tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25369751965609415722024-02-06T18:27:19.639-08:00Raising GanonAn erratic blog about a geek raising her son, interspersed with nerdy crafting goodness.Ganon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-63160917010777573332010-12-06T00:00:00.000-08:002010-12-07T09:21:57.109-08:00Black & Tan IToday's pattern comes from Psych - particularly the episode "Black & Tan". It's the scarf Sean wears while walking down the street with the fashion models. It's quite simple and fairly quick to make!
Using light grey worsted-weight yarn and a size H/8 crochet hook,
Foundation chain: Ch 10
Row 1: DC in 3rd ch st, DC across, ch2, turn
Row 2: DC across, ch2, turn.
Repeat row 2Ganon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-11119503031804205512010-12-02T00:00:00.000-08:002010-12-07T00:21:42.332-08:006 monthsYes, I know you're used to geek craft posts on Thursdays, but Ganon has just turned 6 months old, and I must commemorate the occasion. He's been such a good eater lately - he gets so excited when I put him in his high chair! So far, he loves all his green vegetables, all the orange and yellow ones he's been given as well, but he absolutely hates mashed potatoes. He was Ganon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-25963699197956533032010-11-25T00:00:00.001-08:002010-12-07T00:30:08.269-08:00The Elder WandI'm a geek. I dressed up to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1). I brought along my trusty verson of the Elder Wand (one of the three Deathly Hallows themselves!) Here's how I made it, so you can have your own as well!
Begin with a 14" dowel (I used a 1/4" diameter)
Attach a small ball of polymer clay approximately every 2 inches. Make one end ball Ganon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-78532636418616380322010-11-22T00:00:00.000-08:002010-12-07T00:36:39.475-08:00TeethGanon has been sleeping for a nice 6 hour stretch each night - which is great for my rest! He has started to wake up in pain, though, as his teeth begin to work their way to the surface. Poor kid. :( He also likes to nurse about twice as often when the teething pain hits, so I can't get much else done. Ah well, at least I have the week off of homework! He's gotten Ganon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-51976952150685629782010-11-18T00:00:00.000-08:002010-11-24T02:43:06.911-08:00House ScarvesI hate working with DPNs. I am endlessly frustrated by the variation in tension where the needles meet. I prefer to work in the round on short circulars (<3 my Boye Needlemaster). I do use DPNs for things too small to knit with even a 18" circular. This is precisely why I have not tested the small and medium sizes of the tube-knit scarf. While the patterns are Ganon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-30736680839515205032010-11-15T00:00:00.000-08:002010-12-06T23:56:47.790-08:00Grabber!If you haven't noticed, my updating has been a bit irregular lately. I'm doing my best to keep up and make sure there is a post-dated post for each day I've missed, but between holiday preparations and end-of-semester schoolwork, I've been a bit swamped.
Ganon has been working hard, too! He has taken to reaching out and grabbing things. His favorite thing to grab is whatever Ganon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-78859083682267066532010-11-11T00:00:00.001-08:002010-11-24T02:42:53.139-08:00Baby Jayne HatSo cute! So cunning! So tiny! A Jayne hat fit for a wee one!
Materials:
Size 8 Double Pointed Needles
1/4 skein Red Heart Super Saver yarn in each of 3 colors:
Pumpkin
Gold
Carrot
gauge: 1.5 sts per centimeter
Size: 42 - TK cm head circumference
Using Pumpkin,
Cast on 64 stitches, distributed evenly over DPNs
Work 2x2 ribbing (k2, p2, repeat) for 3 rows, or 1cm.
