D Day in our house

This is the "Hey, Teach" that I made for Helen and it looks really good after washing. I've given it to her and hope it will fit, but she didn't try it on before we left. It's a gorgeous color for her, so I'm really hopeful.

Today is "D" day. Departure for Tom and David to drive to the West Coast. I had a little weepiness, but didn't actually cry, so I'm proud of myself. I'm so proud of Tom and excited for him. I actually told him I'm a little envious, too. I loved my 5 1/2 years on San Francisco. I just wish I could go back. Visiting him will be fun, needless to say!

The other picture here is the "Helena" sweater I knit for Chrissy. I didn't get a picture of the hat I knit to match it, but it is a rolled edge, plain hat and I put a little flower on the top. Just loose petals to make it a little more girly. I've posted both of these sweaters on Ravelry, too, with all the details. I'm Susie. Just plain and simple, Susie. I guess I was early enough in joining Ravelry to get a simple name like that.

I really have my work cut out for myself here at home for the next week. Wish me luck getting all of Tom's stuff picked up and out of our living space. He really did make a mess. In spite of it all we love him tremendously!

;-)

Some work completed, no pics, yet

I finished Helen's sweater in a pretty lilac color and also Chrissy's fall sweater in a burnt orange called terra cotta. They both came out well, but I'm not happy with my binding off. One was too tight and as a result the other was too loose. Oh, well, they're wearable. I hope they fit.

I'll be seeing them this weekend, so we'll find out if they fit!!!

I hope to get pics taken tonight or tomorrow morning so I can post here soon. Maybe next week?

I'm going to try to start posting on my other blog, too. We'll see!!

I've been retired one week and have accomplished a lot. I've worked out 4 days this week. I've finished both sweaters. I've been to see Helen and Chrissy for 3 days. I've had a computer crash and bought a new one. I love this Toshiba laptop!!! My old harddrive is being checked for data retrieval, so cross your fingers for me. I've bought a GPS, as has my husband. We're liking them!! I've received a new knitting book from Amazon to read, but haven't, yet gotten to it. I've loaded many more titles I'd like to read in my Library Thing library. I've done tons of laundry, cooked more, ironed, watched lots of t.v., been out to eat with our son, played with my kitties, and tried to sleep in, but was unsuccessful. Still get up between 630 and 7am. I just wake up then!! Haven't been to the library, yet, but hope to soon. After all, there's a book on hold for me.

;-)

Long time no see!

This is the final product of my lovely granddaughter, Chrissy, in her smocked dress. She really is this beautiful and this happy, too. I almost cried when my son-in-law sent me the picture on Easter Sunday.

This is the pattern from which I made the next pictures for Chrissy. You can find it here. I have to admit that I copied Alison from the Blue Blog. She had done this in the most beautiful lavendar shade for her daughter and I fell in love with it. This is Knitpicks Shine sport yarn in the plum shade. The first and third pictures following this are truer to the color than the middle one. I had lots of fun knitting this and even followed Alison's advice to use the smaller needles on the yoke areas. I'm in love with the yarn and pattern, obviously. Thanks, Alison!

I just happened to have these kitty buttons. Don't they look sweet?
If I get a picture of Chrissy wearing this, I'll be sure to post it!

My knitting lately has been simple, because my stamina from my January surgery just hasn't returned the way I want. I had to leave for almost a week to go to a Public Library Association conference in Minneapolis a couple of weeks ago and it really exhausted me. Then I was home for a week of work, barely, when my husband and I flew to Las Vegas for 6 days. We spent time seeing my brother, helping him with things from Mom's house, visiting Mom in the nursing home 3 times and we did get some gambling done for fun. I broke even, actually, which is amazing for me. It sure made the trip more fun, though!!!

More smocking

These are pics of the latest outfit I made for Chrissy. It's a size 1 blouse, jumper and panties in blue small checked gingham. I'm hoping it will fit through the summer without the blouse for a sundress, particularly around the 4th of July. I made this as a surprise for Helen and Chris and they loved it! Hopefully I'll get a picture of Chrissy in it, too. Then I may be able to post it here.

