Knitted Beach Top

Where better to wear a "beach top" than to the beach?!

You can find my knitting-in-progress post about the sweater here,
but it is so gratifying to see Two wearing a sweater
THAT I ACTUALLY KNIT FOR HER!!!

I knit that!!!

Two loved it,
the pattern was easy (and true to size),
and the sweater's already made a few rounds
through the washer/dryer
and holding up great.

For a list of other FREE knitting patterns,
go to the Lion Brand Yarn site here.

Knitting Update

Did I ever mention that I quit knitting Two that sundress? Oops! Well, it turns out I had misread some of the directions and needed to rip out most of my work....down to the first three inches! Well, in the meantime, I had found a different pattern I had wanted to try next, and since my new pattern seemed like it would come together faster anyway....well, I decided to rip the whole thing out and start my new project instead.

It, of course, has a free pattern.

Here is the sample photo:

Here is the first side I have completed:

It is actually knit exactly like the sample photo image. Something about the yarn is making that funky stripe at the belly. As much as I like COLOR, I think from now on I should knit with solid yarn! I'm happy with it though and since the two sides are supposed to be knit exactly alike, I know I'll have the other side done in a flash! Or, at least in the next month or so... :o)


I offered to do the activity/craft for Tuesday Treasures again tonight. We played a game with easter eggs, another game with hula hoops, and also made these fun sun catchers!

(You have to excuse my nails...my manicurist is three years old!)

They were from a kids craft kit from Joann's and they were a little bit harder for our Treasures than I had anticipated, but with a little help, our Treasures left feeling very accomplished with a real craft to take home and show off. For some reason, the picture is way washed out. The one in the picture is actually yellow! There were blue ones in the package too.

Knitting for Two

I was knitting tonight and watching tv when DaddyMan came in and asked me what I was working on. I can't believe he couldn't tell what it was!

Isn't it obvious? No? Okay, it's my new project!

(picture and free project from lionbrand.com)

Isn't it cute?! I'm so excited! I'm not quite sure how a knitted sundress works (because I wouldn't wear a sweater in the summer)....but there were a ton of free patterns for sundresses online soooooo - my fingers are crossed! If anything else, I can see it being super cute with jeans and a turtleneck in the fall.


Here's the swatch I worked up.

I love color so I think it's going to look great and hopefully encompass any new favorite colors that pop up during it's lifetime! :o)

A craft explosion!

I got the kids' handprints framed today! It's such a great idea that I saw over at Little Bit Funky. I let the kids pick their own paper.


The idea is to trace their hands at regular intervals (I plan on doing it every Valentine's Day) and then put each year's new handprint behind all of the others (lining them up at the bottom) to see how they've grown. I've put all the kids' handprints together here so you could see what it should look like after a few years:


Isn't that adorable?

And then our church is having a "drive-in" tonight to watch Cars. Everyone is supposed to decorate a cardboard box to use as their "car. It could be a refrigerator box for the whole family to sit in or smaller boxes for individuals. Here are the kids with their 99cent boxes from Home Depot:


And here they are at the drive-in! They added lights, license plates, and grills(?). DaddyMan took care of the windows and doors. We brought snacks for them and had them wear their jammies since it would end after their normal bedtime.


It was so much fun! Check out the kids they were parked next to! They were all decked out....wrapped their cars in wrapping paper, hung "air freshener", and brought bean bags to sit on....so cute!


And look at this bus!



I have seen Cars about a kajillion times. Seriously, we are on our 2nd dvd - there's really nothing like buying a movie you already own - because the first one started skipping after being much loved. So anyway, I used the time to work on the ruffle hat some more. Here's Two trying it on for me.


It's tighter than I thought even though I actually made a gauge this time! Who knows. But the directions said to knit it "as high" as you wanted it and then gave the directions for finishing it off...but I had no idea how much height that would add to it in the process sooooo....


I'm guessing it wouldn't be appropriate to wake Two up to find out?

I ♥ Post Options!

Yes, I heart post options because I can write today's post tomorrow and still make it look like today. Totally confused? That's because I'm cheating. I'm really writing this on Tuesday and just making it look like it's still Monday. See why I heart post options? :o)

Anyway, "today" (see? now you're in on it too!) I'm having a nightmare of a time making this:

(picture from Little Sesame Knits)

I've borrowed double-pointed needles but since Two apparently has a humongous head, I needed 320 stitches to stay on them and it wasn't working! After a trip to joann's to buy more of the same size needles to put the stitches on (yes, just for two rows, I know) it's looking pretty good and I'm several rows into it.

