Knitting

(I didnt think I would be far enough on this hat to get to where I needed double pointed needles on my trip so I improvised with coffee straws :)

Real grandma talk- Knitting is my favorite thing ever, think.  It's so dorky, but it just makes me so happy! And I have found this whole community of people online that love it too that have amazing tutorials and patterns that have taught me so much.  I am so so thankful for it and have had so much fun pushing myself farther than I thought I could go.

This was the first color work that I had ever done and the hats up there were the first bobble pieces I had ever done.  They were clearly easy projects, but trying new things and pushing myself has been just so much fun.  

I can honestly not talk about this sweater without getting kind of emotional and I know that is so freakin wierd. I know.  But this sweater changed the trajectory of my knitting and what I am able to do.  This tutorial really changed the game for me.  I had made a sweater before and I had made a few baby ones, so it wasn't my first.  But it was the first one that I made up on my own, thanks to Karen.  

I read each blog post that she posted and took in as much information as I could to take me to the next step and every time I tried it on and it fit I just felt like flying!

Then I made these Iris sweaters by Jenny Gordy for my nieces that are so cute, but done completely differently and that was so fun too! The first one took me four times to get the front right, but I learned so much by taking it out and trying again.

Which led me to Boyland knit works who is the most beautiful fiber artist with her knitting patterns. I am obsessed with every single thing she creates and I want to make every singe one.  

I was almost late to get on the plane to Africa with my mom and Christopher because I was getting the yarn for this sweater from the wonderful Mckinney Knittery and I worked on it constantly on the plane and then a ton at home.  I took a break to make Kai and Presley's sweaters and then worked on it again after the new year.

This was the first step into lace work and it was very challenging for me. Especially with such thin yarn, but I did love it.

I ended up finishing it for the annual meeting dinner when everyone came in from Caris for the week and it was just the coolest complete circle for me.  Trying something new and saying yes to things that I wouldn't usually do or that I would be too scared to do has taught me so much more than I could have ever learned sitting on the sidelines. 

I want to be someone who says yes. I dont want to be afraid- or if I am afraid I want to not be too afraid to try.  I want to teach my kids that failing and starting over is so much better than not trying.  I want them to know that working hard at something is so much better than being lazy or having things come easy. 

Now I am working on one for Ben.  Hopefully I finish it before it gets too hot, 😉

The Sun sets on September

1. Relaxing on our new rug  2.The Harmon Family Picnic is always the best time  3. Shea eats her first popsicle on the porch as summer comes to a close  4. Ben and Goldie  5. I made a hat with earflaps via a Purlbee pattern  6. All the chickens like greek yogurt  7. We marooned out for the Aggie game with the Burns  8.  A full cartoon of Rainbow Roost Eggs

Knitted Baby Goods

Just been doing some knitting for the babe and the babe's friends.  Nothing super exciting (unless you dream of purls and knits in your sleep like me) but I learned some new stitches and new techniques to make these and it was so fun.  The diaper cover was really fast and really fun (and I bought the whole booklet of patterns and they are adorable!).  And the romper took a little bit to figure out, but I like how it came out.  It is much whiter in real life, but the pic is what I envisioned in my head before I started, so I am leaving it up (false sense of reality much?)  The sweater is just the top part of the romper and the vest is actually a jacket (similar) that now has one arm and someday will have the other.  It is unfortunately moving at snail's pace bc I used tiny needles and tiny yarn.  But you know, I am nothing if not slow.
We are off to more games and friends and bdays this weekend (all those new years decisions to get pregnant) and we are pumped.
Hope yall have a great weekend!

Sleep Sac

My college roommate Lindsay is one of my dearest friends and I am just so thankful to have gotten to meet her in college and we have stayed close ever since.  She is an incredible example of faith, peace and joy to me, and I am so thankful to be able to be encouraged by her in so many ways.

She is pregnant with a sweet baby boy, so soon and I am so excited and cant wait to see how gorgeous he is going to be!  She had a shower that I was unable to go to so I sent her a little present in the mail that I knitted using this pattern off of lion brand and making it longer.  

It is a jacket pattern and I altered it by making it 18 in long and sewing it together in the front instead of doing button holes.


It is a super easy pattern and was so easy to  make it my own!  You guys gotta try it! I hope that it fits though, Linds.

 I really have no idea if 18 in is long enough or if the sleeves will be, but fingers are crossed over here.  I am always making things for like newborns that fit 5 year olds, so hopefully this will not be the case this time...

