What a blah day turned into a yoga review

Not much to report on the knitting front. I did get some pics uploaded of my yarn over cable socks so will get them on here.

I've not been doing a lot of knitting lately because in my hands free, sit down time I've been learning about yoga. I've wanted to do yoga for years but never made the time. Now that I have 3 children I have even less time for me and I've also been gaining weight since birth of my last child (Nov 07). To combat both issues I decided to do something about it. I tried walking last summer but my hip has been bad since Lu was born and would pop out almost immediately and the pain would last for weeks. I wouldn't be able to bend over or pick Lucy help and with a toddler both things are necessary. When I found out there was a yoga class at the local Y I started looking more into it and wouldn't ya know they have free babysitting! I talked it over with my MIL2 and we decided we would do yoga together.

That was in October. I now have my SIL come over on Tues and Thurs evenings to watch the munchkins while MIL2 and I bend ourselves into pretzels. Or attempt to. I noticed after a dozen classes or so that my hip wasn't bothering me as much. At the beginning of January, which is when my SIL started coming over, I decided to get to the Y early and see if I could walk the track before class. I can! The yoga had already paid off enough that it had strengthened my hip/pelvic enough to walk briskly for 20 or 30 minutes.

It's almost February and I've taken maybe 20 classes so far. I weighed myself a couple of days ago and I've lost the ten lbs I'd put on during 2008. WOOHOO! I didn't realize I had mainly because my clothes still fit the same. So, I'm thinking the weight loss is mainly in my boobs. :) They're breastfeeding mama boobs but the babe is now a toddler and eating solids 3x's a day so they've deflated back down to normal. I'm really excited, nonetheless.

I'm attempting to practice at home. I did manage to get up before the kids a couple of times but I then loaned my new dvd, Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga, to my instructor. I was hoping I'd get it back fairly quickly. She hasn't had a chance to watch it so I ordered for MIL2 and I "Yoga for Inflexible People". I received it and I did listen to a bit of it but the Lu hasn't really let me attempt to practice.

Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga review: I love it! As menus to customize your workout and routine. Has warm up, beginners, intermediate and HARD! I've done the beginners and intermediate. I enjoyed it immensely. I worked up a nice sweat. I felt invigorated afterwards and ready to take on the day. The participants are from the show, Biggest Loser, therefore not some buff, intimidatingly sexy muscleheads but normal people!

Yoga for Inflexible People review: Even though I haven't had much chance to do anything with it I did watch a few of the poses. There is a customizable menu on this one too. This is a very step by step, detailed instructional video for getting the poses correct. It also focuses on using props to attain the proper alignment. It's definitely Hatha and Iyengar style yoga. Great to really learn the proper way to move into, maintain and move out of postures.

I bought the Biggest Loser at Kmart for ten bucks and Inflexible People at Amazon for about 12$ shipped.

I am seriously considering buying Wii Fit but am not sure I'd get to do it very often. As soon as my yoga mat comes out so do the munchkins. They fight over it like crazy.

Ah well I see MIL2 walking up my yard. Time to go.

Lead testing law delayed

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09115.html

I haven't been on here much. Been learning yoga or actually knitting instead. :)

Knitting needle pierced woman's heart

OUCH!
And I thought I was in trouble when I poked a hole in the new couch last night!
http://tinyurl.com/bfd728

Ready to do the heels!

OMGOSH the time has finally arrived! My sock is now up to my ankle and it's time to start the heel. I hope it turns out right. Lucy's in the high chair eating her egg so wish me luck!

Toxic Toys! : Mama is…

Toxic Toys! : Mama is…

Knitting fears

What are you afraid of? Is there a project you've been wanting to tackle but afraid to try? A new technique?