And here's our muffin tin monday meal of the night:

From top left: applesauce, mashed potatoes w/ onion gravy, carrots,
swedish meatballs from IKEA-yum!, green beans, and olives

Minty, Chocolate-y Goodness

I usually leave the cub scout activities to DaddyMan, but a recent "derby race" seemed like a special event I should attend. Turns out the race was doing double-duty as a monthly troop (? like I know) meeting which meant it turned into a looooong afternoon. However, they auctioned off a few desserts as a fundraiser and so here, my friends, is the $35 recipe which can be yours ("if you call in the next five minutes!") for the very low price of approximately $3:

The ingredients are brownie mix and crumbled andes mints - yum!

Cook the brownies according to the box directions. About 5 minutes before they are "done", put the crumbled andes mints on top of the brownies and put the brownies back in the oven. That's it! You can leave the andes mints melted chunky or you can spread them around a bit but either way they are delicious!


Now onto some closet crafting I have been doing:

The scarf on the right is something I knit for my aunt. She doesn't know it, but she picked out the yarn! I saw her eyeing it at a trip to Joann's and went back that day to get it. I'm so sneaky! I mailed it off today and I'm so excited because she has no idea that it's coming! She doesn't even know I was working on it. Fun stuff!

The scarf on the left is a different version of this, more of a rag-style. It's headed (another surprise!) for a dear friend and mentor of mine that just moved cross country. I made sure to mention that it was a scarf (he he he) after this fiasco... But I do think I (sort of) figured out what was wrong with the yellow fabric. It was still obnoxious but after changing the thread tension whenever I was over that fabric (something I learned in my sewing class, you can find my teacher's blog here) it worked much better. Needless to say, the leftover yellow fabric is now in the trash.

ps. Could I have used any more parenthesis in this post? (Sorry about that.)

Catch-up

Oh my! What a crazy past few days we've had! I realized after the kids went to bed that I didn't get a picture of them all today. Oh well, it's just another thing on my list that I'm behind on.

Soooo, to catch up...

Saturday, One and I went on a date to get his Cub Scout uniform. Waaay more pricey than I was thinking, but considering Cub Scouts is essentially free, I guess it all balances out. But One must be growing! He almost ate us out of house and home that day. He better not be trying to grow out of his uniform!

And One is feeling left out of the sewing fun and asked me to make him something. We came up with "Dark Vader" pajama pants and went to Joann's where he could pick out the perfect fabric, which ended up being solid black cotton. One more thing on my list but I know he'll love it.

Two has been feeling sick these last few days. A very weird illness where she would feel very icky in the morning but usually end up feeling back to normal by lunch-ish. We've been doing lots of snuggling. One morning she just knew she was going to throw up. I got her a bowl, which she put up to her face and then immediately fell asleep! Like any good mother, I, of course, took a picture.


That night she had her first accident ever. (TMI WARNING!!!) It was after 11pm and she woke up to go to the bathroom but didn't quite make it. Poor girl thinks she peed her pants but as all of us moms know, just because it's liquid, doesn't mean it's pee... Ugh. And of course all she wanted was for me to pick her up and hold her. It was so disgusting but you know I did it. Now that's true love. But, she woke up this morning perky as all get-out so whatever it was has passed!

Earlier in the week I had made some felt hearts. I'm playing around with colors because I'd really like to make something valentine-y for the mantel, but these hearts were teeny and I ended up turning them into hair bows. And then, when I had my bow-making materials out, I was inspired to whip out some big bows. Because what do you do when your daughter doesn't always want to wear hair bows? You make bigger bows!


Two wore the big purple one today and it was adorable!

And then this afternoon, I had my girls small group. Or what used to be my girls small group. Remember being a teenage girl? Yes, well two of my (three) girls are not getting along at the moment, so neither one will come for fear that the other might be there.... which leaves just me and one girl. We have been knitting and I have gotten pretty far on the scarf I am making for my aunt that was just visiting.

