Thursday, January 31

Just in time...

I finished these bad boys @ 11:30!!! Sorry for the bad pic, crappy lighting. I'll swap out pictures tomorrow, when I can get some with natural lighting. *I swaped them out!* So here they are. I used the magic cast on and did a toe up.... I didn't really follow a pattern just made it up as I went along. I did use Becca's toe up heel flap formula, love it! this was also my frist time knitting socks and using every last bit of yarn for the same pair... Ok well almost, I had a little left over on one sock, but only a yard or two:O) see the tiny little bit?! I was quite proud of myself!

Ok, project stats:



Start Date: Jan 13~ish
End Date: Jan 31st

Yarn: Meilenweit 100 Colortweed

Pattern: basic sock (my own) plus Becca's Toe up heel flap formula

Needles: Addi Turbo's US#1

Recipient: My dad! (this is actually the first hand knit item I've made him...its about time!)




This was my #5 for my top ten stash along... yeah! One more down!

Wednesday, January 30

Another update...

I will have knitting content by the 31st... oh wait that's tomorrow. I better get knitting, I have a pair of socks to finish!

but first picture updates...




Day 25(jan 25)
I painted Leah's toe nails with her very own "po nail poish" and she made me do mine just like hers... She loves purple!













Day 26 (Jan26)
I spent the day at my LYS, where I work. Unfortunately for the owner the weather was horrible and I only had 2 people come in all day. Fortunately for me, after I organized some yarn and did some other busy work I got to sit and knit. If you look closely I was sitting in the rocking chair next to the fire(to the left) Behind me is the LYSs lending library and to the right is a wall of knitting needles. I really like how you can see so much detail in this tea pot.
Here are my sock in progress, since this picture I've knit the heel's and I'm on the way to finishing them... more on that tomorrow! My fingers are crossed!











Day 27 (Jan 27)
After a long hard day without a nap, this is Gabe at 7pm.... It was nice, we came home from grandma and grandpa's and all 3 kids zonked out in the 7 minute drive home. They didn't even wake up when we put their pj's on :O)









Day 28 (Jan 28th)
I got to hold this all day long, a sick and sad little baby. Poor thing. But it was nice having her cuddle all day long, usually she is too busy and is always on the go~










Day 29 (Jan 29)
Minestrone soup. I started out with some red and yellow onions, celery and garlic. Then went in the carrots. Next was the potatoes, then the green beans, zucchini and yellow squash. At the end I topped it with some kale and let that steam for a bit.... don't forget the salt and pepper, stir it up and.... voila dinner in a bowl!








Day 30(Jan 30)
Thanks goodness Chloe is starting to feel better! I was getting scared yesterday when her temp wasn't going down, even after Tylenol.... So I got some ibuprofen and she actually slept through the night! Woo Hoo! Here she is having a good time playing.



Hopefully by tomorrow at 11:59 I'll have finished my dads socks... I always seem to procrastinate with my socks but so far I've been able to finish a pair a month, I hope I can keep it going! If so I'll be back and posting soon:O)

Thursday, January 24

Oh my I have some catching up to do...

So I started this picture a day thing thinking I'd post more often... I can't believe its been almost 2 weeks since posting. I promise I be short and sweet :O)

Day 12 One of the most yummy cookies ever, they are called chocolate fudgies. Love love love em! A recipe link is on my sidebar!








Day 13
You've seen this picture... Socks for my dad








Day 14 There was actually some sunlight today and I was playing around with Chloe and the camera's natural light setting... I like how you can see the camera and my hand in her eye.








Day 15
I'm going to cheat for real this time... I had 2 pictures that I liked for the 14th... but the cute baby one won. I realized the day after the 15th I didn't take a single one.... so here I am using my day 14 runner up as day 15. I'll try not to mess up again;O) The edge of a buddy bag, for a late Christmas gift... I'm almost done!




Day 16 She is officially walking... AHHHH










Day 17 As Chloe was falling asleep on me before a nap (usually doesn't happen, she had a ruff morning) I had the camera on hand and snapped a few.... I love that my thumb is as big as her whole hand.









Day 18
Leah snuggling in her blanket.... it was a cold day, -3!









Day 19
Gabe with "orange teeth" Joe cuts the (rind
usually) white of the orange and then it looks like a goofy set of teeth. For some reason Gabe loves doing this while eating oranges:O)








Day 20

This is my new bible cover! I love it, its
a Vera Bradly and was on sale for only $12!!! I LOVE the colors too!







