Snow Days!!!

I am sitting here in my double chair next to the window looking out into our beautiful backyard at the 4 inches of snow that fell last night. There are so many things on my mind and any other day, this would bring on so much stress for me. For some reason, the gloominess of the day combined with the untouched snow outside brings this calming feeling. I made an extra cup of coffee to drink (although now I wish it was tea!). Baby G is crawling around on the floor playing and that is so fun to watch. I just wonder what goes through his head. I had him and C out in the snow this morning while I shoveled. They were FASCINATED by the snow plow. It is the little things!
These snowy days make me think of knitting. I think of just curling up in a ball on the sofa under a blanket in front of a fireplace and just knitting. Ahhhh, what a nice dream, haha....
Anyway, enough sentiment. I finally got around to taking a pic of the Booga Bag I am working on for my mom. It is intended as a bag to put some of her sewing gadgets in, but we'll see. Here it is. I am knitting it in Noro Silk Garden:

Such an easy knit, I am ashamed to say, but I started it literally 3 years ago and it is another one of those projects that has been sitting there 3/4 done for years. Time to finish and gain some more space!!!!

Next on my list to cast on is The Cambridge Jacket for the hubby. I am quite nervous. I have knit him one sweater before but the complaint was that it was too itchy and we ended up giving it to a good friend so it could actually be worn. So, he is picky...it is actually probably good for me. I will have to learn how to do a lot of pattern rewriting. Here is a pic of the yarn I am going to use. It is Cascade 220 in a taupe color. Also thrown in is a beautiful bag that "A Mingled Yarn" made me for a sockapalooza a couple years ago. I just LOVE it and use it for all of my knitting notions!

The plan is to put my hanks into balls and do the swatch sometime in the next couple of days!

February Baby Sweater

Well, I finally finished it! Actually, it is kind of a funny story. It had been sitting up in my yarn room for just about a year. I kept knitting other things thinking that I wasn't in the mood to pick up in the middle of a pattern, trying to figure out where I was. The other night I kept to my resolution of finishing the things that I was in the middle of working on and pulled out the sweater. Well, it was finished. I must have forgotten that all I needed to do was add the buttons. I still need to add those buttons, but I took pictures of the rest of the sweater. It turned out beautifully, I think. The only problem is that now, the sweater is too small for C.
I just love the color and the feel. I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in a deep burgundy/red color. It was a wicked easy pattern to knit and interesting too. B had a great idea... to give it to his brand new second cousin in England. She will appreciate it!
I often find that that is my struggle with spending so much time on a project. I find that there are few people that appreciate the work as much as you.
Now, on to finishing more old projects. Next up is Apricot Jacket. I am so close...just one more sleeve and then seaming together and buttons....

So, I am BACK....

I have been gone for a long time. Okay, a REALLY LONG time. But, I have started knitting on a pretty consistent basis now AND the kids are finally giving me some time (while sleeping) sometimes when I can sit down and unload. So, yes, I said kids, plural with an "s". That means I have two now. Baby C, and now, Baby G. He came along a short 16 months after C was born and he is AWESOME. The two of them together are so great. Yes, there are times, but those times are becoming few and far between now.
Anyway, there is an extra person to knit for and I have SO many ideas for 2009. What a great time to start writing again. I also have some new work to post...I just finished the Baby Fairisle Cardigan in Debbie Bliss' Simply Baby.
I made this sweater for Baby (I guess now toddler) C. I made the 18-24 month size since she is a little on the small side. The size turned out perfect...although I lengthened the front and back a little bit (by an inch or so). There was one flaw in the pattern (or at least that is how I see it). It was in the neck. When finished, which is when I realized the flaw, it looks like a mock turtleneck. It goes on too long after finishing the fair isle AND, I think there is probably a decrease row or two missing. I let C wear it today and it rolls slightly at the top. I wanted her to wear it, but it is something I am going to have to go back and take out and fix though. The rest of the sweater fits perfectly. I used Knit Picks Shine Sport to knit it and the feel of the yarn is perfect. It is machine washable, which is great, and the colors look so nice on her. All in all, I am very happy with it, with the exception of the neck! Here is a picture:There are a ton of patterns that I would like to complete in 2009, so I need to get working! First, I think, is a pair of socks for my brother...for some reason I have always wanted to knit him socks.