Time Flies....

Wow! I can't believe it has been over a year since I last posted. Life has been really crazy and a lot of things have happened. I lost two very dear people in my life since I last blogged. I think, by far, losing my Mom in March was the hardest thing I have yet to endure in my life. She had COPD (pulmonary fibrosis) and had reached the point where there was nothing more the doctors could do and her body was just beyond weary. She was ready I think. She had made peace and she was here at home where she wanted to be. I was very blessed to be able to sit with her and hold her until she peacefully went to be with God. I don't think I will ever NOT miss her.

I've been thinking about my poor neglected blog lately so I thought maybe I should try to get back "in the groove". It always lifted my spirits before and I really miss all the friends I made hopping around and drooling over yarn and other knitters projects. I'm finally getting that itch to start some new projects of my own. What"s better therapy than yarn anyway? :o)

I'm also proud to say that crochet is no longer the boss of me!! YAY! I still have a lot to learn but I am finally getting the hang of it. I love it! I'm working on my third granny square afghan now. The photo below (my second one) is my favorite one so far. I used some random skeins that my former MIL gave me. She found a stash (at a yard sale I think) and gave them to me. Seriously old yarn....don't think it's even available anymore....so I thought it would be good for practice. I didn't really expect anything much for a finished project since I was just trying to figure out how to make a granny square. It was a pleasant surprise.


I did manage to crochet a few water bottle holders that I haven't taken photos of yet. A handy lil thing to have when you're out walking and they work up super fast. I like that about crochet but I so miss knitting. I'm thinking I need to make myself a shawl/wrap since the weather is about to turn cooler. I am beyond ready for that!!! It is so hot and unbelievably humid in the south. I don't think I'm gonna miss summer a bit. This lilknitter is getting too old for summertime. :^p

I hope things are well with everyone. I have missed seeing what everybody is up to and I can't wait to hop around and spy on you all. And...I realize I could be talking to myself since no one thinks I'm in the blogiverse anymore. lol I don't get as much computer time with my boys doing online school. I have to wait for a turn on the computer. We'll get it figured out...still new to us and we're working on getting the feel for it. It will come in time.

For now...I should get myself to sleep and get ready for another day of "coaching" and maybe some stash diving and pattern hunting when I can steal the computer away. Hugs!!!

Walks And Ball Games....

Hi! I hope everyone is doing well. I wanted to start off by saying a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who sponsored us on our March for Babies. We raised a total of $33o and successfully walked the entire 6 miles! YAY! We had a great time and I think we're all agreed that we're doing it again next year. I thought I had fresh batteries in my camera but after taking a handful of photos...camera died.

Here is Ms Thang before the walk. I don't think she really understood how much walking was involved beforehand. lol She repeatedly asked..."How much farther?" during the walk. Towards the end...she was pouring her water on her head instead of drinking it. It really wasn't that hot but she thought it was fun.

This is the beginning of walk. That's two of our team members up there in the purple shirts. My oldest daughter (Megan) and her hopefully soon to be step-mom (Regina). Megan had plans later so they were trying to finish as soon as possible. They finished about 20 minutes ahead of us and had to wait anyway since we had their car keys. :P

The cute little man is now playing T-ball. T-ball games are always so funny. He can hit the ball off the tee and he has a good arm so I think we've got us a future ballplayer here. YAY Killian! Here are a few photos I took the other day. I also learned how to watermark my photos...only took me a few hours. *you can click the photos to make them bigger*


This one is my absolute favorite. He looks so peaceful. I love the photos when the subject isn't even aware that they're being photographed. I think they're the best photos sometimes...quiet moments captured forever.


Here he is watching the game...actually I don't know what he was watching...we were just proud he was sitting down and waiting his turn. Notice the hat...too big but cute.


Killian and his Daddy after the game. It was the first game Ms Thang and I went to and he was so preoccupied with her the whole time. He was paying attention to her here so I couldn't get him to look at me. Who cares about Aunt Mel when "Girl" is around? lol He can't say her name so he calls her Girl...too cute.


Killian and Daddy again on third base. Dad has been drafted as a coach for the team which is pretty cool. I know this will mean a lot to both of them when the little man is all grown up. They're creating some great memories.


I loved this photo but it wasn't the best quality so I "cartooned" him. He looks so serious.

That's about all for now. I'm still working on my crocheted baby blanket...almost finished and getting some designs written up to test knitted. The weather is nice but the pollen is killing me. I may have to grab one of Grandma's masks so I can go out and take some photos of all the lovely flowers and trees.

I seriously need to get back to knitting and my photos...they've both been neglected lately. I miss them. (And Cat who needs to get her behind back down here to the South!!!)

Take care everyone and I am so sorry I haven't been blog visiting lately. I'm going to get it together eventually...seriously, I am. Facebook is a time sucker that rivals Ravelry but I love that I can so easily keep in touch with my family and friends. I will make the blog rounds soon and catch up with you all.

Lots of love and hugs!!

Almost Walking Time...

Sorry...a little more shameless plugging here. My girls are still trying to reach their goals for the March for Babies. If anyone is interested in helping them out...here's the links to their pages. Anything you can do to help them is greatly appreciated. We're getting excited about the walk...it's getting closer. :)

Michaela's Page

Megan's Page

Huge thanks to those who helped me reach my goals...you are awesome! Now I'm off to get a little practice in....gotta be ready for Saturday. Hugs!!!!

In Honor Of Maddie

Memorial services are today for little Maddie....rest in peace.

March for Babies

In honor of Madeline Alice Spohr "Maddie" who passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, April 7, 2009....my daughters and I are marching in the March for Babies on April 25, 2009. Please help us reach *or better yet PASS* our goal. (Just click the banner on the sidebar to sponsor.)

