My kid is making her own books! How cool is that!!! She is kind of prolific and intense when she gets into something so she'll get in a mood and them pump one or two illustrated, mini-chapter books out at a time. She tells me how she wants the sentences broken up on the page so that there is enough room for pictures.

I am hoping this dedication to her craft continues in whatever field she chooses so that she will be happy AND successful. Not easy for us crafters.

Of course there is the small problem that having a Chinese, sales guy dad, she picks up on certain cues and attempts to hard sell much of her artwork to anyone in the vicinity: library staff, parents, cousins, uncles, family friends, school friends, you name it. She and her friend actually got in trouble at school for atttempting to sell their crafts. Now, I find something wrong with the school pushing fundraisers and SELLING stuff, but frowning on other types of junior economics that have more meaning to the kids involved. I mean, I understand the thinking, but it still doesn't feel right.

Also, a completed puppy for my hubby. He is an amigurumi fan and actually wants one of everything I make. Where he will put them is beyond me.
Pattern: Little Puppy and His Mommy by anapaulaoli.com
Yarn: Red Heart
Hook: F

Taking a break from endless rows of tiny, black sock ribbing on size 1 needles, I knit this:
Yes, it's a pie. Needed something completely frivolous.
Pattern: Dad's Blueberry Pie by Jennifer Tallapaneni
Yarn: Red Heart
Needles: size 6
I was supposed to use size 8 needles on the top crust but missed that part when I was going over the directions. I've been wanting to make this thing forever, but couldn't find the occasion. Then my kids were driving me crazy yesterday so I decided to finish it up instead of yell any more at thems.

This thing was so fun, I wanna make all kinds of colors now!

Soldier Socks!
I recently started knitting big black soldier socks for socks for soldiers. The organization run by Kim Opperman sends handknit socks to soldiers oversees. Button on my sidebar. She wants mostly black socks the soldiers can wear under their boots, but colored leisure socks are accepted as well. So this is my third pair of BBS (big blac socks). First time with Knit Picks Essential and Swish for the thicker foot.

Yesterday my kid actually sat in a box and sang her heart out. I have video. It was so cute. Very few video of the second kiddo, mostly of first. Taking her to nap now. Hopefully. Then to pick up older one from school. It's raining so i can't kick the kids outside and tell them "go play!" Since the bigger one is into art, watching less tv, thankfully. Little one, however, started asking for the boob tube more often, what with the rain.

BATTERY!
I have been having trouble with my digital camera's battery pack. It keeps acting like a baby and needing recharging after every few pictures. I think I need to replace the charger or the battery itself, maybe both. So, every time I want to take a picture I have to pop that sucker into the recharger. Gets kind of distracting to posting after a while.

Just finished one side of socks for my Dad. It is in this beautiful Regia brown multistripe...with these horrid red strip parts - the heel and toe. By itself, this red color is okay, but combined with earthy browns, it just doesn't work. The reason I've added this bizarre color element is at the request of my nearly blind mother who claimed she wouldn't be able to locate brown socks against the brown wood floor in order to wash them. To which I told her just tell him if he wants the socks washed to put them in the dirty laundry area. Sounds simple, no? But you know men...So it's got red. In. It. The pattern is absolutely beautiful, particularly for a man's sock.

In other news, sent my friend in D.C. this crocheted turtle bookmark. There seems to be something wrong with the pattern because it is not symmetrical. Bought pattern also from Crochetroo. Cannot find on etsy still, to ask about that. I love the use of beads in crochet.

Also, trying to teach my 5 year old to crochet. She kinda learned to knit one day when I thought she was watching too much tv, but hasn't practiced much in the past few months. Instead of her learning to crochet, she decided to become the jewelry designer and I became...the poorly paid labor! So she created the beading order and I dutifully crocheted these large pony beads on to this cotton and rayon twisted yarn we bought at WalMart. We discussed costs, pricing, and profit margins, as my hubby encourages her to start her own business and work for herself so she can control her time. Aside from the slave labor part, it was kind of fun.

Kid Lei
Time to complete: 2.5 hrs.?
Yarn: flowers in Lily Sugar 'n Cream, swimming pool (used more than half the ball)
centers in Lion Brand Micro Spun french, vanilla
Pattern: Pansy (Paneki) from Fancy Hawaiian Lei in Crochet by Roberta E. Wong
Hook: G
This is my new favorite kid project. Kids play dress-up all the time. And with the time invested in one of these yarn leis, the color does not have to match the actual flower, and recipient will wear it more than on that one special occasion. Plus, it is completely washable , gently, like other yarn confections, and very one of a kind. If you have not checked out the yarn lei pattern books out there, you are really missing out. They are AMAZING. Beautiful, easy, and long-lasting. My friends use their leis as decorative items, but the kids actually WEAR them. So I have not regretted gifting any to a child. By child, I mean at least 4 years old, with some amount of common sense. Shorter length is better for a kid, less likely to catch on something and choke. Of course, remove lei when involved in active play with anything that can catch on something around the neck. Or you can just leave the lei untied so it is more like a scarf.