Planted pumpkins and an adventure in trying to get pictures of my new scarf

When my in laws were here they planted our pumpkins from halloween.

(I know.  I still had them around. I am the laziest person in the world)

Aren't they so pretty???

I have been trying to get my girls to let me braid their hair for their entire lives.  I even sport my own braids all the time, in hopes that they will want to copy me.  

Not so much.

Until today, Sassy let me do one braid for an entire hour.

It was amazing.

Then I tried to document this black cowl that I saw on Jennifer and my cousin Heather (I think theirs were actually different but thats neither here nor there).  They were black or charcoal and were twisted when they were connected.  Maybe Jcrew?

I did it in garter stitch and then twisted it when I sewed it together. 

Super easy.  All you do is knit every row (no purling) and then connect it.
I used just black chunky yarn from wal mart and casted on about 25 stitches.
I bound off and then twisted to sew it together but I think you can bind off the edges to connect them too.

Then I tried to take a picture of it on me. I wanted to really let you guys see the scarf so I tried camera and phone and camera in my face or not and then tried to not look like a total idiot by smiling or like I am super depressed by not....

hahahahhaha!!
Luckily ben stole the show.

So I just instagramed it.  I look better when I can blur out my wrinkles anyway.
Now ben has cut off the head of his dinosaur and 1000 tiny balls are going everywhere.  So much for a nap...
Happy Tuesday!

knitted hats and the most hilarious pictures you've ever seen

Can you believe sweet McKenna is one!! And how awesome are those invites and al's idea for her party!! I can't wait to see what she does! she is amazing.

Through out this holiday season I have been making custom orders for different people and it has been so nice.  I have also been trying to knit hats and I used the stockings I made to try and figure them out.  They are not the best and are weird sizes, but oh well. Most of them end up too big, so Jeff is really lucking out :)

I also taught my aunt and cousin Lins how to knit and that was just so much fun.  They took to it so fast and I really loved being able to show them something I love so much.

The first hat I ever made was this one.  This lady is uh mazing.  Like crazy amazing!! I can't believe what all she makes.

Then I made this one with a heart in it.

I used this video to help me figure this one out.

and Knittinghelp.com  (They even have an app!)

And one with a stripe.

And this one is still on the needles.
I may have blogged these before and am blanking out.  If I have, I am sorry.  I do think I am having memory loss from my excessive diet coke drinking.  I have, however been cutting back.
Severely.
 I feel like now that I just put that in writing it will jinx me so bad and I will have to go to sonic and get a route 44.
 I hope not.
I did make my first ever batch of tea yesterday and it wasn't too bad.  I think it can be my new addiction.  Because I desperately need a new addiction...at least it may distract me from my first love, DC.
On that note, I also dropped my phone in the toilet (UGH!!!) over the holidays but I was able to get a new one with insurance (YEA!) but it has taken forever to get the new one here.  In the meantime, I have been using the old school flip phone (so light and easy to use!)  I do have to push all the buttons like three times to get the right letters when I am texting.  It makes me feel like I am in high school again and have a pager.  I loved my pager.  Sigh.
Then, they canceled our credit cards because they have been trying to issue us new ones for like 4 months but, can never get our names right on the cards.  ("What? No, I didn't mean you, sir!  Thats my last name! No, its not a cuss word!  Super close though...")  The new one, with the right name, should be on its way.  We have called three times and they keep saying they will "expedite it" it asap...
right...
just like you said 6 months ago.  and four months ago...
Ok, so I have accidentally given up my phone, credit card and (not accidentally) diet coke since the new year.
It has been a little bit of an adjustment into 2012 but hopefully we will be back on track as soon as they expedite my card and phone to me...
But to make up for that long and whiny post about my first world problems, here are the most hilarious pics, that I did not know I was going to get, and when I opened them I laughed out loud and forwarded them to everyone I know.


Every year the school picture people blow me away with how they get my kids to smile and appear happy.
Its probably drugs.  or candy.
Whatever it is, I love it.
Happy 2012!

