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.

Weekend Fun

There was a lot going on this past weekend, besides working both Saturday and Sunday. To start it all off, C and I got tickets to attend a Washington Redskins preseason game at FedEx field. It was a fun experience since neither one of us had been to a professional football game before and didn't know where we were going, anything about where we were sitting, how to get there on the metro, or how to get home. The other boys, when finding out where we were, were really jealous and wished they could be with us.

We left the house at 6 pm and got home at 1:30 in the morning!!!! I had to be at work at 8 am, so didn't get very much sleep. I did go to bed early on Saturday night, though.

C's comment when I took this picture: "Mom, you're weird. Why do you need a picture of me at the game?" Why for the blog, of course. Silly boy!

Sunday, after work and dinner, it was so nice outside (no humidity) that I spent an hour on the balcony with the Scholar and some merino roving in the Coral Bells colorway from Misty Mountain. I have four ounces and am hoping to spin enough for a scarf or shawlette. I don't know which one I want just yet, so will wait until the fiber is spun and plied before I decide. Then I can see how much yardage I will get, before deciding. It is turning out mostly orange, with the purple and yellow and a splash of gold peeking through. I am thinking of someone specifically as the intended recipient, but haven't decided for sure. I might decide to keep it for myself.

There was a small amount of knitting, this weekend. I completed and knit another baby bib, while at the game and on the metro. Started a third bib on the way home and have that one almost finished. It is my stuck in traffic knitting, so will be finished today.

To top off the weekend, I got to see this beautiful sunset as I was heading inside last night. Now that makes for a good weekend, even if I did have to work the both days of the weekend.

Happy knitting and spinning.

One Bib Coming Up

Just a little bib. It didn't take very long to make. I should get busy and make it some of my car knitting. I'd like to get a few done for the new babies and as baby gifts for friends. There is always someone around me expecting or just had a little one. And I have quite a few balls of Sugar n Cream just sitting in a stash. I could free up some stash room and have gifts.

Not much else going on around here, just work, getting C ready for school, some spinning and a lot of knitting. Happy knitting and spinning.

Second Circular Baby Afghan

Here are pictures of the second circular baby afghan I made for one of the babies due in October. I really had fun with this pattern. The main body of the circle was done in Plymouth Encore yarn and the outside edge was done in a stash yarn. I didn't make the afghan to scale, my row gauge was off. But I think it turned out good anyways.


There are many more projects in the que. They are getting completed, slowly.

Off to have dinner with ES and C, for C's birthday (yesterday). Happy knitting and spinning.

My Baby is Not a Baby Anymore

My baby is 18 today!!

Not the best picture, but he took it (or a friend took it) and it is recent.

It's hard to believe that all my boys are now old enough to vote, old enough to be responsible legally for their own actions, and to be on their own. C will be with us for this his final year in high school, then who knows what will happen.

The past 18 years have just flown by, C isn't really that old, but the calendar doesn't lie.

Happy Birthday C!!

One of Two

I have finished two circular afghans for the new babies of the family, due in October. I know who I am giving which one too. But we will see if the kids pick the same ones for each of them. The good thing about both of these is, I was able to use some stash yarn in both. The stash is slowly getting smaller.

As I worked on this project, I kept stopping to admire how the colors were going together and how it all looked.
The first picture shows the size, kind of, and the second picture shows the texture. It is also truer to the real color. I like the swirl in the middle and how it adds some interest to the design. I found the basic pattern on Ravelry and then added my own elements to it. I like how it turned out.

The root canal went well, but I have to go back in a couple of weeks to get it finished up. Off to work this morning.

Happy knitting and spinning.

Red Scarf

I have been busy working on many projects. The finishing and photography are taking a little longer. Last night while waiting for knitter, I decided it was finishing time. This is the finished scarf for the Red Scarf Project. I realized this morning that the donation place is just up the road from me. I thought that was "cool", because usually it is somewhere clear across the country from me. I might even get this to the right place on time.

