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!!!

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.

Tulip Baby Cardigan

This is Chrissy's completed Tulip Baby Cardigan made from yarn from Dream in Color. I did it in just a few weeks and it was lots of fun. It only comes in 6-9 month size, darn it. I've had lots of friends suggest making it for adults, too.

This is Chrissy modeling the sweater. She is 2 months old, so this should last most of the winter, I hope. Isn't she cute? ;-)

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!!

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.

Baby Bear

I'm not really satisfied, because the fiberfill shows too much, but this is my attempt to knit a bear to give our baby. It is the same Cotton Ease yarn that Knitting Underway used and even in the orangeade and pineapple colors. I used size 8 needles, but a different bear pattern. I can't recall where the bear pattern came from right now. I think I should have gone down a size in the needles, but the colors are perfect! Thank you Theresa for the idea! This was a fun, quick project and even with the fiberfill showing, I think my daughter will like it for her baby. ( Baby coming in 2 days, by c-section! I can hardly wait!)

Progress!

This is the lace shawl and it is not close to finishing. I have at least 20 more rows and they are getting longer and longer since this is a triangular shawl and it is knit from the smallest point to the widest point. It is pleasant to knit, though, so I'll finish this summer, I think. I hope I do, because I have to pack some easy knitting to take with me in a week. Our granddaughter is being born by c-section on Tuesday the 23rd. We will go to our daughter's on Monday and stay however long she needs us. Probably to come home for a week and then return when her husband has to return to work. We'll see. It is so exciting and scary and wonderful all at once! This will be a week early for the baby so we aren't having to wait as long as originally anticipated. We still can hardly wait! ;-)
These socks are nearly done and I am so excited! Then I can move on to the new yarns from The Loopy Ewe. I've enjoyed these, but now I'd like to try a toe-up version. I really like the two circulars, for sure! ;-)

Baby gifts!

A baby kimono from Mason-Dixon Knitting made from white Peaches and Cream.

Bibs made out of Peaches and Cream with special buttons

Fun 6 months baby hat. Just not the best picture.

Baby Feet washcloth made with Bernat Cottontots yarn.

Washcloth made with Bernat Cottontots yarn.

I'll post some more baby gifts before too long. I finally got some pictures taken and uploaded and can get caught up soon. This has been so fun!

More for the Baby!

Here's a variegated washcloth for the baby. It is made with Bernat Cottontots yarn and is soooo soft. I'm really pleased with how this came out. Now I plan to use Cottontots to make more washcloths and bibs, for sure.

This is a blanket out of Bernat Cottontots, too. It took quite a while to do, but is very substantial and soft, too. I used Koolade color for this one and it is really pretty. I've ordered some more Koolade online from Joann's to make a couple of other things, like washcloths and bibs, to go with this. Maybe even a hat, too.
These are Lion Brand Cotton Ease that I purchased on Ebay and they are the older colors. I just like the brightness of the older colors so much better than the new colors they came out with this year. I have a couple more colors on order, too. After having made myself a vest last year from this yarn I fell in love with it and plan to make a lot for the baby or future babies. ;-)

Baby Blanket and Booties

Yeah!!! I've finished a blanket and it looks really pretty and feels exceptionally soft! It is made out of Thread Art Soft and Thick Chenille in white. Perfect for a brand new grandchild!. I think I'll try to make a sweater and cap out of the same chenille. The green booties are out of Paton's Astra and were really simple, except for my binding off. I learned that I bind off too tightly and tried something new this time. I enlarged the bindoff needle two sizes and it helped a lot. I may just try that with casting on next time, too. In spite of knitting for almost 50 years, I learn new things all the time and it makes it even more fun because of that.

I went to Ben Franklin's 1/3 off sale today and bought several skeins of Paton's Grace to hopefully make a few baby washcloths. I'll post those as I do them. I got a couple of Sugar and Cream cotton balls and some other baby yarns, too. Fun, fun, fun!! ;-)

Baby Blanket

These are pictures of my Cottontots blanket, done in Koolade color. It is more than half way done and I can hardly wait. It seems to have taken a while to complete. Anyway, I just finished the knitting of the white chenille one last night and need to weave in the ends to have it complete. I'll try to take a picture today or tomorrow and post it. I might even start a sweater and cap out of the chenille, too. I'm not sure. I've knitted a pair of mint green Paton's Astra booties, too, so I do have a couple of pictures to take and post. By the time I finish with all of my ideas for knitting and then tackle my English smocking, this baby will be over dressed. But, gee, it is fun to do all of this!!! ;-)

February Dishcloth KAL's

These haven't been blocked, but I'm really pleased how they have come out. The pink one is the Feb 1st KAL and the blue is the most recent. I really enjoyed doing each of them and hope to be able to continue doing the KAL's as they are published. I have about 6 of these ready for gifting when I need them, so that is nice, too. Lots more cotton yarn is still in my stash, too.

New KnitPicks Options plus some

This is one of my newest purchases. I broke down and purchased these along with a couple of small circulars. I want to try circular socks with my next pair, maybe even toe-up. Who knows. The Options are really pretty. I already have a set of Denise needles and I broke a cord the other night, so I switched to a circular in these and they are really, really smooth. I'm impressed!

I have finished my mid-month Dishcloth KAL, but no picture, yet. Hopefully I'll get a picture of it and the one from the first of the month and post them soon.

;-)

The first baby cap!

This is the first cap I've knitted for "the baby." It's obviously very simple. Only took me part of the evening Sunday. I used Paton's Astra yarn on size 5 needles. It's heavier than I anticipated, so I'm trying a white cap out of something a bit thinner. We'll see. I think the baby is going to get lots of caps and blankets, so far. I've started a white blanket. I'll post a picture of that next time.
;-)

Dishcloth Done!

I just knit this the other evening and it was really easy and fun! I think I'll give it as a "stocking stuffer" for Christmas to someone in the family.
;-)