I'm Baaaaaack

So the end of 2010 was a little hectic.  As you might see from the header pic, we were living in the camper until the beginning of December.  I finally was able to get DH to let us stay in a hotel for a few days and once that happened we never did go back into the camper.  Thank goodness!  I don't know if you have heard but men with Finnish bloodlines can be a bit stubborn.  I can say this since we are both Finn although it goes way back to great grandparents for the both of us.  I like to lurk around the Finns on Ravelry sometimes just to see if we have similar tastes:)  I think we often do. 


We have now gone from this...

To this! Yes actual progress on the house as in there is one.  Yay! 

Actually this might even be an older picture since I see we don't have a front door in that picture and we definately have one now.

I am in the paint color, tile, carpet picking stage and it is tough to decide on such permanent things.  If I was the only one with an opinion I think it might be easier too but DH likes to have a say in colors so...  Enough said. 

To take the edge off, I knitted up some mousies to go into our house in hopes any real mice would not want to join them. 




This is Miss M's mouse, I don't think she has named her. 

Pattern: Marisol the Knitted Mouse
Ravelry link here

This is Noley's mouse he dubbed Squeeky. 

Ravlery link here
There's more knitting where that came from and hopefully I will now get back on the band wagon and blog more.  Hope you are all enjoying the new year.  Happy Knitting!

Exploring

 Mother's day 2010
We went out to the breakwater in Two Harbors, MN for a little fishing.  We didn't catch any but it was a fun outing to explore the big lake (Lake Superior). 

 I found some inspiration there too.  Took this picture to save in my mind the color combination for a yarn colorway someday.

 Of course when you go to the lake you have to throw stones in.

 I was really a fun day and my kiddos are getting so big.  It is such a bittersweet feeling watching them grow and change.  I am so happy they are healthy and smart and inquisitive and... well you get the picture. 

 I have done some knitting too.  The Lacy Baktus was just the thing for this yarn I have been hanging on to for a few years.  It is a cashmere, silk and wool blend in a color I don't usually choose for myself. It's called Spun by Artio which is not cataloged on Ravelry and I won it in a blog contest.   But I had made up my mind to use it for me and the baktus seemed like a perfect project for such a soft yarn.  You have to knit something to go next to your skin with that kind of fiber blend.  It would be wrong not to:)

I think it turned out all right and I have 2.5 skeins left to make a hat for the winter.  Hmmmm off to Ravelry to find a pattern!

Avoidence is the only way to go

Yes I am avoiding housework to blog. Who doesn't do that right? Thank you for enabling me bloggy friends:)

Halloween came and went without a hitch although I was sure the only picture I was going to get of my kiddos would look like this.Luckily I caught them at one stop and they all stood still for a picture. I present a witch, a WWI Flying Ace and Batman.They had a great time and the candy isn't all gone yet so I can't ask for much more.

I had a small photo shoot today with my newest finished project, I present the Double Duty Cowl.


Double duty because this is the right side.
This is the "wrong" side.
The thing is Freaking reversible! I love how this turned out and it is made with my Knit Me Now Chunky yarn. Unfortunately I don't have any of this out there right now. I love the color, the size, the buttons. Yeah I love it all. Thanks for stopping by, hugs.

Progress, of a sort.

It's time to out myself as a chronic project starter. I am going to list the things that I am currently carrying around in my knitting bag. Even carrying back and forth to and from work!
Below is the start of the Side Slip Cloche. I now have to join this and pick up around the top to form the hat. I was all fired up about this project and now it hasn't been touched for a month I'm sure.
Nolan's sweater, finally picked back up and sleeves started. Still not very far on those:(


Socks that were to be for KD now for Noley. Too small for KD unless I decide to rip them out and restart. Not decided on that yet.


Sweater for Miss M, just need to start sleeves and begin the raglan decreases.
These are not all the projects I have started and are hiding in my house either, just the ones I am hauling around with me. It's a sickness I know.

I decided all this confessing means you all should confess too! So in order for good participation a contest is in order.

Here's the contest for you all. How many projects do you have started and in progress right now? Including those tucked away somewhere in your house that you mean to pick up again. What is the easiest thing for you to knit and the hardest? The person who has the best answer as decided by my DH will get this lovely project bag, made by me. If a skein of yarn or some other goody happens to fall into the bag don't be surprised! Batman is running loose in my house and he might find something for me to pass along to the lucky winner.

Good Luck!
Contest will end Tuesday October 20th.

