I've been playing..

Alex has been bugging me to knit him a hat. The last beanie I knit for him was black acrylic with green stripes. It was the first thing I knit when I picked up the needles again after learning for the second time (and haven't since put them down). This hat, of which I was most proud was taken from us one summer in 2007 when our car was broken into. I never replaced it - no hat would ever be as good.

Until now..

BEHOLD!
*indescript arm gesture*
A hat of my own design, a creation of my brain and fond childhood memories - 

THE CHARLIE BROWN HAT.

I'd like very much to say that it took hours of toil and brain-wrecking mathematics to design, but once I charted out how I wanted the zigzag to look and adjusted my initial stitch count, it was smoooth sailin'. Start to finish, the design and knitting of the prototype took about five and a half hours of fairly constant knitting. I'm debating on whether I'm going to put the pattern out, maybe I'll get some feelers out there and see if there's an interest.

I'm so proud I could burst. SHIELD YOUR EYES.

I warned you. I'm practically naked and oddly fluorescent.

This is the end of the second trimester. There is no prize at the end of this one, not like at the end of the first trimester when the babygods smile upon the sick and weary pregnant girls and are supposed to make the puking go away. Not like at the end of the third trimester when (so I'm told) you're supposed to end up with a baby. Nope! I'm currently enjoying feet pressing my ribs out, and a feeling like I'm going to split down the middle starting with my belly button. Those of you who have been there can shut your gobs about how I should "just you wait until you're x months along!" unless you'd like to know the true meaning of pain. ..Was that mean? I meant to say sometimes in the evenings I'm uncomfortable and all stretched out. Don't hate me.

Other than that, I've been enjoying having energy. I've cooked three new recipes from the Veganomicon - Seitan Cutlets, Curried Udon Stir-Fry, and the Potato-Broccoli Soup. The first two I closely stuck with the recipe, but I can't in good conscience say that I went by the Potato-Broccoli Soup recipe other than when it said to boil the potatoes and broccoli in some stuff and puree a third of the soup when they're mooshy. Other than those steps, I did a great deal of what I like to call "throwing in what looks good and hoping to God that Alex eats it". IT WAS AWESOME. I added about a tablespoon or two of onion powder, tablespoon of garlic salt, almost a 1/4cup of nooch and a couple teaspoons of mustard powder to the portion of the soup I puree'd. Added back into the watery potato and broccoli, it made everything delightfully creamy. Best broccoli soup ever, I tells ya. 

I've been drawing in the evenings because, for whatever reason ahem dance party on my insides I've been having trouble relaxing before bed! Here's the newest one, from a photo that I took in January. I'm kinda meh about it, but at least I tried.

My hand, charcoal and graphite on regular sketchbook paper.

Today I'm going to bake some herb bread to have with more of that yumsoup and maybe get crazy and do some more knitting.