knittens

Beach Day

We spent yesterday afternoon down the shore and had an amazing time. Thaya was crazy about the blanket, the sand, the toys, the water, the sand, the water, the water, and having a whole afternoon with her Mama and Dada. We definitely have a little beach bum on our hands.

We spent today at the park, but of course the battery one the camera died right as I took the first picture. Oh well.

Hope you had a great weekend. Can't wait to see your pictures :)

I finished Tulip on Wednesday, and immediately cast on again for the smallest size.  I have so much yarn left over, I may actually be able to make 1 or 2 other sweaters - or maybe some matching pants?

I had some very special company on Thursday and made a quick loaf of banana bread.  I didn't have all the ingredients for my usual recipe, so I tried this one.  It was good, but I'll be sticking to my original from now on - it is just the best!  I wish I got more pictures (ok, like even 1 would have been nice) of our visit, but time just flew by watching the kids play and chatting away!

Thaya's room is coming along well.  I hope you enjoy the teaser photos.  I got the idea for the tree from Decor8, but it was originally at Better Homes and Gardens.  I haven't decided yet, but I may extend the tree and add some more birds around the room.  The curtains need to go up, and some miscellaneous frames that I have laying around.  We also have a small shelf to hang and a sign that says, "live by the sea, love by the moon" to hang. 

I am pretty happy with the shelving, it gives us a lot of space and organization options.  Thaya is happy with it as well, she likes being able to choose which toys to play with, and has almost mastered "put it away!"

By the way, my garden is doing fantastic this year, and I hope yours is too.  Right now the Cosmos, Roses, and Clematis are just amazing.  I've been able to spend more time out there so far, and I can see the difference.  I still have a never ending list of things to do (treat the roses, kill off that invincible vine, dead head, water, on and on and on), but I enjoy it.

Well, we're off to the beach for the afternoon.  I hope you enjoy your weekend!

Happy Love Thursday

It has been an exciting week at our house.  Classes for this session have ended, Thaya's room is coming together, we've made big strides to "go green", but best of all...

I got yarn for Mother's Day.

I won't bore you with the individual pictures of the yarn, though I have to say that I love it so much that I did make each skein a ball by hand (yes, all 250 yds), and then proceed to take a gazillion pictures before starting the sweaters.  More than one?! Well, I would hope so for eight balls at 250 yds.  What sweater?!

Why, Tulips, a Colorful Cardigan for Baby of course!

With the eight balls I purchased thanks to a joint gift from my DH and Mommy (xoxox), I will be able to make a 6-9 month sweater for Aubree, a 24 month sweater for Thaya, and hopefully matching hats. 

I decided to go with the 24 months size for Thaya because the smallest size is 6-9 months, and when Aubree is that age, Thaya will be about 2.  It wasn't that much bigger than the 18 month size, so I went for it.

I love this sweater.  I love this yarn.  I think about it while I'm driving the car, taking a shower, unloading the dishwasher, and eating dinner.  I peek in at it every time I pass my room.  I peek in at it whenever I can steal a moment away from my crazed toddler.  It is amazing.  Thank goodness Thaya likes to cuddle because she is going to be getting a lot of hugs when she is wearing Tulips.

Two more things before I leave you.  First, I just want to say how big Thaya is getting.  Sure, she may look petite (because she is) but this child has big plans.  She is stringing words together (from her vocabulary of about 26 words), showing interest in the potty (bye-bye poops! Hahahaha - she actually waves!), and is completely off her bottle. 

Don't get me wrong, if offered, I'm sure she would take it in a second.  Fortunately, we started her on cups (actual adult cups, not sippy or those crappy plastic toddler cups with the stupid lips that make liquid spill everywhere.  I mean, do the people who design those actually have kids?!) very early - around 7 months we started offering them to her, and she was very efficient by 9.  She can now drink out of water bottles (the open mouthed and "sport"), from straws, and from mugs with thick lips.  She won't hold them of course, but I could care less.

Back to her being a big girl.  She has also learned to pull a pillow off of the couch and use it as a step to climb up on the couch.  She has learned to slide off to get down facing both forwards and back.  This technique apparently works on the wing-backed chairs and the rocker as well, which she found out today in a fit of giggles.

This leads me to the second thing - Thaya's new room.

