knitting
« Previous EntriesKeep Me In Stitches
Sunday, March 18th, 2012While visiting my in-laws and eating at a favorite Greek restaurant, something caught my eye. A sign above a new store read Keep Me In Stitches. I did a double take and said something to TechyDad. The kids wanted to go to the park and I knew better than to take them into a fiber store. The reality is that my boys love knitted objects, but they do not have patience to let me day dream while looking at different yarn.
TechyDad suggested that my mother-in-law and I head to the store to check it out and then meet them at the park. Sold! As we started to browse, I couldn’t help but overhear the owner of the store mention that she was a blogger. As I looked at all of the beautiful yarn, I knew I had to ask if it was ok to take photos for a blog post.
I was told to go ahead. Here are some photos of the beautiful wall of yarn.
We chatted briefly about using Facebook for social media. Little did I know they were also on Twitter, or I would have sent a Tweet out while there. I am definitely going to have fun exploring their website and watching to see what events will be taking place next time we visit. I know if I was local, their Mom’s Night Out Classes look like a fun activity for a group.
Although I did not purchase something, I have my eyes on the Knit Picks Harmony Wood Circular Needle set I was finally able to see in a store. Something I may be asking TechyDad for my birthday. *hint* *hint* *nudge* *nudge*
Thank you Rebecca for taking us on a tour of your beautiful shop. I know that I will be visiting again and will be sure to have a project in mind to purchase some of your yummy yarn. Oh and I am going to suggest that my father-in-law looks into a class to surprise my mother-in-law. I think she would really enjoy something like that.
The Power of a Hidden Mouse
Saturday, February 4th, 2012Dear JSL,
This has been a rough week for you. First, a fever in the middle of the night. Then, you had nap/night terrors that scared us out of our mind. When we went to the doctor, your throat was swabbed and ear blasted with a new contraption to clean it out. In the end, it looks like you have a virus. The fever went away, but suddenly a horrible cough and leaky nose appeared.
While I sat by you and you slept away the fever, I pulled out some old school knitting of mine. I wanted to make something special to help you smile. It brought me back to when I was knitting next to your hospital bed in February 2008. Of course, this time you knew I was making something for you and were so excited when you saw what was hidden within the cloth. The minute it came off the knitting needles you declared it was yours and a blanket for your little monkey. Of course, you were too tired to get your monkey, so you went to rest with it on your puppy pillow.
When NHL saw the hidden Mickey in the cloth, he asked me to make a blanket for his little lion. With your help, we made sure this was made quickly.
Of course, now you are asking me to knit you a Mickey Mouse blanket. Hmmmm……I will have to figure that one out. Now, to work on getting rid of the cough and making you feel better.
Love,
Mommy
The Sleeping Blanket
Monday, January 23rd, 2012There is nothing better during the cold months than to curl up under a cozy blanket and read a book. It doesn’t matter whether the book has pages to flip, or is found within my Kindle – it is just as relaxing. All that I need are my newly knitted blanket and current book.
I am about half way finished reading Kingdom Keepers IV – Power Play by Ridley Pearson. I love these books and have written about them before. Although they are not specifically written for adults, I enjoy them because the story puts me into the magical world of Disney. There is something special about favorite characters battling the evil Disney Villains like Maleficent and Cruella De Ville.
Sunday afternoon, the boys were busy playing Nintendo and it seemed like the perfect time to catch some more of the Kingdom Keepers adventures throughout Walt Disney World. I read for quiet a bit and then I felt like I was being put under a spell. Of course, the Evil Queen was not in my house. I felt the need to close my book and eyes.
After I woke up from my nap, I joked to TechyDad. I think there is something to this blanket. Several nights this week, I would curl up on the couch to sit and watch television or read, only to fall fast asleep under the blanket.
Does this cozy, soft, warm blanket have special powers to make those who curl under it forget their mission to read or get work done?
Hmmmm. . . could it be?
After TechyDad and I came up with this theory we asked the boys to test it out, but for some reason they refuse to try it. Of course, I still am going to test it with them one of these days – insert evil laugh here!
Do you own a special blanket, pillow, or something else that just seems to make you fall asleep? Makes me wonder if the baby blankets like this do the same for those that have received them?
The Year that was 2011
Monday, January 2nd, 2012It is hard to believe that 2012 is here. Once again, the year went by with a lot of fun, photos, and memories. Here are just some of the highlights from the year that was 2011.
