Thursday, March 20, 2008

Where She Go?

For those of you not simultaneously in the world of Craftlit, you probably don't know that my Grandmother on my Mom's side passed away on March 7, 2008.

She was...um...tenacious. I joked that she'd survived the last ten years purely out of spite and that's only sort of a joke. Our relationship was complicated--made more complicated by her demands for purely passive/aggressive modes of communication among all of our family.
But she was also generous (graciously to the outside world, usually with strings attached when with family) and full of love for many.

But that doesn't mean a passing like this isn't going to be fraught. In fact, I'll be disappearing from time to time, I imagine, to help my Mother pick up the pieces left behind. In fact, you can expect it.

Needless to say, in the midst of all of this, I've picked up some new things to do.

I've started teaching knitting at Kiwi Knits in Tucson (YAY) and some of the projects are seen in the next two entries below--felted fish and hedgehogs. I cannot TELL you how much I love these! The hedgehog especially is a DARling pattern and if you've never experienced the beauty of a short row...do this.
HOWEVER
If you've never experienced the beauty of a short row, do this in a CLASS! The instructions make sense if you know what this is all supposed to look like...they're gibberish if you don't. That's a problem with many of those one-sheet-plastic-page-protector patterns. They're brilliant, but they have to truncate the darn thing so much it's hard to follow...

I've started beading engagement rings for my sister and her boyfriend. You may think this is a little pushy of me. It is. They're so in love they don't care. The rest of us would like a happy occasion for the family to gather at, thank you. Beading Daily (through the Interweave site) has a great (FREE) peyote stitch stackable ring pattern...I actually had to look up peyote stitch elsewhere to get it clear in my head, but MAN it's fast and easy. Lovin' it!

I'm also getting ready to warp my loom for Fibers Through Time! The AZ State Federation's conference--vendors and all. I'm taking a color and weave class and HOPE to have an audio diary of said class for Syne's Weavecast! Whoo Hoo!

Thing 2's ear is progressing beautifully and today I picked the digicam up from the shop so there will be more pictures up shortly. You won't believe the changes. Just amazing.

Thing 1 got his first 100% on a spelling test last week and Thing 2 is home on spring break this week so we've had a lot of quality time. However.

It all started with a BAD MONDAY. He wouldn't put his shoes and socks on...actually he wouldn't get dressed at all (a feat he manages easily when he's inclined) so I plopped him in the car with a shirt and no pants or underpants while we drove Thing 1 to school. #2 was to finish dressing in the car while I walked big brother into school, then we'd go do fun things.

When I got back he managed to get his underpants on and was pulling on his pants but refused to put on his shoes.

Thing 2 is loud. Thing 2 is stubborn. We cave in to Thing 2 a little too often, so this time I decided that's it. I don't care how long it takes. I'm not moving this car until he puts his socks and shoes on.

FORTY NINE MINUTES LATER

Seriously. Screaming, crying, what FINALLY got him to put his shoes on?

In desperation to keep myself calm, I grabbed my knitting --the hedgehog--and he asked--in a cute little voice--"Is that for ME?"

"Maybe...maybe I'll have to give it to someone else who knows how to listen to their mom!"

Did the trick. He zapped on his socks and popped on his shoes and we were happy as clams and good to go.

So that night I got this book.

I love it.
Nearly done.
But he's been strangely good these last few days...hmmmmm....

4 comments:

Madame Leiderhosen said...

Brilliant tactical Mom-ism! (I also plan on being extra special good in case the hedgehog might be for me... Think we can get this behavior to go viral?)

I had a Gran just like that as well. Funny how they can last so long out of pure spite, but I don't plan on going that route. My sympathies and best sweet thoughts to you and your mum. xxoo - M. Leiderhosen

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the beaded ring link!

Anonymous said...

I just wanted to let you know that I was stalking you at the Fibers Through Time vendors, but my little one in the stroller made it hard to sneak up. (Okay, I didn't find you, but I wish I had!)

I did, however, find a weavette and gave in to your recommendation. It's so much fun, and I already am trying to figure out where I could fit a loom in my house!

Dawn said...

Mary Sheedy Kurcinka is our personal parenting coach! I love, love, love her! She literally saved our lives.

My #1 rates high on pretty much every temperament scale there is and we finally broke down and took some classes which (flowed rapidly into home visits) with Mary when she still wasn't sleeping and tantruming uncontrollably at 2. Screaming 'til she puked literally. (we're actually behind a lot of the stories in her sleep book, fightening but true) And unfortunately we had some sessions about #3 as well because he apparently wants to be just like his big sis.

It's like a lightbulb isn't it? That someone out there so totally gets it. But seriously, had I known you had these issues I would have sent all of her books long ago. I go back to them time and time and time again. Always turns us around.