Cooper's Flock :: Would you like to help?

I learned of this heart breaking story here. I wanted to show my support so I requested the pattern from Lucinda. A few days later Susan had a drawing for some Blue Sky Cotton yarn and she selected my name to receive a skein. My little birdy is done and he's quite sweet. I just need to package him up and send him on his way which may eventually end up in a hospital pediatric intensive care unit bringing comfort to families who are overwhelmed. Lucinda is trying to get 100 birds knit up by May. I hope she receives more than that!

Would you like to help? I have plenty of the Blue Sky Cotton left over and I would love to pass it along to you if you would like to knit a bird. Go to Lucinda's site and request the pattern. She'll email it to you as well as the address of where to send the bird. If I have more than one taker, I'll have a drawing. Let me know by emailing me by the middle of next week. You can find my address over there to the right of the blog. I would love to "pay it forward".

Annie

Dylan the Snowman

Another item to check off my list. I finished up another hat. This time it was from Susan's Itty Bitty Hats book. Like the last Snowman hat I made I used button eyes instead of knitting them. This one is a size 6-12 month and it's for a cute little guy named Dylan.

Well that Flickr thing didn't work out so well for me. I wanted to add a couple more pictures of the Elmo hat. One of the lining I worked in and one of just another view.

The holiday spirit is starting early with me. I usually have to get through Thanksgiving first but for some reason this year I'm ready for it. Last night a few of us went to the Minneapolis' Macy's 8th floor holiday display. It used to be Dayton's, then Marshall Field's, and now it's Macy's. I'm so glad they are continuing with this. It was darling. Every year they do a special theme and this year it was "A Day in the Life of an Elf at Macy's Santaland". I've been going to these for as long as I can remember. Go if you can.

Are you ready for Black Friday? I have to figure out my list and then decide whether or not I'm going to venture out with the other crazy people. Sipping mocha's, listening to Christmas music and crafting with the kids in our jammies sounds a little more enticing but there might be some fabulous deal that will have me up before the birds. Not.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Bear-y Buddy Bag

Just a quick post of a baby shower gift I've giving this weekend. It was created from this pattern. It turned out so cute that I think I might have to make a few more to have on hand for gifts. She is one talented knitter and designer!

This bag is perfect for that little toddler to tuck away a sippee cup and a book or some toys.

The two stripes are knitted from Vanna's Choice Baby for durability and machine-washability. I have to admit that I didn't enjoy working with this yarn but now I know. I'm going to try to find some nice cotton for the next go round.

Hopefully soon I'll be posting another project that I'm giving tomorrow at a bridal shower. It's currently in the blocking stage.

Have a great weekend.

Meet a little pumpkin

My nephew turns one today. Happy Birthday!! His celebration was last weekend so I whipped up an Itty Bitty hat for him that he can wear this fall. Love the look of this hat. This is the second one I've made, the first was for my son and he loves it so much he has even been known to wear it in the summer. Silly boy.

Yarn used: Berroco Comfort

Needle: Size 7

Size made: 6-12 month

More Booties, Pacifer and a Coffee Cozie

I've created another set only this time in pink, my favorite color! for a sweet baby due in July.

Yarn used: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino
Needle: Size 3
Pacifer from Itty Bitty Nursery, Susan B Anderson

Last Tuesday was a very good coworker/friend of mine's birthday. She's a very happy girl when she's holding a hot cup of java especially from Caribou so I knitted her a coffee cozie and picked up her favorite light roast before school. If I hadn't procrastinated on this gift I would have embellished it a little but of course I was knitting it the night before I gave it to her. I was hoping she would wear something that coordinated with green but I guessed wrong because she showed up in pink. She has a "thing" about matching her writing utensil to her outfit each day, oh and her glasses too so I'll be making some more cozies to make sure we have the color spectrum covered for her wardrobe.

Pattern: here
Yarn: Cascade 220

If any of you like knitting toys you might want to take a peek at this magazine.

I broke down and bought it (at a Barnes & Noble) because I really want to make this Gnome. Susan made one and isn't it cute? A much needed addition for our partial Swedish family.
I know, tis not the season but I just recently learned of Alan Dart and I'm blown away by his designs. I also want to make his Saint Lucia tree topper. Speaking of knitting toys and Susan, have you heard that her next book will contain toys? I cannot wait........well, I guess I'm going to have to. I'm really getting into this crafty knit stuff. LOVE it. I'll get to the socks at some point but they kind of scare me and yes, sweaters do to. All in good time.

Toodles

Peep peep peep!

Welcome to the roost! Meet the three chicks:



Here's Coco who is a bit shy but quite the risk taker.

Clementine who is loving and very easy going.

And then there's Chiquita who was born with a bit of 'tude and already has pigmented her backside with a tattoo.




We love our new brood. They are fun to be with and remind us that spring is almost here.
Pattern is by Marie Mayhew .
Yarn used was Frog Tree Alpaca, sport weight. On Coco, Trendsetter Aura in white was used (every other round) along with Frog Tree to give it a fluffy effect.

Part Two

Baby shower is less than three hours away and I have just completed the second gift. Whew!

This is the flower pacifier from Susie's Itty Bitty Nursery book. It does involve crocheting around the petals but it's just a simple single crochet. The tricky part for me was to figure out where to insert my needle to pick up stitches, but I think you really can't go wrong. I am so happy with how it turned out. At one point it wasn't going to make it and ended up in a pile of yarn waste but I decided to give it another try. So glad I did. Lots of piecing together involved so it's not a project for everyone (hi Trace :)

Happy knitting!

