Teddy Bear Picnic

Hello Knitters,

I'd like to introduce you all to Sprinkles the Bear.  She is made from my kit sent to me by the lovely Leanne for the Itty Bitty Teddy Bear Picnic Swap.  I finally finished her today, with a little help from my Mom (she did the adorable face!).  In the above picture, she is having a tea party with the bunny that Britbrit sent me in the Itty Bitty Easter Swap.  Now that I have Sprinkles finished, I am completely done the whole swap!! 

Now that this is wrapped up, I think I'm going to move onto some Christmas knitting/crocheting.  Tomorrow my plan is to revise and finish my Christmas gift list, then take stock of my stash and see what other supplies I need to purchase.  November will be here on Monday and I think it high time I get working on Christmas projects! 

On another note, I'd really appreciate it if you will all pray for my sister and new brother-in-law.  They are on their honeymoon in St. Lucia, and we just found out that the island was hit by hurricane Thomas and there has been significant damage done.  We did have an email from them this early afternoon saying they were ok, but that the hurricane hadn't hit yet, however, they thought they should be fine although maybe not be able to fly out tomorrow as planned to come home due to some damage at the airport.  We're now awaiting word from them and praying they are safe.  Thank you all so much!!

Take care, and have a great evening everyone!!

Happy Knitting!!

Happily Ever After Mitts

 Hello Knitters,

A few days ago I finished these adorable fingerless mitts.  As soon as I seen the free pattern on Spud Says! I knew I had to make them.  I didn't have any Spud and Chloe Fine on hand, so I used Knit Picks Palette in very similar colours.  They were so quick and fun to make and I would totally do them again in a heart beat!  I think knitting them in various colour combinations would be really fun. 

 I got my Mom to take some photos while I posed with my morning coffee :-) 

For some reason I find that the new photo uploader in blogger makes my pictures look squished.  They don't look quite like the original pictures once they load :-(

Now that I'm finished the mitts, I'm currently working on a crochet scarf for my Mom.  She picked out this colour of Bernat Mosaic yarn the other day so I thought I'd get right to work on it for her to wear now that it's getting colder.  At the moment, it's coming along quickly.  I hope to have to done by the end of the weekend if all goes as planned.

Another thing that is a current WIP is a crochet baby blanket for a friend who is due early next year.  She found out she's having a boy so I thought I'd do a cute boy-themed set.  I think I'm going to include the Bitty Cabled Cardigan I made, as well as knit up the matching hat.  This yarn has a pretty tan colour in it that is very similar to the off-white colour of the Knit Picks Comfy I used for the cardigan.  The yarn for this is Bernat Worsted in the Wedgewood colourway.  I've always been intrigued with Wedgewood china, so I've been wanting to find a way to use this yarn for quite some time.  Since she's not due for a while, I'm just slowly working on this.  I would like to have it completed soon though since Christmas knitting needs to be started soon! 

Anyways, I'm in the process of baking bread so I should go and check if it's ready to punch down and shape into loaves.  I hope that you are all having a wonderful Friday!

Happy Knitting!!

Teddy Bear Picnic Swap Package #3

Hello Knitters,

I've finally got pictures of my final swap package from my fantastic swap partner Leanne (Lunatic84 on Ravelry)!  She sent me an amazing package to wrap everything up.  She included: some yummy homemade chocolates that never made it into the pictures!  lol a bouquet of flower-shaped suckers, a container of mints, a Nerds lip balm (which is so cool because I used to buy Nerds for a snack after swimming lessons every week when I was a kid!), as well as a tape measure, some super cute sticky notes and sticky tabs, a Yorkie notepad (I've already used this quite a few times!), two beautiful sets of handmade stitch markers, a very soft and warm blanket, and then for the yarn there is a skein of Knit Picks Shimmer Lace in the colourway called Stained Glass, a skein of Earth Collection Ranch 100% Alpaca in a white/grey twist and a skein of On Your Toes sock yarn that was custom handdyed just for me in a gorgeous colour called Aurora! 

 

 

Here's a close-up of the stitch markers.  They are so gorgeous!!  I think she made them herself :-)  I'm  really starting to get into collecting them, they've become one of my favourite knitting accessories!

 

 

The colour of the Shimmer is more purple and vivid than is showing up in the pictures, and it's so shiny due to the silk in the yarn.  The Ranch yarn is extremely soft!!  I'm excited to find patterns to make with these two!

 

Now this is the custom dyed, soft as butter On Your Toes sock yarn!  I'm not sure, but I think Leanne dyed it herself, she's so talented!!  The colours are very pretty!!  The picture just doesn't do it justice.  It's going to be such a treat to knit with this and to wear the socks when they're done!!  I've heard lots about the brand, but have never even seen it in person, so I'm very excited to try it out!!

