BSJs and Grandkids

On Thanksgiving Day ES, C, and I got to fly West to meet our new grandsons/nephews and get reacquainted with the older grandson. It had been over a year since we had been to see the kids and it was good to be there for a week. This is a picture of all our grand kids with one mother, one father, and one aunt. The mother of the tyke in blue pants was out of the room while another aunt gave her a massage. I had one too and it was wonderful!!! Thanks AM!

Of course I couldn't go to visit without taking a knitted gift! I had to present these BSjs to the kids in person to tell them the story of the yarn and the sweaters. I couldn't just send them in the mail.
These two Baby Surprise Jackets, plus two and a half others, have been knit and waiting for delivery since the kids told me they were expecting. The yarn is ALL stash yarn, but not MY stash. It was my grandmother's stash yarn! When Grandma died my aunt took all of the acrylic yarn to make crocheted toys. I got all of the wool yarn, plus some of her knitting needles. I had used some of the yarn to make a wallaby for R, but there was a lot of yarn left over and in all different colors. Grandma at one time had made all of her posterity afghans, sweaters, jackets, and lots of other things. There is a lot of yarn to work with and even after making what I have so far, there is probably enough left to make at least three or four more BSJs. I hope the kids tell the grand kids about the sweaters someday----letting them know that the yarn was their great-great grandma and the sweater was made for them by their grandma. I think it is neat that Grandma gets to give something to her great-great grandsons and she isn't even with us anymore!

The orange BSJ is for AEK, the little one all in white (it was his baby blessing day) and the blue one is for BEK, the oldest grandson, and CJK his little brother, the one in the blue pants.

I get to have the pleasure of going to see the kids again in another two weeks and I have some knitting planned to take with me. Maybe a new sweater, seeing as how I now have a job where I don't have to wear a uniform and can expand my wardrobe. I have some handspun I've been eyeing and I think I have enough for a basic sweater.

In other news-----Christmas is less than two weeks away and I'm still not even close to being ready. There has been some Christmas knitting, but not as much as usual. There are some things that need to be blocked and gifted, then I can post about them here.

Until next time, Happy knitting and spinning.

I am Still Around

I figure it is about time to let you know I am still around and knitting. I am really enjoying my one full-time job and am getting used to a set schedule with two days off a week.

On Halloween we had a going away party for Carri. I presented her with this scarf which I spun and knit for her.

I forgot to take a picture of her in the scarf, so am hoping she will send me one. She is heading back to the Utah area and will be sorely missed by all at work. I will be calling her often though and asking for advice and instructions, I'm sure. And I am sure that the scarf will get plenty of use. She is always cold.

I also decided I was tired of spinning what I have been working on. I pulled out a 4 oz bump which I got in my fiber club installment from the Yarn Pirate and I am about half way done spinning it.
This colorway is called Haunted and I am really liking how it is spinning up. It is a superwash and I am spinning it in my usual modified long draw way. I think this will make a really pretty three ply and will make a good hat for one of the boys. I will show pictures of the spinning and finished yarn when it is completed.

I have also gotten to attend knit nights on Wednesday night again, one of the perks of the full-time---no more 9 pm closing shifts either--job. Granted, I won't get there until after 7 pm, but I get to interact with other knitters on a weekly basis.

Maybe I can get back into regular posting mode, also. But that might be stretching it. Oh well, off to enjoy my day off and meet a friend for lunch.

Happy knitting and spinning.

Random Thoughts

There has been a lot going on around here during the past two weeks. Not much in the way of knitting or spinning has happened.

There are a lot of random thoughts running around in my mind and so my brain isn't shutting off like it should at night. Let's see if I can name some of them:

• What have I gotten myself into with taking on new responsibilities at work?
• Why haven't I started some Christmas knitting?
• What should I knit for Christmas?
• Will I ever learn this new job?
• Will I ever relax again?
• Only four more shifts at the old job and working two jobs, then down to one job.
  
• What am I doing?
• I know life goes on, but
• When will I be comfortable again?

Maybe now I can sleep for another couple of hours.

Happy knitting and spinning.

AE Goes Home From the Hospital

Thought I would share the picture the kids sent me of AE going home from the hospital. He is using the dishcloth afghan I sent for his baby shower. I am so glad he is getting lots of use from it already.

This has been a busy weekend. ES ran the Baltimore marathon and did really well. I'll post pictures when I get them downloaded. I worked all day yesterday and will again today. I got to spend some time spinning this morning and I have a knitting project almost finished. There should be pictures soon.

Enjoy this day! Happy knitting and spinning.

Montpelier and Family

I thought I would share pictures of some of the fiber I purchased at Montpelier this year. I had a very good time wandering around the fiber fair looking at everything and not having to worry about keeping family members entertained. ES went with me, but spent most of the time watching the sheep/dog trials. I got to spend about three hours just looking, eating, purchasing, and enjoying.

The first and second pictures are showing the fiber I purchased from River's Edge Weaving Studio. I really liked the Fall colors in their booth. The first one is the Maple Leaf color and the second is the Indian Paintbrush color. They are a blend of merino and seacell and they are very soft. They are 4 oz each.

I think she has some really pretty colors in their dying. I realized when I got home that I have purchased fiber from them and spun it. I picked up a couple of ounces of their fiber when Sheryl and I got to go to Stitches East last year. I really liked how it turned out, so I am excited to try these two colors.