Part One

Baby gift [Part One]. I saw these on this blog and then immediately purchased the pattern here. I loved knitting these. They will be gifted to a sweet girl named Gabriella.
Pattern: Merry Janes by Bekahknits. I used Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino and size 3 needles.
Part Two to follow...

Yogurt's other use...

Any of you have two year olds at home? Yes? You will relate. Already been there done that? Maybe you’ll be smiling! Not quite there yet? Just wait!!! My seven year old...never got into much and I didn’t have to put stuff up high. She just stayed out of trouble (for the most part :-). Yes, she is a girl, not sure if that makes a difference but my two year old son *sigh* I’ve lost count the number of times he has made a major mess of some sort. I’ve decided I’m going to start documenting his “creativity” by photographing these many, many occurrences.

So I was upstairs checking email and he was downstairs innocently watching his Mickey Mouse video and he comes up and shows me his hands which were completely covered with yogurt. (He's been opening the refridgerator since he was one and has been helping himself since) So I ask him why he is such a mess thinking he was going to show me the 99th yogurt stain on the carpet in front of the TV but instead he runs downstairs to proudly show me his masterpiece.

That isn’t the only place he fingerpainted. He also decided to deface his TV and DVD player including the Mickey Mouse DVD. Anyone know how to get yogurt out of a DVD player?? *sigh* He didn't seem to have a clue that this was "naughty" even though I kept saying it over and over. He was really quite pleased at what he had done. He certainly keeps the detergent companies in business.

On the knitting front...

I've been busy with knitting Christmas gifts so I have not posted much lately but I will once the gift giving season comes to a close. This was a gift my daughter gave her Sunday school teacher.
The pattern was purchased here. A very quick and neat gift to give to families. I had seen this before but had never heard of the legend of the Christmas nest. A card is included and reads:
A German legend tells of the magic of all the world's birds bursting into song as if with one voice the night the Christ child was born. Your family may find a bird's nest hidden within their Christmas tree. The nest promises the gift of health, wealth, and happiness to all throughout the year!

So you hide the nest somewhere in the tree and the children (or adults) try to find it.

In a previous post I mentioned my friend Janet who is undergoing chemo and I knitted her a hat. I decided that her granddaughter needed a coordinating hat to wear when Grandma wears hers. I used Susan's Ribbon hat pattern in Itty Bitty Hats and just modified it a bit. I love how it turned out.

I have had an inquiry with respect to the frames I use for my pictures. (Hi Andrea!) In my other spare time (ha-ha) I digi scrap and have purchased and downloaded lots of digital elements. Some of my favorite places to shop are here ,here ,here and here. I use Photoshop Elements to create my pages and photos. I haven't done much with it lately. Too busy knitting so I have a little catch up to do.

More posting of projects to come!

Baby Gift - Check!

I did it. I finished the gift the morning of the baby shower. Someone in my family would call it procrastination ;) but I like to think that I just work well under pressure, so why do today what you can put off 'til tomorrow. This was a fun gift to give and I'm hoping it doesn't scream "beginner knitter". Is everyone ready for Thanksgiving? I'm running in the Turkey Day 5K then off to Sioux Falls for a few days. I'll be bringing my knitting to see if I can check off some more gifts that are on the list. But for some reason this year I am in the mood for Christmas shopping and might even venture out on black Friday with the rest of the crazies. I want it all done at least a week before Christmas and that includes wrapping.

I forgot to mention that I purchased this book. Supposedly only one skein needed for each project in here. There a few things in here that I'm going to make. I think I like this one over the previous one better.

From our house to yours...
HAPPY THANKSGIVING...to you all

Candy Corn and Peanuts

We are ready for trick-or-treating! Not sure if this will be mom's bag or the kids but I only made one so I'm thinking it's for me. Not that I'll be ringing any doorbells but there's always that treat that neither child will eat and will end up in my bag. By the way, have you ever tried candy corn and roasted peanuts at the same time? Keep that dish as far away from me as possible. LOVE it!

I also finished the Upside Down Daisy hat from Itty Bitty Hats.
This one took me awhile to finish. I'm not crazy about the sewing piece of it and each petal had to be sewed on the top. I guess I'm not sure if I'm doing it right hence the lack of confidence and procrastination! But I like how it turned out.

Happy Halloween!

PS. I've received my invite for Ravelry. Yikes! It's a bit overwhelming but will be very sa*weet once I get it organized.

* Ribbons * Book * WIP *

Another hat completed. Well, actually this has been completed for some time but I have been struggling with the ribbon color combinations. Just can't make up my mind if I like it or not. Maybe that will change once its owner is determined. For now it will sit atop the TV where it has been for the past few weeks.

It's finally here!!! Picked it up at the book store yesterday. I was shocked to see it on the shelf already. AND I have begun a list of projects to knit. Just LOVE that Susan B. Anderson. She is one talented knitter and designer. Can't wait to see what she writes next...

Currently on my 10.5's ....it's a secret. Can you guess?

Another New Beginning

This was a gift for my DH coworker's new baby girl, Hannah. I love how the hat turned out. The booties were fun to knit too but as a newbie knitter I needed help from my LYS. I hope Hannah likes to wear them.

Sweet Pea

Speaking of new beginnings....my daughter and I delivered this gift this evening to our neighbors who had a premature baby girl. She is home now and doing very well but looks so fragile! I knitted this sweet pea hat and then found an iron-on transfer of a pea pod. Then to top it all off, when I was grocery shopping today I found this perfect card!