A Dorm Blanket for My Baby Niece

My baby niece is in college.  I still remember her first smile.  She was so cute.  So I am making a blanket for her dorm room.

The pattern is Alora from Berroco Designs and I'm knitting it in Berroco Comfort.  Here is what I have so far.

It has a 7 inch garter stitch border, which is... boring nice to do while watching t.v.  I don't have to think.  The middle is a very complicated cable pattern, though, that will take some concentration.  I hope I don't screw it up. 

My goal is to give this to Amy when I get moved home and can go see her dorm, etc.  I. will. not. cry.  I promise!

Blog? What blog?

I have a blog?  Who knew?!  Oh ya... I did.  And so did you!  (If you are still here anyway.) 

Yes, I've been knitting.  No, not every day.  Its called morning sickness and it sucks and it makes knitting hard.  I'm just sayin'.  However, I think we're past that stage and I've been knitting up a storm!  Ok, not really, but I'm doing better than I was. 

So I will update the Finished Projects and Current projects on the side in a minute or so.  Most of my yarn is packed up, though.  I am moving home to my parents' for the deployment and yarn that won't get used before the beginning of November has been packed.  (Don't worry.  I can still get to it if necessary.)

Things I have finished...

Matching Suntops for Morgan and Emma.  They turned out super cute!  They sent me a picture of the girls in their tops and they actually fit, too!  I'm getting better at this!  ;) 

On these, I lengthened the back strap and put buttons on the front.  They both needed size 4-5, but I made Morgan's shorter because she's such a peanut!  :)

I also got a lot of bibs and washcloths done.  Not as many as I would have liked, but enough.  :) 

Right now, I'm making a scarf and hat for Sheryl.  It is in Crimson Bernat Satin.  Very pretty.  The Scarf patten is Falling Water Lace. 

The Scarf is done.  The hat is about half way done.  It is from Bernat Satin's Cable Hat, Scarf and Mittens set.  I'm just using the hat, though.  I might try making the mittens another time.  They look cute.  And warm.  :) 

That's all for now.  I'll update more later. 

The Great Gift Switch of 2010

O.k. so it wasn't that exciting.  However, my husband's stunning inability to tell me about baby showers BEFORE they happen struck again and things had to be rearranged.  (See why I want a stash of said baby items to give away on short notice?)  Apparently, Flores had a baby shower!  When did Jerry tell me about it, you ask?  The Monday AFTER it happened, of course! 

Soooo... in order to not look like a total loser, I pulled a gift switch.  Amy's bibs and washcloths never got to her, so guess what... I pulled the card and voila!  Flores had a gift today.  I have no earthly idea when I'll see Amy again, so I have time to get something done.  See how that works?  Hehehe...

Now I am working on the Melara twins' bibs.  Sgt Melara is moving soon so I better get on this.  Jerry told me today "Melara is leaving soon."  So this could mean he's leaving tomorrow, at the end of this week or in August.  Who knows.  I better be prepared.  I have 1 washcloth out of 4 done and 1 bib out of 4 almost done.  I'm kinda getting tired of the bibs and washcloths.  Although, they are stinking easy and nice to whip up quickly for baby gifts.  (Especially with the aforementioned habit of the husband's.)

I guess I better get back to knitting on that bib!  Jerry could come home tomorrow and tell me Melara has already gone.  And then said bib will probably become Amy's!  I am evil, aren't I?

Where did the month go?

It went to Kansas and Indiana!  Or at least we did.  We left New York on May 11 for a 3 week vacation.  Yes... 3 weeks.  Seems like a long vacation, right?  Well, in some ways it was and some ways it was too short.

We got to my Mom's on the evening of the 12th after our normal stop at my favorite Aunt's house in New Castle, PA.  Then we spent a day at Mom's to let the Boy stretch his legs.  Back in the car, we went on the 14th and headed to Kansas with a stop over in Missouri.  Favorite Step-Daughter's high school graduation was the 16th with a graduation party following on that day.  (Pausing to point and laugh at my husband who is old.  He has a child that has graduated high school.  Ha!)  We enjoyed spending a couple of days with Tarissa, Jerry's Mother and a few other people from Jerry's family. 

On the 19th, we got back in the car again!  We chose a different hotel on the way back through Missouri and got to my parents' on the 20th.  We stayed there and visited friends and family until the 31st.  We also got to see my niece graduate high school.  (Pausing so the husband can point and laugh at me for being old enough to have a niece graduate high school.  Fair is fair.)

We got home the evening of June 1st.  8 days of driving and we drove about 6 hours each day.  Approximately 48 total hours of driving.  Seriously.  2 whole days of our trip were spent driving.  Dude.

Want to know how many projects I finished while in the car for that long?  None.  Zero.  Zilch.  Nada.  My ability to call myself a knitter may be revoked.  Its not that I didn't knit.  I did.  However, there's this short person that calls me Mommy and expects me to help him with things like food, drinks, entertainment and his DVD player.  Also the taller one let me help drive the first 2 days. 