It is really coming along great.  This is another teaser photo of her with her new book shelf.  She loves to pull the books down, flip through the pages, and babble as if she is reading them.  When she doesn't feel like doing this, she'll carry the book to you, climb in your lap and say "more", her universal word for "do my bidding or face my wrath".  Very cute, if you actually do her bidding.

We ordered a toddler bed for her because her crib is soon going to be Aubree's crib.  We were thinking about getting another crib for Thaya - one that turns into a youth bed and then a full sized bed.  We ended up going the toddler bed route due to timing and cost.  It would be less expensive for us to get the toddler bed and then transition Thaya into an adult bed we already have.  We also decided by the time Aubree is actually in the crib, Thaya will be 20 months and be able to handle the toddler bed.  Well, her climbing in and out of the couch has changed my mind on timing.  I think she is ready to be introduced to it now.  Looks like we need to go buy another gate for her room!

So, anyway.  Time to run.  I've got hummingbirds that keep flying by the window peering in at me.  I know what they are thinking, "get off that flippin' computer and fill up our feeder!"

I create these visions of finished products, and as I work on projects, the visions are constantly evolving - for better or for worse.  I'm usually at least ok with how my projects turn out, not just knitting but cooking, decorating, gardening as well.  Occasionally, however, I am so absolutely smitten with my finished projects, that I am pushed full force into a creative drive.

As is the case with the Seamless Yoke Cardigan.

I am crazy about the pattern, I think the yarn is a perfect match for the cardigan, and I am insanely attached to the mismatched buttons.  It is cozy, it is classic, and if I was 6 months old, it is all that I would wear.  I think Aubree is going to love her new sweater!

But it isn't the only thing that has me wheeling right now.  I'm also insane over Thaya's new room.

I love everything about it.  I love the paint color so much I just want to walk right in there and lick the walls.  The furniture is perfect, the rug is perfect, and the bedding is perfect.  The room is coming along so well that we actually spend a substantial amount of time in there even though it isn't finished.

And since I have my knitting mojo back, here is a shot of the pullover, beanie, and slippers I made for DH's Aunt.

She is going to give them as a shower gift to her daughter who is expecting in June (or maybe it is July?). 

Another exciting post to follow, unless of course the internet goes down for 3 more days, in which case I'm sorry I'm such a tease :)

Week in Review

I finished Tulip on Wednesday, and immediately cast on again for the smallest size.  I have so much yarn left over, I may actually be able to make 1 or 2 other sweaters - or maybe some matching pants?

I had some very special company on Thursday and made a quick loaf of banana bread.  I didn't have all the ingredients for my usual recipe, so I tried this one.  It was good, but I'll be sticking to my original from now on - it is just the best!  I wish I got more pictures (ok, like even 1 would have been nice) of our visit, but time just flew by watching the kids play and chatting away!

Thaya's room is coming along well.  I hope you enjoy the teaser photos.  I got the idea for the tree from Decor8, but it was originally at Better Homes and Gardens.  I haven't decided yet, but I may extend the tree and add some more birds around the room.  The curtains need to go up, and some miscellaneous frames that I have laying around.  We also have a small shelf to hang and a sign that says, "live by the sea, love by the moon" to hang. 

I am pretty happy with the shelving, it gives us a lot of space and organization options.  Thaya is happy with it as well, she likes being able to choose which toys to play with, and has almost mastered "put it away!"

By the way, my garden is doing fantastic this year, and I hope yours is too.  Right now the Cosmos, Roses, and Clematis are just amazing.  I've been able to spend more time out there so far, and I can see the difference.  I still have a never ending list of things to do (treat the roses, kill off that invincible vine, dead head, water, on and on and on), but I enjoy it.

Well, we're off to the beach for the afternoon.  I hope you enjoy your weekend!

Surreal

Happy Love Thursday

It has been an exciting week at our house.  Classes for this session have ended, Thaya's room is coming together, we've made big strides to "go green", but best of all...

I got yarn for Mother's Day.

I won't bore you with the individual pictures of the yarn, though I have to say that I love it so much that I did make each skein a ball by hand (yes, all 250 yds), and then proceed to take a gazillion pictures before starting the sweaters.  More than one?! Well, I would hope so for eight balls at 250 yds.  What sweater?!

Why, Tulips, a Colorful Cardigan for Baby of course!

With the eight balls I purchased thanks to a joint gift from my DH and Mommy (xoxox), I will be able to make a 6-9 month sweater for Aubree, a 24 month sweater for Thaya, and hopefully matching hats. 

