sweaters and more

Despite the lack of posts, things are still thing happening on these fronts. There is a bit of sewing, a lot of sweater making (some big, some small), and a lot of sweater pattern buying – which is ironic given the latest thing going on – word that we are spending some time in the United Arab Emirates over the next year.

On the crafting front, we made our round of handmade teacher gifts, and I’m super happy with how they turned out. We made little bird and garden angel ornaments from the book Scandinavian Stitches by Kajsa Wikman.

On the knitting front. I made a second Alberta vest, this time for my Dad’s birthday. I also managed to squeak out a cardigan for my sister’s new baby…whom I had the pleasure of visiting right after she was born. Its nice to know I am knitting for a girl, and I did a little stash diving to find a cute yarn perfect for the little sunnyside cardi  from Tanis Fiber Arts. I also got to see Mia in the Puerperium Cardigan I made for Christmas, which was fun.

In the past two months I’ve filled up my queue with sweaters, purchased the patterns and skeins up on skeins of yarn…and managed to finish my very first adult sized just for me sweater. I love the pattern, the color and the concept. I made a stupid judgement call on joining the yarn, and I can see the places in the sweater which bugs me. I also have never knitted with this type of yarn before…and I’m curious to see how it all holds up. They yarn itself is knitted strands – I have not idea what that is called, but it seems to easily snag on things. It worked out okay, but I am not sure I’d use that type of yarn again.

So, here I sit with a queue full of sweaters and a closet full of wool. Rumor has it I may need a sweater or two for the air conditioning, but more likely…in addition to reorganizing our lives, my favorite pastime may need a major overhaul along with my Ravelry queue and list of favorites. Oy  vey!

So, this little upheaval in conjunction with the enjoyment of summer life in general is part of the reason I’ve been putting this blog (and some crafting) on the way back burner and I anticipate that will continue to be the case…at least until we get settled and figure out how life in the UAE works.

FO: Guernsey Wrap

It’s a good thing we’ve had some crazy random spring snow in these parts, because a few weeks ago I finished my Guernsey Wrap. I love this project…the making of it, the pattern, the yarn, the finished product…and I may have to wrap myself in it all summer long – even if I’m a hot sweaty mess. I especially enjoyed working with the Brooklyn Tweed yarn, which was a first for me, and I love how such an amazing pattern can emerge from simply switching between two simple stitches…knits and purls.

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This week we tried for some passport photos…and ended up with mostly outtakes. I ended up busting out the flash to fix up the shadows…and hopefully we ended up with something passable.

“our family, once a week, every week, in 2013.”

PART OF THE 52 PORTRAIT SERIES : STARTED BY CHE & FIDEL

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Enjoying each other, and one of our best toys, Magna-Tiles.

“our family, once a week, every week, in 2013.”

PART OF THE 52 PORTRAIT SERIES : STARTED BY CHE & FIDEL

Baby Shower & Handmade Gifts

As I mentioned earlier, I went back to VA to help throw a baby shower for my sister who is expecting her first in June. My mom and I hosted her shower, and also both set out to do some handmade gifts for her and the baby. My mom is quite crafty as well, and while it has traditionally been on the sewing machine, she picked up her hooks and busted out a few crocheted blankets as well. I ended up making the Lotta Jansdotter’s Snuggler and Tag Blankie from the Simple Sewing for Babies. The kids and I made a little dog rattle for the baby as well. The idea came from the book Sewing School, and we then added the rattle part inspired by the rattles in the Simple Sewing for Babies. That project involved them decorating the puppy outline with crayons and then ironing the dog to set the colors. We then turned it into a little plush and added the rattle.

We had some crafty fun at the shower too. We set up a station where guests were invited to decorate a one-sie for the baby. We had a number of freezer paper stencils available and a selection of paints, and I think they turned out super cute! There are tons of tutorials online for how to do this, and I looked at these here, here and here.

In addition to making the lovely green and white baby blanket below, along with a diaper caddy,  burp and wash cloths, my mom also whipped up these cute little pouches with a party favor for guests.

All in all it was quite the lovely little celebration, and I’ve found a new obsession for this summer…Berry Fizz, the muddled berry/soda concoction my sister in in the midst of making below.

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This week Tanner had a poetry recital. The whole class selected poems by Shel Silverstein, and he chose Warning, a poem about a sharp toothed snail that lives inside your nose and bites your finger if you stick it in. Given his poem topic, I found it amusing he wanted to pick up a shirt and tie for the recitation. He selected this lovely combo, wore it proudly (and a little sleepily) and did a great job of presenting his poem.

Spring soccer is in full swing, and this is Kaya’s first time playing. It is quite a sight seeing these little girls run around the field, and despite not scoring a single goal this season (well in their goal at any rate – they’ve added a few to other teams’ scoreboards), they seem to be having fun.

“our family, once a week, every week, in 2013.”

PART OF THE 52 PORTRAIT SERIES : STARTED BY CHE & FIDEL

Maternity Portraits

While I was in Virginia for my sister’s baby shower, we took the opportunity to make a few portraits of her and her husband with her growing belly. Here are a few of my favorites. Can’t wait to meet my new niece or nephew in just a few months!

My Calla Cami; Finally

I finally finished up the Calla Cami. The only reason it took so long was that it hibernated for a good long, long while. Once I got working on it again, things went smoothly. I love the stitch pattern. I ended up doing an additional set of the 20 row repeat because I wasn’t at the specified length as indicated by the pattern. That modification worked out perfectly, and now I just need to find the right camisole to wear underneath and a sunny warm day to bust it out! While it is sunny today, it is also snowing…nothing like springtime in Colorado.

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This was one of those weeks. You the know, the ones filled with kid faces hitting hard surfaces, shoes being ripped to shreds as laces get tangled in spin bike pedals, forgetting that box tops on the roof rack keep you from fitting into the garage, ear infections, allergic reaction to antibiotics…you get the gist. But, it ended nicely with an afternoon spent on the deck, the kids playing and the hints of summer in the air.

“our family, once a week, every week, in 2013.”

PART OF THE 52 PORTRAIT SERIES : STARTED BY CHE & FIDEL

15/52 {a little late}

So, this past week I was away from the kids and visiting my family in Virginia, celebrating my sister’s growing belly and throwing her a baby shower. As such, my portrait for week 15 is of my sister her husband and her growing family. More shower photos to come, especially the maternity portraits and pictures of the handmade goodies.

“our family, once a week, every week, in 2013.”

PART OF THE 52 PORTRAIT SERIES : STARTED BY CHE & FIDEL