Saturday, Davey got to spend most of the day with his friend Olivia.  She and her family met David and Davey at the indoor waterpark.  They played there, played at the indoor playground, and then they came to our house.

At some point, Davey was overheard yelling, “Hey, leave my girlfriend alone!”

oh man.

They play so well together.

And today I knitted an apple. It’s cute.

I really like how it turned out.  I don’t really want to knit any more though.  If I knit something once, I usually don’t want to knit it twice.  Especially something that is kinda fiddly like the apple.  It was easy to do, but a little fiddly.

Davey and I played outside today some.  I got him a inflatable pool.  David and I aired it up.  We put water in it.  Davey was more interested in the hose.  The water in the pool was too cold.  The pool may be a flop, but we’ll try again tomorrow.   So I worked on my apple, and he sat by me and worked on a lollipop.  He even let me take a few pictures.

He was having fun (lonely pool can be seen in the background).

I’ve been knitting quite abit.

Girasole is kind of a big project and is going slowly.

I tried to take another picture of my Girasole Blob.  But a blob in any photographic setting remains a blob.

In about 15 rounds, I will be increasing from 320 stitches to 640.  I might be able to get a better picture then.  I can’t quite imagine a 640 stitch round.  I’ll be knitting about 2 rounds a day!

I also started a really fun project called “The Beekeeper’s Quilt” (Thanks to my friend Natalie for telling me about it!) . Here is a link to the designer’s blog – Beekeeper’s Quilt.  She has a fun video there where she talks about knitting this quilt.  It is made out of about 400 of these:

That’s my first one.  My only one.  I made it yesterday, and it went quickly.  As I practice I’ll get better at it.  This one is not quite perfect.  Stephanie, the designer, suggests carrying a little bag in your purse where ever you go.  You just need the yarn, needles, crochet hook, scissors and a little polyfill.  She suggests it be your “knit on the go” project.  That way you just knit a hexipuff here and there and they’ll start to stack up in your hexipuff basket.  She actually suggests making them for a year.  So that would be about 1 a day.  That’s manageable!

I love looking at the completed quilt on her webpage.

So that’s knitting.

Davey is running around eating goldfish and playing.  He likes to play in our bedroom.  He suggested just going ahead and making it his the other day.  “Mommy!  I will have more room.”

Koko thought it was a pretty good idea too I guess.

Davey also likes playing “Cootle” as he calls it.  He even pretty much wants to follow the rules.

Today he wants us to go get “Don’t Break the Ice”.  That should be fun!

I found the cutest little keychain the other day.  It’s a miniature sock blocker.  You knit a sock to go on it.  I can’t wait to do this.

Just the coolest!

I’m also moving along on my Girasole blanket.  It’s growing.  I am going to post a picture, but it’s just going to look like a Girasole blob.  However, it’s progress.

So that’s a little knitting.  Lately, I’ve been taping old Frasier episodes and  watching them while I knit.  One of my favorite shows.  I also found all of the Andy Griffith episodes on netflix instant viewing – that’s my very favorite!

Davey and I went back to the Berry Patch farm today.  We picked black raspberries and red currants.  I forgot to take a picture of the red currants before I started turning them into jelly.

Berry picking always seems like such a sweet frolic.   I never fail to romanticize the whole process.  In my mind, the berries jump into my basket.   I am now making a point to remind myself for once and for all.  This is not true.  Today there were mosquitoes  (We sprayed but they were around).  The raspberry bushes were very thorny.  The black ripe raspberries were hiding in the center of the bushes.  My arms can tell the tale of my struggle to get to them.  The Berry Patch website had recommended wearing long sleeves.  It wasn’t that hot, but I really didn’t feel like long sleeves. I should have worn them.  Next time I will (next time?!?).

Davey was ready to go pretty much after I picked the first few black raspberries.  He got over the romance very quickly.  I managed to pick a few pints though.

I didn’t pick a ton.  I needed David there picking with me.

