Snowed in!

It has been so long since we've had a good old fashioned snow day. We were suppose to be at a hockey game about an hour north but the school has cancelled and so here we sit. All but 1 of us is still in their pajamas and we're watching lots of television in front of the fireplace. Tom decided it was a good day to go ice fishing with a friend so he'll be spending the night there. I don't need to worry about him getting home in the dark during an official blizzard.

I'm off to get another cup of hot chocolate and watch the snow pile up on the back deck as the wind whips around. Have a great weekend everyone!

Quick Gifts?

I made 2 sets of Annette's Bulky Mittens for gifts for Jim to take to school. They are YUMMY! One pair is chocolate and pink and the other is black and grey. They are made with Ella Rae Kamelsoft (75% Merino Wool and 25% Camel) and Classic Elite Fresco (Alpaca). So soft and warm! Now I need to cast on a pair for me!

Let the games begin...

As is normal for hockey season, other things tend to slow down. Sorry I haven't posted lately but I've been having so darn much fun with hockey this year.

Chris and Tom are BOTH playing for the high school JV and Varsity teams this year which has been an incredible change for us parents. The school bus takes them to and from practice every day after school. When they have "early" practice, they get home at the same time as me... "late" practice means they are home by 7. We actually have entire evenings together! There's time for homework, television/knitting and just general hanging out. It is wonderful! Of course as wonderful as this sounds, keep in mind that games are twice a week so Tuesday's and Friday's we are watching our favorite hockey players in games that get us home anywhere between 10 pm and midnight. Uff-da ;-) The boys arrive home 45-60 minutes later after heading to their locker room to put away their gear and then bus back to the high school

Have I mentioned another great part of HS hockey? They have a locker room - all their smelly gear stays at the RINK! Aaaaaaah

Pain in the neck!

Chris turned his head to take a breath while doing the front crawl this morning while swimming in school.... and heard a crack and then had shooting pains from the tip of his shoulder to the top of his head.

Turns out we made a trip to the doctor, then the physical therapist for the first of 6 scheduled sessions. This session included electrodes to try to relax the muscles that were having the spasms ... some heat... and a massage.

We'll try to get things under control so he can move his head again. Goalies that can't move their heads aren't very useful on the ice.

Those x's on his back are suppose to be in a straight line - ouch!

Ribby Slipper Socks for Chris

These are pictures I took of some quick slippers I made for Chris the last 2 nights. He said it was chilly in his room so a pair of slippers he received. ;-)

I used the pattern from the Holiday 2008 magazine from Interweave Knits with Rowan Bulky (black ) yarn and some red Lamb's Pride Worsted from my stash. Each slipper took one evening.

He wants bells and/or puffy pom poms on the toes. He loved the way I sewed them flat. They are pretty funky looking.

Now Tom is thinking he would like a pair with really pointey toes.

I can't believe my "baby" is almost 6 feet tall with 11 inch feet!

Hunting Cap for T.

Here's a hat I made very quickly out of 1/2 a skein of Cascade 220 paints and the Brooklyn Tweed Turn-a-Square hat pattern. I really like this pattern... I'm going to try to get anohter hat out of this yarn.

Finished another baby gift

All of a sudden there are all these babies! Here's a hat I made with Debbie Bliss Rialto in Pink and Brown. SO CUTE!

I also started a Turn a Square hat (brooklyntweed.blogspot.com) hat in Cascade Paint in what I hope will turn out to resemble camo. Perhaps one of the hunters in my life will wear it?

Dallas Texas Conference

I made it to the conference in Dallas with no problems - yeah! My room is on the 5th floor with a great view of the top of the connecting building but there's blue sky and sunshine when I look up. :-)

The hotel has 2 Atrium's that rooms are around, my room is a huge corner room with a gigantic king bed with 5 pillows and it's all for little old me! I'm loving it!

