This Year I Have A Plan. Sort of.

As of today, there are exactly 98 days until Christmas. That sounds scary to some people (like the knitting population that has yet to finish their items, perhaps even start them....) But, this year, I have devised a plan. Stop that laughing. 

It's true. I know, this happens every year. I put a small dent, crater, into our bank account, building up the wool that will be magically knitted up into socks, hats, mittens, sweaters, etc. for the few loved ones that have albeit warily, supported each of my knitting endeavors, spend countless hours knitting and dreaming of the looks on their faces, only to find myself the week before Christmas staying up late, cursing, drinking eggnog by the gallon and wondering what exactly I was thinking when I thought that those colors would look good together....

It's awful. But not this year. I have a plan. Sort of.

This is the current list of recipients. There are a few additions since you last saw this list. Note, this is due to a minor lapse in my memory this afternoon as I was knitting away and realized that I forgot a few people. Better to remember now than not have anything to give them, right? The items in red have been completed.

Mother: MittensFather: Socks
Mother-In-Law: Mittens
Father-In-Law: Socks
Brother #1: Socks
Brother #2: Mittens
Sister-In-Law: Socks
Sister: Sweater
Sister's Fiance: Socks
Husband: Socks
Son: Sweater
Friend: Shawl

Swap (Male): Hat

Swap (Female): Mittens

Now, I know this doesn't look like much, but here are the items that are in progress:

Mother: Mittens
Father: SocksMother-In-Law: Mittens
Father-In-Law: SocksBrother #1: Socks
Brother #2: Mittens
Sister-In-Law: Socks
Sister: SweaterSister's Fiance: Socks
Husband: SocksSon: Sweater
Friend: Shawl

Swap (Male): Hat

Swap (Female): Mittens

That means, that of the 14 projects I have planned out, I only have 6 that need to be started. That's less than half of the usual Christmas List. See, progress.

Now, onto my plan. I share this list with any other Knitters out there that need some guidance to that beautiful land called Finished Projects.

1) Make sure to assemble all of your materials now. If you still need to purchase the wool for your mother's sweater, this is the time to do it. This will save you from realizing 1 week before she is going to open her gift from you that you do not actually have a gift for her.

2) Assemble project baskets/bags around you. Put your pattern, yarn, and notions together and make sure that you never leave the house without one. I have started keeping one in my car, and even in the bathroom (you may be surprised how often you find yourself perched on the back of the toilet, working on a sock. If anybody comments on your frequent trips to the bathroom, blame the fruitcake that your husband's grandmother sent).

3) Make it clear that someone else will need to do the cooking while you finish the Christmas Knits. This would not work very well in our home as I am the primary chef, and were I to leave the duty to my husband, we would be living on canned chili and the occasional Stouffers lasagna for the next 98 days. Unless you enjoy those foods, delegate wisely.

4) Be sure to have your box of tissues and beverage of choice in stock. If you need a further explanation, keep reading.

5) Know where (and if you even have) gift wrap, bags, ribbons, etc., located. It's embarrassing gifting a beautiful hand knit sweater to somebody in a beat-up plastic grocery bag.

6) Pop in a Christmas (or 3) and hunker down. Take the couch, your favorite chair, the entire living room, if you have to, and make it known that this is your space until all of the knitting is done. Should someone catch you crying, and perhaps swearing under your breath, grab your tissues and hot chocolate and say that the tears are because you "just can't help getting a little emotional" when the Grinch's heart grows and he befriends all the Whos in Whoville. They need not know it's because you spotted a very large hole 48 rows back on that lovely cabled sock that has taken up 13 hours of your life.

7) If you are somehow roped into going to a gathering where there will be food, music and lots of good cheer, make a note of #2 and bring along a project. Smaller items like socks are easier to tote along than, say, a king sized afghan.

8) Relax. It is Christmas after all.

It Is Coming. And Quickly.

There are this many days until Christmas and while I realize that for a normal person with absolutely no obligations and responsibilities in life this probably is not a big deal. But, for a knitting mama like me with a job, husband and at least a dozen projects that still need casting-on before The Big Day, that's a wee bit scary.

My list right now, looks something like this:

Mother: Mittens
Father: Socks
Mother-In-Law: Mittens
Father-In-Law: Socks
Brother #1: Socks
Brother #2: Mittens
Sister-In-Law: Socks
Sister: Sweater
Sister's Fiance: Socks
Husband: Socks
Son: Sweater
Friend: Shawl

These gifts are all over the board right now. Some of them have been finished already (I felt pretty optimistic back in July) and some have been started and stashed in clever places throughout the house so I am never more than a few feet away from a project at any time, and the rest haven't even been matched up with patterns and yarn.

This will be a good year. It will be a great year. Know why? Becuase this year every single ball of wool in my stash will be stiched up into a lovely cherished item and gifted to the people I hold closest to my heart. This year, I will knit every moment I have in between laundry and dishes and spit-up and tending to my husband. This year- why are you giggling? It could happen. I have heard stories of success from other Knitters, why not me?

I'll keep you all posted.

I'm Sure It Was Fate. Or Something.

Yesterday was lovely. I spent some time with my sister-in-love, Heather; hiking, talking, eating, and oh yes, visiting an alpaca farm.

I needed some time away from changing poppy diapers and yelling at the cat and she needed some time away from her husband before she strangled him (he has been canning all summer and when that extra warmth is added to a wee apartment with no air-conditioning, more than the air gets a little heated...)

So, off we went.

