Finally Someone says it....

Here is someone to REALLY mourn for today:
Rest in Peace, LT. Bradshaw- a TRUE American hero who- like so many others- have died for our FREEDOMS and our LIBERTIES. GOD BLESS OUR AMERICAN TROOPS!

What about our boys?

Relatives of Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Decry Lack of Coverage Amid Jackson Spectacle
Tuesday, July 07, 2009

A day before New York Rep. Peter King called Michael Jackson a “pervert” unworthy of nonstop media coverage, the aunt of a U.S. soldier killed in Afghanistan on the same day Jackson died asked why her nephew's death went virtually unnoticed while the King of Pop got memorial shrines across the country.

"Mr. Jackson received days of wall-to-wall coverage in the media," Martha Gillis wrote to the Washington Post. "Where was the coverage of my nephew or the other soldiers who died that week?"

Gillis' nephew, Lt. Brian Bradshaw, 24, died in Kheyl, Afganistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Bradshaw, of Steilacoom, Wash., was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division in Fort Richardson, Alaska. He was one of at least 13 U.S. soldiers to die in Afghanistan since Jackson's death on June 25.
Bradshaw's mother, Mary, said she agreed with Gillis, saying the nonstop coverage of Jackson's death has become "totally ridiculous" and laughable.

"I can watch the news many nights and there's no mention of what's going on in Afghanistan or Iraq and there's boys dying over there," Bradshaw told FOXNews.com. "Oh God, I can't talk."

Gillis, of Springfield, Va., could not be reached for comment. In her letter to the Washington Post, she described Bradshaw as a "thoroughly decent person with a wry sense of humor" who loved history, particularly the Civil War.
"He had old-fashioned values and believed that military service was patriotic and that actions counted more than talk," Gillis wrote. "He wasn't much for talking, although he could communicate volumes with a raised eyebrow."
Bradshaw, who graduated from Pacific Lutheran University, was the product of a military family. His father, Paul, is a retired National Guard helicopter pilot, and his mother is a retired Army nurse. Bradshaw was buried Monday following a service at St. John's Bosco Church in Lakewood, Wash.
"He was a search-and-rescue volunteer, an altar boy, a camp counselor," Gillis' letter continued. "He carried the hopes and dreams of his parents willingly on his shoulders. What more than that did Michael Jackson do or represent that earned him memorial 'shrines,' while this soldier's death goes unheralded?"
Gillis said the only media outlets that covered Bradshaw's death were in his hometown of Steilacoom, Wash., and those where he was stationed before his deployment in March.
Gillis' sentiment echoes that of King, the Long Island, N.Y., congressman who called on society to stop "glorifying" Jackson in a YouTube video posted on Monday.
King said Jackson had been excessively praised in the days after his death while society ignored the efforts of teachers, police officers and veterans. In the two-minute video, King called the "day in and day out" coverage of Jackson's death "too politically correct."
"Let's knock out the psychobabble," he said in the video, which was taped outside an American Legion Hall in his district. "He was a pervert, a child molester; he was a pedophile. And to be giving this much coverage to him, day in and day out, what does it say about us as a country? I just think we're too politically correct."
King, who is among the possible Republican contenders to run against Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, acknowledged that Jackson "may have been a good singer" and "did some dancing," but he blasted the King of Pop as someone who could not be trusted around children.
"There's nothing good to say about this guy," King continued. "But the bottom line is, would you let your child or grandchild be in the same room as Michael Jackson?"

Eco-Friendly Awesome package!!!!

Many many thanks to Amandaleigh from the Odd Ducks Swap Group at Ravelry for the package that she put together for me for the It's Easy Being Green swap! Behold the awesomeness of her package for me:

Firstly, she thought of my kids! I love when people consider the fact that Im a Mom when they put packages together for me! It makes opening the package alot more fun and gives me some time to ohhhh and ahhh over the contents for me! So she sent Dylan and Lainie some recycled crayons and coloring books! These crayons are so neat! Melted down crayons and shaped into neat little things like seashells, trucks and pumpkins!

For the handmade item, she made me a market bag in my favorite color- Green! How appropriate for the swap theme! She *claims* to have had issues with parts of the bag, but it turned out so beautifully that I have trouble believing these claims! ;o)

The rest of the package contents were equally amazing:

An aluminum water bottle (which is great because Lola seems to have stashed my other one somewhere!), a sewn cozy for hot or cold drinks, a notebook (which is really making me crave some skittles!!!), some fair trade coffee, upcycled reusable wipes made from an old blanket (because she totally understands that my kids are the epitome of mess makers!), and a book to help teach the kids about helping the environment! There is also a great retractable tape measure shaped like a lady bug!!! Also included were these stitch markers, and this great little necklace which is a recycled scrabble piece with a globe on the back:

Absent from the picture are the obligatory chocolate bar (which was, by the way, DELICIOUS!!!) and a kit to make the Montavilla Market Bag from Knit Picks!

Thank you so much Amandaleigh!!!

Phat Pacific Octopus- Now FREE!

This octopus is knit using a 20 yard sample from Sqwish Yarn! Use your samples this month to knit up some cuteness!

Materials:

20 yd. of Sqwish Snuggletoes Sock yarn
size 3 dpns
1 stitch marker
tapestry needle
fiberfill.

Body Pattern:

Cast on 6 sts and divide between 3 dpns.
Place marker after first cast on stitch.

