Books of Note

I know this is not really knitting related but I have just read the most well written, nonfiction book!

Rachel Sontag has just written a memoir House Rules.  This moving and incredibly disturbing book is impossible to put down!  In her powerful story she details her childhood living with an emotionally abusing and controlling father.  He never hits them, but the control he exerts over her entire family is amazing.  I tore through this book unable to put it down, and though the topic and anecdotes, were at times deeply disturbing, Rachel's ability to tell a story and capture your interest as well as the underlying feelings surrounding each incident are remarkable.  The memoir is beautifully written though the topic is gut wrenching, her sense of humor about the incidents is amusing and thought provoking.  I highly recommend it!

Late 1800's Baptism Gown

Over the weekend I went to my nephew William's Baptism.  He was too cute for words...See for yourself.

We had a  great time. My daughter Katie is upset because we had to come home and leave everyone back in PA.  I managed to get some cute photos in of the kids and William. I even took along my knitting.  I am making the "paper bag hat" from Itty Bitty Knits, however, it was so bust that my knitting stayed in the bag the entire time.  On the plus side, I came home with 3 skeins of yarn to make socks for my Mom.  They are a nice natural tweed color and are from the sweater my Mom was knitting for my Dad when he suddenly died.  She has finally been able to frog the yarn  and made some teddy bears for William and my Kennedy this Easter and I am going to make her some socks:)

Additionally, I also brought back Kennedy's Baptism dress. She will be wearing it in early June for her very own Baptism.  This is the same dress my older daughter Katie wore as well as her great-grandmother.  The gown was made by my great grandmother around 1894 for her own children. My Great Grandmother was a seamstress and this is all done by hand!  Isn't it magnificent!!! The fabric has a slight bit of coloring at the top from age, so my Mom is getting it framed in acid free materials as soon as Kennedy's Baptism is finished. We are afraid if it is not displayed  like this it will soon get beyond repair.  Plus this will allow it to be enjoyed for future generations.  I would also like to add this was my idea:)

Hello Again!

Well April has been crazy! So I have not had much time to post. Part of the problem is this

Yep, that is her in all her Mobile cruising around the house 8 month glory! She is fast!!!

However, I have finished a few things since my last post. I made Kennedy the cutest pair of socks! My Mom sent me yarn for the pattern Lion Brand elephant socks! They are SOOO cute. I love them.

I have also made a new hat for Kennedy from the Itty Bitty Knits book . This is a fabulous book. Beautifully done and great patterns. A must for any knitter who knits fro babies and toddlers. The hats are TOO CUTE.

I made Kennedy the Upside-Down Daisy hat.
I used the purple yarn that was left over from the elephant socks and some green and white from my yarn stash. Kennedy seems to like the hat and I could not be happy with how the lion brand wool-ease knits up and looks in the hat version!

The other part of my time goes to this little person.
It is lacrosse season again and with that homework and family I have had NO time. I did manage to finish another pair of socks for me!

And I restarted Kennedy's Blossom dress:

So I promise to have more regular posts...I hope!

Knitting two socks at once on circulars or how to really make yourself crazy!

I got this great and beautiful knitting book, Knitting circles around socks and I love it. So, I started trying to teach myself the technique. The directions are clear, the photo diagrams above average, so I decided the Hell with it lets try it.  Let me say, that it probably takes getting used to, as does any technique, so I was a little awkward at it.  Finally, I go all my stitches on arranged and the loops closed, I even knitted another round, YEAH! Then tragedy struck, the baby woke up screaming, (she does this to let me know she is in charge:) and I rushed to put the knitting down and get up when I pulled on the stitches and ripped them right off the needle! Yes, I know I should have out point protectors on first, UGH! F&*King S*&T was what came out of my mouth.  (For everyone wondering what I am exposing my baby too, she was in her crib upstairs, but her monitor was right next to my ear).

So now I am taking a break from it I was so pissed at myself!  It took me a while to get it, read and process it and then CO so it was pretty devastating even though it was only 2 rows.  

Now I am back to knitting the formerly hibernating Blossom dress for Kennedy in Bamboo.  I love the yarn and decided that it will be a closer weight if I knit it with 2 strands at a time, plus it will go a lot faster and since this is a stockinette pattern that can get boring to this non- mediatative knitter I need to see progress.  

For now I am back to having the sock book mock me from my coffee table.....

Dogs on Thursday oops Friday!

I have two great...well needy dogs, Magnus and Blue.  Blue is very needy and I spend most nights kicking her off my bed only to roll over and have her laying on me again!  Now I am not mean I just end up sharing my bed with many people and dogs on most nights!  Blue, on and off all night, Ken, it is his bed too.  My 5 year old will often sneak in if she wakes up and then the baby when she will not settle down all end up in my bed, and more often than not most of them on ME! 4  It would not be so bad if I was not forced to sleep in odd positions due to the dog and child; often waking with a cricked neck!  Anyway, here are some pics of the offending parties:)!

Beer anyone...

I could not help myself when I saw this on Cass' blog.  It was adorable.  I plan on making a couple for some friends who share my appreciation of beer.  The pattern is easy to find on ravelry: as a free download-The beer Sweater.

Hello? Anyone Still there?

Well, it has been a busy couple of weeks, with Easter, guests and everyone home for spring break!  Plus, my husband put me to work painting our house while he was home and I had to look busy other times so it left little me time.  I hardly had time to knit either! UGH!

But now I am back to normal, well as normal as I get and I have managed to finish two things.

I got the itty bitty hats book for my birthday.  The hats are adorable and so I just ahd to make a quick bunny hat for Kenendy for Easter.  I would like to make it again using better yarn but I had little options with such a short time frame. 

Do you know where your Peeps are?

So this is what they do for fun in the off season......

Happy Birthday!!!!

Happy Birthday to me. Happy Birthday to me!!! Happy birthday to me! So now, I am going to go spend my day the best way: No work, lots of Wine, knitting, taking a bath, playing on ravelry, and  shopping. Oh and I am not cooking so dinner, so I am not sure what my family is gone to eat.  Oh well it is MY DAY!

In fact look at what I already got from my mom:

and this

Now to purchase some yarn.  Ohh I am tingling!!!!

Oh and I haven't  forgotten, Later I will be posting the winners of the Miss Muskrat and the Little Miss Muskrat World Contest!  I am not kidding!

Socks What Socks?

So, as anyone who is the parent of two kids knows, when you make something for one you have to make something for the other.  In this case, I had made Kate a pair of blue socks, then I made her 7 month old sister a pair of socks.  Well, to Katie that was not fair, she felt she deserved a new pair.  Usually, I do not give in to the whining plus I wanted to finish my socks.  I mean since I learned how to make socks, I still have not been able to finish my pair due the children wants!  Fortunately, in this case, Ken hates anything knitted ( I know he does not know what he is missing but I am not telling him more for ME ME ME ME ME! )  

Then,lucky for Katie, I got let into  Sock on the Month 5 and needed a new project for March and as I could not use either of the socks I had started for me my daughter ended up with Katie's Spring Socks!  Here they are--------

I used Plymouth encore baby weight in a VERY light pastel pink and a spring green. I really like the yarns for kids socks. They are inexpensive and wear well. Plus, I am not spending my hard earned$$$ on my kids no matter how cute! I know understand the sock addiction and I have it BAD!