Catching Up

 She's growing up.....Trip to Nebraska, June 2014

Got the kit for this sundress in Idaho while visiting my Sis last Fall.  It came with the gathered fabric skirt and the chocolate brown yarn for the top.  I knitted the top, attached it and also added some needed length by adding some fabric and lace to the hem.  Hopefully, she will wear it for a couple of years.  She manages to do that somehow.  She will turn eight in September and she is starting to change her appearance from little girl to blossoming  young lady.  She saw me knitting a pair of socks for myself and put in her request for socks as well.  Purple, you might of guessed.  I am busy knitting on them now.

                                      Finally finished the lace stole pattern from a Debbie Bliss magazine.

                                                                           
  The pattern was titled Pink Perfection and was in the Spring/Summer 2012 edition.  I have been wanting to knit a long stole instead of the many triangle or crescent shaped ones I have knitted in the past.  I chose some lovely blue yarn I purchased at the wool festival last year.  It was a very thin lace. I used plenty of stitch markers but no life lines.  I took a Craftsy knitting video class this winter and was able to pick up a lot of hints from it.  There are dozens of mistakes in this stole but I kept in mind what I learned in the class, "most importantly, if you make a mistake, try and keep the pattern looking the same", tried to do that.  After blocking I noticed a hole created by a dropped stitch.  Had to quickly sew and repair it.  I love the leaf pattern in this stole and it is why I chose it.

Knitting Fast

Went to Fort Collins a few weekends ago and of course I had to stop by my two favorite shops there, The Loopy Ewe and My Sister Knits.  Loopy Ewe was having a trunk show for Blue Sky Alpaca yarns.  They had several lovely samples there but I really liked the Etched Rio Wrap.  The sample was in a lovely shade of light gray but I don't look good in light gray so I opted for the colorway, Cinnabar.  I knitted on this straight for two weeks.  It was a fun knit with a little lace edging to break up the endless stockinette.  I love it and plan to wear it on our trip to Nova Scotia and Canada.

Knitting for Me.......

I have had this green yarn that I bought at Yarn West for years.  It is Silky Wool XL, I love the color.  I made this cardigan from the November Knits book.  It is called the Market Jacket.  I love the fit and the three quarter sleeves.  It was a fun knit and has inspired a few other knitters from our Arvada knit group to knit it as well.  My camera does not capture the wonderful cable and lace design on the front of the sweater, sleeves and back.....Sigh!  Trust me it is a great design. 

Catching Up

Well, have I been knitting!  Mostly baby stuff.  Lots of pink and pastels for the new arrival coming next month.  My granddaughter Amanda, is expecting the beginning of October but little Abigail may come even sooner.  Went to her lovely baby shower last week.  My daughter, Stacey, is very creative and had it decorated to the "nines".  I had three wicker baskets filled with things I had either knitted or bought.  It was sooo fun.  Can't wait to see the "wee one wearing all these.

                                   Abagail's brother, Jackson, with his girlfriends.

It's been awhile..........

       Well, I just posted two photos on my blog of the two items I have knitted for my great granddaughter Abigail.  She is due in October so my knitting needles have been zooming away to get ready for this new little addition to the family. 
       The kitten is a pattern that I found in The Essential Baby and Gift Collection of Love Knitting.  The pattern is call "A purrfect partner".  I loved it when I saw it and so did my dear friend, Gail.  She is expecting her first grandchild in December.  She does not know the sex of the baby, they want to find out when the baby is born.  So Gail is using more primary colors for her kitten.  I used up my many leftovers of Baby Cashmerino. 
         The sweater is a pattern from Debbie Bliss's book, Simply Baby.  It is a fair isle that I have knitted before for Coventry when she was a baby.  I love Debbie Bliss's baby patterns and I love knitting with Baby Cashmerino. 
            Next I will attempt to post a photo of Coventry in her knitted red sundress.  I started this on a retreat this Spring.  The pattern is called "Very Cherry".  It is put out by Never Not Knitting.  I debated whether to make it in a pastel but decided to go for the same shade of red they used in the photo on the pattern.  Coventry loved it and during her short visit here in Colorado she helped me pick out some yarn at Knit Knack for the next sweater project for Grandma.  It will be a cardigan in pink, her favorite color. 
           I hope to post more in the future.  I think it was perfect timing to have this new great granddaughter to knit for.  I was really missing knitting the precious baby things.  Abigail should keep me busy for years to come and I promise to post photos of her when the wee one comes. 

Great Grandaughter on the Way....

The "Wee One's "

More Knitting

I have been doing a lot of knitting lately.  The cooler weather is a welcome relief after such a long, hot summer.  I have many, many projects ahead of me but I am seriously trying to knit one or two at a time and not have bags of uncompleted projects.   Wish me luck on that one, it has been a challenge in the past. 

Last Fall I went to the Black Water Abbey trunk show at Shuttles.  Marilyn King had many sample sweaters to try on and the yarn and patterns to complete the project.  I love her yarn and I have become a big fan of the designer, Bonnie Marie Burns.  She sells her patterns under the brand, Chic Knits.  I have knitted more than a few of her patterns and they are well written and the fit seems to work for me.  I was itching to get started on the pattern, Derica Kane.  I purchased the DK Black Water Abbey yarn in the colorway, Autumn.  I really thought the color would be great for Fall and it would get me out of the blue/green phase I have been stuck in forever.  The pattern was a simple lace pattern and although I HATE LACE, I did manage to complete the sweater if I removed myself from any obvious distraction.  Television, Phone calls and most importantly a retired and bored husband who wants to chat........ Love the DK weight of the sweater and the neckline. 

A few weeks ago we made another of our Nebraska road trips.  Went to see Coventry to celebrate her 6th birthday.  I had knitted her a sweater from a Plymouth yarn that self stripes and mimics a fair isle design.  I used the neckdown children's pullover pattern from Knitting Pure & Simple.  It was so easy and it fit her perfectly with a bit of room to grow.  I love knitting these patterns.  They are so easy and a great project to take to group knitting. 

Also posting a photo of the Balloon Fiesta held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that we just got back from.  The early mornings and late nights were totally worth it to see over five hundred balloons ascend the early dawn sky.  What fun.  So glad we went.