PArts and Pieces, and a butterfly shawl grows

OK so amongst the washed out'ed ness of this photos are the bits and pieces of another 3 inch angel in the making......all starched and ready for putting together......can;t see it? Well I will post when I get it put together, hopefully by weekends close!








This here is the making of a tree topper angel. She will be somewhere around 9 inches tall! well actually the arms aren't here........I still have to stuff them, but the sleeves are there :) !!














The shawl is coming along.....when I put it down this evening to come to bed I have 8 more pattern repeats to have the correct 18 butterflies in each section. I am liking this, the bigger it gets and am sure after it is blocked and the lace opens up it will just get prettier.




This is just a bad close up of the pattern!!! I will defenitely do more lace......I am finging it frustratingly enjoyable!











Little B is into everything. He turned 9 months old today. He climbs up and "cruises" around......scarey!!!!!!!











I am not sure if he was trying to knock dad out or just do a bit of arm pit sniffing? As you can see in the previous pic, he is a wee bit snoggy and his face is a bit chapped but he see,s to be holding his own.









Oh yeah and the baby seal crawl has been replaced...........boy can he move now!!!












The "boys" looking at BIG TRUCKS!!!!!













Little B going up and over Daddy's lap!!!



And for those who have asked. Mom made it out of surgery and is resting (probably not comfortably....but resting still) at a hotel, and will be home tomorrow!


Ok so my SP10 told me where to get the needles, not where to get the beads?

OK so can someone point me in the right direction?

So I am totaly in love with this pattern BUT.......and it is a huge but, I have a wee little problem....no place to buy the teeennnny tiny eensy weensy needles and the only store around herethat sells beads....if you can call them that is Wal-mart.........and even tha involves a boat ride, a day on the mainland and eeeeeeeeew. I have been unsuccessful searching on the net for bead places........I am leary as I don't know of any reputable names but feel free to send me in he right direction..........HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I kno I know, no pics again.......well now the camera is dead. just needs a charge. I think Big B is on the mend but little B is acting like he is getting it worse . I am so tired of everyone being sick. It would be so much easier if it could just be me. And to top it off my mom goes in for surgery tomorow. It shouldn't be anything major but still is creeps me out being here and she will be a boat ride plus the better part of a 2 hour drive away!!! I will sit on pins and needles tomorrow.

I think te next good weekend day we get I will take you all on a ride with me!!!

Thank You SecretPal!!!

So we recieved our secretpals for SP10 on the 15th and the 17th was my birthday.......My SP is awesome.....I got a birthday card and presenttoday. Now she tried to get it here in time and if I didn't live on a godforsaken island in the middle of the arctic, where we experienced a horrific Nor'easter Thursday-Sun wee AM and we had NO FERRY BOAT all day Saturday.........then I would hvae gotten it right on time. But the saying "not wind, nor rain nor snow will keep the usps from delivering does not apply to an island off the coast of maine!!

On to much better things.......so no pics but!!!!!!!!!......only because I don't have it set up on our new laptop yet!!!!! WOOHHOOO got a wicked good deal on a Toshiba Satelite P105 LUV i but Vista is going to take some getting used to!

For my birthday I got, Norah Jones new CD, a new pair of sneakers, my daughter made me a pillow, which was blue and purple fleece, my parents gave me my all time favorite scent, white musk......some body spray and perfume spray. My SP gave me some OPal sock yarn which I have wanted to try but my supply is limited iving on this dang rock oh yeah and the all important Dove Chocolate too!!!!! It seems like I am forgetting smething.......I dunno!!