Day 21 Joe and the older two kids... shoveling the snow. They had a blast helping daddy!







Day 22
This is the only picture I took on tuesday, I opened the back door at work and snapped a picture of all the snow we got from the night before, someone said
we got a total of 12 inches in a day! I just wish I knew more about my camera so I could take better pictures of the snow... I love it!




Day 23
These are "my ovens" at work.... each deck fits 16 loaves of Italian bread in it. 64 loaves at one time or four sheet pans(of something else). See the stool in the bottom right corner ?! I need it so I can reach into the top deck:O)







ATTENTION ALLENA: DON'T LET THE GIRLS SEE THIS :o)




Day 24 Today I was determined to finish up my niece's late Christmas presents... This little guy was the finishing touch!












Here they are:

I love the way they turned out but wish I would have done them sooner. My poor nieces have to wait over a month for their Christmas presents :o(

This is also the last of my #1 from the Top 10 stash project KAL! Only 6 things left on the list! I'm not counting Hubby's mitts with flaps...#4 I only have a few more inches to go, but I need to buy another ball of yarn for the thumbs... bummer!


1~ 3 buddy bags (Christmas presents for my nieces)
DONE!
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 patt
ern for the life of me... I'll have to make it up)
DONE!
4~ 2 pair of Fingerless gloves
one done, one to go! (just a few more inches!!!)
5~ socks for my dad
6~ Calorimetry
DONE!
7~ Hat and scarf for Leah
8~ My handspun Mr. Greenjeans
9~ Leah's cardigan
10~ Mom's zip-up hoody
11~ Wallaby
12~socks for December for the samkal4
DONE!

Sunday, January 13

Happy Blogoversary to me!

January 13, 2005 I started a blog... I can't believe its been 3 years. I almost missed it...( its getting to be my bedtime, I have to be to work at 4am)

So just a quick post to say thanks to all of you who read my little blog, a little piece of me. A place where I can say anything I'd like, about me, my family and of course my fiber addictions, knitting and spinning. I love having a blog even though I'm not the most frequent of posters, i love it anyways! I also love all of you, all the friends I've made here in blogland:o) What an awesome community
it is, I'm so thankful to be a part of it!



On the knitting front I've cast on for my dads Christmas socks... 2 socks on 2 circulars, magic cast on! love it! I figure this way I'll be done with them at the same time and I won't be able to procrastinate any longer;o) I did have to wind the ball(Lana Grossa colortweed) into two equal balls... which I weighed on my digital scale to make them the same, I was also able to make them start at the same color, so they can hopefully be identical twins!

These are also on my top 10 stash project list... #5, and I'm hoping to finish them by the end of January to have them count for the SAM KAL5!...

have a wonderful beginning of the week!

Friday, January 11

project 365 update

I think I go backwards for this set... Its just easier in my brain that way!




Day 11 (Jan 11th)
Homemade mac & cheese! Its whats for dinner and so yummy! The kids love it and I don't feel guilty feeding them this kind of mac & cheese;o)








Day 10 (Jan 10th)
I made some Italian bread from scratch... at home! I do this for my job but always in larger quantities(about 80 a day). I finally did the math and made it at home :O)








Day 9 (Jan 9th)

We went to the children's museum and there was this giant thing... Hubby and Chloe made an impression. I loved the way it looked!














Day 8 (Jan 8th)
She really wasn't mad, just making a face:O) I took this of her because I cut her hair, in the back. A good 2 inches came off and made her hair look a lot fuller! This was her first real hair cut besides bangs, I cut my baby's baby hair!!! ahh







It went from this to this:

Not too bad... I think she looks really cute now, well not that she didn't in the first place;o) Just a little more grown up.




Day 7 (Jan 7th)
What a gloomy day. The snow was melting and then came the rain, thunder and lightning... Good for knitting!

It stayed like this for a couple of days... ick! I would have much rather had snow... it IS winter.

Sunday, January 6

uh oh

It was 7:30 when I realized that I hadn't taken a single photo today... Its only the 6ht of January, I can't mess up this early in the game. So I did a little photo shoot with the cute little baby of the house.




Day 6 (Jan 6th)
I liked a bunch of them but I picked this one of the cute little tutters and fingers. I sort of feel like I cheated today... I'll do better in the future I promise!







Here are some of the others I liked...





