Being sick is no fun!

And it's even worse when it's your baby who's sick!

Kaiden went to the Dr's yesterday, where we found out he had conjunctivitis (we knew that) and an ear infection. He also has a really bad cold, to the point where he'll cough, start gagging and throw up. :( It's the first time he's really been sick, you can see he just doesn't feel good. His voice is hoarse, and he wants Mommy all the time. Good thing about babywearing - he can be cuddling with me, and I can still get things done around the house.

He's on erythromycin ointment, and liquid amoxycillin, plus occasional tylenol for the fever and pain. His eyes already look tons better, but you can tell he doesn't feel good at all. Hopefully our next update will have him feeling better!

Maine IMPEACH

While watching the news tonight, I learned of a Maine campaign for a resolution calling for an impeachment investigation against the President and Vice President. It has gathered over 11,000 signatures, and was submitted to the state legislation today. There have been discussions and meetings in a number of states regarding this issue, and there is already a resolution before the house to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney.

Ten Reasons to Impeach George Bush and Dick Cheney

1. Violating the United Nations Charter by launching an illegal "War of Aggression" against Iraq without cause, using fraud to sell the war to Congress and the public, misusing government funds to begin bombing without Congressional authorization, and subjecting our military personnel to unnecessary harm, debilitating injuries, and deaths.

2. Violating U.S. and international law by authorizing the torture of thousands of captives, resulting in dozens of deaths, and keeping prisoners hidden from the International Committee of the Red Cross.

3. Violating the Constitution by arbitrarily detaining Americans, legal residents, and non-Americans, without due process, without charge, and without access to counsel.

4. Violating the Geneva Conventions by targeting civilians, journalists, hospitals, and ambulances, and using illegal weapons, including white phosphorous, depleted uranium, and a new type of napalm.

5. Violating U.S. law and the Constitution through widespread wiretapping of the phone calls and emails of Americans without a warrant.

6. Violating the Constitution by using "signing statements" to defy hundreds of laws passed by Congress.

7. Violating U.S. and state law by obstructing honest elections in 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006.

8. Violating U.S. law by using paid propaganda and disinformation, selectively and misleadingly leaking classified information, and exposing the identity of a covert CIA operative working on sensitive WMD proliferation for political retribution.

9. Subverting the Constitution and abusing Presidential power by asserting a "Unitary Executive Theory" giving unlimited powers to the President, by obstructing efforts by Congress and the Courts to review and restrict Presidential actions, and by promoting and signing legislation negating the Bill of Rights and the Writ of Habeas Corpus.

10. Gross negligence in failing to assist New Orleans residents after Hurricane Katrina, in ignoring urgent warnings of an Al Qaeda attack prior to Sept. 11, 2001, and in increasing air pollution causing global warming.

(The above was quoted from MaineIMPEACH.org)

For more information about Maine's campaign visit MaineIMPEACH.org. For information on a national movement, visit A28.org, The People's Impeachment Movement.

Open House at a local alpaca farm!

Yesterday afternoon we went to an open house at a local alpaca farm, Long Plains Alpacas. There were representatives from several other local farms (and some of their alpacas, of course) including Sunshine Alpacas, Foss Mountain Farm, White Barn Meadows, Abenaqui Alpacas, Maple Hill Farm, Pamelamas, and Bellemont Farm Alpacas. There was a shearing demonstration, spinning, and other information, kool-aid dyeing for the children, and a ton of yarns and fiber for sale, as well as ready made goods. Very tempting, but I was good and didn't buy any!

With the exception of Sunshine Alpacas, they were all huacaya being represented. Sunshine Alpacas brought 3 of their suri alpacas. They had already been shorn, and she didn't bring any fleece, so I missed out on the dreadlocks! Looks like they'd be gorgeous though! White Barn Meadows had a pair of gelded fiber males, they were beautiful! Cinnamon was especially sweet, and gave Kaiden kisses. He was beautiful, I just wanted to snuggle him!

