Darn!!! I have to get more yarn!

MOM'S STUFF

all the photos from this post will be from my mom's camera.  she wanted them shared with the family so i though the easiest thing would be to put them on my blog.  this first one is of aunti claire.  she got a new do.  the two of them went to lunch and a movie sunday and mom took some photos so we could all see the new look.  i think she looks fantastic.

 

mom knit this beautiful scarf for my sister.  we went to the lys together to pick out the yarn for her. it suits her perfectly and mom did a great job knitting it up.  she ended up having to get another skein after she finished the first three.  when she got the new one home, she realized that it was from a different dye lot.  she was very clever and split it up and put the new one on each end so it turned out even.  it really is wonderful.

 

mom made this purse for an for her birthday back in november.  it is fully lined.  these colors are perfect for ann.  mom did a great job on this one too.

POPPY'S BIRTHDAY

 

all poppy wanted for his birthday was a canvas work apron for his woodworking.  had to be full body with pockets for his tools.  it took much searching on google to finally find something that fit the bill.  i found many belt aprons made of canvas.  pretty women's aprons.  plastic factory worker aprons.  beautiful leather aprons that were the right configuration but not canvas.  this one i got from duluth trading company.  it's made out of recycled fire hose.  i'm pretty sure he would have wanted something a bit longer but i think i made a good choice.  he wears it every day while he's working in the yard and in his woodshop.  he knit the sweater on the table in front of him.  my cousin got it for him from a cool yarn coop (wish i knew the name of it).  it's made out of plant fibers by women in nigeria.  see the computer in the background?  that's where i am right now.

   

ann and kaitlin knitting at the party

 

allison knitting at the party.  concentrating very hard.

 

me pausing during my knitting.  i'm wearing the scarflet that i started a little over a month ago.  doesn't really go with what i've got on but i had to show it off. 

poppy knit this for kaitin.  he made one for allison as well, just a different colorway.  the girls love these.  allison has a matching scarf.

 

tabs (the licker) and blue (the lickee) having a cleaning session.  they love eachother.  blue was throwing up the other night while i was at the gym.  turns out she swallowed a ponytail holder.  they find the little ones and carry them around in their mouths.  they take them to their food bowls and drop them in for safekeeping while they eat.  they do this with their little finger puppet toys that they play with.  it's adorable.  they are like little kids with their toys.

Grandma Knitting

 

Just look at this beautiful hand painted my cousin sent my mother.  it's luscious.  i wish i had a photo of it in the hank.  mom rolled it into a ball.  i put it in the extra large cereal bowl from pottery barn for her for easy knitting.  i love to do this.  just put the yarn in the bowl and put the bowl on the floor.  the ball rolls easily in the bowl so you don't have to do a lot of tugging as you go.  i put the bowl on the table just for the photo.  mom wanted to knit a pair of socks and asked me to help her get started.

After a yummy dinner of beef barley soup (thanks to mom) and salad (thanks to me) i got her started.  she's making the fireside socks out of "knit socks".  the pattern is for two stranded knitting but this yarn works for it beautifully with one strand.  i made some last year with joyce's yarn from www.elliebelly.com last year.  anhow, a week or two ago, mom got her dpns to knit up these socks.  i had her cast on and the i got her going.  i'm really a visual learner/teacher so i couldn't really explain how to join in the round on dpns and then start the knitting.  i showed her by having her watch me do the first 1.5 rounds.  she got the hang of it quickly and made it through six rounds before stopping to go back to her house.  i can't wait to see them knit up.

spent the day at auntie's house with my sister and my two girls.  on the way there i was able to shape the heel on the socks i'm working on for my mom.  it was a busy day cleaning, polishing and dusting.  the girls got into it with gusto.  i was so proud of them.  i had planned on having them do a project or two to help and then spend the rest of their time coloring and watching tv.  they were so happy helping that they worked alongside us for the entire time.  the only break we took was to go get lunch.  they worked up a good appetite.  we had  a little confusion finding the local baja fresh.  thank goodness for my iphone.  i love that thing.  was able to find it and get directions.  the quality of my life has improved greatly since getting my phone.  finding restaurants.  getting directions.  texting with my son.  taking photos and emailing them w/out having to go to my computer.  i refer to it as my new boyfriend.  i started calling it this after my husband woke up to find me playing bejeweled on it a 5:30 a.m. in the bed next to him only to try to hide it from him when i realized he was waking up.  so silly.

IT'S WARMING UP

 

Every January, the leaves fall from two giant Ash trees in our back patio.  The children wait for this all year.  during the big drop, we just let the leaves accumulate so we can make big piles for them to play in.  see the fireplace behind the girls here?  they jump (well, actually dive) from the mantle into the pile of leaves.  it bring them such joy.  it's so warm today that everyone was in short sleves.  we can feel spring coming already.  i know we'll have a little more cold but i just love these warm days in january.

