As I posted last week, everyone in our family is a Red Sox fan, so Banjo had to join in. I realized yesterday that Banjo didn't have a Red Sox hat! Oh no! I could fix that! I whipped one up right away!
Banjo is a fan while he's sleeping...
while he's eating...
and while he's entertaining his adoring fans with his Winston Churchill impressions.
Banjo say, "Everybody do the wave!!!!!!"
I wet blocked my Josephine Top and couldn't be happier with the way it turned out! Thank you to all the Ravelers who helped me decide how to block it...what did we do before Ravelry? Liz took a blocked FO shot for me.
The stitches relaxed a bit and it fits just like the tunic I wanted it to be. What a fun knit, so many different stitch patterns and interesting shaping. I wore it all day yesterday, very comfy!
I finished a Perfect Baby Bib for Banjo. This pattern seemed really smart to me because I hesitate to put too many buttons on baby clothes.
The theory is that the ribbing will stretch over the baby's head and fit nicely. I liked the idea but I wanted to see how it worked before I made any more.
Banjo gives a big thumbs up for this pattern. Just to test it he did a little spitting on it and it works just fine! Want to see how big he's getting?
Wow! Not an infant any more! He's making those talking noises and enjoying looking at his toys. (Don't you wish you had a Bobby Lounger your size?)
I'm making a burp cloth to match his bib.
I love this pattern but I'm itching to make more of those bibs!
I also started another sweater.
I'm knitting the Spidery Tank with some ON SALE cotton-ease. Ben Franklin had all their yarns on sale for 25% off! This pattern is a deal-especially because I'm making it shorter than the pattern calls for.
Dentist this morning, then I may have to make a Banjo home visit, can't get enough!
I need to learn a little restraint! When I finish a sweater I really want to blog about it right away! For the second time I have a pajama shot of my newest FO. It needs to be blocked and I need to shower and dress but I just can't wait. There will be better pictures later but here are newborn pictures of my Josephine Top.
unblocked and resting
unblocked, unshowered, with pajamas
I really love this pattern and the yarn. I am a little worried about how to block it...steam or wet? I don't know...I'm knitting a swatch as we speak. I'm going to wet block it and see what happens. Anybody out there ever wet blocked Blue Sky Alpaca and Silk? Let me know. Better FO pictures to come. I think I'll do a bit of baby knitting today...
Sometimes Banjo just seems to be wondering about things...
...maybe he's wondering what he'll wear when he outgrows all his sweet newborn clothes. Good thing my best friend from high school can solve that problem. My best high school friend is named Jane, too. I have laughed more with her in my lifetime than anyone I know. Sometimes when I'm just sitting around my mind will wander to something we did 35 years ago and I'll just laugh out loud. I'll have to tell some of those stories on my blog one day...maybe...my children read this blog!
Anyway, Jane has a wonderfully talented DIL who owns The Smockery. When Jane's granddaughters were born I knitted them Christmas stockings. When Banjo was born Jane and DIL, Nora, sent him these precious outfits.
fun frogs-here's the closeup
hungry frog
preppy outfit for next summer with monogram, of course!
I was floored and thrilled when I saw these precious outfits. I can't wait until Banjo grows into them! Thank you so much to Jane and Nora.
By the way-if your interested-here's the company
and Nora's e-mail address is
I understand that she has hundreds of different designs to smock and embroider.
Yesterday started out as a normal day for Erland. She went to work not knowing that it would end so well!
Bob and all three of our children are HUGE Red Sox fans. They LOVE the Red Sox...I'm not exactly sure why...Bob says it started for him when he was young and saw the Yaz in the 60s. Mickey Mantle had retired and Bob turned from a Yankee fan to a Red Sox fan. I guess the children inherited it from him. It's fun for them to all be fans of the same team.
At work yesterday a vendor with the company where she works, knowing what a fan she is, offered her tickets to see last night's Red Sox/Nationals game. She was thrilled but neither her Dad, Mike, or her brothers could leave work at the last minute to head to D.C. Seeing Erland's disappointment two of her bosses decided to go with her! How nice is that?!? What great friends! When the vendor heard the bosses were going he said to meet him in front of the stadium for better tickets.