Kaiden had fun, he was checking everything out, and kept trying to play with the yarn. All in all, a very fun day! I can't wait until the Fiber Frolic the 9th and 10th!

Here are a bunch of pics from yesterday!

Cinnamon, gelded male from Sunshine Alpacas


Some alpacas from Abenaqui Alpacas


Suri alpaca from Sunshine Alpacas


Sugar Ray, before shearing demo


Sugar Ray after shearing


A befuddled Kaiden


Comfy Kaiden!


Resident llama of Long Plains Alpacas

New FO! Zen String shorties

Here's my latest finished item. It is a pair of shorties knit with the WW Perfection Pants pattern. The trim is knit with white Peace Fleece, while the body is knit with Nirvana worsted Zen String in the now retired Pumpkin Pie colorway. The waistband is a 1x1 ribbing, while the legs cuffs were done in seed stitch. I still need to add a drawstring, but they're otherwise finished. I LOVE the way these came out, and the Zen String was a dream to knit with! So luxuriously soft and smooth in your hands, and the color is just beautiful!

I was a bit worried about the length in the legs, but it came out just right!

Dyeing for a Crock-Pot!

I finally dyed some "mini-skeins" of yarn to match my last dye project. I took a skein of Patons merino and split it in half so I'd have two smaller skeins (just under 2oz each). I decided to use the crock pot to dye them, since I wouldn't have to worry about checking on the yarn constantly while taking care of Kaiden.

My first step was to soak the yarn in water and vinegar for a while, about half an hour. While that was soaking, I prepared the pink dye. I put water and 1/2 c of vinegar in the crock pot, and set it to low. In a separate container, I mixed a little vinegar, two tablets of easter egg dye, and some hot water. After the tablets were dissolved, I dumped this in the crock pot and mixed it all together. Next step was to add the yarn to the crock pot, and turn it up to high. As the yarn "cooked", the color saturated the yarn, and after only an hour, the dye was exhausted, and it was done! The yarn will be saturated, while the water will now be clear.

At this point I turned off the crock pot and let the yarn cool. Once it's cooled down, I rinsed it with warm water, spun it out in the washer, and hung it to dry. After drying, I put it in a hank. I love all the subtle variations in the color, and it matches the original skein wonderfully!

Next up was the blue skein. While I really wanted the darker "crushed blueberry" color in the main skein, I didn't have enough tablets to experiment, and couldn't remember how I originally created it. Instead, I went with the other blue in the skein. I repeated the same process of soaking the yarn, mixing the dye, cooking the yarn, then letting it cool off, rinsing it, and hanging it to dry. Once it was dry, I wound it into a hank. It also has great variations in color, and matches well.

Here they are all together!

Losing Paradise...

So, what do you do when you realize you're losing Paradise, your heaven on earth, your perfect place...?

My Gram owns a camp up in Greenville (ME, not SC!), right on Moosehead Lake. It's the most amazing place in the world. Surrounded by woods, right on the water. Tons of trails, mountains, wildlife, everything you could want. The town itself is so full of character, that quaint, wonderful feeling you get with small towns.

Growing up, I went there all the time with Gram and Grampa. There are so many memories I have, even today it's my safe haven. I can't imagine life without camp. Grampa ruled the camp, taught us to fish, took us out on the trails, and showed us how to respect nature. Growing up he was, and still is, one of my biggest heroes. He may not have been perfect, but he was incredibly wise, and so full of peace. He is who taught me to love land, animals and nature. Knowing that Kaiden will grow up never knowing him breaks my heart.

Gram has been talking about selling camp for quite a while, though we never thought she would. She doesn't go up anymore, I can only imagine how painful it must still be, even after 7.5 years. She's brought home all her furniture from their bedroom, and now is in the process of cleaning the camp out and putting it on the market.

