Spring is here!

This weekend was so nice.  It really is spring.  The trees are all blooming in the neighborhood.  There are a ton of Bradford Pear trees in our neighborhood and they all look like they are covered with snow!  The cherry trees are starting to bloom as well.  You can just begin to see the pink haze of blooms on the trees.  They are supposed to be in full glory in a week or two.  

I just sent off my first pattern that is going to get published.  It is going to be in Cast On Magazine's winter issue this year.  It is a really lovely Christmas stocking that is done in simple fair isle.  For more than that you will have to buy the magazine!

Exhaustion.

Today is a full moon and it was in full effect at school today.  The kids were crazy!  Even the ones that are usually calm.  One of the kids in question in a kindergartner with Down's Syndrome.  She is usually pretty good, but today she was in a serious funk.  About the only thing that she would say all day was "NO!"  The kids were all clingy today as well.  I got more hugs today than I normally do in a week!  Oh well...  

I managed to get the baby sweater that I made for the kiddo's teacher to her today.  She is due near the end of next month, but she looks like she is about to pop.  I hope the sweater fits at some point.  It looks a little big for new born, but the baby is due in the spring.  Maybe it will fit this fall.  

Time to get the kiddo off to bed and then my hot water bottle and I are going to spend some quality time with the TV.

Winter in March

Well, it finally happened.  We got real snow here in Virginia.  The kind you can sled in.  The kind that makes decent snowballs and is beautiful in the trees.  It started Sunday night and there was no school on Monday or Tuesday.  We spent most of the day on Monday shoveling, sledding, and playing.  A great time was had by all.  

On the knitting side of things, the recent cold snap made Ben ask for slipper socks.  Those are on the needles right now.  I am making them out of Cleckheaton Country 8-ply in tan and some hand dyed stuff that I got at Springwater Fiber Workshop the first or second time they went out of business.  They are nice and thick.  Should keep the toes nice and toasty!  

This weekend we decided that since it was snowing out, why not make some bread to go with our dinner.  The kiddo and I made some lovely herb focaccia bread shaped like a leaf.  As soon as it came out of the oven, he was ready to eat it!  It was pretty tasty!

Knitting at Cub Scout meetings...

It has been an exciting week here at home.  We had 2, count em, 2 cub scout meetings this week.  We also had a long anticipated play date with the kiddo's good friend Dora for a Wii tennis tournament.  We also had a violin lesson with grandpa in tow.  I am really glad that we have no real commitments this weekend.  We even get to have dinner, all together, at one time, eating the same food!  I could get used to that!  

In knitting news, I just sent off my first pattern submission to knitty.com.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will be accepted.  It is a lovely fair isle stocking.  We will have to see if the folks at knitty.com like it as much as I do!  Now it is back to the design drawing board to do something for the next issue of Cast On magazine.  

I made mittens a couple of weeks ago.  They are stunningly lovely mittens.  I got them finished a couple of days before my oldest friend in the world's birthday.  They whispered in my ear that they really belonged to her.  They are made out of Lumpy Bumpy yarn in greens, yellows and browns.  They look like a Monet painting from up way too close.  Of course, I listened to that little whisper and mailed them off to my lovely friend, Jen.  She is an intrepid mitten wearer in a world that seems to love gloves.  Now I am making a matching pair for myself since I bought way too much Lumpy Bumpy a few years back!

Long time gone...

I actually can't remember the last time that I posted here.  I am such a bad blogger! 

Oh well.  Life seems to intervene in strange and time consuming ways.  The helmet liner project is still rolling along.  On President's Day, I hosted 4 lovely ladies who usually knit with us at the museum.  We spent a couple of hours opening packages and checking and tagging helmet liners. We also spent a good amount of time noshing on yummy food.  Kay brought the best Caramel Popcorn I have ever eaten!  We managed to get 457 liners tagged and bagged!!!  

After the tagging and bagging, we all sat down at the dining room table and I taught a workshop on Entrelac knitting.  There had been many requests for a class on this since it has gotten to be so popular lately.  It seems like every knitting magazine has featured an entrelac pattern in the past couple of months!  We had a ball and I think everyone learned something new.

I started knitting a giant aran sweater for myself right after Christmas.  This is a sweater that has been waiting a long time to get made.  The yarn for it was a gift from my dear friend Cindy when we left Oregon.  It is her homespun from her own sheep in a lovely natural brown color. The pattern, as I wimped out on designing something of my own, is Alice Starmore's Na Craga from Aran Knitting.  So far, the front is done and the back is started.  I might get it done in time for spring.  Maybe!  

I have also been working on finally writing the pattern for Henry's stocking.  It is almost ready to submit, but I haven't gotten done proofing it or taking pictures.  The final sample is still on the needles, in need of  a toe.  As soon as it is finished and blocked, it will have a photo shoot and then off it goes!  

Otherwise, life around here goes on.  The kiddo is doing great in school and continues to play the violin (almost 4 years now!)  He even practices almost every day without too many complaints.  I am so amazed by his focus and the effort that he will put into violin.  I know that it is hard work and I am constantly surprised by his willingness to keep on working.  He is a good soul!

This weekend we are off to the Army-Navy Basketball game at the Naval Academy with the in-laws.  It should be a treat.  I haven't been to a basketball game in probably 25 years!  I think the last one I went to was one I played in in high school!  Go Navy!