A Summer in Haiku

My kids have been giving me grief that I have been so lax updating the blog lately, but we've been having too much fun this summer! So, I thought the kids and I would review the summer's events -- and to make it even more fun (and short), we would do it in haiku. So, here goes (in chronological order):

First Skiing of the Year at Timberline Lodge (May, 2009):
Skiing in powder
Swimming in the deep blue pool
Then Ginny threw up.

Annual Father's Day Camping Trip (June, 2009):

Father's day camping
It was so perfectly planned
Rained out - no can do.

4th of July:

Saved money for months
Oh glorious explosions
Zipper didn't run

Timberline Skiing for Tim's Birthday (July 7, 2009):

One day skiing trip
Met Guinness record holder
Skied til the runs closed

Snow Lake Camping Trip (July, 2009):

Hiking in and out
A great first trip for Aaron
Didn't fall down cliff

Camp Howard (July, 2009):

Camp Howard was cool
Canoeing and archery
The pool was fun too

Trip to England (July, 2009):

First hour - car broke down
Two silly pictures were drawn
Saw Harry Potter

Redwoods Vacation (August, 2009):

Giant trees, cool seas
All cliff climbing on the beach
Hanging with good friends

Kitchener (Stitches) and Sock Summit

Every now and then, I take a peek at my world map below to see where my blog visitors are coming from. And, I noticed that there is occasionally a visitor from Kitchener, Ontario (it happened again just today). Now, if you are a knitter, you know why this particular visitor always pops out at me...yes, the dreaded Kitchener stitch required to complete a pair of socks. Just when you think you are finally done, you still have that bit of tedium to complete before you can wear and enjoy your socks.

But, in this case, I always like it when the Kitchener visitor pops up on my map, because I like to think of this visitor as happily knitting socks while reading my blog. And, today, it was particularly nice, because I just returned from the Sock Summit in Portland, OR. Imagine an entire convention center filled with nothing but knitters and yarn. Perhaps that isn't your idea of fun, but for me it was seventh heaven.

In actuality, of course, who knows who the Kitchener visitor is or why s/he visits the blog. Perhaps they don't even knit! But, I thought I would dedicate this post to all sock knitters out there...those lucky enough to make it to the Sock Summit, and to those who were with us in thoughts! (Trust me, we bought enough yarn for everyone...)

Jongleur (n.)

1. A wandering minstrel, poet, or
entertainer in medieval England
and France.


2. A happy hat for the little
entertainer in your life.

Materials Used:
I Hook
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft Brights (Light Worsted Weight)
Color A: Yellow
Color B: Purple
Color C: Turquoise
Color D: Red
Tapestry Needle
Scissors

Gauge:
Not particularly important, since you begin with a chain for the brim that is sized to fit your little one.

Pattern Notes:
(1) Hat is worked in the round from brim up to crown.
(2) Foundation chain for brim is created in multiples of 4. To modify size, add or subtract multiples of 4 ch until desired size.
(3) From brim to crown, rounds are joined with sl st to first stitch of round.
(4) Crown is worked in continuous spiral without sl st.

Abbreviations:
ch: chain
sl st: slip stitch
sc: single crochet
dc: double crochet
tr: treble crochet
PM: place marker
sts: stitches
sc2tog: single crochet two together

Size: 2T-3T (Can be increased or decreased by making starting chain longer or shorter by multiples of 4).

JONGLEUR:

Brim:
With A, ch 64. Join with sl st to begin working in rounds. Ch 1.
Round 1: Work sc around. Join with sl st to first stitch, changing to B. Ch 3. (64 sts)

Round 2: Work dc around. Join with sl st to first stitch. Ch 3. (64)

Round 3: Work dc around. Join with sl st to first stitch, changing to C. Ch 1. (64)

Round 4: Work sc around. Join with sl st to first stitch, changing to B. Ch 1. (64)

Round 5: Work sc around. Join with sl st to first stitch, changing to C. Ch 3. (64)

Round 6: Work dc around. Join with sl st to first stitch, changing to A. Ch 4. (64)

Round 7: Working in front loops only, work tr around. Join with sl st to first stitch. Ch 1. (64)

Round 8 (Creating Welt): Work sc around while at the same time working through back loops of dc from Round 6. (In other words, you are creating a welt by working single crochets to join the tops of the treble crochets from Round 7 to the free back loops of the dc from Round 6.) Join with sl st to first stitch, changing to D. Ch 3. (64)

Round 9: Work dc around. Join with sl st to first stitch, changing to C. Ch 1. (64)

Round 10: Work sc around. Join with sl st to first stitch, changing to D. Ch 3. (64)

Round 11: Work dc around. Join with sl st to first stitch, changing to A. Ch 1. (64)

Round 12: Work sc around. Join with sl st to first stitch, changing to B. Ch 4. (64)

Round 13: Working in front loops only, work tr around. Join with sl st to first stitch. Ch 1. (64)

Round 14 (Creating Welt): Work sc around while at the same time working through back loops of sc from Round 12. Join with sl st to first stitch, changing to C. Ch 1. (64)

Crown:
From here on, do not join rounds, but PM to note beginning of each round. In addition, divide sts equally into 4 parts and PM (preferably of different color from one used to mark beginning of round). If you started with 64 sts, then a marker would be placed on the 1st(i.e., beginning of round), 17th, 33rd, and 49th sts.

