Where Do I Start?

This post is going to be kind of random because there are several things I want to write about but most of them aren't related to one another...

I took a Kumihimo Workshop a couple of weeks ago and have just now uploaded the pics from my camera phone. I had left my other camera in my knitting basket at home! The technique itself was fairly simple to do and so much fun - see how we were using old spice racks as the loom? Kumihimo is Japanese braiding and the spice rack thingy is traditionally called a marudai. For tama (or weights) we were using old 35mm film canisters filled with pennies. I first heard about this technique when some friends came to stay with my parents a few years ago - Steph is a weaver in England and took a Kumihimo workshop while she was visiting us. I'm hoping to teach Nathan how to make cord and friendship bracelets this way - I think he'd really be into it since he took to the weaving so well.
I asked Tandy to take a photo of me since I'm rarely in the photos of these workshops! Here's a close up of the top of my setup...
... and one of the braid coming down through the center hole.
Last time Phil and I were up visiting the parents, I managed to take advantage of a sale they were having at NW Handspun. (Told ya I was gonna be random...) My sister Jackie had given me a gift certificate to spend there for my birthday in December and I hadn't spent it yet. I picked up this gorgeous fiber dyed by Dicentra (should have bought more - it was 25% off) and two Majacraft bobbins that I can use on my Pocket Wheel. I haven't done a whole lot of spinning over the past couple of weeks. I'm avoiding that 3-ply... I don't know why I do that! I'm taking my wheel to a women's retreat tomorrow though so hopefully I'll get more of it spun.
Below is a sweet pic I took of all three kiddos working in the kitchen. I'm usually a bit of a control-freak in the kitchen, but I've been making an effort to let them do this more often because they really do enjoy it and they should be learning how to prepare food anyway. The weather has been incredible here in the pacific northwest - sunshine streaming in through all the windows. The plants outside are all confused and the daffodils (and even tulips) are blooming early.
I'm cracking up as I post this because I just realized that the cheese Evelyn is grating has a big bite out of it. ;)

Here's a knit project I recently finished up: Tandy's Firefly Mitts. I test-knitted them for her and wow, they were a fast knit! And so pretty. I'm sure I'll be making more of them.
If you've known me long enough, you might (or might not) recognize that yarn as the stuff I was using to knit my Vogue Cable Cardigan oh so long ago. Well, I've given up on that project entirely. I now want to knit a sweater using my friend Tuulia's method, so I'll use some of the rest of this yarn to make the sample and get started designing something for me.

I'll wrap up the photos with a cutie-pie pic of Evelyn...
I've really been enjoying the time I spend with her while the boys are in school. She is very cheeky and stubborn independent, but has an amazing vocabulary and loves to pretend. Her latest favorite thing to do is pretend to have phone conversations with people - especially with her grandparents. And of course, if I say she can't do something she will "call" grandma or granny and they'll say it's okay. That shirt she's wearing was made by my friend Crystal up in Vancouver, BC. You can't really see it very well here, but it's adorable. Evelyn points to it and says, "See this girl? She looks like my new baby sister."

Speaking of Alice, our adoption travel dates have moved up! We received our Letter Seeking Confirmation a couple of weeks ago and should be traveling in early May. We are SO EXCITED! She is about 18 months old right now. Sigh (Soon... We'll see her soon.) Click here if you'd like to hear the song I wrote just for her: Luo Luo's Lullaby.