Knitting Funny

                                             Source: blog.lionbrand.com via Madeline on Pinterest

 

Carrie Grant in Mr. Lucky   

This is probably what I look like when I knit. Though, I hope with more feminine features.
I definitely do the furrowed brow.

Weekend Photos

It's no wonder that Levi is always asking to go to Nanno and BawBaw's house.

Everyday Blessings

The good stuff....

: : A weekend spent hanging out at my parents' house with Stephan and the kids.

: : Soaking up a little sunshine.

: : Short sleeve weather in February.

: : Sophia's new found love for the word "dog". All animals are now dogs to her.

: : Meals cooked by my sweet husband on his days off.

: : Adventures in sock knitting.

: : Two kids spinning circles to "Ring Around The Rosie".

: : Nesting.

: : A little time to myself.

: : A new vacuum cleaner that actually sucks up dirt.

: : Little chats with kind people.

: : Baby stuff sorted and ready...a bit early.

It's the little things.

How was your week? Full of everyday blessings, I hope.

Sunday

For the Lord is the great God,
the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.

Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care. 

~Psalm 95: 3-7

Weekend Loves

Well, Hello, Friday! I've spent the day reorganizing closets. Since getting pregnant I have overhauled every closet in our house. Some women have that last minute nesting urge, mine starts from month one and just keeps going and going and going. In fact, I wouldn't be too shocked if the closets all received another overhaul between now and June. Oh, my. If only I had this kind of drive while not pregnant!

Alrighty then, on to the links...

: : Stephan has convinced me to delve into the world of sock knitting. He says his feet get cold at night, and he really needs a pair of hand knit socks. So, I bought this bookand some lovely, super soft yarn. Deep breath.

: : Suddenly I'm looking forward to summer...and blackberries.

: : I've already picked out the kids' Easter presents. A Knitting Mushroom for Levi who is forever asking me to teach him to knit (any advice on this endeavor would be greatly appreciated) and a child's Bolga basket for Sophia who is forever trying to steal mine...with my knitting still in it.

: : I've had baby on the brain lately. This is calling to me to knit it (even though I don't like knitting blankets), and thisto buy it (loved the one I had when Sophia was tiny) , and this to sew it (despite still not having finished Sophia's quilt).

Hope y'all had a lovely week! Happy Weekend!

Just Because They're So Darn Cute

...and because their grandparents like to see pictures of them...

Everyday Blessings

Just a few things that I am grateful for...

: : Saturday's rain threw off my errand running plans, but since I've been working on a mild cold it was just the rest I needed. I spent most of the day knitting, drinking tea, and doing laundry. The laundry monster has been officially tamed...at least for now.

: : This baby's kicks are getting stronger by the day...a good reason to sit around naval gazing. :) Stephan was even able to feel a couple of them on Valentine's day.

: : Sophia grew overnight. She's looking so little girlish now and not quite so babyish....a tad bittersweet. Her imagination is beginning to take off as well. She's been pretending to be a dog lately. She crawls around with a toy bone in her mouth and tries to say "Ruff". I just want to squeeze her!

: : The way Levi and Sophia crack each other up makes my heart nearly burst. Their ease with one another is something I never anticipated and am so grateful for.

: : I've already posted about Valentine's day, but it really was lovely and worth a second mention.

Hope y'all have had a week brimming over with blessings.

Happy Monday!

Sunday

Photo from March of 2010

"Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,
      for they will walk in the light of your presence, LORD."

                                       ~Psalm 89:15

Weekend Loves

"Look, Mama! I'm an elephant!"

A few links for your weekend:

: : I finished the Beyond Puerperium baby cardigan a few days ago. It's a simple pattern, but not dreadfully boring...a good combo, me thinks. I did the first one in a sport weight, and I've cast on for another in a fingering weight. Photos to come...eventually. (Here's a free version of the same cardi. It has fewer sizes and yarn options.)

: : Popsicle sticks and velcro are on tomorrow's shopping list. I'm convinced that this will keep Levi busy for hours!

: : 100 ways to be kind to your child.

: : This doll and her sweet clothes. Oh. my. Love!

: : If I can stop knitting baby clothes for a few minutes, then these might just make their way into this year's Easter baskets.

Happy weekend! 

Other than buying popsicle sticks and velcro, I'll be conquering the mountain of laundry (that I've already been working on for two days!), catching up on Downton Abbey, and, of course, knitting. How about you? Any fabulous (or not so much) weekend plans up your sleeve?

Favorite New Toy?

This is what he asks to do every day now.

"Mama, I love to wind yarn for you! Can I wind more?" 

"Sorry, Baby, there is no more." 

"Mama, can I wind more tomorrow?" 

If it was up to him we'd spend our grocery money on yarn just so that he could wind it.

The first swifts I looked at were the umbrella style. They're pretty, but at upwards of $50 I knew I would cringe every time my kids went near it. I didn't want something that I only felt comfortable pulling out when they were sleeping. Yay for this Amish-design swift. It's inexpensive and seems to be reasonably kid-proof...a good combo. The ball winder was also inexpensive, and so far, so good.

Yesterday...In Mostly Photos

>

French toast, strawberries, mama-made hearts, cards exchanged, a lunch date...just the two of us (thanks, Mom), flowers from my love, a nap, tea and knitting in bed, topped off by a yummy supper made by my favorite Valentine.
I don't think it could have been any better.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope y'all have a day full of joy and love!

Happy Anniversary To Us!