OK so can I say CALGON TAKE ME AWAY!!!!!!! There is this freak fever thing going around.....it apparently is a virus that just has t run it's course.....Big B spiked a fever on Weds evening and by 10pm it was overing just under 105. we medicined him up and it broke at around 1 am.....poof gone! Thurs am it was back but hovered between 99 and 101 spiking at 102 in the night Fri. it seemed better in the am but he was out of it.....just sort of whiny and yuck.....Sat he was ful of piss and vinegar, but sat night boom back to 103 sun it was more towards normal and today the fever is gone but he is still a monster......through it all he has not wanted to eat, and has been somewhat stuffy.....if you force him to eat something he pukes......but does not really have a stomcach thing persay. Little B has it but thus far the fvers have been much milder than big b's. I have to wonder if it is because I am still nursing him.......I dunno......this whole nursing thing is a mystery even after 3 chitlins!!!! This is the longest I have evr gone. Anyway.....I am ready for a vacation..........I think I have off for a few days anyway....

Oh yeah our family splurge was a nintendo ds........yo know they are actually quite addictive........and it is a good incentive for our dear daughter to help out and be nice.......she earns technology time for good behavuir and doing her chores, as well as extras.........it was computer time but she puls the old "I don't care" when we take it away!

Well enough for now!!!! Thank you SP. You rock......you have no idea how much that package and card meant to me on a day like today!!!!!!! Such a sweet surprise to see that card tucked in amongst all the daily humdrum and then the package was rubber banded to my mail box!!!! WOOHOO t'was a good day!

ANGELS ALL OVER!!!

So here is the book I knitted the angel from.......I love the patterns!!!!! I have included a few shots from the book aren't they sweet? I have had a few requests for more info, I got the book from Herschners and the patterns call for #10 cotton. I did not know that when I bought the book so I got it and then had to wait until I got out to get the yarn....oh yeah and they are knit on size 0's or 1's I did mine on 1's.

So I was at work today for the ferry service and a very nice lady (silly me I did not ask for a name, nor did I introduce myself) came up to me while I was knitting.

She asked what I was knitting and went on to say she was a knitter and we carried on about various things, it was great! Knitting opens doors I swear!! I am a fairly shy person but if I see someone knitting something intriguing I will not hesitate to walk right up and ask them what they are knitting, which turns into how long have you been knitting etc..........any way I told her she could get more info on the angels and internet knitting mag links here, all she had to do was google crafty momma. So if you found your way here.....Welcome!!!!








In the non knitting craft section....here are my -slowly coming along- Christmas Spiders...........do you know how long it takes to bead those dang legs........why do spiders have to have 8 legs? I think they are awfully cute, and I have some that will be colored but I am trying to get through the pearls first.
I have 3...count them 3 sick kids AGAIN!!!!!! YUCK!!!!! But I have 4 days off and will try to get everyone patched up, but the sickys are why there are no pics of the cuties..........you can imagine the oozy ucky without having to see it pasted to their cherub sweet faces!!!








And here is what I was working on............my FIRST big lace project.....it was a rough start with lotsa swearing, but after starting and ripping several DOZEN times I am well under way, but still have a long way to go!!!


Fiber TRends Butterfly Gardens Lace Shawl, in knit picks Bare Lace weight yarn. Size 6 circs, Knit Picks essentials interchageables!

Pics of FO's and some baby eye candy and a computer question

Ok so these knitted angels are soo cute and they are fairly quick knits. This is the knitting angel......see how she only has one wing.......well the other wing she will be knitting.....it is all ready I just don't have any toothpicks/angel size knitting needles, the wing is 3/4 of the finished wing with a starched ball of yarn atached to it, she will be holding these in her hands.

The finished angel is 3 and 1/2 inches tall. I have completed the pieces for another small one as well as for a 9 inch tree topper. I have to starch and assemble them though.

These are just sooooo dang cute. I got so many comments as I was knitting them. For those of you who are a bit apprehensive about jumping in to a big lace project, I think these are a starting point that is manageable. And I have to say I am quite addicted............








Do you remember the yarn I asked for guesses on the end project for, a few posts back......? I was so sad no one guessed as I sure it was an easy guess, as I am a sock addict.....but anyway, I was going to give the correct guess a skein of the Mountain Colors in another colorway I have....but since no one guessed I will keep it till I figure out what to make with it. Here are another pair of socks for DD done 2 at a time on circs.




As you can see she was delighted!!! Good grief it is hard to believe one 2 yr old can make that big a mess in just an hour!?!?!?!?!!?











