The Name Game

As I mentioned last week,  we won't be finding out the sex of Baby FPK.  Now before you all start congratulating me on what a great decision I am making, there is probably something you should know.  If it were up to me, I'd find out.

Some may ask why I'm giving in so easily, and the thing is, I'm not.  I'm just picking my battles.

Before I start my story, and you all decide to give your undying support to my husband (much like the large Christmas tree debacle), just keep in mind that I am a sensitive woman...and a pregnant one at that!

Ever since we first got married I have known that Joe would like to name his first son Giuseppe.  Every since we first got married, Joe knew that I did not want a child named Giuseppe.  Giuseppe was Joe's grandfather's name and is the Italian form of Joseph.  Joseph has become sort of a family name in his family, so in Joe's mind, Giuseppe is the name in its purest form.  We do have to keep in mind that when Joe's grandfather moved to the US from Switzerland, he changed his name to Joseph!  

I guess one of my biggest issues is that the name is hard to say, spell, and people don't really know how to pronounce it.  When we tell others that its the Italian form of Joseph, their reply is usually, "Oh- Joeseppe!"  Nope!

A couple years ago I came up with a plan, a little deal, if you will.  Joe and I also hold differing opinions on finding out the gender of our baby.  I always knew that he did not want to know, but being the planner I am, it seemed like a necessity.  Because I feared losing both the gender and name battle, I proposed the deal- if I don't find out the sex of our children, I don't have to have a son named Giuseppe. 

And there you have it- the reason I will not find out the gender of my child.

 Some things to keep in mind before leaving your opinion:

1.  I am a sensitive pregnant woman with crazy emotions

2.We live in a small town in Michigan, we can't get away with names as crazy as celebrity children

3. I am a sensitive pregnant woman with crazy emotions

Ok- say what you want :)

Yellow Fabric

Some of you may remember that a while ago I enlisted help in finding a yellow fabric.  At the time, I couldn't tell you why I was looking for such a gender- neutral yellow fabric, but by now, you may have a good guess. 

Just over a year ago, my sister moved away and left me with her nursery set.  It is a light maple wood, which probably wouldn't be my first choice in bedroom furniture, so I started scouring the internet for room options that would work with said furniture.

It didn't take long before I spotted this room at Ohdeedoh and fell in love with the color scheme and thus my newly inherited furniture.

The room is from the blog Me and Wee and was done for a baby girl. Since we are not finding out the sex of our little one before the arrival (and there's a whole story there, more later),  and I was already in love with this room, I figured it was the perfect inspiration for our gender-neutral baby room.

Since it's more than difficult to find bright yellow and white crib bedding, I decided it might be easier to just find some fabric to make a crib bumper and possibly skirt to bring the yellow bedding in (the other bedding would just be white, easy-peasy, right?).  Turns out a modern yellow and white fabric is hard to find.  This is what I had in mind (but in yellow and white instead of orange and white, obviously):

See more of this nursery here

Here's what I've purchased so far:

But I'm still not completely settled on it. I think it will get the job done, but I'm not sure it was exactly what I was looking for.  So if you happen to be out and about and notice some fantastically modern yellow and white fabric, let me know :-)

PS...yesterday Steven A posted an interview with me for 'Project Ten'. See more on his blog and stay tuned for the next designers! 

Plucky Finds

As promised (and since the sun came out enough for me to snap a few shots), here is what I walked away with from the Plucky Open House this past weekend. 

2 skeins of the brand new Primo in Candy Apple

-75% Merino, 20% Cashmere, 5% Nylon

-385 Yards

-Fingering Weight

1 skein MW Superwash

100% Merino Wool Superwash in Honey Wilkes

-215 Yards

-Worsted Weight

I also left with one skein of this:

But I also have four more on the way :-)

Primo in Grey Shimmer

-75% Merino, 20%, 5% Nylon

-385 Yards

-Fingering Weight

I have big plans for this yarn, a new cardigan (that will happen to be in my size) that will eventually develop inot a pattern I've wanted to write up for quite some time.  I was honestly waiting for just the right hue of Plucky yarn.  Thanks so the open house, I was enabled!

And here's a peak at how it's knitting up:

Ah-maz-ing!

You can peep more Plucky yarn in other people's stash here on Ravelry.

***Needed to add this:  Sarah will be updating her Etsy shop tomorrow!  If you've had a hard time getting your own Plucky, here's your chance.  Read more about it on her blog here (and follow for postings on future updates as well)***

A Very Plucky Day

Love at first sight. Some say it happens, others disagree.  When it comes to yarn, I'm afraid it happens a little too often.

This past Saturday, Jill (Knitterella) and I made the trek to the other side of the state for a Plucky Open House.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with Plucky Yarns, you must be educated!  Here's a crash course:

The open house was hosted in Liesl's (aka browncurls on Ravelry) gorgeous home in Grand Rapids and Sarah (the face behind Plucky Yarns, thepluckyknitter on Ravelry) brought a beautiful variety of yarn.

 Sarah's long time friend, Nicole came along as well.  She's not on Ravelry yet- hopefully soon (after all, she did have the cutest stitch markers I have ever seen!)?

Besides all the plucky yarn, Liesl gave us a tour of her amazing stash.

