FORGOT TO SHARE THIS

Easton's Baby Blanket

I wanted to make sure my daughter Dani had input into the baby blanket 

that I wanted to make for our little man,

so I had her chose a pattern and the yarn.

I knew she would never like what I would have chosen.

Our tastes are very different so I played it safe.

Both yarn and pattern were from Shelly Brander's Knitstars shop. 

Have I talked about Knit Stars?

Can't remember,

but it is the most wonderful knitting/crochet store/community

of famous knit stars from all over the world.

And I mean really famous!!

Every year Shelly and her very professional crew

 travel the whirrled to find knitters who are trending.

Then she films their beautiful landscape surroundings,

their studio space, 

and the pro knitter demonstrating their trending patterns and designs.

I have done (paid for) all 8 seasons/years

 and have currently signed up for number 9 at her early bird pricing.

And you have the Seasons forever!

I feel the pricing is very reasonable for all that you get.

I have now traveled the world by armchair with Shelly and her team 

to some of the most amazing locations on earth

 to watch these incredibly prolific fiber artists.

And oh my,

I've learned so much in the process!!

Tomorrow I will show off a baby sweater I knit for sweet Molly.

Just finished it last week and I'm hoping the weather continues to be chilly.

The Knit Star was featured recently in season 8.

And it's probably one of my most favorite patterns to date.

So stay turned dear friends as I try very hard to be more present on my blog.

 

A side note:

After some recent blood work,

 2 of my doctors told me to get my butt to the gym.

:( :(

I have a fatty liver and pre-diabetes 

which I understand is something else that is trending here in America. 

Realistically,

 I need to shed at least 30 pds. 

which as of late,

 I disguise rather well under baggy tops.

I've gained that weight since I married my husband 12ish years ago.

He is a fast food junky because he worked in that industry his whole life,

and he's been a very bad influence on me.

When he had his gallbladder removed a few years back his doctor told me

it was the "biggest shit show he'd ever seen."

Ha ha!!

LOL  :):):)

So I'm not the only one who needs to loose weight in this household,

but that's a whole other story for another time.

Anyways,

in the last month I joined a Pilates club and average 2-3 times a week there,

 as well as 2-3 times a week at the gym for weights and cardio.

Love going to Pilates which really surprised me,

but I still HATE going to the gym.

That I have to force myself to do.

Have I noticed a difference?

YES!!!!

I've lost my first 5 pds which thrills me

 and an inch in my hips and another inch in my big old tummy.

My arms are looking way more toned and defined,

oh,

and I also lost weight thru my legs which look slimmer thru the thighs.

Woo Hoo!!!!

Now to just keep it up.

I also feel different when I walk.

I'm standing up straighter

 and my thighs are not rubbing together as much.

But let me tell you I'm spending a fortune at the Pilates Club.

Over $200 a month.

They are all very expensive in our community,

but I talked them into giving me a senior retiree discount,

but it's still a ridiculous amount of money.

:(

AN ADD ON

One of you emailed

 and asked if I had used an antique button on top of the pin cushion in the last post.

As a matter of fact I did.  

I honestly don't remember whose button box I found this bit of button treasure,

my mom's, 

my grandmothers (best guess)

my husbands mother,

 or perhaps a donated box from a past Principal at Whitney

 by the name of Patti Hager.

But the thin cardboard these are housed on is very old and worn,

with thin rusty metal wire holding them on.

I adore old finds like this

 and try to make use of them rather then buying new. 

My guess is that they are over 100 years old.

I showed this packet to my husband

 and he was so very distressed I had pulled one off to use.

He told me it's a valuable antique and should be preserved.

Oh well I told him.

 I  had pulled one off a few years back to use,

so I had already destroyed it's integrity. 

Oops! 

ON A ROLL

A CORINNE LAPIERRE KIT

from French Needle or Loop London

I just couldn't resist this delightful felt embroidery kit from Corinne's collection.

I liked it so much that I also purchased another smaller one,

 possibly even cuter,

 for one of my Tuesday Nite gals,

Aileen,

who has been with me now for 4 years.

She is still working on hers.

Back seam side

It came with wonderful color instructions,

and also encourages you to add your own touches which I did.

In fact,

 I pretty much changed up the entire top here and a couple goodies on the sides.

And recently I gifted it to Alyssa,

yes Molly's mommy,

when Alyssa brought Molly over to meet me.

And because Alyssa is very crafty,

 I wanted her to have a pair of bird scissors from the Gingher collection.

I also added the special heart & circular pins from Dritz on Amazon,

plus,

 of course,

 a variety of pre-threaded needles.

INTRODUCING LIL' MOLLY

Amalia Rose has arrived to my ex-student and art assistant Alyssa

and her husband Lucien,

and named after Alyssa's great grandmother who was called Molly.