Row 1, 3, 5: KFB around.

Row 2, 4, 6: K around

Row 7: (KFB, K3) around

Row 8-12: K around

Row 13: (K2tog, K2) around

Row 14, 16, 18: K around

Row 15: (K2tog, K1) around

Row 17:K2tog around – **Stuff the body at this point**

Row 19: K1, (K2tog) around.

Cut yarn, and draw through remaining stitches and secure.

Legs: (Make 8)

I-Cord 3 for 10 rows.

Bind off leaving a tail long enough to sew the leg to the body.

Assembly:

Sew the legs onto the body at even intervals. Embroider eyes and mouth and revel in the cute!

A Crack in the Foundation.

Before I even start with this post, I want to ask that you read it with an open mind, and with the knowledge that I am in no way trying to push it onto you, my cherished readers. And if you have nothing nice to say, please by all means say nothing at all. I will take no offense.

Honestly, Im not even sure where to begin. The beginning, it seems, is always a good place. I was raised as a normal, run of the mill all-American kid. Scraped knees, family summer camping trips, church every Sunday morning, and some Nintendo thrown in for good measure. I played with Barbi's, went to a private religious school, and watched alot of television. Your perfect example of a product of suburban America. But even as a child (as early as 7 years old) I recalled "seeing things happen." Having visions, I suppose one might say. Not only things that later would actually happen (as in deja vu) but even possible outcomes of situations. I cant remember alot of these situations other than to remember that I did, in fact experience them. But a few I remember quite vividly. The best example I can give you is a very tangible one- my son, Dylan who is now 5. Although this one occured as a dream. About a week BEFORE I found out that I was pregnant with him- and after suffering a long period of infertility and then a tragic and emotionally painful miscarriage- I dreamt that I went into the Dr who performed a sonogram on my uterus. He told me that I was pregnant and showed to me exactly where in my body the baby had implanted. The dream continued and I dont remember all of it, but I distinctly remember sitting in the waiting room of an office I would later find out was the OB/GYN wing at Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth Virginia with a little boy with blong curly hair and the brightest blue eyes you could imagine. The next morning, I told Dean about the dream and we both sort of just blew it off. After having tried for so damn long, and losing what we had finally thought we achieved, we just didnt have the emotional energy to get excited about this silly dream. Well, a week later, I go in for a pregnancy test and YEY! I was in fact pregnant again! Well, 2 months later we were en route to our next duty station- Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Dylan was born April 3, 2004 at Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Virginia. 2 years later, he and I were sitting in the OB/GYN office at NMCP and he sat right next to me- blonde curly hair and bright blue eyes.
I've always had experiences like this. No explaination. A few years ago, I can't recall the circumstances under which the topic came up, but I was talking to my Dad about these visions and dreams and he dropped a bombshell on me- my great grandmother had been a visionary/seer for her Cherokee Indian tribe. This surprised me not only because it mean that I wasn't crazy, but because it meant that this was ok. Natural, even. I was going with it. It was not, however, something that I felt comfortable sharing with lots of people. I was raised as a Lutheran who went to church every Sunday, worshipped the Lord God, knew that Jesus died for my sins, and that if I lived a good and righteous life and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior, I was guaranteed a spot in Heaven.
But there were things that I just couldnt explain. Things that were just not right. Not only with Christianity, but with the world in general. I've always been fascinated with Astronomy. The stars. the galaxy, the planets... The stars were my glitter and I was a kid with A.D.D. OHHHH SHINY!!!! But I wasn't so much into the physics of it so much as I just wanted to be there. We simply, I reasoned, can NOT be the only beings in the entire universe. We can't. Its simply irrational to think that we could. But WHERE were the others? Why can't we find them, nor them us? Or had they? Wouldn't the Government like, tell us? The United States Government is full of people who hold integrity as a core value. Right? I mean- this is the US Government we are talking about. We have some bad MF'ers in our corner. Some genuine all american badasses. What would they really be risking by saying "Yeah, Roswell happened. Deal with it, or deal with our thugs here." But I digress....
So anyhow... Im sure you all have heard the hype regarding the new movie 2012. Im not sure if it directly correlates to the conspiracy theorys surrounding the date 21 December 2012. But that date, too, has fascinated me in recent years. Will the world actually come to an end on 21 December 2012? As Human beings, will our race cease to continue? Well I just had to know. So I did a little digging via Yahoo seaches. My first result was a website that was all about conspiracy theories surrounding the date 21 December 2012. Truly scary, pee your pants type stuff. Apocalyptic visions, end of the world, kiss your ass goodbye stuff. Uh, no thanks. But something else caught my eye. Something that led me to another, completely different website called Project Camelot. Upon checking out this site, I was able to watch videos, read commentary on others' views on not only what might happen, but what has already happened, and things to be aware of. Still conspiracy theories one might say, but reliable information from verified sources. Having read some of the things that I have read on this site, as well as on sites linked from this one, I have to say- my life is forever changed. I will never ever view the world (past, present or future) in the same way. Whether this information is true or false, real or not, can only be left to speculation and for the reader to discern for themselves. And this website makes that very clear- you read it, you watch it, YOU decide whether you will believe it or not. Connect the pieces for yourself and make your own decisions. I have, as an individual who I like to believe to be smart and well educated, decided that yes- this information is not only good, solid information, but it sure does explain alot. I DO believe that we are not alone in this universe, and that we have been visited. I choose to believe it and I choose to do more research on it. I find it fascinating.
However, as the title of this post would indicate, the information that I've read has caused a crack of sorts in the very foundation of my self. Everything that I was taught to believe- the Earth being only a few thousand years old contrary to scientific findings, that we are not only alone in the universe, but are also the smartest folks around, and even the core of my religious beliefs have been shaken. Could religion really be a great social experiment? Am I really simply a pawn in a game much larger than I could ever imagine? I've been thinking alot these past few days, and the things that I have come to realize are this- We are not alone in this universe. It is too damn big, and Earth is too damn small. Religion and spirituality are not necesarily one and the same, but I fail to believe that Jesus Christ was not everything that I have been taught. I always have, and continue to, believe that he is my savior and gave the ultimate sacrifice for my sins. I will continue to live a good life and do good things in it- if not simply to die knowing that I did live a good life and did good things for good people in its duration. The world is changing rapidly- nuclear war is an ever growing threat and the world is full of unstable, irrational leaders (Hello, Kim Jong-Il!) armed with nuclear warheads. Whether or not the world will actually end, or our way of life will be drastically altered, I dont know. But I do know that I dont want to go through it with a closed mind.