And these are mommy's matching socks.....oh my goodness these were heaven to knit up and they are pure luxury on the feet.........mine have been washed once and held up fairly well......the mini cable rib makes them stretchy so even if they felt a bit they should still be ok.



So there you have FO's 7,8 and 9 woohoo!!!
I am taking a vow of no knitting while I finsh some beading projects I started before X-mas, but I may finish the 2 angels off!

Little B is feeding himself these days and mom, dad, Big B and the princess enjoy tormenting him by sticking food to his face!!! He doesn't look like he hates it does he?










My Big girl at her first knowledge fair. She studied the herring gull for a native animal, and then she did the polar bear for a non native animal and she did a really good job presenting it!









SHHHHHHH..........I think she has a crush on the boy next to her, who shall remain nameless!!!!!
Look at the nest, I wish I had gotten a close up of the nest cause the gull she made out of clay is really good!!!!!






Here is a question for any computer nerds, or ANYONE knowledgeable in computers.......I need a new Laptop. I know I do not NOT NOT NOT NOT want a mac. I will be using it for: Blogging, a small homebased business.......actually I am the E.A. for a local non-profit that grants low interets loans to new businesses or to improve businesses.......burning pics, and music, loading and unlaoding my ipod, maybe making some picture DVD's.......what do I need as far as hard drive, memory, processors........I want to get a good one and was actually on line at best buy (i believe) checking the new notebook tablets out.....they are too cool, BUT do I really need that? Any help would be wonderful!!!

FO 8 and 9 and almost 10

But I haven't gottan any pictures of those yet so I will tease you with some descriptions and show you a picture of my knitting daughter!!!!!! She is beginning to get the hang of it. At 6 I don't think I could have sat still long enough to learn!!!

So the mystery yarn from the post below, has become a pair of delectabley soft squishy warm socks for MOI and I thinik I am going to squeek out a pair for dear daughter!

I have knitted a beautiful 3 inch tall 3-D angel......she is too cute, I need 2 toothpicks to use as knitting needles for her....she is a knitting angel, and she is finishing her 2nd wing.....it is on her needles. Oh my god these are adorable. I have another mini one ready for the starching and put together process, and I am in the process of knitting a larger (9) inch one as well! These are great for starting the lace process. It is a small scale project so if you screw up you just rip out a wing or an arm, although it always seems to be the skirts that I screw up!!!!! GRRRRR!!!

When I finish the currnet angel on the needles I am going to starch them and then move on to some beading projects I started before Christmas. I must do these before I start anything else!!! Why you ask??? Well let's see, Big B is potty trainging big time so we are ALWAYS running to the pot, Little B is now proficient at crawling and is now delighted by the fact that he can belly up to the stairs and if no one cathces him be on the 3rd befiore you can blink!!!!! He is only 8 months old please HELP ME!! And Dear daughter begins swimming lessons on the mainland every friday for the next 2 months! Not to mention all the work I have coming at me.....not complaioning though for sure!!!!!

I will try to get some pics downloaded ASAP!!!!

Number 6 FO of 07!!!

Wow, does anyone else see a problem here? The hat seems to have eaten Big B's head!! RUH ROH!!! :) Abit of hot, and cold, agitation and VOILA!! We have a headed Big B, with a fresh new hat to love!!!









It came out quite good. I did it in Knitpicks yarn, and it is the hello yarn pattern. Very easy and my 2nd attempt at color work.....my dear daughter now wants a pair of socks with the skull in them.....hmmmmmm she also wants a pair of knee socks!!! KNEE SOCKS????? Sometimes I think she has to be someone elses child :) 6 years old and asking for knee socks, hmmmmmmmmmmoh well!





Here is the posterior view, complete with the school closings at the bottom of the screen!!!












Sissy had to get her noggin in on the gig too! I do think I will give it one more shrinky dink before I will be completely satisfied. And a note to anyone who is curious....if you tack the lining before you shrink, it appears that you get a brim.....not a bad thing but certainly something to note, if you don't already know!!!








