Baby Socks

My friend is having shower for her baby in early July so I thought I was over due for some baby knitting. I was just going to give her the puppy I made a long time ago, but I think I want to use up some yarn I've got kicking around. The yarn I am using I made Jason some Trigger Finger Mittens last year so it's time to get rid of the yarn.

I am making a pair of socks first. The pattern is from Spud and Chloe and it's called Jelly Bean Socks. I messed up a little bit doing the Kitchener Stitch bind off, it's not really noticeable. Next I am going to knit up a hat, if I have enough left over, I think I will.

Bottle Tote

This was so much fun to knit up! I'm thinking I might need one for myself.

Grad Gifts

Happy Graduation!

6 Balls + 1 Ball Bit =

Cow Cusion
Hot Heart Pot Holder (two sided)
Small Orange Plate Scrubber
Happy Hat
Water Bottle Tote

and

One Happy Graduate!

Rummikub Bag

Knit this up on request from my in-laws. They have a new Rummikub game and didn't want to have to keep dumping the tiles out each time we played. Knit this up in a couple of evenings.

Happy Hat

Fair Isle from the inside

Carried the strands up the back

Finished Product

Happy Hat

Jenna's Happy Hat

Abbreviations:

BO = bind off

CO = cast on

k = knit

p = purl

k2tog = knit the next two stitches together

ssk = slip slip knit. slip the first stitch as if to knit, slip the second stitch as if to knit, then slide the left-hand needle into the front part of both stitches and knit them together.

St = Stitch.

RS = Right Side

WS = Wrong side

Instructions with in the * * mean to continue to the end of the row or round

Fair Isle notation

*k1B, k1C* = knitting every other color gives it little snowflake hearts. Knit the first color, then with out twisting the stitches knit the next stitch with the other color. Check out this picture to see what the back will look like.

Gauge 19st/24rows =4inches

size 7 circular needles

size 7 DPN needles

(may want to try size 8 needles to check gauge)

3 Colors of Worsted Weight Yarn (A, B, & C)

Hat

((Keep the other strands for the stripes hanging down loose behind the work. Every third row twist them up around the working strand to carry them up the work to where you will need them. You can cut the yarn after working the rounds/rows and rejoin it as you need it. Check out the picture to see what the back will look like))

CO 90 St with color A and join in Round

Round 1-4 knit

Round 5-8 change to B and knit

Round 9-12 change to C and knit

Round 13, change to B and knit

Round 14 *k1 B, k1 A*

Round 15, 17, 19 knit

Round 16 *k1 C, k1 B*

Round 18 *k1 B, k1 C*

Round 20 change to C and knit

Round 21 knit

Round 22 change to B and knit

Round 23 *k1 B, k1 C*24,

Round 26, 28, 30 B knit

Round 25 *k1 C, k1 B*

Round 27 *k1 B, k1 A*

Round 31-34 change to C and knit

Round 35-38 change to B and knit

Round 39 change to A and *k8, k2tog*

Round 40, 42 knit

Round 43 change to C and *k7, k2tog*

Round 44 *k1 B, k1 C*

Round 45 with C *k6, k2tog*

Round 46 *k1C, k1B*

Round 41 *k5, k2tog*

Ear Flaps

Fold hat in half making sure that the seam where the rounds were joined is in the back of the hat. Measure 4inches in from front of hat and place marker.

Pick up and knit 20 stitches with color A from marker (RS)

Row 2 purl (WS)

Row 3 knit

Row 4 Change to C and purl

Row 5 k

Row 6 p

Row 7 k

Row 8 change to A and purl

Row 9 k

Row 10 p

Row 11 k1, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1 (18 st)

Row 12 changed to C and purl

Row 13: K1, ssk, k1, ssk, knit to last 6 stitches, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k1 (14 st)

Row 14: p

Row 15 K1, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1 (12 st)

Row 16: change to A and Purl

Row 17: K1, ssk, k1, ssk, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k1 (8st)

Row 18: p

Row 19: k1, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches k2tog, k1 (6st)

Row 20: p

BO

Work second Ear Flap as the first.