I sent her the pale yellow tulip dress for Easter and also found her some lavendar Carter's pieces for playwear for the summer and fall. Onsie top, Skirt with panties in it and a long pair of pants in a lightweight cotton that can be rolled up and buttoned after rolling. Cute!

I'm working on my entrelac shawl edging now, so when it's finished and blocked I'll try to get a couple of pics to post. Also hoping to start a jumper dress for Chrissy, knitted, of course!

;-)

I'm back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's been more than 2 months, darn it. But my surgery is over, there's no cancer, and I'm back to work, too. I've gained a lot of insight through all of this, but also got quite a bit of smocking and knitting while I was resting and healing.

Here's the round yolk of a bishop style bubble.


Here's our sweetie pie loving her toes! She's 7 1/2 months old now and still the sweetest baby in the world!
Here's the neck of her round-yoke Easter dress. Aren't the tulips pretty?
And here's a bonnet knit from cotton, to go with the dress. Only problem is it's a little too big.
Last, but not least, here's a new order of yarn from Knitpicks. The gray is for me and the Pink/purple is to knit something for the sweetest girl we know.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

It has been a good day, today! We slept in and got the Christmas tree undecorated. Hopefully we'll get the rest of the Christmas decorations packed and back into the attic this weekend. I will be organizing my knitting projects this weekend, too, so I don't have to pull things out for a month or more, hopefully. I'm having surgery on Monday, the 7th of January and will be in the hospital for a minimum of 3 days, with a minimum of 6 weeks off of work. Hopefully it is just a big fibroid cyst and a hysterectomy, but the doctor is a little concerned that it is growing at my age, so he's said we will know the biopsy results in about a week.

Here are a couple of bibs I made for Chrissy for Christmas and the next picture is a winter hat I knitted for her, too. The only other knitting gift this year was the lilac lace shawl for my sister. Oh, yes, I think I gave her a couple of warshrags, too.
I'm currently working on a needlepoint stocking of family tradition for Chrissy. She will have it next year for Santa to fill up.



If I don't post for a while, please forgive me. I hope I'll be up to posting in a couple of weeks. I really don't know what to expect physically for myself. My gall bladder surgery a few years ago wasn't awful, but it was laproscopic and this surgery isn't. The doctor will have to open me up, so recovery will be much more like a c-section. I've asked my daughter about that and I know I can do it, just don't know what to expect.

Prayers will always be welcome. Wish me luck, too!
;-)

Well...........It's been too long!

These are for Chrissy. Hat and thumbless mittens. She already has them and I've just finished another hat in a dark red that has ear flaps and ties for under the chin. Will be particularly good for the really cold mornings going to daycare.

I'm doing needlepoint mostly right now. Chrissy is getting a needlepoint stocking much like the rest of our family. It will take me the better part of a year, so she has gotten a small one with a promise for next year.

More from today!

This is Chrissy in her Tulip sweater. When I first took a picture of her in it it was quite large on her. Now it fits perfectly. Darn it! It may not last through the winter, as I had hoped!

Well.........Thanksgiving is over!

It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted and I have loads of pictures to post finally, so beware! I've been sewing, cooking, knitting and even doing a bit of needlepoint (pics later).

This is the 4th and 5th pictures. I finished Chrissy's Christmas outfits. The first one is her Christmas dress in a pretty plaid with Christmas Trees smocked in a drop yoke style dress. It is long-sleeved, with a 4 1/2 inch hem. Size 12mo/1yr. She's grown so quickly, we are hoping this is the right size for Christmas. Here are a couple of pictures of it.

These are pictures 2 and 3. The next thing I made and finished is a cute coverall out of the nicest finewale cordoroy with the baby cardinals done in English smocking, too. This might even fit her next fall, if we're lucky. I made the straps long, the legs are long anyway (size 12mo/1yr) and I put gripper snaps inside the inside leg seams. I'm feeling pretty good about this, too.

