Snippet Sunday

If the previous week was Sewing Week, this week has been Crochet Week.  I crocheted some leggings for Junebug using this pattern, with this variation, and a hat, which I did not really realize was a photo prop, using this pattern. Because my yarn was really a lot thicker than what was used, my hat is pretty bulky, but I think it will be all right to keep Junebug warm during those first few days.*

I also worked on the afghan pictured below and mentioned in this entry:

I started it just before Sprout was born.  It is getting pretty big, and while, yes, I do want it finished, I'm happy with it being an "in-between, when-I-can/want" project. As an aside: My how my girl has grown. :P  I just showed her the above picture, and she asked, "Is that a girl?" When I answered yes, she said, "Are you sure?" (even though I had just told her it is her.)
Shortly after Sprout was born, I bought two huge pieces of flannel to make a duvet cover, which, of course, I never got around to doing. Today I washed the fabric (I think I did it already, but it has been three years :P) and will sew it up tomorrow. I had plans to use my coverlock machine to embroider a design on it, but I've since changed my mind. Instead I wanted to hand embroidered something and to that effect spent a bit of time doodling and thinking about motifs. However, last night I realized that I don't know how this flannel is going to age, and I don't feel like passing (possibly hundreds--it's king-size) of hours doing needlework on something that might pill after a couple of washes.  So, I'll sew it up and see about embellishing it at a future date. Anyhow, here is a page of doodling possible stitches:

All in all, a busy week.
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* I showed the hat to my mil via Skype. Two days later, she told me, "I was thinking, you should be careful and not leave the baby alone in that hat. It might suffocate or strangle itself."  

Talk about a cultural divide

We always invite our cleaning lady to have lunch with us, and while she does usually end up eating our food, she has never sat and ate with us except for the first time, preferring to dine when it suits her.  Yesterday I made an Indian lamb dish that I think she liked.  I had deliberately made enough meat for J to take to work and enough rice for him, Sprout, and I to have leftovers, but when we got home from our outing, the food was gone (and at the point I realized it, so was Z). No leftovers in the fridge, none in the garbage... So she either ate two super generous portions of meat and four of rice or she packed it up and took it home with her. At least she liked it. *LOL*

Then, this morning, I started to do laundry and found her cleaning outfit bundled up with the dirty rags. I don't mind washing it, but it is a bit weird, in the sense that I can't imagine doing it myself. :P  Also I feel really strange giving it back to her without mending the gaping holes in the underarms. What to do, what to do...

And a little something an Egyptian told me yesterday:

Hussein, from Upper Egypt: When are you going to Aswan?
Me: Well, now is not a good time because of my pregnancy, but hopefully in the fall or winter of this year or spring of next year while the temperatures are reasonable.
Hussein:  Yes, when the baby gets downstairs, you should go.

:D  That's one way of saying it.