Toxic Socks, Quilt blocks, and Grandsons

I've made a little progress on the Toxic Socks mentioned in my previous post. Not enough for a photo, tho.

February quilt blocks are completed.  My seams need help - some are a bit off!  I'm going to blame that on my old sewing machine.  Or maybe on my new trifocals.

We had a family bowling party last night.

Sport (now 8)

and Buster (6) had loads of fun.

2010 November Socks

This pair was finished early this month, but I forgot to get a photo of them before Sport and family moved out of town. But, when I visited last week the socks were sent back home with me - they'd shrunk in the laundry.

A cool soak with fabric softener and a blocking session - and Yay! They fit Sport again. He visited yesterday, and I tried to send the socks home with him. But he wanted to keep them at my house, because "Mama doesn't know how to wash them."

SO...since I had several pairs in need of a wash, we had a lesson in hand washing and air drying socks :-) Sport asked for the steps to be written down "with everything in words." Later, he happily took the socks and his detailed washing instructions home with him.

Pattern: Garter Rib version of Mix-and-Match Socks from Chrissy Gardiner's Toe-Up!

Yarn: Patons Kroy Socks FX

Needles: US 1.5

Knit for: 7 year old Sport

Way to go, Prince Charles!

Thanks to my non-knitting DD1 who passed along this article from the NY Times.

OFF the needles: I finished Sport's socks a few days ago and I'm hoping to get a photo of them on his feet this weekend.

Other news: Don't think I said that the grandsons (& their parents) moved last Saturday. Too far to visit everyday, but close enough to see them every weekend or two. I'm missing them a lot already. But... the plan is that each of them will spend a weekend with me once a month. This weekend is Sport's turn and Buster's will be in two weeks.

It's that time of the year

Halloween costumes for the grandsons:

Buster


















Sport



















And for the grand dogs, too! (Sorry, I can't tell the triplets apart...)

October 2010 socks & other updates

September was an incredibly busy month - so was August, July, June…. I tried to get this pair of socks finished by September 30^th, but - Hey, I’ve got an early submission for October :-)

Pattern: “Mix-and-Match Rib Sock Recipe” in Chrissy Gardiner’s Toe-Up!, using the Cable Rib version

Yarn: left over Paton's Kroy Socks FX in Clover Colors (see this post)

Needles: two circs, Size 2 US

Knit for: 5 year old Buster. They're about a 1/2 inch too long, but I'm thinking by March his feet will have grown that much.

Other Updates:

I’ve been knitting. Buster had asked for a scarf back in April, I think. I promised I’d have it done before it was cold. It’s cold and it’s done. Also made him a hat and a pair of mittens. I took him to Hobby Lobby and let him select from any of the “I Love This Yarn” varieties. [I know, I know… but, for a very busy mama with very active boys Easy Care was the most important.] Buster did a great job of picking out navy blue on his own. His winter coat is gray with navy trim. I used a waffle stitch pattern on his scarf.

Sport of course got to pick out his yarn. He selected a dark olive green. Also made a hat, scarf & mitts for him. I used a Mistake Rib pattern on his scarf.

On the Needles Update:

Finally CO for the February Lady Sweater! I bought the yarn on April 4, 2009. I love the color - Cascade 220 in #7811 Purple Jewel Heather. As I said in the post, I intended to get something burgundy (more reddish) and came home with Purple!! I’m knitting with an old 29” circ needle (my grandmother's) that has a very stiff cable (even after soaking in very hot water.) So, I’m going to go submit an order for several new circ needles - etc. (Probably not yarn, tho. My yarn totes are full already. Gotta get knitting!)

An August Birthday

Sport's 7th birthday was in August. We had a big family cookout at a state park for him. He's now in 2nd grade. Amazing that it's been seven years since I moved back here. I've probably said it before in one of these posts, but I'll say it again -- I miss the mountains and the mild weather of the Front Range. But, I'm glad I gave that up to live close to family. Sniff.

And not to leave out the little brother: Buster (now 5) started kindergarten and is happy to now be in a big kids' school.

PS - Happy BD to The Mama, too!

A June Birthday

Buster turned 5 in June. He's getting tall and certainly not a "baby" anymore. If his eyes look a bit red, he was having an allergy day.












