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...

Clean Bill of Health

Well since I don't seem to knit or sew much these days - I'll do an update on the other stuff going on. I had my first "official" baby doctor appointment today and got a clean bill of health other than a low iron count (which is completely normal for me). Yeah! We get more excited everyday. The morning sickness is finally easing off and I'm just tired all the time.

We had a real estate agent come over to take a look at our house this week. He doesn't think we'll have any trouble selling it and we expect to try and get it listed in a couple of weeks. We just need to do some paint touch-ups, clean-up the yard and pack-away most of our stuff and furniture. I have a storage container on its way next week. Thankfully, our friends and family have been a huge help already. My Dad is on his way today to pack-up things for me while I'm at work. He's fabulous - he knows how tired I've been lately and they are having a garage sale in two weeks - so he's taking all of my decluttering with him. Let the chaos begin! We will start to aggressively look for a new house as soon as ours is listed for sale. I'm excited! I really love looking at houses. It is always so interesting to see what's out there and what "crazy" things people have done to their homes. So if any of you locals - know of a good house coming on the market with an acre or larger lot on the east side - please let me know...

Once we get the house ready to go - maybe I can start the baby quilt that I want to do for the nursery. I just have to find the energy! I've had the kit set aside for a year or so - I found it at a shop hop last year with my Mom and loved it so much that I set it aside and saved it. I really want to do a mural on the nursery walls based on it. It is a pallet of colors that is pretty modern - it runs a blend of traditional pastels to full color brights that have a quieter tone to them with all kinds of bugs, butterflies, snails, etc. It's really adorable. I'll try to post a picture soon.

Knitty Update

It has been a crazy busy week. Work has moved into busy busy mode as we get ready to release one of our largest projects the first week of December, which I'm heading for our Department - so it makes the work week a bit hectic. Add to all that my husband's volleyball starting sectionals, my parents coming to town for the weekend and a variety of appointments .... Lord help us when we have children - I don't know how I'll keep up and track of everything.

Good news is that I managed to make some headway on a variety of different knitting/sewing projects....

Reading in Bed Shrug - only 2-3 lace repeats to go then a short seam. Hopefully - I can knock this one off this week, as it is an x-mas present that I could cross off my list.


Secret of the Stole - bit behind on this one since I was sick and it's been so busy. I'm half-way through clue 2 - need to finish 3 and part of 4 (since I'm going to shorten it to better fit me).


Monkey Socks - second sock - 3 repeats or so left before I start the toe. Another hopeful finish for this week...


Needle Case - a couple of needle cases for a swap partner and a friend.


Bacardi Cardi - about 7 inches done - getting closer to the sleeve shaping -- thank goodness the back and fronts are worked in one piece. Though I love the results - the constant color changes can get a bit tedious and cumbersome.


Calorimetry - I love this pattern. It took less than 3 hours total. I just need to sew a button on. I'd like to do a few mroe of these for Christmas presents.


Ravenclaw Beanie - Charmed Knits Hogwarts beanie for my nephew to be for Christmas - they are quick and easy. It matches the Slytherin one I finised a few weeks ago for his brother.


Cherry Blossom Noni Bag - casted on for one of my sister-in-laws to be for Chrismas