Any guesses what this plush, furry yarny goodness is becoming? It is Mountain Colors, Mountain Goat in Thunderhead. I have 460 yds of this yummy stuff.....very apropriate name as it reminds me of the skies in the simmer during thunderstorms!!!

The Newest Finished Project!

So my "sherbert" jaywalkers looked like they were really closing in on being done at noon. But then I had to go to work, so that interfeared with knitting soap opera time, but anyway. While at work I obsessed about the kitchnering of the finished sock, I was reallyunhappy with it but didn't know if I could do any better. So when I got home I set to work on the unfinished sock and carefully completed the kitchnering, not to tight yet not to loose (the latter is what happened to the first sock not to mention I think I missed one of the steps and there was also a pretty good hole). I did it successfully and it looks so smooth. I then picked the other sock and undid it. I am so much happier with the finished results!!!!

Finito!!! WOOHOOO!!! I love these and I totally hope they fit my friend, Mrs. C!!!!!












I got my Christmas present yesterday too. My Mother in law gave me a gift certificate to knit picks. These are the books I got, 50 Baby Booties by Zoe Mellor (before anyone gets excited, NO NO NO I am not pregnant, I just love all things baby!) Knitting Around by Elizabeth Zimmerman, Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush and Sensational Socks...can't remember the creator! Oh and the Sock It To Me Card. Love it!!! I also got the knit picks needle case, and several needles.



Also in the package was the black skein to finish Big B's hat, which will be felted. Can't wait to see how it turns out!!!!! Anyone know wether to felt first then tack the liner or tack then felt??

Lazy Sunday afternoon, and the all important Cheerios!!!!!

We all went for a walk this afternoon.....it got over 20 degrees and the wind wasn't howling!!! We really do have the greatest views!!!!!!! When we got back to the van, we all had red cheeks and frozen noses, and Big B had fallen on his bum about a thousand times and laughed about it, but they are also all SOUND asleep !! Woohoo for us. We actually got to sit down and play a card game and watch Desperate House wives,........is any one else out there hooked on that silly show?????



Baby B is getting good at finger foods.....he loves to play with them but boy oh boy when he actually gets one to his mouth the grin of satisfaction is such a sweet reward!










No he does not have jauncdice!!! He has strained carrots all over his cute little mug. No sense cleaning him up until he is done!!!!











Such concentration. Perhaps a brain surgeon?














See what I mean about sweet satisfaction? That is the YEEHAW I got it mama face!!!!!!







I should have a completed pair of socks tomorrow.....I just turned the heel on numero 2.

Knitten mittens and socks! oh and some REALLY cute kids!!

So here is my new obsession! As you can see this picture was taken days ago. This sock now has 1/3 of it's mate. I am not particularly happy with the kitchnering on this baby.....leaves a bit to be desired. Will try to do better on the second one and may rip back on this one. It is Opal but I am not sure of the official colorway name, I call it sherbert! It looks like lemon, watermelon and orange sherbert with little peppermint stripes between each set! Love love love it. It is for a really good friend of mine....hopefully it will fit. It appears a bit snug, but she is a skinny little thing anyway!!!!!!

Here are Big B's new fleece stuffed (or as I have seen them online called thrumbed) mittens. He doesn't use the thumbs really but I made them big enough so he should be able to wear them next year if we can still find them. He gets horribly chapped hands so a rubbed in some lotion as I was knitting the fleece in.....not sure if it will help but it can't hurt and they smell sooooo goood!!! There is no pattern. I made it up as I went along. It is knit with Black wool ease (cut me some slack, these are for my 2 year old son!!!) and some random fluff Dear hubby picked out the colors!!!


And this is what Big B thinks of potty training! I laugh my behind off every time he does this.....the only time it isn't funny is when he continues to tug and gets his head stuck in the leg hole and we have to rip it to get it off of him!!!! Isn't life at 2 years old grand!!!!!!!