Big brother, Sport, reads the cards to Buster.

Memorial Day

I grew up in a family that didn't do "cemetary-ing" on Memorial Day weekend. It might have started with my Great-Gran who said, "If you don't bring me flowers while I'm alive, don't bother when I'm dead." But, DD3 asked to go to one of the cemeteries in town where a whole room full of relatives are buried. So, we'll go later today.

It's been a busy week: out-of-state visitors, along with the requisite eating out; DD1's birthday & BD cookout; the first high school graduation of the youngest generation of the family (and he's off to the Army within the week!); a little knitting; etc.

DD3 stayed overnight and we (DD1, too) watched Operation Petticoat (Tony Curtis, Cary Grant.) I'd forgotten how funny it was. As the young folk say: I lmao :-)

No yarny photos - I'm doing another toe up pair [i know!] and I'm about half finished with them [2 socks on 2 circs.] My visiting sister from CO asked me to knit her a pair of socks, too. That's good, because I counted how many pair I've done for myself and I'm up to 15. I probably don't need anymore for a while.

Buster graduated from 4 yr old preschool. Here's a photo:

Grandsons' Socks

I knit these during November-December '09. I took the grandsons, separately, to HL and let them pick out the yarn for their socks.

6 yr old Sport selected Walk Away Sock Yarn in Pettitoes - a black, grey, white variegated yarn. 70% superwash wool, 23% polyamide, and 7% PBT [what's that?] This colorway fits him to a T.

I tried to steer 4 yr old Buster to several variations of blues, but he insisted on Patons' Kroy Socks in Fern Rose Jacquard. Funny thing...THIS colorway screams "Buster"! As I mentioned in an earlier post -- busy, bright, fun :-)

If you enlarge the photos, you'll see lots of nubs - they've been washed a lot.

Early Trick or Treaters!

My doorbell rang this evening and these two guys were standing on my porch.

Wolverine I recognized, but I called the guy in white a "ghost." I was corrected - he's Storm Shadow from G I Joe.

So, now I know. :-)

August Updates 1

Sport is 6!

Here he is with some of the presents from his aunt DD1 (and the mama and great gran in the back ground.) Sport luvs to cook, so he got a set of measuring spoons & cups, a variety of mixing spoons, bowl scrapers, and even a timer.

Among the gifts from me was a Nickelodeon Kids Cookbook: Stir, Squirt, Sizzle.




Buster needs equal timing, so here he is, the bubble blowing champion of the family.

Long Time No Post

My perpetual excuse is: I've been busy. There's
* Work
* Housekeeping
* Grandkids (photo below)
* Knitting (photos below)
* Genealogy

WORK - the good news is that I still have a job. For now. There are threats of more layoffs in the New Year.

HOUSEKEEPING - Never ending isn't it? I've been trying to do a few extra "spring" cleaning things, because I have visitors coming soon. But, the older I get the longer it takes for me to do anything.

GRANDKIDS - They're gone to their other grand parents' lake home for the long weekend. They have SO much fun down there...a huge extended family, the lake, the beach, etc. I can't compete with all that. But, I take them to parks, & to a local ice cream shop, I let them help me cook, we read books, and they can get on my computer - their desktop has icons for Dora, Barney, Thomas, Sesame Street, etc. I let them print activities & color sheets, etc.

KNITTING -

1) Sent 3 pairs to CIC at the end of June. I've got another pair almost finished - but ran out of Knit Picks' Dune. I was making a bigger kid's pair and decided instead of Magic 28 I'd do "Magic 36." I didn't understand the geometric proportional difference until too late. Should I frog or buy more yarn? I'll buy more yarn and finish them later.

2) Working on a BSJ - possibly for Baby B, if Baby B is a boy. I still have the same 20 rows or so left as when I blogged on June 14th.


3) Mom's OPAL socks. I luv knitting socks! I've misplaced the ball band, but (-it was difficult to find an image online) I think this is #2095. Legs knit on US 1.5, foot on US 1. Mom requested that the instep be knit in K1, P1 (like the "Move Your F@nny" pattern.) The color changes make the knitting seem to go quickly. " Oh..! A new color!" I'm hoping I can get a matching 2nd sock, but mom said she'd be OK if the stripes don't match.