I used some stashed yarn for this project. It is Red Heart Soft Yarn which worked up fairly well and about as quickly as I wanted it to. The pattern I used was the Currugated which has been used a number of times by many different people. It seems to be the 'go to' pattern for this project. I don't know that I will do this pattern any time soon, but it was fast and easy.

Stay tuned, I have more things finished and pictures taken. They are even on the computer, so I don't have to worry about getting them downloaded next time I want to post. But right now it's time to go get ready for my root canal on the tooth I broke a few months ago.

Happy knitting and spinning.

Spinning and Tomatoes

This past Summer has been a busy one. So many things to do, along with work, and places to go, people (A-b) visiting and going places with him.

We've had fresh tomatoes from my garden, the planters on the balcony. I also have had a cucumber and lettuce. There have been plenty of pumpkin blossoms, but no little pumpkins yet.

I finally completed the spinning of 8 ozs. of a merino wool that I picked up last October at the Montpelier fiber festival. It seemed to take f-o-r-e-v-e-r to spin this fiber. I have had it on the Scholar since November.


This is what the yarn turned out like, it's a little washed out in this photo. I am not too pleased with the plying job, but the yarn is knitting into a really nice shawl, so far. There are color changes from purple to green with a little blue and white thrown in there also. I really do like how the shawl is turning out. I hope the intended recipient will like it also. I ended up with 1038 yards of a 2-ply fingering/lace-weight yarn. I think there is enough to finish the shawl I'm working on and then some fingerless mitts or some other small thing.

I am hoping to do better at posting on the blog. School will start the 8th of September, so I need a schedule worked out by then and with a schedule I think I will post better.

Well, off to get something done before work. Happy knitting and spinning.

It's Been Too Long

Just a quick note to let you know, I am still around. I have been busy knitting. No pictures, no time to shut the computer down to upload the pictures. We have done some traveling. Went to Minnesota last weekend and back home. Great seeing family!

I have a plan to get back to blogging! See ya soon.

Garden Update

I thought I would share with you the pictures I got of the cucumber plant this morning. There was a lot of dew on the leaves and the droplets were just gorgeous. I took a number of photos, but these were my favorite.



I had leaves growing and I didn't know what they were until a couple of days ago. Aren't these gladiolus really pretty? There are a number of them growing around our cul-de-sac area. They are all different colors, but I like ours best. There are another two stocks of these in our yard which will be blooming soon and I think they will be pink also.

The last picture is of my tomatoes----they are turning red! I only have one tomato plant, ES and C don't particularly care for them, but I wanted some fresh tomatoes and before long I will have them.

I don't have much of a garden spot, just some pots on the balcony, but they have been fun to watch and see what is growing there. I have teeny, tiny cucumbers and I'm not sure they will all make it to maturity. I haven't found any pumpkins yet, but they are still blooming. I pulled most of the lettuce, it was really kind of bitter. I would really like to find the type my mom used to plant while we were growing up. We used to eat it with sugar, if you can believe that.

Not much knitting has been going on this weekend. I have been doing some spinning, but not much else besides work, having dinner with friends, and chaperoning a youth dance. Not enough time in the weekend!

Happy knitting and spinning.

4th of July Festivities

ES and I spent the day on the Mall in DC. It was a fun day of attending the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, eating, watching people, fireworks, then more people watching, and shopping.

In the Wales section of the Folklife Festival, I got to watch a gentleman spin on a walking wheel and listen to a woman talk about dying wool with natural dyes. What a fun fiber related day and I learned something more about natural dyes. I haven't used many natural dyes, so talking with her was really interesting. I also ran into Laura from the Wednesday night knitting group and we spent some time in the Marketplace together.

ES and I were going to watch the fireworks from the top of the Cap Gallery, but ended up going and sitting down by the Washington Memorial when it came right down to it. The fireworks were really pretty and I think I got some good shots of them in all their glory.

My favorite picture of the fireworks has to be this green one. There were many more which didn't turn out, but that is to be expected.