Now if you've made it this far, Thank you. I really needed to get these things out in the open and release some of this info. Im not going to be heading off and joining a Kool Aid drinking cult, or wearing a hat made of foil and throw out my beloved Blackberry all in the sake of keeping my privacy private. But I will say this- I am changed both in my way of thinking, as well as in my day to day life. I have weird dreams and Im ok with that.

Have a beautiful day!
XOXO,
Becca

June Phat Fiber Box!!!

So.Much.AWESOMENESS!!!!!
The fiber:

The yarns:

THE SEACELL OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want MORE!!!!!!!

The sparkly goodies and more awesomeness:

Octavius!

Phat Pacific Octopus pattern now available in my etsy store! Rebeccamhill.etsy.com

Ventura Wrap

Just off the 101 highway in Southern California is the sleepy beach town of Ventura. When I think of the beach, I think of Ventura. Balmy summer nights spent walking along the pier after a dinner at In-N-Out. I think of long walks on sandy shores at dusk when the slight breeze and setting sun make a light cover necessary. I think of lazing blissfully in the sun, soaking in every glorious moment.

This wrap envelopes every sentiment I love about Ventura- her simple beauty, warmth, and versatility. The 3 stitches are carried throughout the entire wrap so that you can knit this wrap without even thinking about it. It can be knit in any weight yarn, or with any fiber, and can go from casual to formal in an instant! You can lace ribbon up the sides and wear it as a long sleeved shrug! While the sample was knit using Red Heart Soft Yarn, this wrap will make a beautiful canvas to display a beautiful handspun or dyed yarn. I recommend yarns or fiber offered by Extreme Spinning- her yarns are gorgeous, the colors are saturated and organically dyed, and all fibers are from sustainable farms! You can find her shop at Extremespinning.etsy.com She has phenomenal yarn!!!

Materials:
250 Yards of Worsted weight yarn
Size US 17 Needles
Tapestry Needle
6’ of ribbon (if you plan to use as a shrug)

To determine length, measure your arm span from one wrist to the other, going across your back. If you don’t plan on wearing as a shrug, knit as long as you like!

Pattern:
Cast on 36 stitches
Row 1 and every following row: (K1, YO, K2tog) across
Once the wrap is knit to your desired length, bind off loosely.
Use the tapestry needle to weave in your ends.

To wear as a shrug, measure the length from your wrist to armpit.
Fold the shrug in half width-wise so that the long sides meet.
Take your arm measurement and, starting at the edge, measure towards the center of the shrug until you hit your measurement. Once you find it, pull a length of ribbon through eyelet on one side of the shrug to the other side. Like lacing up your shoes!
Continue until you reach the edge and tie in a bow.
Continue for other sleeve.

When Laura met Ysolda

Nope, not a book- although it sounds like it would make a rather fascinating read! But rather it is the name I have bestowed upon my most recent FO- the Cloud Bolero by Ysolda. (Rav link only folks, sorry.. the website on which it could usually be found is not up.) The pattern, for all intents and purposes, is good. I've read the horror stories regarding the now infamous "Row 20", but miraculously I had no problems with said row. Not to say that my math is by any means superior, but hey- whatever, right? The pattern could have been written more clearly, and Ysolda herself has blogged that it wasn't the best written pattern (which therein sporred the Liesl pattern, which is nearly the same, but with so many more options and much more clearly written!), and I would have to agree. Its simply not. But if you take the time and have the patience, the end result is pretty sweet.

So how, you might ask, does Laura Chau come into all of this bolero/row 20/superior math business? Aside from actually BEING good friends with Ysolda (gasp! What?! You mean my bolero didn't bring them together after all?) I felt that the dark grey yarn made the bolero look a bit drab. Downright dreary one might say. Especially since right now sunny Southern California is not so sunny. We are in the midst of some nasty June gloom and by Golly I've had enough! Its June gosh darnit! Gimme some sunshine and flowers! No, Laura Chau is not my sunshine on a gloomy day, but she DID design a pattern called Poppy for Rememberance (Rav download only). I used this pattern to knit Violets for sweet baby Violet's birth announcements in February. I had one single, lonely Violet laying around and it seemed to scream at me- "Hey! Knitter Lady! Grab a safety pin and put me on that bolero! Dont look at me like Im crazy, just do it!" I oliged and do not regret it.