Who Is Maddie?

Trip to the ER

Project Purple Balloon In Memory Of Maddie
*tears*

Sadly, Maddie did not recover. They lost their sweet little baby. I cannot even imagine the pain this family is going through right now. I went through some scary times with two of my deliveries and I am so blessed to have been able to bring them home and love them and watch them grow. Walking in memory of Maddie is the least I can do. So please sponsor us if you can...any amount will be greatly appreciated. Thanks and Hugs to everyone. Hug your kids!!!

The Noro Clapotis!!

* Big thanks to Alpaca Farm Girl for asking me to link to Fiber Arts Friday....feeling quite honored* :) Check it out here ... Fiber Arts Friday


Oh yeah! I did it! I finished my Noro Clapotis!!! Ms Thang graciously modeled for me again. Actually I think she just does it to shut me up but it works. :P It took just a bit less then 5 balls of Noro Kureyon and I so love it!!! I didn't think to measure it so I'm not sure of the exact size. I also decided not to block it. I like the way it looks. The tip of each end does curl a little but I think that will relax in time.

Worn as a scarf in this photo.

More of a wrap in this one...front view.

The back view as a wrap.

Now, I'm trying to decide what to work on next. There will be another Clapotis or two in the future but for now I'm taking a break from that. I might cast on a pair of socks if I can find a pattern that I really like.

I also did manage to get in some practice on my crochet today. I am kinda excited but waiting to see what my "teacher" says about what I did. I emailed Brian a photo to give me advice and see how I did. I even made a little granny square using a YouTube video. It is not pretty but it does kinda look like a granny square. :P

It's late and I am off to bed. Hope you all had a great weekend. And Happy Birthday to Cat!!!! I think she turns 21 today. lol Night all! Hugs!

A Little Luck on Friday the 13th...

I didn't get around to trying the crochet shamrock pin just yet. I did manage to get a knitted one done though. I found this cute little shamrock on Vickie Howell's blog. She MUST be a mind reader. It's super cute and quick to knit not to mention easy. I do love quick and easy.

This one was made with some scraps of Sugar & Cream on a US Size 2 needle. Not much fun and pretty fussy working with tiny needles and worsted weight yarn. It was worth it. I Bedazzled the little green stone in the center. I also made another one with I Love This Yarn scraps but I haven't had a chance to get a photo of that one yet. I used a US Size 5 needle for that one and it was a lot nicer to work with and knit up even faster. I also tried doing a four leaf clover but I just couldn't get it to look as cute as the 3 leaves so I just stuck with the 3. :P

Thanks, Vickie for such a cute little pattern. Hop over to her blog and check it out...it's a free pattern. I just need to make a few more for my daughter to give her best friends and I'm good. Well, actually I only need one more. Cool!!

Hope you're all having nice weather...it's turned cold here again after almost a week of Spring weather. I am sooo ready for Spring to stay.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Friday the 13th! :P
Hugs!

We Did Get Snow....

So it was actually last week that we got the snow but you know how slow I am with the blogging. I didn't really get many photos of the snow itself since it was so cold and I didn't want to go out and freeze my behind off. :P It was already melting by the next morning so most of the photos are the leftover ice and snow remnants.

I won't do much yakking since the pictures pretty much speak for themselves....just wanted to share them with you.
















Off to put away my Noro Clapotis for the day and get some much needed sleep. Take care and hugs to everyone!!

This Is What I've Been Up To....

I haven't posted in forever....sorry Cat. :P I am finally posting on the blog. YAY!!!!! So, here's an update on what I've been up to lately.

This is actually my second Clapotis . I'm using some Noro Kureyon that I've had for several years. It is pretty scratchy but the colors are just so vibrant that I'm quickly getting over the whole scratchy thing. I think it will soften up with use and I expect it to get lots of use.


This a little girl's lacy scarf. It was inspired by a pattern I saw on Ravelry but unfortunately I can't remember exactly which pattern it was. It's basically a feather and fan type pattern just done with fewer stitches. I had some Caron Simply Soft and I thought this was a cute way to use some of it up.


Next up...the Skull Illusion Scarf that I'm making for my youngest son. It's getting pretty close to finished but I get bored pretty easily with this one. It can be done relatively quick but I keep putting it down for other projects.


This was my first Clapotis . My sister claimed it before I even got the pattern going and now that it's done...she loves it. I broke the rules and used acrylic but believe me...it is wonderful. I used I Love This Yarn from Hobby Lobby in Mid-Green. I did the pattern exactly..all the repeats and it took me a little less than 2 skeins.

My youngest modeled for me...Thanks, Girlfriend! The scarf is so soft and smushy. It's just thick enough to be nice and warm without being bulky. As soon as the I get the Noro Clapotis finished...I will be making another with more I Love This Yarn.


And, FINALLY....photos of my socks! I wear these socks all the time. It is so true that hand knit socks feel so much nicer than store bought socks. These socks fit like a glove and they are so comfortable that I sometimes forget I'm even wearing them.


A little close-up of the heel which I love. I will make more socks for me....with cute heels to wear with clogs. Not that anyone else will ever notice but you just never know. :P

I hope everyone has been doing well. I'm sorry I haven't been around and haven't been doing my usual blog hopping but that is also going to change. I miss everyone and seeing what's knitting.

We finally got some snow around here last week (5 inches...WOO HOO!). I've got some pretty good photos to share soon....just have to finish editing.

Hugs to everyone and I will be around to visit all of you soon!!!

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!

Happy New Year....wishing everyone lots of hugs and happiness for the new year. I hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday. Spend some time with the ones you love! Hugs!!!