I would love to make something with a fancy design. Some lacy knee high socks or shawl. I am afraid to try for a couple of reasons. I don't get enough quiet time to concentrate on a "real" pattern. My yarn over socks are about as fancy as I've ever gotten. I have it memorized and it's simple. But a pattern that requires me to follow it to a T and I have to have a piece of paper to look at, well, with 3 little ones who write on and rip up everything it's difficult to do. Not to mention how many times in a day I get up to do something. No sooner than I get into a project someone needs a drink or their butt wiped. Now, if the buttwipee is the 4 y/o and the 7 y/o is home for a buck she'll do it for me. :)So, my fear is complicated patterns. I know my day will come when the youngest will start school so for now I'm happy to make hats, socks, etc. But I do look forward to doing a real grown up project.

My other fear is I'll buy semi expensive yarn to make a semi complicated object and screw it up. Like I have two projects I really should frog (fisherman's socks are one of the projects) but I've put so many hours into it that the thought of frogging it is actually quite upsetting!

FYI, comments are moderated so may take awhile to appear.

CPSIA compliant toy etsy listing plus info

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19984444 CPSIA compliant toy funny! Plus serious info about the new law.
More listings.


http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_2&listing_id=19884927

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_7&listing_id=19968866

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_14&listing_id=18072150

In Etsy's Forums:
http://www.etsy.com/forums_board.php?forum_id=5000002

In Etsy's Storque (search 'CPSIA' for more articles):
http://www.etsy.com/storque/craftivism/handmade-childrens-items-unintended-consequences-consumer-pr-3056/

... and to read the insanity straight from the horse's mouth, the CPSIA website:
http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/cpsia.HTML

do you know what I've been doing?

Tending to a croupy son all weekend.
Working on both pairs of socks.
Watching the inauguration.
Checking out a bunch of new blogs through this blog. Be sure to check it out as there are a bunch of beautiful "Bird Of Change" giveaways.
Enjoying my new couch.
Laughing because the store tried to deliver another new couch today.
bumming because my sitter is sick and I will probably skip yoga (bad for my mental health) and grocery shopping (bad for the tummies in the house).

Bonus: Guess what my son was doing when his bus pulled up this morning?

Ah snow days

We are on our 3rd snow day in a row. And they have Monday off, too. I hope, when I'm a grandma and if I'm not working outside the home and am healthy enough, that I remember these snow days (holiday vacations) and remember how stir crazy not only I got, but the kids. Thankfully, my FIL lives next door and he came over Wednesday afternoon. He took the older two outside to make snowangels and forts. Then he visited for awhile and had snacks with the kids and I. It was great. It really broke up the monotony of the day and lifted everyone's spirits to have someone other than each other to stare at. Thursday the older two got to go next door for a couple of hours after MIL was home from work. However, it wasn't pleasant for her because they were stir crazy and fighting. Today hasn't been too bad. I've gotten some knitting done (there made it knitting related) because they've been playing fairly well in the other part of the house. Rather, they WERE until my oldest ran out of the room with a blanket over her head and ran smack dab into the corner of the wall. She has very pretty goose egg on her fore head now. She's in a not so great mood since that happened.

So, when my kids have kids I hope I remember these days and think to go visit and even take a kid or two home with me. Even if it's just for a couple of hours. It's such a small thing with huge returns. Reason #489 that I'm thankful to live next door to inlaws: snow days are long and boring.

Delurk Day

Ok, so I'm a few days late but I just found out about it on majorknitter.typepad.com. So, delurk and leave me a comment! This means you 3 family members that think I don't know you are lurking. ;)

knitmap, twitter and facebook

Did you know this awesome online map and reviews of LYS's existed? Check it out and add your lys. http://www.knitmap.com/

Do you twitter or are you on facebook? LMK in the comments and I'll add you. Just an fyi I hate facebook but I get tons of hits from there. Awesome way to expand your reader base.

100-purewool coop going on

LMK if you wanna know where to get in on it!

Yarn and needles review

Just a little review from me about Lorna's Laces sock yarn, some bamboo/wool dh bought me a year ago, knitpicks vs hiyahiya needles.

