A few FO's to finish out the year

First of all I finished my big bro's fingerless gloves. I really like the way they turned out. I hope he likes them too!

Start Date: December 22nd
End Date: December 29th
Yarn: Jeager Matchmaker
Pattern: Men's fingerless gloves
Needles: Addi Turbo US #3 (2 circulars)
Recipient: My big brother




Then I realized that i needed to have some socks done for the samkal4. Luckily I had been knitting on some socks for a class I was teaching. All I had to do was finish the heel's of both and weave in some ends. I used the pattern my super cool sister Allena wrote, It was published in the knitting pattern a day calendar 2008. Toasty Tootsies, its a free pattern, so go check it out!



Start Date: November?
End Date: December 29th
Yarn: Lambs Pride worsted
Pattern: Toasty Tootsies
Needles: Addi Turbo US #10 1/2 (2 circulars)
Recipient: A shop sample or for me... I'm not sure yet!

Sorry for the crappy picture, I didn't get to take it during the day light... there is so little of it now-a-days.


Those two FO's are coming off of my list for the Top 10 stash projects! Well sort of, I still need to make one more pair of fingerless gloves for Hubby, then that can be marked off. Also I need one more buddy bag to check that off of my list. I'm still working on my little brothers hat... its coming along nicely.

Lets review my list:

1~ 3 buddy bags (Christmas presents for my nieces)
Two done, one to go
2~ convertible mittens (For my FIL) (Based off of the pattern for fingerless gloves #4)
DONE!
3~ Hat with a baseball bill (I can't find a pattern for the life of me... I'll have to make it up)
Almost done...
4~ 2 pair of Fingerless gloves
one done, one to go!
5~ A tie
Make that socks...
6~ Calorimetry

7~ Hat and scarf for Leah

8~ My handspun shrug

9~ Leah's cardigan

10~ Mom's zip-up hoody

11~ Wallaby

12~socks for December for the samkal4
DONE!!

Sock a Month KAL 5

It's here!

I joined again!

I love the motivation, I love all the socks, I love all the people!

Come and check it out, they are only accepting 250 people so hurry on over for some fun:O)

6months, 6 pair of socks, loads of inspiration, discounts and chances to win stuff!!!!!





And look, its pink, I LOVE pink!

Oh, i should really go and finish my December socks.... later!

I think I can breath now

It was here, now its gone. Its always a bit sad when Christmas is over. But in this case the pressure is off. Well a little bit at least. I still need to finish my big bro's fingerless gloves, my little bro's hat, and socks for my dad. They all got wrapped yarn for Christmas:O) The fingerless gloves were on the needles and he asked me if he had to finish them himself. Actually right now I just need to finish the thumbs and weave in all the ends.

As promised:




The white elephant.








Project Stats:


Started & Finished: December 20th.
Yarn: peaches & creme
Pattern: Elefante
Needles: addi turbo's US # 6 (2 circulars)
Recipient: my dear friend Paulette took it at the last minute form the original person who had it, she just had to have it! Lucky for her she had the last number! I'm glad its in a home where she will be loved!



Today it snowed, a lot!




I went out and shoveled and then Gabe and I made a snowman. The first of this winter!











Then Leah woke up from her nap and came out to help shovel again. There was another inch in that short of time.












Here they are in all its glory... before Gabe knocked it over. I was a little upset, I worked hard on that and my pants were soaked. I need to find some adults snow pants.








Back to knitting... I was having the hardest time figuring out how to make my brothers hat. Well really the brim of it. he wants a beanie with a brim, like a baseball hat. You've probably seen them around.

Anyways he cut up an old baseball hat and gave me a piece of plastic to be covered with yarn.... HA! I swear I tried it like 13 times. Then today after my third time trying today it came to me. I figured it out!! I'm so pleased with it! I might try to write up the pattern...





I'll see how my time management is going :O)

Here is the little man modeling it for me! Cute eh?!









Speaking of cute, the other day I saw this:

The two men in my life doing the dishes. Lately Gabe has been wanting to help, which is just fine with me! It was so sweet, I had to snap a few!

Speaking of snapping pictures over a Ravelry there is a group called project 365ers I joined *grin* i know I'm joining yet another group! but this one is cool you take a picture a day for a year. I'm going to start it on the 1st. Hopefully it will help me blog more... I'm not sure if I'll post once a week or every day, i think I'll just play it by ear!









Here is one picture I took today: I love how the snow lays on everything, so beautiful! God sure can paint a pretty picture! The fence, the trees the cables, snow makes my heart melt!

busyness!

