busy as a bee

I haven't been around lately... but i have been busy... and a bit nauseous but that hasn't stopped me from being crafty!







I've knit a few things...









First of all Dawn...(my sister) If your reading this STOP.......... don't spoil your(and Chris's) Christmas presents...












I knit some socks for my sister and her fiance. He is a bronco's fan and thought these would be appropriate! Cascade 220 on size 4's, nice slipper socks!





















Then i made some sleeping socks for Gabe! He loves them



















I also made Leah a piggy tail hat out of my handspun! I'm not to happy with the holes, they are kind of tight to get her hair through... but I should go and rip out the little hair turtlenecks... like that's going to happen.... maybe if i really dwell on it for a bit....


















then i made a hat for Chloe, but a friend at church has a newer baby that just needed a hat, and since i don't swatch it was sort of tight on Chloe so i gave it to the cute little baby.

























Felted mittens, I guesstimated the pattern, then ended up hand felting them so they would shrink to my liking, Leah loves them! After felting them i picked up sts and knit a ribbed cuff in a superwash wool.




















Then i made myself some mittens out of some Malabrigo chunky. This is by far the softest merino wool I've ever felt, seriously. LOVE IT! I have two more skeins and want to make a hat and scarf....



















You can go to my ravelry page for more details on all these projects....


I am now knitting on a mommy snug. From interweave knits (2006 i think) I'm using Cascade Sierra because i am always hot when I'm prego... so its a cotton/wool blend(80/20). I had about 3 to 4 inches done and realized that i forgot the button holes... so i ripped it and this is where i stand.



















So I'll be back with more later, also i should really be picking up Gabe's weasley sweater and finishing it and making one for Leah too.... I wanted to have a Christmas pic of them in it for Christmas cards..... we'll see. Maybe they will end up being Christmas gifts instead....

6 years of marriage!

Its been 6 years since we said our "I do's". Sometimes it seems like forever ago. Its taken a long time to get where we are, and other times it seems like the time has flown by. Where has it gone?! Hmmm I think the kids took up some of the time =)






Gabe....








Leah...











Chloe....





I'm so thankful for Joe and the life we have together. The commitment we made before God to each other is awesome. To love.... in good and bad, sickness and in health, for richer or poorer...(I don't ever think we'll be richer)... I don't think most people in the world today take those words seriously. It saddens me to see all the broken families. But on the other hand it gives me an extra bounce to my step to know that we will NEVER be one of those broken families. We took our vows seriously, and look to God when things get tough(and even when their not). We know that the D word is NOT and option. We have faced some problems and have gotten through them. Marriage isn't easy, and it shouldn't be. You have to work hard at it to keep it strong. I'm looking forward to working at our marriage for another 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36..... you get the point.... years!

Joe thanks for loving me and helping this marriage work!
















My sweet husband made dinner reservations at a restaurant... as a surprise to me. I was blown away when we pulled up to The Melting Pot.

















It was great! We went all out and got the full 4 course "big night out" meal. Silly me forgot to ask someone to take out picture together... oops!
















Cheese fondue(we had the spinach and artichoke version, there were quite a few options to choose from). Our waitress added all the ingredients right at out table, very cool to watch! Dippings included, a variety of breads, chips, carrots, cauliflower,celery and granny smith apples.
















A salad(forgot to take a pic, bad bad blogger) Joe had a portabella mushroom salad and i had the California salad(tomatoes walnuts and gorgonzola, with a raspberry vinaigrette).





















The Main course: a wide selection of meets, veggies and some ravioli, cooked in a Coq au Vin(red wine, broth and yummy seasonings)



















See the ceramic stove... right in the middle of the table, too cool!


And the best part... the chocolate fondue!!! we picked the turtle, chocolate, carmel and pecans. Dippings included strawberries, brownies, cheesecake, marshmallows, rice crispy bars, bananas and pound cake. MMMMMM soooo goood!!!!


























Oh and our waitress lit out chocolate on fire!!! I felt silly braking out the camera while she was right there, but hey, flaming chocolate! Not the greatest pic i know.... i was under a time crunch!






So that was our night, lovely and wonderful! Thank you Joe! I Love you!

one WIP

I just found out that i have a wonderful WIP in the works...























I'm Pregnant!




We are super excited about this and I'm looking forward to a new addition to the family, the kids are excited too!





On Monday we went out to the yarn shop and i "cashed in" some of my hours. Because i work out there i sometimes just let the hours add up and then go shopping with "free" money. Joe thinks I'm crazy, and that its not free. But i don't feel like working out there is really work, i love it. So to me its free money, free yarn that i don't have to use our bill money on. Your know what i mean right?!








Any who I got some cascade 220 for some Christmas presents, 3 balls of Regia for some "sleeping socks" for the kids, US#4 addi turbos, and a sock mending kit. I have two pair of socks that have holes on the bottom and all you have to do is needle felt them and they are as good as new! I'm looking forward to fixing them and wearing them. Its getting chilly out! Yea for hand knit socks!























The kids picked out this yarn, Regia Softy Color, Chloe, Gabe and Leah... in respective order. It is going to make their feet super happy!

Socktober....

October + socks = Socktober....



















Well it really wasn't full of socks... but i did manage to finish my Socks last night and get my "O"!




















I was test knitting a pattern for my sister Allena


























Starknits(ravelry link)



















She rocks my socks off!




















