Knitting Update

My knitting group is knitting baby hats for our local hospital. We decided to use the same yarn and pattern. We are using TLC Cotton Plus, Lavender. It is perfect. I am writing up a pattern for us to use. As you can see this is not original. I have just adjusted the size of what I normally make for a newborn. I knit quite a few hats a year so I just cast on and go. Once again nothing original.

This lovely Tidepool Heather will become a beret, Gretel by Ysolda and a pair of mittens. I am leaning toward the cabled mittens from Charmed Knits. These will be for my lovely niece's 18th birthday. I have until the end of October to get them knit. Plenty of time.

And this yarn will become...

I am looking forward to casting on for this monster! I love fair isle and it's time to kick it up a notch from hats and mittens to this! Now which to start first!

Weekend words

Here is some text to go with Saturday in Pictures. The first picture is a photo of a miter mitten. I am using Debbie Mumm's Traditions yarn. It isn't like working with wool but the final project is lovely and it isn't terrible so I think I can stick it out. The trick is working the afterthough thumb. If it works ok then I will consider this yarn for more "small" projects. The yarn is a wool blend but the way it is plyed or whatever is why it is weird to work with. It's like the wool is spun loosely around one ply of acrylic.



The other pictures are taken of Joy #2's treehouse. He has played in one of our large trees in front of the house forever. Finally, he took the plunge and built a fort. He and his friend started the hammering at 8:30 am and finished up around 4:30 pm. I went up to check it out but whoa it is way up there. They constructed a wooden floor and made 4 corner posts. With that alone it was a nice landing to sit on in the tree. However, not enough like a fort. They were going to use plywood for the walls but decided to go with super thick cardboard. They used the cardboard for walls and used paint tarps for the roof. It really is awesome and sturdy. I watched them for awhile and the branches were very sturdy as they hammered and climbed. the wood is pretty light too.


Sunday every boy in a 3 block radius came over to check it out. I made a rule that no more than 3 at a time could go inside. The others could hang out on branches but not go inside the treehouse. I heard talk of passing a test to be able to be allowed inside. At first I thought, well that's not fair, but then I realized that Joy #2 was overwhelmed with all the boys and just wanted to hang out in his tree with his close friends. I stayed out of it. I'm really proud of his work. No adult help, (like I'd be any help) and they actually got it finished. I'll try and get another photo if I can. It is so high up and buried in the branches that photographing is difficult. Maybe I'll get a better shot in the winter.

Saturday in Pictures

FO-28Thirty

This should be the last you hear about this sweater until December. (If I remember to talk about it then) The 28Thirty sweater is finito. Well, ok, there are no buttons yet but that is normal around here. The sweater I designed for myself last tax season still has no buttons. Doesn't really stop me from wearing it either. But I will sew buttons onto this bad boy.


See the tiny amount of yarn left over. It was a close one!

This sweater is a bday gift for Joy #1. I have been working on it in front of her non-stop and sneakily showed it around at knit night last night with her one row over. I used Peace Fleece worsted wool in Hemlock Poasja colorway. It really is beautiful. It will be super warm when she needs it. Which will be anytime she's at home since I'm not sure we will even be able to afford gas this winter. :)

Joy #2 was in just the right mood this morning to model it. He's been watching me knit this too the past month, never inquiring about it. when I asked him to wear it this morning he said, "Why is it for Joy #1 (ad libbing)?" I did not give a direct answer but he knew.

I really like the pattern. It was easy and full of great details. I am kind of kicking the idea around of making my neice one too. Not at least until October though. I'm not a fan of working on the same pattern over and over again. Although now that I say that I am reminded that I just ordered yarn for a beret and mittens for her. I think I'll stick to that plan.

Whirling of Mind

This space has been quite a few days. I've been supermom and superknitter at the same time so no time for superblogger. School has started. That is going well, both kids have established their own routines and I've just taken on a supervisory role. Joy #1 leaves for school just when I'm getting up. Joy #2 has been making the coffee and getting himself ready too. Not much for me to do but shower and drive Joy #2 to school. Then I have a whole hour to do whatever before work. That whatever has been a mixture of housework and knitting.

