life with the boys

2006-08-23T11:03:00.000-04:00

Hi

Still standing. knitting a little too. doing early morning traffic reports, dragging the boys to daycare - liam cries every day - so difficult - then working another half-day producing radio, dragging the boys home, to the park. dinner, bath bed. whew!!!! thank goodness i work a "normal" schedule as of next week: 8:30-4:30.

tomorrow on CBC Radio noon, a knitting phone-in hour!!!!!!!!!!!! You can listen through the internet or on the radio. here's the link. we'll also be launching a knit-along for a local charity. I'll post more details tomorrow.

The link: CBC Radio Montreal Just look for the link there that says "listen to radio one, 88.5."

2006-07-26T14:48:00.000-04:00

Here I am

I'm still unable to post from home. I hope to get a better computer soon! I feel so disconnected from the blogging universe. Of course I can read your blogs but it feels awful to not be able to write everything out.

Thanks to everyone who's sent emails of encouragment as i stumble through the process of separation. I tell you, it really is like a death in the family. Your kind words make all the difference - they lift my spirits and help me lift my chin up a bit higher too, knowing that i am able to be strong with so many good friends supporting me.

My kids are doing fine. Eamon is a little distant but that's to be expected. I'm sure he's wondering why his dad is not around very much.

Still no knitting. I received some super gorgeous merino, hand-dyed in Uraguay: my part of a group order from Montreal. It's soooo soft and beautiful. But i have not cast on a single stitch. I have not completed baby kimono #1 of 2 i have planned for my colleagues soon-to-be-born twin girls. And remember the World Cup Knitting project? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I didn't make it to the qualifying rounds. Sigh. (don't worry - I'm not beating myself up here. I just miss my knitting, you know?)

I will end on a positive note. I have two great kids who make inspire me. I have a family that would do anything to help me. I have friends who make me food, pick up my son from daycare everyday without hesitation, take me out for coffee, listen to me moan, let me cry etc etc. And being back at work is not so bad. What does the cheesy song say -I will survive. Hey-hey!

2006-07-14T09:14:00.000-04:00

Major problems

Where am i? - unable to post from my home computer!
My husband has left, taking the computer with him. My
life is a shambles and i have only a reject computer from
years ago that seems incompatible with Blogger.
i'm writing this from work to state the sad facts:
i'm alone with the kids
i'll be in mediation next week to work out terms of separation
i'm in shock
i haven't been able to knit
i'm back at work too

there's so much to say but i don't know how to express it or
where to begin.

2006-06-27T09:44:00.000-04:00

Back from beyond

It's amazing how much can happen in such a short amount of time. On the other side of the Atlantic, soccer teams are fixed on becoming World Cup Champions. Over here, I'm fixed on keeping my life together. As part of that project I packed up the two kids and headed down the highway to my sister's in Toronto. My boys got to play with their three cousins. They all laughed and had fun - birthday party for Abigail who's four now, trips to the park, fun in the front yard waiting for the ice cream truck. The stuff of everyday life with children. Right now this is particularly precious.

This is Liam playing with Patrick, his senior by 6 weeks. It was a full time job for one of us three adults to manage these two as they practiced climbing the stairs, climbing the furniture, climbing on the trikes, wagons and cars outside! Much fun.

After Toronto came North Bay and my Mom and Dad, otherwise know as Nana and Popa. Eamon liked going to the lake to feed sand and stones and sticks to the water.
I snuck away to the cottage BY MYSELF - yes that's right, no kids, no phone. Only a teeny tiny television for game 5 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. It was what I needed. I never thought time would carry a different weight when I became a parent. Two and a half days alone was luxurious and so very necessary. I had the time and the space to read, pray, cry, write and center myself.
Yes, I knit too. But not my world cup project, oh no. What was in my knitting bag?

Everything BUT the pattern. SO I cast on a baby kimono from Mason-Dixon Knitting and kept on knitting.
We need this time to ourselves so deperately as moms, especially moms of very young kids. WHy is it so hard to claim it for ourselves? And so hard to negotiate. I'll leave you with a few shots of the beauty of my family cottage. There's nowhere else I feel as at home as here in this simple place.

2006-06-17T09:34:00.000-04:00

On Vacation

I'm in Ontario and mostly away from a computer - a world cup of knitting/ life update to come soon...

2006-06-05T10:10:00.000-04:00

Knitting World Cup

I've signed up for the knitting world cup. My project will be the too cute halter top for baby girl from the spring Knitty. Why is this one a challenge? Because I've just learned to knit left-handed or continental and this will be my first real project i'll knit with this method. I think I'll also knit it in the round and avoid the purl as much as I can.

