Monday Craft Update

Knitting

Did about 5 rows on the back of Marysa's sweater.

Finished a baby ball.


Cross-stitch
Ironed Lightning McQueen. Decided not to wash after the debacle with the Snow Family. Started stitching a Christmas Winnie the Pooh for Basil (she likes cutesy things). Magazine said it should only be 13 hours. And yes, if you think I'm procrastinating on starting Martin's stocking, you would be 100% right.

Crochet
Nothing.

Photography / videography
Going to work on the website now. The goal is to release this week. Joe doesn't have it working properly in Internet Explorer. So just get Firefox, so he can release the darn thing.

Declutter
Nothing.

Monday Craft Update

Knitting
Nothing.

Cross-stitch
Finished!!! I just went and checked, I started May 19th. I still need to wash and frame.

Crochet
Finished the octopus, which Oliver named, Oliver the Octopus.

Photography / videography
Put up the rest of the vacation pictures (realizing we didn't take any pictures of Julia & Frazz), so Montreal & Vancouver. Don't know where Joe hid rest of the pictures. Besides, website isn't up yet, so nothing for you to see yet.

Declutter
Did some organizing of baby toys, but didn't get rid of anything.

Monday Craft Update

Not a great week, as did nothing Monday (on plane back from Hong Kong and watched the Sex & the City movie instead), Wednesday (preparing for a speech on Thursday), Thursday (work dinner), and Friday (party at the complex).

Knitting

Nothing.

Cross-stitch
Continued with the outlining of Lightning McQueen. Did about 3 hours. It's my usual, "I'm done 90% and I'm running out of steam, and now it's just a big slog". Maybe I don't like outlining as much as I think I do, as I always bog down in this part. But I will carry on.

Crochet
Making a little octopus, with the yarn bought at Shall we Knit, on Knit in Public day. I've made the body nad 7 out of 8 legs.

Photography / videography
Nothing. BUT Joe is working on getting the website up. He still hasn't told me where he's put the pictures though.

Declutter
Got rid of some of the "baby's first year" books. Baby stuff is the easiest decluttering, so I'm doing that. Everything else just seems overwhelming.

Update on Oliver and Martin

First off, I apologize for no pictures. Joe's added new servers and I have no idea where the pictures are. But good news is the website should be back soon. Bad news, no new pictures until I know where they are!

Oliver
Oliver did another Tae Kwon Do lesson this morning. It went much much better, so we have signed him up for lessons. It looks quite fun, and will be good for him. We have moved him into a group swimming lesson, with 2 other boys here at the complex. That's going well, and will be easier on the pocketbook.

He's becoming more and more independent. He likes his "privacy" when he's using the washroom, and wanting to do more and more himself. He wants to walk to school (as opposed to the stroller) and carries his own backpack.

Martin
Martin is choosing to walk pretty much all the time. He rarely crawls, just to reach for something. He's showing a sense of humour, as he will after dinner, take his bib, and hide behind it. It you say "Where's Martin?", he'll pull it down with a big grin.

He's loves to ride the tricycle (since Oliver is always on his Lightening McQueen toy), and crawls onto it frequently, and then yells at us to push him around. He has a new tooth, so he has 4 on the top and 4 on the bottom.

Monday Craft Update

Knitting
Worked on Marysa's sweater and am about half way done the intarsia. I also did about 2 inches on the back. Now I need to wait until the needles are free (needle size changes).

Cross-stitch
Did some work on Lightening McQueen, finished up to the hood.

Crochet
Nothing.

Photography / videography
New pictures are up in May and trip to Canada. Trip to Canada is only up to Montreal, as I need Joe to download the camera.

Decluttering
Added to the clutter.

Q2 Craft update

Thought I would do a Q2 update, to see what I've been up to.

Knitting

• Knit baby blanket for Martin (or someone else) - likely to complete
• Finished.
• New project - knit sweater for Marysa
• About 10% done.

Cross-stitch

• Teresa Welzer dragon, I doubt I'll work on this - ha ha ha you a crazy lady
• Nothing
• Sea Animals number sampler, I will pull this out again soon, and try to do a little each week. There isn't much to go, only about 25-30% to go. - 50/50 chance to complete
• Finished, framed and hung up.
• Lightening McQueen cross-stitch for Oliver - 50/50 chance to complete
• About 20% done.
• Cross-stitch ornament for Paulina, as she is coming for Christmas this year - likely to complete
• Nothing
• Christmas stocking for Martin, I think this will take 2 years - little chance to complete
• Nothing

Crochet

• Crochet Pooh Bear - ha ha ha you a crazy lady
• Nothing

• New project – knit teddy & ducklings

• Did 3 bears and 1 duckling.

Photography / videography
I'm going to try and work on this one day a week.

