Wrap-Up Time

I've been cutting, sewing, and stitching:

And Holly and I put our hands together for this one:

 

And I've been knitting, too.

All for a little baby boy who's due to make his appearance in early June. And today, we wrapped it all up and gave it away! The most fun part of all! ~CJ~

A Knitty, Sewy, Crazy-Weather Weekend

As much as I'm looking forward to spring really coming and staying, I actually enjoy when the weather takes a wintery turn and I feel like sitting inside knitting. That's what happened this weekend. We went from the 70s on Friday to the 30s on Sunday, with snow and even a touch of hail. Yes, those are hail stones on the grass and in the flower bed. They should be blossoms...what's going on?!

It didn't take long for the hail to melt, and here (in the hail-free, dry grass) is my cute little Baby Sophisticates sweater that I've been working on. Spring cannot make up her mind! This time, I made the trim a different color. What do you think?

I just have the sleeves to finish and then it will be time for the buttons. This pattern never fails me. It works up beautifully each time and is so satisfying to knit! 

Holly was home for the weekend and worked on her adorable blue and brown baby sweater. She branched out to a new pattern this time. I love the colors together and the cute ribbing on the neck and bottom. It's really sweet to have knitting in common with my daughter. Our knit-sticky times together are so fun when she comes home for a visit!

Holly whipped up a fat blue chicken, too! I don't have a finished photo yet; more to come! Check back, cause it's too cute to miss!

 

We did a little sewing, too. But mums the word on this one. More in about a week!

Patch-Kitty made herself at home up on my table next to the sewing machines. She's never done that before, and I couldn't resist the photo op. It's my favorite spot, too! (Not on the table, though, in the chair!)

We had a birthday occasion - Holly's - and she put in her order for lemon cake (a variation of my favorite lemon bread recipe). Can you just smell the wonderful, fresh lemon aroma?!

It's dense and lemony, and works perfect in a bundt pan. The best part is the sweet lemon glaze that soaks in while it's hot. I'm sharing the recipe, which has been a family favorite for years. I remember my mom making this as lemon bread since I was a teenager. This recipe below is doubled for the bundt cake pan.

Lemon Bundt Cake

2/3 cup butter

2 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup milk

Cream butter and sugar. Blend eggs into the mixture one at a time. Add flavoring. Blend in milk.

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp salt

In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together. Blend into wet mixture a little at a time.

2 Tbs grated lemon peel

1 cup nuts (optional)

Fold in lemon peel and nuts.

Pour into greased and floured bundt pan.

Bake at 325 degrees for 45-50 minutes, until golden and toothpick comes out clean. Wait 5 minutes and turn cake onto serving plate.

Make glaze of 6 Tbs fresh lemon juice and 1/2 cup sugar. Spoon glaze over hot cake just out of the oven. My mom's tip is to poke little holes in the top of the cake with a toothpick before pouring the glaze over, so it soaks in really well. Thanks, Mom! 

Enjoy! ~CJ~

A Green Addition to the Family

A new little Green Bunny Nugget has joined the Easter family in the basket. He was in the making yesterday...

 ...and got his finishing touches today (stuffing, eyes, nose, and fluffy tail!). 

Yellow Bunny Nugget and Blue Chubby Chirp are sure happy to have a friend. Three is definitely NOT a crowd! The more, the merrier.

 Their Easter basket is starting to fill up!

 And the Next Fun Thing has begun...

 ...a new little baby sweater! In a delightful spring yellow. Yummy! 

In all the chaos and upsets of life, knitting calms my soul. The soft yarn is soothing in my fingers. The bright colors are uplifting. The rigid needles are strong and make it all work. And the repetition of knit and purl reassures me that if I just keep on keeping on, one stitch at a time, something good will come of my effort. I might have to frog and tink a bit, but I won't give up. And it's in the not giving up that I succeed in knitting...and in life. 

Onward. ~CJ~

Christmas on St. Paddy's

Today was my lucky day! The lense for my camera body arrived on my doorstep via the big brown delivery truck, and I've officially made the switch from point-and-shoot to DSLR! I feel like a kid at Christmas! 

Ever since I was young, I've been interested in photography. My dad gave me my first film camera when I was about 12. It was an old Argus. I love that he encouraged me to take pictures and learn how cameras work. When I lived in Japan as a teenager, I bought a Fujica SLR (film) and used and loved it for years. 

When the digital revolution hit, my dad was there for me again, giving me my first point-and-shoot "didge." His only advice: Use it with impunity. (I had to look up that word in the dictionary!) No more paying for film and developing! And use it with impunity, I certainly did! I have thousands of photos in my digital library.

Today is a new era for me, and there is so much to learn about DSLR photography. I guess I'll start by taking pictures with impunity, same as before!

So, in case you've been wondering, here is the beginning of my newest project and one of my first photos with my new camera . . . my version of "2-socks-at-a-time" . . .  

I've started both socks on their own set of sticks. And I just move from one to the other as I complete a set in the pattern.