(an update - with pictures).
Since I can't cast on until kick off I made two swatches. I'm trying to decide between denim and oatmeal coloured cotton.

The fun came next when Eamon learned about blocking! We gave the swatches a bath in Eucalan. Then he rolled them in a towel to dry. Next step: put on your bicycle helmet, grab your paint brushes and magnefying glass and blocking board. Hunh?

Why do you need those, Eamon?
Because I'm a paleontologist.
And a knitter?
Right.

2006-05-23T09:23:00.000-04:00

Dulaan Project - Completed!

Three hats are packed up and ready to go out in the mail today! Soon they will be helping three kids in Mongolia stay warm. Before I send them off, a few photos, with Liam as model once again...

2006-05-18T09:03:00.000-04:00

No Photos today..... but inspiration

I was all ready to post with photos of the latest hat for the Dulaan Project - but it seems a certain person who may be my husband has left home with the USB cable. So I am sitting here with a camera filled with lovely shots but no way to transfer them. I'll have to add them tonight!
I was amused to discover that the colour for Project Spectrum this month is green. The most recent hat is green as is the third, presently on the needles. When I saw this I signed up for Project Spectrum - it seems I was already on board without realizing it.

Yesterday I saw something amazing and inspiring. I turned on Oprah for the first time in ages. It was the last part of the show and Oprah was introducing a performance by Sarah McLachlan. She has made a video with 15-dollars and donated the rest of the 150-thousand dollars it normally takes to make a video to help people around the world: paying children's school fees in Africa, buying widows' freedom in Afghanistan, schooling former child soldiers, the list goes on.
I was so moved by the video, by McLachlan's quietly strong performance and by what she had accomplished with one idea and a strong will.

There are so many needs out there in the world it's overwhelming sometimes. I wonder, what can I do, I'm so busy raising my kids, doing the everyday tasks we all do to keep our home and family functioning, working. It's important to be reminded how important it is to do what we can, even such small things as knitting hats and blankets for people who really need them, or giving what we can spare to the people on the frontlines of such organizations such as Medecins Sans Frontieres and ChildHaven and a host of others. Okay, enough. I'll stop now. Go watch the video and be inspired!

2006-05-14T18:20:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!!!!!!!

To all the mothers, sisters, knitters, especially to my very own mother -- the best in the world. Really.

2006-05-08T10:17:00.000-04:00

Dulaan Project
I have just finished my first hat for the Dulaan Project. In my tour of several knitting blogs the other dayI found my way to Mossy Cottage Knits and read about Ryan's goal to receive knit contributions to the Dulaan project from knitters in every American state and Canadian territory and province. I'm happy to put Quebec on the map and I'm sure I won't be the only one. I've also sent out a few emails to knitters in Yukon and North West Territories. I'll have to search a little more for Nunavut but I know you Northern knitters are out there and are just waiting for the opportunity to knit something warm and lovely for children in Mongolia. Make sure to visit the Mossy cottage site for photos of the kids in their sweaters, hats and scarves!

Here's the hat I knit up this week, modeled by my two boys.

I doubled super soft single-ply Merino to make it extra warm. It also made it extra fast to knit on larger needles. I just have to block it then cast on the next Dulaan hat!

If you decide to join the Dulaan Project please let me know.

2006-05-03T12:00:00.000-04:00

The dream is over for another year. My beloved Montreal Canadiens lost a heartbreaker in overtime after dominating the match. There's nothing left to do but start going to the gym again in the evenings and pay more attention to my fingers as I knit. I was too nervous during the game to knit a single stitch - not one! Sigh. What am I supposed to do now? Cheer for Calgary? Edmonton? Ottawa?

2006-05-02T14:44:00.000-04:00

Okay, I'm getting really nervous. It's four-hours to game time. Game 6. We must win. Come on knitters of the world, think of the glorious Montreal Canadiens while you are creating beautiful things. Maybe knit with red white or blue yarn tonight to give the Habs strength, courage and determination. Go Habs Go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-04-27T11:17:00.000-04:00

Voila! The first entry on my knitting blog! Here are the completed projects: all gifts.

Why is that a buttonhole bag a la Mason Dixon Knitting? Yes it is! Plus two hats and my first ever pair of mittens. The photo includes a scarf that I sewed up for my nephew.

I am trying to decide what to knit next. It may be TUBEY
or it could be Eunny's beautiful Print of the Wave stole (check out the free pattern here).
I can't decide. I've never attempted anything that calls for cobweb weight yarn before so the stole both intrigues me and frightens me. What do you think?