Knitting thru the "itty bittys"

Cool January morning

2012-01-11T08:27:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here, listening to the 3 little ones talking and telling stories to each other. There is nothing like a 5, 3, and 2 year old sharing their dreams. Today, they are hanging on to every word that is spoken. It is precious. These moments must be cherished.

I am STILL without a camera battery, which doesn't make me want to blog. I feel like I need pictures to help tell my daily events and projects. I WILL be getting one this weekend.

I must say, I had a wonderful Christmas. Spent lots of time with family and friends. There is nothing better.

I have added a precious 3 month old little gentlemen to my daily group. David joined us the last week of December. He is the best baby, happy all the time. I guess having 4 older ladies ( 8, 7, 5, and 3 years old ) to flirt with and a 2 year boy to get pointers from will keep a little one entertained.

My weekends are still so much fun. Saturday mornings I go to Eastern Market, in Detroit, for my eggs, produce, and cheese danishes. They are so big my granddaughter, Luiza, calls them coffeecakes. YUM! After the market we head to Hamtramck. It is a small Polish town that borders Detroit. We go to Srodek's Market for the best polish cheeses and homemade pierogis you ever want to eat. This market is a shining star in a city that has fallen on hard times. It is a third generation family business. I love shopping in markets where the employees, and most of the customers, speak the language. There is still a huge Polish community in Hamtramck.

I have been doing alot of crocheting lately. I will post more about that this weekend, when I can include photos.

I better close for now. David is ready for a bottle, Mia, Neve, and Nolan are asking for snacks, and the dogs are whining to go outside. I am counting the minutes till Mia is picked up for school and Nolan goes down for a rest. Neve and I will color and play games for awhile, then, rest time for her. Still trying to get a routine down for the 3 little ones. Wish they napped at the same time. Not happening so far.

Have a great day.

3 Things

2011-11-21T20:21:00.000-08:00

First thing, PLEASE check out this blog, Natural Suburbia. I fell in love with this blog a few weeks ago. The gal who writes it designs wonderful knitted animal patterns and also has an Etsy store, Mamma4earth. GREAT patterns. She is in the midst of a giveaway that ends on November 25th. Be sure to check it out.

Second thing, I HATE MAKING BOBBLES!!!!!! I am trying to make the Santa in Susan B. Anderson's "itty bitty toys". I WAS loving him until I reached the top of his hat. A BOBBLE! I don't know why I have such trouble reading ANY bobble directions. I am going to have to head to YouTube and find some instructions. Drives me crazy.

I would have posted a photo of Santa, but, third thing, the battery in the camera died. I really can't complain. The camera was bought 7 years ago, used constantly, and this will be the first time we have had to replace the battery. It has outlived my dishwasher and refrigerator.

Everyone in the USA, have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day on Thursday. Those who don't celebrate this holiday, just be thankful for what you have and those in your life.

I am actually getting things done!!!

2011-11-16T19:50:00.000-08:00

I don't remember the last time that I had energy ALL day and was still able to stay awake and do something well into the wee hours of the morning. I don't think I have gone to bed before 1:00am in weeks. Hope this lasts.
I wish I had some HUGE project I could talk about. Maybe someday, but for now, I have alot of little things I have started and finished. I am so addicted to the baby bibs and washcloths from Down Cloverlaine. I am not a real fast knitter, but these bibs, I can do one in a normal day. My two newest ones are Rudy the Reindeer and the Owl. I think they are so sweet.

I was roaming through the patterns on Ravelry and came across these 2 granny squares. The first is called African Flower. I love this square. I don't why, but I think it is darling.

I also found a Hello Kitty crocheted square. I made a sample out of scrap yarn. I think the real colors will make a cute scarf.

I have my family over for Thanksgiving each year and I try to add a new decoration that Luiza, Ella, and Mia have made. This year we made cotton pumpkins. The girls loved sewing them. It was really nice that they could make them from beginning to end, all by themselves. They even made one for each of their teachers.

I don't think I have mentioned that my son is in the Detroit Police Academy. He started in September and will graduate in March/April. It is SO grueling, but, he loves it. I am so proud of him.

I am going to close for now. I am headed to the kitchen to wash dishes and then, I am going to work on Santa from the "itty bitty toys" book. He is coming along nicely. I hope to be done with him by Sunday. Here it is, 10:49 pm, and I am stilling going strong.

YIPPEE!!!! November is here.

2011-11-07T12:09:00.000-08:00

I am stepping up my game. November is here, my favorite time of the year, and I am starting to focus. I am getting SO excited for my family to come for Thanksgiving. I love decorating the house. I love shopping for the food. I love to make the sweet potatoes, cornbread dressing, southern green beans, and mashed potatoes. I love making hors d'oeuvres to have before the meal and soup to have for the second meal. I love going to bed at midnight, the night before, waking up about 3:00am to take one turkey out of the oven and put another one in. This year, I think I may make homemade bread. I used to make it weekly, when my children were little. I haven't made it in about 30 years. Maybe I will make it with my granddaughters. Each year I try to think of something new to add to the feast. I think I better get the cookbooks out and see what catches my eye.

Last week my precious cockatiel, Samuel, died at the age of 23. I got him when he was 8 weeks old. He was such a special boy. He helped me raise 12 other birds. He taught my parakeets and lovebirds to get along. He would stand between them, if they were fighting, and say something. Immediately, the bickering would stop. After about 3 months, they never fought again. Sammy had a vocabulary of about 12 words and sentences. He used to whistle the theme song to the "Andy Griffith Show". He taught 2 of his bird brothers to talk. I had fed him before going to church, October 30th. When I got home, I passed by his cage, we talked. I went outside to do yard work, came in about dinnertime. When I passed by his cage, he had died. I am so glad he had had a good day. He had talked to me, ate great, and played with his brothers. It was a tough week for his brothers. Miles is 21 years old, also a cockatiel. They shared a cage. Miles has never been without Sam. He misses him. His other brother, Tahki, is a 22 year old African Ringnecked Parakeet. He is about as grumpy as they come. However, he always sat on the perch closest to Sam and learned to mimick him. He actually learned Sam's voice so well, I could not tell the difference. It is comforting now.

This past week I started and completed some projects. I am having so much fun making baby bibs designed by Elaine Fitzpatrick. Her blog is Down Cloverlaine. I think they are so cute and SO practical. I made Gobble, for David's first Thanksgiving.

I also completed the hat pattern, Echelon. I have the HARDEST time making granny squares. WHY???? They are probably one of the easiest things to crochet. Drives me crazy.

I am getting ready to work on the Christmas Set, from Susan B. Anderson's, "itty bitty toys", page 113. I am starting with Santa. I need to get this set finished, soon, so I can get busy working on her darling little fairies. I am hoping to have them ready for Christmas Eve. Luiza, Ella, and Mia will be so excited. They were featured in Knitsimple Holiday 2011.

Just a few pictures from this past week. Luiza was a butterfly and Ella and Mia were girls from the 50's for Halloween.

Yesterday, Luiza and I raked the front yard. Leaf pick-up is coming on Wednesday. I hope the weather holds out for our next pick-up day in December. We get 2 per season, weather permitting. If I have to bag the leaves, it takes about 80 bags to finish my backyard. NOT fun.

My aunt stopped by this morning for a visit and brought me this WONDERFUL soap from Italy. The smell of lemon is unbelievable. Thank you, Aunt Jewell.

I am going to get started on my itty bitty Santa. Hopefully, I will have a photo to post this week. Oooo, and I think I will go put some squash in the oven. Bought 3 different varieties at the market on Saturday. I have never had the one on the right. Can't wait to try it.

3 Fast Little Projects

2011-10-27T20:44:00.000-07:00

I am SO excited. For the past 7 years, I have spent the week before Halloween making my granddaughter, Luiza's, costume. From a mermaid with all the shells, beads, glitz and glitter, to Pocahontas, to princessess, to a black cat. This year, she had a list a mile long of characters she wanted to be. So, as usual, my daughter Sarah, Luiza, and I headed to the fabric store on Tuesday, less than a week before Halloween, to pick out the pattern and fabric. We walked in and I immediately found some great fabric. I turned to ask Sarah and Luiza what they thought of it and they were nowhere in sight. I was heading for the cutting table, with about 30 people in line, when they came around the corner carrying a gorgeous pair of wings. Luiza was squealing that she was going to be a butterfly and wear the wings with a black leotard and tights. It took everything for me to not SCREAM with joy. I can't imagine, the week before Halloween and all I have to do is decide what kind of soup and bread to make for Halloween dinner.

While I was at the fabric store, I picked up some fabric to make some stuffed pumpkins. I am making them for Thanksgiving, so I have a little bit of time.

I also picked up these 2 skeins of Patons Beehive Baby Chunky yarn. I had the hardest time trying to find a natural yarn that is soft enough for a baby. Any suggestions? I haven't been to my favorite local yarn shop, "have you any wool?". I am sure I will find some great skeins there. They always have just what I am looking for.

This week I made these 3 dishcloths for my ex-husband's wife, and her 2 married daughters. I am going to a dinner party on Saturday at one of the daughter's house. We all have such fun together.

Getting late, better say "Goodnight".

What a GREAT weekend.

2011-10-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

After a week of cold drizzly weather, this weekend was beautiful.
I spent Saturday morning doing my favorite thing, going to Eastern Market, in the heart of Detroit, to get my weekly produce with my cousins. Marilyn, her husband Jon, and I go almost every week to relax. We talk to the farmers, get our eggs, produce, soup from the Russell Street Deli vendor, bread from the Zingerman's vendor, and visit with total strangers. Often we see the mounted police officer patrolling the market on Elmo, a HUGE horse. What could be better than that? Just look at this picture of the market. This is only one shed. There are 3 others. Let me just say, this is a jewel in Detroit.

When we have loaded our carts with fresh eggs, vegetables, and fruit, we head to Milano's Bakery for the best cheese danish you have ever eaten. Let me correct that, once a month we splurge on the danish. After we leave Eastern Market, we often head to Hamtramck. 50 years ago, it was a city that was populated by Polish immigrants. Now days, it is a more diverse city. However, many of the original polish butchers and bakers have remained. Jon likes to stop at the butcher shop and get some sausage. The wonderful smokey smells that come from the grocery bag, words can't describe, and I AM A VEGETARIAN! Some things never change, smells bring back memories of childhood. The other stop we sometimes make, is at the polish bakery. This week we bought some paczkis, the most incredible round donuts, either glazed and jelly filled or chocolate dipped with a custard filling. These are not your normal donuts, these are sent from heaven.

Saturday afternoon was my, "just like", a grandson's 2nd birthday. Nolan had a bounce house in their backyard. The children had a blast. They had a fire going in the pit ( 48 degrees outside ), but the kids were barefoot most of the time. They carved pumpkins to take home and hit a ghost pinata'. I think they got more candy from breaking the ghost than they will get from trick or treating Halloween night. We had such a good time.

This is Nolan, enjoying his cake

I also finished "Stretch", the giraffe bib, for my newest little one, David. I will start watching him the end of the year. He is 3 weeks old. I love this bib.

It didn't photograph real sharp, but in person, the design really "pops". I plan on making about a dozen different styles. They are from Elaine Fitzpatrick. You can get her free patterns on Ravelry or on her blog, Down Cloverlaine. LOVE IT!