Round 15: Work 1 round of sc. (64)

[You will now begin decreases by working sc to each marker. After each marker, sc2tog.]

Round 16: Work sc to each marker, then sc2tog the two sts following each marker. 4 sts decreased. (60)

Round 17-21: Continue as established. (40 sts at end of Round 21).

After Round 21, work decreases every other round.

Round 22: Work sc around. (40)

Round 23: Decrease round (36)

Round 24: Work sc around. (36)

Round 25: Decrease round (32)

Round 26: Work sc around. (32)

Round 27: Decrease round (28)

After Round 27, go back to decreasing every round.

Round 28: Decrease round (24)

Round 29: Decrease round (20)

Round 30: Decrease round (16)

Round 31: Decrease round (12)

Round 32: Decrease round (8)

Round 33: Decrease round (4)

Work even for 2 more rounds, then break yarn and weave though sts and pull tight.
Weave in all loose ends.

Toppers:
Using A, ch 7. Work popcorn st in 2nd ch from end, then sl st back to beginning of chain and finish off.

[Popcorn stitch: Work 5 sc in specified st. Drop loop from hook. Insert hook in top of first sc in group. Pull dropped loop through st.]

Make toppers in B and D.

Fasten tightly to top of hat and weave in all loose ends.

Swirl

A cute swirly topper for your favorite little one...

SWIRL

Materials Needed:

Size 4 16" circular or DPN needles
1 skein Crystal Palace Yarns Mini Mochi (195.0 yds/178.3 m) Colorway 103
Tapestry needle
Scissors

Abbreviations:
CO: cast on
SKP: Slip 1 as if to knit, Knit 1, Pass slipped stitch over
sts: stitches
PM: place marker

Gauge: 24 sts across 4"

Size: 0-3 mos.
(For toddler size, try a worsted weight yarn with size 6 needles.)

Using long-tail method (or other loose cast-on) CO 88 sts.
Join to work in round. PM to denote beginning of round.

Brim:
*Knit 2 rounds. Purl 3 rounds.*
Repeat 4 more times (or once for each color change, depending on your preference).

Knit in round until hat measures 4" from beginning (or desired depth).

Begin Crown:
Purl 4 rounds.

Divide hat into 4 equal parts by placing marker after every 22 sts.

Begin Swirl Top:
SKP after every marker until 4 sts remain.

Work i-cord for 3 inches. BO and tie in knot at top. Weave in any loose ends.

For an alternate "swirlier" top:
Try dividing top into 8 equal parts, and doing the SKP after each marker. This would result in a rounder swirled hat (more like a soft serve ice cream cone as opposed to the square design currently pictured).

2009 Summer Bucket List

Summer is finally almost here! The kids have decided we need to have a "Little Bucket List" (i.e., spontaneous fun) and a "Big Bucket List" (i.e., things that need to be planned in advance). Without further ado, here they are:

Big Bucket List

Father's Day Camping

Summer Skiing (Dad's Birthday)

Sun River

Windsurfing in Hood River

Reno waterparks

Visit Boston, MA and Boston, England

Winthrop, WA and Ross Lake

Re-design/Paint Alli and Chardy's Room

Summer camps

Cannon Beach

Hiking in the Gorge

Wild Waves Amusement Park

Little Bucket List

Swimming

Have a Picnic

Midnight Bowling

Library

Go Junking (i.e., Garage Sales)

Ice Skating

Rock Climbing

French Park

Enchanted Forest

Play Bump (a basketball game)

Racquetball

Have a Lemonade Stand

Barnes & Nobles

Baskin Robbins / Coldstone

Farmer's Market

Yarn shopping (gotta have something in here just for the blog author!)

Painting

Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince

Geo-caching

OMSI

Our Champion!

Over 1700 kids compete in CYO track & field. And, only 64 of the girls even qualified to compete in the long jump at the Meet of Champions this weekend. Alli was thrilled to be among that 64 (she was ranked 27th coming into the meet with a qualifying jump of 11' 2"). So, it was even more of a thrill when she set her personal best jump ever (improving by more than a foot from her previous best!). And, it was absolutely amazing when that personal best landed her on the podium today in 8th place. We were hugging and jumping up and down for joy when they unexpectedly called her to the award's stand. Check out her amazing jump (12' 6 3/4"):



And, her award ceremony:

The Best Cards Ever...

...from the best kids ever. An assortment of their cards for my birthday and Mother's Day.

From Aaron:


I love the multiple attempts he made to spell "Your family loves you..." "a" "Are" U" and then finally he went oh what the heck: "we all love you a lot"!

From Chardy:
Who knows I'd rather have a cold drink than be "queen for a day"





And, from Alli, my amazing artist: