wasting time

Because the baby fell asleep and Richard isn't home from work yet:

Using the top 100 yarns on Ravelry (by number of projects):
Bold the ones you’ve used and would use again;
Cross out the ones you’ve used and would not use again;
and Italicize the ones you’ve never tried, but would like to.
(and i'm doing nothing to the ones that i'm not even interested in)

Add comments as desired, and then pass the meme along to 5 knitters/crocheters. Link back to this post and to the person who tagged you.

1. Cascade 220 Wool - sad, I know, I'll use it when I have a project for it, but i'm not really into 100% wool that's not superwash
2. Patons Classic Wool Merino
3. Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted
4. Noro Kureyon - just enough for one of those cool stripy scarves. i'd only use it again for a felting project
5. Caron Simply Soft
6. Lily Sugar’n Cream Solid
7. Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Worsted
9. Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solid
10. Noro Silk Garden - some day i'll have the money for some
11. Koigu Painter’s Palette Premium Merino (KPPPM)
12. Knit Picks Wool of the Andes
13. Lion Brand Homespun
14. Lion Brand Cotton-Ease
15. Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock Multi
16. Manos del Uruguay 100% Wool
17. Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Bulky - LOVE this yarn for chunky hats... can you say "meathead?"
18. Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran
19. Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock - Lightweight
20. Plymouth Encore Worsted
21. Cascade 220 Heathers
22. Lily Sugar’n Cream Ombres & Prints
23. Zitron Trekking (XXL) .
24. Patons SWS (Soy Wool Stripes)
25. Rowan Kidsilk Haze
26. Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino
27. Pisgah Yarn & Dyeing Co., Inc. Peaches & Creme Ombres
28. Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece
29. Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock - Mediumweight
30. Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick
31. Pisgah Yarn & Dyeing Co., Inc. Peaches & Creme Solids
32. Cascade 220 Superwash
33. Berroco Ultra Alpaca
34. Knit Picks Swish Superwash
35. Knit Picks Essential
36. Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice Solid
37. Colinette Jitterbug
38. Lion Brand Lion Wool Solid
39. Knit Picks Shine Sport
40. Dale of Norway/Dalegarn Baby Ull
41. Lion Brand Microspun - a bit splitty, but it's soft.
42. Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino
43. Knit Picks Palette
44. South West Trading Company TOFUtsies
45. Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool
46. Mission Falls 1824 Wool
47. Rowan RYC Cashsoft DK
48. Red Heart Ltd. Super Saver Multis/Ombres - it has it's place, I swear...
49. Rowan Felted Tweed - i'm not sure if i would use it again, i still have an awful lot of it
50. Rowan Calmer
51. Lion Brand Wool-Ease Heather
52. Knit Picks Merino Style
53. Garnstudio Drops Alpaca
54. Claudia Hand Painted Yarns Fingering
55. Knit Picks Andean Silk
56. Red Heart Ltd. Soft Yarn Solids
57. Elann Peruvian Highland Wool
58. Tahki Cotton Classic
59. Dream in Color Smooshy
60. Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton
61. Dream in Color Classy
62. Rowan Big Wool
63. Peace Fleece Worsted
64. Caron Simply Soft Brites
65. Plymouth Galway Worsted
66. Karabella Aurora 8
67. Rowan Wool Cotton
68. Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton
69. Knit Picks Shine Worsted
70. Brown Sheep Wildfoote Luxury Sock
71. Lion Brand Fun Fur Solid - it has it's place
72. Misti International Misti Alpaca Chunky
73. Handmaiden Fine Yarn Sea Silk
74. Mountain Colors Bearfoot
75. Lion Brand Jiffy Solid
76. Knit Picks Shadow - well, i haven't used it, but it's in my stash
77. Bernat Softee Chunky Solids & Marls
78. Austermann Step
79. Bernat Cottontots Solid
80. Cascade Ecological Wool
81. Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud
82. Patons Shetland Chunky
83. Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky
84. Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted
85. Malabrigo Yarn Lace
86. Bernat Satin Solids
87. Lily Sugar’n Cream Stripes
88. Knit Picks Gloss
89. Lion Brand Magic Stripes
90. Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Silk
91. Cascade 220 Quatro
92. Rowan All Seasons Cotton
93. Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock Solid
94. JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk 2/18
95. Novita 7 Veljestä
96. Rowan Kid Classic
97. Mission Falls 1824 Cotton
98. Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Worsted Multi
99. Cascade Fixation Spray Dyed/Effects
100.Patons Kroy Socks 4-Ply

Sabrina Noelani

DSC_0059, originally uploaded by a-chan.

We're finally home!

Sabrina Noelani was born at 12:49am on April 8, 2008. She's 6lbs 13.5 oz, 20 inches long and her head is 12.5 inches. She was born sunnyside up, so her head is shaped a bit funny and she has a bad bruise. We ended up staying a few days extra because she was born a bit over 24 hours after my water broke and because of my fever during labor. She also had jaundice, so she recieved 24 hours of phototherapy.