Love the yarn . . . It is Knit Picks "Felici" in the self-striping color "Afternoon." It's lucious both to look at and to touch and makes knitting a joy. 

I'm steaming some bright green asparagus for dinner in honor of St. Paddy's Day. Yum, it's done! I'm off to eat. Luck o' the Irish to ya! ~CJ~

Off My Needles & Onto My Feet!

They're done! They fit! They're comfy! And they're BRIGHT and fun to wear!

I'm having so much fun with these socks that I knitted for myself. What fun to graft the toe of sock #2 last night and then put both of them on. I didn't want to take them off. I felt like a kid who got new shoes and wanted to sleep in them. (However, I did finally take them off!)

Learning to knit has really upped the creative excitement level in my life. It's been fun to learn how to knit something other than a square. Thank goodness I have YouTube (the best teacher ever) to help me along.

And I have a nasty habit of getting so excited about a new thing, giving it a go, and then dropping it like a hot potato when the newness wears off or the Next Fun Thing comes along. So far so good in slaying that dragon and finishing my projects. A first for me, really! Only time will tell with future projects. Ha ha!

Can't wait to cast on again for the Next Fun Thing! Happy weekend! ~CJ~

Baby Set is Finished

The slip stitch baby hat I've been working on came off my knitting sticks this evening to complete the set for a special little baby boy due in June.

The first thing I did was dress up Baby Boy Doll in the outfit. He takes size 6-9 month baby clothes and I was pleased that all of the items fit him, including the socks (he has such chubby legs!).

His expression doesn't reflect it very well, but I think he feels quite handsome dressed up in the colorful little clothes. (He probably won't want to part with them come baby shower time in April.)

Oh, and just as I predicted, a Chubby Chirp has magically materialized in my home.

She flew right into the Easter Basket...

...where she joined Bunny Nugget, and they have become fast friends. There's room for more...let the magic continue. ~CJ~

Bunny Fun

Feeling much exuberance for the coming of spring and Easter on this snowy day. Little Miss Bunny Nugget grew from my knitting sticks, and found eyes and pom poms in the basement stash. 

She’s looking for friends. Chubby Chirp (grown from Holly’s sticks) might come for a visit tomorrow. That is, if the roads from Logan aren’t covered in snow.

It’s entirely possible that a colorful family of little bunnies, birds, and chicks might magically materialize over the next few weeks.

Hippity, hoppity, Easter’s on its way! ~CJ~

Look What's in My Basket!

The weekend brought yarn and knitting fun! The best kind of weekend! Holly took me to a fantastic yarn store in Logan on Saturday. It was so elegant (really!) and stocked full of the most exquisite yarns and amazing design books. We wandered the floor, stopping at each shelf, and I think we may have touched every brand of yarn there! I came out with some colorful sock yarn...for me! I'm so excited to make myself purple, pink, and red socks! I LOVE LOVE LOVE these colors!

And while I was visiting Burd and Holly, she started a little baby sweater in a darling lavender yarn, with just a little help from me. She's a newby knitter and not afraid of anything. Look at her go!

That was Saturday. And here are text pictures of her progress that I received from her yesterday and today!

Isn't Holls amazing? She just has the button panel and collar and then she's done! And who will be the lucky recipient?! By the way, this is the Baby Sophisticates sweater I posted here. It's such an easy and fun pattern.

Back to my socks...my plan was to knit two at a time on one long circular set of needles. I bought the book 2 at a Time Socks a couple of weeks ago. So I tried out the method with some extra yarn. What a tangled mess of cables and yarn I made. The book warned me not to get discouraged with the tangles, and to just keep going. But after 4 rows, and a huge mess, it occurred to me that it would be a so much easier to just get a second set of dpns and work the first and second pair of socks at the same time on two different sets of needles. Duh! Just alternating socks every inch or so, or with every change of the pattern.

So I gave up (which is very uncharacteristic of me!) on the circular needle thing. I'm sure it works fabulous for a lot of people; it's just not for me. And I went to town with my new yarn on size 2 dpns. Only I just have one set at this time, so the second sock will come later.   

The good thing is, the book has some beautiful sock patterns that I haven't seen before, so I'm happy I bought it, afterall. I'm using one of its patterns for these socks. It's a simple knit 3 - purl 1 ribbing. I'll get more creative another time. There is enough color variety in my yarn for interest. I didn't want to over-power the great colors with a busy stitch.

Yes, I plan to have happy feet with these socks!

By this evening, I've turned the heel and I am knitting the foot. The yarn fascinates me. It's colorway ranges from deep purple, to fushia, and bright red. These are some of favorite colors!  

It's fun to have something new in my basket, and it's a treat to be knitting for ME this time! ~CJ~

UPDATE: A day after making this post, Holly sent me a picture of her FINISHED baby sweater!

Knitting worked its magic once more. This little sweater hooked Holls so fast! I'm so proud of her. She is a knitting MACHINE and loving it! There's no telling the projects that are in store for her in the future. She's off to a lovely start! ~CJ~