If I had the resources, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, there's no way we could afford it, even without all the land. If for no other reason, I'd want to give Kaiden the experiences I had growing up. I can't imagine him growing up not knowing this incredible place. Without camp, it'll be next to impossible to get up there often. Inns are expensive, and we're not exactly rolling in the dough. With an almost 4 hour drive, we can't exactly just go for a day trip either.

There are so many memories I have up there. Snowmobiling on the lake, and my brother almost crashing into a tree. Driving to camp late one night and seeing the coyote. My first, and only, canoe ride. Grampa teaching us to fish. Leisurely boatrides, followed by a picnic on the beach. Going in town to see the parade and fireworks on the 4th of July. Labor Day weekend with the Fly Inn, and seeing all the planes. Going out at night to see the moose. Sunday mornings with egg muffins. Gram wanting to leave, and Grampa taking his time. Summers when everyone came up, having a blast in the lake. Cookouts, followed by roasting marshmallows. Going on hikes in the woods, picking wildflowers with Gram, or learning tracks with Grampa...

I can't even express how much it hurts to know I'm losing this sanctuary. To know I'm saying goodbye to that place forever, and knowing Kaiden won't be able to experience all those wonders. It's like losing Grampa all over again, and losing any future we had up there. I can't blame her for selling it, I really can't. It just sucks, beyond belief, knowing what I'm losing. I never imagined this time would come, I don't know what to do.

What do you do when you realize heaven, your perfect place, is gone?

All Done!

Tonight I finished sewing up my newest diaper. It's a medium Fattycakes side snapping fitted diaper. `The outer layer is a printed cotton interlock, with a red velour inner. The internal soaker is two layers of hemp terry, with a snap in soaker consisting of two more layers of hemp terry, topped with velour.

I made another diaper in the same pattern, but in a size large. The rise is a bit high on that one, but I think the medium should fit him well. Kaiden is already down for the night, so it will be tried on tomorrow.

Here are the pics as promised. For the most part the diaper came out as expected, though I did forget to put in the size tag while adding the snaps, and the snap-in soaker is shaped oddly. Otherwise it came out fine. :)

Pulled the sewing machine back out...

I finally blew the dust of the sewing machine and got back to work! Since Kaiden is crawling, and I only have two pair of babylegs, I really needed to make some more. They work great for keeping his knees from getting dirty or banged up when he's cruising around. Also keeps his legs warm while being able to show off his adorable diapers!

These homemade babylegs were created from a pair of tights. I was able to get two pair of babylegs out of them, though I'm only showing off one pair! The other didn't come out so nice, but is still plenty functional. The ankle cuffs are a tad too wide, but otherwise these fit him well. Great news for those thunder thighs!



I also have a diaper I started tonight. It's from the Fatty Cakes pattern, and is a fitted diaper. The outer is a cotton woven print, hemp french terry internal soaker, and a cotton velour inner. I still need to add the snaps, the external soaker, and sew the back closed. I'll have pics for you when I'm done, as well as a sneak peek of the rest of the future fitteds stash! In the meantime, here's a peek at the dipe-in-progress. Enjoy!

Sweet Tarts and Blueberries...

After Easter, I bought a bunch of egg dye with the intention of dyeing some wool yarn. Friday night I finally got around to dyeing my two skeins of natural Patons Merino. The intention was to make a pair of shorts out of each skein, but the end result of one skein is too girly for Kaiden. I think I have a plan for it though. ;)

This first skein is "Sweet Tarts". I asked my baby brother and sister what to name them, and they came up with "Pickle Pumpkin", Mom and Nate came up with the final names for these skeins.

The first step was to soak the yarn in water and vinegar. I soaked it for about an hour, then squeezed out the excess liquid, and laid it out on top of plastic wrap. After mixing the egg dye, I painted it on with a sponge brush, then wrapped it up in the plastic wrap. To set the color, I used the microwave. Cook for two minutes, let cool for a couple minutes, repeat for a total cooking time of 10 minutes. After it cooled down completely, I spun it out (on gentle, of course!) in the washer, and hung it to dry. Saturday afternoon, when it was all dry, I reskeined it.