I have 1" left on the second sleeve of 28thirty. I should have it finished before knit night tonight. I love the details on this sweater. I have so many other projects rattling around in my mind. what to start next...I'm also working on a chevron scarf . I'm not a fast scarf knitter so I decided to leave it in the car and knit on it while waiting for the kids to get out of school. I'm using the yarn I got from Barb and it is lovely.

Well, let's hope there are pictures tomorrow for you! I leave you with the chevron scarf as it looked 2 weeks ago.

Phelps Phan

I have been watching the Olympics here and there this year. The first few nights I was faithful to the games, then I found I could watch it online at my leisure. There is one guy I have not missed a swim for. Has anyone? Watching Michael Phelps swim has been awesome. Every time I watch him or his team I am excited and full of pride. There has not been one medal ceremony that I haven't teared up for. I'm not sure if it is because they always pan to his mom and sisters or if it is because of him. I'm proud of Phelps not only because he is an amazing swimmer but because he has become a gracious competitor. The last games he was younger, obviously, but he didn't know how to handle the immense attention he was getting. He almost came off as uninterested or cocky. I think he wanted to retreat away after every race because he wasn't prepared for that kind of attention. These games he is able to deal with the press and isn't self conscious like last time. So not only do we get the most amazing swimmer but a humble man as the image of the US. Awesome. I also think it's awesome that the President went to watch him not just once but twice and the US basketball team cheer him on as often as they get a chance. I'm sure there are more cool people in the audience. I've really enjoyed being a Phelps Phan this year. So much so that I keep thinking I need to start swimming. I could start now and buy 4 years I may be able to swim a couple of laps and have muscle. :)

A Blue Ribbon Event

We spent the evening browsing the Leavenworth County Fair. It has been a few years since I'd been. Up until my short break from the fair we went every year as far back as I can remember. Joy #2 and I walked around looking at all the cool stuff the fair has to offer. The items I was drawn to this year were different than when I was younger.

As a kid I remember the food, the animals, the free stuff at the booths, and the rides. As an adult I was drawn to the art, the woodworking, the crafts, the vegetables and canning (I do not remember this at all from my youth!). There was a boy last winter that demonstrated spinning to our knitting group and he had tons of fiber stuff in the fair. Hand spun, weaving, fulling, needlefelted art were just some of the items of his that wowed us. He spins on a wheel he got many years ago. Babes Fiber Starter and he's still spinning on it. This wheel is inexpensive (relatively) and made it affordable for him to get spinning. Now he sells his hand spun to those who ask for it, for money to buy more fiber I'm sure.

We may go back tonight. Joy #2 wants to watch the demolition derby. I don't know if I'm going to get out of that one since we miss the Mud Run last night!

Joy #2 buckling into the Ring of Fire.

My view from the ground, while Joy #2 is suspended upside down. We decided that it is scarier to watch than ride.

Going about doing good

A few weeks back a knitter in my knitting group asked if there was any charity knitting going on in our group? The answer was no, not really, there is a group of senior women who meet and knit & crochet prayer shawls for recent widows but other than that, nothing. We got to talking about it and decided to investigate at the local hospital to see if they would like baby hats or it there was something else they might need. That was a few weeks ago...

Yesterday at a Chamber of Commerce coffee I final got over to talk to the volunteer coordinator for Cushing Hospital. I asked if they had any need or want of knitted baby hats for the newborns and she got all excited. Jeanne knows I'm a knitter and knows about our knitting group. She said they would love newborn hats, and would love if we would knit them in the hospital's colors of purple and white (we decided to go with lavender rather than KState purple) . Other colors would be great too but they really would like the lavender. Then she went on to say that at year end she would give us a tax donation receipt that values each hat at $10. She felt that with supplies and time that would be an acceptable value. I agree. And in addition she will give each 4 hours of hospital volunteer hours for each hat. I'm not sure what that means but I'll take it, and will be invited to the volunteer appreciation banquet. Pretty cool!