January:
- Mother Nature started her tricks with a lot of snow that came our way. We had fun making memories with the sled in our own yard.
- I started writing Education posts at The Disney Driven Life and introduced it to everyone. Thank you to J.L. for the amazing opportunity. I look forward to getting back on track in 2012.
- NHL lost three more teeth during the first three months of the year. Much relief as they came out without dental assistance.
February 2011:
- The Snowpacalypse welcomed the month of February threatening 18-30 inches of snow. It left lots of the white stuff and tons of ice damage. Our neighbors probably had a laugh with knee-highs on our roof.
- With all of the freezing cold, even the little guy was trying to ride Tony Pony to Disney World to escape. Of course, we were gearing up for Disney Social Media Moms Celebration 2011 in March.
- We continued to take the boys to introduce them to hockey. They had a blast checking out all of the extras between the on ice action.
March 2011:
- Mother Nature teased us with warmth to melt snow mountains early in the month, only to knock us down with an ice storm to remember. Crackling trees and ice pelting the house is hard to listen to in the dark.
- A magical trip to Walt Disney World for the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration allowed me to see amazing friends, learn, and have fun with my family. Lots of items from that trip were shared throughout the months ahead.
- Of course, the reality world hit hard once we got back from our magical adventure. Tough decisions were ahead and left my head spinning. All of this made me remember the wise words of Rene Syler – The Good Enough Mother.
April 2011:
- Passover preparations were dominant this month. Making lists, shopping, and getting the house ready. Of course, we also captured memories of the holiday itself.
- Lots of moments where I wished I was not the adult who had to make decision. Thank goodness, JSL helped to keep me smiling along the way.
- A routine visit to the dentist for NHL revealed the need to see an orthodontist. We made the appointment for several months later in June, but knew the missing adult tooth was going to be something to contend with.
May 2011:
- Even moms need field trips. Yes, the weekend before Mother’s Day, Cutestkidever and I jumped into the car for a lunch date with Rene Syler.
- JSL’s 4th birthday and new love for Jake and the Never Land Pirates required working on a theme for his party. Supplies were bought and cupcakes were made.
- The sun coming back also provided an opportunity to test out our new grill, plant some veggies, and attempt to regrow our front lawn.
June 2011:
- After taking NHL out of a school he had been in since kindergarten, TechyDad and I watched as our second grader started to flourish in a new school. Once again, we started to believe in the education system. This entire drama made it SO hard to bite my tongue and keep a lot of things to myself.
- Father’s Day we spent a fun day together. We had lunch out, went mini-golfing, and had dinner with Nana and Papa. It reminded me of how special these moments together are.
- The end of June marked a major milestone for TechyDad and me. We celebrated out 10th wedding anniversary. Memories of our special day, honeymoon at Walt Disney World, and everything over the ten years together came flooding back. Of course, the day of our actual anniversary was a house nightmare. A plumbing fix resulted in us moving out for several days.
July 2011:
- The month started with a visit out to see my brother and his family for 4th of July. While there, we went cherry picking and beat our previous record. A day at Niagara Falls was also included in the fun adventures.
- Both of the boys were home with me for the entire summer. We looked for fun activities to do. We often ended up at the library for learning and crafting.
- We also spent a lot of time at Michaels crafting our way around the world. Yes, Michaels and Crayola teamed up to make a great passport of crafts for kids to do that were mostly free. The kids learned so much and we found some great new crafts to try later on.
August 2011:
- At the end of July, we started to think about a magical getaway to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Shortly after this, we booked a fantastic trip to relive our honeymoon at Walt Disney World. Everything was planned from the hotel, dining, and place for the kids to stay over Labor Day.
- NHL turned 8 in August and requested lion cupcakes. We documented the construction process and birthday celebration.
- The end of the month was heart breaking. We watched as Hurricane Irene wrecked havoc up and down the east coast. Thanks to the fear of the kids being stuck with no power and our flight getting canceled, we postponed our big trip to Disney. Being responsible adults was tough.
September 2011:
- The boys started back to school after Labor Day. NHL loved his new school and was settling into third grade. JSL thrived at his familiar nursery school and we had lots of fun going apple picking with his class.
- As a Type-A personality, I am a planner. So it was very rare for me to pack up in just a few days notice to head to New York City for the first ever SheStreams Conference. It was an amazing time seeing friends, learning, and getting away for a weekend. A huge thank you to all of those that made it a magical and empowering weekend.