We picked about 2 pints of red currants as well.  Those little boogers are not easy picking.

I picked enough to make three little 1/2 pints of jelly.  It’s tasty though and has me wanting to head back for more.

I just can’t stay away.  Soon we can return for strawberries.

We’ve had these big rumbling rumbling thunderstorms the last few nights.  They’ve been great (except for the flash flooding part in parts of town).  The noise has been amazing.  I love a good thunderstorm.

The other afternoon we went to the playground although a storm was brewing.  We ended up having plenty of time though before it came through.

Davey wanted his goldfish snack right when we got there.  I don’t know what possesses him to put as many goldfish in his mouth as possible.  It may be inherited trait.  He is closely related to someone who does the same thing with popcorn.  I’m not naming any names.

He was bouncing around playing here.  I’m not sure what exactly he was doing, but I liked the shot.

He was telling me yesterday about who is “in his heart”.

“Mommy, you and Daddy are in my heart”.

“Ashley (our 5 year old neighbor) – she faded into my heart.”  (I love the words he chooses).

Then I guess we were getting too gooshy so he got silly with it.  “Mommy!  Trees and bushes are in my heart!”

I haven’t blogged much about knitting lately.  I have been knitting, although not as much as I’d like to.  I am not finishing much though.  I am jumping around from project to project.  I did finish another hat, which I need to mail to a friend.

I’m also working on something that I think is really very cool.  I am test knitting a few projects for an upcoming knitting book that a friend of mine is co-authoring.   This is really neat.  Yarn magically appears at my doorstep, and then I just start knitting it up.  I’ll look forward to sharing pictures of these projects once the book is out!

And a final photo of Davey.  I’ve gone with mostly goofy photos of Davey today, but I like his expression in this one.

Today Davey was Spiderman.  Or actually more specifically it went like this:

I said to Davey, “good job Davey!” (I can’t remember what we were doing at the moment.  I think it had to do with making it to the potty in time.)

Davey looked at me and said, “It’s Peter Parker, Mommy.”

He wanted to wear his Spiderman costume to tumbling.

I guess here he was explaining why.

Notice how short the costume is.  He wore this last Halloween.  I guess he’s grown a few inches since then.

Spidey in the shadows – with a grin. I am thinking the costume is so small that his arm mobility must have been limited.

He did wear this to tumblin’, but he agreed to take it off once he got there.  I think he would burst out of the seams running around in it too much  (He’d like that actually – it’d be very Hulk-like).

And I finished a project today.  It’s blocking.  I like taking blocking pictures.  I kind of amuse myself with them.  Everyone else might be more annoyed by the varying heights of the pins.

I’ve knitted this pattern before not too long ago.  It’s the Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief.  It’s a great project to carry along with me where ever I go.  I can pick it up easily and knit a row or 1/2.

It’s nice to finish something up!

I have been going great on my Girasole.  Until…

Ugh.

I was starting Chart C.  I had 260 stitches on my needles.  Oh no – nope… I had 263.  I had a feeling that the mistake happened two rounds back or about 750 stitches back. I am not too good at ripping out in the round.  I lose my place.  I’ve been thinking about how I can avoid that.  Thinking a simple safety pin maybe to mark a spot.

My other option of tinking back 750 stitches did not appeal to me either. So since it didn’t take me that long to get this point – I just ripped it all out.  I’ve already made some headway again.  I think I am going to have to have my cone of silence again.  At least for awhile.

I was a little disgusted so I put the girasole away and knitted this dishcloth.  I saw the pattern and was curious to see how the wedges would all come together.  It was really fun and a fast knit too!

And finally,  Davey is starting karate at the Little Gym this fall, and he is very excited.  Very.  “Mommy, I already know a lot about karate”, he tells me.

Then he demonstrates.

There’s a lot of “Hi Ya!!!” action too.

And lots of spinning around and crazy kicking.

That picture was kinda blurry – boy in action!