I did get a washcloth done.  However, I can't count it because the total project included 4 of them and 4 bibs.  I have a bib almost done. 

My sweater pieces are one and I started sewing it together, but my seam was wrong.  So I had to put it away until we got to Indiana and I could talk to my favorite Yarn Store owner, Cammie.  I then found out that  Cammie is closing the store and cutting her hours.  So I didn't get to see her until the 28th.  Bummer. 

However, one of the best moments in my knitting life happened!  I got approximately $150 worth of yarn from Cammie for FREE!  Seriously, she gave me the rest of my beloved Berrocco Comfort!  She's having trouble selling it and so she just gave it to me!  Wow!  Love! Her! 

I have all sorts of new projects cued for it too!  I'm so excited!  :) 

Picture Day!

Here are some pictures of the knitting... I know, I know... I've been stuck to my Crackberry too much lately to blog.  I'm sorry.  Here is Sue's Shawl.  I get to give it to her in a week or so!  :) 

And here is Ari, the sweater I'm making for me!  :) 

We leave Tuesday for our trip.  I'm bringing plenty of yarn for bibs and some other things.  I'm hoping to keep occupied in the car.  Although, I'm sure that the Boy will keep me plenty busy.  LOL  Not sure when I'll be able to blog again.  Have a wonderful time everyone!  :) 

Crackberry and other such distractions

I've been knitting a little bit.  Not much, but a little.  I think I'm hitting my goal of a 1/2 hour a day, though.  Most of Amy/Alfred's bibs and washcloths are done.  I just have to finish 1 side of the Icord on the last bib and I'm done. 

I've decided to work on the Melara Twins' bibs and such in the car on THE TRIP.  I'm pretty sure I can get them done on the first day or 2 and then I'll be really bored.  Kidding... I'll try to take extra projects just in case.  :)  We need to buy a van or SUV so that I can bring more knitting on trips.  Good idea, don't you think?  (That one got the raised eyebrow from Jerry.  LOL)  I mean... really... 4 days in a car out to Kansas?  I'm going to need quite a bit to entertain me. 

So part of the reason that there has not been so much knitting... Crackberry... I mean Blackberry.  Yep... The Gustafsons have entertained this century and gotten Blackberries.  Only because the phones were free, though.  LOL  Our plan will go up a bit, but we're cutting back in other areas to afford it.  Like... cutting down the cable.  We're going to basic.  We really don't watch it much anyway.  We got our Wii disc for Netflix and guess what... that's all we watch.  So why pay for something we don't use?  Anywho...

The Boy's birthday party was Friday night too.  So not so much knitting Friday and then there was the recovery from said party.  LOL  Today is his birthday.  He was born 2 years ago at 8:22 p.m.  Where did the time go???

I've decided that I am going to start a sweater for me.  Sort of.  Its a bolero type cover called Ari.  I want to wear it over a dress of mine.  I might make this for the brown dress too.  However, I have a nice light blue Berroco Comfort left that will look nice over a dusty blue dress of  mine, I think.  :)  This is a test to see how this sweater knits. Then Wendy wants one for HER dress.  LOL  I may just go into the shrug/bolero making business. 

Well, that's how things have been going over here in my world.  Crazy as usual!  ;)

Finished Projects

Today is a day of finishing things.  Sue's Dragon Wings Shawl and a washcloth for Alfred are done.  I just did the finishing on them a few minutes ago.  Now I'll finish the other bib and start another washcloth for Alfred.  :) 

Next up are bibs and washcloths for the Melara twins.  Those need to be done before we leave on the Kansas trip.  Speaking of the trip... I'm not sure how much knitting is going to get done on the trip.  I doubt I'll be able to bring much yarn.  We only have so much room in the car.  Unfortunately, yarn is only a life sustaining priority to me and I am not the head of this household.  (In all fairness... The Husband isn't bringing his Xbox 360.  Fair is fair.)

I have to admit that I did a stupid thing today.  There could have been more finished things tonight if I had been using my brain today.  We went to the zoo in Syracuse this afternoon on a last minute whim.  And since it takes approximately 1.5 hours to get to said zoo... you'd think I would have thought to bring a project, right?  Ummmm... no. 

Stu... pid...  The drive was long and boring.  Especially since, once again, Google Maps screwed us and we got lost.  Then we got lost on the way home too.  So. much. knitting. could have been accomplished.  Oh well... I would have knit on the way, but probably not coming home.  I was tired, hot and hungry.  It was a lot warmer at the zoo than we thought it was going to be.  We weren't dressed too badly, but I would have rather Gabriel been wearing shorts. 

Anywho... I did get some things accomplished today in the knitting department.  Have a great remainder of your weekend!