October 2011:
- As a third grader, NHL started to take band in school. He picked percussion instruments and drum practice even got a Disney touch thanks to Nana and Papa.
- During the month of October, two large packages arrived to host parties. The boys loved learning and playing with LeapFrog items during the Learn, Create, and Share Party. The LeapPad had been an amazing addition to our family learning electronics. HexBugs also invaded our house for some glow-in-the-dark holiday fun.
- Halloween was a lot of fun thanks to everyone staying healthy. NHL was Darth Vader, JSL was Jedi Tigger, and even TechyDad dressed up. Of course, Snowtober threatened to make things more interesting just a day before heading out.
November 2011:
- The start of the month meant going to a fun event for bloggers at Price Chopper, headquarters. The Price Chopper Holiday Cheer afternoon showcased endless holiday entertaining ideas. Of course, I wanted to highlight the Decadent Desserts line.
- This was also the month that my entire family fell in love with Susan Egan. I had been lucky enough to see Susan at Disney Social Media Moms in March, but her new CD review was a hit in our house. My little guy even had a crush on her and certainly did care more than Nina.
- The boys learned about what an aufruf is and spent a lot of time with family in November during Thanksgiving weekend.
December 2011:
- The month began with full on Muppet madness in our house. The boys have always loved the Muppets, but the anticipation of the new movie brought it on even more. There was Muppets mania clothing style and lots of Muppet music playing in our house. Heck, I even tossed in some fun Muppets nail polish. Bringing things from our childhood back are so much fun.
- Chanukah was more quiet this year as we focused on time with each other, festive music, watching the menorah glow, and less attention on presents.
- A surprise trip to Build-A-Bear workshop introduced our family to Snowflake and Clumsy. Snowflake has been on a lot of adventures and even requested a beary special knitted scarf.
There were so many other things that made 2011 special and amazing. Thank goodness that is what archives are for. We can look back, laugh, cry, remember, and reflect.
What are some of your favorite part of the year that was 2011?
Scarves for Stuffed Friends
Thursday, December 29th, 2011Days after the boys made Snowflake and Clumsy at Build-A-Bear, a request came from my little guy. He decided that his bear friend was cold and needed a scarf. Of course, what he really meant was that he wanted me to knit Snowflake a scarf. So what is a knitting Mom to do?
I just happened to have a little yarn left from making Cousin BA’s scarf and it matched Snowflake perfectly. JSL could not imagine what was taking me so long to knit the scarf. I mean hello, it was not finished in 20 minutes! That night while he was sleeping, I captured Snowflake to measure and make sure the scarf was complete. JSL was surprised in the morning and declared that his friend must go out.
Yes, Snowflake went on some adventures since the snow had not started to fly. Of course, once Snowflake had a scarf, NHL declared that Clumsy also had to have one. NHL asked if I could make him a matching scarf since I had already started a new one for him. I was able to knit up NHL’s new scarf quickly.
That night, I quickly used the rest of the yarn to make Clumsy his own scarf. Luckily, I had just enough to make it work. The result are two stuffed family members that are smiling and warm, plus two very happy children.
So have your children ever asked for something for their stuffed friends? Would love to know and hear your stories.
Pssst . . .other knitting posts of mine can be found here.
Latkes and a Slew of Scarves
Monday, December 12th, 2011On Sunday, we had an early Chanukah celebration with my brother’s family, my parents, my grandmother (Mimi), Aunt S, and Uncle M. There were Latkes made from scratch thanks to Mimi and Aunt M.
Uncle I even made eggplant burgers into a really delicious eggplant parm creation. These will definitely be something that TechyDad and I try again at our house.
When everyone was filled up from lunch it was time for the kids to open Chanukah presents. When we inquired about items that the kids could use for presents, I was asked to make the kids a scarf. Before I could start their scarves, I had to finish one that was on my needles for me. Almost finished here and debating the length.
Then, I went to the store and picked out yarn for Cousin SG and BA. With some guidance on color selection from Aunt M, I was able to get two that worked with their new winter jackets.
I love the way they came out and am sure they will keep the kids nice and warm this winter. Of course, since these were finished I started another scarf for NHL, made one for Snowflake, and have a scarf request for Clumsy. Then, it will be time to get working on a baby blanket since the yarn I ordered came in.
Are you making any presents for this holiday season? I would love to know what crafty things you are working on.
