Granny Blankie

I finally finished the RYC Cashmere granny blankie that I started years ago. When I first learned how to knit - my LYS owner encouraged me to try out a book that had 200 plus pattern squares to learn a variety of stitches in a small forum. I learned a ton and used a great yarn - but I never really got around to finishing enough to do a larger afghan. When I found out I was pregnant this summer, I thought a perfect solution would be to do a small blankie for my baby. I had just enough squares to do a nice crib sized blanket. I started sewing them together and knitting on a border during my last trimester. I just needed to finish weaving in the 9million ends - which I finally did today! I really like the way it came together. It has some wacky colors and looks a little funky - but it is so soft with the cashmere content.



My Anna should be able to use it with her next nap....

Finally ... A Lovey

A lovey for my little one....

It took me forever to find the time to make this:



Become that:



Some facial features will be added once we move and I can get to my embroidery floss.



Go Bills!! Football = Uninterrupted Knitting Time (other than the periodic shouts from across the room)

I assure you that

I'm still here. It's just been insanely busy with all the house goings on and baby on route. It's been a rocky road for the last few weeks. We had finally sold our house 3 weeks ago --- for oh, all of about 24 hrs before they backed out due to "financing issues." Whatever that means - you'd think you'd have figured all that out before you started house shopping and signing a contract. But - we've come around in a full circle. Three different groups made offers on our house yesterday - so we had a minor bidding war - very exciting! We ended up better off than before and are generally where we wanted to be for closings. We just need to get through the engineer's inspection this week and hopefully we'll be home free. Literally! So please keep all your fingers and toes crossed for us!

I have been doing a bit of crafty work. I cut out the pieces for the baby's quilt and purchased the fabric to make a crib skirt and bumpers from Amy Butler's new book Little Stitches. You can actually see the skirt and bumpers I'm making in the third photo on the Amazon website. I'm making the set in fabulous shades of pinks, yellows and greens from lights to dark rich shades. Can't wait - I just need to clear out the space to my sewing machine - though that might not happen until after we move. Hopefully - in the new house by late this month - 1st week in October at the latest.

In knitting news - I've been doing pretty well. I've had a lot of opportunities to knit on the go, which is perfect for baby stuff. Very portable and quick:
(all Ravelry links)

Almost finished with 2 Mason Dixon Bibs

Yarn: Cotton Stria and Peaches & Cream

Kimono Sweater from the Mason Dixon Book:
Looks a bit like origami right now - but the last side/sleeve is almost done and I should finish the whole thing during the Bills game today.

Yarn: Moda Dea Washable Wool (leftovers project - until I realized I miscalculated and had to go an buy another skein - now I have 3/4 of a skein to figure out what to do with LOL)

Hat from Wee-One Welcome Set

Yarn: Berrocco Comfort (worsted)

Offset Wraplan by Sara Morris:
Just needs snaps added....

Yarn: Socks that Rock Heavyweight in Storytime (LOVE THIS YARN!)

Pair of matching - Wee Baby Scratch Mitts

Yarn: Leftover bits of cotton stria and socks that rock heavyweight

Also in progress - A Slip Stitch Baby Hat to match an upcoming Tulip Baby Sweater:

Yarn: Dream in Color Classy Hat Kit - Spring Fling from Coldwater Collaborative. They have hat and sweater kits in some great colors that saves you from having to buy full skeins of Classy to the multi-color look that you want.

Plus - just a little bit of yarn stashing love for you -- we should have all known that I wouldn't survive without any yarn in the house for 3-4 months. It's like slow water torture not to be able to get to my stuff. So project yarn above plus:

Socks that rock medium weight (1-3), Chewy Spaghetti (club package), Cherry Tree Hill Supersock, Elann Peruvian Wool (for pinwheel sweater), Dream in Color Classy Tulip Kits, Karabella Aurora 8, Karabella Soft Tweed (I love sales - $3 a ball! - I have over 2000 yards - now to find the right project), Berrocco Comfort, Berrocco Comfort, Plucky Knitter Fingering (club package)

I have not fallen....

off the face of the earth. It's just been incredibly busy with the house stuff, work, family weddings, etc. Plus - I managed to get the worst summer cold last week that is still ongoing. However, I have managed to ease in some crafty time during all of this (in car, will wishing I was dead in the recliner - coughing my head off).

I have three more baby sweaters in various finishing stages:

Pattern: Mossy Jacket by Fawn Pea
Yarn: Berroco Comfort
Just need to weave in the ends and sew on two buttons (which are where? You guessed it - Packed in no man's land until we move next month)
More Details on Ravelry


Pattern: Ribbed Baby Jacket by Debbie Bliss from her Special Knits book (ravelry link)
Just needs arm seaming...
More Details on Ravelry

Pattern: Helena by Alison Green Will

Yarn: Moda Dea

Just need to finish the front/neck bands...

More Details on Ravelry

Then, I think I'm going to do one of these next:

Tulip Baby Cardigan

Seamless Baby Yoked Sweater

I love little girl clothes...

Plus - I'm going to start the crib bedding (quilt, crib skirt and bumpers) with these...

Last, but not least our little girl is growing like a weed... Belly bump expansion:

21 Weeks...

Need I say more...

Update

I've been a bad blogger lately. Between the baby zapping all my energy and the endless house stuff - it has been nutty. The good news is though that I'm starting to feel a bit less tired. I actually knitted a few rows yesterday for the first time in months!! I had started a Baby Kimono from Mason Dixon Knitting awhile ago. It makes me feel so much more human. Though I want a different project - I was doing it in cotton and after not knitting for a while it hurts my wrists. All of my yarn and books are trapped in storage in a different town as we are in the process of selling our house. It sucks @!$* I feel lost without my fabric and yarn. I was going to go to the yarn shop today and remembered that it's Sunday - so nothing is open. I may have to resort to desperate measures.

I leave Tuesday afternoon for the Vermont Quilt Festival with my Mom. I can't wait. I'm ready to start sewing again and want to start a quilt for the baby when I return. We are signed up for some great classes. I'll share some pictures and stories when I return next week.

I'm so glad to be going away. I can't wait to leave the craziness of showing our house for sale and looking for a new home for just a few days. I do feel a little bad that I'm leaving my husband to handle it by himself - but he'll survive. He actually likes the fact that our house is practically empty - I feel like I'm in a stranger's house and shouldn't touch anything. It's such a roller coaster ride. We had a really good open house yesterday - approximately 20 groups went through and we're hopeful that it might result in a decent offer. On the other side - we found a house we both really liked yesterday - a bit high in the price range, but it was just the right size and had most of the features we are looking for. Plus, it is the size and type that we could live in it longer than we originally planned when we first started looking. But (you knew there had to be a caveat) - someone has already put in an offer and we have no interest in getting in a bidding war no matter how great the house. We will hear late tonight or tomorrow how the offer process is going. Apparently the buyer submitted what the seller's agent termed as a really low offer and the owners weren't happy and had aggressively countered. Whatever that all means in the end. For now - it means we keep looking. At first I though it would be fun, now I just want to get it over with. I want to move, put my stuff away and start enjoying planning for our upcoming arrival. I want to buy baby stuff darn it - which you can't do until you know how big the room will be.

I hope everyone else is having a nice relaxing summer. Here's hoping ours slows down soon.