Bobble Boot Cuff Crochet Tutorial

Ever wanted to make funky boot cuffs with polka dots on them? Well I did, of course! This video tutorial will help you create a pair of bobble boot cuffs using a 4.0mm crochet hook and two colors of worsted weight yarn. They are so adorable and quirky! You can download the PDF pattern here.

Check out the video on my youtube channel here or just simply click play below! Happy crochet!

Second Trimester here I come!

So, I'm officially 12 weeks today! And yes, I have started feeling better. Last week I finally realized that I am indeed having a baby, and I felt the first flutterings of actual excitement. Followed by a need to pee. Because, pregnancy. Before I've mostly been panicked. And I've stopped checking my underwear every time I use the bathroom for blood. Or, things you do when you are pregnant after miscarriage. I'm starting to hope and this both scares me and makes me happy at the same time.

I took a good week off for Christmas to just relax with my husband. Not talking about a blogging week off. I'm talking about a week off of life in general. We literally did nothing this week besides play lots of minecraft and eat junk food and go swimming at the YMCA and sleep in until 9am. It was glorious. I am spoiled.

Now that I can actually walk around without the room spinning and smell tacos without wanting to hurl, I have some fun things like knitting a pair of gloves and actually sending out (slightly late) Christmas cards.

There is one mild annoyance. They changed my husband's vacation policy at his place of work. He used to be able to "save" his time off until he had accumulated up to 7 weeks. They are changing it to 2 weeks. So how he can only "bank" at least 2 weeks of vacation. Guess how many weeks he has in his bank? 7, because he never takes a vacation. Guess when he has to lower that to 2? June. Guess when our baby is due? July. Can I cry on someone?

little bump

So how have you guys been doing? These pictures were taken when I was 11 weeks along on the Sunday after Christmas. I kind of love this dress, although it is tight in many places that it wasn't tight before. Many people have stated they can't even tell I'm expecting, and I realize that I don't look that pregnant yet. But I can tell. My body is all sorts of weird. I've given up having any sort of expectations and this has helped enormously. For starters, I was very gassy in church. It was all sorts of awkward. And this is one of the less embarrassing examples.

How was your Christmas?  If you follow me on Instagram, you will see I received a new toliet for Christmas. I've never been more happy.

My Dreams for the Future

Brita tagged me in the very inspiring blogger award! Whee, thank you Brita! (I also noticed we have a lot in common. I also hate coffee, love tea and I met my husband on Ok Cupid just like you!)

For this award you are supposed to tell 7 facts about yourself, but I decided to just say 7 things I want to accomplish in the future.

the day I dressed like a pineapple. dream come true!

• The one thing I really want to do in the next 10 years is to start making money from knitting and crochet. Either from selling patterns, making YouTube videos or simply through creating hats and scarfs--I just want to start a business!

• I want to learn to spell and use grammar better. If you've read my blog for an amount of time, you may notice that I struggle in this area. I'm learning ways around my dyslexia and trying to memorize grammar rules. I feel like I've come a long way. And I have--if you'd seen my writing a few years ago, you might have thought my case hopeless.

• I want to reach my goal weight. It's 150 pounds for me. Right before I got pregnant again, I lost 17 pounds and I was weighing 158. I can't worry about my weight right now because I'm growing a baby--but I'm still dreaming!

• Read the Harry Potter books, and the entire Robert Jordan series as well.

• Join a foster kid program and foster a kid in need. This has been on my heart for awhile. So many kids are hurting!

• Convince my husband to sell his motorcycle. Probably never going to happen, but I worry for him. Motorcycles are very unsafe mostly because other cars don't see them.

• Buy a heat pump. We heat our house with a wood stove. It's messy, takes a lot of work, and in the winter everything perpetually smells like burning. Including myself. I want a heat pump. 

So yeah, those are some of the dreams I have. What about you?

I'm an alien.

Yes. I'm finally realized what's wrong with me. I'm an alien. Well, that's the way I feel. And the symptoms I'm experiencing do seem to suggest an otherworldly cause. Screw pregnancy, I've been infested with some body snatcher from mars. Don't believe me? Well, read my symptoms and then you will understand.

1) My proximity to humans compromises my internal stability. In other words, being kissed by my husband causes me to gag. Because he smells like skin. This never bothered me before. Also, I smell like skin. Why did I never notice this before? I can't put anything close to my face.

2) Goodbye every food I ever loved. The thought of eating humus makes me want to run and die somewhere. Just the thought of it, people. AND I LOVE HUMUS. I would cry on all my humus, but since I can't put it close to my face I'll have to morn from afar. How can I both miss humus but be completely disgusted by the thought of eating it? I even tried to google a picture of humus for this post, but had to stop. Even pictures betray me.

3) All sense of organization in my life is gone. I don't know where organized Carolynn is, with her two videos a week and ability to wear something that is not pajamas, but she's gone. Today I finally felt well enough to sweep the bathroom floor. And boy did it need it; my husband cut his hair in there about two weeks ago and there was little pieces of hair everywhere. I still need to actually clean the bathroom, by the way. Maybe if I leave a trail of bacon to the cleaning closet my husband will magically get the memo.

4) I realize that other people have grown humans inside of them, but can I just say that I'm growing a human inside of me? WHAT??!?! Clearly, aliens.