2 years.
2 kids.
1 more on the way.
1 ongoing house renovation.
Loads of love.
And dreams for the future.

I can't wait for more.
I love you.
Happy Anniversary!

More about our wedding here.

Sunday

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.” 
~Jeremiah 17: 7-8

At Last!

I finally finished Levi's Gramps Cardigan. I blocked it a couple of days ago, and put the buttons on today. This is the first knitting project that I've been really proud of. To say it was a challenge is an understatement. There were so many times when I sat there scratching my head and thinking I'm never going to get past this point. It was my first go at cables which were actually surprisingly easy. The hard parts came in trying to figure out the construction with vague instructions, decreasing through the cables, short rows in ribbing, and some math errors in the pattern itself. Yikes. The only really noticeable flaw is in the collar. I made it way too wide. I think in my short row confusion I ended up adding too many rows. Oh, yeah, and I put the buttons on the wrong side...oops. I still love the way it turned out, and more importantly Levi is thrilled. He was involved in the decision making process from the beginning and has been diligently checking my progress for the past 5 months. He had final say over the pattern, the yarn color, and the buttons. The boy's got taste...if I do say so myself.

For the knitterly types: I used 3 skeins of Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash Paints. I knit the sweater in a size 6, so he would have room to grow. My Ravelry notes are here. Happy knitting!

Weekend Loves

A few things worth checking out...

: : A chocolate craving led to making this dairy free chocolate mousse. It was yum. I used sugar to sweeten it, but next time I'll try turning it into a much healthier pudding by replacing the sugar with ripe bananas.

: : I'm smitten with these valentines.

: : Striped and polka dotted paper straws. Need I say more?

: : After seeing this, I think I might need some Rasta yarn of my very own. So pretty.

Run across anything wonderful lately?

Knitting Pretty

 

via

Miss Hepburn makes me want to have better posture while knitting.

Everyday Blessings

Is it just me or are Mondays coming around faster these days?
Anyway, happy Monday! Here's my attempt at starting the week off on the right foot...one of gratitude.

I am grateful...

: : that teeth eventually have to surface and no longer cause 3 am wake ups. I'm going for advanced gratitude with this one. ;)

: : that I am very close to finishing Levi's Gramp's Cardigan. It's been awhile since something has sat in my knitting basket for sooooo long.

: : that despite being oh so tired from the many teeth Sophia has coming in, I have still managed to be a not too terribly grouchy mama. I'm pretty sure that was all God's doing because I certainly struggle to be nice when exhausted.

: : that I have a really sweet husband who cleaned the microwave. That sounds so dumb when I type it out, but it had been on my neglected to do list forever. Then I woke up one morning, put a cup of water in, and surprise! It was sparkling. He gets me.

: : that this baby's kicks are getting stronger each day. Little baby kicks make it all so much more 'real' (for lack of a better term). I'm not actually ready for baby just yet. There's still lots of knitting to be done. Okay, and maybe a few other more practical things too. Thank goodness for a 9 month waiting period, but at the same time I can't wait to meet him/her. 

: : that Levi and Sophia love each other so much. They wake up each morning and first thing want to see one another. They hug and squeal and laugh and play. It makes my heart smile.

: : that my mom came over this evening to watch the kids while I went to a yoga class. While she was here she even folded laundry, and got the kids ready for bed! She's a good mom.

I could keep going. It's been a good week, but I think I'm going to knit a bit more on that Gramp's Cardigan and then hit the sack. After all there's a very likely chance of another 3 am wake up.

Dear Teeth,

Please, feel free to take a break for a night or so. We could all use the rest.

Thanks,

Sophia's Mama

So, how about you? What have some of your everyday blessings been?

Sunday

Photo flashback...Levi February 2011

"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
 Worship the LORD with gladness;
   come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God.
   It is he who made us, and we are his;
   we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving
   and his courts with praise;
   give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
   his faithfulness continues through all generations."

~Psalm 100

Weekend Loves

Links to love...

: : Petite Purls has some dreamy free knitting patterns. This  and this are a couple of my faves.

: : Yana gave birth to a beautiful baby girl recently. Her wonderful homebirth story is here.

: : This made me laugh way harder than it should.

: : Little boy fun.

Happy Weekend, y'all!

Morning Pile Up (Or How To Wake Daddy)

The Bump

I'm nearly 20 weeks....halfway there! How did that happen so fast?

My first two pregnancies were so different from one another. After Sophia was born, I decided that it must be because she was a girl and Levi was a boy. Ha. This one is really different from my previous two, so unless there's a third gender that I am unaware of then I have to come to the conclusion that all pregnancies (at least mine) are just different.

Although, the differences are many, the one that is most on my mind these days is food. With Levi all I wanted all day long was junk food...chocolate in particular. With Sophia I had so many food aversions that I actually had trouble eating, but what I did eat was generally healthy. Oddly, though, I gained more weight with her. With this one, I've craved healthy foods and lots of them...raw onions, cucumbers, any veggie drenched in lemon juice, pomegranates, oranges, avocados, and salads. Okay, so red meat and dairy were major cravings for awhile there too...not exactly my idea of health food but still different from my previous pregnancies.  

Levi and Sophia are pretty much like compatible (at least for now) polar opposites. It all just makes me curious about this new little one. Will he or she be wildly different as well? No two are alike I suppose, which really just makes it all the more exciting. In 20ish more weeks we'll get to meet this new, tiny person...who, I am positive, will fit right into our little family no matter what.