Nesting

Something amazing happens to me when I get pregnant. It's more fun than getting the line running from my belly button and even better than the little kicks...I get more 'good shivers'. You know, the kind that you get when people play with your hair and you are really relaxed. About four months into pregnant I start getting them for every small act of kindness...a thank you note, a smile in the hall, a toddler's little hand on my knee, etc. It's wonderful. And, I have to say that every time I get a box in the mail from Beth I get the good shivers before I even open it. But, truly, this takes the cake. A hand-knit 'nest' of four blue spring eggs in a beautiful brown nest alongside an amazing handmade card. It literally caused me to stop in my tracks and just enjoy the shiver. It feels like a true long-distance embrace of everything ahead for both me and my family. Thank you. And, it should be said that almost immediately all four eggs were stuffed into Cal's fire truck and then promptly returned to the nest. Guess the little guy wanted to give them a warm welcome, too.

Knitting: Week 2

I'm casting on! I did a knit! I did a purl! Wahoo! I feel like a cheerleader for my own knitting team. A core group of us at work held a second knitting lunch at work and this is my progress. I did change my needles to size 13 and got chunky yarn to match. It helps to be able to see what I'm doing. I'm mindful as I learn to knit that, at my age, it's so rare to learn something completely new. It gives such insight into the hurdles (and sense of satisfaction) that my toddler son encounters everyday as he learns new things. How frustrating it is to not be able to do something and then how glorious it feels to figure it out all by yourself. Except, nearly everything he encounters requires a new skill. No wonder toddlers need so much immediate attention and vascillate between "Do it for me!" and "I can do it myself!". I found my own self vying for the attention of my knitting coworker as I was trying to learn but as soon as I figured something out I just wanted to sink into my own world as I did it again and again. Until I hit a snag...then I wanted her to immediately help me. Hmmm, it was all just a little too familiar.

Beginning Knitting

My coworker let it slip that she is a knitter and I quickly organized a "Knitting Lunch" with other women interested in learning. So, today I pulled out dusty, well-intentioned needles and yarn from my packed up crafty station and actually put them to a bit of work. Below is the instructor with one of her students. (Can you tell who is who? Ha!) She even knit the sweater she is wearing.Truth be told, quite a few of us found it really hard. My original goal was to learn how to knit and purl. By the end of our lunch hour I would have been extremely happy just to get the guys on the left side to move to the right side...damn those guys. Below is a crocheter who found it less difficult.

And, here is my official progress. Harumph! I did learn, however, that I definitely need bigger needles and chunkier yarn to start with. I just went with a pretty yarn and the size needle it told me to get. Silly amateur. You knitters really make it look far too easy.