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you Leanne!!  You've been such a wonderful swap partner!!  I feel so incredibly spoiled and blessed!!  I'm not quite finished knitting the Baby Bear to go with the whole set, but I will get cracking so she'll be all ready for tea party pictures soon :-) 

 

Happy Knitting!!

Ten on Tuesdays

Hello Knitters,

Today's Ten on Tuesdays theme is "Things I learned from the wedding." 

1. The day goes by really fast, so make sure you take the time to slow down and ENJOY it!
2. You'll see, be hugged, and kissed by a lot of people.
3. You also will forget those people's names - and likely at the most inopportune times.
4. Unexpected things will happen - for example: you may forget your purse in the shopping cart at the grocery store an hour away, then end up having car trouble on your drive home and have to flag down someone because you now realize your purse is missing and your cell just happens to be in it. However, the good news is that there are still good people out there in the world who will stop to help you out.  - Just ask my Mom, she knows all about this :-)
5. Take lots of pictures, it's the only way you'll be able to remember it all.
6. Make sure to pack snacks.  After the ceremony is over and your nerves have calmed down, you tend to become excessively hungry.
7. Have some flip flops or comfy shoes with you because your feet will get sore and need a break once in a while - or you may have to climb a mountain, and they really do come in handy then!!
8. If you focus on the bride and groom and not on the audience, then it makes it less nerve-racking during the ceremony.
9. It's very good to have one or more super-organized people helping out on the day of to make sure everything runs smoothly.
10. It really is worth all the sweat, tears, disagreements, stress, late nights, and early mornings.  There's nothing better than seeing my sister so happy she glows!!

Happy Knitting!!

Miniature Monday

Hello Knitters,

Today's miniature is a tiny ring pillow! 

I'm so sorry that I didn't keep up with wedding week, but the wedding stuff completely took over and I ran out of time at night to do any blogging.  I had a lot of 1:30, 2:30 and 3:00 am bedtimes and I think that if I tried to blog at those times of night it wouldn't have been worth posting anyways!  The wedding went fantastically thanks to a lot of prayer and hard work, and I will hopefully have wedding pictures sometime soon to share.  I never did get a chance to take any with my camera but some of the bridesmaids did.  I'll blog about it more in detail in a couple of days when things get back to normal :-)  Yesterday we had my Uncle's 70th birthday party since all the family was up due to the wedding, then today consisted of going into the city to return things such as Dad's tux then having a visit from some family this evening.  Needless to say, I'm tuckered right out and could use a good nap!!  I think it might take a week just to get back to feeling normal again :-)  However, it was all worth it!!

Also, I just want to mention that amidst all the stuff last week, I received my final swap package from my amazing swap partner Leanne (Lunatic84 on Ravelry) and I will post pictures soon!!  It was so great!!

Well, I'm off to get ready for bed, have a lovely night everyone!!

Happy Knitting!!

Wedding Week: Ten on Tuesdays

Hello Knitters,

Today's Ten on Tuesdays theme is '10 Things I've learned about weddings.'

1. Planning a wedding is pretty much like having a second full-time job - just ask my sister!
2. There is a LOT of work that goes into a wedding.
3. It's really not just about the bride and groom - its about both of their whole families.
4. Make sure you carry and use hand sanitizer!!  Always!!  No exceptions!!  Due to the fact that you are run down from all the planning, you tend to pick up bugs more easily. 
5. At the beginning of the engagement there is lots to do, then there are these "quiet months" where you can't do anything, then before you know it the day is upon you and you have more to do than is humanly possible.
6. No matter how many people you think will decline, they really won't. 
7. Always bring a picture of what you'd like your hair and makeup to look like to the hairdressers, they don't do well just going from what you tell them you'd like to look like. 
8. Things will be emotional, so make sure you have a hankie handy - even during the planning stages!
9. Always have someone to guard your money box - this is from recent activity in our area. 
10. Everything will work out in the end - and even if it doesn't, it's not the end of the world and you will still have an amazing day. 

I hope you enjoyed this week's edition of Ten on Tuesdays!!  Have a great day everyone :-)

Happy Knitting!!

Wedding Week: Miniature Monday

 Hello Knitters,

To kick off Wedding Week I thought these two little people were just the thing for today's miniatures.  I modelled them after the real-life bride and groom :-)  You can find more information on my Ravelry page.

Happy Knitting!!

Wedding Week is Coming

Hello Knitters,

I hope you are all enjoying this lovely fall weekend.  I know that I'm trying to take in the last of the beautifully coloured leaves.  The weather is a bit chilly, but that's always a good thing for us knitters now isn't it? 