Lorna's Laces. LOVE it! Made from wool and nylon the yarn is soft and slides easily but not too easily through my fingers. No splitting or rough feel to it. Very gentle on my eczema fingers. No irritation. I must buy more!

Dh bought me way too expensive yarn last year from a LYS. It's 75% bamboo, 25% wool. I can't recall now if it's superwash. Oops. Oh well. I'm loving the colors but I hate knitting it. It is super thin (I know, it IS sock yarn) and is rough on my sore fingers. I'm knitting 4 rows then switch to my yarn over cable socks.

I found out the hard way that my size 1 hiya hiya's are smaller than my size 1 knitpicks. I cast on my first sock for yarn over cable socks, got the toe and one pattern set done. Decided to use the hiya hiya to start the second sock and then slipped it over to the knitpicks. The toe is obviously smaller. Oops. At least they are for me. Also, the hiya hiya's feel lightweight flimsy. The knitpicks are lightweight but sturdy. I am doing another pair of socks on the hiyahiya's 2 @ a time, magic loop and I'm not liking it. The cable doesn't seem flexible enough.

So, my picks are Lorna's Laces and knitpicks needles. Which, as luck would have it are the two I'm using on my yarn over cable socks.

I have some

Latest project pictures

Livie's yoga socks made from Berroco Sox "Lancaster". I hate the colorway and the feel. She's thrilled to have them. Everybody's happy!

Levi's one lonely "yoda" sock. Made out of some cheap acrylic. I have tons of cheap acrylic.

100purewool in "babies". I made my yoga socks out of this and love it. Of course, no picture of FO.

And beautiful Lorna's Laces, "child's play". I'm making my yarn over cable socks in this. I'm about halfway up both feet. I'm flying right along amazingly enough!

projects current and in the future

I stayed up way too late getting my pretty pair of socks started. Oh yeah I lied about my next project, didn't I? I still plan on doing the entrelac shawl but I need to figure out what yarn to use. I also have some birthdays in the next few months I need to knit for.

For Levi's 5th birthday (swoon five years) I am making him a spider man blanket. I finally just ordered cheap, washable acrylic through Joann.com. It has arrived. He knows it's spiderman yarn and for him. Hopefully I can keep the actual project a secret. Hopefully I'll get it done before April 16th!

I made me another pair of yoga socks. I didn't like the colorway or fit of the first pair so I gave them to my oldest. Then I knit 1/2 of a pair of yoga socks for Levi. He wants everything I make. So he's been running around in one blue yoga sock for a couple of days now. I cast on my second pair immediately following my yoga class on Tuesday. I knit like the wind to get them done for Thursday's class. I cast off as the babysitter arrived at 3:15. I leave at 3:30. I wore them and they were a hit. I made them in100purewool (of course) worsted in the colorway "babies". I'm running low on PW so my options were limited.

Also, a couple of nights ago, dh held Lucy and rocked her to sleep so I could cast on for Yarn Over Cable Socks from Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. I am using Lorna's Laces in "child's play". It's pastel-y and rainbow-y. Now, normally I hate pastel's. I won't wear them. But socks? They are different matter!

The book gives two options for toes. Oh yes, these are toe up and I will be doing them two at a time for better match when they are done. I cannot knit two items separately and get the same tension. So I have to knit both at the same time. So, I chose the short row toe. I hate wrapped short rows. You'd think I'd remember this. But no. I punish myself. It takes alot of focus and concentration, which on a good night, I don't have. So it took me 3 nights to do the first sock's toe. Last night I managed to finish the toe and do one pattern set on the first sock. Then I tried to go to bed. I tossed and turned. That second sock was calling to me "Cast me on!" So, I tiptoed back out to the living room and to the sound of nothing I cast on and did a couple of rows of the toe. Pure bliss. Oh yes, it also uses the provisional cast on which is pretty cool. Fortunately for my sleep deprived brain the baby started crying so I was forced back to bed where I finally slept (here and there, anyway) til 5:30.