OH, I forgot to tell you, my son started the Detroit Police Academy in September. He will be in training until May, 2012. What a change from first, touring for 3 years all over the world with his band, then 11 years as the Community Center Director for the Royal Oak Salvation Army. Maybe running the summer day camps will have prepared him for patrolling the streets of Detroit. LOL! 120 kids, I can't imagine. Anyway, I am so proud of him and happy for him. He has wanted this for awhile.

I better go. The little ones will be arriving in about 8 hours. I better get some sleep.

APRIL 6TH????????

2011-10-17T21:32:00.000-07:00

Is it true? The last time I blogged was April 6?!?!?!? That is pathetic.

I don't know where the time has gone. Spring and summer came and went. With 5 grandchildren, 4 dogs, 3 birds, and 3 turtles that I take care of, I didn't go on vacation. So what did I do? Wait, that should say, So what DID I do? If I think REALLY hard, I can come up with a few things. I am a jigsaw puzzle fanatic. I put about 10 puzzles together. I work them on my kitchen table, so, I start the puzzle after dinner and it has to been completed before breakfast. Too bad I can't make money doing puzzles. I would be a wealthy woman.

I finished Tortellini Tortoise,

I made 3 skinny scarves,

This is my favorite. I made the Pig, from "itty bitty toys", page 43. I love my pig.

I made a tote bag,

and last, but not least, I made my VERY long, winter scarf.

Oh yeah, one other thing I finally did. I started eating properly. I have been a vegetarian since 1992, but that doesn't mean I was a healthy eater. On June 13th I decided to get with it. Turn my life around for the last time. I have yo-yo dieted so many times, I can't count. I am happy to say that as of today I have lost 47.5 lbs. I still have a long way to go (another 65 lbs), but, I have the rest of my life to get it off and KEEP it off. At some point I will post before and after pictures. Maybe at the half way point. Anyway, my daughter told me to check out Lose It. I love this website. For some CRAZY reason, it clicked.

I made a delicious pot of Cauliflower Soup over the weekend. It is like a freebie soup, calorie wise. If I remember correctly, Weight Watchers don't count points for most vegetables. This would be point free. DELICIOUS!

Has anyone seen the issue of Knitsimple, Holiday 2011? Susan B. Anderson has the sweetest set of fairies in a tulip purse. My granddaughters are going to love them. I had to hide the magazine so they won't have a clue about whats to come. Hopefully, I will get started on these fairies this week.

Time to go wash the dishes.

Its time to SNAP OUT OF IT!!!!!!!!

2011-04-06T13:39:00.000-07:00

When you haven't posted on your blog for 3 weeks because you were getting ready for the holidays, that is understandable. When the last time you posted was 6 months ago and you keep saying you can't find the time, SNAP OUT OF IT!!!!! Unless your last name is Obama or you are in a lab developing a cure for something or you are Kate Gosslin, chances are, you can find a few minutes a week to blog SOMETHING! All I can say is, "I am sorry". There are no excuses for my excuses, so I won't make any. The only thing I will say, when one stitch lets loose, it unravels everything.

I don't want to start blogging today about what happened 6 months ago. I will tell you a few things, then, it is time to look ahead. Let me start by saying, I FINISHED THE LION/ELEPHANT itty bitty reversible toy!!! He started off a possible misfit toy and turned out to be Neve's favorite toy. Elephant, as she calls him, sits on my bookshelf. Every morning when Neve arrives, the first thing she sees is Elephant. She watches him, with a smile on her face, while she takes her coat and boots off. Then, *vooom*, off to get Elephant. With a grab and a hug, the 2 are off to play. This is one loved toy.

Florian Fox. I fell in love with this fox years ago. It is from a book called "And So To Bed" by Lucinda Guy. I made it for my collection and ended up giving it to Nolan for his first birthday. His mom, Ruth, had given me the yarn from her mother's stash (my dear friend for 34 years, who passed away). When Ruth saw the completed fox, she fell in love with it. Since the yarn had been in her mom's stash, I felt it was meant to be that Florian Fox go live with Nolan and Ruth.

Through the winter all I really made was dishclothes, mainly to learn new stitches. I didn't take on any major projects. Kinda lost my "oomph". I loved looking through magazines and books, but mentally I couldn't get it together.

BIG NEWS!!!!!!! My son applied a few years ago to become a police officer in a few cities. He was accepted by the Nashville, Tennessee police department, but, he really wanted to work in Detroit. He turned down the Nashville offer a year ago, hoping Detroit would call him. After waiting and waiting, he finally got the call. PRAISE GOD!!!! He will be starting the police academy something in late spring or early summer. What a change this is going to be. He is currently the Community Center Director for the Salvation Army. He is thrilled, so we are thrilled.

This winter we also expanded our family. We have adopted 3 Map Turtles: Shellie, 10 years old and Sheldon and Shamus, both 9 years old. We are having so much fun with these 3 cuties. We have actually rearranged our furniture away from the TV to facing the aquarium.

Ok, fast forward to today, I am working on Tortellini Tortoise from the book Knit & Purl Pets. I had to temporarily jump ship (from the itty bittys) to make this turtle. Even though I know Susan Anderson wouldn't be upset, I feel like I am cheating on her. LOL. Since we have our 3 little turtles, I had to knit one.

As I said, I didn't knit this winter, but I did buy lots of books. WOO HOO!!!! Actually, I joined a book club. What a great way to buy books. Saved a ton of money.

Oh, one last thing. NOT good news. This winter while I was moping around, I gained 12 pounds. What a pain, literally. If I had been in good shape to begin with, this would not bother me. Gaining this weight means I now have 90 pounds to lose. ARGHHHHHH!!!!!!! Last week I pulled out my Weight Watcher books and started counting my points. First week, down 6 pounds. 84 pounds to go.

Wow, has life changed.

2010-10-07T07:20:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how different life is when you get older. When I was starting my family, sleep wasn't in my vocabulary. Now granted, I had just turned 19 when my daughter was born and was 21 when my son came along. Back then, it was nothing to pull allnighters. I remember doing all my housework, sewing, decorating between the hours of 12:00 am and 4:00 am. I would go to sleep from 4:00 am to 7:00 am. I didn't do that every night, but that was my life more often than not. Let me clarify that a bit, housework was done when it got done, IF it got done. My house was clean but often messy. I loved sewing for my family: the kid's clothes, my husband's flannel shirts, my clothes, slippers for friends and relatives, crafts for each holiday. I seemed to get more done in those wee hours of the night/morning than if I tried to do it while the children were awake. Now, if I am not in bed by 9:30 pm, which rarely happens, chances are you will catch me sleeping at the dining room table. Not a pretty sight.

I was hoping with school back in session, that I would get into a very productive routine. Nope!

I didn't take into consideration that when school started back up, Nolan would be in full crawling mode. In the summer, little man was happy to sit in his bouncy chair, sit on my lap, jump in his "Johnny Jump-up". Now, he is rarely in the same room for more than 2 minutes. He is the speediest crawler I have had the pleasure of knowing. The fact that he is trying to keep up with 4 little girls might explain it. And I would love to know who told Nolan that naps are optional. Anyway.......with all that said, I was finding it very hard to find the time to knit.

A few weeks ago I decided to take a Saturday and do nothing, EXCEPT, things that were knitting related. My son had given me a gift certificate to a fantastic knit shop in Detroit called "City Knits". I called my dear friend, Lisa, to see if she wanted to go with me. She had never been to this shop. It is in the old historic Fisher Building. The architecture is mind boggling. From the minute you touch the ornate handle on the door, walk into the lobby and look up to see the carvings and paintings on the walls and ceilings, you can almost feel what it must have been like in the 1940's and 50's. Then when you go into each little shop in the building, it again, takes you back in time. City Knits has so much packed into a small space. I love the yarn selection, but what I REALLY love is their selection of books. I feel like I am at the library every time I sit down at the little nook to look thru the books. Lisa swore she wasn't going to look, let alone buy, anything. She brought along her knitting. I felt bad that she was going to knit while I spent ages looking for ways to spend my gift certificate. As she was walking to the table, to join other knitters, she was stopped by EVERYONE in the shop. She was carrying an adorable felted purse she had knit. For the next HOUR, Lisa and her purse were the talk of the shop. It was hysterical. I loved it. I think it was me who had to wait for her to stop talking with all the other knitters about her purse. I had made my purchase and then joined Lisa at the table. Oh, if you would like to see Lisa's purse, she is Sasa6 on Ravelry. The purse pattern is called, "B4 Bag" by Trish Bloom. By the way, look at what I bought with part of my gift certificate.

Fall is my favorite time of the year. I love the colors, I love the temperatures, I love the smell in the morning. I used to love the smell of burning leaves, now that is just a memory.

Last weekend I brought in the outside plants that I will try to save all winter. We had a really warm week, 90 degrees, after weeks of 60-70 degree temps. My grape tomatoes started blooming again. I am sure nothing will happen, but, I brought the plant in. Time will tell.

I started 2 clippings from leaves that were laying in the parking lot at Eastern Market, in Detroit. I think they are going to make it.

Basil, Rosemary, and Oregano. Need I say more?

A little of this, a little of that.

My favorite, Hens and Chicks.

Ok, let's get to knitting, I mentioned the last time I posted that I was going to make my reversible Lion and Elephant a misfit toy, since I didn't like the way the yarn was striping. Well, I have now kinda fallen in love with the lion. I don't know why. Nothing has changed, but he is growing on me. It will all depend on how his expression turns out. If I like his face, I am not going to use the yarn I had originally bought for the elephant. Until I find the perfect yarn, the elephant will be on hold

I was watching the PBS show, "Knit and Crochet, Today", and decided to crochet the Filigree Bowl they were demonstrating. I can't believe how fast *I* crocheted it. It only took me hours, not days. The stiffening with sugar water took 3 days to dry. I love it.

I also made 2 more of Susan Anderson's "Egg to Bluebird and a Little Nest, too". My neighbor has been hinting for one for ages. I was making mine and I mentioned it. She looked so excited, I had to surprise her with it. Then, I started mine, DONE IN 2 DAYS!!!! I do not knit fast. That thrilled me.

I am sure most of you tried to win the giveaway on Susan Anderson's blog last week. She was giving away 10 copies of "knitsimple Holiday 2010". One lucky person was also to get yarn to make one of the wonderful animals in the magazine. Of course I commented, hoping to win a copy of the magazine. Then, I PANICKED! I thought, what are the chances of me winning? And with Susan's new animals featured in the magazine, most likely it will sell out as soon as it hits the stands. So, I immediately went to the website and ordered my copy of the holiday issue. I don't even care that I paid twice the price. I now own the magazine and can't wait to make the Hedgehog/Squirrel reversible toy. And the Owls, oh my gosh. OH, the fox. Let's face it, anything Susan designs, DARLING!

I also bought this used book. There are some very cool looking patterns in it.

Like I said earlier, fall is my favorite time of the year. I forgot to mention that I loved apple picking, pumpkins, cider mill donuts, and decorating my dining room. However, I am not into decorating for Halloween, just fall.

What a great feeling, KNITTING NEEDLES!!!

