Sunday, January 31, 2010

American Girl Doll Laker Style

I don't have a pic of the doll wearing her new outfit, but here is the Lake Superior State University cheerleader:


I got a bit of knitting done on some socks this weekend also. Jim and I went to a concert last night and ended up leaving during the third song, the music was too loud and the sound quality was horrible. We ended up at hockey and had a much better time.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Quilting this weekend!

Only 1 more day to get up early for work, and then it's Saturday and time to go to quilting! I am very excited about that. We're doing the Trip Around the World quilt, again. Everytime the class is offered Paige & I take it now. It's tradition, it's the first class we took together. Her sister Judy is going to be taking it this time too, and I'm very happy that the three of us will be sewing away on Saturday. By the end of the day we'll have a quilt top done or just about done.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Sweater KAL

I've decided to do this: http://blog.lionbrand.com/2010/01/14/announcing-our-winter-2010-knit-along/#comments, and when it is done I am going to give it away. Not sure what size I am knitting yet. I need to do my gauge swatch, since the KAL starts today. I have time to do this before hitting the shower to head to work, or at least get it started anyway.
Jim and I are in for a busy weekend. http://www.lssu.edu/whats_new/articles.php?articleid=1915. I'm very proud of him, he's doing wonderful things. And he loves his job...sometimes too much! :-)

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Master Knitter Level 1

So far so good. I am working on my level 1 of the master knitter course from www.tkga.com. There are 16 swatches and I am on #15, hopefully will finish 15 and 16 tonight so I can get them blocked and in my binder tomorrow. I have learned from this, and it hasn't been easy. I have never had my knitting judged so I am interested to hear what they have to say when they get my binder. I still have the questions left to answer though, so it will be a couple weeks yet I should think. Then it's level 2!

Saturday, January 09, 2010

Diva club Saturday!

Ok, Diva club at the Quilted Moose means sitting and quilting for the day. But today I'm not taking my machine. I am taking my well packed knitting bag. I want to finish up the swatches for my level 1 master knitting course, so that is the plan today. I also threw in some sock yarn to start my mom's birthday socks, and I have a scarf in there I have been working on. So lots to knit. The company shall be good also. But first I need to stop at the grocery and pick up something to munch on, so I better get moving!
And it's very cold up here. I am very thankful that I have a warm place to rest, and I pray for those who are struggling with this weather.

Sunday, January 03, 2010

The New Year and finished projects

So I finished out 2009 and started 2010 by finishing up projects. Second sock syndrome no more! 2 pair hot off the needles just for me:


And potholders for the Lady's night at work, we are trying to get more women screened for breast & cervical cancer. I am putting together goodie bags, so far I have made the potholders and started knitting the dishclothes.

And I finished a quilt for ??? It's technically a comforter because I tied it, but it's so cozy!



Not a Christmas quilt, but a winter quilt with snowmen and trees.

So that is the start of the new year, and I hope that it continues to be as good as it started.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Lots of UFO's

I have alot of projects I have started that I haven't finished, and I would like to start the new year fresh. I have several pair of socks started, a shawl, a tank top, quilts, so I have set a goal to finish 3 projects before I start anything new. I am on the gusset of a second sock, so that will be one!
Paige is coming over to sew on Thursday, and I plan on working on a quilt top or two that I need to finish up also!

Saturday, December 26, 2009

We're back in the Soo!

We're back in the Soo after a visit down to see my mom and my brother. While we were there I learned that my great-grandmother was a knitter! She was born in 1892 and when she passed away she was survived by 11 children (3 had already passed). The obituary also states she is survived by 45 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren! I was not born when she passed away. Here is a picture of Nellie, my great grandmother,
who knit mittens for children and then tucked a dollar inside. :-) I like her style.
While looking through old pics there was also this shot of me with my brother, when we lived here in the Soo. I was probably 2 or so in this photo.
The weather cooperated for our trip downstate, we passed by ice fisherman.


On the way home the highway was kind of bad,

So I did what every knitter should do, I knit. And knit. By the time we got to the Mackinac Bridge, my sock was almost complete, just a few rounds to do on the toe.

Unfortunately I was so nervous that I knit it way too long for my foot!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Christmas this week!

Hard to believe Christmas is this week. 3 days of work and then I am off for 5. Everything is ready for the holiday so now it's just time to relax and enjoy. We have snow, more is on the way.
I am grateful for what I have, I am thankful for my family, friends and my job. I have a great job that keeps me very busy and it's a job where I get to help people. I couldn't ask for more.

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Our winter quilt

Our winter quilt is on the bed, and I love it.

The polar bear fabric is so pretty, and Jim helped pick the coordinating fabrics. I made the pillowcases to match, and I also put the flannel sheets on the bed!

Today we are putting up the tree, Jim just ran to fetch it out of the basement. We had to move the tv and when we did something happened to the cable box, we have cable but no On Demand or cable guide. So I called and ended up ordering new services, as of Tuesday I will have BBC America and 47 other channels in addition to what we have now, and dvr. I think we'll like it.

