"I'll wear it my way".....

I had started this sweater last August. Plenty of time, I thought , to finish it for A's birthday. Life and knitters add got in the way of finishing. Then the holidays. This weekend I finished it.
During the course of knitting it. I would have A try it on. At one point on the first sleeve I wanted to make sure I was knitting it long enough. A was so worried because she had one long sleeve and the other one was still short. I tried to reassure her that eventually both sleeves would be long. To model the finished item she insisted that one sleeve be rolled up. The other one was fine. I swear that these are both the same length, Silly child.
A's Bolero
Pattern: Children's Neckdown Bolero #275
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton-ease in the Azaela colorway.
Needle US # 7 and 6

I liked the yarn my only problem with it was there were a couple of very small spots where the dye didn't take and the yarn was a little splitty. But all in all it was nice to work with , has a nice drape to it, and is perfect for the climate here in AZ .

This completes 1 of the three goals for the 2009 Year Long Gift Along group Quarterly Challenge.
The quarterly Challenge is to: The projects I have chosen for this challenge are in parentheses next to the requirements.

1. Finish an UFO that has been lingering (A's sweater)
2. Start and complete a new project (baby blanket)
3. Make something for myself (Mr. GreenJeans)

I love the motivation I get from the YGAL Ravelry group. I usually over commit myself, but I have been getting more items and gifts made than I have before.

First FO's of 2009

Yeah! I finished a pair of socks in two weeks or less. I'm not talking about worsted weight anklet socks . No these are fingering weight, heel flap, gusseted, cabled socks. Unfortunatly I can't get them over my man sized feet...but thay are done. As part of the 2009 Sock Knit Along Group on Ravlery. The first socks of the year had to be pink or red. The specs are

Pattern: Be Mine by Melissa Morgan-Oakes
Yarn: Crash into Ewe Jewel Collection with Silver
Colorway: Pink Tourmaline
Size needles us 1.5
They are drying right now and I will take better picture later.

My 5yo dd stsrts up pre-school again today. Though not until this afternoon. I've tried explaining that it doesn't matter how early we eat luch. School still won't start until 12pm. She is dressed and is wearing her backpack already to go, with 3 more hours until it starts. sigh

A father's love...

My husband is a pretty tolerant, accepting, loving man. Especially when it comes to our daughters. Let me tell you why.....

We went back home to Utah for Christmas, I call this home because it is where both my husband and I were raised and we have lots of family there. A much loved teacher overheard that we were going to visit the SLC area and she told my daughters..."Make sure you go see the school where High School Musical was filmed". The day before we left UT for AZ my dear patient husband took the younger kids to East High and took their pictures. Then he and Grandpa took them to the planetarium in SLC.

While they did this, Mom and I visted 4 of the LYSs in the SLC area. It was a lot of fun. We shopped at:
The Wool Cabin
Kamilles
Three Wishes
Unraveled Sheep
All wonderful very nice shops. They had at least some things that I can't get at my LYSs here in AZ. When I get around to taking pictures of my purchases I will share them

My mom also gave me some fiber. a few ounces of Targhee roving and a handpainted silk cap. Its lovely but I don't know how to spin silk. Time to learn something new.

Last post of 2008

This is going to be a quick post with no exciting links or pics. Yesterday we returned from our trip to visit family for Christmas. I got to see my beautiful niece, I ran into a cousin I hadn't seen fro 5 years, and my kids got to play in the snow. It was magical experience for them. Actually the 18yo was plenty tired of the white stuff after he spent the good part of the day shoveling driveways abd walks for my parents and then some neighbors.

As the year winds up and I look at what things we have done as a family and me personally.

I hope that friends (cyber and IRL) and family have a happy healthy new year.

Final Knit Christmas Presents

Being the lazy sort. I copied my post from the Holiday KAL/CAL and posted it here too. Okay maybe i'm not lazy, maybe I am using my time wisely....


My latest gifts.....

The Caroline Bag a Christmas present for my mother. She likes pockets so I lined the bag and added a bunch of pockets to the inside.

The Felted Clogs Are for my mother-in-law. I took this picture before I sewed the suede bottoms on. After I sewed them on I wrapped them up and forgot to take a picture of the finished project.

Having "sew" much fun

Sunday evening I pulled out the sewing machine to work on a a project for the swim team. The team captains wanted the coaches names embroidered on some deck chairs, for a coaches gift. I do my machine embroidery free hand and the results are not always polished perfect,, but after taking off the cover and practicing a bit I think the chairs turned out well. They are now with the team captains ready for their presentation tonight at the awards banquet. I will try and take a picture tonight.

Between loads of laundry yesterday I was able to fit in a baby quilt. It is actually more crib size. I fell in love with the fabric when I saw it put together at my local quilt shop. After the top was put together a couple of months ago I wasn't as in love with it as I wanted to be.
My dh informed me last week that his office was going to have a baby shower for one of his co-workers. I pulled out the top dug through the stash for batting and a back. " ta-daa" a very cheery, sunny, bright baby quilt.


I most excited because I didn't have to make any trips to the store to finish it. thank heavens for the fabric stash.

Is selfless knitting selfish?

Yeah its December....am I ready for the Holidays? Not quite. NEver have been cokpletely ready. As Chirstmas draws closer, iusually throw my hands up in the air and say to everyone around me, "What doesn't get done, doesn't get done and its okay."
It didn't make it to the Charity Knit Night at TempeYarn and Fiber like I wanted to. I did take in a bunch of hats for the donation box.

My contributions:


And,


My new favorite hat pattern is the Boy Hat. I'm not the fastest knitter so this is good for me.
Not pictured were two crocheted preemie hats. This charity knitting is in part due to the Year-Long Gift-A-long group on Ravelry. The Quarterly Challenge was to pick a Charity and knit for it. I chose a local chapter of Project Linus, and wanted to focus on items for preemies. There was a need for bigger items as well. I find the charity knitting to lift my spirits when I am down, and resolve to always have something on the needles for a charity.