2010-09-09T08:20:00.000-07:00

First let me say, Thank You, SO MUCH, for all the words of encouragement during my weeks of caring for Titch and the words of sympathy over his passing. For some reason his passing has been harder on me than when I had to put down my own dogs. I think that is because my dogs had lived long and happy lives. It was their time. Titch was only 9 weeks. I thought he had his whole life ahead of him. He made an impression on my heart. Such a sweet boy. Again, thank you for all your kind words.

I feel like I have been away from knitting for months. It turns out, it has only been 5 weeks.

I opened my knitting bag to see what I had been working on. I found my skein of red Cascade Yarns, UltraPima cotton, with the beginnings of a pretty little scarf, hanging from the needles. I also found the half knit egg from "itty bitty toys" pattern, Egg to Bluebird and a Little Nest, too. And, my misfit toy, the reversible Lion and Elephant toy, also from "itty bitty toys". That is the one that looks like it should be in the "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" movie. The yarn I chose is self-striping and looks pretty tacky. I have decided I will finish this toy and tell everyone it was made for my Rudolph collection. It is a toy from the "Island of Misfit Toys". THEN, I will make another Lion and Elephant reversible toy in yarn I like.

I decided to work on the scarf. It is such an easy pattern, one I can knit while watching TV or talking with family and friends. I had about 3 inches completed on the scarf when I put it away the end of July. I picked up the needles on Tuesday night and finished the scarf on Wednesday night. WOO HOO!!!! That is great for me. I really like this pattern. The finished size: 4"x 58"

Now that I am back to clicking the knitting needles together, I am anxious to get back to Knitting thru the "itty bittys".

Tough week

2010-09-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

My last post was introducing you to my little Titch. That was 2 weeks ago.

When he arrived to me he weighed 4.5 lbs. As of last Thursday he was 8 weeks old and weighed 18 lbs. For a megaesophagus puppy, weight gain is wonderful, but for Titch to have gained 12.5 lbs. in 3 weeks, FANTASTIC! I was sure we were out of the woods. Maybe an issue here and there, but, for all purposes, Titch was a normal, happy, chubby puppy.

My heart is breaking. Titch died on Monday, August 30th from an infection that ravaged his little body. He was a fat puppy on Friday morning and by Monday afternoon he had lost 7 lbs. I made the decision to let him go on Monday evening. I miss him terribly, but I am so glad he is no longer in pain.

I spent the last few nights of Titchie's life, sitting in the rocker, his head on my shoulder, rocking. Needless to say, I didn't sleep. I was to worried.

So, I am now in no shape to concentrate on much of anything. I am hoping a few good nights of sleep and I will be back to knitting. It will be very theraputic, as well as relaxing.

Just a Titch

2010-08-17T07:16:00.000-07:00

This month has been absolutely amazing. With that being said, wouldn't you assume I have finished a dozen knitting projects? Or maybe, since it is summer, an exotic vacation? OR, with the number of blog "giveaways" I have signed up for, you would think I would have won at least one? Not a chance to any of the above. I haven't had the time. I have been looking at my knitting bag, sitting just out of my reach, up on a chair, so Titch won't destroy it. Titch?

Let me introduce my foster puppy, Titch. Today he is 7 weeks old. I have had him since the end of July. He is a Great Dane puppy. He is the littlest boy from a litter of 7. His siblings are all about 15 lbs. while Titch is 7 lbs. He has a condition called "megaesophagus. When he eats, his esophagus doesn't constrict and push the food down. I have been designing a diet for him so he will learn to eat and, hopefully, he will outgrow the problem. My 8 year old Great Dane, Eli, had the same thing. It took 4 years to correct his esophagus. Thank goodness, Titch is showing huge signs of improvement. When he first came to me, I fed him every 2 hours. After each meal, he needed to be burped like an infant. We have graduated from the burping, however, Titch still loves that position and likes to nap on my shoulder. That will be quite a sight when he is 130 lbs. and still climbing on his new mom's lap. He is also down to 5 special meals a day. He runs the risk of pneumonia from aspirating. I am currently dealing with the tail ends of a case of pneumonia. Everything is trail and error.

So.......needless to say, my knitting bag keeps calling my name, but, I can't seem to find the hours to dive into it. My birthday was the end of July and I received 2 gift certificates to my favorite yarn shops. I did run to My Craft Room and used that one, from my dear friend Rebecca, to get the yarn to make the pig in "itty bitty toys". Rebecca is a fantastic card maker and scrapbooker, but she is so supportive of my knitting.

Well, I am hoping to pick up the needles this week. If fact, I am thinking of making the new sweater Susan Anderson posted on her blog. She is doing it as a knit-along, starting next week. Check it out on the Spud and Chloe blog, http://www.spudandchloe.com/blog/ It looks so comfortable. I may have to use the gift certificate, from my son's family, to buy the yarn for the sweater.

I will leave you with a few more photos of Titch.

Titch is actually sleeping in my knitting bag.

I'm Baaaack

2010-07-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

Since I visited with you last, I haven't accomplished much knitting. I wish I had a fantastic story to tell you as to why Project #8 isn't done, but I don't. I have the lion's body knit, but I am very disappointed with my choice of yarn. It made a striping pattern on the body. I had expected it to be more puddled than striped. The pattern has been very easy to follow. Great construction, but I DON'T LIKE THE YARN! I love making I-Cords, so, the mane is fun. I am in the process of making the 17 I-Cords. I was going to go ahead and use the yarn I bought for the elephant, but, I have decided to use something else. If I use the original yarn, my elephant will look like a cross between a zebra and an elephant. WAIT! Maybe I WILL use that striping yarn. Then, when I put my toys out at Christmas, this will fit in great with the Rudolph collection. It would be perfect as a toy from the Land of Misfits. Now I think I love the yarn.

Wow, this summer has really turned out to be a scorcher. Everyone who knows me knows I don't complain in the winter about the snow, ice, or cold. I save up all my whining for the hot summer days. But you know what? This year I am being pretty good. Isn't it funny, if you have a swimming pool in your yard, the heat just doesn't seem so bad. Even though I have only been in the pool twice, knowing it is there makes a huge difference. The funny thing. I am no little girl and the pool is a blow up kiddie pool. It is about 4' x 9' with about 2' of water. Just enough for this chubby grammie to sit in it and cool off.

Sarah and Luiza are gone to the cottage for 10 days. Now don't get excited, thinking I will have all this free time to knit. I still have the 4 other grandbabies to watch during the week. And with Sarah gone, Quinn (her Great Dane) is lost without her. All day he sleeps, trying not to think about his "momma" being gone. Then at night, he isn't sleepy, so, he stares at me, whining and woofing, every few minutes. Have you ever been woke out of a sound sleep by a Great Dane who is almost touching his nose to yours, at 3 in the morning? Well that is my life right now. I tell him to go lay down and he practically collapses on me. He is SO dramatic.

Oh, by the way, Sarah took the camera to the cottage. So, you will have to wait on any new pictures. I may throw in some old stuff, just for fun.

I did start crocheting a summer scarf today. Pretty little blue and white cotton one. Can't show you any photos.

I am also working on another reversible. It is the Egg to Bluebird and a Little Nest, Too. I have the nest done. I made this a few projects ago, but I gave it to Neve for her second birthday. I fell in love with it and decided I must have one for myself.

OH MY GOODNESS, I AMOST FORGOT TO TELL YOU !!!! The other day I was trying to decide something fun, fast and easy to make. I decided to start crocheting some Grannie Squares or motifs. I have some ends of yarn skeins in my stash that would be perfect for little coasters. I gathered my yarn and went to get my crochet hooks. Now let me just tell you, my knitting is in almost perfect order. YES!!! It truly is. My yarn is either in bags in my steamer trunk, in wire bins at the top of my stairs, or my dishcloth cotton yarns are in a white backpack. My books are in a special rack and my needles and hooks are in a small duffle bag. I know where everything is. So......I grabbed the duffle bag with all my needles and hooks inside to get the roll I keep my crochet hooks in. I felt for it, not there. I opened the duffle wide and looked inside, still, not there. I got a little antsy. I ran downstairs to see if the roll of hooks was in my traveling knitting bag. NOT THERE ! I flew upstairs and started tearing things apart. I didn't know where to begin because, everything has it's place. I thought MAYBE when I started cleaning out my sewing closet that it got put in there for some insane reason. Now my sewing closet is NOT in any order. In fact, it is a disaster. I started looking through the first 2 bags I came to and thought, "I would never have put my roll of hooks in the sewing closet". After 4 hours of thinking, looking, worrying, I texted my daughter that I was so frustrated. She immediately texted back, "What is wrong"? When I told her she responded, "Oh Mother, I thought something was REALLY wrong". IS SHE SERIOUS????? How much worse could it be? Not only have I finally decided that I want to make little crocheted Grannie Squares or motifs, I have my yarn sitting in front of me, but nowhere can I find my roll of crochet hooks. I decided not to dignify her response with one of my own. I figured I would look one more time for my precious hooks, ALL of my hooks. I went to the top of the stairs, moved one of the wire bins, looked around it. I grabbed the white backpack that holds all my dishcloth cotton yarn. I haven't made dishclothes for ages. I opened it up, felt around..........MY ROLL OF CROCHET HOOKS! How could they possibly be in there? I just had them a few weeks earlier. How would they have gotten into the dishcloth cotton yarn backpack? Oh yea, I was trying to think of a fast, fun, project to do and thought DISHCLOTHS. See, if I had been up to date on my blogging, I would have known right where they were.

Well, I guess I will say goodbye. I will be in touch soon. I will leave you with these beautiful little scallywags.

It is taking an earthquake to get me to blog.

2010-06-23T11:55:00.000-07:00

How crazy is this ???? An EARTHQUAKE was felt in my area. I, however, did not feel it. With the girls running through the house, the Great Danes chasing after them, and the baby in his "Johnny Jump-up", bouncing and swinging in the doorway, I felt nothing. Apparently, the quake hit in Cumberland, Ontario and was felt in Michigan. YIKES !!!!!!! Lets not make a habit of this.

I am so happy, I finished my scarf that smells like a musty canvas army tent ( for an explanation, read a few entries back ). I love it. If I can't wash the smell out, I will wear it around my neck, sitting on my lounge chair in the backyard, and daydream that I am at the Pinery Provincial Park in Canada, sitting outside my uncle's musty canvas army tent. Ahhh, memories.

I am starting Project #8 ~ Lion and Elephant Reversible doll, page 143 of " itty bitty toys". I am not sure if I am going to be happy, I am using Lion Brand, Vanna's Choice, acrylic yarn. I was unable to get the beautiful yarn that Susan Anderson used to knit her doll. I am starting with the lion and will see if I can live with this yarn. If so, I will make the elephant. If not, I will be forced to go in search of that perfect skein of yarn. If I must, I will go to every little yarn shop in the lower part of Michigan. I will suffer for my craft.