What a great pattern!
























Diamond Wrap Socks

























I love my socks!



















Project Specks

Start Date: Sep 5th
End Date:Oct 31st
Pattern: Diamond Wrap Socks
Needles: US#1 addi turbos
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill (Supersock Potluck, color~ Water)
Method: toe up, heel flap, EZ's sewn cast off!
Recipient: ME :O)
















This was my first time using Elizabeth Zimmerman's sewn cast off... LOVE IT! it is really stretchy! Wonderful for toe up socks! And when i googled stretchy bind offs i found this site (Stretchy Bind Offs), what a wonderful resource! I bookmarked it! you should too!

Pumpkin Pecan Rock Cakes

These are so yummy, and perfect for this harvest season! I thought I'd share the recipe with you!

Now let me explain a bit. they are called rock cakes for 2 reasons. one they look like rocks, and two they are the consistency of a cake. Light, moist and pumpkinie! Some might call them cookies but to me they are far from cookie in texture, maybe in size but that is it:O)

all right here you go.

Pumpkin Pecan Rock Cakes

Preheat your oven to 350*

Cream:
1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/2 cups sugar

Add:
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups of pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix and Add:
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
3/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Add:
1 1/2 cups pecans (or walnuts)

drop on a cookie sheet using a spoon or a cookie scoop and bake for 15-20 min. depending on the size. (when toothpick comes out clean) Let cool and then mix the frosting.

Melt together:
3/4 stick of butter (6Tbsp)
1 cup brown sugar

Add and Mix:
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar.

*add some water to thin, if you need to. Should be creamy and golden, not runny.

Spoon or brush over rock cakes & Enjoy!



Just for the cuteness factor..... the kids on a Wednesday night a few weeks ago ready to go to Awana at our church! I can't believe Leah is a Cubbie and Gabe is in Sparks now. My how they grow!

out of touch

I feel like i lost a good friend... my blog.

I use to blog somewhat regularly, like on a weekly basis, if not bi-weekly. Now its what~ a monthly thing... and just to post about my socks of the month?! Not good. I don't like it, i miss it. I will be blogging regularly again. And I'm starting now! (also i found out that i have far away readers, "Hi Jane, Hi Brenda")






This past weekend i went to LLBC for a Crafters Retreat. What fun! I love going there, such a wonderful place. Once you see the sign and start up the hill going into the cabin area a deep sigh comes over you. Its time to relax. Time to re-connect with good friends. Meet new ones. Time to connect with God without little people budding in every 5 minutes asking for something....






Here are just a few pics from our crafting room....

Jane! knitting her grand kids some "cousin socks" all the same colors, but mixed up depending on the kid, really cute!











Paulette! (and her knitting area, right next to me, comfy on the couch!)

















in the Forest center: (our crafting area)















And the purpose of this retreat was to craft... in my case to spin and knit! This was my view most of the time. and this was my "spot" with all my knitting and spinning goodness thrown about!














Well i didn't finish everything i brought up there but i did accomplish a good amount. I spun two bobbins of merino roving that i intend to make hat and mittens for the girls. I didn't finish spinning all of the roving but i think i did enough to make the hats. (two yummy skeins) I love pink so it was a joy to sit and spin it. Also i just love how soft merino wool is. MMmmmm! I do need to work on making it more even, but all in all i think it turned out well!













I also knit on my hot lava cardigan. I finished it up last night after the kids were in bed! I finally found a home for my handspun... It was knit quite a number of times. a hat, a shrug, a different sweater(mr greenjeans) and it didn't work out in all of those so 0n Wednesday i riped it all out and started on hot lava (ravelry link).















There wasn't enough yarn to fully complete the sweater, but the cool thing is that it looks ok with how much i did have. I would have liked to make the whole thing like the pattern but i'm ok with how it is. Actually i really like it! I'm such a warm body that if it was any bigger i might not be able to wear it. I just get so hot so easily. Its merino.... aka super warm! anywho...


project specks:

Start Date: Oct 23rd
End Date: Oct 26th
Needles: US# 11s
Pattern: Hot Lava
Yarn: My handspun
Recipient: me!








I did not however work on my socks.... but i have 4 more days to finish them... i think i can! See my progress?! This is the diamond wrap socks, written by none other than my sister Allena aka starknits!

I love it such a beautiful pattern! I am past the heels so all i have to do is finish the legs.










Well i plan on writing up a post on how i cleaned my raw fleece.... so i'll save that for another day. Come back soon..... I'll be here!

I got my "S"

Yep i finished my September socks! but not the "normal" sized ones that are for me. I realized that i wasn't going to be able to finish them on time so yesterday i CO for a little pink pair for Chloe! They turned out cute! I like them and so does she!








Project Stats:

Start Date: September 30th
End Date: September 30th
Yarn: Cascade 220 superwash
Pattern: Basic Stst, heel flap, 2x2 rib cuff.
Method: 2 at a time on 2 circulars, toe up, (toe up heel flap formula!)
Needles: us#3
Recipient:Chloe










I am still cleaning my wool... thought it is getting cold out now and i really want to finish it soon... and get it sent out so i can spin it... and then knit with it!







On a non fiberous note:
Joe and I are going to go and see the movie Fireproof tonight. It sounds really good... can't wait to see it for myself. I've been told to bring tissues...