Oh I finished
the body of mr greenjeans... but I'm definitely going to need that extra roving to finish the sleeves... bummer. Which means that I'll have to wait to get the roving, spin it, wash and set it, let it dry.... and then I can finish knitting mr greanjeans. I was on such a roll, I hope I don't loose my steam.

There are definitely other things i can knit in the meantime.

Saturday, January 5

Mr Greenjeans I "heart" you!






I really do, so far anyways! I've only got 3 1/2 inches to go on the body then the arms. I am worried about having enough yarn though. I have my LYS ordering more roving and it was on back order, until the middle of Jan. I'm hoping that I won't need it(for mr. greenjeans).



I'm a bit farther on it than this picture. Try and picture it in natural light... Hubby took this and it was getting dark out so we had to use the flash. I don't like flash
and would rather use the natural light but had to have a modeled pic... So you see my dilemma...




The cables, Love em! Love this yarn, I'm not really sure if it's because I spun it or just because its so darn pretty. Either way I'm so lovin this sweater and yarn combo!Mmm mmm good!












The cables are also part of my project 365...

Day 5 (Jan 5th)
Cable-ing without a cable needle! It was described in the pattern and is soooo easy! It makes things go quickly too!Just one more knitting skill I've learned :o)



Just a little update for you all, Hope your having a good weekend!

Friday, January 4

rip for happy knitting







Yesterday I turned this:










into this:
(actually the three smaller balls were the ones that needed to be ripped and the two larger ones were just barley started)

because I found this pattern. It was almost
exactly what I was doing but I originally wasn't following a pattern. Now I can, and I really like it! I'm to the point where I put the arms onto a yarn holder to work the rest of the body... I just hope I have enough yarn.


I forgot to say that I received a gift certificate for my LYS from my MIL for Christmas.... Last night was knitting out at the shop. Look what followed me home! The Knitter's Book of Yarn. It is a really cool book, really!!! I'm so excited! But I'm going to make myself finish my Christmas presents and most of my top 10 list first, before I start on these:

I've been wanting to challenge myself with something difficult, or at least something I haven't dipped into
in the wonderful world of knitting. Some Norwegian Snail Mittens should do the trick :o) I'm substituting the brown for the dark blue, the purple for the light blue and the green for the green. I'm not too good at choosing colors but I think these will be ok, what do you think? Plus they should go well with my new brown coat!





To catch up on my picture a day...

Day 3 (Jan 3rd)
The start of hubby's mittens...nothing to interesting.












Day 4 (Jan 4th)

My goofball Leah. She is always laying in or on things. My motto take the goofy pictures while you can, pretty soon she'll be to mature for things like this.

Wednesday, January 2

2 more FO's!

I can't believe it, i finished up 2 projects on the first of the year. I can just tell that its going to be good year for knitting! *grin*







First up, My little brother Trevor's hat. He requested a hat with brim (from a baseball hat). I couldn't find a pattern for what I wanted so I made it up. I'm quite proud of the finished product, and was considering sending it in to knitty, but hadn't read the submission guidelines until it was too late. I wasn't allowed to post any pictures here or on Ravelry... Bummer! Oh well maybe I'll write up the pattern and post it here.












Project Stats

Start Date: December 28th
End Date: January 1st
Yarn: Jeager aran merino (held doubl
e,less than 3 balls)
Pattern: My own design (Brimmed Beanie)

Needles: Addi Turbo US #6 (2 circulars)

Recipient: Trevor









Project Stats

Start Date: December ?

End Date: January 1st

Yarn: My handspun, kool aid dyed

Pattern: Calorimetry
Needles: Addi Turbo US#1

Recipient: ME!





It fits very well and I really like it, except for the holes that were formed by the short row shaping. I did use smaller needles and yarn than called for, so maybe that wouldn't be so obvious with a thicker yarn. Either way I still like it and I'm going to knit mittens to match! I love being able to wear my handspun!

*Note my new coat! I've been wanting to get a new one for a few years now and found this one for 50% off!!! It is down and super warm! Love it!


I started the Ravelry group project 365ers yesterday. I'm going to be taking a picture a day for a year. So bear with me this year as it is going to be filled with pictures(not like it isn't already)!

So yesterday was Day 1. I'm starting the new year out with a yummy cup-o-coffee, in a new mug I was gifted from a friend! Love it so much!!!












Today would be Day 2. We went to the library and I really liked this shot of Chloe. Its never to early to start them with the love of books! She is getting so big, in a month she will be 1, I can't believe it. She has taken a few steps every day, she is up to 4 or 5 in a row. My little baby isn't so tiny anymore.