We have had some snow but not alot, but it's certainly cold and icy in spots in the parking lots.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Home again..

We went to Ohio for Thanksgiving. I got to meet my two nieces, twins, 5 months old. Amazing how they are so different! We ate lots, laughed lots, it is difficult to live away from family. But I remind myself that there are other families that are even farther apart this holiday season. And I am grateful for being able to travel to see ours. I saw my best friend Cheryl, and we shopped. And shopped. All I have left to get for Christmas are gifts for Jim. And some toys for the cats. Even though Jim said I have to throw some out if I am buying new. :-)

Monday, November 09, 2009

My birthday!!!

Today is my birthday, and I took the day off. Because I needed a break, and I don't work my birthday. It's my special day to do whatever I wish. And today I will be writing, working on my novel for http://www.nanowrimo.org/, I have just over 12,000 words. I am finding that having to report in my word count is motivating me. And I am also figuring out that the writing habit that works for me is to write for 30 minutes or so and take a break. Everyone does it different, this is what is working for me. And I am having fun, last night I gave my main character a dog. How cool is that? :-)
I am also going to finish knitting a hat today for the troops, a lady on my knitting list is collecting them to send off.
So those are my big birthday plans, as well as going out to dinner!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Last weekend...

Last weekend we did a mystery quilt class, and I finished a whole quilt top in a weekend (about 64" by 74"). From this:
To this:

Paige did a Scooby Doo:


We had a great time. And I used some of my stash! The snowmen fabric was actually one Paige had given me after I admired it in her stash, she had already made 2 quilts with it.

Hockey again this weekend!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Gorby's Discovery

Gorby has discovered what the birdfeeder is. The little birds are darting from the apple tree to the feeder and back...and she's really loving it! She watches for awhile and then comes to yell at us like "Come check this out!"

I am very glad we put that feeder up for her!

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Preparing for winter

So a couple weekends ago I woke up to snow.


To get ready this year we bought a birdfeeder for our cat. Our cats don't go outside, and in the winter Gorby gets very sad when she can't see the birds. So we set this up for her,


It's right outside the bay window where she likes to sit, and I can fill it from the deck and I don't have to try to get thru the snow to it. Hopefully it cuts down on her sighing, she actually does sigh when it snows out!

I finished the baby sweater for my co-worker,

Fiber trends pattern #CH-33, Baby Brights. It's a great pattern.

Jim was given a puppet yesterday, it's going to school with him. The cats aren't too sure about it, Shadow wouldn't even pose with Lil' Doc...see the resemblance? :-) Thanks for the puppet Travis!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Half over

The work week is over 1/2 over and we are headed into a busy weekend. We have hockey games to go to, and we also have tickets to a comedy show. I hope to finish some projects up this weekend, I can knit on the sock at the hockey games, just have to get it fixed, I lost a stitch and had to rip back at the last game. Oh bother! I would like to finish one sock and the baby sweater I am working on. And I really do need a pair of mitts to match my new winter coat I got last year, and it's getting cold enough to wear mitts, we've had snow twice, it just didn't stay.

Sunday, October 04, 2009

This weekend...

I didn't get the baby sweater done that I wanted to. I did buy an alternate gift for the shower just in case, and it's wrapped and ready to go for the baby shower tomorrow after work. It was decided Thursday to have the baby shower on Monday, and I was caught unprepared. So I think that I will go ahead and make a couple baby sweaters and have them on hand just in case!
The Lakers played their first game on Saturday night and won. It was a great time!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Note Cards for sale!

I have put together a set of 4 notecards. They are pictures I took of beautiful blue handspun on the shores of Lake Superior. They are definately suitable for framing. The actual pictures are 4x6 and the cards are just over 5x7. They are blank, allowing you to write your own sentiments! Each is signed on the back by me, and the cost is $10 per set of 4 (one of each design), and that includes shipping in the United States (email me for international shipping rates). These would definately make a good holiday gift!

Please email me if you wish to order, jandj95@lighthouse.net. I can accept cash funded paypal, money orders, or checks. Wholesale inquiries welcome.

What I've been up to...

I went to the quilt show one weekend and last weekend the fiber fest in West Branch, MI. I didn't buy alot, but it was nice to get out of town for a day. Yesterday work was busy, as it is everyday. I just love that the days at work fly by and we get so much done!
I'm starting to think ahead to this weekend actually, and what I want to get done. I have so many projects and so little time! And Christmas is coming, hard to believe, but it's not that far away anymore!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

30 day shred

Ok, I have been challenged. I ordered Jillian Michael's 30 day shred tonight after work. It's 30 days, 30 minutes a day, and we'll see how it goes. It looks intense, and I like Jillian Michael, so I will give it a go. It's not a big commitment afterall!