Sorry I haven't been keeping up with things around here very well this last week or so.  I've been super busy and getting even more so now that my sister's wedding is only a week away.  One week....wow!  Time has been flying by and it's almost here!  This last week I've baked, glazed, piped, bagged, tied ribbon bows and froze around 240 sugar cookies - they are destined to be the favours for the reception.  Now of course I didn't do all that by myself, my wonderful Mother helped me out.  I'm so blessed to have such a great Mom!!  She's always willing to lend a hand with whatever I might be up to - no matter how crazy it is or how late at night it happens to be! 

Besides the cookies, I've also begun to bake the wedding cake.  I'm freezing them so that I don't have to bake them all right beforehand.  I'm almost half-way through, which is great.  I was hoping that I would be completely done Sunday night, but apparently the power is going to be off for part of the day tomorrow so that cuts into my baking time.  I've decided that I will try to bake as late as I can tonight to make up for it though since I really need to get working on some other wedding things. 

Anyways, where I was going with all this was that I wanted to say that I'm going to dedicate all next week to wedding-related stuff.  I thought it would be fun to have a 'wedding week.'  I'll try my best to sneak in as much knitting as I can so that it's not all un-knitting-related things. 

Well, I'm going to get back to my baking.  Have a great weekend everyone!!

Happy Knitting!!

A Look at the 70's

Hello Knitters,

Today I have no knitting of my own to share once again, so instead I thought I'd share a picture of a phentex crocheted granny square blanket that my Grandma made.  Now this was done back in the day when phentex was all the rage.  The blanket is very scratchy, but it's lasted all these years!  My Mom came across it while cleaning, so she thought she'd take a picture to share with you all.   

Speaking of phentex, my Dad has been asking for a pair of slippers any time I ask him what he'd like me to knit for him.  This has been going on for years.  One year I did try to make him a pair - now this was when I was first learning how to make something other than a scarf - I kept thinking they were a little large, but since he wasn't home at the time, I couldn't judge them by looking at his feet so I kept right on knitting.  I wrapped them up and gave them to him for Christmas.  The things were SO BIG!!  He tried to make me feel better by telling me that he could just tie them up with shoe laces!  Needless to say, that didn't make me feel any better.  Then he thought they would be perfect to wear over top of his work boots, kind of like a slipper for them.  I was so embarrassed that I haven't even given slippers another try.  But this year I think I might actually purchase some phentex and give them another go.  The ones he is remembering were made by my Grandma from the phentex, so I think it's best knit them with it.  I just hope that they turn out the right size this time around!!

Happy Knitting!!

Ten on Tuesdays

Hello Knitters,

Since yesterday was Thanksgiving I thought today's theme would be "Ten Things I am Thankful For."

1. For my salvation through my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 
2. For my amazing family and pets.  
3. For all the wonderful friends I've made in the IBK Group on Ravelry.
4. For every one of you who are reading my blog, thank you!!  
5. For the talents and abilities the Good Lord has given me and the joy I get from them.
6. For the beautiful place where I live - where I can enjoy the beauty of nature every day.
7. For the fact that I have food, clothing and shelter, and that I've been given the ability to help those who don't.
8. For all the knitting, crocheting, and sewing pattern designers and all their hard work.  I'm so thankful to them for giving me the chance to make such lovely things.
9. For the seasons - and being able to watch all the changes that come with each one.
10. For sheep - thank you for giving us your woolly coats so we can make things to keep our own loved ones warm  

Miniature Monday

Hello Knitters,

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Columbus Day!!

Happy Knitting!!

Baby Squash Hat

Hello Knitters,


This is a little hat I knit up over the last couple of days.  I just felt the need for a small project that I could finish quickly.  The pattern is the Baby Squash Hat from 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders.  The yarn is Kona Bay Cotton in a pretty gender neutral yellow.  I was pleasantly surprised with how soft this yarn is.  I picked it up on sale a while ago, and this just happened to be the perfect thing to use it for.  I thought that since this is our Thanksgiving weekend, a squash hat would be fitting to share today :-)  I had to model it on one of my old glass dolls since there aren't any babies readily available. 

I think it's going to look really cute on a new baby's little head. 

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians!  And Happy Columbus Day to all you Americans.  I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday weekend.

Happy Knitting

A Few Older Pictures

Hello Knitters,


Today I am at my sister's, but just for the day while my Mom does some shopping.  Since Emmie is still not quite herself yet, I brought her along and decided to stay here with her instead of taking her shopping and wearing her out.  She is getting better every day, which we are so thankful for!  Pretty soon she will be back to normal. 

Anyways, I do have a knitting picture to share.  Last January I had knitted a pair of High Energy Baby Socks for one of my cousin's baby shower gift, but I never got to share the finished project picture here on the blog.  I finally uploaded some pictures from my Mom's camera last night and this was one of them.  So here they are:

The pattern is really quite fun and they were pretty quick to knit up.  I used Patons Kroy Socks Stripes in Krazy Stripes.  You can see more info on my Ravelry project page. 