Yesterday I learned to do a circular cast on –  The Emily Ocker Cast on to be more specific.  It involved a crochet hook.  I figured it out by watching a couple of videos and then referring to the photos from the link above.   Apparently I needed several types of demonstrations in order to learn this.  It was tricky at first, and then when I got it – I got it!  I love that feeling, and after that, it was easy as pie.  I am starting a circular shawl.  Girasole by Jared Flood to be specific.  So far so fun!

Let’s see what else.  Davey continues to remind us at least once daily that “Davey is a little boy name, and when he gets big he wants to be called ‘Thor'”.  I suggested David.  Nope.

Today we were walking on a sidewalk toward a building, and Davey said, “I smell elephants”.  Apparently, someone had just put some fertilizer down.

I don’t know why he continues to ask me superhero questions.  I either get it wrong, or I get it wrong.  And the rest of the time, I just don’t know.  And even when I do know, I still get it wrong.  “Mommy.  Can Captain America fly?”  I say yes.  “No Mommy!”

“Is Boomerang a good guy?” 50 -50 shot here for me.  “Yes”, I say.  “No Mommy!”  (And I am not sure as I write this which he is.  I am no good on 50 50 odds, and I tend to forget quickly.)

It doesn’t matter if Davey already knows the answer.  He still wants to ask the question.  So I try to answer incorrectly to play with him.  I still manage to mess that up half the time.

It’s all very confusing.

I am working on the superheroes and supervillains working together.  I encourage them to hug and stuff.  I also encouraged Davey to learn all their super abilities and such so that later when he gets older, then they can do battle.  That works a little.  The bad guys are not bad.  They are just silly!  At least, I keep trying to tell him that.  He still wants to make them battle, although I think they all went camping today.  Apparently, Dr Doom was nice when he went camping.

So that’s our lives of superheroes and more superheroes.

David got a Roger Federer hat today.  A friend  brought it back from Switzerland.  It may be one of David’s favorite things he has ever received in his entire life.  He was very excited.  I need to take a picture of it perched on his head.

The other night I made this: Cindy’s Jambalaya.  I have made it several times.  I highly recommend it.  I used turkey smoked sausage, and I thought it worked great.

Tonight we are making homemade pizza.  Davey is getting ready to help me.  Better get to it!

I blocked my Wendy Johnson Mystery Shawlette this morning.   Yesterday I’d bought blocking wires, and what a world of difference that made.  It was so much easier than when I attempted to block my Seaside Shawlette with pins only.

I also had my blocking squares which made it that much easier.

Davey helped me of course.  He was measuring things with the yardstick.  Then Hulk got involved as well.

Then Davey and Hulk had a pillow fight.

Then Davey decided to play some Elefun.

Now the shawl is drying.  It was a wonderful pattern.  I did not have to have a cone of silence around me.  I could even watch some tv while I was knitting it.

I love lace.  I can’t wait to knit more.  I need to get back to my Joy of Sox and I will, but I am kind of hooked on lace.

I never thought I would say that!

So now I am about done writing.  Davey and I are singing “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash.  He loves that song.

I am having a good time with the Wendy Johnson knit-a-long.  I had a brief period of panic when I realized that I didn’t have enough yarn, and that the color had been discontinued, but I found it online and a skein arrived today.  Yay.

Photos don’t do clumped up unblocked lace much justice, but here is where I am.

It’s getting warm in Colorado too!  Davey and I spent some time outside this afternoon.  He got out the bowls and water.

The dark shadow to his left in this picture is the Koko Puff.  She was curious to see what he was doing.   (she’s also learned that where he is, there are also usually crumbs nearby.  Crumbs or some type of delicious morsels which she will attempt to pilfer.)

Davey was performing an experiment,  and apparently it was serious business. (I also seriously need to sweep the porch.  The wind howled last night and the yard was a mess this morning!)

I tried to coax a smile out of him.

He tried to resist.

But he just couldn’t do it.