Dean meets Violet

Dean came home for 2 weeks of leave from deployment! He is currently en route back to Japan, having just dropped him off at LAX. His visit was wonderful, he finally got to meet Violet, who is now 4 months old!

Behold- the very first picture of Dean and Violet:

This was taken in our living room at home, because when we FINALLY got to pick him up at the airport we were all so overwhelmed and exhausted that we just piled into the truck and drove the hour and a half home with Violet screaming her head off. As you can see, it was a looong drive:

She has become hopelessly smitten with her Daddy, and just like her big Brother and Sister, has him wrapped around her little fingers. And he sure is in love with her as well! He didn't want to let her go this morning. Of course, we didn't want to let him go either. But we all understand why he has to go, and I kept reminding the kids that Daddy was only home for a visit and will be home for good in a few more months. So it was a sad drive this morning to the airport, and as we were saying our goodbyes I got one final shot of the proud Daddy and the happy baby:

As I type this, Deans plane has just landed in San Fransisco and he is about to get on another plane to Japan. Please keep him in your thoughts today!

Preview Time!

Just a quick preview of my contribution to the June Phat Fiber box:

It's a pattern for something pretty cute, so be on the lookout!

Swap on a Budget 4!!

It came, It came!!! LOL My package for Swap on a Budget finally came! It was sent by Gretta and was stuffed to the brim full of goodies not only for ME but for the kiddos as well! Thank you so much, Gretta!!! Here's some pictures of the haul:

Phat Fiber May Box!!!

I recieved my Phat Fiber box for May!!! I was so excited not only because I was a contributer, but because this was my very first box to recieve! Soooo many wonderful contributers in this box, I cant wait for next month! So here's the haul:

The Fiber:

The Yarn:The Extra Goodies:

My Blue-eyed Babes.

Lainie: Dylan:
And Violet:

Three very good reasons to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Socks? Me?

Those who know me know that I live in flip flops. 24 hours a day. 7 days a week. 365 days a year. I live in Southern California for gosh sakes- it's what we do. I don't wear socks- the feeling of cotton rubbing on my feet gives me goose bumps and turns my stomach. I physically can NOT tolerate it. So why then, pray tell, am I so heavily drawn to these (ravlink)? What is it about these socks that has me looking at sock yarn and thinking it's about time to cut my sock knitting teeth? Preita, what have you done?

Creation, & Revelation with Explaination

Remember this post? Well, when Rebecca sent me that roving and spindle she could not have imagined the monster she was creating. A monster ravenous with lust of fiber, spindles and Kool Aide (yep, Kool Aide!) A monster who would subsequently produce this:

Yarn barf, you scoff? Perhaps. But it's my first yarn and I love it. And then there was this:

A little more delicious, a little less thick and thin. And finally:

My pride and joy- 10.5 yards of merino wool dyed with 2 packets of Black Cherry Kool Aide! I love it and am quite happy with the outcome!

Hey- remember this post? In which I declared I would be contributing to the May Phat Fiber box (SQUEE!!!)? Look for these in your May box:

My May Flowers stitch markers from my etsy shop. I hope you all enjoy them!!! And now for some revelation with explaination...

I've come to realize a few things in recent weeks. I thought I would share them with you in the hopes that you might be able to provide me with new perspective, perhaps. So here we go...

Revelation #1: Despite the fact that we live in tumultuous times with so much violence going on around the world, there are still plenty of people blessed to be living in suburban America who love to make themselves victims.

Explaination: My Mother was temporarily living with me for the past 3 weeks. The economy hit her hard causing her to loose her job and, therefore, her home. I had to ask her to leave as we rent as well and suspicions were being raised in my leasing office. Rather than be grown about the situation, she started going on about how she will have to live out of a hotel, and she cant find a job... All this as opposed to humbling herself and asking her brother or sister who both have extra rooms in their homes, and possibly applying for jobs that pay less than the $60,000 a year to which she has become accustomed. And what do I get for helping her out for the 3 weeks I was able to (not that I asked for, or expected, anything)? I got angry phone calls from my 3 sisters demanding to know why I had so crudely kicked my Mother out and said so many terrible things to her. Apparently, she had given each of my sisters a different version of the story- each one specifically tailored to each sisters weakness.

Revelation #2: I am madly in love with my Husband.

Explaination: Sometimes it is really easy to forget that.

Revelation #3: I should have written these down before starting this post.

Explaination: I had more to share, but forgot most of them.

Have a Beautiful day!

Im gonna be a phatty!!!

Woooooo!!! Im going to be contributing some samples to the Phat Fiber boxes for May!!! More later!!!

Fresh Bite Scarflet

A Twilight-inspired scarflet knit in white with blood red buttons. The cables and seed stitch, paired with the vampire bite eyelets, give this scarflet a uniquely sophisticated look that will leave even the most die hard Jacob fan wanting their own set of Vampire bites!


Materials:
Patons Classic Merino Wool (I used Winter White)
US 8 Straight Needles
Cable Needle
Tapestry Needle
Sewing needle with thread to match your yarn
4 buttons
Blocking pins

Pattern:
Cast on 30 stitches
Knit 4 rows of Seed Stitch (K1, P1) across.