Life has gotten in the way...

I think it's the oldest, most often voiced (blogged?) complaint of knitters. Life gets in the way of knitting time!

School has started back up and you would think that having 4.5 hours of just me and the baby at home would give me plenty of knitting time. Alas, it does not. Our morning starts about 6:15. The baby usually wakes up just a few minutes after I sneak out of bed so I only get a few minutes to pee and wake up in semi solitude. My husband heads out the door a few minutes after I awake. Then I wake the oldest up at 6:30 and from there until 7:45 it's a mad house.

This morning, amazingly enough, went pretty smoothly despite having to do spelling words for today's test. I hope she does well. She had no school Monday so we missed that day for practice and she didn't bring her words home on Tuesday so we only 2.5 days to practice. She struggled all through the first quarter and flunked almost everything. Finally, the teacher told me at the end of the quarter that she was doing very poorly and would flunk her. Um no. Not an option. So we worked our arses off every night after school adding a new subject every week until we were doing everything. Reading, math and spelling words. The week we started doing spelling words she got a 100. The next week only missed one. And she hasn't had a spelling test since beginning of Dec. There wasn't a test the last week before break. So I'm hoping today's test goes fairly well for her. I've really noticed an improvement in her over all daily mood plus she is kinder to her siblings because her self esteem has gone up.

So anyway, back to knitting. Life is getting in the way of knitting. My 4.5 hours of just me and babe is NOT enough time for knitting. For one before my son even gets on the bus between 9:15 and 9:30 she's cranky and wanting a nap. Until he leaves I pretty much have to devote every minute to him. Like right now, the baby is in her high chair eating her scrambled eggs. He's hanging on me begging for food (um, the cereal you requested is still on the table) and a drink. And he's not the type to let you ignore him even for a second. He hangs and whines and cries and takes things very personally. So, when he asks for something it's generally in everyone's best interest to just get up and do it. If you wait too long it tends to lead very quickly to a melt down that can last 20 minutes or longer. Then he is in a bad mood and so am I and I hate sending a kid to school in a bad mood thinking mommy's mad.

Ok Lucy's done with her eggs. Giving Levi a second breakfast.

Now where was I? Ok so at 9:30 it's me and the baby. Baby is cranky and ready for a nap. I have two options. The first is sitting in the chair, nurse her to sleep and knit over the top of her. Nice BUT...my second and most often chosen option is go lay down in bed with her and nurse her to sleep. And I usually fall asleep. If we sleep too long, say until noon (a guilty pleasure, I assure you), then I get lunch done and straighten up the kitchen, probably do a load of laundry and sit down to Days at 1. Levi gets back home shortly after 2. So, then it's back to catering to him, keeping the peace between him and the baby and by 3 if she didn't fall asleep on my lap during Days then she needs another nap. Same two options only I can't fall asleep with her and if she falls asleep on my lap not much chance she'll nap too long with Levi banging and stomping around the house. He's very sensory seeking so he stomps when he walks and he's constantly touching everyone.

It's exhausting to force yourself to be in a good mood when you're running on just a few hours of very interrupted sleep. He's like a sponge or a mirror. However I act, he soaks it up and returns it. If I'm impatient and short with him, he becomes very obstinate and even more uncooperative than usual. But if I sing silly songs, smile and hug him instead of rush through getting dressed and ready for school, he will pretty much stay cooperative and happy.

Boy, I do tend to ramble. You can tell I've not had much blogging time.

So, anyway long story short, life has gotten in the way of my precious knitting.

Where to file complaints

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/264507 says "no later than January 30 2009 to the Consumer Product Safety Commission's Office of the Secretary, email

Sec102ComponentPawrtsTesting@cpsc.gov . They can be faxed to (USA) 301 504-0127

Snailmail:
The Office of the Secretary,
Consumer Product Safety Commission,
Room 502, 4330 East-West Highway,
Bethesda, Maryland 20814 US.