(as you can see, yarn wasn't the only thing gawked over in Liesl's closet!)

These were also spotted in Liesl's room:

They were very well-loved (holes in the bottoms and all!)

Jill walked away with some great finds (and since she does Plucky's design work, she had credits to spend- jealous!)...

And knitting ensued

All in all, a wonderful day- I hope it happens again soon!

And tomorrow... a peak at what I stepped away with and how it's knitting up (I'm not purposefully keeping it from you, but the gloomy weather is not allowing an impressive yarn stash picture).

WIP

My best yet...

Don't you think...

And I'm now over halfway to seeing the little one!

Like an Elephant in a China Shop

Sorry, I just had to!

Elijah is finally off the needles and ready to be gifted into a new home.

I'm loving his cute little tail:

Pattern:  Elijah by Ysolda

I have always had a soft spot for knitted toys.  Now I have to decide which one to knit for my baby first.  Elijah is in contention, but so is this little guy from Debbie Bliss. 

Teddy Bear by Debbie Bliss

What do you think?

Overdue

But better late than never (sadly, I'm using this mantra a little too often in my life these days). 

It has become a bit of a tradition with Joe's side of the family to take in the fireworks each year at Greenfield Village.  It is now something that I look forward to every year, if you are in the area and have attended, I'm sure you understand why.  

A picnic is packed and our blankets are laid on a hill in order to claim our spots for the evening (and we must get the same spots every year.  As soon as the gates open, we have the two fastest guys in our family run ahead of the crowd to claim our spot- victory!).  

This is from the Greenfield Village website, just so you have a better understanding of what it's all about:

"Entering Greenfield Village is like stepping into an 80-acre time machine. It takes you back to the sights, sounds and sensations of America’s past. There are 83 authentic, historic structures, from Noah Webster’s home, where he wrote the first American dictionary, to Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park laboratory, to the courthouse where Abraham Lincoln practiced law. The buildings and the things to see are only the beginning. There’s the fun stuff, too. In Greenfield Village, you can ride in a genuine Model T or “pull” glass with world-class artisans; you can watch 1867 baseball or ride a train with a 19th-century steam engine. It’s a place where you can choose your lunch from an 1850s menu or spend a quiet moment pondering the home and workshop where the Wright brothers invented the airplane. Greenfield Village is a celebration of people — people whose unbridled optimism came to define modern-day America."

It really is one of the most charming places I have been to.  The fife band walks around entertaining the crowds before the DSO takes the main stage.

The kids love this stuff- they even have stations with old-fashion games for them to try:

Since it was one of the most beautiful evenings I can ever remember, Joe and I walked around to see some of the sights.  We were entertained with old-time patriotic melodies:

And inspired by Thomas Edison's goal to have one major invention every six months and one minor invention every 10 days. 

If only I could do this with knitting patterns!

We visited the oldest windmill in the US

And although the houses aren't open (like they are during normal park hours), they are still fun to look at.

And a stroll through the gardens on a beautiful evening only help to make things more perfect

As we settled into our seats...

 and took in the sounds of the DSO...

I grabbed my knitting and Joe made an observation.  The lady right in front of us was working on her own knitting project.  And what did I learn from this?  Knitters know how to have a good time:

She must have snuck that in!

Overall, a wonderful evening with wonderful company.  I know the Fourth of July isn't usually a 'tradition-type holiday', but do you have any? 

Baby Bootie Follow-Up

You remember these guys, don't you?

That's right, they were the last-minute, KitchenAid-felted, 3-in-1 felted baby booties.

The recipient was the lovely Brandy Fortune.  I met Brandy at TNNA in June, but didn't realize I would be meeting her until the day before I left.  Brandy emailed me a while back and volunteered to take pictures of my 3-in-1 Felted Baby Booties on her daughter, Rowan.  This is why there was such a rush to complete the baby booties (and thus the infamous KitchenAid experiment).  To tell you the truth, I actually sat at a table in the Bryson Distributing Booth at the TNNA marketplace finishing these little booties... all because I forgot my sharp needles and had to take one off their display unit in order to sew on velcro and embroidery... really (Thanks, wonderful people at Bryson!). 

Anyway, Brandy is the author of the online blog Pixie Purls, and also has a pattern line to go along with it.  The Milk Infant Top has been a favorite of mine since it was published:

Besides having her own blog and pattern line, Brandy is also Co-Editor, Photo Editor, and Web Diva of the ever-popular Petite Purls. Petite Purls is an online knitting magazine that offers free children's patterns seasonally.  If you haven't seen it yet, it's a must!

So are you itching to see the beautiful shots of the baby booties on an actual baby?!?  I'm sure you are!

Aren't they just adorable?!
There are more, too!  You can see the rest of the photos here.

And while we are on the subject of baby items, I could use a little advice.  I know many of you are mothers and help for a soon-to-be-mom is always appreciated.  yesterday on my day off I started registering for my baby showers- I thought it would be easy, but quickly learned I was in over my head.  Is there anything in particular that you love, couldn't live without?  Anything I should pass on?

I'd love to hear what you have to say!

Holiday Weekend

Where ever the long holiday weekend takes you, I hope it's enjoyable.

Happy Fourth!