We had plans of hiking around Silver Falls State Park and Promontory Park. We did make it to Promontory and drove around for a while before circling back after about 20 minutes only to find that the park is "closed for renovations". Huh. That would explain why we couldn't figure out where to enter the park.

We got a little turned around and did not make it to Silver Falls, so we hiked around Metzler Park for a while. It was a lovely hike; not too strenuous and the weather was perfect. On the way home to find something to eat, we passed by an alpaca farm. Of course the knitter in me was shouting at the driver to "stop the car now!", but Heather beat me too it. She is not a knitter, but understands that time to oneself is important.

Turning around we drove to the gate of the farm and pushed the button on the speaker. The voice came on and informed us that they were closed but they opened the gate anyway. We went through the gate and turned around before realizing that there was no button to push to get back out. There was a big truck coming up behind us and a very tall gentleman came up to our car and offered to show us around. Of course at this point we had to stay.

Anyway, one thing led to another and before we knew it, we were petting alpacas and buying wool. I had to. It's a knitter thing. Or Fate. Or something.

He Will Be Missed

As I am typing this, the house is quiet. It is not completely silent, but peaceful ad calm. Michael is still curled up in his crib, little bum up in the air and tiny hands folded under his chin. Alex is also sleeping and the little fur ball Dorito is doing his morning survey of the place. I am enjoying this time. It is rare and precious to me.  Especially this morning.

In just a few hours our family will be at the cemetery to witness the military honors at my grandfather's funeral. He went home to The Lord last Thursday and there were many tears shed. It is heartbreaking having to say goodbye but we rest in the comforting knowledge that this goodbye is not forever. If you are interested, you can read his obituary here.

Pompa, there are a lot of things I want to share but right now, I'm going to keep them close to my heart.  I have many wonderful memories of you and will cherish them always. I love you.

It Is Going To Be Hot

As I type this, I can hardly see what I'm typing. My eyes have been a little fuzzy and reading has been a bit of a challenge. A trip to the eye doctor is in the (hopefully) near future and we will get this little issue cleared up. In the meantime, the posts until then may be riddled with typos for which I apologize in advance.

Now, onto more important bloggings. Cousin Amy is still pregnant, which is a good thing becuase it means more time to knit and possibly have somethings finished and off the needles for her son before he turns thirteen. Mum has been knitting away too. This is the second great-grandbaby, and he comes from a long line of knitters. He will never know what it is to be cold...

Michael is currently sleeping and that makes me ever so happy. It means I actually have a few minutes to sit down and pound out a post and possibly get in a spot of knitting. Or sleeping. They are both important and I am not sure yet which one is more so....

It has been hot, hot, hot in Portland lately. The weatherman (if you trust what he says), is predicting triple-digit numbers this coming weekend and that makes me a little crazy. What, exactly, does one knit when the forcast is calling for temperatures so hot an egg can be fried on the sidewalk in 2 minutes? I don't know, but whatever I stitch on will be done so poolside next to a tray of refreshments. The only things that could make that better is if there were a handsome pool boy whispering in my ear, "hey cutie, are you doing that English Style or Continental?"

What Do I Knit?

Today is Friday. On any calendar, this is just another day of the week but for me, this is special. Why? Becuase I have started a new job and my days off are now Thursdays and Fridays. Today will be spent running earrands, doing housework, snuggling with the kid, and possibly knitting. That last one is really more wishful thinking as the rest of the list will take up most of my day.

In a little less than two weeks our little clan will be traveling to Mt. Rainier where Michael will visit his very first full-fledged naitonal park. It is very exciting. I have mostly figured out what we will be taking for food and what pictures will be taken when we get there, but there is still one question that needs to be determined: "What do I knit?"

This will be a three hour drive (not including the time we need to stop to feed and change the kid) and it is imperative that I have something to keep my hands busy so I don't go completely bonkers. There might be another one of these to keep in the tradition of my National Park Knitting, but we shall see.

I'll Take It

These have been challenging days in the Daniecki home. This little dumpling has been awake at all hours of the night and up bright and early (this morning, it was 5am). 

I'm sure that I have mentioned a few times on this blog that motherhood is demanding and very exhausting. It's interesting, it's not at all what I had imagined it to be like. Neither is marriage. When I was a little girl I knew that I wanted to be a wife and a mother but I learned quickly that those two things are very different from the games of dress up, playing house, and walking the dollies that filled the time of the only three girls in our family when we were together.

I longed to be married and to have a child. I wanted to be the smiling wife that would cook delicious meals for her man and the charming mama that would dote upon her children and bake cookies for their little friends when they came over. Then it happened.

Fast-forward several years and here we are. My dreams have come true and I am indeed a wife and a mother, but not that stereotypical lady from the 1950s that has it all together. No, that is definately not me.

My hair is never coiffed (no time for the beauty parlor), the house never smells like cookies (instead, there is potpourri hidden in clever places to cover up the small of Michael's latest diaper blow-out), and Alex has come to accept that our usual dinner hour is around 11pm.

There are mountains of laundry (sometimes clean and just needing to be put away), the dishes are constantly piled up, and the cat, well, the cat has learned to fend for himself. 

But, despite the frazzled theme that is my life, I'll take it. I'll take it because it is by far the biggest blessing I have been given. It is a gift to have a child, a home together, and a man that understands and doesn't say anything when he has no clean socks and I burned dinner again because the baby needed some attention. I'll take it because it is mine.

Enjoy your day and enjoy the little video below- outside time is one of Michael's favorite things to do.