Weekend Wonderment

Yesterday, my gorgeous granddaughter was born. My son and his fiancee sent me photos while I was at work and I was overjoyed. Isn't she beautiful! She weighed 8 lbs and was 20 inches long. She's eating like a champion and sleeping like a pro.

Happy Birthday, Emily-Rose... your Nanny loves you very much.

Wednesday Wound-Up

I'm trying to get back in the regular swing of things now that school has gone back in session. It may take me a while to get this all free flowing again but sooner or later, it will happen. I kind of figured if you have stuck with me this far, you totally understand.

So here is what I have going on at the moment. Granted, I have a sock project in my purse and a shawl project in my yarn trolley but these two are my main focus right now - one is paid sample work and the other is a Christmas present... hence the reason you can't really see either.

I love that my husband chose such a gorgeous shade of purple for his sweater.  I just hope he loves it when I'm done.

Tuesday Tunes

I'm home sick today, and I feel horrible I tend to put on some music really low in the background.  Today I am hoping Billy does the trick.  I'm sharing one of my favorites with you, to get your day off to a better start than mine.

A last first

This is Hobbit's last first day of Elementary School. I can't believe how much she has grown - both physically and emotionally. Every day is a new adventure in laughter, tears, patience, and understanding. I can't believe that in 9 short months, my little Hobbit will be a middle schooler!

Peanut is also have a year full of last firsts. Yesterday was her last first night in the dorms, as she has started her Senior year of college this week. It's hard to believe how much my life has changed over these past five years.

For all that was good, bad, and in between - it has all most definitely been the biggest of blessings.

Rekindling a love

I used to have such a love affair with photography and photo editing but for some reason, over the past two years, it has dwindled a bit. I was actually missing it this week so I rejoined an old group yesterday to try and catch a spark of that flame and fan it bright.  These were the fruits of my labors.

The bottom left is the first one I submitted under the prompt of "Path" and the bottom middle won out for today's prompt of "Lighting" - though the top image put up a valiant fight and I think if I had posted it instead I would still feel like I should have posted the other. The image of Hobbit was taken on Thursday for Orientation but I didn't 'work' the image until yesterday.

I can feel my creative side starting to poke through a bit more. As my dear Robin once said, we're only given a little spark of madness and we mustn't lose it... so this is me, doing my best to not lose it.

Sewing, stitching, and staying above water

Oh mylanta. I've been one busy girl!  Lots of irons in the fire lately makes for very little time in other places some days.

I've got a dream gig that just makes me so happy. It's a side job, honestly, but it's not really work to me so I love it. I am making sample pieces for a major yarn company!! Yep, I've got my first one under way right now and as soon as it's released, I'll share the details with you.  Once I got that gig, I had an indie designer jump on board with my sample crafting as well.  I'm getting paid to play with yarn.  You can't beat that!

We had Orientation the other day at Hobbit's school. She was so excited to be back at her old school.  She went around visiting with her old teachers and staff members of the school.  They all wanted to know where she was last year and so happy that she came 'home' for her final year in elementary school.

I honestly wanted to keep it for myself but that would have wrong, right?

Speaking of new school years, I made a bag for her to give her new teacher.  I must say, it is the best bag I've ever made. It is also the biggest bag I've ever done - it finished out at a whopping 16"hx12"wx6"d!! We didn't know if Hobbit's teacher was going to be male or female so I went with blueberries and gingham.  That could work for anyone right? When we gave it to her, she said it was amazing and in her favorite colors so I was tickled.

Her teacher is brand new to the school and is doing the entire self contained gifted classroom.  It houses all three grades (3rd, 4th, and 5th) and there were only 12 student names on the tables the other day.  She comes from South Carolina, is a total nerd (loves Disney, Doctor Who, Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and many more), and used to teach 6th grade gifted so she's got experience.  I really liked her and so did Hobbit. She is about as tall as Hobbit, has beautiful ginger hair, and hipster glasses.  She was overjoyed with the bag (and granny square cup cozy) I made for her and after our conversation, she proclaimed Hobbit her most favorite student of all time.

I'm excited for school to go back in session. It's be one long, crazy, and exhausting break. Peanut heads back to college for her Senior year tomorrow, Hobbit is starting her final year of elementary school on Monday, and my newest granddaughter is scheduled to arrive on Thursday.  What an exciting year we have ahead!

What a day it's been

I went to bed having an allergic reaction last night, thinking when I woke up it would have passed.  Nope, it didn't pass at all - it morphed into an episode that lasted most of the day. I was worn out by noon and ended up sleeping in my chair until 4:30ish.  Thankfully, I woke up feeling a lot better.  Still not fabulous or 100% but way better than when I woke up earlier this morning.

Then, I get a call from Pokey who was late coming home. The reason for it was because he got into a car accident.  He is fine, thank God. He contacted our insurance and since it was minor damage to either car, they just exchanged information and moved on with life. His little car has some damage on the front left bumper area but hopefully we will be able to get it fixed. I know the car insurance will pay for a rental car while they work on the repair so he won't be without a car... and neither will I.