Begin Pattern:
Row 1: K1, P1, K7, P3, K6, P3, K7, P1, K1
Row 2, 4, 6, 8: K1, P1, K1, P to last 3 sts, K1, P1, K1
Row 3: K1, P1, K7, P3, K1, YO, K2tog, K3, P3, K7, P1, K1
Row 5: K1, P1, K1, C6F, P3, K4, YO, K2tog, P3, C6F, K1, P1, K1
Row 7: K1, P1, K7, P3, K6, P3, K7, K1, P1, K1

Repeat the 8 rows to desired length minus 1/2" (1.3 cm) Sample shows pattern repeated 16 times for a total of 17 cable twists. END WITH ROW 8.

Next row: Beginning with a knit stitch, work in seed st across row.
Next row: Beginning with a purl stitch, work in seed st across row.
Next row: K1, YO, K2tog, (K1, P1) 3 times, K1, YO, K2tog, (K1, P1) 3 times, K1, YO, K2tog, (K1, P1) 3 times, K1, YO, K2tog
Next row: Beginning with a purl stitch, work in seed st across row.
Bind off.

Block the scarflet. Sew on the buttons along the edge of the scarflet in line with the button holes, using the photos as a guide.

...ahem...

I miss my Husband.

Fly-by Blogging

I havent knit in 2 days... the kids and I have been so sick for the past few days. Why cant people learn to stay home when they are sick instead of infecting everyone else with their ickys? Do you know how much fun it is to be taking care of a congested and crying 2 month old when your 5 year old wakes up screaming because his fever is making it uncomfortable to sleep? No? Thats because its no fun at all. In fact, its down right crappy. I keep staring longingly at my WIP sitting next to me on the end table- its a new pattern Im working on for a Twilight-inspired neck warmer/scaflet. But with 3 sick and crying kids and myself not feeling too hot, Im just not able to work on it right now.

Gretta's Bag

Materials:
110 yards of Super bulky wool yarn (I used Cascade 109.)

US 15 needles

Tapestry needle

Fabric for lining

Thread to coordinate with the color of your yarn

Gauge: 5 sts and 7 rows= 2” (before felting)

Pattern:
CO 30 sts
Row 1: Knit

Row 2: Purl

Row 3: Knit

Row 4: Purl

Row 5: K5, CF12, K 13

Row 6: Purl

Row 7: Knit

Row 8: Purl

Row 9: Knit

Row 10: Purl

Repeat rows 1-10 5 times, for a total of 6 cable twists.

Bind off.

Fold the piece in half with the CO and BO edges together. Seam the sides closed, leaving the top open.

STRAP: (Shown with 1, but would be great with 2)

CO 10 sts

Work in Stockinette until piece measures 12”. BO.

FINISHING:

Felt the purse to desired felty-ness and block. Using coordinating thread, sew the strap to the purse body. Line the bag and strap if you so choose.

Bananas are my favorite. Migraines-not so much!

A HUGE GINORMOUS THANK YOU to Melissa (Bananamigraine on Ravelry!) For the amazing package she sent to me!!! I had been a part of the Valetines swap with the Bad Knit Girls, but my original partner didnt send my package. So Melissa, being the fantastic person that she is, put together this kick ass package for me:

She sent me a pattern for a dishcloth with a heart on it, a pop up box for small knitting projects, yummy dove dark chocolates, a bar of what Im sure is going to be delicious dark chocolate, 2 lollipops for the offspring, a container of playdough for the offspring, a heart stamp, 3 bags of Cherry Vanilla flavored tea, baby leg warmers for Vi, and FOUR skeins of yarn- 2 skeins of Red Heart Heart and Sole (Colorway- Congo), a ball of Peaches and Creme (Red), and a hank of Lizard Toes sock yarn (Colorway- Irish Spring)!!! Thank you so much, Melissa- you are most definantly one Bad Knit Girl!

Spank (1 Jillion!)

Just your average blog post- Revisted!

Yey Im back with pictures! Ok, so where to begin? First I'll start with a wonderful gift I recieved from another Rebecca (Women named Rebecca just seem to rock as a rule...) She sent me this drop spindle and roving:

Im going to try to teach myself to spin yarn and Im so excited! If anyone can recommend any online resources for learning to spin on a drop spindle that would be great. Im sure I could find some myself, but I love getting recommendations from people who have actually USED the resouces and can tell me if they are worth my time. So anyhow- THANK YOU REBECCA (knitsandspins on Ravelry!) for the wonderful Random Act of Kindness!!!!

And now, heres some photos of what else I got in the mail this past week:



This is just honest to goodness yarn porn right here. This is Dream in Color Smooshy (I truly love the name!) and the colorway is In Vino Veritas. Im mad at myself for only buying 1 skein, so I plan on purchasing another. Its so soft and the color is so rich- Im thinking its going to make a great summer shawl or wrap. For right now its sitting on the coffee table enjoying the consistent petting. And now.... the current WIP- the Best Friend Cardigan:

You know what? I hate this cardigan already. You see that ginormous black and white thing in the picture? Yeah... thats a needle. A size 17 needle. Its like knitting with a highlighter. Its not even the size 19 the pattern calls for. You see the notes under the knitting? Yeah... thats the pattern. Kinda. You see, the pattern is written so damn vaguely it practically requires you to read the designers mind. And since my super power is xray vision and not mindreading, well... you see my dilema. Anyhow, a few more days and this bad boy will be an FO so keep an eye out for the post!