5) I am no longer interested in leaving my house bubble place of cuddly warmth. Any attempt to tear me away and I'll start sobbing uncontrollably on my body pillow. Maybe it's because cars make me gag, even if I'm driving them. Or its probably the fact that I'd have to but a bra on, and I haven't worn one in like three weeks because not only are my boobs two sizes bigger, but they also feel like I've suddenly set them on fire if I attempt to restrain them in any conventional device. Yesterday I went to Taco Bell with my husband without a bra on. It was like people of Walmart but with tacos instead of cheep lawn chairs and hot sauce in place of isles of Christmas cards. I swear I'm trying to eat healthy, but yesterday was one of those "I have to eat SOMETHING" moments.

So. Yes. Aliens. If you excuse me I'm going to go make myself a salad with bacon and green olives on it before attempting to clean the other half of the bathroom.

Grumply Satisfied

So, I feel I should warn you: if you are dealing with miscarriage or infertility, this post isn't for you. I am going to complain about pregnancy, and if you are struggling with either of the former or latter issues, I suspect you will have little sympathy for me.

I will be honest: besides Michelle's post, all the women I've heard talk about pregnancy gave glowing reviews to the process. I mean, some talked about a little morning sickness, but from the way they went on it never sounded that bad. I guess it does not help to point out I've been looking forward to having babies ever since my mom told me about it. It sounded both wonderful and amazing and most of all fun. I never really thought it could be any different.

Not at all like what I am experiencing. Around the clock nausea. The inability to do, well, anything. I have not been able to knit or crochet. Last week I realized it had been an entire 6 days since I last showered. My armpit hair was out of control. I've been eating take out my husband has picked up because I can't cook.

This was taken yesterday. That is my little bean!

In short, I really don't like being pregnant. I would use stronger words. Every day has been a struggle.

And yes, before you go "but you've been trying for two years" I'll let you know that I am grateful. I do want to have children. I am excited. I just had no idea it was this hard. I mean, I try to think "well I still have legs and I'm alive, so buck up". But then I heat myself a bowl of mac and cheese because I realize I should be hungry but of course with all this nausea I can never tell when I'm hungry or not and when it's done the smell of it makes me even more nauseous and I cry because I don't want to eat it but I know I should because I'm sure I need food.

They say this only lasts 12 weeks. I'm at week 8.5 according to my doctor. Maybe it will be better soon. Maybe it won't. But that's okay. It is worth it, and I can't wait to meet my little boy or girl in July (she said my due date is the 16th). But I just wish it was easier and that I didn't feel so weird and spacy and sick and tired and upset all the time. I wouldn't change it for the world, through. I pray every day for my baby and safety.

Worthy News

As I write this my hands are shaking with excitement and fear, and perhaps a little bit of awe as well. As you might know, 9 months ago I had my third miscarriage. It honestly broke my heart, and I didn't know if I wanted to try again. Three times? How could I struggle through a forth only to be devastated with another loss?

For the last three or so months we've been on and off trying, mostly hopeful, not putting to much thought into it--just going through the ebb and flow of life. I've been working on becoming healthy, healing my gut and making a home for my husband and I. Many days I've wondered if a baby would ever fill our space.

Five weeks ago I had a positive pregnancy test. Followed by swollen boobs and a lymph node that has decided it does not want to behave normally but instead freak out because, pregnancy hormones. I've also been SO HUNGRY and SO SLEEPY. Also, fat. I've been feeling fat. But that's another story.

Two weeks after I found out I was hit by...nausea. Yes. Crippling nausea. I didn't shower for a week.I didn't really do anything, uh, but complain on twitter and eat take out my husband picked up. And I stopped being hungry. I stopped being anything but nauseous all the time. Yes, all the time. And I'm not trying to complain, because yes I am happy. but woah. Pregnancy is not like what I thought it would be. At all.

Pregnancy: where looking at a picture of food can make you sick #nopinterestforme
— Carolynn (@moonofsilver) November 26, 2014

I haven't gotten the mail since I've been sick. Husband just realized its overflowing #PregnancyProblems
— Carolynn (@moonofsilver) November 29, 2014

But yes. I'm pregnant. and hopeful. and scared. This is my forth pregnancy. I want to keep it. I love this little bean even through I can't even see it. And boy does it make me crazy, thinking in nine months (if my body works correctly) this little bean will be a big bean and will, somehow, without (or with?) my permission travel out of my body and into my arms.

I think the thing I'm worried about the most (besides losing the baby, again) is gaining weight. I've been working SO HARD to lose weight. I lost a lot in the last six months (20 pounds) and I don't want to find it again. I don't want to have to work hard like that even again. I don't want to look at myself in the mirror and feel depressed about my weight. I just want to keep it off. I'm trying to realize it's not a big deal. I will work hard again if I need to. And I'm still doing strength exercises (like yoga and pilates) to keep myself strong.  I've already noticed that even through I'm only 6 (7? how do they count this?) weeks along--I have gained a bit of weight.

I try not to let it get me down. But it does.

How is everyone else doing? If all goes well there will be a little Markey sometime in August. Even I'm beyond words.

Crochet Totoro Hat

I made another crochet tutorial: a Totoro hat! As you might have guessed I'm a bit obsessed with Studio Ghibli's creation. I just love Totoro, and knew he must become at hat as well as a purse. And gloves, too--but I'm still working on those!

Go here to download the written pattern, and watch the video below. And yes, I did film this crochet tutorial in my hello kitty pajamas. I was sleepy, what can I say?