And of course I am not one ounce mommy, but aren't these kids tooo dang cute!!!! This was the better of 4 attempts, they were more than happy to pose, but in one Big sis was looking in lala land, in another Big B was strangling Baby B, and in yet another Big B was cross eyed and Big sis looked drunk!!!!!! In this one Big Sis' smile is as canned as they come but over all I love the pic!!!






Ok so would you believe that this the same pair that give each other black eyes and scratches. :) A week ago now Dear hubby left the boys in the van long enough to run in to the transfer station here on island and Big B apparently threw his Tonka Cup (It has a hard hat shaped top, complete with a brin) and it obviously beamed poor baby B, the brim mark went from temple to lower eye and then the top of the hat hit him mid fore head. The bruise was not to bad but nonetheless you hate to see any baby bruised. About 2 days later baby B got his revenge though. As Bib B leaned in for a hug he reached out and clawed his Big brother across the bridge of his nose.........Hmmmmmm what's it gonna be like when they can throw punches?? Actually they get alopng great 99% of the time.

Look who is on the move!!! Our trouble has just begun!!!! So far he doesn't stray to far from mom or dad, but his curiosity is definitly peaking!














Hey guys look at me! This is how this little guy is 95% of the time. He is always ready with a smile. I thought my first 2 were easy and happy, I thought there was no way a third could be any easier, but I was wrong....the only time he is unhappy is if he is hungry or tired.......







Big sis being goofy, not all sure what she is holding.....in fact niether of us remember this picture being taken....hmmmmmm very odd.




Well I am off to make a batch of homemade marshmallows with Big sis.........never done it before but sounds interesting....the worst that we could do is be left with fluff right??? Hmm not a bad mistake!!!!

Secret Pal 10 questionairre

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I am spoiled a bit so I do not like acrylic at all. I like soft wools and mixes, nothing too picky. My favs. thus far are socks that rock sock yarn, self patterning yarns, cottons, and a new fav is wool n flax by Harrisville....YUMMO

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have a knit picks needle binder thingy!!!!

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I first learned from my grandmother when I was 6, but after leaving her home in maine at the end of the summer and returning to VA, I LEFT IT ASIDE....and picked it back up with a bit of self t4eaching and drawing on what I could recall when I was about 20. I guess I would say that I am somewhere between intermediate and advanced....I have tons I can learn, but I am willing to tackle any project big or small and figure it out.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?No I don't but there are tons of books I would love to have.

5. What's your favorite scent? I have several, my absolute fav. is The Body Shop's White Musk....I have worn it since I was 16 (almost half my life now YIKES) I love vanilla and anything citrusy

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Yes I do. and anything chocolate!!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I am deperate to learn how to spin!!!! I don't know anything about it at all! I love all crafts!! Sewing, scrapbooking, cooking the list continues!!!

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I like country, and classic rock

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? Fav's are blues, purples.......as far as yarn goes mixes are awesome but if it is a solid color, greens and oranges are not my fav.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I have 3 kiddies a 6 year ld daughter, a 2 year old son and a 7 month old son. I have 2 meat head female black labs and a black cat.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I do, except for the ponchos, I have never had one so if I did I would probably wear it!

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? SOCKS.....baby stuff. I like knitting sweaters too but always have to have that portable project going as well!!!

13. What are you knitting right now? Finishing a pair of fleece stuffed mittens for middle son, and a pair of socks for a friend.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes I love them.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Circulars and metal!

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? I don't own either one. WOULD ABSOLUTELY love both but diapers are more important at this point :) so hubby acts as the swift and I am the winder :)

17. How old is your oldest UFO? Well it really isn't a UFO it is just a continuing project but I have a scraps blanket that I have had on the needles for 6 years.....every time I finish a project I use what is left of the skein for the blanket....I can look at it and say hey I remember the sweater I knit out of that or the socks fromthat one etc.

18. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween......key note I hate Christmas!!!!!!!!!!

19. Is there anything that you collect? Teddy Bears, used to be the stuffed version but now it is the nick nack version and I love celestial stuff

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I want them all!!!! I get Interweave KNIT MAG. I am dieing to learn lace knitting but really any of the new books like yarn girls, the stash knitting book, Mason Dixon knitting.... could go on....oh yeah any of Nancy Bush's books.....

