Year of Projects

Did some outdoor knitting on Thursday. It was nice to get out in the sun even if my fingers got a little chilly. I am writing my weeks posts ahead of time due to our very busy week (it's school vacation up here). When I took this photo I had just reached the toe. I hope that by the time this posts I will have neared the end of the toe decreases .. I'll let you know.

Per last weeks request ::

The pattern is Susan B Anderson's : How I Make My Socks

and the yarn is : Supersocke 

My next project will be another sock, a Christmas Stocking knit with this pattern. I am super excited to try something a little more challenging. I'm a little tired of stockinette stitch! I'm knitting the Christmas Stocking for my Christmas Prep KAL -- it'd be great if you joined me!

I have two prizes in mind for the KAL check back on Tuesday to see what they are!

Signs of Spring

Blueberry Buds

Sunshine

Ducks in the pond.

Blue Skies

I have been thinking about where to take progress photos from and I've tossed around a few ideas in my head. I think I have come to a conclusion. I will take a photo standing to the left of each our our pear trees. The top photo is of the right hand tree (when the house is to my back) and the bottom is the left hand pear tree. Eventually I think the blueberry bushes and the pears will block our view, but maybe that's not so bad. 

Last month I posted a list of what we need to do this month. I wish we could say that we have it all done, but we don't. The only thing we have done is to move the brood box is out of the snow. It is in the barn drying off. The next step is to clean it out and disinfect it. The chicks are coming the end of this month!

Christmas Prep KAL :: My List

I am hosting a KAL in May, you can read about it some more here. The boiled down version is this: I am knitting Christmas gifts in May. My goals and my ability never seem to match up at Christmas time, so this will give me a good boost.

Will you join me?

I have two projects that I will work on. Both are projects that I have wanted to knit for a couple of years.

The first is a toy from my favorite toy designer Susan B. Anderson. Her creations are just too cute! I will be knitting a Hedgehog Squirrel that I have named: Farren. Stompers Bumpa has a rocky relationship with some rodents that hang around his bird feeder and this is a little homage to that hilarity.

The second is a Christmas Stocking for myself. I am going to knit it using this sock pattern and then plan on knitting myself an actual pair to wear maybe after July. Maybe, we'll see how hard it is to knit the Christmas Stocking first.

That's it, short and sweet.

I have at least one prize too!

A Pair

We let the two duck ladies out today. They were so happy to be free and wandering around. They spent a lot of time with their bills in the muck looking for special little tid bits. They even wandered a little too far way from the pond in their search, silly ladies. We were able to call them back to the pond though and they have spent the rest of the morning taking a bath, looking for morsels, and feeling free.

We realized though, that our two ladies do not have any names. Since they are more pets than farm animals we will give them some names. Any suggestions?

For more photos check out the album on facebook! Click HERE for more photos!

Year of Projects

There is notable progress on the sock.

Granted they aren't quite as lovely as some of the socks I have seen being knit, but I think they are awesome just the same. I have turned the heel, worked past the gusset, and I have high hopes that before next Sunday I will be on the toe.

When I finish this pair I will polish up a few other projects (mostly the owl hat) in preparation for next months KAL that I'm hosting.

Since this post is so short here are a few snap shots from my weekend. We celebrated Uncle Z's birthday with an ice cream cake and a bath in chocolate!

We took a  little drive in the country just to see some vistas and we were not disappointed! I am really looking forward to some green!

The Past Twenty-four Hours

We played with friends in a box

Made our own camera and took Mommy's picture.

Snuggled with our pals.

Went to the library and listened to books.

Year of Projects & Yarn Along

Doing double duty today as I link up with both my fellow Year of Project friends (Sunday was too busy with Easter--sorry!) and those stopping by from Ginny's Yarn Along. Not to worry there is enough knitting and reading to go around.

I got over my knitters block and managed to cast on for the second sock of the striped socks. If you checked in on Tuesday you know I have a plan to help me knock two things off my list next month. Once that is done I will just have the two hoods left and I'll be finished! I don't think I'll be able to finish both hoods in a month, but stranger things have happened.

I started an owl hat for Stomper, but something strange happened to it and it doesn't fit right. What I need to do is pick up some stitches to work on the length, but I'm feeling a little discouraged. I may or may not work on it. I may turn it into a doll bed, I may burn it, I don't know. I nearly cried when I put it on him and it didn't fit.