Just your average blog post.

Yeah, really nothing new to say. At least it seems that way since I havent uploaded the recent pictures onto my computer. LOL Today was mighty swell- I woke up and thats always nice. ;o) I didn't get any knitting done because I was trying desperately to figure out the pattern. I'll post more about that tomorrow though- with pictures. For some reason its just not as much fun without pictures! Picked up some more things for a care package for The Hubs. Kids threw fits. Swore up and down they love Daddy more than me. I bought them Icee's and we were cool again. Got a super freaking awesome package in the mail yesturday. And a super duper swell one in the mail the day before yesturday. Again- pictures tomorrow. I promise. Geez, I really need to get some sleep tonight! Check back tomorrow, y'all- there will be pics and a decent post!

There's a Hippo in my Cables!

I finished this hat today! The pattern is called Hawk Hat. While I had a few other hats in my queue, this one drew me in big time- not only is it very punk rock, but it is designed by a local gal right here in Ventura County. How could I resist?


Like that Hippo stitch marker? Me too. You can find them and other amazing stitch markers at weeones.etsy.com I got a set of 4 from an awesome gal in Swap on a Budget 1 last year and I LOVE them. They're great quality and have held up through the abuse of my 2 year olds sneaky fingers. I have to admit its pretty great knitting with something this cute. And if you're reading this and like me ALOT- I like THESE alot!

Time, Sweet Time (and other goings on)

Violet is nearing 6 weeks old now and I find it hard to believe that my baby has gone from this

to this

Still little and squishy and poopy and sleepy- but such a change! She is such a blessing and is so loved. She has even already had her first modeling gig!!! The little diva has been helping the good folks over at Arms Reach to better enhance one of their products- The Cocoon, and to help develop a new co sleeping product. We got to meet Dr. James McKenna, who heads the Mother-Infant Sleep Labratory at the University of Notre Dame. It's pretty interesting to see how the idea and practice of co-sleeping is taking off here in the US. We've co slept with all 3 of our kids now, and it's been so much easier what with breastfeeding, and getting much better (although not MUCH) sleep. Aaaaaaaanywayssssssss...

I finally got around to buying an outdoor toy for the kids! This is fantastic for SO many reasons- the kids get to work out their energy, I get to keep the house tidy, and we all get to go outside! Plus, I get to snap photos like this, of my Dad putting it together for me:

my girl Heather lending a hand:

And best of all- the kids enjoying it! (L to R: Lola, Heathers son Preston, Dylan and Dad!)

Life.Is.Good.

For the Record

For the record:

I am NOT a single Mother. Yes, in a previous post, I had alluded to being uncomfortable in my new role as single mother. I am, however, NOT single. Im happily married. Not so happily raising our 3 kids while the Hubs is deployed.

My daughter is NOT named after a Coldplay song. Yes, her name is Violet Hill. Yes, Coldplay has a song titled Violet Hill. Yes, it is simply a coincidence.

Ok, sorry just had to set the record straight. Oh and hey! Today is the last day of February! 2 months down in this deployment!!!

My Sweet Winter Blossom

I cant believe it, but Violet will be 2 weeks old tomorrow!!!! The past 2 weeks have been a crazy blurry haze of sleep depravation, diaper changes and nursing sessions. Im so in love with this squishy, adorable little girl and Dylan and Lola just cant get enough of her, either. It's hard to do it all without my Husband here, Im not going to lie, but somehow Im making it work. The Lord is really looking out for us. No signs of PPD, but it does seem like my symptoms of PTSD stemming from Lolas July accident are getting worse. I plan to seek counseling once Vi gets into more of a routine and I have more time to do so. But as for right now everything is manageable. So heres some recent pics of my sweet baby Violet Olivia!

Bartholomew

New Knitting Pattern! Enjoy, and please do not misrepresent as your own design. Thanks!

Materials:
Size 5 dpns
Worsted Weight yarn (I used Caron Simply Soft in Mango)
Tapestry needle
Felt for eyes and teeth
Sewing needle and thread to sew eye and fangs to the face

DIRECTIONS:

BODY:

CO6 and divide
Row 1: (K1, M1, K1) around
Rows 2, 4,6,9, 10: Knit around
Row 3: (K1, M1, K1, M1, K1) around
Row 5: (K1, M1, K1, M1, K1, M1, K1, M1, K1) around
Row 7: (K2, M1, K5, M1, K2) around
Row 9: (K2, M1, K7, M1, K2) around
Row 11: (K2, M1, K9, M1, K2) around
Rows 12-25: Knit
Row 26: (K2tog, K11, ssk) around
Row 27: Knit around
Row 28: (K2tog, K9, ssk)
Row 29: Knit around
Row 30: (K2tog, K7, ssk)
Row 31-60: Knit around
At this point you should stuff the body
Row 61: (K2tog, K1) around
Row 62: (K2tog, K1) around
Row 63: (K2tog) around
Cut yarn and draw through remaining stitches.

LEGS

CO 16 and divide between 3 dpns
Rows 1-15: Knit around
Row 16: (KFB, K1) around
Row 17: Knit around
Row 18: (KFB, K2) around
Row 19-21: Knit around
Row 22: (K2tog, K2) around
Row 23: Knit around
Row 24: (K2tog, K1) around
Row 25: K2tog around
Break yarn and draw through remaining stitches.

