New knitting books

These are two new knitting books I've just purchased. I got them from KnitPicks with my Options needles and I've just ordered some yarn on Ebay, so eventually I'll get some more baby things knitted. The Natural Knits book has some great things, including two nursing mother sweaters. I think I'll knit one of them for my daughter. Her birthday is about 2 months after the baby is due, so it will be a good present for her for returning to work. I know I'll use both books for baby things sooner and even later on. I hope to knit sweaters and hats for quite a while. There just might be some more babies later on, too. Who knows?
;-)

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.

;-)

Day 2, Dishcloth KAL

Although this is the picture of Day 2 of the current KAL, I'm actually on Day 4 toniht and it's really pretty. This is being knitted with Sugar 'n Cream in cornflower blue. I'm using size 6 Denise needles because my gauge is looser than most. I'm really enjoying this one.

I'm back!!

I have several things to report and these two bags are just a start on my newthings. The red bag holds a baby blanket that I'll show later this week, but the second, clear bag, holds a lot of new items. The bag came from KnitPicks, so that just gives you a hint about what came with it and what might be inside right now. I've progressed on many of my projects, fortunately, along with being really busy. I truly hope I've taken enough pictures to post frequently for a while. I'll try to post more regularly, now that we have MIL settled in the nursing home. I've been her daughter for almost 30 years and she means so much to me and her 3 sons. Hopefully things will level off for all of us now. We got a lot of work done this weekend clearing out her apartment, and even got to watch the Datona 500 today, so things are feeling much more normal. ;-)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day, my friends. I hope it is a WONDERFUL DAY for all of you!

;-)

No pictures! I'm sorry!

I'm just glad to be posting! We've had my mother-in-law in the hospital in the past 10 days and then yesterday she was finally released to go to a nursing home. It has been a long haul and we are convinced she is in the right place, because she is truly safe now and will get proper care. She was living alone and full-time care just wasn't feasible.

I've managed to get both baby blankets to the half or better point. I've done the Feb. 1 KAL for a new dishcloth and it's really pretty. I have also finished my merino purple first sock and started the second one. (waiting in the hospital has it's good points when you have your knitting along!)

I'll try to get some pictures taken, but doubt it will be anytime soon. We still have to do a lot of work to clear out the apartment and sort through her things to determine what should be kept for rotation in her room.

Grandbaby number 1 is still safe and sound, but the pregnant mother is still having strong morning sickness at 15 weeks, so I doubt the sickness is going to stop for her, darn it. I just wish she could have a little while of really enjoying being pregnant!

;-)

If I can figure out how to upload the html for this site I will.
I'm excited about an order I made with Knitpicks last night. I ordered Options needles, the complete set, along with a couple of other small things. I'm looking forward to this! I already have a few Addi's and the Denise set, so this will make my needles complete!

My wallpaper

This is my wallpaper on my computer at work. It is Morro Rock in the bay at Morro Bay, California. I went to high school there and my mother still lives in our family home with a view of the Pacific Ocean from her living room, dining room and kitchen windows. It's a wonderful place to be!

This is my wallpaper at home. It is Vancouver Bay from the window of a harbor tour, taken in September 2006. My husband and I were celebrating our 29th wedding anniversary with a cruise/tour to Alaska and Vancouver. We went to Vancouver for our honeymoon 29 years ago, but didn't get this view. Isn't it beautiful. This wallpaper helps me remember the wonderful trip we've shared for over 29 years! ;-)

Snuggle kitty

For lack of anything else, here's a picture of OK, our snuggle kitty. He likes this extra bed because it gets the afternoon sun. My baby blanket is growing and we've been away to visit our pregnant daughter and her husband. I gave them the two baby caps and they loved them. I'll have to wait to give her more things.

The first baby blanket

This is the first baby blanket I'm making. White, of course, and a lovely simple chenille. It is soooo soft, I can hardly believe it. I'll try to remember to post a picture when it is finished. I'm enjoying it, anyway! I've been told we will not be told what sex the baby is, so I'm sticking mostly to white and some green and yellow. Pretty things, anyway, and soft, too.
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Completed shawl

This is my finished merino shawl. It's really plain stocking knit stitch with a seeded edge all the way around. I need to block it, still, but I'm looking forward to our eventual winter weather (hope, hope!!) so I can wear it and feel all cuddly and warm from it. The picture is pretty true to the burgundy color, too! I finally remembered to turn the flash off to capture the color better.

I'm having fun ordering and dreaming about knitting for the new grandbaby. I'm ordering new sock yarns, too, and dishcloth cottons. I'll be busy, but that's how I'd rather be most of the time. I'm hoping my pregnant daughter will let me sew a few maternity clothes for her, too. She isn't a sewer. Mostly does cross stitch and does a nice job, but she really does appreciate my sewing and smocking and knitting. I'm happy to have someone special to do these crafts.
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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.
;-)

Nothing to show today!