The River's Edge booth was about the last one I bought any fiber from, so I am working backwards in purchases for the next couple of posts.

The last photo is some superwash Merino that I got from the Wild Hare fiber studio. It is a 4 oz top in the Grateful Dyed color with two full color repeats in the roving. C saw this and claimed it for himself. He wants me to make him something from it. I told him I already had plans for it and he said, "Well, I get it first. You can use what's left for what you want to make."

In other news, our family has increased by one more. K and J-b had their baby yesterday morning at 2 am. We now have three grandsons. And in other news: Au and E's preemie came home from the hospital on Tuesday. Both babies are doing well and the parents are excited to have them to hold in their arms. I can't wait to see them when we fly home in November. ES says he likes the way they are named. The boys initials are A, B, and C. ES says the rest of the kids will have to name their kids in order on the alphabet so he can keep track of them. Yeah right!!

ES is planning on running a marathon on Saturday. I will have plenty of time to do some knitting while watching for him. I don't know my way around Baltimore, where the race is being run, but am going to try and find a place half-way through to watch for him and cheer him on and then get back to meet him at the finish line. I hope he does well, he woke up yesterday not feeling well and isn't any better this morning.

Happy knitting and spinning.

Dropping in After Way Too Long

This past month has just flown by. There has been knitting, spinning, work, gifts to send, a new baby and one due this week, trips to plan, airplane tickets to buy, a fiber fair to attend, a cooking class and just life. For some reason though it seemed to get away from me. I really didn't mean to not post for a whole month, but that is what has happened.

First let's talk about the gift giving: With two grand babies due in October, one a first child, there was baby knitting to be done. This stack of bibs was sent in time for a baby shower for K & J-b's baby, who is due this week. They were fun to make and I hope will be well used. The cream colored one is one I came up with the pattern for and I really like how it turned out.

I also sent along this dishcloth patterned afghan made with an acrylic/cotton blend. It worked up really quickly with large needles and was a mindless knit on those nights after work when I needed to unwind and let my mind quit racing.

There is other baby knitting, but I will save that for another post.

Our second grandson was born Sept. 20 at five weeks early. He weighed in at 5 lb, 3 oz and is now up to 5 lb, 7 oz. He is still in the hospital, but hopefully just for another week or so. He is eating well and he is breathing on his own and from what his parents say, is quite a little trooper. We are anxious to meet him and his soon to be born cousin, hence the airplane tickets.

I took a cooking, well really a baking, class last week. We learned how to use meringue, besides for lemon meringue pies, which we didn't do. We made these really cute mushrooms!

Don't they look real. Ruth, our hostess for the class, said that she had made these for an open house and put them on the dessert table. No one ate them because they looked so real. I brought home the ones I had made, to share with the guys. They both got quite a kick out of the mushrooms and C said he was going to call R and tell him that "Mom is giving my mushrooms". Besides looking cute, they really are good and sweet. They just seemed to melt in your mouth.

The final two pictures today are of my new drop spindle. It is a Trindle with red granite orbs. It spins really well and is down right fun.
I came home and got out a sample of punta/wenslydale which Vicky was kind enough to send me to sample. It is spinning up very nicely and I am enjoying it.

I have also finished spinning some fiber which was on the Scholar. It is on the niddy noddy now and I will get pictures of it soon. There is a project in mind for it, so I want to get onto it soon. Well, as soon as I finish up a couple of other things first. Too many projects and too many proposed projects, but isn't that the way we all work. What is on your project wish list?

Happy knitting and spinning.

Stash Enhancement and Finishing

Last Wednesday night I got the opportunity to attend knit night again, after about five weeks of not getting to go. I hadn't intended buying anything that night, but my drink changed that idea. Why did my drink change my plan? The lid came off while I was setting it down and some of it spilled on this beautiful ball of blue. I ended up coming home with a ball of Zauberball. I don't normally by single ply yarn, I don't like it that much, but I really do like the color. I haven't decided yet what I will do with this yarn, but I'm sure it will sit in the stash a while before I get around to using it.

In other news, I have another completed project. I completed knitting this little sweater for our staff pharmacist's new little girl about three weeks ago, but it has taken me until this past weekend to get the sleeves sewn up and the button sewn on.


Speaking of the button, I really like how this button works with the sweater and it accents the flowers on the pockets of the little pair of jeans I bought to go with the sweater.


The clothes are size 6 - 9 month size and the sweater fits right along with the sizing of them. I really like how this little outfits turned out.

I have other completed projects to show, but have to wait until they get to their intended recipients before showing them off. I have requests for hats which I should get cracking on, but haven't found the inspiration for them just yet either.

I have been spinning still, about 15 minutes or so during the day or evening. I have almost one full bobbin which has taken me about ten days to spin. I always like it when the bobbins get full, it means I'm accomplishing something on the wheel.

Last night ES and I went to dinner with some friends. We haven't done that in a long time and it was fun. We spent about 30 minutes eating and about two hours sitting there at our table talking. There are so many different restaurants around here and we haven't even touched a fingertip to the iceberg in sampling them. It was fun to go eat somewhere where we haven't been before. It also gives us another option when C is with us. I think he will like it also.

Well off to get something done before work today. School started today, so the house is mine for an hour or two. Happy knitting and spinning.