  OK.  so ignore the horrible expression.  i wanted to show this beautiful shawl my sister knit for me for chirstmas.  i love it with this hoodie from old navy.  she really needs to start her own blog showing all her wonderful work.  she is the most talented knitter i know.  quite prolific.  must get her work out there.  she has a real calling.

Here she is working with my son on his knitting.  yes, son.  long haired boy.  he stuck with it for all of five minutes.  the scarf she is wearing was knit for her by our mom.  yup.  we all knit.  anyhow, he was more interested in playing with his teck deck.

 

Look at what came in the mail for me today.  It's the sock of the month club from my cousin's site.  She hand paints yarn in the most georgeous colorways.  this is seawool.  feels like butter.  i had to take a photo while it was still in the hank.  i love the way hanks look.  i've taken to rolling yarn into balls myself rather than using the swift.  makes me feel more attached to the product.  her website is www.elliebelly.com.  check it out.  amazing stuff. 

 

So last but not least.  Here are some fancy cut crystal glasses my sister decided to give to me.  i just love them.  i don't know what company made them or anything like that but i do love the delicate pattern.  i have visions of little sandwiches and iced tea or some sort of light fruit beverage in the spring with lots of flowers and lovely lady friends.  sister will be the first on the list, of course.  maybe a mother's day meal.  hmmmm.

 

i had to do it.  we had one last bag of peanut brittle that i had made to give away at christmas laying around.  it just kept calling me and calling me.  i had some.  i didn't finish the bag so you can all be proud of me.  i did have more than i should have but now i don't want any more.  i don't even want chocolate.  i think i've had my share for a while.  i didn't get some to everyone i wanted though so i am going to have to make some more before too much time goes by.  i saw the old principal of the elementary school and she mentioned my brittle.  i took her a box.  i'm actually going to meet with a couple of friends to discuss how i might go about selling it.  i have no clue how to go about that.  everyone says it's the best they've had.  i started making it for my grandfather years ago.  he raved and raved.  after he passed away it made me sad when i made it, not having him to share it with anymore.  now it brings me joy remembering how much he loved it.  he said it was the best and if he said so it was true.

oh the possibilities

 

knitting socks for my mother.  this yarn started off being an intricate lace shawl that got the beter of me on repeated attempts.  now we're working on the second sock.  has a nice lace cuff.  i'm shaping the heel.  these go fast.

 

here is the first one.  not blocked but still pretty.

 

can you say socks.  everyone wants socks.  after i finish my mom's, i'll be using the yarn on the far left for my husband.  we'll see where the others go.  maybe i should have some hand-knit socks.  need more time, that's for sure. 

MORE PROGRESS TODAY

   

Ahh.  That's much better.  the color shows much more true here.  just had to show my progress.  it was made while standing in line at the courthouse waiting to get a date to see a judge to request traffic school.  15 years without a moving violation.  then i get two within 3 months.  not a good thing at all.  spengin time at the courthouse was rather interesting.  let's just say i'm grateful i don't have to spend a lot of time there.  my date is in june!!!  that backed up.  i was impressed with myself that i was able to knit standing up and manage the cables at that.

This is Berroco Jasper merino wool.  it's taking more than one skein though.  it's fine.  i could knit something for one of the girls dolls with what's left.  i love the irregularity of it.  the blues change.  the thickeness changes.  it's soft, soft soft.  wanting to find a cool funky button.  there is a great botique sewing shop in town that i'm hoping to get into tomorrow.  i've got to look up how to knit a button hole.  maybe i'll put two in.

went to the grocery store today to get a baguette for making garlic bread.  i decided i should get some champagne for new year's eve.  the wine guy suggested a couple of different types.  i just had to try one tonight.  i was skeptical because it was so inexpensive.  but it was good.  i'll be getting more.  i wish i could tell you what it was but my cool friend took the empty for her set for the movie short that she's shooting this weekend.

one of my husband's friends (also painter/subcontractor) always send us the nicest gifts this time of year.  this beautiful boquet is what we got this year.  it's just beautiful.  all white and silver.  roses, lillys and silver sparkley balls and twigs.  will add to our festivities wednesday night.  not that we're doing anything fabulous.  just sitting around with family having yummy treats and drinks.  i think we'll do new york new years so the kids will get to bed at a decent hour.  then the grownups can stay up as late as they want with the kiddies all tucked in their beds.  i'm resisting the temptation to start a fire so we will have firewood for the evening. 

Adorable Creatures

while walking down the street to get to the beach i came across t hese wonderful knit toys.  they were in a store window where as part of a display for bedding.  cute idea for something i knit someday.  all the details are done with what i think is called intarsia knitting.  there were no two alike in the display.

i didn't get a very good shot of the mermaids that were laying down on the table.  makes me want to go back and take another photo but i wont be back down there 'till the end of the week.  maybe i could just go in the store.  will be hard to resist buying one.

i would love to find the pattern for these.  they look like they might be european for some reason.

