Of pink socks and posies

baby socks 

 

We're having a very quiet weekend as both the boys are away with their families so Omi didn't do brunch today . Instead we met up with Shirley and her husband Denis which made a nice beginning to the day .

 Came home to do a little tidying up and then picked my needles to continue working on these little socks . This yarn found me at my LYS the other day and I just couldn't resist casting on right away . I wish I had picked up other colourways  , they are just so much fun to knit , almost instant gratification . I'm going through my sock yarn remnants to knit more . A baby can't have too many socks ...




Spring surprise

Surprise bouquet
I have a few of these pretty little posies growing in the cracks between some of the patio stones . I just love them . We let them grow and they reseed themselves .

Hope you have a peaceful weekend too !

Today (for lack of a better title )

Let me start off this post by thanking  all of you gentle readers who gave me your support and kind words on Alaska's passing . It touched both Mike and I very much that you took the time to offer words of comfort . Thank you for the virtual hugs, they were much appreciated .

Just to catch up , Mike and I had a wonderful time on our recent trip to Florida .The month just flew by , we loved our condo,, the beach just steps away . The weather was mostly gorgeous with a few rainy days thrown in . If you asked me what we did I'd just say RELAX  . We visited Mike's sister who lives in Port St. Lucie , met up with friends who were also in Cocoa Beach at the same time as we were . Most special of all was that I got to meet an online friend Dee of Tangled Up in Sticks and String . She drove in from Orlando to meet me, we spent a wonderful few hours chatting , shopping for yarn and just getting to know each other . She is just the best , every bit as nice as you'd think from her blog . She's also very generous , she gifted me with some wonderful handmade soap that she'd bought at the alpaca farm she'd visited recently . She also put in one of her beautiful cross stitch bookmarks and one of her washcloths that I'd admired on her blog . The Internet can be amazing , bringing together a couple of knitters from different countries . Thanks Dee for that visit , and I look forward to meeting again next year ...




seamless yoked baby sweater

 

This week has been a little up and down  . I came down with a cold which knocked me down but not out for most of this week . Despite my head feeling stuffed , blowing my nose and just generally feeling awful , I worked on my baby cardi that I'd started while we were in Florida . We found out in April that Max and Stef are expecting a baby girl in September . We're having another grand daughter !! I had brought along the Surprise blanket as my travel project , but had prepared another 'in case' project so I was able to cast on a matching sweater after we'd got the news .  I finished today . I love this little sweater and will knit a hat and some bootees to complete the set . I so love having another little one to knit for !

So that's it for today . We have a long weekend here and finally we're having a little nice weather . Just in time to plant the annuals and start the vegetable garden . Mike has been out there doing the planting and later he cut the grass . I was hard at work sewing buttons on a baby sweater and choosing my next project . Some days it's tough to be me .


RIP Alaska June 30 , 2003 - May 9 . 2013

My constant companion Alaska passed away suddenly this morning . We're not sure what happened as he was fine when we let him out as usual . A short time later Mike went outside and found him barely breathing , he died just after that . We suspect that he had a heart attack .

We have so many fond memories of him . He came into our lives after Max moved back home from Calgary . Max found him when he was doing deliveries for a small company . It was love at first sight . He brought him home and he just fit right in with Bingo and our cats . Bingo was quite happy to have another canine in the house . He was just a puppy then about the size of our cat Hey You . We have video of all three of them playing in the snow together . Alaska just loved snow and the winter time . He didn't much like summer , it was too hot and he'd always try and find the coolest , shadiest place in the yard . He loved being outdoors except when there was a thunderstorm .Then he was just a big chicken and try to find someplace to hide . We could never figure out why , as Bingo couldn't care less , but Alaska would be a shaking , trembling mess . He loved his walks and would sit in front of the door to remind us when he was due for one .

He was gentle with the little ones . Jessey had a fear of dogs and was a little worried when he learned that Alaska was coming to stay with us again . Alaska , with his quiet approach and gentle behaviour soon won him over . The same happened  with my friend Shirley . She's had a lifelong fear of dogs but she would be quite at ease with Alaska .

He was always happy to see us , he followed us all the time . He was just the best companion . All of us will miss him so much , we'll never forget him and all the happiness he brought into our lives. He was a beautiful boy ...

Cupcakes !

Omi's first cupcakes ! Not too bad for an amateur , if I do say so myself ...


