A Budding Photographer Visits The Chicks

Moose is visiting this week and he brought his new camera. He took some photos of the afternoon Chicks knitting and for a four year old they look pretty darn good!

Elaine almost never lets ME take her picture! But for Moose she had a great big smile.

And Kathleen was a willing model for Moose's camera skills. Could we have another Richard Avedon on the horizon?

Our clothing was sent out yesterday to Afghans for Afghans http://www.afghansforafghans.org/youthcampaign2010-11.html
We sent a dozen mittens, 4 baby sweaters and vests, and 4 adult sweaters and vests.

There will be some toasty warm fingers next winter.
Since we just wrapped up our donations to Afghans for Afghans everyone is looking for patterns for our next projects.
And catching up on what's new with Amanda. She has a "baby bump" growing! She is due in early August.

Kathleen took a few minutes to have Moose show her how his camera works.

And then he decided it was time for "Vegie Tales".

Maureen is finally back in the fold after tax season ended. We really missed her! She's looking for her next project and I've just started a baby sweater with a bamboo and alpaca yarn that is so soft I could squish it!

Beth and Karin were discussing the upcoming fiber festivals and current projects.

Beth finished a beautiful shawl to wear to a wedding. She said it was her first try at lace and it was gorgeous.

Amanda is making an entrelac blanket for her new baby.

I think Maureen just needs a rest before she jumps into another project. She finished a pair of bike socks for her husband.

Here he is in full bicycle gear ready for a ride. Paul is an avid biker and was tired of getting numb toes from the cold.

Maureen's socks keep him toasty warm now. And don't they fit great?!

Some of the fun we've been having with Moose this week included a staring contest with Uncle Drew.

Guess who lost.

Today Uncle Drew took us to the movies to see "Rio".
Moose couldn't have been any more excited about seeing a 3-D movie. There's that "baby bump" again.
We all thoroughly enjoyed the movie and the music in it was great. There's nothing like the excitement of a Brazilian Carnival to get the blood pumping!

Ah...Ah...CHOOO!

I've been working on this poncho for the donation to St. Margaret's in Albany. The yarn is a soft 100% cotton that sends tufts of fluff into the air when I knit. After a few minutes my eyes and nose itch so badly that I have to stop knitting. Then I had this bright idea! I remembered where I stored my cross country skiing equipment and found the mask to protect my eyes. And the other mask is for when I'm dusting. So it all works! Of course I'm left with the deepest creases on my face when I remove all this stuff, but someone will be warm and happy when it's finished, so it's worth it. My Moose and his mom came for a visit last week and we had lots of fun, once he was over his teething agony. That lasted two days and he felt miserable. Thanks goodness we had two more days to play and visit. Moose couldn't wait to bring some toys out to the driveway to "drive" around. He found a driveway reflector and decided it made a good microphone. Here he was singing "Jesus Loves Me" in perfect tune. When we walked to the end of the driveway Moose decided he would help by bringing in the recycling bin. Halfway back to the garage he needed a little help from Mommy. Our afternoon activity was spent watching one of his favorite DVD's "Monsters, Inc.". He knows he's not supposed to touch any of DeeDee's knitting supplies. I guess that's why he crossed his arms. Keep temptation away! There were actually a couple of times during Moose's visit when he sat still. I think it was just an opportunity for him to refuel and plan his next stategy of attack! LOL!

Some good photos of Moose in DeeDee's sweater

This weekend was such a whirlwind that Moose wouldn't stand still long enough to have his photo taken, so my daughter was able to send me some photos of him in his new sweater where you can actually see him sitting still. By the way, Moose calls me "DeeDee" instead of Grandma.


He doesn't sit quietly for long. Cherish the moment!

His energy comes from his mom! LOL!

Go ahead...I dare you not to smile!

It must have been a really funny story!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIGHT EYES!

Fifty five years ago I became a big sister (or "volunteer parent" as my mother used to call me) to my baby sister, Jamie-Robin. She was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen. She had such stunning deep blue eyes that they were almost violet. She turned heads wherever we went. My very first memory is of the ride home from the hospital, my new baby sister nestled warmly into my mother's arms. She was wearing a robin's egg blue layette set that my mother knitted specifically for this occasion. Her soft cheeks were so warm and rosy. All I could say was "Oh Mommy, she's soooo beautiful!" Mom now admits that's about the same time she had her postpartum cry. I was thrilled to have a baby sister and proud to say the least.

