I'm Alive!

Really I am I just stopped blogging for a bit there. Once in a while it all gets to be too much to keep up with and I take a break. The blog is the first to go. But there has been lots of things happening here. First off, we are moving!
About 2 months ago we heard the neighbors were moving. Since they are the only neighbors we have left that we like OK and we have talked about moving for quite a while now it was just the push we needed to get our house on the market. Lo and behold the house sold in less than 2 weeks! Yikes. Now BDiddy and I have no permanent plans yet beyond we are moving to the next town over to be living the the school district we have our kids in and slightly closer to our work. I will update you all when we have something to tell until then we are packing and planning for a summer full of transitions.Knitting wise I made a hat for my cousins baby, finished a shawl and am now working on a sweater for me.
Here are some pictures:This 3rd picture is the most accurate for color, I used my own Knit Me Now Sport-a-licious in Apple Tree and finished with Knit Picks Gloss sock in Cocoa since I ran out of my yarn at the end:( I like how it looks though with the brown solid on the edge it kind of grounds it for me. The pattern is Verdaia (Ravelry link) which was the first shawl pattern I saw and almost immediately cast on. I love it but I think next time I will use a solid or semi-solid because I seem to want a shawl in a solid more. Pretty easy pattern and well written. Good beginner pattern if you ask me.This is the baby hat I made for my cousin's baby. Another pattern I saw and cast on for right away. The pattern is Ella Rose's Pixie Bonnet you can find it here. The yarn is Araucania Atcama in a blue/ purple color. Very soft and I see it is discontinued now, too bad. It was pretty nice to knit with. I love the little button I found for this bonnet a little pink gem. Hope all of you are knitting away and looking forward to spring!

Araucania Atacama

Spring has(Finally) Sprung

This little knit is for a baby of a coworker. Spring is definitely the time for new babies! We have bee fairly bursting with mom's and new babes at work. I had to nicely tell some mom's to clear out of their rooms as soon as possible the other day because we were out of labor rooms! I think the hat probably has too much pink for a boy hat though, that was the original intention. Oh well! I'll gift it to one of the other girls expecting at work and find some other yarn for the boy.

The family went for a hike in the local state park last Saturday while I was at work. It looks like fun and finally no snow!!

My living room looks like this right now, I have been sewing drapes for the basement and breakfast nook but it is turning into a bigger job than I bargained for. Hopefully I can get it done this weekend.

Of course I had to throw in a picture of the kids with the eggs they dyed. KD didn't want to be in this pic but Noley and Miss M were more than happy to oblige me.



I'll leave you with the kiddo's notes for E.B.

Enjoy!

Birthday Boy

These flowers are so pretty sitting on my window sill. They were a present for mother's day from Miss M and they love it in the sunny breakfast nook at my house. They are as pretty as she is.

Here is a picture of my birthday boy (KD) with his loot. Yes that is a skateboard you see. Note the helmet, knee,elbow and wrist pads. He really, really wanted a skateboard (it was that or a gameboy) and since skateboarding requires you to GO OUTSIDE, I was more inclined to give him the semi-dangerous gift rather than the zombie inducing game toy.

If you look close you can see he's missing a front tooth, kind of makes him look tough:) Here's an action shot.

This is a pic of the Pixie hat. I didn't have any little babies lying around as mine is too big, so Miss M's puppy had to stand in. Now she thinks puppy needs a hat too. We'll see about that.The flowers are too pretty to not post twice!

Rummage Around

I know it's been a while since I posted something. We've been busy around here with swimming lessons for the older two kids and Hubby went camping and fishing this last weekend. He took the camera so I couldn't take pictures for the blog. I went out to garage sales this weekend with the kids since it was the local community sales. Here is an awesome dresser/buffet thingy I got for $8. I love this! and Brent said he would refinish it for me since it looks like it may be maple underneath the paint. I kind of like it like this too. Sort of shabby chic right? This ottoman was calling my name too. I thought I might recover it but the current fabric is growing on me. Pretty huh?
I also found a futon for $15! We had been just saying maybe we should get one for our upstairs den area. It isn't super fancy but what do you expect for $15?
The Robin Hood Jacket is finally growing, here's my progress. I think I doubled the size last night while knitting with Jess.
I am working on this hat for a girl at work who is due soon. I got the pattern from Crystal Palace yarns free pattern site, you can see the pattern here.

The version I have of this pattern calls for fingering weight yarn but, I'm using Lilly Elite Cotton in worsted weight. I see they have updated the pattern for worsted weight now. I think the color is called fern but the label only gives a color number 05235. It reminds me of Oscar the Grouch :)

I am gearing up for the big Memorial Day weekend, trying to clean house and get my ducks in a row. Any of my family staying over?? Hope you all have a great week!

Big Plans

Added: May 16th The yarn used for this hat was Rowan, Soft Baby.

I have been pretty busy lately. Worked nights all weekend so when it was slow I worked on this cute Kitty hat for one of the girls I work with who is expecting. Nolan posed with it on for me isn't he a cutie pie even with a girly hat on?

This is the back of the hat you can see I had trouble with the ears coming out right, one is bigger than the other. Oh well I'm giving it away and she won't care right? Next time I knit this pattern I will know better. I should have placed a stitch marker so I knew when to increase.

I have found some good deals on yarn lately. This is Cherry Tree Hill, DK 50% silk-50% wool in Rose Garden and Green Mountian Madness. Half off I couldn't resist. One of these, I think is telling me it wants to be Clapotis from Knitty.

I couldn't resisit this skein of Noro for a hat for Hubby. He really needs a knitted hat for winter.

I got a great deal on Cascade 220 from Webs, but I didn't like the color once I got it here. It was way greener than the online pic. Learned my lesson there. This is called Lake Chelen, pretty but not what I wanted.

The wonderful ladies at Sister's Scrapbooking and Crafts in town let me exchange my yarn for this one. This is called Midnight Heather. It is for the secret project. I think this picture still makes it look lighter than it really is, it's almost a navy. I am excited to start these new projects, but I have Kyle's sweater to finish and baby hats to make for people at work. 2 more hats to make.