Work Ganon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-34206080318395511772010-11-08T00:00:00.000-08:002010-11-24T02:52:34.286-08:00Why Ganon?Why did I name my son Ganon? No, it wasn't a drug-induced whim in the hospital, it was a carefully thought out process that I had planned even before my pregnancy. I began playing The Legend of Zelda on the NES when I was a toddler. Playing Nintendo with my grandmother is one of my earliest, and happiest, memories. I can proudly say that I have owned every Nintendo consoleGanon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-42620337666412346632010-11-04T00:00:00.000-07:002010-11-04T00:00:02.559-07:00AbbreviationsI thought it would be prudent to make a list of abbreviations I use in my patterns here. I use pretty standard abbreviations, and an experienced knitter/crocheter should be able to figure out the rest... I do try to explain any abbreviations I use within the pattern, but sometimes I forget. I will also try to update this list as I use more abbreviations.
Knitting abbreviations:Ganon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-1735829776299739882010-11-02T00:00:00.000-07:002010-11-24T03:45:03.313-08:00Five MonthsSuch a roller coaster it is, having a baby.
Ganon's new favorite activity is to stand on my lap, with me holding both of his hands, and jump and bounce. He will do this, laughing, for nearly half an hour at a time. His little legs are getting so muscular, it's rather shocking! He has also been reaching out and grabbing things on his own. The most common target: my Ganon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-74111902021186538722010-10-28T00:00:00.000-07:002010-10-31T23:46:16.043-07:00House Unity BlanketHello, folks! In preparation for Part I of the Deathly Hallows movie(s), I decided to make a house unity blanket! If you don't know, that just means that instead of choosing one Hogwarts school house, you use all four main colors. This is a fairly quick knit on large needles, and can easily be completed in a weekend. I used 15mm needles and two strands of worsted weight Ganon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-50988668529539412432010-10-25T00:00:00.000-07:002010-10-25T00:00:00.433-07:00Scaring myself.I've been reading blogs. Blogs that scare me. Blogs about severely disabled children and blogs about grieving lost children. Why do I scare myself like this?
I think it's because I like to be prepared. I have always found myself imagining the worst possible outcomes of any situation, preparing for that outcome, and being pleasantly surprised when things turned out Ganon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-78050499801793751772010-10-21T00:00:00.000-07:002010-10-21T02:41:25.038-07:00Doctor Who ScarfI'm making a Doctor Who scarf as a holiday gift this year, based on the pattern here. Using the guideline for the number of rows in each color... I went off on my own. As I am allergic to wool (a terrible fate for a knitter/crocheter, it's true!) I had to find acrylic alternative yarns. I thought I would share them with you today. All of the yarns I am using are Red Heart Ganon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-4975210055123583652010-10-18T00:00:00.000-07:002010-10-18T00:00:01.805-07:00Public DecencyA while ago, I went on a road trip with my family to the Mall of America. Out of convenience, I did not bring any bottles, frozen milk, or even my breast pump. I would be with my son, and could nurse him myself - I didn't need the extra bulk or worry of forgetting something. I did put my Triforce nursing cover in the diaper bag, however, since I didn't know the ins and outsGanon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-64605038342526723792010-10-14T00:00:00.000-07:002010-10-17T00:59:22.603-07:00Power Star!Ganon loves star shapes. They might be his favorite, perhaps tied with circles. He just gets such a kick out of 'em! Being a geek myself, I know that stars imbue the consumer with the power of invincibility... and have small black eyes just above the center. That's just the way things are. So of course, I wanted to make a star toy that Ganon could play withGanon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-66876480645427741692010-10-11T00:00:00.000-07:002010-10-17T00:22:05.394-07:00Guilt.Pardon me if I repeat myself, I expect it will happen often. For the most part, I can't stand to re-read what I have already posted, and as the same feelings and thoughts pop up, I will repeatedly post about the same things.