Stella's birthday cupcakes

Tomorrow is Stella's second birthday and the family is coming over for brunch , Easter and birthday celebration all rolled into one . I'd thought of making her a traditional birthday cake but came across a very nice recipe for vanilla cupcakes . The cupcakes in the recipe were decorated with Easter colours and it got me to thinking that maybe I should try to make these instead . I have the cutest little butterfly picks that will go on top . Stella has butterflies stenciled on one wall in her room so this is just perfect for her .  I'm pretty happy at how they came out ....

Happy Easter !

Coming up for air

OMG it's already been a month since I last posted ! There's been so much going on . First , we're going to be grandparents again . Max and Stef are expecting their second child in September , making it grandchild number 4 for us .  Needless to say I've already started knitting for this little one . I cast on this blanket almost immediately after they announced it . The colour is very spring like and the pattern is just a dream to knit . I have some coordinating yarn in the stash so I'll be able to knit a hat and some bootees to match . Stef will find out the gender at the end of April ! I've been searching ravelry for baby knits and have added to the queue , the ever expanding queue . Would that I could knit as fast as I add to the queue !



Surprise !

The second bit of news is that Mike and I are going to Florida for a month , Cocoa Beach to be exact . We haven't had a proper vacation for years . We could both really use a break and are anxious to have some nice weather . Winter was back here with a vengeance this week and dumped another 35 cm of snow (just over 12 ") .  If it had been December I'd have welcomed it but at the end of March , enough already ! We're leaving the week after Easter and will be back  the second week in May . We're driving down , something that I'm dreading , but the reward will be sun and sand at our destination . We 've rented a third floor condo with a gorgeous big balcony that faces the beach . I can hardly wait to dip my feet in the ocean !

 

It's been non-stop this past month with all the preparations , taxes , insurances and a myriad of details that needed attending to , that knitting time has been at a premium . That didn't stop me from joining Kellys' (Celtic Cast On ) Business Casual  sock KAL . I don't know what I was thinking ! I also decided that Stella needed a vest for her birthday which is March 30th . The logic being that a vest doesn't have sleeves so it will be a quicker knit than a cardigan . I have another week to finish that and the sock KAL ends on March 25th which is next Monday . I have one sock completed and am working on the cuff of the second . The vest is further along than indicated in the photo . The back is almost done , but  there's still the sides , collar and buttons , which I haven't bought yet .Yikes , I'd better get cracking !

Have a wonderful weekend , I hope it's Spring where you are !

Done and dusted ...

... with novelty yarns ! I finished the fingerless mitts for Dana . I 'm really really happy to have knit them for her . She's had a rough time of it lately and deserves a little something . I just can't bring myself to say very much positive about the yarn except that it sparkles very nicely . I know that I was knitting these on smaller needles but jeez louise this yarn is a PIA to work with . I knit Stellas' scarf with 7.5 mm and still didn't like it .

Also off the needles is yet another frilly scarf for another friend . That makes eight knit up since last fall . I forgot to take a photo but it's pretty much like the others except it's red and purple . I'm getting faster at knitting these ; It only took  about 2 1/2 hours for this one . Still it will be the last one for awhile .

On to the socks , only 2months in the works . Will February finally see a pair of finished socks !?

Pink snow princess

My knitting mojo has been missing of late . I think in part due to this hat , I really don't like this yarn , except for the sparkles . Chantal had requested a hat and scarf set for Stella . I fell in love with this pattern and found the yarn used for it at Micheal's . Trouble was that Chantal wanted an ear flap hat because Stella will not keep a hat on her head unless it's tied on . I modified it to knit top down but used the sizes used in the pattern as a guideline . I couldn't quite get gauge no matter how many needles sizes I went down , so I find it a little on the large side . However the hat that Stella is currently using is just about the same size so I think it will do . Stella is already wearing the matching scarf . I couldn't get it away from her when she saw it , like her Omi she was quite taken with the sparkles . Little miss also is a difficult model who will not sit still no matter what , so no photos yet .

There's not much else to show knitting wise .So much has been going on around here , but I 'm hoping that it will all settles down soon . Nothing bad , just super busy with the grandkids and life in general . I never thought retirement would be this hectic . I have to finish the second of a pair of fingerless mitts that I'm knitting for a friend . Using this very same Dewdrops yarn as the pink hat . They should have been done weeks ago , I just couldn't bring myself to work on them . The Smittens are coming along , I have an even dozen finished . There's also a sock on the needles , begun in December , but still not done . So of course I cast on for something new  . It's a secret so more about that later . I DO like this latest knit and would knit it on all the time if the UFOs in the basket weren't making me feel so guilty about not turning them onto FOs .