Fun Socks for Kaitlin

they are finally done.  i'm so happy with these.  i was able to finish them this weekend because i had larry drive down to the beach yesterday.  i always drive when we go somewhere.  his driving usually just makes me crazy but i decided that i could use the hour to do the decrease for the toe and sew them up.  i think knitting while he drives is the answer.  i didn't notice his driving at all.  the kids nonstop talking was another matter but i got my knitting done and that was all that mattered.  the timing was perfect.  as we turned onto grandma's street i only had a couple of stitches to do to complete the decrease.  i was so pleased.  the knitting goddess was shining down on me.  i got to sew up the toe while enjoying the late afternoon on grandma's patio.

the pattern for these socks is in the book knit socks! by betsy lee mccarthy.  i actually modified one of the patterns to work for my daughters foot.  i also made them anklets rather than longer leg.  my favorite part of this sock is the gusset and how the stripes work around the heel.  kaitlin was very excited to put them on.  they fit tight.  just the way she likes.  no chance of bunching in a shoe and no seams to irritate her sensitive skin.  horray. 

just stuffed the bear but don't want to show it until he's finished.  i found some stuffing in the basement and i'm sure i have floss to embroider the face.  then it's onto a long overdo scarf for my mom.

How cute is this?

finally finished knitting up the bear for a baby gift.  really fun and easy.  kaitlin came in from swimming just as i finished sewing it up.  i'm can't tell from this photo if she likes it or not.  i think she might look dissapointed.  seriously.

how about here.  doesn't she look sad here.  i wish i had stuffing so i could finish it up but, sadly, i don't.  i'll have to go to joann's or michael's to pick some up.  i can't make it there today with our trip down to the beach.  maybe i can leave the bread for half an hour on monday to pick some up.  i just had a thought, i may actually have some in a box in storage down in the basement.  there are several boxes down there with sewing things.  maybe i wont have to leavy my bread afterall.

here are our adorable new kitties.  they are about 3 months old now.  believ it or not, they are litter mates.  one of the many things that i love about them is that the sleep like this.  all snuggled together.  they like to clean eachother's heads which is also very endearing.  i found them here on my daughter's bed in the middle of the day.  their names are tabs, midnight and blusey.  the siamese has the most beautiful blue eyes.

i'm really very happy with the kittens.  wasn't sure how it was gong to work out.  their mother was ferral.  when we got them they were not used to people at all.  they hissed and ran away.  we kept them in a carrier in the bathroom for a day.  then let them out but kept the in the kids bathroom.  we all went in a lot and handled them.  at first we would wrap them in hand towels.  kind of bundled them like one would do with a baby.  then we just held them.  the stripped one, tabs, was the first to relax and purr.  this was on day two.  the next day midnight started.  is was another few days before blusey started to purr.  i was afraid they would always be skittish and scared.  but i held out hope as my visits to the bathroom were rewarded by them crawling up and around me to have me pet them.  lots of purring.  when we let them out into the main part of the house they were still skittish for the first week or so.  now, they've settled in very nicely.  they have completely acclimated to being with people.  blusey has stopped running every time she sees us.  our next issue with them is letting them outside.  i'm just not ready for it.  the kids thought they were but after the first experience of tabs trying to go under some bushes, they think it's a bad idea too.  i just want them to be bigger before they venture out where the hawks are lurking - and a mean stray that skulks around the yard.  for now they will be indoor kitties.

Sock Progress

Last night i took the girls to the park to see "a midsummer night's dream" put on by shakespeare by the sea.  I made dinner:  pasta salad with pesto, cherry tomatoes from the garden, and flax seeds also a chicken salad with tarragon, slivered almonds, grapes and celery.  took along homemade chcolate chip cookies and pluots from our tree.  i made myself a little weak pomegranite martini in one of those fancy new meatal drink bottles that one finds at whole foods.  in addition to bringig my dad and two daughters i broght along a friend for each of the girls.  my mom came and met us after she finished teaching.  these plays have been going on in the summer at our local park for years but i've just never thought the kids would enjoy it.  last sunday we were at the same park enjoying a picnic and concert and flyers were being passed out for the play.  i thought the girls were ready for a little shakespeare comedy.  i'm so glad we did it.  not only did the girls enjoy the picnic but they really enjoyed the antics and comedy of the production.  kaitlin, my older daughter, seemed to enjoy it the most.   the production was quite good.  enjoying it under the night sky was so wonderful.  i got to work on sock number two for kaitlin.  it got dark after the intermission and i couldn't see the dark blue yarn on the dark needles so i stopped.  quite happy with the whole affair.  in two weeks the same company is putting on another free production of "anthony and cleopatra" at a park in a nearby town.  i'm planning on gong for sure.