I think one of the best parts of the night was standing ontop of the Cap Gallery, once again, watching the people head onto the metro and watching the thirty or more fireworks displays going on around the horizon. There were fireworks going off all over and they kept going and going. You could tell when each of them came the their conclusion as the grand finales were quite spectacular. We watched until about 11:15 pm by which time the metro line was managable and we felt like we could get on without too much problems. Glad we were on the orange line, as there weren't as many delays on that line.

The last picture of this loooong post is the fiber related goodies that I picked up at the Folklife Marketplace. Those are "Darn Pretty Needles" in a size 8, perfect for the scarf I'm knitting for the Red Scarf Project, and a new drop spindle. I haven't spun on it yet, but am looking forward to the spinning. I think I now have about a dozen drop spindles.

Happy knitting and spinning.

Catching Up

So, there has been a lot going on around here. C left yesterday to spend a month in Idaho with his brothers, sisters, and friends. Before he left, he wanted a new hat. His old one was lost in a puddle on a rainy day about a month ago. He reminded me he wanted to take it with him to Idaho on Sunday. I finished this hat by Monday morning and had him modeling it. He chose the colors and yarn from the stash. Now I just have to make some hats for all his friends that have requested them.

The first hat which I knit about a month ago, right after C lost his other one, ended up being too small for C and has since found a home with his friend Nate. I haven't seen it in use, but C says it has been worn. C also picked the yarn and colors from the "stash". What a great stash buster.




I have been watching the blossoms on the pumpkins growing in my planters on the balcony. There are quite a few blossoms and I am hoping to get a couple of pumpkins out of the deal. I also have some blossoms on my cucumbers and some green tomatoes on the vine. I just have to remember to water daily, as the planters dry out really quickly.

These are the skeins of yarn I picked up while in Chicago. The green is Dream in Color Smooshy (Happy Forest). I really like this color and there is 450 yards. The other skein is Alpaca Sox in colorway # 1858 with another 450 yards. They are both "my" colors, but will probably be knit and given as gifts.
Don't know yet to whom they will be given, but I'm sure someone will pop into the mind.


The last picture is of the clouds last night. They were really spectacular to watch as I sat on the balcony spinning. The colors of the sunset and the depth of the clouds were quite a combination and kept me entertained for an hour or so. That's what happens when I get home from work while it is still daylight, I get to watch the sky, people going by, and spin on the current wheel.

Last Week - Chicago

ES and I were in Chicago last week. ES was presenting at the NFPA conference which was held at McCormick Place. I was able to spend the time wandering around, sightseeing, knitting, and doing whatever I wanted to do. I also listened to ES's presentation which went very well.

One of the fun things we did, along with ES's co-worker Mark, was attend the Chicago White Sox game on Tuesday night. It was c-o-l-d, 51 degrees at the start of the game, and I was glad that I had brought my knitting with me. It kept my knees and hands warm when the wind got blowing. Mark laughed when I brought the knitting out, ES just took it in stride. He told Mark, "she takes it everywhere."

On Tuesday afternoon, I went looking for a yarn store within walking distance of the hotel. There was one listed in the phone book, but when I got there it wasn't there anymore. So Wednesday morning I went looking for another store which was close to McCormick Place. I took the shuttle to the convention center and then spent some time walking around, Knitwerks didn't open until noon and I was down there at 10:30. Knitwerks was a fun little shop and I might have come home with some pretty yarn.

While walking around and waiting for Knitwerks to open, I happened upon a little park. I had a throughly good time looking at the gardens around an old house, watching a couple of men clean out the fountain and then watching the fountain, but the best thing was watching this dragonfly.
He was really well hidden in the foilage, but caught and kept my attention once I spotted him. I loved his black and blue wings. I think I ended up watching him and the surrounding area for about 15 minutes. I almost took out my knitting right there, but decided I was more interested in finding something to eat.

Wednesday night was spent at the outdoor concert at Millenium Park with ES and his mom. We took a picnic, got some popcorn, listened to the music, then wandered around Buckingham Fountain. After that, it was back to the hotel to pack and get ready to head home the next day.

Chicago was a fun interlude, now it's back to work and everyday life. I'm glad I got the break though, the stress has been getting to me and I needed the get away.

Happy knitting and spinning.