• Website, I will keep if fairly up to date - likely to complete
• Have been fairly consistent. Not great though.
• Videos, wonder how many I'll get done after the first one - 50/50 chance to complete
• Nothing. Need to be better

Decluttering
Have done a little bit, but nowhere near what I need to do. Have given away the smallest baby clothes and some infant paraphernalia.

Monday Craft Update

Not a great week. Bringing Lightening McQueen on holiday. Nothing on the plane, as I'll get no chance.

Knitting
Nothing.

Cross-stitch
Did about 2 hours on Lightening McQueen kit (Cars).

Crochet
Finished a duckling. From the same book as the crochet bears.

Photography / videography
Loaded up some May and craft pictures.

Decluttering
A little bit of baby stuff to a friend.

Monday Craft Update

Not too much due to being sick. Mostly decluttering as I was home looking at it.

Knitting
Worked on the baby blanket. It is now the only project until it is done. Less than 10 inches left. Now that I'm in the home stretch, I don't want to work on it.

Cross-stitch
Washed the Ocean numbers and the snow family. With much drama. But it's all good now. Both pictures are at the framers.

Crochet
Nothing.

Photography / videography
Loaded up pictures for March, April and crafts.

Decluttering
Got rid of more baby clothes, sized below 6 months. Listed the bassinet on Craig's List - which is an online classified site.

Q1 craft update

Since its the end of first quarter (Q1) I thought I'd review the year so far. Can you tell I'm in the financial services industry?

Knitting

• Knit baby blanket for Martin (or someone else) - likely to complete
• Did about 7-10 inches. Progress is pretty slow.
  
• Knit Toy, I don't have a specific one picked out - 50/50 chance to complete
• Did one knit zebra puppet at the beginning of the year.
  

Cross-stitch

• Snow family cross-stitch - likely to complete
• Finished.
  
• Teresa Welzer dragon, I doubt I'll work on this - ha ha ha you a crazy lady
• Nothing
• Sea Animals number sampler, I will pull this out again soon, and try to do a little each week. There isn't much to go, only about 25-30% to go. - 50/50 chance to complete
• Good progress. Have finished numbers 5,6,7,8 and half of 9.
  
• Lightening McQueen cross-stitch for Oliver - 50/50 chance to complete
• Nothing
  
• Cross-stitch ornament for Paulina, as she is coming for Christmas this year - likely to complete
• Nothing
• Christmas stocking for Martin, I think this will take 2 years - little chance to complete
• Nothing

Crochet

• Crochet Pooh Bear - ha ha ha you a crazy lady
• Nothing

Photography / videography
I'm going to try and work on this one day a week.

• Website, I will keep if fairly up to date - likely to complete
• Have been fairly consistent. Not great though.
  
• Videos, wonder how many I'll get done after the first one - 50/50 chance to complete
• Nothing. Need to be better
  

Decluttering

• Have done a little bit, but nowhere near what I need to do. Have given away the smallest baby clothes and some infant paraphernalia.
  

Monday Craft Update

Not a great week, as I had a bit of a social life and had to do work one night.

Knitting
Did several rows on the baby blanket. Even when I'm working on it I'm slow....

Cross-stitch
Worked on the French Ocean numbers kit. Working on number 5, did 4 out of 5 fish, and need to do the number. Need to do, 5, 8, 9 and 10.

Crochet
Nothing

Photography / videography
Loaded up new photos and read a bit of the video editor manual.

Decluttering
Got rid of 8 shirts and 1 skirt. About equal to what I brought in from shopping earlier.

Happy Birthday Laurie!!

By a fluke, I happened to see on my Treo that it's Laurie's birthday today.

Happy Birthday Laurie!!!!

We'll pretend this is Martin and not Oliver, since I've decided everyone over the age of thirty that I know isn't aging this year (I can't seem to stop the kids from aging though).

Hope it is a great year!! Come visit. Miss you.


P.S. New photos for February, March and Crafts are up.

Pretty good week.

Knitting

Did about an inch on the baby blanket. Don't know what I'm going to do with it. Martin's now mobile, so it's not like he can lie on it. I'm going to move it out of current rotation and start a new project. This will be picked up when I have 15 - 30 minutes to work, like when watching a movie with Oliver when Martin's napping.

Cross-stitch

Snow family cross-stitch - did several hours.

Crochet

Nothing. I think I'll start the Pooh Bear in the next week or two.

Photography / videography

Added new pictures to the website.

Decluttering

Got Joe to hang up pictures (can you tell Mom & Dad are coming? Yay!!!). Did a little bit (very little) of decluttering. I'm actually a bit stuck now. What do you do with the excess junk, that there is nothing wrong with it? e.g. I found a pair of scissors in a box. Nothing wrong with them. But we already have 3 pairs. Throw/give them away? Or binders. I have these really good binders, been hauling them around for years. I'm never going to use them. Okay, the binders I'll get rid of. But what do I do with the scissors?