Knack For Knitting
Sunday, October 16th, 2011Knitting has been something that I have been doing on and off since I was in elementary school. Back as a child, I would sit on the front porch during the summer and fall months and knit with my best friend. In high school, it was something to do that would ease my stress. Fast forward to life as an adult, wife, and mother of two. I like to knit at the end of the day to help with stress levels.
Going out to the store to pick up some yarn for stress knitting is fun, especially when I can do it on my own. Selecting colors that will eventually become something is rewarding.
There is just something soothing about hearing the clickity-clacking of the knitting needles as the yarn flies through them to create stitches. Taking the yarn from hanks of nothing but color to making them into something concrete is rewarding itself.
Seeing the fun colors all knit up just brings a smile to my face. Somehow the stresses just go right into the knitting needles and come out into something bright and cheerful.
Now I just need to find the perfect new yarn for a new project. A very special someone in my family is expecting a baby in February and I want to make the new little girl in our life something. So far my quest for good baby blanket making yarn has not been successful. If you have any suggestions, I would love to know.
Pssst . . .other knitting posts of mine can be found here.
Baby Gifts
Friday, September 2nd, 2011There are days that I would love to have another baby. I mean we have cute kids and it would be a lot of fun to add more laughter to our family. Then reality kicks me in the rear. I think about being up all night with an infant, diaper changes, and the cost. No, two kids is perfect for our family – we are complete!
Of course, I love making things and putting together gifts for new babies. When my life long friend told everyone that she was pregnant, I waited to find out if she was expecting a boy or a girl. The evening that she announced that it would be a little boy, I ran out to the store to get supplies. I had a mission to start a baby blanket for her little one. 
This was THE baby blanket that created baby blanket envy with my boys. In the end the blanket was finished and ready to be part of a present for Baby Z.
Of course, I can not knit a baby blanket for every gift that we need. Here’s another baby gift that we recently gave.
You can see some of my knitted wash cloths, along with some other items that the boys require us to include. Yes, we must have a buddy, and rubber duck for bath time. Plus, I think it is nice to toss in some baby wash since you will be using a lot of that with a new born.
So my question to you this week:
What do you like to give as a gift for a new baby and why?
Pssst . . . if you knit or crochet – I am on Ravelry and have more photos of my items on there.
- ____________________________________________________________________________
Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.
Aloha #167
Changing a Project Goal
Sunday, May 29th, 2011Way back before the start of 2011, I taught myself a new technique in knitting.
I made a goal to do a project using this process. As you can see my Log Cabin Blanket was a large and lofty goal.
Sometimes, you find something else you like more and your goals are put off to the side. The reality is, I like mindless knitting. Log Cabin is not mindless to me and the idea of sewing everything together is daunting to me at this time. So I am changing things up. I am going to use the yarn that my family picked out to make a lighter diagonal blanket, like the one that I just finished. Here is the start:
Last night, I was in a knitting mood. I now have a stripe of all colors except the Autumn Red. I really like this project to unwind at night and keep up with my hobby of choice.
Have you ever changed up a goal or something for a project to make something else?
Baby Blanket Envy
Thursday, May 26th, 2011When my nephew was born, I gave him my first ever baby blanket that I knitted. Sure, I had started many afghans over the years, but had never actually finished one. Here is little BA sleeping under my blanket:
When my life long friend H found out in January that she was having a little boy, I told her that I wanted to knit him a blanket. That evening, I went to the craft store and bought yarn. I picked out a new pattern to try and knew the supplies that were needed. I opted to try a new adventure. A knitting buddy finally convinced me to try a diagonal blanket using circular needles. I quickly fell in love. Before I knew it, the baby blanket was complete and ready long before the baby shower.
Much to my surprise, my two young boys were quite jealous of this soft blanket and wanted me to knit something for them. Once again, I went to get supplies to make a family blanket. I knew the yarn I wanted, but they did not have nearly enough in the dye lot. I got a little more creative and opted to try the diagonal pattern using stripes. So every 25 rows, I switched from the Sunny Days yarn to dark blue. Here are some photos from the last 3 months. Thanks to trips to Disney, business, illness, school hoopla, and more – it took 3 months to knit the entire family sized blanket.
Now the blanket is knitted and I need to weave in the ends. I was shocked to see that the blanket almost fits across my entire queen sized bed. Next up, I am going to use the yarn that I had bought for a Log Cabin blanket to make another lighter and larger diagonal blanket.
If you knit or crochet, be sure to catch me on Ravelry:
Be sure to let me know what project you are working on right now. I’m always looking for more ideas to add to my list.
