Homemade Friday: Not a Valentine’s Day Craft

I feel that as it’s a holiday, even a “Made up, greeting card” holiday as some people seem to think it is, I should probably be posting a story about how my children and I sat down to create hand-stamped, decorative valentines for them to give to all their little friends.

And in this fantasy crafting session there was no yelling and frustration and eating of the glue.  Which is why it was a fantasy. 

We don’t do a whole lot of making things together anymore.  It never ends well.  Sebastian likes to do it.  The kid learned how to make snowflakes out of construction paper at school and so came home and made no less than 15 that I have taped to our kitchen windows.  You know, in case we don’t have enough snow outside this winter.

But Adele, she doesn’t have the patience.  I bought some plastic beads and string the other day which I thought she’d enjoy.  Sebastian was cool making a blue and black necklace, which are his favorite colors.  But Adele was upset that her brother was getting a bit of attention so she dumped her entire bowl of beads on the floor and then picked up handfuls and threw them at him.  Also we don’t use playdoh very often because it always ends up in her mouth.  Why, you ask?  Wouldn’t that be a little gross on account of the taste and the slimy texture that occurs once it’s wet?  Well, yes.  You’d be right.  But Adele is strong-willed and knows she’s not supposed to and she’ll be damned if she’ll give up driving me crazy on account of the nasty taste of playdoh.  She knows she’s not supposed to and she knows that I will fuss at her and so will look me right in the eye and put it in her mouth like “What the hell are you going to do about it, Lady?”

So there hasn’t been much Valentine’s Day stuff happening here.  I can’t even find the heartgarland that I accidentally left up all year long that one year.  See?  It’s when you take the decorations down that you lose them, so I should never have removed it.

I thought I may get the kids to glue some little hearts onto a bigger heart for their father but I’m not sure I have the energy for that.  I took Adele to the grocery this morning.  Well, actually two groceries.  I shop at a tiny local, hippie, organic store and then go to the giant, commercialized, big box preservative store for all the stuff I can’t buy at the hippie store.  We were fine in the smaller one except there was a little girl there who followed Adele around and wanted to see a toy she’d brought in with her.  Obviously, Adele was not willing to share and so there almost was a toddler battle over a tiny blue ball.

I know it's blurry but LOOK AT THE TIPPY-TOES!

And then once we got to the other store Adele refused to leave the little area that has the vending machines because they had a large one with the claw thing and balls inside and she wanted one.  Oh boy did she want one.  And then when I drug her screaming away from that she found a stuffed elephant on a shelf that she wanted.  And then a Hello Kitty dream light.  And candy.  And more candy.  And then the ball again on the way out.  Add all of this with the flood of SNOMG and Valentine’s Day shoppers and you can maybe understand why I will probably curl up with my knitting and my book until Sebastian gets off the school bus.  I don’t feel like prepping for a craft, is what I’m saying.

So I have socks to show you.  Remember last week when I was extremely worried about Adele’s extremities falling off from frostbite?  Well, I finished both the socks and mittens.  

The socks were my own pattern.  I used German sock yarn that I got from my mother-in-law and size 0 needles.  I CO 42 stitches for her, but I think I should have gone up to 45 or even 48.  They’re a bit tighter than I wanted.  I did a K2P1 ribbing until about 3 rows before I started the heel, then knit all around.  I use a short row heel because I think it looks cleaner than the other type. 

In my obsessiveness I attempted to make sure that all of the stripes matched on both socks.  They are close, but not exact.  So don’t tell me if you can see the difference because it will hurt my heart.

Adele seems to like them okay.  However I don’t think my family is nearly as excited over hand-knit socks as I am.

No matter.  At least her toes won’t fall off during the latest SNOMAGEDDON that is headed our way this afternoon.