Enjoying my children

The other night found us cuddled up on the couch watching a play put on by our 3 munchkins.

The general chaos of the show was a lot of fun to watch.
This was my favorite part of the show, Miss M and KD doing a news cast. Sooooo Funny and Cute!
Some socks I was making for Dad that are now going to be mine. My dad is getting mittens instead.

Wow how did the time get away from me? Lots of cooking and baking going on here lately. Next posting will talk about my new dinner plans:)

Enjoying Summer

We took a bike ride to the park the other day.



The kids enjoyed running the bases.

Playing on the slide.




Spinning on this.

We are heading home here, you can see how far we went. At the end of the road in this picture is our road to turn onto. The kids did great!

This is my latest project likely to become some socks I set aside half done. I have not gotten many pairs done for a while.

I have done some dyeing recently and now am feeling the mojo again. Hope to get some updates in the shop soon.

Until next time.

Crafty Time of Year

This time of year is tough for me, the long days of cold weather and darkness start to wear away at my psyche. I got the urge to have a warm blanket for sitting on the couch knitting and watching TV under. This is my first attempt at a quilt since Miss M was a baby about 6 years ago. I think it turned out OK. I have been enjoying it in my cold basement already for a week. I used a soft green fabric for the back, I forgot what kind of fabric it would be called. I would describe it as a corduroy without the lines in it.

I also made these socks for Noley. I used stash yarn for this project and hope to make another pair for KD. He asked for some too. Noley likes these and even wore them once already!

Pattern: Basic socks from Knitter Book of Handy Patterns

Yarn: Smart got on clearance years ago

Needles: US2 &3 DPN

Lately Noley has been saying this phrase a lot, " You don't do that forever, ever, now!" He is getting very independent. I feel bad for him today, he is throwing up, hopefully it will be a one day thing, I have plans for tomorrow.

Bright and Cheery Socks

My new WIP makes me smile even on the greyest December day.

My knitting bag matches them too.

These are Jaywalkers in Knit Me Now yarn, Sock Love. Color is Fire and Ice, I love that they are striping the way I had hoped!

Oh and the last post had a picture of my son's bag he was taking to Grandpa and Grandma's. I forgot to mention in case you couldn't see that he packed his knitting and half way there asked me if he could knit:)

I love that!

It's All About The Blues

I made this hat for my sister by her request. It is the Snowboarder Hat that Rocks you can find the pattern here. I do love free patterns and since this is made with bulky yarn it was fast! Sis bought the yarn which was super soft and squishy. Plymouth Yarn, Baby Alpaca Grande Hand Dye, used 1.25 skeins in the Turquoise color. I am also working on these socks. The Waving Lace Socks from Interweave Press Favorite Socks. A close up of the lace detail. I like socks with a pattern they go faster for me I think than plain knit ones.

The big Thanksgiving holiday is coming up soon and I have to finish the sweater for my dad. I'm off to get working on that. Keep on knitting!

Last Summer Fling (spoiler alert Woolgirl sock club at the bottom)

Our last hurrah and we just got back. B had some work to do in Brainerd, MN so we packed up the kids and went to the water park at the hotel there. If you want a fun place to stay try The Lodge. Woodsy themed hotel a little hokey but has a fun water park. The kids loved it.

Miss M would not let me take her picture, KD had a blast there and went down the tube slide many times all by himself. He was wearing a life jacket but he was still super proud.

I am feeling guilty that there is little knitting content to show here, but I do have yarn. My Woolgirl sock club package came this week and this is by far my favorite of the installments. Great package and good color, plus 2 patterns for socks! I can chose my favorite, awesome. Here's a picture.

I am plugging along on my dad's sweater and it is finally getting somewhere but I have hit a snag. There is a mistake in the pattern and I should just rip back but I have tried to knit back a couple times.

It. Is. Not. Working.

I will get up the nerve to just rip it back soon but I can't face it. I will probably start another pair of socks first. Gotta take the edge off you know?

Later Dudes.

PS. Go to Fibreholic for a fun blog contest.