School is out and summer is here. YIPPEE!!!! I am trying to get into a summer schedule with the kids. Luiza and Ella are going to day camp. Every morning we have been so UNorganized. I need to be out of the house by 9:40 in order to deliver Luiza to camp by 10:00 am. Ella gets a ride there. The 3 little ones arrive between 8:30 & 9:00 am. I have to make breakfast and get the 4 fed. (When I say breakfast, I don't mean cold cereal, toast or bagels. I mean a full breakfast. The girls usually want 2 "dip-dip eggs or oatmeal, soy sausage, toast, and ice water. Once a month they like either french toast or pancakes and soy sausage). I then remember I forgot to brush and put Weeza's hair in a ponytail. By now it is 9:30 and I have to change 2 diapers and load the stroller with the little ones and all their supplies. 9:40am, out the door so we can walk Luiza to camp. We arrive at 9:56am. YES! Mia, Neve, Nolan and I walk back home and now our day begins. It consists of coloring, playdoh, puzzles, outdoor play, and PBS. Praise God for PBS. 2:40pm, I load the gang back into the stroller and we walk to get Luiza. Once back home, the kids spend the remainder of the day in the pool. Ahhh.....

I just had to share this photo with you. This is my Eli. There is something about him. Special boy. If you look close, he has pasta sauce on his chin. He STOLE the ravioli from the plate on the picnic table.

It has been so long, should I re-introduce myself to you?

2010-06-14T16:43:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I last visited with you. Like I mentioned before, summer is killing me, and it officially isn't here yet. Trying to juggle the last month of school, all the field trips and adjusted school hours, with the 3 little ones I am watching, let me just say, I can't wait till school is out for the summer. How can schools expect parents to rearrange their work schedule by 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon? I have been walking with Neve and Nolan to the school to pick Luiza up, 3 days a week. There is no way Sarah could take the time off work to do it.

I FINISHED PROJECT #7 ~ Rosebud Hat. This hat was SO easy. I knit the 32 roses and the 27 leaves in 2 evenings. The hat should have been done in a couple days, but, as usual, I got sidetracked and ended up reading "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter", by Seth Grahame-Smith. Loved the book. For some reason I didn't see the end coming.

When I finished reading this book, I was on a reading roll. I decided to glance at "Foxy" by Pam Grier. I thought I would peek at the pictures, but before I knew it, I had read this book, too.

Here I go again, getting sidetracked. Back to the hat, I made it in the largest size. It fits my 6 year old granddaughters. However, try to get 6 year olds to sit still long enough to take their picture. So, these models will have to do.

This week I hope to finish my scarf, knit with the Banana Silk. This is the yarn that smells like an old musty canvas army tent. Reminds me of camping with my family. I am half way done. It is only 14 stitches wide. This pattern is fun, K1 *(yo, k2tog)* K1. *repeat until last stitch. Once this scarf is finished, I will start the Lion and Elephant reversible doll from "itty bitty toys", page 143.

I am sure ready for WINTER!

2010-05-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

Rebecca, I am back. Thanks for checking on me.

Most people wait, with anticipation, for summer and the warm weather to arrive. And, for most, summer is their favorite season. Not me. My favorite season is fall, followed by spring, winter, and finally, summer. I don't complain about the winter's cold days, deep snowfalls, having to shovel sidewalks, or wear thick clothing. I don't complain about winter, so I CAN complain about summer. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy waking up to the birds singing, I love BBQ's, I love sitting in the backyard visiting over the fence with the neighbors, I LOVE camping, I even like to mow the lawn. What I don't like, filling the pool, only to have the kids tattle they are being splashed. "HELLO, YOU ARE IN A POOL!!!!" Oh, sorry. And speaking of the pool, try getting the 3 older ones situated in the bigger pool and the 2 year old in her little pool. Then, add the 2 little boys from the neighborhood, who will NOT listen to me. I AM READY FOR WINTER! And my house, oh my gosh. What a mess. The girls are in and out, 10 times each, for a potty run. That is fine, but my floor is full of puddles. You would swear I have a leaky roof. AND DISHES!!!! I don't have a dishwasher, so my sink is full of dishes until all the kids are picked up. I can't wash dishes and still be a lifeguard at the pool. Maybe it isn't that I don't like summer, maybe I just need a maid. I still think I will make a list of the pros and cons of summer vs. winter.

Ok. Enough ranting.

I am working on Project #7 ~ Rosebud hat. I decided to start with the roses. They took no time to complete. Now I am knitting the leaves. This hat would have been done days ago, if it were winter ( pro ). I would imagine it will be done by the weekend. I am going tonight to get the yarn for the actual hat. Can't wait.

Last week I was thrilled to take my Mother's Day gift certificate to "have you any wool?", my favorite LYS, and buy a folder/pouch from Brown Sheep Yarns to hold my circular needles. It is wonderful. Also, I got the greatest coffee mug from Black Sheep Co. What fun.

Tonight is weigh in at Weight Watchers. I feel better, lets hope the scale feels the same way.

And finally, I just joined a book club. I don't know what will suffer, knitting or reading. I need to set aside 2 hours a day for ME. That isn't gonna happen this weekend. My 2 granddaughters are spending the weekend, along with my grandDOG, Abraham. So...we will be: 2 adults, Sarah and me, 3 kids, Luiza (6), Ella (6), and Mia (3), and 5 dogs, 2 Great Danes - Eli & Quinn, 2 Yorkies - Dillon & Sipsie Rose, and Abe the Bulldog. Oops, got sidetracked, back to the books. I am so anxious to start reading. The one bad thing I do on a regular basis, I read in the bathtub. Normally that wouldn't be a bad thing, but, I fall asleep and when I wake up, my book is floating in the water.

Everyone have a wonderful Memorial Day. I am going to the local parade and then a BBQ afterwards. Keep our service men and women in your prayers.

LOVE Project #7 ~ Rosebud

2010-05-21T10:34:00.000-07:00

First off, can you believe it, 3 posts in 3 days. Yikes! I am on a roll.

All I can say about Project #7 ~ Rosebud is that I SO love this pattern. The little rosebuds are so easy to make. I was actually able to get a dozen done while watching the second hour of Grey's Anatomy last night. DID ANYONE WATCH IT? Oh my word. I was on pins and needles the entire time. Great season ender.

For those of you who asked, I lost 1.6 pounds at Weight Watchers weigh-in. I am happy for a loss, but, I should be losing more than that in a week. I guess I actually have to exercise. Starting Saturday, I take to the streets. WALKING, I will start walking. Oh, thank you for asking. Total weight loss: 21.2 lbs. Amount left to lose: 60 lbs.

I thought you might enjoy some of my favorite things outside my kitchen window.

These are my Japanese Iris

More Iris

I grew up with a plant like this in my grandma's garden. I love the memories I have of my grandma in her garden. She was such a special lady. Everyone who met her, loved her.

MORNING GLORIES..........You can't kill them. They have taken over my entire fence line.

I saved the best for last.

Luiza and Mia

Ella

Neve

Nolan

It is time for an itty bitty hat

2010-05-20T07:08:00.000-07:00

Good Morning. What a glorious day in Michigan. It is sunny and almost 70 degrees, heading to 80. One baby sleeping, 2 little girls playing outside, 3 birds fed and napping, 4 dogs exploring the new pile of dirt, and a happy grammie getting ready to start Project #7.

Did I ever mention how many projects are in the itty bitty books? Itty bitty hats has 36 projects, itty bitty nursery has 24 projects, and ittybitty toys has 26 projects. Total=86. Some projects actually have multiple parts, but I am still counting those as one project. Example: the Cupcake Tea Set, in "itty bitty nursery", has 22 PIECES to it. As usual, I am blown away by Susan Anderson's designs and her eye for detail.

I have been trying to decide what to knit next. I had such fun making the Egg to Bluebird and a Little Nest, Too. I gave it to Neve for her 2nd birthday. I really need to make another for me. My grandchildren love to play with the reversible toys. I bought the yarn to make the Lion and Elephant, but, I am thinking it is time for an itty bitty hat. I haven't made anything from the "itty bitty hat" book, yet. So......drum roll, please......Project #7, Rosebud, from the "itty bitty hat" book, page 78. I am going to make the wreath version. I love the colors of the flowers.

So, tonight I weigh in at Weight Watchers. Lets hope I lost the 1.2 pounds I gained last week. I made sure I drank water this week and not diet pop. I always stay within my points, so, I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Project #6 ~ Bear Sweater......DONE!

2010-05-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

Do you believe it ? ? ? I didn't even post what Project #6 was going to be AND IT IS DONE !

I decided that the Grumpy Old Bear needed to have his wardrobe expanded, so, I made him his sweater. I do have to get to the fabric store to buy a more appropriate ribbon. I have dozens of spools of ribbon from scrapbooking, but, none as elegant as the one in the book "itty bitty nursery", Bear Sweater page 21.

I seem to be a passenger in cars alot lately, so, I decided to make a decorative scarf, mainly to have a portable, brainless pattern that I can take with me. I had purchased this yarn on ebay, Banana Silk, and didn't know what to do with it. I bought it over a year ago. When it arrived and I opened the bag, it smelled like my uncle's old canvas army tent. That old tent is about 60+ years old and smells of musty canvas. The yarn smells the exact same way. I LOVE IT!!! It brings back 50 years of camping memories. I have kept it in the same bag it arrived in, closed tight. I didn't want to lose the "memories". ANYWAY, I think I am liking the way the scarf is turning out. Funny, I have chosen to make a decorative scarf out of yarn that smells like an old canvas army tent, that will be worn around my neck. Interesting perfume, "Musty Canvas". Look for it in your high end department stores.

I GAINED 1.2 POUNDS!!

2010-05-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

I am not happy. I ate all the right foods this week. I didn't go over my points. I even made Cabbage Soup. I wrote everything down. I did everything I should and GAINED 1.2 pounds. I really can't get discouraged, I have gotten control of my food choices and my portions.

WAIT.........you know what I didn't do this week? I didn't drink water. I had coffee and lots of Diet Coke. Funny thing, my favorite drink.....water. Oh well, next week I should have a big loss.

FYI......I made the vegan spare ribs and a Twice Baked Potato. It was good. I made a cheese dip. Ate very little, but it was delicious. I made a new coleslaw, YUCK! Had a small piece of chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling. Threw half the slice away.

OH MY GOSH! What is that?

2010-05-12T19:53:00.000-07:00

Can you hear it? Is that a marching band? Wait, maybe a parade. And where are the lights coming from? Is it a flashing neon sign? Fireworks? Oh my gosh! It must be a HUGE celebration. What could it be? Can't be Elvis, he is no longer with us. The Beatles, no. Million dollar lottery winners are a common thing nowdays. What is attracting all this whooplah? Now I see what is causing all the excitement. Project #3 ~ The Baby's Texture Blanket IS FINALLY COMPLETE! It is a MIRACLE! I think I can hear the angel's singing in heaven. I know I am.

This has been a sometimes challenging, sometimes frustrating, sometimes relaxing, often a learning experience, often a topic of conversation, and always a fun project. As much as I complained about my lack of knitting experience, I would make this blanket again. Just not in the near future.

Check back at the end of the week for Project #6. I am still trying to figure out what to knit next.

One more thing, Thursday night is weigh in at Weight Watchers. You know what that means? CHEAT NIGHT!!!! After I weigh in, I have a fun meal. I decided tomorrow will be a twice baked potato and my vegan "spare ribs". The potato was the on the show, "Cook's Country", a PBS cooking show. It looks sinful. THEN, a piece of chocolate cake with mousse filling. All this with a large DIET COKE. Can't wait for weigh in.