Stomper and I have been working through a small stack of books I got him a the library. He really likes The Baby Dances, Otis, Super Hero ABC, and Baby Goofy . There are others in the stack, but we haven't gotten a chance to read them all. Baby dances is full of soft pictures of a little baby, he just loves to look at her toes, fingers, and smile. Otis is about a tractor and a calf and the artwork is nearly monochromatic, so the red of the tractor really sticks out. Superhero ABC has brightly colored art and silly names (there is a superhero who vomits) and that's why I think he likes it.

I just finished Railsea and it didn't end like I thought. It didn't end bad or abruptly, just not like I thought. It was definitely a good read and I recommend giving it a try. I gave a more in depth review on it during this yarn along if you are interested.

I cracked the spine of a new book last night called Scarlet. Its a retelling of the classic Little Red Riding Hood but in a different direction. More like the author took the idea of the classic and expanded. It is the second in a series, the first being Cinder. The first book was amazing, vivid, and well thought out. I hope my hopes aren't too high for this one. Time will tell.

Oh, and I haven't picked up that final Rangers Apprentice book up in a long time.  I will, when I'm ready.

KAL :: Christmas Prep

It happens to me every Christmas. October rolls around and I tell myself that I have plenty of time to knit all my projects with time to spare. Christmas Eve finds me furiously knitting to finish up "one last project" and wrapping yarn or partial pairs of socks to give to family. Maybe you aren't like me and you are blessed with forethought and get all your knitting done in time to enjoy Christmas Eve.

If you are a planner, or a procrastinator like me, would you like to join a Christmas KAL with me? 

Put on a little Christmas music, pick up your needles, and make something for Christmastime before the stores start  putting up the decorations.

The KAL will run April 30th to June 4th . Every Tuesday I'll post an update on my list and you can link up with anyone has joined. I will also start a Rav group to handle any questions and a flicker group for non-bloggers or non-ravers who wish to join in the fun. 

There aren't too many rules but for those of you who like them here they are:

1. The post/image you link up needs to be KAL related. You can mention other projects, but the main drive of the post/image needs to be KAL related
2. Positive and reaffirming comments only, spread the love around.

I am ruminating on some prizes for those who join so stay tuned.

Sponsor Spotlight :: Agape Angoras

• I took a few moments to ask Jessica of Agape Angoras a few questions about her fiber and shop. 

  Please take a moment and see the fabulous yarns and handcrafted items she has for sale!

  
  

  

  
  

  How did you get started with fiber?

  I saw a demonstration at the Windsor fairgrounds, someone was spinning right from the rabbit and I knew that I was going to do that someday.

  
  Are you a knitter, crocheter, or a little of both? Who taught you? 
  

  I crochet, someday would like to learn to knit. My mother taught me the basics of crocheting when I was around 10 years old, once I got into angoras I taught myself from online videos many different patterns.

  
  Why angoras? 
  
  
  

  I think angoras give you the most fiber for your money out of all the fiber animals. They don't take up much space, you don't need to have a pasture, they only eat a cup of grain a day, I harvest their fiber four times a year instead of just once a year like most other fiber animals. The fiber doesn't need to be washed or carded, that process can take a long time with other animals. Plus they are so soft and cuddly how could anyone resist?

  
  
  When do you spin?
  
  

  Like anything you have to be in the mood, I may go weeks without ever spinning and other times I can't go a day. Usually when I have something I need to make I will sit down in the evenings and spin away until I'm done.

  
  What do you have to offer in your shop & what is your favorite thing you sell?
  

  My shop is quite small right now, I can do custom work though. I usually have some yarn available and a variety of products. I currently have a hat, scarf, fingerless gloves, booties and bonnet, and an ear warmer. I don't have a favorite product, I like that everything that I make is a little different, from a different bunny, different time of year, different mood when I made it etc...so everyone of my pieces are an original.

  
  

  

Easter

Easter afternoon we went to Mimi and Bumpa's house for a New England Boiled Dinner and an Egg Hunt. The challenge is to locate as many eggs as we can with out Bumpa helping us. Everyone helps hunt: Great Great Grammie, Great Grammie, Auntie, Uncle Z, a family friend, Papa, and Mommmy. We found all but 4 of the 200 eggs Mimi filled and Bumpa hid. Once all the eggs were found we emptied them and divided the candy. This year we came home with about 2 quarts of candy!

We feel very blessed to have such a warm and loving family. Not only did Stomper get to have a family Egg Hunt, but Auntie, Great Grammie, and Mimi gave him Easter Baskets and presents. The loot he came home with was almost as much as Christmas!

Easter morning is a little too crazy for us so we don't have a family picture, if you want to see how handsome Stomper was in his Easter vest I knit him check out this post.

Here are some photos of us egg hunting for the 200 eggs that Mimi and Bumpa filled and hid for us.