Fall Projects

Fall has hit hard here in Northern Minnesota, the leaves are changing the frost came and my tomatoes did not get red. I had to pick them all after a freeze the other night killed off the plants and was searching around the Internet for something to do with this many green tomatoes.
I found this recipe for green tomato pickles and thought I should try it.
Here is the mixed veggies before canning.

The finished product, since I have not tried them I can't tell you if they are good. I'm not likely to either for a bit because I need to get the vinegar smell out of my nose first.
I have been knitting too, this is a cowl I started with a stitch pattern from one of my books. I wish the color of the yarn showed up better in this picture, it is more black with just hints of green in it. I dyed it myself but it does not have a name. The cowl looks like it will be reversible.
I may decide to post a pattern if you all would like. Maybe once its done and has a proper photo shoot. I have other things to show you but blogger is not letting me upload anymore pictures today. I'll have to save them for another day. What are you working on?

Summer

Last weekend found us driving to northern Wisconsin towards Bayfield. We went to Blue Vista Farm which if you are in the area is definitely worth a visit. They have a beautiful view from their barn which my pictures just couldn't do justice to.






We picked blueberries as big as grapes. They have organic berries also.





They have raspberries there too. We like to do the pick your own with the kids, they enjoy picking and eating their share of the berries.



The kids ran through the garden, isn't it beautiful?




I just had to have a picture of this flower, hollyhocks such deep color.




We stopped in Bayfield at a park by the harbor and Noley played on his alligator or piranha depending on which boy you asked:)



The big kids played Tarzan while swinging on a great line there. (I kind of want one for our house)





On the way home we stopped at a beach on Lake Superior, the kids took advantage of this and got wet and sandy.







I think my fingerless mitts fit right into this trip. The purple is very blueberry like, they are almost done now and I hope to finish them today. Hope your summer is going great! Ravelry link here.




Happy fun family summer times to you all!

Seamless Sweater

This sweater was the most fun knit I have done in a while. The seamless knitting, seed stitch edging and the color work was so much fun, I see another one of these in my future.



Pattern:

Vormorgun Létt-Lopavesti (Ravelry link)

Yarn: Bartlett yarns Fisherman 2 ply mostly heather Jade color

Needle: US 5 and 7 Denise Needles

I will love to wear this in the colder weather!

As you can see Miss M is feeling much better thanks to all for your thoughts while she was sick and your well wishes. She is back to my cuddley M.

He was not sick a minute and was making dirt angles tonight in the driveway.


As always I am grateful for my happy family. Happy happy summer.

Mittens in June?

So I know it is the middle of summer and about 80 degrees and humid lately but I have been knitting mittens for KD. I got a big stash of Cascade 220 when a local shop went out of business recently and these colors just spoke to KD.
I apologize for the bad picture I took it with the phone because the hubby is out of town again. With the camera.
I am not a lover of mitten knitting but I think I found the cure, 2 color knitting! These Matrix Mitts fly off the needles. I love following the pattern and watching it come to life. Weird I know. The best part is I think I can get a couple pair of mitts and a hat out of all that yarn, love it!

We had a rough week last week with Miss M getting Lyme's after our camping trip and ending up in the hospital for a couple of nights. No worries she is back to her usual self already and should be just fine. Not the greatest start to our summer but we'll manage.

I am hankering to bake bread this weekend and cook some of the veggies from my CSA. Bok-Choy and Napa Cabbage are over taking my fridge! Seriously anyone have a good recipe for both or even just one? Maybe I'll try hit up the local farmers markets this weekend, the kids would like that. Hope all is well you all, take care!

A Lump of Coal

I made this bag from the Interweave Knits mag. It's the Dumpling Bag by Sharon Dreyfuss. This is a great quick knit for a gift. I used Lamb's Pride Burly Spun in Charcoal.

I found some shell rings at a local crafts store. I think they look pretty good.

I have made these mittens from Elizabeth Zimmerman's book, Knitting Around. They are the Mitered Mittens. I used a garter stitch bottom edge instead of the i-cord edging. The only problem is one has no blue in it at all so it is a little boring. I have enough Noro Kueryon left over to make another mitten so I think I will . I'll have a 3 mitten set in case one gets lost. Then the only thing left is the thumbs. The pattern calls for an after thought thumb so I need to get up the nerve to cut into these to make that.
On the home front, we are planning to go to Florida soon to visit Walt Disney World. The kids are really excited of course, I am going to be excited once I get on the plane:) I have a bazillion things to plan and pack for that so I better get going.

Noley says, "Cheese!"