When Ganon was born, he wasn't breathing. It took a bit, but then he took some very shallow breaths and gave the weakest, most feeble cries I have ever heard.&Ganon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-36984080234006134422010-10-07T00:00:00.000-07:002010-10-17T00:37:35.034-07:00Dumbledore!I've been enjoying writing amigurumi patterns lately. Without further ado, here's the first pattern that I've successfully written:
Materials:
small amounts of the following colors of Red Heart Super Saver yarn:
dark orchid (MC)
buff (SC)
country blue (CC)
Caron Super Soft off-white
metallic gold crochet or embroidery thread
size F crochet hook
small amount of poly-fill
yarn needle
Ganon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-27115279698490681802010-10-04T00:00:00.000-07:002010-10-04T00:00:04.091-07:00Baby's first mealOver the past few weeks, Ganon has been sitting up more and started showing interest in what everyone else is eating. Today, he grabbed the bag of chips my mom was snacking on. Remembering that Ganon's nutritionist had noted these milestones as signs he was ready to start on baby cereal, I ran to the store to pick up a variety. Oats, barley, rice, and brown rice were the Ganon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-83639791863415058802010-09-30T00:00:00.000-07:002010-09-30T00:00:10.032-07:00BreastfeedingBreasts and babies.
Breastfeeding.
The big taboo over the most natural thing in the world.
I don't have a problem breastfeeding in front of others. Yes, it's a private time between Ganon and myself, but the mere presence of others doesn't lessen that. I put him in position, pull my shirt up and my bra down, and my nipple is in his mouth. (Not that it was always that easy - but that's another Ganon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-81826483583123180352010-09-27T00:00:00.000-07:002010-09-27T00:00:04.962-07:00First toothGanon's first tooth is starting to make itself known. Occasionally, the poor boy will just start crying, then try to gnaw on my knuckles. A bit of acetominaphen eases the pain, but I know it will get worse before it gets better (when the tooth finally ruptures). The reason I make note of this pre-tooth teething is that I am going through the same trouble. That's right, my Ganon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-79921126068365403402010-09-23T00:00:00.000-07:002010-09-23T00:00:05.729-07:00BellyachesWhen I first became pregnant, I noticed that I became very ill whenever I ate or drank something containing high fructose corn syrup. Having a glass of soda resulted in the equivalent of 24 hours of food poisoning.
The thing you might not realize, however, is just how many foodstuffs contain HFCS. Good ol' Wonderbread, for example. Most shelved baked goods, in fact, Ganon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-9153671643262789252010-09-20T00:00:00.000-07:002010-09-20T00:00:06.532-07:00Old SpiceI miss the Old Spice commercials featuring the Man Your Man Could Smell Like. They were hilarious, and I particularly enjoyed the personalized You Tube responses. Apparently I wasn't the only one, and a craft swap was organized around these commercials, and I, of course, decided to participate. After re-watching the entire Old Spice playlist, I was inspired!
First up, I createdGanon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-27354232024857308742010-09-16T00:00:00.001-07:002010-09-16T00:00:08.033-07:00SleepGuess who regularly sleeps for 6 hours at a time! That's right - Ganon. My body considers that a full night's sleep, so I am just beaming with pride and well-restedness right now. He's also not an early bird, so he usually goes back to sleep until around 9am. (Yay me!)
Granted, he hardly naps anymore, but I'll take what I can get! :)Ganon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-29686108106121682772010-09-13T00:00:00.000-07:002010-09-13T00:00:04.247-07:00Scarfie the rainbow-colored Scarf of Sexual PreferenceI was recently turned on to A Very Potter Musical, and its sequel, A Very Potter Sequel. If you're a Harry Potter fan and have a sense of humor, you should check them out. In addition to the Sorting Hat, this parody musical adds the Scarf of Sexual Preference - a rainbow scarf. Having wanted a rainbow-colored scarf for some time, needing a scarf for the impending winter Ganon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536975196560941572.post-19419450800213727132010-09-09T00:00:00.001-07:002010-09-09T00:00:04.223-07:00VaccinationsWhen Ganon went in for his first round of vaccinations, I dreaded every moment.
I remembered screaming as a child whenever I saw the syringe... I had to have several nurses hold me down for each shot. I had spent hours upon hours reading various ways to make the whole experience less traumatic for him, and myself as well. The consensus seemed to be breastfeeding. SourcesGanon's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222112906435927618noreply@blogger.com0