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Hmmmmmmm I would really like to get good at fair isle.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? OOOOOOOHHHH YEAH!!!!!! my foot is a size 10!

23. When is your birthday? ARGH March 17 I will be 31......I was a green bicentinial baby!!!! :)

You know that was actually hard!! I hate talking about myself!!!! I will try and remember to talk about things I yearn for in my posts as my fear is getting a secret pal that is very vague and I can't figure out what they like..............LOL I am also a worrier!!! Can you tell?!?!?!

We are ALIVE!!!!!!

Ok so these pictures always post bass ackwards from what i think I am downloading them. I lack the energy to rearrange them today.........so I am going with it. For those of you here primarily for knitting content, scroll to the bottom of this long winded post!!!!

This is pic. 2 of the yarn pics...the first one all youseeis his back....he was giggling mischieviously and then he would let out a screech and wriggle across the bed....hmmmmm the "ball" was getting away from him!!


I was trying to get what I think will be one of the last few pics of his toothless grins....and the little bugger kept sitting forward, just as I was snapping the picture......my digi, is very slow......we should be inproving on that shortly!

He wanted the dangly wrist strap.....it was just too tantalizing for him.....






And again with the darn strap!!













EUREEKA!!! Success, oh how sweet it is! I hid the strap in my hand and then had dar hubby make faces behind me as I held him in place!!!!! He is so strong.....he now does the commando crawl!!! Ever seen it? Belly on the ground and uses his arms primarily and then sometimes when he really wants to get somewhere fast he uses his toes to push off......CUTE CUTE CUTE






Here is the first yarn "ball" picture!!!!











An update on us before the knitting and dear daughter content!!! No posts for 2 weeks, and why might you ask???? Well after the viral croup thing with little B, we all got it....only our version was a head cold that went south. We went away the weekend befor last which was a week later than originally planned. Didn't go far but spent some quality time just with the kids! Had dinner with a dear friend and her 2 year old son, which was blissful for me. I enjoy the company of a dear friend, and living on an island surounded on all sides by water, it is a challenge to plan such outings! Got home Sunday afternoon and 3 hours later Dear daughter was puking sick, 12 hours later she had run herself empty from both ends and was just weak. She stayed home Monday to rest and recoop. Tuesday all was well, was making whoopie Pies for the community center and Dear hubby was home and getting ready to goof around with the kids (at like 4:30) when he stepped in a wet spot in the floor, he called for the dog and just as he was realizing the dog was outside, dear daughter started screaming "big B is puking EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWW YUCK DDDDAAADDDDDDDDDDDYYYYYY!!!!!!" so the "puddle" was not dog produced at all. Big B's lasted till Thursday evening. Poor guy lost 9 pounds in 2 days and was almost hospitalized. I got it on Friday.......I think I had it easy actually I only had (to put it nicely) the "trots" and extreme stomach pains. I can only equate them to back labor, with a kidney infection......it was horrible. I think we are FINALLY all well. I knock on wood, throw salt over my shoulder and all those great things as I say it!
My 3rd FO of 2007 it started out as something totally different. The pattern I was going to use was mistake written and I could not find any help so I frogged it. Dear daughter is very happy with her new wool and flax sweater. I can honestly say I don't like putting together sweaters with saddles....tooo much sewing....and ends ohmy goodness!! Any way it is done and it is beautiful!





Sorry about the bad lighting but with the flash it was all washed out!!!


























I can't remember if I posted the 2nd FO of 2007. But here it is. I am not fond of triangle plain shawls but this yarn HAD to go. It had been in my stash for long enough! It is done and I have sewn in the ends now.


I am currently working on Sockotta self striping socks, not sure of the colorway but I am using the jaywalker pattern and am knitting them for the aforementioned dear friend. I knit one of my first few pairs for her several years back and on our visit she told me she finally just wore the out. Out with the old and in with the new!!!