I thought I'd update you all a bit. I'm knitting like crazy and haven't had time for the computer lately.... So I'll be updating you all with pictures... more info to be edited after Christmas!

This was our Christmas card picture!












we made cookies last sat.

















The kids helped decorate!









I decorated llama cookies for the knitting group Christmas party last night!

Isn't the llama herd cute?!









I made 4 mug cozy for Gabe's teachers and teachers aids...

plus fudge and hot cocoa!










I finished my FIL's fingerless mitts, I still have some ends to weave in!











I made a basketball and hoop for a Christmas gift. I still need to figure out how to attach it to a door.









I made my niece's buddy bag... it still needs the i cord straps and a pouch on the front... She loves tink so I made it to match!







Oh and I don't have a pic of it but yesterday I made a white elephant for a white elephant gift exchange for the knitting group Christmas party! I actually had to sew the ears on after the exchanging part was over!

Another KAL...

Yes I've joined yet another kal :O)






So when I saw this over on Rebecca's blog I knew I just had to join! The gist of it is that you have to pick 10 projects to knit from your stash, hence the name of the KAL. From December to March you work on these and finish them. Oh yeah the big thing is that you can't buy any yarn, unless its for a charity thing. I told hubby about this and that I joined, and he said "this is a good one, I really like this group" Ha ha funny. I really don't buy that much yarn, but it will be good to get some of my unfinished projects done. I've had lots of success feeling self inflicted pressure form the sam kal4, so I thought why not give myself motivation to get some ufo's done and out of the way.

Some of my things are Christmas presents so half of my list will be done at the end of December. Alright so here is my list:

IF YOU ARE IN MY FAMILY PLEASE STOP READING NOW! DON'T SPOIL THE SURPRISE!









1~ 3 buddy bags (Christmas presents for my nieces) one is mostly done.



2~ convertible mittens (For my FIL) (Based off of the pattern for fingerless gloves #4)


3~ Hat with a baseball bill (I can't find a pattern for the life of me... I'll have to make it up)


4~ 2 pair of Fingerless gloves
5~ A tie
using some sock yarn!


6~ Calorimetry
This is some yarn I originally spun for socks... I think I have enough for this and socks... only time and knitting will tell!



7~ Hat and scarf for Leah
I found this yarn on clearance at michaels, and she liked it...


8~ My handspun shrug
I spun some merino and this is what I came up with... I just hope it turns out ok. I need to rip a little out on the arms, pretty much back to this picture. I don't like ripping so that is probably why I put it down. When this is finished it will be my first garment from yarn I spun!
9~ Leah's cardigan
I'm using bernants cottontots


10~ Mom's zip-up hoody (I started this in 2006 before I was pregnant with Chloe, she is now 10months old!) I'm using rowans all season's cotton


11~ Wallaby
I'm using lion brands cotton ease


12~ I almost forgot... I need socks for December for the samkal4


The first five on the list are for Christmas. I'm not too sure I finish them all on time, but I'm hoping I do! Also some I've already started and others I need to knit from scratch.... So here I go!

Whats a mommy to do...

When the weather has been so cold out that you don't want to bundle up your little ones to take them to the store to get the food you need that you usually have but don't and its lunch time....

No bread, so that means easy sandwiches are out of the question. I just don't want to do the old mac and cheese...


Its time to get creative!

with...



Tuna on crackers! Do you see that it's a flower?! with broccoli grass underneath?!



Hubby has off tonight so I think I'll go to the store when he is home. Later I really want to go and get a Christmas tree, with all the snow we have it just seems like its time! We have gone and cut down our own tree in the past but I'm not sure we can if its really cold out... I'd hate to break a tradition, its so much fun! I'm sure I'll up date you in a day or two:O)

Christmas knitting is in high gear... Some of which I can't post about for the sake of keeping it a secret... so after the 25th you can see more! Wow, that is coming up quick!

Mission Completion!

finished socks = happy little girl






Here they are! I think i finished weaving the ends in around 11PM last night. Just in time! Also I didn't have any yarn left over. Actually I barely had enough to weave in. She loves them and has been wearing them all morning. I did manage to get a little photo shoot in:O)


























Project Stats:

Start Date: November 3rd
End Date: November 30th
Yarn: knit picks dye your own (kool aid)
Pattern: 3x2 rib w/cables
Needles: Addi Turbo US # 1
Method: Toe up, 2 socks on 2 circulars
Recipient: Leah

By 11:59pm...

