casapinka

Selina Lake

Signed copies of Selina Lake's new book Homespun Style are now available on Etsy. Husband and I looked at a house last week with a backyard area just like the one on top. It's a slight possibility - I'm hopeful. Have  great Monday, everyone.

Orla Kiely Patterns

The other day, I looked down at my bed and liked all the patterns and colors, so I took a picture. The Orla box was from here.  I keep my inspiration journal things in it, like double stick tape, scissors and gel markers. We're getting ready to go for a family breakfast now. Junior is already throwing a hissy because he's wearing these and Husband said Absolutely Not and I'm tucked away trying to avoid the argument. Shhh: I'm the one who told him he could wear them in the first place. I'm going to be busted any second now. 

Lie Back and Think of Canada

I couldn't possible write a post yesterday, as after all the consternation of two days ago, in the middle of it all, the "fire cleanup people" almost made me move to Canada. Yesterday was spent talking myself down and ensuring I didn't emigrate.  You remember the Fire of December, yes? Well, they are finally doing the cleanup and restoring and while Junior was yakking his brains out they decided to  to shut off our water. Barfing kid - no water - sleep deprived, wild-eyed mother - bad combination. I won't comment further as I've decided to be a lady today. 

What always amazes me is how during calamitous times at Casapinka, stuff gets knit. Husband forbids me to put this bumper sticker on my car but I think other knitters can relate. Don't think of denying it! All is well with Junior now. He and his sister are back yelling "Duh!" at the end of every answer to a simple question (anyone hate that as much as I do?)  Anyway, here is this baby dress for a 1 year old that knit itself while I was thinking of Canada. Perhaps that's what I'll call it.  It's so boring and dumb looking  I want to cry, though. It needs something. Here's what's been suggested and please pipe in: a bow, a heart, some ric rac, an Easter Bunny, a pocket with a heart, two pockets with hearts,  and an embroidered heart tatoo on the butt that says "Mom." 

Junior Sells Out

I'm phoning it in today, folks. For the third week in a row Junior has some malady. He was sick all day and night. I finally bit an adult anti-nausea pill in half and managed to get it down his gullet at 3am. The last place I wanted to end up was the ER for IV hydration. The pill did nothing - he couldn't hold it down. I tried it again this morning and it worked better. It's a bit touch and go. Husband, are you having FUN in VEGAS?

Awake at 5am (memories of breast feeding come to mind - those days when it was easier to roll over and feed the kid while still sleeping, only this time I was holding a bright pink bowl under Junior while trying to make him sit up) I stumbled downstairs to make coffee and the machine broke. BROKE! Then the cat wouldn't shut up because she had no litter. Meow! Meow! Meow! She's an indoor cat but I'm ashamed to say i almost tossed her out the front door with a "Figure it out! Find some dirt or something!"

So, covered with the noxious scent of Junior, sleep deprived and in caffeine withdrawal, with a cat screaming for more litter, and a massive headache, I started to knit a new blanket. 

Neckties from Me and Matilda's Etsy Store 

Fernando Voken Togni

I love graphic designer Fernando Voken Togni. Husband is gone for the week so I thought I'd remind him of our engagement in Paris by posting this. Oh, and I just realized that it's Valentine's Day and I'll spend it watching black and white Dennis the Menace reruns while eating pizza in bed with the kidoodles. I also want to  gently correct him on something quite important. When we saw that stacked washer and dryer while house hunting this week, he clearly stage whispered  to our realtor, "At least she can't wallpaper these!" So, allow me to introduce what will be happening during you next absence (once we actually have a washer and drier.) Have a lovely time at your "crappy little hotel" in Vegas  - I know, I know, you're in meetings all day and night and not whiskey tasting with the boys til 4am. You don't have to tell me again!   Happy VD, honey! P.S. Look between your pink and light blue shirts in the big suitcase.

Addendum: 2 hours after writing this, Junior ralphed all over the back seat of my car on the way to school. This kid really gets sick a lot. That'll teach me to joke about washers and dryers. Luckily I texted Permanent Magenta and asked if she could, "Pleeeeeease  pick up this bag of rinsed out clothes and wash them for me!" That was after the 45 minutes it took to clean out the car. Happy Valentine's Day, once again, honey. Remember, it's spelled T.I.F.F.A.N.Y. and I'm sure there's one in Vegas.

When the cat's away...

The mice will play! Husband is leaving for a week today. It's just a mighty good thing we're in this little apartment (hopefully not much longer.) Otherwise, there would be some changes around here! The bamboo tv wardrobe would be painted a stunning color, such as this yellow one. I'm quite Anti-Flat-Screen-TV-Above-One's-Fireplace (even if it's framed.) I like my tv where it can be closed off, although recently the kidoodles have been closing themselves inside while watching Johnny Test (which they aren't supposed to watch), so nobody knew the tv was even on. It was very quiet in the house for a week, though, until Husband lost the remote and found it in the wardrobe with two giggling children.

 I also might do something to the stairs without proper supervision. It's a good thing  we have plain stairs that are rented. Man, would I be in trouble if Husband came home to this. That's it for today. I'm off to take some photos for a fellow knitter and work on a new knitting design. If anyone has Netflix streaming suggestions I really love them. I've been watching "Burn Notice" and "Desperate Housewives"which by season 3 is getting tedious. I've watched "Dexter", "Downton Abbey" but that CSI stuff is too creepy for me. Finished "Mad Men" but couldn't get into "Arrested Development."  Send your suggestions - please! Watching good shows makes me knit faster.