I've been busy this past week. Taking down Christmas decorations, getting back to work with a vengeance, picking up the house, getting "baby" things down from the attic (not yet gone through, unfortunately), and trying to help my husband have a happy birthday, yesterday.

I have gotten to a small yarn department and purchased a couple of baby yarns to start some presents with. Yes, presents for my daughter and her husband. They "say" they will not tell us the sex of the baby, so I'm going with the safe yellow, green and white for now. Hopefully she'll tell me when she finds out and I can make blue or hot pink things for the baby. She doesn't like pale pink at all! I think I might just go to lavender, because she loves any shade of purple, too.

I've started to reorganized my yarn stash and have even purchased a really cute hot pink nubby yarn with hopes of using it eventually for a baby. If not this one, then one in the future. Finding baby things I've stashed around the house is fun, too! A friend reminded me I will need some things here for the baby to visit, so I won't give it all away.

I'll try to post with pictures next time. I'm almost finished with my burgundy merino shawl, I've got a pair of really pretty purple socks on the needles now, and I've started a white chenille baby blanket. I'll probably have more on the needles soon! ;-)

Happy New Year!

Here are a couple of warshrags I've made recently. I don't think I've posted them before and I haven't taken a lot of pics of my work lately. These were fun, needless to say. I also knitted a snowman in white and an airplane in medium blue, but they were both Christmas presents that I forgot to photograph, so they're gone from my stash! Anyway, I'm now knitting a white baby blanket and will hope to get a picture soon to upload. The Baby will be arriving in early August, so, of course, I'll be knitting a lot of baby things!!!

We're just staying home and I'm knitting this evening. Just a couple of old fogies acting old, but we seldom do anything extra on New Year's Eve. A toast at midnight and then probably to sleep. If you read this blog, have a wonderful 2007 and keep on knitting!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!
;-)

Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful family Christmas with our daughter, son-in-law and son. We also had a DH's family Christmas party on Christmas eve and about 20 of us had a good time together. We did the meal, my DH and myself. Lots of work, but a great way to give a family gift to everyone, especially his mother who used to give these parties. We have missed other members of our families, but have spoken with most of them on the phone.
Our greatest gift this year was when our daughter and son-in-law arrived on Friday night. They told us they are pregnant!!!! We are going to be grandparents for the first time and we can hardly believe it! They are due in early August 2007, so guess what my knitting and other sewing will become almost immediately??!! I've already pulled out some chenille for a baby blanket. It's acrylic and pure white and will make such a pretty blanket. Don't know where I'll go next with knitting, but I do English smocking, too. I know I'll be smocking and sewing for babies, boy and girl. I've offered to help with the nursery sewing, too. Tomorrow morning we're going out to buy her first maternity outfit before they go home on Wednesday. They live about 5 hours from here. We'll have to visit often to see the progress, for sure. Can you tell I'm excited!!??
Merry Christmas and thanks for reading my blog!
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I'm so excited! I received a Christmas present yesterday that I bought for myself. I ordered from Knitpicks the kit including Kat Bordhi's Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles. The kit included two circular needles in size 1, the book and a skein of natural yarn. I would love to think I could dye the yarn, too, but I think I might just put it away for that possible project at a later date. I have plenty of good, lovely merino yarn with which to knit these socks. I also ordered in the package a pair of circular needles in size 2 and a "Sock It To Me" card. The card is just the sizing for all sizes of feet and will be a big help. I haven't done the circular socks up to now, so this is going to be a fun adventure. I've always knitted socks top-down, with double pointed needles. I'd love to try the toe-up with the circular's, so eventually I'll report here about my new adventure.
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Well..................guess what?! I've been busy with Christmas preparations, so that my knitting and other crafts have suffered. My small, pathetic idea of knitted gifts has been to no avail. I have, however, enjoyed preparing for Christmas and the tree is done. The packages are wrapped! (Except for the few to arrive in the mail, yet!) The house is clean! I need to bake and prepare for the family party on Christmas eve. We're doing it all and have to carry it to Grandma's community room, but it should be fun, anyway.

We met David's great niece on Saturday and she's a real cutie. 6 months old and her name is Layla! If I can get some digital pictures I'll post them after the party on Sunday.
;-)

Discloths done!

This is one of two dishcloths I finished and blocked today, to give to a friend for Christmas! It's a teapot, in case you can't figure it out and it's done in pale green (the color isn't the best today with my camera!) Peaches and Cream cotton yarn.

This is another Peaches and Cream dishcloth for my friend's Christmas gift. I love using the cloths as a practice for other stitches. This entrelac wasn't the easiest and I did have to rip out a few times, but I think I'm getting it, finally! ;-)