Boundary Waters Bliss

In case you think I have given up knitting all together, here is a picture of my latest project. I am using the Yarn Harlot's sock recipe from one of her books. Webs was having a sale one a grab bag of Regia sock yarns, so Saunaknitter (Ravelry link) and I split the bag of 10. This is one of the colors I got.

This was the project I brought into the woods with me for last weekend's camping trip.


We go on this trip every year my girlfriends and I, it ranges from 2- 7 people each year but the core group has always stayed the same. I think this was the 8th year we have been doing this but I'm not sure. The first night there we were greeted by 2 deer, one was a buck with the velvet still on his antlers.

We enjoyed the best meal we can make in the BWCAW of steaks and mashed potatoes. Then went to bed late due to a malfunctioning bear rope, *#!&%*.The next day we were going to move camp but decided on a day trip to the back bay area nearby. Good thing we didn't move since at the end of the 2nd portage there was this.
A huge swamp of carpet-like floating grass and weeds interspersed with muck up to your thighs. We turned around and went back the way we came. We stopped at a sand beach for a little swimming instead.
It was heavenly. So was the sunset that night.
The hot bev's are always good too, I had to have a shot of ours waiting to be mixed up. Hot cocoa and tea were the most popular request.
Of course there were things to do like dishes and firewood getting, but it is all spread out through the days so it doesn't feel like you work all the time.
Every night we had a swim by of a beaver who's lodge was across the way from us. It was fun to watch them build their lodge and hear them "talk" to each other.
Our way out was easy going but a bit hot. The lake was like glass. It makes it hard to come home when it is like this.

Only one night of a quick rain and sunny warm days that weren't too hot. Good times were had by all.

Spring Socks

Just in the nick of time, my plain stockinette stitch socks are done.

Yarn was Imagine Knit Sock Yarn in "Longing for Spring"

100% Superwash Merino Wool

Fingering weight

Needles Knit Picks nickle plated sock needles

Size 2 and 1

Pattern was from The Knitters Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd.

A slipped stitched heel flap is very pretty in this I think.

They're not blocked but they are done. Whew! I love how these turned out and they are super comfy, soft and hug my feet. On to something new!

Spring is Coming (I Think)

We have finally gotten a few warm days here in Northern Minnesota, just in time for this sock I am working on.
My March sock for A Year in Socks. I dyed this skein specifically for the KAL, the assignment was to knit with some bright colors. This is called "Longing for Spring". The pattern is a simple stockinette stitch, I'm making it up a bit as I go.

Today is about 34 degrees F and the kids went out to enjoy the weather. KD thought sliding was really fun.
Noley wanted to slide all by himself.
They all worked on a fort.
KD got too warm in his jacket.


It was fun to watch them out there in the snow, Noley kept throwing snowballs and saying, "Oops! Sorry!"

My February sock reveal finally.

This is the Azure sock from Knitty Winter 2007. I liked this pattern alright but the heel was a bugger and I am still turning the heel on the second sock.

This is sock number 2 I hope to finish it this weekend.
On the Etsy shop news, I have put in an order with the manufacturer for the sock yarn base I have been using. More skeins are on their way and I hope to update the shop soon. I have been slowly getting sold out on sock yarn which is very nice for me. Thank you to all who have bought yarn or looked into the shop.

I have been tagged with a fun little task here from Rani.

Rules are:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

My weird facts:

1. My favorite color is eggplant purple, I like it so much that I have to tell myself to look at other color clothing or everything I wear would be that color.

2. I have never liked onions, I can eat something with a little onion in it but too much makes me feel sick.

3. I want to see the Eiffel Tower before I die.

4. The farthest I have traveled is to California, I have never been to the East coast.

5. I love to play Canasta and Blokus, you should try them!

6. I have a notoriously dirty mind, just ask my friends and family.

7. My ancestors are Finnish, all of them.

I tag

A Few Things to Say

Yarnhog

Too Much Yarn

Life With...

If you don't want to play I won't be offended if you want to play consider yourself tagged!