My friend, KP, had come over after work so we could both learn how to sew box bags. We had cut out the fabric and just beginning to sew them when her husband texted her.  He wasn't feeling well and wanted her home.  I know that feeling - can't do anything but wait it out, which is frustrating, and wanting someone to just make it better.  Naturally, she went home to care for him so our sewing date was put on hold.

I did finish my bag though. I am rather proud of it, though I learned a few things along the way.  The first being that I need a handle.  I like mine that have handles so this one needs that as well. The second is that I need zipper tabs.  They truly are important.

So that's been my day. Not the best one on record but at least it had a shiny spot to share.

Sunday Snaps

I've been getting to know my sewing machine.  She's a sweet thing who stopped fighting with me this week!

Vacation for some, work for others

This past week has been odd.  Pokey and Hobbit were both on vacation and I had to work all week. It made for some very off kilter nights, as they will both stay up all hours of the night and I have to go to bed by 11 o'clock at the latest to be coherent enough to work in the morning at 8am.  Then, while I was at work at 8 o'clock, they would roll out of bed around my lunch hour after noon.  Thankfully, it's all winding down - Pokey goes back to work on Monday and Hobbit is going back on her school bed schedule this week because she has orientation on the 20th and back to school on the 24th!

I have knit very little this past week. I made Hobbit a finger less mitt to go with one I had made back around Easter.  She now has  a complete set. While I've not been knitting, I have been getting geared up to get to know my sewing machine better!  I bought a ton of fat quarters, interfacing, and notions to make project bags.

They are super cute, aren't they!

The first type I wanted to try was the Japanese Knot Bag.  I tried two tutorials - Stacy Sews and Schools' DIY Japanese Knot Bag which has an envelop bottom and Helen Heaths' Japanese Knot Bag Tutorial which has a circular bottom.

I learned a lot with both of them and the main thing that I'm taking away is that I am not a Japanese Knot Bag kind of girl.  I like box bags or totes. I thought these would be cute for little odds and ends projects but honestly, I don't do odds and ends projects.  Most of what I knit or crochet is big and it needs a bigger bag.  While I highly recommend both - as they are very nice - I think my next adventure in sewing will be towards a tote bag and then a box bag.

I like them both but if I could take the handles from the envelop and put them on the other bag, it would be perfect.

Worthiness and whipped up WIPs

In some of my knitting groups, we are getting organized for holiday gift crafting and there is term that keeps getting passed around - knitworthy.  Apparently, they rank their family and friends as to whether or not they deem them 'worthy' to receive a handcrafted item for the holidays.

I'm sorry but that just sounds a bit too snobbish for me.  I enjoy crafting and I have a fairly decent stash that is heavy on the acrylic/easy care front. I make items for everyone.  My mother, a crafter herself, will receive items made out of more luxurious yarns than perhaps my grandchildren simply because kids need more durable items and I would hate to saddle the parent of anyone tiny with the responsibility of hand washing and blocking an item.

Everyone is worthy of an item made out of love from a craft you enjoy.  It's a gift to you in making something with your hands and it's a gift to them when you present it. There are times when I make things and simply place them in the charity bins around town. I don't know the homeless or downtrodden soul who will receive my gift but that doesn't make them any less 'worthy' than a relative. Who knows, it could be just the thing the lift their spirits and help them rise above their circumstances.

I think we, as crafters, should change this mindset and deem everyone worthy. We - or at least I - get selfish pleasure out of making it and they get pleasure out of receiving and wearing it.  It's a win-win situation. Celebrate everyone and craft for all!

Speaking of crafting, this weekend I finished up two projects that have made me tickled. The first is a lace knitting bag for my upcoming sock knitting adventure. I've ordered my needles (size 0-4) and when they arrive, I will embark on learning how to knit socks on straights.  I wanted a special bag just for that and so I made this little beauty.

My Knitting Bag - Ravelry Project Page - Knit Picks Brava Worsted yarns

The pattern is from an old Jane Austin Knits magazine and I've been wanting to make it for years but I was too scared of the lace and I didn't understand the little herringbone stitch for the base.  I decided to tackle it this week because I've got more knitting experiene under my belt and I must say, I love it! Even the lining was a new adventure for me.  I pleated the material at the top so that it would 'grow' with the bag and not be as confining when the bag stretches beautifully.  Overall, I'm pleased as punch.

I also made a fabulous summer bonnet this past weekend.  I went scrap stash diving and worked from that basket. I have so many odds and ends of leftovers, it's nice to find projects that help use up those bits. This pattern was newly released on Ravelry in July so I thought I would give it a try and I have to say, I really like how it turned out. 

Cool Breeze - Ravelry Project Page - Red Heart Super Saver yarns

I had to make a few tweaks to the project because the designer only made it in her size which is a little bit larger than my head size.  I made notes on my project page though, in case anyone else had the same challenge. Having worn it yesterday to my knitting group meeting, I found that it is a bit large but I believe it helped in not being too hot wear comfortably... and in Florida, that is a big deal!

Currently it's raining and has been for some time.  We've got flood advisories and thunderstorms - such fun. Not a lot of sleep was found last night but hopefully it will be quieter tonight so I will go to bed early to make up for it.

Did you do anything fun this weekend?  Do you have exciting plans for this week?