We had our usual cat fights but remained always best friends. Since we moved from Connecticut where she lives, I don't get to see her daily, like when we lived five miles away, but we're still close.


Last September Jamie was diagnosed with uterine cancer, for which she had surgery and is now expected to be fine. I pray for her every night and wish all the best for my "Bright Eyes".


I love you Jamie and God bless you! Happy Birthday!

Busy Hands

We've all been very busy this week. The baby hoodie I started last Thursday is almost finished. The sleeves are attached as you can see here, and now I'm picking up stitches along the edges to knit the ribbing buttonband. Then all there is to do is sew up the sleeve seams. This is going to look so cute on some little munchkin.


Maureen's baby sweater is from a pattern she made when she first learned how to knit. Her mother-in-law taught her how to knit years ago and she made a layette set for a friend which included this sweet little sweater. Maureen decided to revisit the sweater pattern and is using a sport weight yarn, plain white and a pastel variegated which she is using on the edges only. It's turning out to be quite beautiful.

Then there is Judy's...uh...mitten, yeah, that's it...mitten! This is proof positive that some patterns just shouldn't be knitted, no matter how cool they look in the pictures! We all had a good long laugh over this one! Judy couldn't resist showing us her catastrophe.

Her real project is an adult size poncho called the "Loretta Lynn". The yarn is a washable acrylic and wool blend and will be a welcome cozy coverup when it's finished.

Joyce is making a diagonally knitted bag for her niece. Oops! I hope this wasn't supposed to be a surprise! Sorry! Anyway, she's doing a great job and I'm sure it will be a treasured gift.

Kathleen brought with her three finished adult hats, a hoodie sweater, a baby cardigan to match the hat she made three weeks ago, and a pair of green mittens. She's on a roll! Watch out!

Elaine finished the sweet little cardigan on which she was working two weeks ago and today she started the little matching bonnet. It's going to be so cute!

The next two photos are a hat that Joyce made for her granddaughter modeled by none other than the above mentioned angel. Little Ellie loves the hat her Grandma Joyce made for her using Tilli Thomas yarn that is already beaded. Beautiful work, Joyce!

Don't you just want to kiss those cheeks?!

Hey Ellie! When are you going to visit us Chicks? We need to teach you how to knit, LOL!
And speaking of cute cheeks...Elaine's granddaughter has some kissable cheeks too! We need to set up a playdate between Ellie and Alexandra so we can teach them how to knit! LOL!

Work in Progress and A Finished Birthday Gift

As a donation project I've started a hooded baby sweater called Windowpane from a pattern that I found at Trumpet Hill Yarn Store (www.trumpethill.com). I finished one sleeve, I'm almost finished with the second (they are the striped pieces) and I've knitted the one piece body up to the armholes. Next up, I have to knit everything together and then pick up stitches to finish the hood and buttonband portions. It's going remarkably fast.

I'm using Plymouth Encore and Colorspun Encore in worsted weight.

My finished scarf is for my sister's birthday on the 15th of this month. She doesn't own a computer (CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?!) so I don't have to worry about her seeing this too soon.

The pattern is from www.brooklyntweed.blogspot.com and is called the Noro Striped Scarf. I used Wisdom Poems yarn. It's a pattern which I heard someone call "coma knitting" meaning it's so easy you could knit it in your sleep. I think it took all of three days to make. I'd say that's easy!

Time for lunch and then back to the knitting needles.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMANDA!

Twenty-eight years ago I looked like this about two months before I delivered my precious angel Amanda. She was born four weeks before her due date and spent nine days in NICU but recovered with flying colors in a short time.


On Mother's Day, May 10, 1981 she was baptized wearing the beautiful gown her Nanny Boo made for her. What an angel! And those cheeks!!! So kissable!


Here is my angel all grown up with a family of her own now. I can't believe she's 28 years old! I hope you don't mind that I told everybody, Sweetie.


God has answered all my prayers by giving me a lovely young woman of whom I can be proud. You are as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside and I'm sending you all my love, hugs and kisses with prayers for a wonderful lifetime ahead for you. I love you Manda Panda, my pride and joy! God bless you! And happy birthday!