 Photo Via Vintage Yankee and  Change my color, babe

Samurai Birthday Party

Not a lot to report today. Still dreaming of the Secret Garden House. Junior is now allowed back in school after his Scarlet Fever, and interestingly, he developed an imaginary friend during his illness. His name is Samurai and apparently has a birthday party planned for Sunday. Our conversation last night:

Pink: Who planned the party?

Junior: Samurai did.

Pink: Well, who's baking the cake and making the goodies?

Junior: You are, mommy! And he has a twin named Samurai 2 so they need two cakes!

You can get away with so much when you're five. Photo by by Eileen Porterfield.

I also designed and knit a total bust of a baby dress this week. Thinking I can maybe redeem it with a huge floppy orange bow or something.  This is the color of the dress - it's called Blue Gingham. Any ideas for big bow colors? Bright orange? Fuchsia? I tried red and it didn't work. Maybe striped would be neat - something different or even polka dots. Think outside the box, Pink...isn't that your middle name?! I think the Scarlet Fever induced Samuarai Twin birthday party has depleted me of creativity for the moment. 

A Scattered Post for a Scattered Day

 

One of those days. Woke up and this is my artistic interpretation of how I found Junior this morning, including bed head. He had bright pink cheeks, an obvious fever and pinky red rash all over. Scarlet Fever. Ugh. Dragged him into the car still in PJs to take Juniorette to school. Couldn't even accuse him of faking it, poor guy.

 

The Emma Bridgewater Aga above has a couple of meanings (three actually): First,. it's spotted just like Junior. Second, I always call Junior my "Aga" because he's so warm at night and when I go to snuggle with him he warms me up like an Aga, and Third, It would look sooooooo good in any ol' kitchen we might buy.

 

I came home and canceled my dad's visit for tomorrow. Ditto a doctor's appointment. Poor Junior and his pestilence means we have to stay at home, watch tv and knit together. Called the pediatrician to get an appointment for antibiotics. Can you believe they asked me Junior's birthdate? Jeez! What about his name? I know his name instantly, every time. Junior! I felt as dumb as that chair above and much less cute. I tried to joke with the receptionist: "This isn't a trick question, is it?" Icy silence. Michelle Duggar must sound like a total moron when she goes to make an appointment. Stuttered out his birthdate finally. Called the school (see yesterday's post - didn't want them to think I left Junior at home because I was selecting yarn at 3am) and told them Junior would be knitting for a couple of days.

Lastly, I just like this kitchen, above. It's cheerful and fun and I bet the oven works, unlike ours. I called the landlord again about the non-working oven. "Yeah, I know," he said. I called in the service guy last week and he didn't show up." Ok, but we haven't had an oven (except for "broil" as you all know) for a month. "Yeah, I'm really sorry," he said. So, how about some take-out Chinese one of these nights? Send over some pizza! Baked Alaska would be great! Something that doesn't require a microwave or boiling. I think he's too tired from the fires to care about what's going on elsewhere. Have a lovely, rash free day, all of you. Enjoy your oven but don't gloat about it because that isn't good karma.

Photo credits:

From RoomServe

From Home Interior Design Themes

From Gult Inte Fult

From Clare's Creations

 

Koigu Made us Tardy

What do you tell the school secretary, the truly lovely Mrs. P,  in a case like this? "I'm really sorry they're late for school, Mrs. P. Usually Husband gets the "non- morning people" out of bed (Junior and me) but he was working all night." 

I was up until 2:14 trying to find the perfect combination of blues and purples. And Mrs. P - could you believe I couldn't find a good coordinating aqua?!

 I feel the tardiness is technically Koigu's fault. Perfect attendance really shouldn't be lost over yarn. Isn't it more irresponsible to put together an ugly knitting design than to have the kids arrive half an hour late? No? I'm the parent and I should be more responsible? Roger that. I'll call Koigu about they're lack of a good aqua yarn right this minute!

Color Selections - Pink, pink, pink, more pink

This is what I did at 2am this morning. Spent ages at Purl Soho, combining pinks for an ombre pink shawl.  Doesn't matter that I'm probably the only person interested in so much pink in one shawl. This should matter but somehow I feel if I do it just right everyone will want to wear pink. Doing this in the middle of the night shares similarities to drunk dialing your ex, but only if you hit the "Pay" button, which I didn't. The next day some of the colors one picks out seem like giant mistakes. 

 

Because, you see, about an hour later, after I'd looked at 500 brands of yarns and their accompanying websites, I suddenly felt this compulsive need to add brown. Clearly, fatigue was setting in.  I think it's in my head somewhere that Mature People add brown (or rust but I refuse to knit with rust.) I HATE RUST. Who invented that stupid color, anyway?

 

Finally, if one really wanted to go overboard, which I never do in my designs, one could order every pink in the shop. It seems a bit unrestrained in the light of morning. Just because something is pink doesn't make it great. Case in point: Pink Crocs. GROSS! You guys think this knitting schtick is easy but negotiating plantar warts and little girls who beg for pink crocs is a lot easier than selecting colors for designs.