We didn't know any of this had happened until Charlie called me and said, "turn on the t.v.-Erland's on!" I thought I couldn't get the t.v. on fast enough to catch a glimpse of Erland but SHE WAS SITTING BEHIND HOME PLATE IN THE THIRD ROW! I could watch her the whole game as she was being served by a waiter and anything she wanted to eat or drink was free! We started taping the game and I took some pictures of Erland on tv at the game! Erland had the hook up!
Not such a good picture but the smile on her face was huge! She said as soon as they walked in she was about 3 feet from Big Poppy! I love it when my children have such good fortune and fun!
The Josephine Top is going well, the back is done and I'm well into the front.
I have a nice chunk of knitting time today so I hope to have this finished soon! My knitting to do list is huge!
Well, after many years of my three children trying to outdo each other to be in control of our family (Bob and I never had a chance once Rob was born!) it seems as if a clear leader has emerged.
Banjo in now in the drivers seat and I don't see any competition on the horizon.
Banjo allows Jessica and Erland to swing him...
Banjo has Erland hold him while he delights his admirers with a succession of cute expressions...
Banjo says, "I can keep this crowd entertained all day!"
Banjo grants Bob a little one on one time...
Banjo then agrees to share the stage with the other star of our family, his great grandfather, Ray!
Banjo and his fan club...
Ray and Banjo and all those other kids...
It was a great day, I love to see my kids all together and having fun...I want them to stay as close as Bob and I are with our siblings!
I've made great sweater progress...
I've finished the lace portion on the back and am nearing the armhole decreases! Today is great time for knitting in front of the U.S. Open!
P.S. One danger of having your children all together...
...having them relive things that went on here when they were in high school and Bob and I weren't home!!!!!
I know I've said this before but...here I go again. Sometimes when I start a new project it's perfect right away. This is important because I'm mostly a monogamous knitter and don't really have anything sitting around to knit while I'm looking for my next favorite sweater. The past several weeks have been filled with knitting, frogging, re-knitting, looking for another pattern or another yarn to inspire me. I finally have a project that I love.
This is IKs Josephine Top. I've liked this sweater since I first saw it and finally looked for yarn that was mostly in my stash to start it. I needed three more skeins of yarn and luckily Stewart had the same color and dye lot. The yarn is Blue Sky Alpaca and Silk-it may be one of my new favorites because I am in love with how it feels on my fingers. I usually don't really care how the yarn feels while I'm knitting but this is unbelievable! Here's a closeup of the lace.
Fun to knit and easy enough to remember the pattern. Even on size 4 needles it's moving along quickly. I love to knit on small needles.
School was over last Friday but I did have to work on Monday so I've had 4 days of vacation. It's always a little hard for me to get used to not working but I have had an exciting week!
On Tuesday my two sisters came to visit me! I LOVE my sisters! We have so much fun together and laugh all the time even though we are all so different. The occasion for the visit was the Rings and Things bead show in Richmond. We aren't big beaders but Lawre puts beautiful beads on her bags and often comes to Richmond for the show. Knowing that, Cathy decided that it would be a perfect time for a sister get together. Great idea, Cathy!
Once we had all these plans made Lettuce Knit contacted Lawre about having a party in her honor when they received their delivery of wonderful Lawre's Laine bags. She told them she would be in town this week so the party was scheduled for the night that all three of us would be together. Great idea, Trish and Lynn at Lettuce Knit!
When Cathy got to Richmond we picked up Jessica and Banjo, my beautiful DIL and grandson. We met Lawre just after she delivered the bags to Lettuce Knit and then we all headed to lunch and the bead show. This was the first time, I think, that Jessica has been with all three of us and I hope she had fun with us...she is now an official "sister". Will was perfect as he slept most of the time and allowed me to carry him all around the bead show. I could hold him all day long-who needs a crib? He also enjoyed meeting his two great aunts for the first time.
I did hog him so they didn't have much time to hold him-I'll try to be better in the future! At this point he was a little worn out and they were trying to sooth him-what good aunties!
