A cute baby sweater, a cute baby, and Ladies night out!

Well this holiday I have so far been very busy and very lazy all at the same time. This post may be a little long but it will be mostly pictures I'm sure.

I am working on a new baby sweater for Pick up Sticks. It is MinKim a Perl Grey pattern and although the sweater is all stockinette the construction is interesting.

I am ready to start the construction of the body (the interesting wrap around deal) and am very excited but I have to wait until I have finished posting! Here is the body...

As soon as this sweater is done I have to get rockin' on some other cute baby items (probably another tulip sweater) My friend (and bridesmaid) Mindy has just had a new arrival to their home. After much stress and much effort and many tears, Min and her husband Drew, welcome new baby Emma to their home. I am so happy for them both I don't even know what to say.

Finally, last on my list was Ladies night and that is my sister in law's bachelorette party. I was in charge of planning it and we did have a great time if I do say so myself. The good time has nothing to do with my planning because my plans went out the window but we flew by the seat of our pants and had a blast.

Here are the little (adult) goodie bags and a gift for Meghann that I put together (in anticipation of my plans)

However the people I thought were coming were unable to make it so it was just a few girls having a night out.

Meghann and I went horseback riding and that was a first for me. I enjoyed it but did I ever hurt later. During the evening we had a nice dinner and then went back to Meghann's and had a few drinks (mint chocolate martinis). We went and watched Mama Mia (which I'm going to take my mom to next because it was so fun) and then went to play some pool.

Not a loud party but still a lot of fun. Perhaps more fun.

Ah...the summer

I feel like although the summer is here and I'm supposed to have lots of time to relax, that has not been the case. I am in the middle of taking an additional qualifications course through Nipissing and trying to get the house organized and starting to think about next school year and continue to get to the gym.

I have never been one of those athletic people who loves to work out. I joined Reality Combat Fitness with my husband because we were both interest in learning some martial arts. His schedule didn't make it easy for him to get there but I have still been going. Sometimes it is hard to get myself to go but I feel SO good after I get there. I have lost a bit of weight but more than that I feel stronger. (mind you after working out last night I am feeling kinda weak today)

I have been knitting a little. I take a basic rib sock with me to my course everyday and work on it while we are listening/reading. I have a little more finished on the February Lady Sweater too.

And of course how can I post without my baby in it. So here is Oscar with his sheep that I just finished sewing back up for him.

I can't seem to help myself

I keep telling myself that I have too many unfinished projects waiting for me and that there is no way I should start something new. I guess I am just so very weak.

I have started the February Lady Sweater and it is all I can think about right now. I am using Super 10 cotton and so far so good. Even though this is all I have so far.

I have one week left to finish the tulip sweater for my mom's friend. Not the same friend as the last one. I think this is sweater number 4. This one I have been doing only with left overs so the colours are very different. It is a good thing this sweater is for a little girl cuz the colours suggest little girl.

I start my ESL course one Wednesday. It has been a while since I have been in school (not teaching it that is). It is sure going to keep me busy cuz we are fitting a whole course into 2.5 weeks. All day everyday! I wonder if they will notice me knitting in the back?

Time Flies when you are too busy to blink

I knew it had been a while since I posted but I really didn't think it had been THIS long. Wow. There was a while when I didn't have time to knit and then there was a while when I couldn't find my camera. Lucky I found it just in time for the WWKIP day.

I was sad that I couldn't stay for more of the party at Pick up Sticks but my aid conditioner was being installed and my family was over at my house. We had planned it for the week before but plans fell through and no one else in my family seems to understand the importance of Knit in Public day. (I think they believe I am making the whole thing up.

This is a group of the gang knitting on the porch outside the store.

Things have been busy with the wrap up of the school year ( I can't believe that there is only a few school days left).

Besides that I'm still trying to get used to having to take care of a house of my own and stop in wonder at how much work it is. Even more work when you are living with your husband who is also getting used to all this living together business and his 19 year old brother. If I had to have a 19 year old boy living in my house it would be him because I know he is trustworthy but he is 19 and leaves his stuff all over the place. Neither of then can wash a dish to save their life.

I also have dug my garden in the weeks that I wasn't posting.

Another first for me. Anyway now that I'm going to have some more time to myself I will have more time for knitting and posting.

Oh and Oscar turned one at the end of may. Here he is in the back seat of my car.

My Birthday came early

*Anyone in my wedding party should not read this post*

This weekend was very busy but it was fun too. Saturday was the yarn crawl that started at Pick up Sticks. Oscar and I went to say hello to Connie but we were not going shopping so we just visited. It was really nice to see Meghan too.

Then we went to Doggy School for the afternoon and worked and played hard. Followed by dinner at my parents house for Mother's Day with my Mom and my Grandma. My mom gave me this cute little sheep figure.

Sunday we were up early to go to Aaron's mom's house so he could go golfing and still spend time with his mom. His sister and her family were over too so Oscar got to play with Miss Magoo.

It was really cute and he put up with a lot from her. She was asleep when she came over and he would go and lick her and then walk away...five minutes later he would go back and check her again and kept that up until she was awake. Then he followed her around and let her pull his ears and crawl on her and put her hands in his mouth.

It was so sweet to watch.

Then Meghann my new sister in law (Magoo's mom) gave me my birthday present early.

They are boxer stitch markers from WeeOnes. Meghann sent a picture of my Oscar Bear and had Oscar Stitch markers made. HOW SWEET IS THAT? Each one is in a different position and they have his markings. It is just amazing. I'm definitely going to check out what else is over there and you should too.

And today I am back on the job hunt and house cleaning and laundry and work and on top of it all I made these little photo albums for my wedding party as a thank you gift. Hence this little note up top.