ARMS:

CO 10 and divide between 3 dpns
Rows 1-10: Knit around
Row 11: (KFB, K1) around
Row 12: Knit around
Row 13: (KFB, K2) around
Rows 14-16: Knit around
Row 17: (K2tog, K2) around
Row 18: Knit around
Row 19: (K2tog, K1) around
Row 20: K2tog around
Break yarn and draw through remaining stitches.

Stuff the arms and legs to desired firmness, and using the pictures as a guide, sew the arms and legs to the body. Use the felt pieces to make desired number of eyes, and fangs and sew the pieces to the face.

Meet Violet!

Violet Olivia Hill

born February 3, 2009 at 16:07

Life has been amazing ever since!

No Seriously... Chocolate Cannot Fix THIS.

Im serious y'all- this is beyond Chocolate. Why yes, I DO have a quart of Chocolate ice cream in the freezer and I HAVE tried drowning my misery in it. Alas, here I am- 34 weeks pregnant, alone, and crabby. The Hubs is once again deployed to yet another civil war ravaged third world country trying desperately to make their lives and standard of living better. He is going to be putting new roofs on hospitals so that laboring women dont have to worry about acid rain dripping down on them. They will build new schools so that the children there can get educated and help to build a better future for said country. And do you know how the local war lords and guerillas will repay my Husband and his men? By shooting at them, attempting to kidnap them, and try to strike fear into them to get them to leave.

I am so uncomfortable that I just want to scream. I am uncomfortable in my role as single, pregnant Mom, uncomfortable in my new house, uncomfortable with the impending change, uncomfortable knowing the situation that my Husband is in, and mostly just uncomfortable in my own skin. Yes, we moved AGAIN last month. To a bigger house (4 bed, 3 bath, and a garage) on the other side of town to another Naval base. I hate moving. And now I find myself nesting which only makes it all so much worse. I mean really- if ever there was a time when a gut wrenching, from-the-bowels scream was appropriate- now would be the time.

All of that being said, I am exhausted. I know that I havent updated in a while and I swear to the Good Lord above that I will do so more diligently in the coming months.

Have a Beautiful Day!
XOXO,
Becca

You dont say...

I came across this article a few days ago and I couldn't seem to get it out of my head:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20081107/sc_livescience/steamymagazinesmakemenfeelasbadaswomen

I mean, go figure. After years- decades, even!- of women dealing with negative body image and self esteem issues after watching their Husbands, boyfriends, even Fathers peruse excitedly through page after page of gorgeous, perfectly airbrushed beautiful women- its come to light that now men are beginning to exhibit self esteem problems as well. This is not to say that I am excited about this- for ANYONE, male or female, to have self esteem issues or a negative body image as a result of these photos is terrible. We are comparing ourselves to something that is not only unrealistic, but is simply not real at all. While yes, these women are gorgeous and have beautiful skin tones and are very photogenic, they do have cellulite, blemishes and probably a cup worth less of cleavage than the photo depicts. But you will never see these things because they are not aesthetically pleasing to a large portion of their intended audience. To see these things in the photos would mean that these women are REAL. And to be real they would be ATTAINABLE. They would have stubbly legs between shavings and a piece of pepper stuck between their teeth, and morning breath first thing in the morning. Their stretch marks from their 2 pregnancies would be prevalent and their hair would not be shellaced down to prevent fly aways during a beach shot. With the layers upon layers of makeup removed from their faces you would see that they too have a sprinkling of freckles across their nose, and that their chin breaks our worse than your own. You would see reality. When did reality become so negative?

Have a beautiful day!
XOXO,
Becca

Swap Goodness!

Oh how I love being a part of swaps!!! Not only do I run the Swap on a Budget group on Ravelry, but Im involved in a Ravelry based swap called Oh my Baby! Swap and its been so much fun stalking out my spoilee to figure out what to send to her! She, like me, is having a girl and is also due in February so its been super fun thus far! I also recieved my package from MY spoiler this past week! Bibliosophy sent me this super sweet package for my own little bundle o joy:

Included were a sweet little pair of booties and a matching hat, some tea, a handknit bag, a ball of South West Trading Company's Oasis soy (!!!) yarn, and a handmade card. Here is a better picture of the bag:

And in the words of the Cat in the Hat, "But thats not all, oh no! That is not all!"

I also recently recieved my swap package from the third round of swap on a budget from my spoiler Blizzy!!! Here is the wonderful package that I recieved from her:

I will post pics of the things that I send out to my spoilees once they are recieved so as not to spoil the suprises!!! I LOOOOVE swaps!!!

My Readers ROCK Contest!

You! Yes, YOU!!! You rock! Even if this is the first time you've ever visited my blog or even if you check back every day (sometimes twice!) to see if my lazy butt has posted anything new- YOU ROCK! And as proof of said rock-ness (?) Im sharing 2 pictures that were sent to me this week by 2 of my readers who have knit up some of my patterns.

First of all I recieved a photo of one readers rendition of Tattooed Tommy. Her name is Raquelle:

And then I recieved this photo from another reader who used my Basic Cabled Coffee Wrap pattern to knit these:

So seeing these pictures of projects knit from my patterns has inspired me to do another contest! Since I will be moving again at the end of the month, I will be closing this contest on Friday December 5th!!! To enter the contest, simply send me a picture of anything that you have knit from ANY of my patterns at partiesbyrebecca at yahoo dot com and you will get one entry for each pattern that you use. For example, if you send me a picture of a Mad Faced Mikey, you will get one entry. If you send me a picture of a Mad Faced Mikey, a Tattooed Tommy and Eve's Pasties, you will get 3 entries! All of my patterns (listed on the side bar of the blog) are eligible for this contest so get to knitting!