The First Picture is a jumpsuit. I had made her a cute jumpsuit before birth with pretty rocking horses on the front and she wore it on Wednesday. We had wonderfully warm weather that day, so she was quite comfortable in the short sleeves. Take a look!

The proof!

This is Chrissy wearing one of the sweaters I have knit for her. It really did look nice on her, too! She loves to sit on her Daddy like this.



Athough you cannot see it very well, this sweater is one that my mother knit for my daughter, Chrissy's mom, so she actually has a sweater from her Greatgrandmother. My daughter, son-in-law, and I really think this is wonderful. It has a little grow room, so it should fit her through the winter. At least we hope so. At the rate she is growing, noone knows!!

I have been sewing and knitting, just not posting. I hope to rectify that soon, but don't hold me to a promise, please. I'm smocking two things for Chrissy for Christmas, knitting for her, my sister, and hopefully Chrissy's mom. I'll try to post some of my progress soon. ;-)

Wonderful weekend

I had the most fun this past weekend babysitting for our 2 month old granddaughter, Chrissy. She is the prettiest and best baby. My DH and I had so much fun! We got to sit for her two nights out of 3 and we couldn't have been happier.

No knitting in this post, I was just too busy to do any over the weekend. I needed to hem some slacks for my mother-in-law, and then take the baby around to meet everyone, since she and her parents live in Delaware.

I'll be on vacation for 10 days in about 4 more days, so I may be lagging in my posts. I will return!!

Going to Las Vegas to have fun! Then to Delaware, (I know you know why!)
;-)

Another baby hat

This is another hat from Itty-Bitty Hats. Isn't it cute? The lilac color makes it different, but really pretty. I think Chrissy will look really cute in it. I made a 6mo size, but I didn't use double point needles. I have a seam in back. It was so much easier. The yarns are the Teddy Spring Time, which is 100% acrylic. It's really soft, too.

Update on my mother. She is moved successfully and doing ok in the dementia unit. I'm praying a lot for her. I won't get to see her until October when we go out to Nevada.

;-)

August 26th

I just finished this hat and left it with Chrissy today. It's the pumpkin hat from Itty Bitty Hats and it was really fun. I did the 6 month size, so it should be just right for Chrissy to wear in October and November.

This is Chrissy, as if yesterday. At one month, she has gained almost 2 pounds. She will find out on Tuesday when she goes for her next pediatrician check-up. She's such a sweet baby.



Update, 8/28/07 Chrissy now weighs 10 pounds 9 ounces, and is 22inches long. She is 5 weeks old today!!!!!! Wow, she's really growing!!

Yippie!!!!!!!!!!!

I just got my invitation to Ravelry! What fun! What a lot of work!!!! Oh, well, with this blog and Ravelry, I'll really keep myself busy. The only problem is that I want to read, too. With working full time, and all of this, I'll never have enough time for it all, darn it!

Chrissy and family are doing fine. I miss that tiny baby, so much!

;-)

Here she is again! Miss Chrissy!!!!!

We spent another week with our darling Chrissy. What fun! She is growing and changing every day. It was hard to come home, but we needed to, so I could go back to work. We'll see her soon, I'm sure, but I can hardly wait! This picture has her wearing a frog rattle from her Great Aunt Lorey. (my "big" sis!) It's still too big for her wrist, so her ankle is perfect.

Ths is one of the bibs I knit for her. Still a bit big, but very soft and functional. This is me holding her, too, but she is more important, so the picture concentrates on her, of course.

Christina Helen (Chrissy)

This is why I haven't posted for a while! She is the most wonderful, beautiful little baby girl in the world! I'm not prejudiced at all! LOL! Born on 7/24/07, 8 pounds 5 ounces, 20 inches. Blonde hair with blue (at the moment) eyes. Our daughter had a c-section at 39 weeks and they are both doing wonderfully! They don't live where my DH and I do, but we were there and got home today for about 4 days. We will return to our girls on Sunday to help for one more week, since Chrissy's daddy has to go back to work on Monday and Mommy won't be driving or doing stairs, just yet. We are truly in love with our first grandbaby!