Cushing Hospital also gives every baby born in the month of December a stocking large enough for the baby to fit in. Joy #1 and I both were born at Cushing and we have the stockings to prove it. Jeanne said that if anyone was interest in making stockings they would be even more thrilled if that were possible. I told her I had 2 stockings I could use as guides, one retro (mine) and the other 16 years old. Which doesn't seem that old but it is, or will be. I'm totally excited about the possibility of sewing up some stockings for new December babies. I have loved my stocking for as long as I can remember and love the story behind it. Both Joy #1 & I came home in our stockings. Joy #1's first baby picture is in her stocking like she was a little present. I love the way the world turns sometimes.

Newer on the left (15.5 yo), Retro on the right (32.5 yo)

If anyone is interested in sewing or knitting for Cushing Memorial Hospital, let me know. I'd be glad to pass on info and you too could receive a tax write off for your knitting.

Post 100:And I didn't think I was chatty...

Progress has been made on 28thirty sweater for Joy #1's sweet 16. It's like I'm talking in code. Anyway, the body is done and I've moved on to the sleeves. It is a testament that my children really have no interest in any knitting I do because I've been knitting on this thing in front of Joy #1 and she hasn't even asked what I'm making. No comment at all. They do the standard ohh and ahh when I finish something but other than that nada. So it's been really easy to make this for her birthday right in front of her. I had the neighbor girl try on the sweater once I was past the arm holes to make sure the fit would be right. She didn't even ask me any questions. I guess everyone in a 1 block radius of my home is desensitized to my knitting. This is why I blog and participate in the local and online knitting community. People who I can share my craft with without force. :)

A thought hit me the other day...I am strong enough to hold back this sweater for her birthday? Will I cave when the weather turns cold or she wants to go shopping for winter clothes? Right now I would totally cave so I'm going to have to make it and wrap it. And then pray for strength.

When it is done I think I'll have my niece model it so I can show you the final product before December. No reason you all should have to wait!

Easy Going Weekend

The weather here was perfect this weekend. In the upper 70s with a lovely breeze, nice. Saturday was not only a lovely day because of the weather but the temperment in the house was perfect. Everyone was easy going, happy to do whatever they were doing, peaceful. What more could a mom ask for? No fighting, laughing, no can you take me here and then here and oh I need money. I knit, finished listening to the Tricksters Queen on tape, and watched some Olympics.

Around 9 pm Joy #2 and I went to Weston Bend State Park for the Owl Prowl program. It was great. They had a program about local owls and then taught us owl calls. Then we walked around the park calling them and then the owls hooted back. Really cool. We found 4 Great Horned Owls. Joy #2 really enjoyed this program.

A perfect weekend. Let's hope the peace continues...at least for one more day.

Jennifer and the Marigold Similar to Jack and the Bean Stalk

Yes folks, that is a marigold plant. A huge marigold plant! Like over 5 feet tall!


Here I am with the marigold. A horrible picture! I really am not that pudgy, the camera adds pounds from this angle. Anyway back to the marigold.. I am 5"8 so this thing is huge! There are about 4 flowers on it with one or two budding.

Joy #2 is shocked at the size..

I got my seeds from the local hardware store. I was in there today and the lady said, "Save those seeds!" I never even thought of that. Some people are so smart.

So how are your gardens fairing?

Catch Up

After 2 weeks with no camera, I can finally share...

Cable Bib, debating on buttons
Thrift shop find, US 6 nylon circ, 11"s. This has made baby hat making a dream.

Helical Baby hat. Matches the mittens.Baby hat to go with the crocheted booties
Helical Baby hat.
Saartjee booties revived.
Chevron Scarf using the lovely Briar Rose Grace

Beginnings of 28 Thirty, Peace fleece worsted

Hittin' The Road

Tomorrow morning Joy#2 and I are hitting the road.

Our destination: Nebraska Youth Camp

Our Purpose: Family Camp

We will be a small crew this year. Just one other family, our good friends the Clarks. There are a few other activities overlapping family camp this year, hence the small turn out. We don't mind though! We will enjoy having the camp all to ourselves. Our own little retreat!

The lake all to ourselves!

I look forward to seeing Joy #1 too! It's been 3 weeks. I bet she's grown. :)

See you next week. You won't even realize I'm gone I'll be back so soon!

Note to Debbie: I'm not buying "the book" until I come back. If I start reading it at family camp I won't be able to put it down. I'm so responsible. :)