this and that

Last weekend, we (Bob and I) made a little journey south.  We were hoping for a bit of warmer weather to counteract the unusually cold spring we are having, but the weather really didn't get much better.  After all, it's less than 200 miles, so we shouldn't expect to wear flip flops with our winter coats, right?!

We did get to attend a baby shower for my niece, Nora, hosted by 2 of her girlfriends.  It's Nora's first, and her mom's first grandbaby, so I really enjoyed catching up with them on how this baby-making is progressing!  Here's Nora, with her mom, Mary, and my mom, too.  This will be my mom's 6th great-grandchild and the 4th boy.

One of the shower decorations was this sign, and I love the verse on it!

Meanwhile, my own little grandson, Leo, is growing by leaps and bounds!  We went from the 20th percentile on growth curves at his 1 month checkup, to 50th percentile at 2 months!  I think he's determined to catch up with his big brothers, Ian and Jack.

I can't wait for Nora and Mary to get the chance to ooh and aah over their little guy's milestones!  Leo is starting to smile and interact in a real way, not just hopeful thinking!

I'm into baby-hat-knitting mode, and here's another one just finished!

And another cast on!

This yarn looks a lot like denim.  It's called Tenderfoot and comes from The Polka Dot Sheep out of Whitefish, MT.  The color is named Stillwater.  I've lost the name of the yarn used in that first hat, unfortunately.  I really should get better about keeping the names and care info with the yarn, but if the yarn sometimes needs to be wound into a ball or "cake", and then the label doesn't stay connected.

No sewing done here except to get the quilting and binding done on 2 quilts for classes at Bear Patch, that was on a deadline so I was very happy just to meet that deadline!  Especially since I was the one that set that deadline for all the class samples to be turned in!

Along with getting all the class samples ready for display, there is a lot of "backroom" work on the computer, which is what I have spent some time on the last few days.  If you want to see proof of my labors, just look through the class information for the store's website.  Click on any class, and you will get a full description plus details.  I'm glad that's all done for now, but I'm still looking for errors every time I look at it!  There are a lot of dates and times and requirements to include, and after awhile they are all swimming around in my head like a whirlpool!

Today, I'm swearing off computers and going outside while the sun is shining so I can pull some weeds!  Have a great day!

knit notes

I am suddenly in the process of knitting 3 things at once, after a dry spell with yarn.  This is partly due to the fact that I am looking forward to some vacation and holiday time over the next few weeks, and it is so easy to take along some easy knitting.  For the most part, these projects are mobile and do not demand constant attention, so I can even talk and knit at the same time!

First, a winter scarf (one can never have too many in MN!) much like some I have made before but with a different yarn.  So far, this yarn is working.  I really do prefer to buy my yarn at an actual yarn shop when I can, because the selection is great and the service is helpful.  But it's not always so convenient to do that, so sometimes I find myself wandering the yarn aisles at someplace like JoAnn's, and wondering if one of their yarns will serve the purpose I have in mind.  This pattern calls for 2 colors of variegated yarn to get the effect, and I am trying this yarn from Red Heart.  I have had a couple bad experiences with yarn that I thought was a good deal, but turned out to be a nasty texture to work on.  So let's hope this time I have it right!

I made a sweater for Ian last spring, and liked the result enough that I decided to do it again in a bigger size.  It's the letter sweater in this Debbie Bliss book--

The first sweater has a big "I" on the front.  With another little grandson coming along, Brita had the bright idea to just but a "B" on this sweater (B for Burke) and then both boys will one day wear it.  I changed to a different yarn this time, since I wasn't too happy with the amount of pilling that has sprung up all over Ian's sweater.  This time I am using Paton's Classic Wool in the DK weight.  It is washable and seems durable, both good qualities for little dude clothes!

This one will be a dark red body with gray trim on the edges and for the letter.

 And then last night over a delicious dinner with Debbie at Ingredients, our favorite spot in White Bear Lake, she showed me a cute little baby hat that she had made for her granddaughter.  As luck would have it, I happened to have the exact yarn needed here at home.  Plus the right size of needles!  So I did a test knit this morning, and have started the ribbing for this little project.  Now that I know that I have what is needed, I can zip this project into a travel bag and have it ready for a trip!  The yarn is Knitcol Trends by Adriafil.

A sure sign of winter at our house--

Bob keeps a bowl of walnuts ready to crack during a movie or tv show.  We have been working our way through the Friday Night Lights series, free on our Amazon channel via Roku.  We are now on season 5, the final season, so wondering how they are going to wrap it up with these interesting characters.  I just want to see Tim end successfully, and that McCoy kid and his dad get a comeuppance!

randomly

Some assorted happenings to tell you about....

I started a new stocking cap that I hope will be big enough for Dan's head.  It's very much like a cap I made him a few years ago, but a different weight and brand of yarn, so I wasn't 100% sure of how many stitches to cast on.  At first, I thought I had totally miscalculated because it looked so small on the ribbing edge.  But as it has progressed, I'm more hopeful that it will, in fact, fit the intended head.  As long as he keeps his hair short!  It's very nice yarn to work with, a washable wool.  

A new fun find on the shelves at Trader Joe's!

Speculoos Cookie Butter--like they say in Wikipedia, it's a spreadable cookie.  SO GOOD!  Really good on toast.  I'm thinking a Speculoos/Nutella combo might be even better!  If you can find yourself some, give it a try.  It's sort of like a spice cookie flavor from a Belgian cookie specialty.  I researched it a little online, and noticed that sometimes it has to be rationed by the stores, which means I better go back and get some more!

Our favorite little guy has been working on his balance and has been brave enough to release the hand or object that supports his walking.  A small step for Ian, a giant leap for his parents!

We loved having him and his parents with us for a few days during our family fishing trip at Lake Winnibigoshish.  There were several "2nd cousins" (children of cousins) that were so good with little Ian.  These 2 below, Cade and Jorgen, were especially fun for Ian to watch.

Group hug!

Thanks, guys, for delighting little Ian with your smiles and play.  Cade, on the left, is from Memphis.  Jorgen is from Lincoln, NE.  I hope we get to see them again sometime soon.