I AM DONE!!

2010-05-10T19:03:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it..........finally done. YIPPEE!!!! I bet you are SO excited to see the finished project. Oh, did I mention, it isn't the Baby's Texture Blanket. I know in my last post I said the blanket should be done by Sunday night. I thought I would get 6 hours of knitting in on Friday night. I attempted to knit for 6 hours, but, I talked so much that I unknit as much as I knit. Not good. Saturday morning my cousin, Marilyn, and I were headed to Sam's Club, where we learned how to pick the perfect pineapples and watermelons, but first we got sidetracked when we saw the signs for a bird show. It was worth stopping. We both bought lots of supplies for our feathered kids. Saturday afternoon, Ella and Mia came over to spend the night. Sarah, Luiza, the girls, and I went out to dinner, followed by a stop at the Dairy Queen. I actually took my knitting to the restaurant, but didn't get much done. Sunday, being Mother's Day, was busy, but, I did get 2 sides of the blanket edged.

Today I couldn't bring myself to knit one stitch on the blanket. I just wasn't in the mood. I looked in my knitting bag and found Project #4 ~ The New Sock Monkey. I decided to work on that for a little while. Well guess what? I finished it in no time. And better yet, I LOVE IT! What a sweet little monkey.

Tomorrow is a new day. I will take a deep breath and hopefully finish the 2 remaining sides of Project #3 ~ Baby's Texture Blanket.

Thanks for stopping by Knitting thru thru the "itty bittys". I really appreciate all your comments.

barb

I would like to say.......

2010-05-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

that I was dancing around the May Pole, OR that I have been lounging on a sandy beach in the Pacific, OR that I was returning from touring with Bon Jovi. The truth is..........I am STILL finishing the border of my blanket. I am sure I am the slowest knitter in the world. Not to mention, I am new at knitting and the Picot Edging isn't feeling comfortable. But you know what? I love knitting. I wish I had 10 hours a day that were designated to knitting only. No phones, no internet, no dishes, no interruptions. Just knitting. But I do have a full life. I have 5 fabulous grandbabies, 4 dogs that drive me crazy one minute and lay as close to me as they can get the next, 3 senior birds that are keeping me on pins and needles with their new quirks, 2 weeks worth of spring cleaning, and a partridge in a pear tree. Project #3 ~ The Baby's Texture Blanket is so close to being done. Tomorrow night I will be able to spend 6 hours knitting with the gals at the Salvation Army's scrapbooking night. (We really need to change the name to Night of Laughter at the Salvation Army) ANYWAY, please bear with me a bit longer. I hope to have the final photo of my blanket by Sunday night.

I thought when I started Knitting thru the "itty bittys" that I would also start dropping the pounds. You figure with yarn and needles occupying your hands, there would be no time to snack. After all, most finger foods have either crumbs, moisture, oils, or staining agents. YEAH RIGHT! Isn't it funny how we can find foods that are easy to eat without leaving any residue? I would list those foods, but, I don't want to encourage anyone to eat and knit like I did. That's right, I said "like I DID". I have been on Weight Watchers for 4 weeks and tonight, when I weighed in, I am down a total of 20.8 pounds. YIPPEE!!!! I have a long way to go, but, I am on the right track. In a few weeks I will post photos of before and now. In the meantime, here is a photo of a great tree in my neighborhood. It is a very loving tree. It is hugging itself.

Oh, one more thing. Just started reading a book, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Killer by Seth Grahame-Smith. It grabs you from the beginning. Don't be alarmed. This book isn't taking me away from my knitting. I read it in the tub. Don't tell my son. It is his hardcover book. I have been known to drift off in the tub and come to, only to find my book floating in the water. Of course if I ruin his book I will buy him a new one.

A Little of this and a little of that

2010-04-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

Truly, I do not know how Susan Anderson does it. Last week as I was feverishly trying to finish the last 5 squares of this blanket, she started and finished a blanket that is the same size. ARE YOU HEARING ME? Susan's is done. She knit the 25 squares, sewed them together, and the border is finished. Good Grief! If I am lucky, I will be done in a week. The one thing I will say in my defense, I have never knit some of the stitch patterns that are in this blanket, I have never sewn squares together, let alone with the mattress stitch, and I have never picked up 150 stitches per side of a blanket to add a border. This doesn't come easy for me. I probably need to take some basic classes.

I don't want to bore you with more photos of the blanket, since they all seem to look the same, but this one shows the one side of the blanket with the border started.

GUESS WHAT ??? I started and finished Project #5 in 5 hours. Thats right, 5 HOURS. I wanted to make one of the reversible toys from "itty bitty toys" for an upcoming birthday gift. I figured at the rate I knit, I better get started now. To my surprise, I made "egg to bluebird and a little nest, too", on page 161 in 5 hours. I REALLY love this little guy.

In case you are following my projects closely, you are probably thinking Project #5? What happened to Project #4? If you remember, I started knitting The New Sock Monkey (project #4) while I was waiting to purchase more yarn for Project #3. The little monkey is almost done. I still have to make his arms and legs. WOW, if this doesn't sound like a pyramid scheme, I don't know what does.

Did I mention to you that I started Weight Watchers 2 weeks ago? I am loving it. 13.6 pounds gone so far. I can't wait until I can post the before and after photos. Those, however, won't be posted for some time.

Quickly posting a photo of progress

2010-04-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

Just a fast photo of the squares sewn together.

This is the front,

This is the back.

I will fill you in tonight on details. Springtime means the kids are outside more than inside. We are headed back out, AGAIN.

No time to talk

2010-04-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

The 3 girls are begging to go outside and play, so, I just have time to post the latest photo of my progress on the Baby's Texture Blanket. I have the 25 squares sewn together in each of their rows. Hopefully, I will get the 5 rows sewn together tonight at the Scrapbook Night at the Salvation Army. We knitters have mutinied and now it is an all crafts night. DON'T MESS WITH THE KNITTERS!

These rows aren't laid out in their final order.

Had to post this picture of Mia. Is she adorable or what? I love dress-up day.

Project #3 ~ The REAL work begins

2010-04-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

I am SO impressed with Susan Anderson and her eye for colors and textures. She truly is an artist.

Now that the 25 squares, I use that term loosely, are completed, the real work begins. I tried to make the squares in the same color tones that Susan used, but as I was laying mine out, a few needed to be switched. The colors didn't compliment each other like I had hoped.

So, now the sewing begins. One row down, four rows to go.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1............THE SQUARES ARE DONE!

2010-04-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

I am SO excited, all 25 squares are finally finished. I am dying to start sewing them together. However, I really need to go to bed. Tomorrow is a busy day. So, I am going to post photos of the completed squares and I will talk to you tomorrow.

By the way, none of my squares are blocked, so don't grimace. Later.

Is housework REALLY that important?

2010-04-07T11:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have a choice to make. The breakfast dishes are done, the dining room table is cleared and clean, the baby is happy in his bouncy chair, the 4 girls are laughing and coloring, and the dogs are all sleeping in different nooks and crannies, away from me. I can either clean the bathroom, dust the house, polish the mirrors and windows, OR, I can do that when all the kids leave and work on knitting the next two squares. Hummmmm.........what shall I do? GET REAL, the housework can wait. I have 4 squares left to knit and I want them done by Friday.

I finished the two (2) red Stockinette Stitch squares and

the Stripey Garter Stitch square.

I am getting ready to start the white Square with Rings. It looks fun. I hope Sarah, Joe, and Leslie aren't reading this blog today. I am bribing Weeza, Ella, and Mia with fudge bars so I can get my supplies together. Grandmas are allowed to do that, aren't they?

OH, I forgot to tell all of you about the conversation on Easter. WONDERFUL day at my cousin Marilyn's home. Sarah and Marilyn were talking about something I was knitting, very sweet, very nice. Then one of them said one word and they both got all giddy, in a kinda evil way. One of them brought up that I am always knitting and they both went crazy saying I have dumped them for yarn. That all I want to do is knit or talk about knitting or go to yarn shops or blog about knitting. CAN YOU IMAGINE? Oh wait. I bet it didn't help that I took my knitting bag to Marlilyn's and sat there making a washcloth will we were visiting. LISTEN, I am not an alcoholic, a drug abuser, I'm not even a yarnoholic, but I guess I forget not everyone loves knitting and crocheting. So, Marilyn, if you are reading this, when we go to Eastern Market on Saturday, not a word about knitting and I won't have any yarn hidden in my purse. Promise.

Busy, busy, week.

2010-04-04T16:47:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been 12 days since we last talked. Someone needed to #SLAP# me. How RUDE that I haven't been on the computer. Just know, I not only neglected you, I also didn't check into ravelry, I didn't chat with Lisa, only checked email once a day, and I played NO games on Facebook. So what was I doing, you ask? TONS !!!!!!!!!!

Of course the days were filled with the 5 grandkids and the 4 dogs, all who had spring fever. Our temperatures reached 82 degrees on Thursday. We broke a record. I am sure most of you would love these warm days. I, however, am not ready for this weather yet. Until school is out, I can't juggle breakfast, which is ALWAYS "dip dip" eggs and toast, feeding Nolan his bottles, putting him down for his morning nap and still take the kids out before Luiza has to get ready for kindergarten. SO..............I am ready for winter to come back. It is just easier. Oh, all of you, stopping your yelling!!! Just cuz' I want it, doesn't mean it is going to happen.

I have had a very busy 12 days. A week ago Saturday my cousin, Marilyn, and I went to Detroit's famous Eastern Market on Saturday. The flowers are starting to come in. Tulips and pansies were everywhere. I bought the best olive herb bread, ginger tea, vegan mushroom barley soup, fresh farm eggs, and produce, of course. I feel so fortunate that I live close to 2 huge farmer's markets. Now that the local farmers crops are starting to come in, we will be heading down every Saturday.

Last Sunday, Sarah (daughter) Luiza (granddaughter) and I went to the DIA ( Detroit Institute of Art). What fun. I hadn't been in years. I love all that Detroit has to offer. You just have to take advantage of it. ANYWAY, the museum has been renovated since the last time I was there. It was wonderful. Take a look, but don't touch!

I love this mosaic fish.

This is my favorite painting in the museum. I am so mad we didn't get a great photo of it.

Creepy eyes,

but look at THIS!

These shoes are in the wall with vellum over the hole. I would love to do something like this in

my house with my favorite Tracy Gallup dolls.

This is the only object in the museum you are allowed to touch.

After a great weekend, I spent the week knitting 4 more squares for the Baby's Texture Blanket, 2 each of the Twist Stitch square and the Smocking square. I am currently working on the Stockinette Stitch square. 18 down, 5 to go.

I made a Catnip Bunny for Murphy Brown, Lisa's BIG KITTY. For those of you who remember, Murphy is the cat that fell in love with my New Sock Monkey toy, Project #4, which is still OTN. For those of you who have cats, this was a super easy / fast toy to make. You can find it on a great blog, Coffee and Cream 2010.

Last, but not least, I made 8 articles of clothing for Ella and Mia's (granddaughters) American Girl dolls and a skirt for me. I swore I was done sewing, but, I DESPERATELY needed something to wear to church. Of course you can never tell the granddaughters you won't sew for their dolls.