GENEALOGY - I've been working on collecting evidence to submit to the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. Yippee! Got it! Except for my marriage license. Thought I had a copy, but can't find it anywhere. Maybe I tossed it out when I got a divorce? Now, I'll have to take time off work to go to the court house.

Belated Birthday Photo

Buster turned 4 [yeah, four!] on June 4th. I've downloaded the photos, but haven't tweaked the size/cropped etc. Actually, there are photos from as far back as April to deal with. Ugh.

Anyway, Buster's 4! Seems like he was just a baby ... wasn't it only a few months ago? He's talking in big sentences that if written out would include commas or maybe even semi-colons. He's all action, all risk-taking, all imp. Just like his mama was/is!

In photo: Sport [nearly 6] and Buster at his bd picnic..

Portraits by Buster

I don't think there is a picture of me on this blog...until now. Buster, age 3 1/2, made this portrait of me a few days ago. I'm not sure if that's arms coming out of the side of my head, or the bows of my glasses.

He also drew one of himself: "That's me with my Rock Star hair," he said.

Grandsons are so much fun!

Buster, Sewing, and Sunday Knitting

Buster's preschool Christmas program was last Monday. The kids [and their teachers] did a great job with all of the songs. Buster's been singing lines from the songs for weeks. He's such a ham, I thought he'd be all into the performance. But, he stood in the front row and just smiled. Didn't sing, didn't jingle the bells. Just smiled. Cute smile though!! [We asked why he didn't sing, he said, "I didn't want to."]

I think I could have both sets of PJs finished for the boys by Wednesday afternoon. But, I decided yesterday to lift the stress level and NOT have them be Christmas presents. When the mama and the grandsons stopped by last evening, I had Sport try on the bottoms. I showed him the half finished top... and the sleeve pieces. Showed them both the pattern cover. And showed Buster the material for his PJs. But, I didn't promise that I'd have them finished by Christmas.

Sunday knitting for Charity. Yes I did. A few rows.

6x6 Meme

I should be getting clothes and things lined up for my trip to IC tomorrow. But, instead, I'm blog browsing. Something I haven't done in quite a while. Over at Stitches of Violet, Marguerite posted a 6x6 Meme. Basically: go to your 6th photo folder and post the 6th photo.

Ha! I was tickled to find that the 6th photo in my 6th folder is of Sport when he was 6 months old! :-)

Reader(s) - you're tagged! (Hi, Kathy :-)

Sport's 5!

Sport was 5 yesterday! Can't believe he's THAT old - that means I was in town five years ago this past week interviewing for my [current] job. And five years ago tomorrow I drove home, sobbing along the way 'cos I was leaving that darling little baby and didn't know when I'd be back.

Obviously, I got the job and didn't hesitate to move back here. I've really enjoyed being able to see my grandsons weekly [if not more often.]

Photos of Sport, Buster, and the two together:










































OTN UPDATE: I'll finish the striped pair of socks for CIC this evening. Normally, I could have completed a pair in less than two evenings. But, doing the striping is SO fiddly. There must be a better way to keep the different balls of yarn from tangling. It was just too much of a mess - so I only did the stripes on the legs and knit the rest in solid. Photo tomorrow.

Rocky Mountain Hi!

We ended up taking Buster with us because Sport wanted to stay home with his daddy.

Buster had a great time in Colorado! We went to the zoo.

We went to a wedding - and Buster danced - alot!



And we went to the Mountains!

Buster's a 3 Year Old

Photos from Buster's birthday. He's such a little man now!

New pjs for the grandsons:

Can't wait till they can shovel snow!

The Grandsons played outdoors while I shoveled the driveway (again.) If I were a crabby old lady grandma I would have gotten after them for climbing all over "Mt Mitch" - the big pile of snow at the corner of the sidewalk/driveway. But, they were having SO much fun -- and staying away from the road. I figured I could reshovel the snow that tumbled down into the driveway when they went back inside.

That's Sport [4.5 yrs] on the left half way up Mt. Mitch, and Buster [2.5 yrs] on the right.