I'll go into more detail later, it's a fun story. Click to see more pictures.

o hai!

DSC00035, originally uploaded by a-chan.

O Hai!

No baby news. I’m walking, I’m working and I’m drinking a lot of water. The only other thing I know of to get the baby moving would be very uncomfortable right now.

The picture was taken on my lunch walk. I walked by it yesterday and thought of taking a picture, but I just kept walking. Today, I decided SOMEONE needed to take the picture.

I almost couldn’t get out of bed this morning to go to work. I wasn’t planning on working until I go into labor, but my last day is set for April 11. If I stop working now that labor is immanent and then I don’t actually have her for another week or two, well, I would be out of that money. I’m just hoping my water doesn’t break at work because I’m not bringing a change of clothes to work every day and it would take Richard 30 minutes to get here.

Every little pain, twinge, strain and weird feeling makes me stop and think to myself “is this it?” But it’s not and life goes on. I really didn’t think I’d get to the point of wanting to be done with being pregnant... and I’m not really. I’m just so anxious for her to be here. They were teasing me when they said it would be in the next two weeks... well, I do have one week of the two left, so I guess it could happen.

Baby update - March Baby?

So, I went to my appointment today and had my first "check" to see where I am and apparently I'm 90% effaced and 2 cm dilated and her head is in the 0 position... For those of you that don't know what that means, well, I'm getting ready to pop, a month early (of course, you can't predict that sort of thing, but it will be sooner rather than later). I definitely won't see my due date.... and it will probably be in March (for a reminder, I'm due April 18th)

I was told that a lot of women might be mad at me because they would have been in a lot more discomfort than me if they were about ready. I wasn't all that surprised, I knew something was going on down there, but I really didn't think I was that far along.

Maybe the next baby update will be when she's born!

I was looking for a picture of me, but we still don't have a good one that shows off the belly. All the pictures from the baby shower are of me sitting down unwrapping presents... and I look like a whale... okay, maybe not that bad, but with my dark pants, it looks like my lower body is a big blob! So instead, you get a picture of some happy onion rings:

One whole month!

So I just went to see when my last post was... Feb. 14th and today is March 14th. I should probably do a baby update and then share my FOs (yes, I've been cranking things out since my last post).

Baby update:
A few weeks ago I was woken up by a call from Kaiser saying that the "specialist" had reviewed my last ultrasound and had ordered up some non-stress tests... Twice a week till the end of my pregnancy. For those of you that don't know what a non-stress test is: They make me go in and strap me into the baby monitors (same ones used in the labor rooms) to monitor the baby's heartbeat (both at rest and when she's active) and any contractions. I'm not sure if this next part is normal, but they did a short little ultrasound to check on the amniotic fluid levels. Of course this news freaked my mom out (a nurse) and she almost canceled her trip to Disneyland. Good thing that the first test was before she left because I "passed" with flying colors and Mom agreed to go to Disneyland. I would have felt really guilty if she had stayed home for no reason.

The second test wasn't so good. Baby Banana didn't want to wake up and stay awake. It was kind of stressful because they weren't really saying out loud what was going on. They used this buzzer thing to try and wake her up... imagine a vibrator that makes a buzzing noise like a game show's buzzer. That test took an hour and a half instead of 20 minutes... but in the end everything was okay.

The third test was just as good as the first one and I met with my normal lady afterwards and she said I didn't need to go for those tests any more! I was excited because the $20 co-pay twice a week would have added up to a good chunk of change.

I haven't been in since then, but my next appointment is Monday. I think I've finally made it to the uncomfortable faze. I'm having a harder time sleeping at night, I've finally started having some Braxton-hicks contractions (I actually thought I might have needed to make a trip to labor and delivery last night, but they stopped), and I'm feeling just a bit off. This pregnacy has been such a mild one, that I didn't think I'd ever reach the point where I'd want out (or, I'd want Baby Banana out.. hehe). Oh, I might add, I'm at 35 weeks now, two more weeks till full term, 5 weeks until due date. I'm hoping for sooner than later. She should be about 5.25 lbs now.

And for the FOs:



Ravelry project page
Pattern: Baby sweater on two needles - The Knitters Almanac (Elizabeth Zimmermann)
Yarn: Socks that Rock - Mediumweight (mill end)
Needles: US 5 / 3.75 mm
Mods: I decided on only 3 button holes, all three in the garter stitch section. The first time I knit this I didn't like how many button holes I ended up with in the end.



Ravelry project page
Pattern: Daisy from knitty - Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Yarn: Manos del Uruguay Cotton Stria (two skeins)
Needles: US 5 / 3.75 mm
Mods: Went down two needles sizes hoping for a bit of a smaller sweater for a coming home outfit, but it still looks kinda big.
Things I would do differently: I don't like sewing up seams, so I think I would try to figure out how to do it with out having to sew the seams, should be easy...