Today, great day. As usual, wonderful church service. Marilyn had everyone over for Easter dinner. Fantastic. She made the most delicious parmesan crusted dinner rolls. It was so funny, after we finished our dessert, fresh strawberry shortcakes, EVERYONE ate more rolls. Then, we retired to the family room and bowled, played tennis, golfed, and played some baseball. I am addicted to Wii. Wonderful day with family.

Happy Easter.

Project #3 ~ Back on track and Lovin' it

2010-03-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

I have been on a roll the last few days, knitting squares like a crazy lady. I have been watching back to back seasons of the show 24 and knitting. Most knitters would have the blanket done by now, but because I am a slow knitter and learning new stitches with each square, getting 4 squares done in 2 days is a big deal for me. I would have had 5 done, but today I have UNknit my current square, Twist Stitch, 5 times. It is a blast knitting, but, I keep making tiny errors: splitting yarn, losing count, dropping a stitch, incorrect gauge, and last but not least, messing up the pattern. Before I go to bed tonight, I will have conquered this square.

I finished the second Stripey Loop square. MUCH easier than the first one. Funny, I am not sure which I like the best. Here I complained and whined about the first one, now I am attached to it. This second square was knit with Butterfly Mercerized Super 10 in Orange and Poolside.

I knit the 2 Textured Line squares with Butterfly Mercerized Super 10 in Celery. Easy stitches.

I knit the 2 Basketweave squares with Butterfly Mercerized Super 10 in Tigerlily. Fun pattern.

I knit the 2 Seed Stitch Border square with Butterfly Mercerized Super 10 in Poolside. I love the look and feel of the seed stitch, but I find it SO time consuming. Switching back and forth from knit to purl, knit to purl, I am so slow.

I just realized, I thought I had made 4 squares this past weekend. I made SEVEN !!!!!! Wow!

I know you are all fans or groupies, like me, of Susan B. Anderson. Have you seen the patterns she has been posting lately in her blog? FANTASTIC, especially for Easter. The link to her blog is <------over there on the left. Also, check out Spud and Chloe, more great patterns.

Last week I went on a shopping spree on Amazon.com. I haven't done that in about a year. You know it WAS this time last year. TAX REFUND. I had such fun. Look what I got:

1. Collateral DVD for $.53, thats right, FIFTY THREE CENTS. I don't know why, but I love this movie. I am not a Tom Cruise fan, but I like the part he plays in this movie.

2. The Lebanese Kitchen by Monique Bassila Zaarour. I LOVE Lebanese food and this cookbook is wonderful. There is the best Fattoush salad recipe. It is as good as my favorite authentic Lebanese restaurant.

3. Happy Gloves by Miyako Kanamori. It is a great book of glove toys. I have her first book, Sock and Glove. She makes the cutest, most basic toys, out of socks and gloves. This book uses simple gloves. Great for any glove that has lost it's mate.

4. Amigurumi Knits by Hansi Singh. These amigurumis are knit veggies, insects, sea creatures. Unbelievable. The praying mantis and hermit crab, beyond words.

Ok, 25 squares in the Baby's Texture Blanket. 14 squares completed. 11 squares still to be knit.

A REALLY Fast Side Project

2010-03-16T19:20:00.000-07:00

My neighbor is one of those amazing people that NEVER forgets an occasion. I am lucky to remember the major holidays, let alone the Hallmark ones. Anyway, Milli is Irish and of course loves St. Patrick's Day. I know this is an important holiday to alot of people, but this is one that has always gotten lost to me between Christmas and Easter.

Last week I decided to do something unexpected for St. Patty's Day for Milli. She loves crafts and really appreciates handmade items. She has alot of green bowls, candles, leprechaun dolls, four-leafed clovers, placemats, tablecloths, wreaths, but I don't remember seeing any coasters. So I "googled" Shamrock Coasters. I found a pattern on Crochet Central that I liked. However, when I started crocheting it, I didn't like the look of the last round. I unraveled the yarn and thought I would make some dessert instead.

This afternoon I decided, NO, to the dessert and I started to crochet a coaster. When I came to the 4th round, I did one little change and Voila! I love it. These 4 Shamrock Coasters were made in about 2 hours. That is GREAT for me. What fun.

Next holiday..........Easter! Hmmmmmm, what shall I make?

I'm just sayin'.

2010-03-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

I was SO busy last week. I had the granddaughters more hours, my daughter wasn't feeling very good, so I helped out in the evening, and Nolan is in a new stage. It is amazing to me how much babies change between week 15 and week 16. Nolan went from sleeping the day away to barely sleeping. This is not a bad thing, I LOVE playing with him, but, my knitting has been put on the back burner. I was able to work alittle bit on Project #4, The New Sock Monkey. Project #3, the Baby's Textured Blanket, still on hold.

Saturday, GREAT DAY!!!! I woke up early, watched Knitting and Crochet, Now! on PBS. Oooo, had coffee. Then, I did what I have been dying to do. READY ??????? I went to my LYS, "have you any wool?", and bought all the yarn to finish Project #3, the Baby's Textured Blanket. I picked 8 beautiful colors of Butterfly Mercerized Cotton. The girl who took care of my order asked if I would like to leave the yarn and they would wind it into balls. I told her, "Oh no. I am going to spend the day with Lisa and she HAS a swift and bobbin winder. We will be spending the day winding yarn". Not to mention, LEAVE MY EIGHT SKEINS BEHIND ??? I don't think so. I just want to look at them.

Lisa picked me up, we ran some errands, had lunch, and headed to her house. We no more than walked in the door, I set down my knitting bags, when who should appear but Murphy, Lisa's 18 pound kitty. He greeted me with a sweet little mew and a rub on my leg. I sat down to do a little knitting before the yarn winding started. Murphy had another idea. First he plunged his beautiful HUGE head into my bag. Then, he started nosing around. He found the catnip for the toys I am making for him, but, that wasn't what he wanted. He kept rooting around in the bag until he found it, something that he knew was going to be his. He found PROJECT #4, The New Sock Monkey. He pawed and slapped the Sock Monkey until he had it out of the bag. I am thinking, "now what"? This great big kitty has my half finished toy and it looks like he is trying to eat it. I kept thinking that he was going to snag the yarn or soak it. The more we watched Murphy, it was obvious he had no intention of hurting the sock monkey. He was pawing and snuggling until he had the sock monkey positioned under his chest, like he was holding a baby. That was it. Murphy was happy as can be. He went right to sleep. Before I left, I was able to get the sock monkey back into my bag. DON'T WORRY!!!!! When Project #4 if finished, it will go back to live with Murphy. I may even sneak some catnip into it.

We spent the rest of the day winding 10 skeins of my yarn and 7 skeins of Lisa's into balls. What fun. She has the greatest yarn swift. I keep calling it a swiffer. Different tool.

Last, but not least, dinner at Ping's Chinese Carry-out. They have the BEST vegetarian egg rolls, NOT spring rolls and wonderful Szechuan Veggies. YUM !!

Now it is time to get back to some serious knitting. I will now put The New Sock Monkey on hold and get back to Project #3, Baby's Textured Blanket. It wasn't really my fault for slowing down, there were some circumstances. I'm just sayin'.

LOOK WHAT ARRIVED IN THE MAIL !!!!

2010-03-09T18:21:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I was sitting at the dining room table, knitting, while 3 babies were sleeping and I was waiting for 2 granddaughters to arrive home from kindergarten. All of a sudden, the chorus of 4 dogs barking, let me know the mail was here. I went to the door and found not only junk mail, but a package. Couldn't be for me. I haven't ordered anything in a year. BUT WAIT! My dear friend Lisa (aka Sasa 6 on ravelry) told me last week that something should be arriving in the mail. What could it be? Last month she surprised me with 2 skeins of beautiful yarn. I opened the package and couldn't believe my eyes. It was a copy of "itty bitty hats". "ITTY BITTY HATS" !!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT ????? I am beyond thrilled. Lisa, THANK YOU, Thank You, thank you.

I now have all 3 "itty bitty" books, by Susan B. Anderson. YIPPEE!!!!

Project #4, The New Sock Monkey, is so fun and easy. I am really enjoying making this little guy. I can't wait until I stitch his face. That will make all the difference for me. It is always in the expression.

Update on Project #3. Susan Anderson was kind enough to check out my photo of the Loopy Stitch square. She immediately noticed I had crocheted eleven loopy rows instead of the SIX that Susan crocheted. I have decided to leave my first Loopy Stitch square as is. However, the second one will be done correct, I hope.

Thank you Susan for all your input.

Thank you Lisa for my "itty bitty hats" book.

Taking a break from Project #3 and starting Project #4

2010-03-05T11:31:00.000-08:00

Seven squares down, eighteen to go. Project #3 is going well, except for the Loopy Stitch square. As you know, this stitch is testing my patience. Not to mention, it is 3 times thicker than the other squares. I need to take a break before starting the second loopy stitch square. I decided instead of knitting a different patterned square, I would just start a new project. And get this, I AM NOT USING THE YARN IN THE PATTERN!!!!!! I am actually choosing yarn from my stash. This is unheard of for me. ANYWAY...... Project #3 is temporarily Zzzzzzz. I need to get my next color of yarn for the second loopy stitch square and then I will tackle it.

PROJECT #4 ~ A New Sock Monkey, page 70 in the "itty bitty toys" book, by Susan B. Anderson.

I am still shocked that I am using a different yarn than Susan used. Not only is it not the same brand, it isn't striped! This may drive me nuts, but I need to learn to get a little CRAZY! Changing the color of a project's yarn, that is as crazy as I can handle.

I ALMOST THREW IN THE TOWEL!!!!!!

2010-03-02T17:09:00.000-08:00

I am counting the days until Eastern Market looks like this again. There is nothing I love more than getting up early in the morning and going to the farmers market to see what wonderful things are filling the baskets and bins. Not to mention, there is a bakery that has the best cheese danishes, a middle eastern market that has unbelievable pickled garlic and, the real reason, spending time with family. I love going with my granddaughters, watching them pick the fruits and veggies. This year I am determined to make the trip to Eastern Market every Saturday morning a tradition.

Be honest, how does the Loopy Stitch square look? I started the loops on February 23 and I just finished them today, March 2nd. I can't tell you how many times I ripped the crocheting out and started over. This loopy stitch does not come natural to me. On top of it, I am not sure how Susan completed each row. The directions said to slip stitch the loopy row to the next purl row. That went right over my head. HELP SUSAN!!!!!!! I ended up sewing the row in place. And to think, I STILL HAVE TO MAKE ANOTHER LOOPY STITCH SQUARE. If you have any suggestions on how to do the next square, please leave a comment or feel free to email me at blyerke1@yahoo.com I think I need to take a break from that stitch. I am going to make the base for the next Loopy Stitch Square and then do the loops later. Not to mention, I have to get to my yarn shop, "have you any wool?", and purchase my next skeins of yarn. I want the perfect turquoise for the next loops. I think I will start the New Sock Monkey on page 70 of "itty bitty toys", just to give some variety to my knitting.

Susan, Stripey Loop Squares, REALLY ?????