She was 9 lbs and 1 ounce,

 and poor Alyssa had a very difficult time pushing her out,

 2 and a half hours.

Her little lungs were struggling a bit after all that pushing 

so Molly spent her first night in the ICU but then was doing fine. 

This is who the little knit sweater went to that I posted about recently.

When she grows into it I know mom will send me a picture to post.

She is such a little doll and Alyssa always has her dressed so adorably.

You can see below how much she filled out after only one month below.

And here is the little Princess on Valentines day.

I'm so happy for you both Alyssa and Lucien, 

and can't wait for Molly to meet Easton.

Much love to you both and your families.

 xoxoxo

WILL YOU BE MINE?

HANDWOVEN & WATERCOLORED VALENTINE CARDS

Misc. Scrap Yarns, Watercolors and Papers, Pearl Cottons Size 5 or 8, 

Mixed Media Paper, and both Yarn Darner and Tapestry Needles

This project is a standby when I'm in a hurry,

which I always am.

Ha!

I can do it in one night on watercolor paper at least 140 pd weight.

Using 90 pds. will curl too badly and punched holes might rip.

I precut various sizes of watercolor paper that I knew I'd be folding into cards,

 and using a wet into wet technique,

dripped various colors onto the papers

 that I felt might look nice with my scrap yarns.

Underneath me I had some mixed media paper to catch drips and overflow

which I cut up into various size hearts to be glued inside card

 to cover all my pearle cotton holes, warp thread (pearle cotton) and knots.

This first card went to my new Grandson Easton,

and the yarn was leftover from a skein I had dyed

 and demonstrated with food colorfor my students some years back.

I think I used Kool Aide and Wilton's Cake dyes.

I really liked how the watercolors moved along the wetted surface.

And knowing me I probably dropped some water droplets 

into the color on the paper 

to make the pigment move even more.

This next one I gifted to my husband.

To my long legged,

 big hearted,

 guitar pickin' man.

From his big mouth woman.

Hee hee

Love that Johhny and June Carter Cash hit.

The yarn was a leftover ball of chuncky handspun 

which consisted of wool and Angora Mohair goat fleece.

I really like how it wove up and the way the Mohair curls.

This one I gave to my dear daughter-in-law.

I just love her to pieces

 and ever since her mom Mary passed we have grown even closer.

And this last one I kept for myself cuz it was too funky to give away.

I was using it to demonstrate how to go about weaving the heart.

(to a student in my Tuesday Nite Craft Class)

All my watercolor paper was drying up 

yet still too wet to work on, 

so I pulled this envelop out of the trash (hence stamp), 

and wove a heart into it.  

I was really surprised the thin paper didn't rip as I was puncturing holes,

 warping and weaving.

And this envelop was white with no watercolor

 but I see here it photographed a pale pink.

The Pearle cotton you see embroidered around edge 

was done in a blanket stitch and a size 5 string 

just because I had some leftover on my needle.

Note:  The yarn on the last two cards was from a special scrap ball.

Every year when I taught hand spinning to my young ones, 

at the end of the class period I would go row by row 

and collect all the unspun pieces of wool

 the kids had accidently dropped onto the floor.

At the end of the unit I would load it onto my drum carder 

and make a huge rolag that I would then spin into yarn.

And you would never know what the end product would look like

 until it was spun.

So much fun!!

OUR LIL' VALENTINE

It's been a minute,

 I know,

more like 3 months since I posted our precious little man.

Easton reached the 4 month mark on February 11.

And it's going just way too fast for all of us.

He is adored by 6 grandparents and 1 great grandma.

He is growing like a weed,

 now fitting into his 3 to 6 month clothes

trying to catch up to other babies his age.

He is 14 pds and because he's a preemie only in the 20th percentile.

Our new goal is to build up his upper body strength thru tummy time.

I'm averaging 2 nites a week of babysitting which is a dream come true.

He is such a delight as well as a fairly easy baby.

He loves to go outside for a buggy ride with one of the pups alongside,

and is getting used to having his face licked by 3 large doggos.

The pup Tatum thinks the baby is hers.

Ha ha!

He also loves to eat and has gotten his chunky rolls on him.

And he is so expressive and seems to like to pose for the camera. 

Just like his mommy. 

I'm still not sure what he's going to call me but he loves to hear an "oh" sound

which fills him with delight and smiles.

He's trying so hard to mimic that sound,

so now I'm thinking I might be an Oma.

I love feeding and holding him as he falls asleep in my arms

and I never want to put him down.

I just stare at that sweet little face and my heart melts.

Speaking of melting Hearts,

Happy Valentines Day to All!