inch and big ones too, gooslings and lotsa flowers. Here is a slide show. Hi-res slideshow here.

#405 Anniversary giveaway!

2009-05-07T19:00:00.019-05:00

As promised in my 400th post.. here is the contest! I have a giveaway. I had to pick something that covers multiple continents and very diverse reader base. I would have loved to offer yarn, but it would be useless to a non-knitter :( Unless I knit with it.. but knowing my speed, it would probably take forever. So chocolates it is. Rather a gift card for Godiva chocolates. If the winner of the giveaway doesn't have access to a store, I would be most happy to mail the box of chocolates! Just leave a comment with your email so that I can reach you. Winner will be chosen randomly and will be announced no later than May 20th.

Speaking of anniversaries, T and me celebrated our 4th this weekend.. even though it was of our registered wedding... we had a fun potluck with friends and yummy cake..

Megan of course was there and ate cake all by herself and enjoyed it..

no nice pics of the whole group :(

#404 Knitting updates

2009-04-30T20:13:00.007-05:00

Note: Drafted 30th Apr 2009; Published 7th May 2009

I finally finally finished my Onam socks. After almost a year they are all done!

here's close up of the gusset and foot...

and closeup of the cabled design on the leg. Rav link here.

The jungle blankie ignored for long was picked up again last week. Here is the close up of the right side of the alternating pattern.

and this is the wrong side which is also so pretty. I think pattern is perfect for this variegated yarn. I wish you could touch it!