2010-02-24T06:47:00.000-08:00

Let me start by saying "THANK YOU" to all of you who are taking a peek at my blog. I really appreciate that you take the time to check in. And, I really love to hear your comments. Advice is ALWAYS welcome.

Susan B. Anderson is a gifted, talented, wonderful artist. I AM NOT !!!!!!

When I started the Stripey Loop Square, I figured, easy as pie. EXACTLY !!!! Pie is NOT easy.

The plain part of the square was a breeze, knit rows and purl rows. Now, small detail, THE LOOPS ! I feel like a giant working on Tinkerbell's blanket. My fingers, trying to make the loop, hold it, then secure it, feel twice their size. These 2 squares are going to take me longer than all the others combined. Actually, the part that confuses me, once the loops are done, where am I slip stitching the loop row to? The only thing that might save me, Lisa ( Sasa6 on ravelry ). She is my dear friend who got me back into knitting, after a 37 year break. Lisa thinks she is coming over tonight to knit and watch the Olympics. Actually, I am going to make her do a practice row of loops and see if she does it different than I do. SHE will know if I am doing it wrong. Just dawned on me..... I should look on Susan's blog and see if she has a tutorial for "loops". Susan is so helpful. ( No tutorial for the loops. Only *I* need it. )

UPDATE ~ Sammy, my 21 year old cockatiel whose toes were severed, he is doing great. He stayed in the "Hospital Room" for 2 days, learned to maneuver with his injured foot and is now back to life as it is.

Shhhh.....Hospital Zone

2010-02-21T17:20:00.000-08:00

When it comes to my four-legged or my feathered "kids", it just never ends.

Thursday night I cleaned the bird cages, something I never do at night. I was cleaning the family room late Thursday night and figured I would keep the lights low so the birds wouldn't be disturbed, and clean the bird cages so I wouldn't have to keep the vacuum out and finish in the morning. I did my cleaning and went to bed. In the morning I was out the door at 6:30 am to clean my neighbor's house. When I returned home, my granddaughter was squealing that Sam and Miles were out of their cage and on the floor. Apparently, I had left the cage door open after cleaning the cage. I scooped up Sam, who is 21 years old, he gave me a kiss, and I put him back in the cage. I had a to find Miles, who had found his way into a bag, and I put him back in the cage. Miles is my 19 year old cockatiel with one leg. They both headed to the bottom of the cage to chatter.

Then Saturday, after running errands, I went to the family room to give the birds a treat and realized Sam was huddled on the floor of the cage and there was dried blood everywhere. What I hadn't realized on Friday morning when I put Sam back in the cage, my parrot, Tahki, had severed his toes when he had gotten out of his cage. Tahki is 20 years old and has been mean since the day I brought him home at 5 months old. He loves his "brothers" as long as they don't touch the bars of his cage. I am guessing when Sam escaped, he climbed from his cage to Tahki's and that is when the attack happened. I am so glad Miles didn't get bit. He doesn't have a leg to spare. He wouldn't have survived.

So, I have moved both cages, all 3 birds to the dining room while Sam recuperates. It is the warmest room in the house. Last night was touch and go, but, he survived the night. Tonight, he looks like he is out of the woods. Tahki is VERY sorry he hurt his brother. Sam understands, Tahki has "issues".

Thru all this, I am plugging along on my squares for the Baby's Textured Blanket. I am finding them relaxing while I sit in the "Hospital Zone".

I am NOT an Olympic knitter

2010-02-19T06:31:00.000-08:00

I am stunned at how fast some people knit. I am NOT one of them. I have been knitting my squares, every night, for the Baby's Textured Blanket. I thought I would be alot farther along. I even signed up for the Ravelymics. I am on Team Itty Bitty and entered the blanket as my "event". At the rate I am going, I will not be in contention for a medal. I will be lucky to hit the finish line before they turn off the lights in the arena. I am, however, having a blast making each square. I am perfecting my gauge, learning new techniques, and even knitting the continental method. However, I cannot purl continental.

One reason I am not farther along with my squares, the 2010 Winter Olympics. They are SO addicting. Events I never watched in the past are my favorite this year. And these kids, Shawn White, Appollo Ono, Lyndsey Vonn ........... OH MY GOSH! Since I am not one of those knitters that knit without looking, watching the Olympics is cramping my knitting style.

Now the reason I have not posted much this week, 4 sick grandkids and winter recess. Luiza and Mia have hideous coughs, Neve has the flu, and Nolan has severe bronchitis and RSV. He is only 14 weeks and probably headed to the hospital this morning. Please say a prayer for him. Ella is the only one sounding good. Plus, this week is winter recess for Luiza and Ella. That means during the day, more snacks, more clutter, more joyful noise, less knitting. Today we are going to make Reese's Peanut Butter Cup/Chocolate Chip cookies.

I will get knitting done tonight. It is scrapbook night at the Salvation Army. We knitters have invaded the scrapbookers. It really should be called craft night. There are also card makers. We have a blast. My daughter runs the program. My goal tonight is to finish 2 squares.

Anyone have any spare hours?

2010-02-16T19:28:00.000-08:00

There just aren't enough hours in a day. I get up every morning at 5:45 am, clean my neighbor's house from 6:30 am - 7:45 am, return home to wait for the kids to start arriving at 8:15 am, feed the dogs, change diapers, make the kids breakfast, bottle for Nolan, nap for Nolan, let the dogs out 4 times, change diapers, another bottle for Nolan, check computer, snacks for kids and dogs, let the dogs out, ponytails or braids on 3 little girls, change diapers, lunch, get Luiza ready for school, bottle for Nolan, Luiza picked up for school, Neve down for a nap, movie in for Mia, let the dogs out, nap for Nolan, computer time or knit, wash dishes, snack for Mia, rest time for Mia, let the dogs out, Ella and Luiza home from school, snacks, diaper change, bottle for Nolan, Neve wakes up, snacks, think and forget about dinner, feed dogs, let dogs out, diaper change, wait for kids to get picked up. Oops, somewhere in there, feed birds. Once everyone is gone, dinner is finished, dishes are washed, I knit.

One glitch today, my Eli was sick during the night. I woke up and discovered I had to mop the kitchen and dining room floors BEFORE I started my day. I hate that. Fortunately, Eli's older sister, Sipsie Rose, thinks he is her puppy and she cleans his face daily. While I cleaned up the mess, she cleaned Eli. He slept the entire day. He didn't get up until 6:15 pm. He woked up and had Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup and cottage cheese and went back to bed. Hope this is a one day flu.

I am making progress on my Baby's Textured Blanket. Will have photos tomorrow.

I am SO ready to start Project #3.

2010-02-11T17:14:00.000-08:00

It has been a crazy week. Between the 7" of snow, my daughter having tests for stomach issues, 4 little girls who are spreading their wings, and a 13 week old little guy who is now tired of laying down but to little to sit up, why am I not knitting?

After finishing the Grumpy Old Bear, I have been trying to figure out what to do next. I am DYING to start working on something from "itty bitty toys". However, I decided that for Project #3, I am going to start knitting the Baby's Texture Blanket on page 45 of "itty bitty nursery". I figure that I can use the Butterfly Mercerized Cotton I bought for the pacifier clips. I wasn't thrilled with the colors for the clips, but, I think they will be perfect for the blanket. Can't wait to get started.

Tonight I was my 6 year old granddaughter's "Special Person" at her Valentines party with her Moonbeams group. There were about 20 children, ages 3-6, all with their special person. We had such a good time. We colored, we played Valentine bingo, and we had treats. It doesn't get much better than that.

When we got home, Luiza asked for a washcloth, a mirror, a cup of water, and then said "Please, don't come in my room". 5 minutes later she emerged from her room stating, matter of factly, "Here is my tooth". She YANKED her front tooth out. It was loose. She's a hoot. She is such an old soul in a little body.

Project #2 ~ Grumpy Old Bear - COMPLETED

2010-02-07T19:29:00.000-08:00

Grumpy Old Bear is complete and he only took a few hours to make. He is a perfect size to tuck into a diaper bag, pocket, or even on top of a present. Grumpy was a lot of fun to make. I used a yarn with wool in it, so, he turned out a little different in shape. He seems a bit stiffer. I still need to work on facial expressions. It frustrates me when my expressions don't look like Susan's. I realize she is an artist and has the magic touch, but, I really love the faces on her toys.

I am listening to the news, after watching the Saints beat the Colts. I DON'T EVEN KNOW THE TEAMS! I just wanted the Saints to win. Louisiana can use some good news. Anyway, we have a HUGE winter storm heading our way. I need to get my next project in order, in case we are snowed in.

The Grumpy Old Bear is a great project for the beginner or for an experienced knitter. It took no time to knit the pieces and just a few hours to sew him together.

If you want to check out Grumpy Old Bear, or other projects of mine, I am on Ravelry, my name is yerkeb.

Project #2 ~ Grumpy Old Bear

2010-02-03T12:04:00.000-08:00

I have decided to knit the Grumpy Old Bear on page 19 in "itty bitty nursery". Of course, I don't have a local yarn shop that carries Rowan yarns, so I am substituting Natura by lane cervinia. Lets hope for the best. If I am not thrilled, I will be UNknitting the grumpy old bear and will become a grumpy old barb.

I swore I would NEVER have a stash of yarn, other than the remains of skeins from previous projects. NO BUYING AHEAD. I have stuck to that. However, as I am starting to knit thru the "itty bittys", I am having a very hard time finding certain yarns, even online. I may need to rethink having a stash. Oh Yikes! This could be dangerous. Anyone know of a yarn shop that carries a large variety of O-Wool Balance? I can't find the colors I need.

Anyone appreciate this photo like I do? Ahhhh.........Russell Crowe. He is welcome to knit with me anytime. As a matter of fact, he does. I keep his framed photo on the table, where I knit.

Project #1 ~ Pacifier Clips - Completed

2010-02-02T17:42:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how long it has taken me to complete the pacifier clips. I had originally planned on Project #1 being just the Frog pacifier clip. As I started the project I ran into a few stumbling blocks. My yarn shop doesn't carry Rowan yarns. I knew that and had another brand in mind. Turned out, it didn't work. I tried Paton's Grace, it didn't work either. Finally, I chose Butterfly Mercerized Cotton-Super 10. I love the yarn. The only thing that disappoints me, the colors. Even though I had a ton to pick from in the Butterfly line, they were off just a titch, from the Rowan that Susan had used. And, of course, Susan has such an eye for color and mine are too bright. Oh well, live and learn.

Another problem, I tried 6 stores to find the pacifier clip. They either didn't carry them or they were sold out. Since I couldn't finish the Frog without it, I gave into my granddaughters begging and made 4 little frogs, one for each of them.

Still with no clips, I decided to make the Flower and Elephant pacifier clips. I figured, once I found the clips, I could complete all 3 styles.

I found the Frog and Elephant easy to knit. However, that crazy flower. The petals were so easy and fun. I LOVE the construction of each petal. The problem for me, sewing those 5 petals together. I don't know how many times I took them apart. It made me CRAZY!

The 3 pacifier clips are finally done. I love everything about the Elephant. I don't think there is a cuter Frog to be found. The flower reminds me of my hippie days, so it is redeemed. Even though it caused me such frustration, I now love it.