I almost bought a book on decluttering - but then isn't the book clutter?

Monday Craft Update

Not a bad week.

Knitting
Did about an inch on the baby blanket.

Cross-stitch
Snow family cross-stitch - did several hours. I'm about 50% done the snow kid.

Crochet
Nothing.

Photography / videography
Played around with the video editor and learned how to make clips. Added new pictures to the website.

Decluttering
Threw out Oliver's old shoes. I know it's not much, but it still was clutter and now it's gone.

Knit Zebra

I mentioned in my craft updates that I had knit a zebra puppet. Here is what is looks like (I always like to take a picture of myself with it when I finish, so that when I look back 10 years from now, I can see how the boys aged me!).

It was a pretty fun project, quite easy. The zebra also has a mane. I guess I could do a solid colour and it would be a horse. Lana, do you think Marysa would like one?

The zebra is from my first knitting pattern that I ever bought, was this little Patons book called "Knit One, Purl too! 8 Fun projects for Beginners". I have made my first knitting project (the blanket for Oliver), and of course, my baby ball pattern is from here. It was the best $3.95 I spent on knitting (besides yarn and needles).

P.S. New pictures up on the website.

2007 Craft Update

I thought I would do a year in review craft update. Next week, I'll do a 2008 to do list.

Knitting
I knit a hat for Brent. It was an enjoyable project, but I bought variegated yarn, which turned out to have a big pink stripe. Sorry Brent.

I knit a baby blanket for Lianne's daughter Sophia. That didn't turn out as planned either, as I was sold improper weight (and I don't check gauge on blankets), so it turned out quite small, so it became a car blanket. It was done in a nice blanketweave pattern, which I screwed up numerous times, but to the untrained eye, it looks quite nice.

I did not complete a blanket for Martin. It is a nice green blanket with cables, that I do enjoy, but now where I live and it's so hot, the blanket seems kind of pointless. I might finish it and give it away, but then I feel bad as it is for Martin.

I did finish about half a dozen knit baby balls. These are my signature baby gift. I also make the pumpkin of ineptitude this year for Halloween.

I completed making knit blocks for Martin. Luckily I was able to "borrow" some from Oliver, as I had made him the full alphabet and only had to do 3 more blocks.

I also started (this weekend) a knit zebra puppet for Martin, it is approximately 45% done.

Cross-stitch
I did do a lot this year.

I completed Martin's baby sampler. It was a dull and easy project.

For the first couple of months of the year I worked on the Teresa Welzer dragon. I also worked on this Sea Animals number sampler before we moved and have completed about 75% of it.

My most recent project is the Snow Family, which I did not finish in time for Christmas.

I did complete my cross-stitch ornament for Paulina in time for her to hang on the tree (I'm quite proud of that!).

Crochet
I don't think I did any this year. That's a shame.

Photography / videography
Well, this one is really more Joe. But he found a solution for us in Singapore and got a Joe and Jill website up and running again. He's now got it set up so that I don't have to rely on him to post up the pictures. I'm still behind on comments on the old website, not sure when (if) I'll get around to finishing it, but earlier in the year, I did make some progress.

As for videography, I didn't do anything this year, but still did take video. For Christmas, I got video editing software, all the videos are downstairs, and we have a new large hard drive. I no longer have any more excuses.

Monday Craft Update

Cross-stitch
Did several hours on the snow family. Progressing fine.

Knitting
Completed knitting a ball.

Photography
Loaded up pictures.

Busy on the computer today

I've posted new pictures on www.joeandjill.ca, Joe needs to download them, but by the time you read this, they should be there. There are two new albums, October 2007 and Crafts.

I also created a new blog called the Compass Chronicle, which it's name is a mistake on my part, as apparently I have a hard time typing Chronicle. It won't be updated regularly, but you can go see pictures of our Halloween party. I've also posted the link in the "Blogs I read" in the sidebar.

And I fixed the pictures in the post below. And Lana, it's not a Kentucky Derby hat, it's a witch hat. Though, the rim was all wonky, and reminded me of a cowboy hat. Imagine how it's going to look next year after sitting in a closet for a year!

Monday Craft Update

First off, Happy two month birthday Martin!!

Cross-stitch
Got several hours done on the snow family. It was a busy week so I didn't get as much done as I like.

Knitting
Excellent progress on the blocks. Finished stitching the letters and started crocheting the squares together. They look good. Should finish this week.

Stuffed a knit ball and gave away.

Photography
Posted Malaysia pictures. Will try to post pictures weekly.