Oh yes and prizes..... well, prizes to be determined at this point, but they will be pretty great!

Tiny Turtle Tot!

It just keeps getting cuter and cuter! Introducing a tiny turtle tot:



This is starting to border on nauseatingly cute! This was knit up in about 2.5 hours and not only was it quick, it was fun! I just kept thinking about all the color possibilities and how quickly I could burn through my largely acrylic stash just knitting these little guys up- building my own little tiny turtle army!

Sheldon!

Oh my God, how cute is this little guy?! I've had him in my Ravelry queue for freaking ever and decided to knit him up for my friend Laurens baby shower next weekend! He knit up suprisingly quick- 4 days in all from cast on to finish. I normally dont mind the finishing details, but darn the finishing on this project was pretty tedious. It called for applied i-cord which I LOATE. After 4 failed attempts at it, I decided instead to just seam the shell attachment panel to the shell and knit the i-cord seperately and seam it onto the shell afterwards. The eyes are made of felt- since it's going to an infant I was leery of using even safety eyes. Not that I can find them around here anyways. I also knit my Sheldon in worsted weight yarn rather than the sport weight which I believe it called for. So I also increased my needle sizes up a size from size 4 dpns to size 5, and size 5 straight to size 6 straight. Overall I really liked knitting this little guy up and plan on making quite a few more in the coming months!

In other news, not much is going on. We've decided on a name for the baby but have also decided that we wont be telling anyone. Sorry. Or reasoning is pretty simple though. Imagine you are sitting in a room with all of your family and friends and you drop the name bomb right then and there. Half of the room will love it, and half will hate it. Those that love it will tell you so and will likely leave it at that. Those that hate it will tell you so and will give you 500 reasons as to why you shouldn't give your baby that name. However, if you dont tell anyone and instead wait until that cute little squishy faced baby is looking up at them to tell them the baby's name, no one is going to look at that baby in all its squishy goodness and say "Well thats a stupid name to give your baby." No- they're going to say "Awwww so cute!" or "Awwww she just pooped- back to Mommy!" But we assure you- its an adorable, not very common name. And I assure you also- if you dont like it, I dont care. :o)

Have a Beautiful day!
XOXO,
Becca

Holiday Doll Pattern

Holiday Doll

By Rebecca Hill

This doll is a SUPER QUICK knit, making it a perfect last minute Holiday gift!!! Enjoy! If you knit this, please send me a picture or upload them to your Ravelry notebook!

THIS PATTERN IS MEANT FOR YOUR PERSONAL USE AND NOT TO BE SOLD OR TO BE REPRESENTED AS YOUR OWN WORK!

Materials:
Size 5 dpns
Patons Brilliant- Radiant Red
Classic Elite Premier- White
Rowan Handknit Cotton- Lightish Blue and small amount of Black
Cardboard circle cut to 2.5" diameter (for base stability)
Yarn needle
Polyfil stuffing stuff

Pattern:
CO 6 and divide between 3 dpns
Rows 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11- Knit all sts
Row 2- Kfb around (12 sts)
Row 4- (kfb, k1) around (18 sts)
Row 6- (kfb, k1) around (27 sts)
Row 8- (kfb, k2) around (36 sts)
Row 10- (kfb, k1) around (54 sts)
Row 12- (kfb, k16) around (60 sts)
Row 13-27- K
AT THIS POINT, PLACE THE CARDBOARD CIRCLE IN THE BASE
Row 28- (k2tog, k16, k2tog) around (54 sts)
Row 29- (k2tog, k14, k2tog) around (48 sts)
Row 30- (k2tog, k12, k2tog) around (42 sts)
Row 31- (k2tog, k10, k2tog) around (36 sts)
Row 32- (k2tog, k8, k2tog) around (30 sts)
Row 33-40- K
STUFF THE BODY AND SWITCH TO THE SKIN COLOR
Row 41-43- K
Row 44- (k2tog, k6, k2tog) around (24 sts)
Row 45- K2 tog around (12 sts)
Row 46-48- K
Row 49- Kfb around (24 sts)
Row 50- K
Row 51- (kfb, k1) around (36 sts)
Row 52-56- K
Row 57- K2tog around (18 sts)
STUFF NECK AND HEAD
Row 58-K2tog around (9 sts)
Break yarn and draw through remaining stitches. Fasten securely.

HAIR-
You can pretty much do the hair however you prefer. This was the first time I'd done doll hair like this, and I dont really recommend it. I wrapped the yarn around a small book several times, and broke the yarn. I cut the ends on each side (the "loops") and sewed right down the middle to attach it to the dolls head.

FACIAL FEATURES-
Again, this is something you can do however you prefer.

ARMS-
CO 6 sts. Using I-cord method, work until piece measures 3 inches, or to your desired length. Cut yarn and draw through remaining sts, fastening securely. Attach them to the dolls body just above the dress/skin line.

Any questions, please feel free to send me an email at partiesbyrebecca at yahoo dot com!

XOXO,
Becca

Ohhhh Baby.