Project #1 ~ Pacifier Clips - COMPLETED

What is in the bag?

2010-01-30T17:43:00.000-08:00

After a VERY long week, I couldn't wait to head to "have you any wool?", my favorite little yarn shop, to indulge. Just look at that bag, filled with the cotton yarns I need to finish the pacifier clips, skeins of yarn for future projects, and yarn needles. But wait! What is that peeking out from the bottom of the bag?

WOO HOO!!!!! I bought my "itty bitty toys" book. I am beside myself. It is beyond precious.

While I was in the yarn shop, I spent some time looking through MY book, deciding which toy would be my next project. I didn't take long to know I needed to add the Pig to my collection of adorable animals. That face, oh my word.

Now to pick out the yarn. The yarn Susan chose for the pig is perfect, but, of course, the shop didn't have that color and they aren't ordering anymore. We spent some time looking for a substitution and found some that would work, so I bought it. WHY DID I SETTLE? I am so mad. I came right home, went online, and found the yarn in the pattern. ARGH!!!!! I am going to put the pig on hold and order the yarn I love.

One thing I find, that being a stay-at-home grammie, it is difficult finding the time to enjoy visiting wonderful little yarn shops. All of them in my area close at 6:00 most or all weekdays and they are closed on Sunday. It is impossible for me to take a stroller with a 14 week old, a 20 month old who is a whirlwind, a 3 year old and a 6 year old who would pretend to be shoppers, and try to enjoy a trip to shop for yarn. Not to mention, I don't have that many carseats.

So.......for now, I think I am going to do my shopping online for the yarns that Susan suggests for her wonderful patterns.

p.s. Almost done with the Frog and Elephant pacifier clips. I hadn't been able to find the clips, until today . Working on the Flower pacifier clip. Will post completed photos soon.

Frogs, frogs, everywhere!

2010-01-27T14:40:00.000-08:00

Frogs, frogs, everywhere. I finished the 4 frogs for the girls. Luiza loves collecting frogs at her Pappa and Grandma J's cottage, while Ella and Mia would rather admire them from the dock. Neve is too little to have an opinion, yet. So, for now, they all have their own tiny frog tucked in their coat pockets.

As for the Frog Pacifier Clip, I am headed to "have you any wool" tomorrow to get the yarn I need to finish the clip. Also, I called today and they are holding my copy of "itty bitty toys". YIPPEE!!!!! I am so excited.

Back to reality. Gotta go wash dishes.

I must learn to say NO!

2010-01-25T19:24:00.000-08:00

I want to start by thanking Susan B. Anderson, author of the "itty bitty" books, for mentioning my blog on her blog. What a thrill. Thank you so much. I can only hope by the end of my journey that my knitting has improved and that my work resembles yours.

I am one week into Knitty thru the "itty bittys". I am loving it. It has been a fun week. HOWEVER, I haven't completed my Frog pacifier clip. Not because it is difficult. Not because it is tedious. Not because I couldn't find the time. The reason my poor little frog is sitting on his leaves, that are attached to the strap with a vine that curls around it, minus a butterfly and pacifier clip, MY GRANDDAUGHTERS!

When I decided to start this project, my 6 year old granddaughter, Luiza, was very curious about the whole thing. My daughter, Sarah, Luiza, and I live together. Therefore, anytime I get my "itty bitty" books out, Luiza sits on my lap and "suggests" what I should make and then requests one for herself . Then, when my other granddaughters, Ella & Mia, come over, she announces "Look what grammie is knitting", and they all decide what they are going to name THEIR critters. I MUST LEARN TO SAY NO! I can't keep making 4 or 5 of each project.

So.......the reason I haven't completed my first project, I am not only making the one Frog pacifier clip, but also, FOUR LITTLE FROGS for the girls. I have completed 2 little frogs and I have all the body parts knit for 2 more. They will be put together tomorrow. I have one small glitch with the pacifier clip. I had scraps of orange and blue cotton yarn for the butterfly on the pacifier strap, but, the cotton was a bit too thick and made the butterfly look like she was on steroids. My yarn shop closes so early on weekdays, that I won't be able to get there to buy the yarn until Thursday.

I thought you might enjoy this photo of my "grandson", Quinn. He is truly one of us. His favorite food in the world is pizza, followed by rolls. We had pizza for dinner tonight and hadn't offered him any. He was so distraught, he just laid his head on the table and moaned. Needless to say, he did get a slice. Oh, just to let you know, the placemats are being washed and the table was sanitized.

Productive Week

2010-01-22T11:20:00.000-08:00

What a week! I am thoroughly enjoying knitting thru the "itty bittys". So far I have made 2 little frogs. One will be attached to the pacifier clip. The other is for a darling little toy. I plan on making 3 more tiny frogs tonight. My granddaughters begged me to make one for each of them. Perfect little toy to fit in their pockets.

One project I needed to finish, since it is a CHRISTMAS GIFT, a cape/poncho. My neighbor has some health issues and she is always cold. When she watches TV or does crafts, she always has a big blanket wrapped around her shoulders. I decided to make her this short cape to keep her warm, but not get in the way. The pattern was so easy until the border. I swear they never did a test of the pattern before printing it. I had to ad lib the pattern in order to finish it. WHEW! It is finally DONE!

We have a new baby boy in the family. His momma loves owls. What better to give a sweet little baby than the "Hoot Hat". It is another fantastic pattern from Susan B. Anderson. This pattern is sold through Spud and Chloe. This is the second one I have made. It took a few hours, from beginning to end. I LOVE IT!

I am so excited. It is 6:45pm on Friday. All the babies have gone. Just finished dinner and a delicious Weight Watcher slice of cake. I made it the other day. Worth every point. Getting ready to watch the movie, "Julie and Julia", AND KNIT!!! My goal tonight is to get all the little parts of the frogs out of the way. I want to be sure and get up at 6:30 Saturday morning to watch the new season of Knit and Crochet Today, on PBS. I know Susan B. Anderson did a segment. I don't know when it airs.

Project #1 ~ Frog Pacifier Clip

2010-01-19T09:34:00.000-08:00

I am SO ready to get started on my first project from the book, "itty bitty nursery" by Susan B. Anderson. I decided the first thing I will knit is the Frog Pacifier Clip. As I was flipping thru the pages of the book, this little frog JUMPED out at me. I figured, this is a sweet little project to start me off. I have all my supplies sitting on the corner of the table, just waiting.

I knew I probably wouldn't start knitting until after lunch. However, I forgot that Monday, January 18th was Martin Luther King day. That means, Luiza is home from school, with nothing to do. Mia and Ella are home with Leslie and Joe. They all have the day off. Luiza is lost without her cousins. She loves playing with Neve, but, the age difference really shows up after about an hour. Not to mention, Neve and Nolan have little colds and they aren't themselves. Both REALLY want to be held. SO.....with Neve sitting on one knee, Nolan over my shoulder, Luiza and I are playing board games, and I AM BORED! Couldn't resist the pun.

FINALLY, my day with the kids is over. Dinner-done. Dogs-in, out, in, out, and in for the night. I am so excited, I grab my knitting and my project begins. It is 7:18pm. Nothing will interrupt me. I have warned everyone, I will not be answering the phone, DON'T CALL! Oh wait, did I mention that tonight is not only Project: Frog Pacifier Clip, but also, the second night of the season opener of 24? I truly am in my glory, starting Knitting thru the "itty bittys" and watching 24.

Lets Begin:
Ok, this little frog is tiny. The instructions are great, very easy to follow. I wish my fingers were a size smaller. The eyes are a bit tricky. They need to be formed into itty bitty balls. Not easy for these fingers, but I am loving the frog. Since I only purchased the green cotton, I think I will make a few frogs. I will make a few pacifier clips and I think I will also make a few frogs to tuck around the house when spring arrives. THEY ARE SO CUTE!

Getting ready for tomorrow.

2010-01-17T09:35:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to start my adventure of "Knitting thru the itty bittys". I know this won't change global warming, it won't solve world peace, I doubt it will alter life as we know it, but for me, this is BIG.
I spent yesterday morning at "have you any wool?", my favorite yarn shop. I was thrilled Jessica was working. She is a college age girl who is SO knowledgeable about anything having to do with knitting. Since I am still learning as I go, I was so glad I was the only one at the door when the store opened. I had my list of things I need to start the Frog pacifier clip. I knew they didn't carry the yarn used in the book, "itty bitty nursery", so to have Jessica there to help me select an alternative yarn, perfect. I don't think she realizes how important she is going to be to me while I knit thru the "itty bittys". Anyway, we spent ages picking out the perfect yarn and the perfect color. I was in my glory. She had me feel the different weights, different blends, look at all the colors, and then, we decided on the yarn. Butterfly Mercerized Cotton, Super - 10. I was beyond excited. I had chosen my yarn and was ready for Monday to come.
Remember how I said that Knitting thru the "itty bittys" is BIG to me, but not life changing for anyone else? I think I was wrong. I believe that taking on this project, I just might be helping the economy grow WITH MY SPENDING! I refuse to start this endeavor by penny pinching. However, to make this Frog pacifier clip, the pattern calls for 5 colors of yarn. I realized that if I purchased all the colors in my favorite, Butterfly Mercerized Cotton, Super - 10 yarn, I would not be able to feed our 2 Great Danes and 2 Yorkshire Terriers for the next 2 weeks. Now the Yorkies, I could get away with it by feeding them leftovers. However, there are not enough leftovers to feed 280 pounds of Great Danes.
So, there I stood, holding my 5 skeins of carefully chosen colors, that equaled half my weekly grocery bill. Did I put them all back and SETTLE for something else? NO. I decided to buy the 2 colors to get me started, buy the dog food, and go back later and get the rest.
I came home from my WONDERFUL morning at "have you any wool?", decided to clean the house, from one end to the other, so I will have no distractions, come Monday morning. Oh, wait.......Monday morning I have to clean my neighbor's house from 6:30am - 7:40am, carry the garbage out, and wait the arrival of the grandchildren. There may be a few distractions, but, Knitting thru the "itty bittys" will begin sometime on Monday, January 18th, 2010.

Knitting through the "itty bitty" books

2010-01-13T10:16:00.001-08:00

I just finished watching the movie, "Julie & Julia". It got me to thinking, I love Susan B. Anderson's knitting the way that Julie Powell loves Julia Child's cooking. Unlike Julie, I don't think I can put a time frame on how long it is going to take me to knit through Susan's, "itty bitty nursery", "itty bitty hats", and "itty bitty toys" books.

I am a stay-at-home grammie to 5 beautiful children. Luiza~age 6, Ella~age 5, Mia~age 3, Neve~age 1, and Nolan~12 weeks. Because of the little ones ages, I never know what my day will bring. During these cold winter months the girls favorite thing to do is to play dress-up. Other days they are creating masterpieces with crayons, paper, or PlayDoh. Occasionally, they help me cook. Everyday consists of reading books, doing puzzles, Polly Pockets, and Barbie. Between diapers and snacks, I rarely get to open my knitting bags. I lovingly eye them, from across the room, eagerly waiting until I can sneak a knit or a purl.

Starting on January 18, 2010, I plan on beginning my first project from "itty bitty nursery", the frog Pacifier Clip, found on page 102 .