I decided to go with the 24 months size for Thaya because the smallest size is 6-9 months, and when Aubree is that age, Thaya will be about 2.  It wasn't that much bigger than the 18 month size, so I went for it.

I love this sweater.  I love this yarn.  I think about it while I'm driving the car, taking a shower, unloading the dishwasher, and eating dinner.  I peek in at it every time I pass my room.  I peek in at it whenever I can steal a moment away from my crazed toddler.  It is amazing.  Thank goodness Thaya likes to cuddle because she is going to be getting a lot of hugs when she is wearing Tulips.

Two more things before I leave you.  First, I just want to say how big Thaya is getting.  Sure, she may look petite (because she is) but this child has big plans.  She is stringing words together (from her vocabulary of about 26 words), showing interest in the potty (bye-bye poops! Hahahaha - she actually waves!), and is completely off her bottle. 

Don't get me wrong, if offered, I'm sure she would take it in a second.  Fortunately, we started her on cups (actual adult cups, not sippy or those crappy plastic toddler cups with the stupid lips that make liquid spill everywhere.  I mean, do the people who design those actually have kids?!) very early - around 7 months we started offering them to her, and she was very efficient by 9.  She can now drink out of water bottles (the open mouthed and "sport"), from straws, and from mugs with thick lips.  She won't hold them of course, but I could care less.

Back to her being a big girl.  She has also learned to pull a pillow off of the couch and use it as a step to climb up on the couch.  She has learned to slide off to get down facing both forwards and back.  This technique apparently works on the wing-backed chairs and the rocker as well, which she found out today in a fit of giggles.

This leads me to the second thing - Thaya's new room.

It is really coming along great.  This is another teaser photo of her with her new book shelf.  She loves to pull the books down, flip through the pages, and babble as if she is reading them.  When she doesn't feel like doing this, she'll carry the book to you, climb in your lap and say "more", her universal word for "do my bidding or face my wrath".  Very cute, if you actually do her bidding.

We ordered a toddler bed for her because her crib is soon going to be Aubree's crib.  We were thinking about getting another crib for Thaya - one that turns into a youth bed and then a full sized bed.  We ended up going the toddler bed route due to timing and cost.  It would be less expensive for us to get the toddler bed and then transition Thaya into an adult bed we already have.  We also decided by the time Aubree is actually in the crib, Thaya will be 20 months and be able to handle the toddler bed.  Well, her climbing in and out of the couch has changed my mind on timing.  I think she is ready to be introduced to it now.  Looks like we need to go buy another gate for her room!

So, anyway.  Time to run.  I've got hummingbirds that keep flying by the window peering in at me.  I know what they are thinking, "get off that flippin' computer and fill up our feeder!"

I create these visions of finished products, and as I work on projects, the visions are constantly evolving - for better or for worse.  I'm usually at least ok with how my projects turn out, not just knitting but cooking, decorating, gardening as well.  Occasionally, however, I am so absolutely smitten with my finished projects, that I am pushed full force into a creative drive.

As is the case with the Seamless Yoke Cardigan.

I am crazy about the pattern, I think the yarn is a perfect match for the cardigan, and I am insanely attached to the mismatched buttons.  It is cozy, it is classic, and if I was 6 months old, it is all that I would wear.  I think Aubree is going to love her new sweater!

But it isn't the only thing that has me wheeling right now.  I'm also insane over Thaya's new room.

I love everything about it.  I love the paint color so much I just want to walk right in there and lick the walls.  The furniture is perfect, the rug is perfect, and the bedding is perfect.  The room is coming along so well that we actually spend a substantial amount of time in there even though it isn't finished.

And since I have my knitting mojo back, here is a shot of the pullover, beanie, and slippers I made for DH's Aunt.

She is going to give them as a shower gift to her daughter who is expecting in June (or maybe it is July?). 

Another exciting post to follow, unless of course the internet goes down for 3 more days, in which case I'm sorry I'm such a tease :)

Excitement

It has been an exciting week at our house.  Classes for this session have ended, Thaya's room is coming together, we've made big strides to "go green", but best of all...

I got yarn for Mother's Day.

I won't bore you with the individual pictures of the yarn, though I have to say that I love it so much that I did make each skein a ball by hand (yes, all 250 yds), and then proceed to take a gazillion pictures before starting the sweaters.  More than one?! Well, I would hope so for eight balls at 250 yds.  What sweater?!