Braid Edge

Cut 24 lengths of yarn (color of your choice) to 60 inches. Take half of the strands (12) and braid together, do the same with the other half. Starting with one ear flap pin around the edge leaving a 6-8inch tail hanging off the ear flap. The braid will end up back where you started. Do the same with the other braid starting with the other ear flap to have a double width.

Happy Hat Pictures

Flower Failure

I had this bright idea that I would make 5 flowers for the 5 people who helped me out in the month of May teaching my Sunday School class. I completed one successfully and changed my mind. Not that I couldn't do the pattern or didn't like it, it didn't look/feel the way I wanted it to. I wanted to make magnets, but it's just not going to work.

Which is fine I'll go back to my original plan which was to buy them all flower arrangements, because who doesn't like getting a bunch of flowers from time to time?

Oh, and I made one for my MIL but I didn't use the right amount of petals, I used 4 not 5 so I said "All right, I'll just make another one and it will be daisy like" .. umm, not so much. More like a square. Which is fine, I'm going to make her some mittens for her real gift. The daisy was just a teaser.

Changing My Mind

Wednesday after class we received in the mail two bios on two sets of brothers who are available for adoption.

My heart melted and my mind changed.

I am more than willing to adopt.

Not yet. Not until I am done with work.

Grammies Yarn

I tallied up the yarn I received from my Aunt (Grammies Secret Stash) 65 full Skeins of yarn! I'm not going to need to

buy yarn in a very long time!

Sport (3) -27 Full Skeins

White 11

Grey 3

Light Blue 2

Dark Blue 3

Green 2

Natural 3

Light Pink 3

Worsted (4) -29 Full Skeins

Black 5

Bright Yellow 1

Other Yellows 2

Purple-Blue Multi 1

Dark Purple 1

Light Green 1

Green 1

Light Purple 1

Dark Blue 1

Red 1

Pink Shades 4

White 3

Natural Shades 2

Teal 1

Light Blue 4 -different shades

Other 9 Full Skeins

(Chunky?)

Green 2

Natural 2

Red 2

(Fine?)

Light Purple 1

Natural 1

Aqua 1

Adoption Worries

We have now had two Foster Care classes.

After the first class Jason told me that he'd like to adopt. That his goal of Foster Care was to find a child to adopt. I'm on the fence.

Why am I on the fence to adopt?

I've been trying for the past few weeks to figure out what is going on inside my head.

I think I'm worried about bonding. It is likely that we could have a child in our home who is old enough to remember their birth mother. They will always and forever be comparing me to her, and wanting to be with her (no matter how horrible she was to them the Foster Care Teacher keeps telling us). I can't compete with that. I know it's not a competition of who is the better mother, but it will feel like it is.

I still have this fantasy of having my own child and what that will be like .. Jason and I have names picked out for them .. and I'm not giving up that dream just yet. I just sort of feel that saying "Yes" to adoption somehow means I'm saying "No" to having biological children. I know that anything can happen. I know that letting go of my fantasy and letting God do His will that it will all be all right.

I just can't get my heart to agree.

Grandma Winnies Secret Stash

I just received this from my aunt. Apparently my Grandmother had quite a stash of yarn! I wonder what her plan for all of it was? There is quite a chunk of white and black with some baby blue thrown in. She mostly crocheted afghans but I have a hard time seeing all the colors put together in one afghan.

I want to use it, but it has a little bit of a musty smell. Any thoughts on how I could get rid of the smell?

Castle Mitts

Made this for my sister. I hope to make the other one this week-end. She wore just the one all day today! I call them Castle Mitts. It knitted up a lot quicker then I was thinking it would. I was hoping for a more technically difficult pattern to distract myself while I make the shrug for my Mom. Now that one is done, I have to do the other. I'm still pecking away at the shrug. I work on it while at work and when I chillin out with the hubby!