Spring update

There is a lady in the area that makes little fabric turtles.  She has made hundreds, perhaps over a thousand.  I had the opportunity to meet her----and was thrilled when she gave me the pattern!  They are addicting and eassssssy to give away!!

These are sweaters made from Wool Ease by Lion Brand. The pattern is Elizabeth Zimmerman's "Baby Surprise Jacket."  I bought the pattern several years ago but it is still available.I was a bit leary of paying $12 for a leaflet pattern; but Elizabeth came through one again with her knitting genius.  She designed this pattern in 1968.  The only seams are at the shoulders.  She made an adult-sized pattern, too, which is included in the leaflet. Unfortunately, I am too skeptical to knit one unless the living model is available to me.  :(   These two will be put away for my daughter's children.  There are buttonholes knitted on both sides, which makes button placement a snap.  Once the baby is born, the buttons (gender side correct?) are sewn over the buttonholes.  Genius!
The pattern has a skeletal pattern as well as a RowByRow pattern. I followed the row by row and, if you real the entire leaflet thoroughly first, found it to be accurate and not as scary as I had feared.  You can go on YouTube and look up BSJ sweater....it ends up a bit like origami and the trick is in the folding!

 Back side of pattern.  This is knitted on a circular needled because at one point you have over 200 stitches on the needle.  I love this pattern.  Top size is for infant; bottom size for 12-18 mos?

My niece is having her first baby in early fall.  I have plans for this onesie, but it's a secret!!  Ha ha

The blanket is the pattern I used when her sister had her first born several years back.  It is an old pattern from a magazine.  The pattern is called Morning Glory.  I knitted it from 4 balls of Sirdar DK Snuggly.  The yarn came from www.loveknitting.com which is in England.  The service I got was over-the-top; the yarn arrived within a week, and the shipping was $5.99 for my particular order.  Then you get tons of coupons in your emails.  I will only buy Snuggly from them in the future!

Beauty is sometimes defined by its sentimental value.  This curtain is an old tablecloth crocheted by either my great-aunt, grandmother, or great-grandmother.  I'll never know but when I stare at the stitches, I marvel at how long it must have taken to make.  I love it on a window much more than on a table!

My OTF (old-time-friend) Brook is addicted to pillowcases.  I began looking for pretty fabrics on sale.  The pillowcases are edged with a simple backstitch, then a crocheted edge is worked over the backstitch.  I love the mismatchedness of my pillowcases.  Waking on a spring morning with all that color in my face always makes me smile.
     The saying on the wall stopped my heart when I saw it in a local store.  Someone I knew was working at the register, where the sign was hanging.  She was so taken by my response to the sign that she gave it to me for my birthday.
     When we left California, I (unknowingly) embarked on a journey that would result in a 95% paycut.  (No, you didn't read that wrong.)  But, everything I longed for for my daughter has been found here.  You can see why the sign means so much to me.
    In California, I had more than all the money we needed....but nothing else that creates happiness.
Here, I have all the happiness, but no money.  I still think I have the best deal.