Why, Tulips, a Colorful Cardigan for Baby of course!

With the eight balls I purchased thanks to a joint gift from my DH and Mommy (xoxox), I will be able to make a 6-9 month sweater for Aubree, a 24 month sweater for Thaya, and hopefully matching hats. 

I decided to go with the 24 months size for Thaya because the smallest size is 6-9 months, and when Aubree is that age, Thaya will be about 2.  It wasn't that much bigger than the 18 month size, so I went for it.

I love this sweater.  I love this yarn.  I think about it while I'm driving the car, taking a shower, unloading the dishwasher, and eating dinner.  I peek in at it every time I pass my room.  I peek in at it whenever I can steal a moment away from my crazed toddler.  It is amazing.  Thank goodness Thaya likes to cuddle because she is going to be getting a lot of hugs when she is wearing Tulips.

Two more things before I leave you.  First, I just want to say how big Thaya is getting.  Sure, she may look petite (because she is) but this child has big plans.  She is stringing words together (from her vocabulary of about 26 words), showing interest in the potty (bye-bye poops! Hahahaha - she actually waves!), and is completely off her bottle. 

Don't get me wrong, if offered, I'm sure she would take it in a second.  Fortunately, we started her on cups (actual adult cups, not sippy or those crappy plastic toddler cups with the stupid lips that make liquid spill everywhere.  I mean, do the people who design those actually have kids?!) very early - around 7 months we started offering them to her, and she was very efficient by 9.  She can now drink out of water bottles (the open mouthed and "sport"), from straws, and from mugs with thick lips.  She won't hold them of course, but I could care less.

Back to her being a big girl.  She has also learned to pull a pillow off of the couch and use it as a step to climb up on the couch.  She has learned to slide off to get down facing both forwards and back.  This technique apparently works on the wing-backed chairs and the rocker as well, which she found out today in a fit of giggles.

This leads me to the second thing - Thaya's new room.

It is really coming along great.  This is another teaser photo of her with her new book shelf.  She loves to pull the books down, flip through the pages, and babble as if she is reading them.  When she doesn't feel like doing this, she'll carry the book to you, climb in your lap and say "more", her universal word for "do my bidding or face my wrath".  Very cute, if you actually do her bidding.

We ordered a toddler bed for her because her crib is soon going to be Aubree's crib.  We were thinking about getting another crib for Thaya - one that turns into a youth bed and then a full sized bed.  We ended up going the toddler bed route due to timing and cost.  It would be less expensive for us to get the toddler bed and then transition Thaya into an adult bed we already have.  We also decided by the time Aubree is actually in the crib, Thaya will be 20 months and be able to handle the toddler bed.  Well, her climbing in and out of the couch has changed my mind on timing.  I think she is ready to be introduced to it now.  Looks like we need to go buy another gate for her room!

So, anyway.  Time to run.  I've got hummingbirds that keep flying by the window peering in at me.  I know what they are thinking, "get off that flippin' computer and fill up our feeder!"

Mojo

I create these visions of finished products, and as I work on projects, the visions are constantly evolving - for better or for worse.  I'm usually at least ok with how my projects turn out, not just knitting but cooking, decorating, gardening as well.  Occasionally, however, I am so absolutely smitten with my finished projects, that I am pushed full force into a creative drive.

As is the case with the Seamless Yoke Cardigan.

I am crazy about the pattern, I think the yarn is a perfect match for the cardigan, and I am insanely attached to the mismatched buttons.  It is cozy, it is classic, and if I was 6 months old, it is all that I would wear.  I think Aubree is going to love her new sweater!

But it isn't the only thing that has me wheeling right now.  I'm also insane over Thaya's new room.

I love everything about it.  I love the paint color so much I just want to walk right in there and lick the walls.  The furniture is perfect, the rug is perfect, and the bedding is perfect.  The room is coming along so well that we actually spend a substantial amount of time in there even though it isn't finished.

And since I have my knitting mojo back, here is a shot of the pullover, beanie, and slippers I made for DH's Aunt.

She is going to give them as a shower gift to her daughter who is expecting in June (or maybe it is July?). 

Another exciting post to follow, unless of course the internet goes down for 3 more days, in which case I'm sorry I'm such a tease :)