Here is Miss M’s hat. I made the Leef hat which you can find on Ravelry for free. I knit the earflaps with doubled yarn because the last one I thought was kind of flimsy in this area. Also I added stitches to the whole hat because of the fiasco with KD’s hat. Miss M asked for the poms on the end of the string. Very specific about what she likes that girl. The yarn is Cascade 220 which I picked up when one of my local stores was closing. I absolutely love Cascade 220. Such great colors and the perfect weight for these kinds of projects.

We are off on a kid free weekend cross country ski trip Friday. I can’t wait! Now what to bring to knit???

KD wanted a hat. We picked out yarn, we picked out a pattern. I knit the hat…

It’s too small.

Noley has a new hat.

I made a size 10 so there will be plenty of time for her to wear it.  I also did short sleeves because that is what Miss M requested.   I did have to redo the length once as she wanted it to be longer.  Picky does not even begin to cover her lately.  I am currently in the throes of the Leef hat.  One is made and one is in progress.  I will save them for the next posting. 

On another note,  we are going cross-country skiing in a few weeks with friends, I am excited to get together with them and both gals coming along  knit as much as I do!  So much to look forward too, now to get through my next stretch of nights. 

I leave you with a picture my Noley took of our sunset the other evening.  Pretty huh?  Maybe he will be a photographer when he grows up.

Back to work now and loving it again.  So glad that taking a break from work is all I needed to stay in my job.  I was feeling very unhappy with it for a little while and hoped that my vacation would take care of the discontent I was feeling.  So far so good, 

Here is our little elf making toys to put under the tree.  Noley really loved Christmas this year and I loved it more because I still get to see it through his eye as the wonderful, magical time it really is. 

The week after we flew kites here.  This is really not typical Minnesota weather.  We have almost no snow and the termperatures are in the 30-40′s F most days.  Very unusual.  We are trying to make the best of it since its bound to snow at some point and the warm weather probably won’t hold out forever. 

Is it just me or are these the most beautiful kids around?  Showing off some gifts.  I will try to get Miss M to do a photo shoot with me soon as I have finished her Tiny Tea Leaves sweater and it is awesome! (if I do say so myself)  It turned out just as I hoped. 

All I want to do is curl up in front of my fireplace and knit up some pretty yarn in to some spectacular item I can wear and look fabulous in. 

I am dreaming of a Tiny Tea Leaves for my daughter, a Pikkuveli for the boys, a Snowbird for me and maybe a Ranger for my hubby.  As it is none of these things are started and I am ignoring all of my duties to talk on the phone with my sister.  We must be missing each other I have never spent an hour on the phone with her and we have done it twice in the last few days. 

There was a shop update recently as well. I have jumped back into the yarn dyeing with some hope that I will be welcomed back to it.  I still really enjoy it and if people still want to knit with my yarn that would be great.  No pressure:)  Here is a little eye candy for you. 

In the long run none of the stress I am feeling matters.  I have all that I need in life.  I have a beautiful family, my home, my career and an outlet for my need to create things.  It will all get done. 

I will just make some serious lists.  Serious.  Watch out Christmas I’m going to conquer you!

We hadn’t taken all 3 kids there before so it was a short trip to see how everyone liked it.  KD loved it but he went a few years ago with hubby and grandpa. 

The other 2 kids loved it too! I was a little worried about Miss M since she isn’t as much as an outdoorsy kid as the boys but she loved the paddling and seemed to enjoy the campsite also.

The kids swam on the SS Log dubbed so by KD.

There was fishing of course.

Some time just hanging out by the lake.

Miss M and I played games.

I wish every day was this simple, paddling on glass, meals, shelter and family fun!

I have been loving the Baktus Pattern. I made a Baktus for a lady I work with recently. She gave us a bunny cage for Miss M’s jersey wooly bunny. She didn’t want to be paid so I made her something.

I loved how it turned out but I wanted one for myself that was a little longer. Char’s turned out a little short for me. So I dug through the stash to find something suitable. I came across 2 skeins of Cherry Tree Hill Silk & Merino DK.

I started it with one skein and didn’t like it, I started it with the other skein and didn’t like it…

I combined the two and love it!

I like the pattern because it is easy and there is very little to think about while knitting it. Since my house is still in the works and it is now Baseball season, this is good. I can’t concentrate on much more right now anyway. Looking forward to watching all 3 of the kiddo’s playing this sport. Although you have to call it Softball to Miss M or she gets a little owlie. The only real trouble is I am balancing 3 different kids practices and games.

Why no I’m not crazy, Why do you ask?

The picture is of my cute nephew and his sweater I made this last winter amidst the many moves we made while building the house.  house pics will come eventually but we are still working hard on getting it all done. Wait a bit and I will give you all a tour:)  Life never slows down but hopefully for us it will calm down to a dull roar for a while.  Looking forward to a great summer full of crafts and family fun.

I am a labor nurse as some of you might know.  I am sick of asking someone how they are going to feed their baby and them saying, ” I’m going to try to breastfeed.”  Why undercut yourself before you even start?  I know breastfeeding isn’t easy and it is scary with a new little person but women!  Be confident in your ability to feed your child! You have the equipment and there are so many resources out there to help you. 

Not everyone is able to breastfeed I get that, but I think there is so much to be said for just deciding that is what you are going to do and doing it.  Don’t say you’re going to “try” say, “Yes I am going to breastfeed. “   Say it loud say it proud. 

Also the current obsession with every women I meet to add some kind of stuff to do with breastfeeding is just ridiculous! Why are you all pumping and bottling?  What is that all about?  Why are you using nipple shields and why is it so important for the guys to give a bottle?  I had a patient the other day who’s baby was nursing fine and the dad was pressuring his wife to quit nursing because the baby cried at the breast.  Well cripes!  He was hungry!  So she wanted to pump so he could give a bottle.  Women be a little selfish for once.  Men get all kinds of advantages in this life this is one thing they can’t do.  Don’t let them take it away from you.  It is so special and important to you and your baby. 

OK I am done.  Sorry to all you I might offend but this is my blog so I get to say what I want, Right? 

Knit on with confidence and hope through all crisis ~ Elizabeth Zimmerman

We have now gone from this…

To this! Yes actual progress on the house as in there is one.  Yay! 

Actually this might even be an older picture since I see we don’t have a front door in that picture and we definately have one now.

I am in the paint color, tile, carpet picking stage and it is tough to decide on such permanent things.  If I was the only one with an opinion I think it might be easier too but DH likes to have a say in colors so…  Enough said. 

To take the edge off, I knitted up some mousies to go into our house in hopes any real mice would not want to join them. 

This is Miss M’s mouse, I don’t think she has named her. 

Pattern: Marisol the Knitted Mouse
Ravelry link here

This is Noley’s mouse he dubbed Squeeky. 

Ravlery link here
There’s more knitting where that came from and hopefully I will now get back on the band wagon and blog more.  Hope you are all enjoying the new year.  Happy Knitting!