Comments should be captioned: Section 102 Mandatory Third-Party Testing of Component Parts'"

edited to add I tried emailing and got a return error email. Have no idea why.

Save Handmade Toys From the CPSIA

If you think this doesn't affect you then think again. Go to this website and read the comments. That will begin to give you an idea of just how many people will be affected by this poorly written law. I'm all for regulating China from killing our kids. I've been ranting to my family for years to quit buying my kids crap from China (most don't listen). Now the lawmakers are going to the opposite extreme.

http://sites.google.com/site/handmadetoyalliance/

Save Handmade Toys From the CPSIA

A Proposal From the handmadetoyalliance.org:

In 2007, large toy manufacturers who outsource their production to China and other developing countries violated the public's trust. They were selling toys with dangerously high lead content, toys with unsafe small parts, toys with improperly secured and easily swallowed small magnets, and toys made from chemicals that made kids sick. Almost every problem toy in 2007 was made in China.

The United States Congress rightly recognized that the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) lacked the authority and staffing to prevent dangerous toys from being imported into the US. So, they passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) in August, 2008. Among other things, the CPSIA bans lead and phthalates in toys, mandates third-party testing and certification for all toys and requires toy makers to permanently label each toy with a date and batch number.

All of these changes will be fairly easy for large, multinational toy manufacturers to comply with. Large manufacturers who make thousands of units of each toy have very little incremental cost to pay for testing and updating their molds to include batch labels.
For small American, Canadian, and European toymakers, however, the costs of mandatory testing, to the tune of up to $4,000 per toy, will likely drive them out of business. And the handful of larger toy makers who still employ workers in the United States face increased costs to comply with the CPSIA, even though American-made toys had nothing to do with the toy safety problems of 2007. Toy makers won't be the only ones impacted by the CPSIA, the thousands of US businesses who offer clothing, jewelry and other gifts for children --in essence-- the entire children's industry will be as well.

The CPSIA simply forgot to exclude the class of toys that have earned and kept the public's trust. The result, unless the law is modified, is that handmade children's products will no longer be legal in the US.

Thriving small businesses are crucial to the financial health of our nation. Let's amend the CPSIA so that all businesses large and small are able to comply and survive!
- Cecilia Leibovitz (Founder, CraftsburyKids.com) Dec 12 @ 07:04PM PST

New lead testing law sucks!

http://thedomesticdiva.wordpress.com/2008/12/21/cpsia-what-childrens-clothing-designers-and-manufacturers-need-to-know/

http://www.fashion-incubator.com/blog/

Seriously. A new law that says all children's items has to be tested for lead. Sounds great right? What about those moms that make cloth diapers to supplement their income? What about your yard sale next spring? What about those adorable boutique OOAK (one of a kind) ebay clothes you buy? All affected. Toys at the store? Will skyrocket! Please check out the link and pass it on.

Yoga socks, rib-a-roni and kitty hats

I finished up Becca's kitty hat. It's cute. My MIL, Dee, saw it and has put in a request for one for next year. It seems like it's big but it fits me and Dee. Oh and my hubby. He was an unhappy model. Pics uploading now. I finished up the poms poms on the hat and immediately cast on for my yoga socks. Fast and easy. The only thing that didn't work for me was the two rows knit flat between the ankle and foot of the sock. Just two rows has you knitting in reverse so I did 3 rows then did the knit cast on for the new stitches. Piece of cake. I am using berroco sox yarn in the Lancaster colorway.

Oh I also finished up Levi's replacement hat. It's done in 100purewool, Reign. I think it gives me seizures when I look at it. It fits under his helmet though and I made it a little longer than the mesto hat so it'll fit next winter too. If I can stand to look at it for another winter.