Would have to be me .

Life has been so crazy and I feel pulled in a hundred different directions. I have been knitting – what I like to call low maintenance knitting, like dishclothes and slippers. I’ve been out of my knit groove for a few months now, but I’m sure after the big move I’ll be back at it. Starting in September I will be working part-time and I’ll be taking the bus both ways to work everyday so knitting time will increase.

You only live once and I’m becoming tired of this rat race.

Life has gotten the better of me and I just haven’t been keeping up my blog. In fact I haven’t been knitting much either. I think a hat and a Barbie sweater and that’s it.

Basically the last little bit my DH and I have been house hunting and had to deal with a very sick cat. Well the cat is much better and we bought our very first home this week! Maybe this means I will find sometime to knit again. Later on this evening I will try to update this entry with some images of the what I have made in the last few weeks.

He’s all done! I love him so much I almost don’t want to give him away.

This is what I’ve been working on for the last week:

This is a pattern I purchased from designer Hansi Singh. It’s my first hansigurumi creature and I’ve enjoyed making it so far. I made a few small errors, nothing anyone will see. This isn’t a movie watching project that’s for sure. I had to look up some of the increases and decrease on knittinghelp.com. Both the girls have put in their ‘orders’ since this is for my sister who loves all things owl. I love it so much I want one too.

I’ll try to keep the progress posted. As usual life is so busy and I can barely keep up with my blog. I would love to post more often.

Here is little A working on her very first scarf. She is learning at a surprising rate. Within a half hour she ‘got’ how to knit. She makes lots of little errors – who didn’t when they first started knitting? But she can put it down and come back the next day and knit without any help from me. Yes I’m just a little proud of all this.

And these are the star Christmas ornaments I’ve been making. Which I just love and will have to make lots for my own tree once my gift ones are done. You just have to love Raverly which where I found this pattern among so many others I want to make.

I’m pretty sure this will be my last post for this year unless a miracle happens I actually have some free time, so I would like to wish you all a Happy Holiday and a fabulous New Year.

Louise

I’ve been busy getting ready for Christmas, as I’m sure everyone else has been too. I have several things I want to post, but will have it’ll have to wait.

I’ve been teaching little A to knit and she’s really picking up on it. It’s amazing to watch her creating stitches all by herself and of course I can’t help puff up with pride – especially when she said to me, eyes wide “Mommy it’s like magic”. Yes my sweet child it is just like magic. We’ll keep telling the non-knitters of the world that it’s magic and they will continue to be in awe of us.

Pictures of my recent Christmas project are coming as well as my next project that I’m so excited about. I’m bursting at the seams to tell you all about it, but that would ruin the surprise.

It’s been a whole month! November is a busy month for me, but I have been knitting mitts and neck warmers for the girls as an early winter has hit us. Today I’m going for my driver’s license – thank goodness it’s warmed up a bit so no ice or snow on the roads. Typically stress hell has broken loose on me on a day when I need to focus.

Little A awoke with a high fever so my neighbour has to watch her while Pete and I am at the road test centre.  It seems I am missing two important meetings at work today and now I have to take the day off so I can take care of Ally. Plus I’m leaving to go to my mom’s (about an 1.5 away) for the weekend so I have to pack etc. And to top it off I’m running on very little sleep.

At least my weekend will be relaxing and fun. Plus it will include lots of knitting.

Here’s an interesting story:

My mom came to visit a few weekends ago a brought me a whole pile of vintage patterns – dating from the 40′s up to the 80′s. As I’m drooling over them all I come across a Beehive pattern book called “Baby Styles”. It looks like it’s from the 50′s. They have these cute names for all the patterns, like one called “Wee Willie Winkie”. It made me giggle just reading it.

As I’m flipping through this book, drooling and giggling I see a crocheted dress and I take a closer look. I looks familar – it looks like a dress my mom recently gave me that my grandma made for me as a baby. I go upstairs and get it out of the closet and compare. Sure enough it’s the same dress! My grandma altered it a little bit to add a ribbon around the waist, but other than that it’s the same dress. The coolest thing is that my mom bought these patterns at a garage sale – so it’s not like this was my grandma’s pattern book. By some coincidence the dress and pattern have been reunited.

So here they are together again:

From the pattern book “Baby Styles” by Beehive.

The dress my grandma made for me (and BTW I was born in the 70′s not the 50′s ).

It’s not spectacular, but it’s the first Barbie dress I’ve ever made. As I make more I hope to start creating some of my own clothes, using a much finer yarn and gauge. But for now these knit up fast and the girls love them.

Happy turkey day! To celebrate here are some photos of the completed layette:

one wee hat – check

one pair wee booties – check

one wee cardigan – check

one wee blanket, previously loved – check

I made the above blanket for little A and wanted to give it to someone who I knew rather then just donating.

My next project will be making Barbie clothes for my girls – I have a vintage pattern which is the same one my mom used to make doll clothes for me .