The down side? The atrium ouside my door is all brick and glass which makes things echo nicely which wouldn't be so bad since people clear out for the most part at night, that is other than the mariachi band in the Mexican restaurant in one corner and the Piano bar in the other corner. Makes for strange medley's.... good thing they both close at 11 pm.

Another ear cozy :-)

I'm not sure how many I've made of these for gifts, but they make me grin each time I finish one. They are just so darn adorable!

Some finished items

A gorgeous baby "punkin" hat using Debbie Bliss Rialto and an original Tangled Skein pattern.... Warmest Mittens with Cascade 220 yarn in Mankato East colors for Allie's 16th birthday.

20 years already?!?

Would you believe my 20th reunion from college was recently celebrated?

Julee came over from her new home in Wisconsin. We started our evening at Whiskey River with supper and finished it with an adult beverage by the fire in the back yard.

There MAY have been a few visits to the local drinking establishments in between.... maybe..... ;-)

House for sale!

We are nearing the finishing line on getting the house ready for sale. These are pictures I took of the pool area so we can show those to people who view the house now that the pool is closed. We can also look back and remember all the good times after we sell!

It is hard to believe that everything but the peonies and the concrete around the pool has been replaced since we originally moved in back in April of 1993. Darn tornado and wind storms. New fence (twice!), new pool liner (twice!), new slide, new diving board, new trees, new landscaping (twice!), new deck, etc. Such hours of love and labour in our yard.

The 2 maple trees we planted to shade our young children in the pool are finally providing shade, now that our teenagers are too busy for the pool. They sure are gorgeous to look at though!

Allie's Warmest Mittens

Another "East" colors Warmest Mittens pair. This is for a 16th birthday - happy birthday!

Cascade 2220 yarn in gold and black - I've made about 5 pairs with this one skein of gold and there's still more left. Yeah!

Ceiling Paint and Ankles

The painters came today and got things taped off and the ceiling sprayed... tomorrow they will start the walls and should be done on Thursday. So isn't this a great time to trip on the steps and badly sprain your ankle so you are on crutches for at least 7 days? ARGH!

Ear Cozy and Turn a Square - finished!

Turn a Square hats in Blue/White and Red/White in Lamb's Pride Worsted and Cascade (white) 220. Fiber Trends Ear Cozies hat in Spring Colorway of Sheep Shop Yarn in 3-6 months size.

It's a girl!

Another niece arrived at 3:31 today!
7 pounds 13 ounces
20 inches

Mommy, Daddy and her 3 big sisters are thrilled!

This makes me the auntie of 8 nieces - and thankfully the eldest niece was married this past June so I now have a nephew!

In memory of Annie

Annie joined our family the winter of 1994... youngest son was 6 months and oldest was 3. She was a tiny little thing that prefered to sleep in whatever soft spot the human baby had just vacated. She put up with a lot from those 2 human brothers.

Last Saturday Annie joined our other loved pets up in heaven, waiting for us to come and play again. Annie would have been 14 in January. We miss you!

Mankato West mittens and hat

A gift for one of my nieces... Warmest Mittens pattern I've used many times before... Cascade 220 for the black and white - lamb's pride worsted for the red.

Brooklyn Tweed's Turn a Square Hat to match, just because I want to try the pattern!

School begins and painting fun

School begins again! Would you believe 11th and 8th grade. The "short" one was measured at the doctors office in June at 5 feet 10.25 inches - yikes! I'm definitely the shortest human in the immediate family.


Pink primer! I'm painting a few accent walls a deep cranberry that eldest son picked out. Will look great done but for now with the pink - yikes!

Knitting update - BYOB bag

I finished the BYOB I made from the Rowan All Seasons Cotton a week or so ago and really like it compared to the one I made from Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton. It is 22 inches tall and 19 inches wide. I skipped the handle thing the pattern has you do but other than that, it is exactly to the pattern. I will definitely make this bag again.


I am abolutely in LOVE with the seed stitch texture and changing colors by alternating the 2 colors for one row - YUMMY!