And lastly, I wanted to share a picture of my dear little Emerson Rose.  This picture was taken in the Spring and was also on my Mom's camera.  She is sleeping in her "Barkswagon" bed, soaking up the sun :-) Which is one of her favourite things to do. 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!  Take some time to enjoy a little knitting and the beautiful fall colours that are out there! 

Happy Knitting!!

Days Go By

Good Afternoon Knitters,

I hope everyone is having a fantastic week!  Things here sure are getting busy now that the wedding date is getting close.  There is lots yet to do, but I'm hoping that by the end of next week I'll have a ton of it done.  I'm working on creating a schedule to keep me on track so I can accomplish everything I need to.  I haven't begun to get excited yet, but I'm sure that will come soon, once more things start coming together.  I never knew weddings were so much work!!  For my sister, it's almost like having another full-time job.  She's so great at all her planning and organizing, I think I need some tips from her :-)

For my knitting, I've been basically working on stuff for my swap partner's last package that I'm late sending out due to running out of yarn and then my Yorkie Emmie fell down the stairs and got quite hurt, so I haven't been able to leave her home alone to go and get the yarn I ordered from the postal place which is an hour away.  Thankfully, I'm blessed with having a very understanding swap partner who doesn't mind waiting a little bit longer for her package :-) and little Emmie is starting to do much better.  I'm planning on having it out by Monday since I should be able to get to the post office tomorrow to pick up the yarn.  But since my knitting has been swap related I can't share any pictures just yet.  I have also been working on a crochet baby blanket when I find I need something simple to do, but I don't have any progress pictures of it yet either.  I really haven't had much time to do much crafting.  Hopefully I will have something to share within the next few days.  Even if it's just a sneak peek.  I feel so bad for not having any pictures or reports! 

Anyways, I just wanted to check in, I should get back to my work.  I'm trying to figure out how to make a tuxedo for a frog.....more on that later :-)

Happy Knitting!!

Ten on Tuesdays

Hello Knitters,

This week's Ten on Tuesdays theme is "Patterns I Want to Knit."

1. Red Fox by Susan B. Anderson - from the Holiday 2010 issue of Knit Simple. This little guy is so cute, and since we have quite a lot of red foxes around our place, I thought he would be a fun one to knit.
2. Reversible Hedgehog/Squirrel by Susan B. Anderson - from the Holiday 2010 issue of Knit Simple. Definitely one of my favourites from the Woodland Creature Collection.  I think the squirrel's acorn's look like little handbags!! 
3. Windsor Warmer by Cecily Glowik MacDonald - from New England Knits.  I'm thinking about knitting this up for my Mom's Christmas present.  She said she would like a cowl this year, and this is such a pretty pattern.
4. Squirrel on Wheels by Anna Hrachovec - from Knitting Mochimochi.  This one happens to be another gift.  My friend J always calls her Mom "squirrel" and I thought she would get a kick out of this!
5. Ballet Flats by Marta Mccall - from Knitted Gifts.  Another pattern to knit for my Mom for Christmas.  She requested these as soon as I purchased the book.
6. Tree Line Cardigan by Hannah Fettig - from Interweave's Weekend 2010 magazine.  There is just something special to me about this design, it kind of reminds me of the sweaters my Grandma used to knit for me when I was a little girl, but an updated version.  Very fun.
7. Casual Comfort by Lisa Gentry - from Knit Celebrity Slouchy Beanies for the Family.  I really like the effortless beauty of this hat.  It seems like a great thing to throw on when having a bad hair day now that the days are getting cold enough to wear a hat.
8. Lacy Scarf by Debbie Bliss - from The Knitter's Year.  I bought this book because the cover with the scarf was so pretty.  (There isn't a pattern page on Ravelry yet for the scarf, so I just linked to the book's page, but it is the one that is on the cover.)
9. Flower Mittens by Sue Flanders and Janine Kosel- from Norwegian Handknits.  I've always been intrigued by Latvian mittens, and these ones with a design from Norway would be keeping in connection with my roots.
10. Pack o' Puppies Mitts by Stacey Trock - from Spud and Chloe's pattern line.   I'd like to make these for my friend A's little girl for Christmas.  She has such a vivid imagination, and I think she would have a lot of fun with these. 

Well, I hope you enjoyed this week's edition of Ten on Tuesdays!!  Have a great week everyone.

Happy Knitting!!

Miniature Monday

Hello Knitters,

This Monday's Miniature is a little bed bug, complete with sleeping cap, that I made as part of my Dad's birthday present.  The pattern is from Knitting Mochimochi and originally calls for worsted weight yarn, but since I wanted to make this one a miniature version, I used fingering weight and he turned out to be about half the regular size. 

I think he'd find a way to sleep just about anywhere!

Happy Knitting!!