I also realised that something very important that I wanted to have done tonight for school tomorrow I left at work so I will have to get up early tomorrow to go to school super early so I can do it in the morning. CRAP!

Spring rain and Tulips

What a better way to spend a rainy day (couple of days) then by knitting a very sunshiny baby sweater. I have been working on another tulip sweater for a friend of my mother.

I really do love this sweater. This is my second tulip sweater and it is just as fun as the first. However I think I may have the same problem as the first.

This is all I have left of the border colour. That would probably be enough if I only had the two sleeves but I also have around the neck and the ties. I'm starting to worry.

Of course I will press on and see how far I can get before I either loose my temper or start to cry.

And we froliced!

Well it was a busy day and a exhausting day but it was a FANTASTIC day at the Knitter's Frolic. We woke up bright and early to heard down to the festivities. And they seemed to start a bit early this year. All the more time to shop and explore.

Here is a picture of our booth. I caught Connie at a bad time though as she was finishing her bagel so...look at all the pretty yarn instead. Sorry Con.

I enjoyed having a wander around. My life has been so busy that I was starting to forget what it is like to be a part of something like this. Us knitters are a really interesting bunch. I said to Connie that you look around and see all these people that you know even if you haven't met before or if you met last year at the same knitting event, or you stood by each other when you go to hear the Yarn Harlot speak. We don't all know each other but we are a close knit group (hehehehe).

Ok so on to the really good stuff. The shopping. I was very well behaved this year. I had to be with the wedding and the house (and now my 19 year old brother in law living with us for 4 months) but I still found some really great stuff.

Some Soak wool wash. I have some aquae already but I never want to use it because I don't want to run out. Silly because Connie has Soak to but....I'm a silly kinda girl.

I bought a Lexie Barnes bag that I have been eyeing for a while. Picked it up from The Naked Sheep. That is the second tulip sweater pictured with the bag. I making one for a friend of my mom's now.

This is some beautiful and soft silk yarn from Oceanwind knits. I have been petting it continuously since I bought it.

And I bought one of these cute needle felting kits from Fibre Art by Wendo. They had a really big one with so much detail in it. That is what made me want one but I need to start small. My kids at school would get a real kick out of a big ol' dragon in the reading corner. For now though it will be a little red dragon.

And Connie bought me this cute mug as a present so this morning as I go through my purchases and sit down to enjoy some knitting I can enjoy my morning cup with a fitting mug.

Is this a knitting blog or a dog blog

Two of my favourite things in life are knitting and my dog. I have been working on a lot of things and playing with Oscar and getting a few things done around the house along the way.

First of all here is the Prism bag when it was finished being knit.

And here it is after felting. It didn't quite get as small as the pattern says but I used smaller needles and my washing machine doesn't get super hot so....Overall I'm happy with it but of course have not finished the lining and all of the other finishing details.

And of course I have to put something about my dog in here too so....

Here is Oscar and his Daddy watering the lawn.

Well I was thinking that I wouldn't be able to go to the Knitter's Frolic this weekend but....I will be there! With Connie and Lisa from Pick up Sticks. I'm excited because we had such a great time last year. Come and see us there.

I have been starting to get back into my routine of things now that the wedding is over. Aaron and I did a big house clean and did some organizing that showed me just how many projects I have on the go. My husband is really quick to point out that the project he bought for me is still not finished three years later and he is never going to buy me yarn again. (I don't think I should point out to him that he bought me yarn at Christmas).

I started the Prism Noni Bag after the wedding and have finished the knitting and have felted it as far as it would felt. It is a few inches bigger all the way around than the pattern says it should be but I also didn't have the right gauge and my washing machine was not as hot as I would expect it to be. So with all that in mind I think close is pretty damn good.

So now I have the finishing to do. I went to fabric land yesterday to look at lining and have to admit that I found one of the ladies a little less than friendly. The other one I talked to was very helpful. I think I know what I'm going to use but I did not buy it yet because I have other steps to do first before I do the liner. I hope that when I go back that not so friendly lady is not there.
(I did try to explain that my sewing experience is very limited..I'm a knitter after all...although now that I have my grandma's sewing machine I would like to learn.

I have some pictures that I hope to add soon but for some reason my computer is not recognizing the camera when I plug it in so I have to use another computer and save the pictures to a memory stick before I can put them on my computer. Anyone with any ideas of what to do about this? Please let me know.

Back to the snow

Wow was Jamaica ever fantastic and so very warm. We have been back for almost a week now and I'm still not used to the cold again.

We stayed at the Sandals Ocho Rios on the Manor side. Here is what the resort looks like from beside the pool.

This is Aaron and I at dinner one night. We ate at a restaurant that they set up on the beach.

The food was so good and they had so many different kinds of food at the different restaurants that we never ate in the same place twice for dinner.

We went snorkeling and shopping, climbed Dunn's River and went on a jeep tour of the country side in St Ann. It was so interesting. Beautiful in some ways and sad in others. When you live the way we do in Canada and then go to a resort where they look after you every way they can and turn a corner and see how some of the people live there.

But they will tell you there are no problems in Jamaica only "situations" (like no bartender at the bar- which was open at 10am)

It was such a great time. I enjoyed it very much. Aaron told me he was surprised he didn't see me knitting. I did take a sock but only knit it on the plane. I haven't knit much since before the wedding but since Wednesday night at Pick up Sticks I have been keeping myself in stitches. I have some pictures but when I was uploading the Jamaica pictures the computer froze and now it won't read from the camera. Any suggestions what to do about that little "situation"

Wedding party time

Saturday was the BIG DAY! It was fabulous! I'm still very tired and am trying to reorganize things around the house but I hope you can enjoy some of these picture to get an idea of how our day was.