Could this be nesting?

DSC00023, originally uploaded by a-chan.

Last night I had this strong urge to bake cupcakes... Okay, maybe I was just craving them. I skipped the knit night at cubespace so I could go home and bake.

I didn't want to go to the store, so I used what I had.... a box of devil food's cake mix was in the back of the cupboard! Then, I didn't have enough cream cheese for frosting, so I scoured my cupcake books and found a buttercream icing I could do. I don't like butter cream, but it turn out good and everybody at work loved it! They totally ate all of them, it's a good thing I left some at home for us!

But now I'm out of red food coloring and powdered sugar, so I do need to make a trip to the store... oh well, at least I didn't use all the milk and eggs.

Help me decide!

Some of you may have seen the challenge on Mason-Dixon Knitting... if not, well, they wanted people to dress up something from their house... I thought my penguin statue needed a cloak. Richard thought the gnome needed a hat. But I can only have one entry. Please let me know which one you like the best! A comment works, or if you want, a ravelry message works to (I changed my name there to a-chan). Please click the images to see their full sizes on flickr.

The penguin in his magician's cloak:



The ikea gnome in his winter set:

baby update and February baby sweater

Okay, I suppose it's time for another baby update. I don't remember where I left off (and I'm too lazy to check!).

I will start with some answers from questions the other Aimee asked: My due date is April 18th. And about the ultrasounds, back in December I had an abnormal ultrasound (I had low amniotic fluid). So I was sent to a specialist who told me that even though it's low, it's still in the normal range. But she thought it would be best if I had ultrasounds once a month just to check it out. My OB agreed. My 6th ultrasound is scheduled for the 20th. It's nice getting to see the baby a lot, but it's also a little stressful knowing that there might be something wrong. So far so good, but things can change. And I'm having a girl! Sabrina Noelani. My husband wanted a Hawaiian middle name because he was born in Hawaii (but he's not Hawaiian).

The newest baby news is that I passed the glucose test so I don't have gestational diabetes. Yay! Since I'm a little overweight and since diabetes runs in both sides of my family, I have taken the test twice and have passed with flying colors both times! Oh, and I'm not anemic, so no iron supplements for me! YAY! I've only gained 14lbs, which is good. I got a stern talking to at the last appointment because I gained too much in 6 weeks, but since I hadn't gained anything before that, I just got the "don't do it again," but it was over Christmas..... And I'm happy to say that at yesterday's appointment I hadn't gained anything. That does worry me a bit, but they don't think there's anything wrong with it. I mean, I don't think I can possibly eat any more food! Unless, of course, they want me to have a milkshake everyday...

Knitting progress: I finished Daisy from knitty, I just have to sew the seams up.... I don't think I'll do that pattern again since there's so much seaming to do, I'd rather do it in the round. I've also started a February Baby Sweater (or Baby Sweater on Two Needles (February)) for my cousin who is having twins!! And because I need a picture (no matter how crap-tastic it is):

Slytherin Pinwheel

The last time we saw this blanket was all the way back in August! I don't remember if I mentioned finishing it, but I did! I decided it would make a great Christmas present for the Biggie Smalls. And he loves it! In the last month he has loved it so much it's already made its way through the wash several times. When I was visiting last weekend, it was freshly washed and being enjoyed by multiple people. First, my sis-in-law was using it as a lap warmer. I told her I could knit her one, but she's fine with sharing. Later, I found it being used as a super hero cape by Keylie.



Some random specs:
yarn: Reynolds Utopia (100% acrylic*)
needles: US #8 in multiple length circs
pattern: Pinwheel baby blanket
mods: I use Judy's magic cast on since it's less fiddly than the patterns way

*Okay, about the Reynolds Utopia. I love knitting with this acrylic! It's my favorite acrylic ever. It's so much better than Red Heart or any of the other brands you'd find at a big box craft store. I was hooked after the first use. That being said, I have only had the experience of washing it for the first time. When I visited this blankie last weekend, it was so soft! With every wash, it keeps getting better and better! If you're in the market for some good acrylic for an item that needs to be machine washed, I totally recommend Reynolds Utopia (sometimes under the name Unger Utopia, not sure why)

Yarnia!

DSC_0004.JPG, originally uploaded by a-chan.

The only thing better than snow mixed in the rain is a new yarn store... granted, I didn't buy anything. Oh well. I couldn't think of a project and I didn't want to spend a bunch of money on yarn if I wasn't going to use it... wow, I've come a long way!

Anyways, I didn't have cash and you had to have cash for $10 and under.

I did get a look around and I will be going back. I'll probably get some yarn for baby sweater or something. I really liked some of the sample cones (that were for sale). I ran into David from Cubespace and Larissa was also there (although, I didn't introduce myself to her, I always think it's odd going up to some one and saying "I read your blog" I'd feel like a dork).

Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday. I don't know if I'm going to watch to game or not. I am going to the Knitting Bee for their annual yarn sale. Then I might make the trek to Scappoose for a little visit, but I plan on spending most of the day home alone. I bought some things to make a 7-layer dip and I have some chips... I think there's a wedding cake special on Food network that looks really good.

I finished the border on the second U of O blanket last night. Now I just have to weave in about 100 ends. It's turned out really nice and I'm hoping some of the stitches will even out in the wash.



The pinwheel is waiting to go in the wash. I'm still crossing my fingers that the border will magically stop folding over...

Tonight I'm enjoying....

DSC_0005.JPG, originally uploaded by a-chan.

No, that's not my baby! That's Baby Gracie! (my friend's baby).... I just needed a picture....

Tonight I'm enjoying:
stove-top popped popcorn (a little salt and no butter!)
home made orange julius
time by myself
the baby socks I'm working on
sweat pants
the incredibles
my green fleece blanket from ikea

Tonight I'm NOT enjoying:
cold hands
cracked hands
not knowing what I want to eat
voluntarily not going to a party
this head cold!


Growing up, for special occasions (Friday nights, slumber parties, new years eve) my mom would make us orange julius' and popcorn. I think for dinner, but that could just be my bad memory. It might have been for dessert. Anyways, I fondly remember evenings playing Monopoly, canasta, and rummikub while drinking the orange julius' , crunching the popcorn... Some times as a family (my mom and my brother and I), sometimes with the cousins and sometimes with friends. Those are great memories... the kind I want to share and pass on with my kids when they're older.

Another set of memories this brings up is those evenings when it was just my mom and me when I was in high school, eating popcorn, drinking orange julius' and knitting.... while watching bad movies. I never finished any projects back then, I just enjoyed the knitting. I re-taught myself how to knit from my mom's old 4-H books and some other really 70's knitting pamphlets. She's left handed and knits funny for even a left hander, so I tried not to look at what she was doing. I believe I would work on these hiddious slippers out of really nasty left-overs. I'm sort of glad I never finished, but it would have been nice to have something tangible from those days.