But, tomorrow I have a play date with my friend who's baby is due soon. Remember this that never happened? Yes, well I had big plans to sew this adorable toy that I saw in a book. And make her a meal to eat or freeze. Do I have all of the ingredients? No. Is the fabric dry to begin cutting? No. Oh well. I still have a few more weeks and besides, her ulterior motive is really to get her hands on my bebe au lait nursing cover so she can figure out how to make one of her own. Now that I can handle. Maybe she could do a tutorial?

So, sorry for the lame post. I hope to get back on track this week. I don't know if anyone even reads my blog to notice that I haven't been around but I am really loving doing it.

Another one bites the dust

I don't remember knitting being so slow! Maybe it's a bit like the pain of childbirth? You forget after you see the finished product? Anyway, after two hours of knitting last night and only a few rows' progress (seriously people, after all that, this blanket is still only 8" high), I've decided I need a new gift for my dear friend and her new baby! I'm thinking either this (can't you see it with some cute tags or ribbons sticking out at the edges? And of course with some bright patterns...none of that pastel stuff) or maybe this. I think I need a trip to store to decide this one.

Keep 'em coming

Nothing new for today. I did make another bib. Only half as long as yesterdays and so much cuter because of it. Tonight I plan on working on this some more. It is slow going. The shower is Sunday and it's not looking like I'm going to make it. Sooo, rather than trying to do a new craft today, I'll stick with the blanket and instead list a few things I have on my list...

*I found the perfect dark gray/green sweater at goodwill yesterday that is soon destined to be this.

*For the next child's birthday party or maybe for our babysitter that's heading off to college next year, I have this in mind.

*End-of-the-year teacher's gift, perhaps? Perfect to attach a gift card to.

*My aunt is coming to visit next week. This might be a fun craft to do together that would be a great present for her two sweet grandbabies who live a plane-ride away.

*I found a great body pillowcase cover of large purple, fushia, and pink circles that will one day be this and probably this too!

*And finally, I made a wedding quilt for me and DaddyMan, yes, many years ago. Like most big projects in my life, it is still unfinished. Well, the top is (HAND)pieced together and I had begun quilting it. After almost 8 years of marriage and not one day of it occuring with our wedding quilt on our bed, I have decided to rip out the little bit of quilting I had begun...quilt the top directly onto a piece of muslin, and turn the whole thing into a duvet cover. Can't wait!

However, none of these, or any of the other 100 bookmarks I have in my "crafty stuff" folder will happen until I finish knitting the blanket.

Probably.

It's getting crafty in here

I have a confession. I didn't end up knitting last night. I got distracted with some of my favorite blogs and then stood out in the below-freezing temps as DaddyMan played with our new chiminea until Three woke up and started crying and that was the end of my evening. Here is my sweet Three:



BUT, I did knit a few more rows today and then I actually got my last Christmas gift completed! (Yes that's two, count them TWO crafts today!) This cute little number is for Cousin F. I don't even know what it's called but I bought it plain brown from Joann's and decoupaged it (inside and out!) with some cute scrapbook paper. Total cost: $5. Cousin F's favorite colors are pink and brown and since she recently moved far away from friends, I thought she'd like a special place to keep pictures or small mementos. I love the beaded handle. And there's even an opening to frame a favorite photo! This gift is like the ultimate multi-tasker!

A knitting dilemma

With most of the Christmas crafts complete (I still have a few more days for extended family gifts and 11 months -wow!- to complete my advent calendar and Three's stocking), I can move on to something else. Tonight I'm working on a baby blanket for a friend made with boucle yarn from Joann's. I knew the yarn was light blue and white, but I was still a little surprised that it would create such obvious striping. It's a cute touch because otherwise this blanket isn't going to be anything fancy -those aren't ruffles, they're smooshed blanket on circular needles!- but you should feeeeel the yarn. It's so soft! Well, I thought I had until mid-February (her due date) to complete it but I just got an invite to a baby shower for her! Surprise! I wasn't expecting a shower for baby number three. I was going more for the super-thoughtful-friend-that-made-you-a-gift-just-because, darn it! So now, not only am I a bad friend for not thinking of the shower myself, now I have less than two weeks to finish this thing! Of course, I could always give her diapers. Something I'm sure she actually needs. And then still give her the blanket later.... We'll see how it goes. I have a little Three of my own that is just the yummiest distraction!