Thats the time I have until to finish these socks! For it to count for the SAM kal4.... I think I can do it, really I could choose to end them now but I want to use up the rest of the ball of yarn. It was left over from my leaf lace socks I finished a while ago. I'd rather not have just a tiny bit left, so I better get knitting! Don't they look good on her cute little chubby legs?!









Here is a pic for the sake of cuteness! She isn't standing all on her own, just leaning on the sofa ;O)

Little blessings

Now I'm not going to say that my status in life is horrible right now, we are keeping within out budget but sometimes life just seems dull. I know, how could it with 3 kids?! Anyways Once in a while I feel like I'm running on empty.

I try to go above and beyond what is expected of me, help out others when and where I can. Nothing substantial but It makes me feel good to know I'm spreading Gods love around, sometimes to those who don't know Him.

Last night I was at church for a parenting class, I need all the help I can get:O) Anyways there is a girl there about my age, we've known each other for about a year and she has 2 kids one is Gabe's age. We usually sit at the same table and talk to each other, also I see her at Gabe's school once in a while. But other than our weekly Wednesday nights we aren't good friends. A few weeks past I noticed her Bible, a woman's devotional. She had colored on the edges of the pages so she could find all the different books, I commented that that was really cool and smart. We continued the conversation and I went on to say that the bible I owned was formally owned by my oldest sister, and that someday I'd like my own. Not that anything was wrong with it or anything. OK so to get to the point... She handed me this last night:

I was so touched by this gesture of kindness! She had thought of me and gifted me this brand new bible that she picked out just for me:O) Its a Mom's devotional bible, lots of stuff for moms of young children. I'm very excited by it, and can't wait to dig in.


After I got home I couldn't get a smile off of my face, I just felt so blessed. Then I began to think of the morning I had. A good friend came over and ate lunch with me and another good friend. After lunch I was putting the kids down for a nap and she started doing all the dishes, I told her to stop, but she insisted, so I let her. Later when she left hubby came home and unloaded the dishes from our dishwasher. We didn't have a single dirty dish in the house! How awesome is that?! My good friend blessed me by doing dishes.

After I thought about the blessing of dishes I was thinking of another friend who dropped off some food right before thanksgiving. Not just a little food but everything you could possibly need for a thanksgiving meal! Turkey, apple pie, pumpkin and pie shells, veggies, fruit, milk, sugar, flour, and the list could go on and on. Now I wouldn't say we were in need and couldn't afford all of this but it sure was a blessing from God. When my mom asked if I could bake some pumpkin pies, I didn't need to run to the store, and when she said she would get the whipped cream I told her she didn't have to run to the store either.

Its the little things in life that make me smile. I know God is watching out for me. Not that I wouldn't be able to live without these things He gave me but it just makes life a little more comfy. Also when you give your all to God and bless others and do His will for your life He will bless you! I'm living proof!



Well I do have some knitting content for you, I've been working on some socks for Leah. I'm doing them toe up. I wanted to do a heel flap and used this toe up heel flap sock formula from Becca @ Forward Motion. Thanks Becca! It worked great, I love the way it turned out.

I hope you all have a lovely rest of the week!

So much to blog about , so little time

I've been knitting like crazy to make gifts for the fam!





First off, My MIL's felted clogs! I used the fiber trends pattern, love it! I've had the pattern for awhile but never used it, I love them!








This is a hat for my BIL, last year he requested one just like Gabes... So he got one. He has a snowmobile and its that artic green color, you know what I'm talking about right?! Anyways I thought he'd apperciate that color worked into his hat. He also said he wanted a pom pom, but I'm going to wait until after I give it to him just to make sure. This is Hubby being my gracious model!













This is a basic garter siitch scart for my SIL. It's finished but I did't take a pic of it... its all the same. I used a new yarn from my LYS, cascade's Lana Grande. It knit up super quick on size 13!





I've had little time to blog because I had my family visiting... First was my oldest sister and her boyfriend, then my sister Allena and her family! Its a love hate thing. I love hanging out with everyone but I hate when they have to leave, then its back to reality...


Allena taught me how to crochet! Look what I made! Its for Hubbys grandma, my GIL. Allena wrote the pattern, She rocks! I wish I lived closer to all of my family so we could hang out more often. A year between visits is way too long!





And how can I have family visit without pics?!





My oldest sister and boyfriend:

We made a turducken.... yummy!












All the grand kids:












Homemade apple pie, modeled by my little bro:

For more pics of us eating go to allena's blog ;O)


I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

and lots of knitting time too!