The Meet the Designer party at Lettuce Knit was amazing! There were so many people admiring and buying bags AND yarn and patterns. What a wonderful treat for Lawre to be around so many people telling her how wonderful and talented she is. She designs and makes the bags all by herself and I know it meant so much to her to be able to see people enjoying her talent! I could kick myself for not taking more pictures but it was a fun party! Also, Lettuce Knit has so many pretty samples in their shop that it's hard to think about anything except what you want to knit next. I bought three different pattern books-Berroco Lumina-/Seduce #272, Tahki Stacy Charles terra collection, and Debbie Bliss eco Fairtrade Collection. So many beautiful sweaters to knit! I've bought yarn there the past 3 times I've been in so I restrained myself for now!
Another great thing about Tuesday night's party was seeing so many knitters from my TNK knitting group! Here's our group shot!
Here we all are with Lynn-I can't believe that I forgot to ask Trish to be in the picture! I'm so sorry but I tend to lose my mind in yarn stores!
As I had to work yesterday, this is my first day of summer vacation! It will be one of my favorite days of summer vacation. This is why...
Both of my sisters will be in town!!!!!! Maybe I'll see some of you at Lettuce Knit tonight!
*KNIT, FROG, KNIT SOME MORE
That's how it goes with this linen sweater that in spite of being a very fast knit on large needles is going to take as long to make as if I'm knitting a lace weight coat!
After reading Stewart's comment yesterday and not really feeling that good about my gauge already I followed her advice and ended up frogging all my knitting and starting over on size 11 needles. Much better this time and I'll like it after I knit it! Yes, Lawre, I should have taken the time to do this on Saturday, I'd probably be finished by now! Here's the new WIP picture.
I would have gotten so much more done except I was busy! Rob and Jessica went to the movies last night and left Banjo with us!!!!! We had him all alone for several hours and he was a little angel!
Log Cabin Baby
I didn't realize that a log cabin blanket could be so much fun on a sleeping baby.
Moses Baby
All too soon the movie was over (The Hangover-they loved it) and Banjo had to go home.
Come back soon, Banjo!
GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!
Our talented niece, Kelly, has set up an Etsy shop for her counted cross stitch. Here's her link
kellyw44 on Etsy - Kelly's Cross Stitch
She has gifted us all with so many beautiful things over the years! Good luck, Kelly!
I spent most of this weekend watching UVa baseball and knitting. I don't think I've enjoyed baseball this much since Charlie played and now have this weekend to look forward to since the Cavs are moving on to the College World Series. More baseball knitting time!
Here's a WIP shot of my new knitting.
Yes, just what the knitting doctors ordered for the weekend. A garter stitch cardi on big needles. I wasted lots of time worrying about gauge as I don't know much about linen, but I like this result so I'm going with it. I never worry about needle size and try to remember what Donna says..."trust the yarn"...but I almost never knit with the yarn called for in the pattern so when I was way off from the needle suggested for the yarn I had to make a quick stop by Lettuce Knit to find out what other knitter's guages looked like. They told me that my knitting looked tighter than it should so I frogged and restarted. This is much better and I'm knitting on a 10.5 needle-quick! Hope I like this...sometimes I don't like fast sweaters knit on big needles. At least I will know soon. I'm half done with the first front and didn't knit much last night. I went to bed early and watched the Tony Awards...they were SO good!
Saturday morning I met some knitter friends for coffee and walking around Carytown. We hit The Yarn Lounge and I got the Breeze pattern book. There are only 1 or 2 patterns I don't want to knit from that book. This is the 3rd time I've looked through it and I really wasn't impressed the frist 2 times but this time I fell in love.
While we were walking around I saw this display in a shop window.
Art work from a local school
These cute bowls are made by attaching a small bowl on the bottom and a large bowl on the top and painted so pretty. I have 5 final days of school...wonder if my kids will like this project. What could they put in the bowls to take home for the end of the year? I have to stop at Wal Mart this morning before school-guess I'll look for bowls. Better take some newspaper to school!