Pretty, no? Unfortunately, way too girly for Kaiden to wear!

Here it is in a center pull ball, and a swatch I knit up to see how the colors blend.


Next up is Blueberry Fields. Nate said he wanted something blue and green, so here it is! The bright blue and neon green are original egg dye tablets. The darker shades are ones I mixed out of various colors.

For this one, I followed the same steps as above. Here it is after painting and hanging to dry. Saturday it was all dry, so I reskeined it as well, then put it into a center pull ball and knit a swatch as well. This will become a pair of cargo shorts for Kaiden, though I'm not sure what color I'll use for trim yet. I love how the colors came out though, and I can't wait to see a FO from this yarn! Here it is in the skein, before I rewound it into a CPB.

See Kaiden! See Kaiden Crawl!

I mentioned in my last blog that Kaiden had started crawling. In just a few short days, he has completely mastered it! He's now getting into EVERYTHING, and just today got himself stuck under the couch. Time to get a baby gate before he figures out those stairs!


May 2nd, his first attempts at crawling!


Yesterday, he's mastered it!

Happy 9 Months Kaiden!

Kaiden turned 9 months old today! Seems like just yesterday he was born!

It's incredible how much he's grown and changed, even in the past couple weeks. He's learned how to go from laying down/rolling to sitting up. He can pull himself up, and stands with assistance. He's started figuring out his pincer grasp, and does it all the time now. He's very proud of himself with that. He's been practicing crawling, and took his first "crawls" today! I attempted to get a video, but the batteries in that camera were dead.

Peek-a-boo is a favorite game. He loves pulling a blanket over his head, and pulling it off to "surprise" us! Too funny! He's such a funny boy, and SO happy! It's amazing how happy he is, and all the time too! I always get people asking if he's always like that, and they never believe me when I say yes.

He's understanding the world around him so much more now. He knows what we're saying most of the time, and while we've been lax teaching him new signs, he knows what up, milk, bath, kitty, grammy, daddy, mommy, diaper, and a few other words mean. "Kitty" (Oliver) is his best buddy, and he lights right up every time he sees him! Oliver loves Kaiden as well, and gets very jealous whenever you play with K and ignore him.

He really loves the outside too. This weekend is supposed to be really nice, so I'm hoping to take the twins and Kaiden down to the elementary school down the road to go play at the playground. They'll have a blast, and I'm sure Kaiden will love it too!

Happy Nine Months Kaiden!

Welcome home boys!

Tonight my friend Kim and her hubby Mark came over for dinner. While that was pretty good, my highlight of the evening, next to finally getting to hang out with Kim again, was getting my new "kids"! There was a rat dumped at an area shelter Kim used to work at, and she was lucky enough to foster the litter of amazingly gorgeous babies! As soon as we saw she had named them all with Boston Red Sox names, there was no saying no! lol

We adopted Dice-K Matsusaka (I have NO idea if I spelled that right!), Manny Ramirez, and Jason Varitek. Dice is a blue rex boy, Manny is a blue self, and Jason is a black self. They're SO friendly too! Tonight I was playing with them, and had a great time "wrestling" with Manny and Jason. Dice is a bit shyer than the other two, but I'm sure with some time, he'll warm right up. :)

Nate bought me their new rat cage as an early birthday present. It's a Midwest Ferret Nation, which is THE closest thing I've ever seen to the perfect rat cage! I sectioned it off so my current boys (Charlie, Henry and Finnegan) are up top, and the new boys are in the bottom section that has been screened in, since they're still small enough to fit through the bars. Once they're a bit bigger, they'll be introduced to the other boys and they'll all share the cage.

Pictures coming soon, but for now here's a pic of the cage, a pic of Charlie, and some older pics of the new guys. Enjoy!