My first Sweater..ish and the Best Thanksgiving Pageant Ever

I don't know if you would call this a sweater or really what you would call it but I knitted it and I am done and so I am wearing it everyday until I absolutely have to wash it (because we know I have no idea how to wash handmade things even though I handmake things...).
After church, a girl came up to me at target and said "Where did you get your-" and I almost died in her arms. But, then she said "skirt" and by then I couldn't remember.  sigh. It is pretty bulky.
 I sort of went by this pattern on lion brand, but it was different measurements. (As I didn't really measure at all, except by constantly pulling it across my body to see if it would look like it would fit,  and then I would have to go back and count my stitches every time I had to go by the pattern rules).  I am going to go back through and try and make it not curl up on the neck and the bottom.  Do any of you guys know how to do that?  Maybe pick up some stitches and then use smaller needles to pull it tighter?  I know.  I you're amazed. I know that "picking up stitches" is a real phrase.  I can't help how cool I am.
On Friday the twins had their Thanksgiving Program and Feast, and it is safe to say it was one of the best things that I have ever seen in my life.  I know I am biased, but her little arms coming up in the huge vest is like the funniest thing. And Ben was just stone cold.  Hilarious.  I couldn't stop laughing/crying.  I can't believe that they got them to wear vests and Indian feathers...I can't even get them in clothes most of the time.

Hope you guys had a great weekend!

Scotch, Scotch, Scotch

And by that I mean hopscotch.

 Princess hopscotch.

(not the kind Ron Burgandy drinks)

Blair found this on the side of the road and the babies loved it.

Let me back up.

It was Blair's 30th this weekend and I went home to help her celebrate with her fantastic group of friends.

And the babies helped.
 They picked out all kind of fun stuff for the party at party city.

Oh, and I dragged my brother around with me the whole weekend.  I am pretty sure he had other stuff to do but he was a great sport.
On a best friends note,

I have also been reading this book and I LOVE it!
And Allison bought the audio version and its in her voice! I just love that.
She writes just about regular stuff that everyone goes through and it makes you forget that she is super famous and talented and writes for the office.  She is just so relatable and so, so funny.
This chapter was super funny.

I highly related to almost all of them with my best friends.

I went to the big joann's while I was in d-town too and I got some fun yarn.
(Im not an addict, its cool, I feel alive...What? Not everyone's favorite things about being home is craft stores that are available and super targets right around the corner???)
Just cant wait for christmas time and making presents!  I am going to put a few things in the shop too, so ill let y'all know about that.

And some fun shiny gold fabric that I feel like maybe I could do one of those cool clutches with that is all the rage.  That can't be too hard, right?? And maybe the flannel into a circle scarf?

I have also been on a moccasin hunt with Jennifer for a while and finally settled on this mid-tops from madewell and I really love them.  They are prob definitely too big but they are so comfy.

On a food note, before I left, I made the most amazing snicker doodles ever.  And I am not like a huge I have to eat snicker doodles every time I go to a cookie store kind of person, but these were super good.  I have really only made them like one time, but these were def the best I have ever made...

 I accidentally forgot to roll them in cinnamon and sugar before I baked them (I'm so smart) so I had to make another batch...in the same 30 minutes...

I also made these peanut butter bars when we got home; Again, great idea.

I mean, not a great idea for my 29 almost 30 year old body that wants to look good for her birthday in like a week, but, good for everything else.

On a serious note, my mom is doing some amazing things right now and is on a trip helping people like always, so keep her in your prayers of safety.  Just love her and am so thankful for her.
And congrats to Lindsay Lancaster, my most loyal customer turned new bff via pen pals, on the birth of her second baby!  Her sis in law sent me a pic of her new little boy and I just love when I make friends through this blog and then get photos of their newborn babies before they even get cleaned off! Y'all really are the best and I can't tell you how thankful al and I are for everyone who reads.  I don't know what keeps y'all hooked more, my long rambling posts about food, how secretly excited I get about how many times I can use the phrase "on a ___ note" in one post, or hearing about how I wear the same rainbow shirt everyday, but, whatever it is guys, thanks.
(Don't worry guys, I know its allison and her amazing beauty + great hair + kind personality + creativity + ability to withstand large moving vehicles.  Y'all are smart to stick around for her posts.)

Tuesday Loves

Kind of fallish/holidayish and mostly just fun.

This is so fantastic.  I want to start this today.  Love it.

This shop on Etsy is so cute.  I love the alphabet book and the pillows. The tooth pillow is so cute.

Martha makes me want to learn to cross stitch.
How cute would it be to put it on one side of your christmas card after you did it.  Love it.

also loving her twig coasters.  these could also be placemats.  so cute for thanksgiving.

Speaking of coasters, these painted ones are so cute from design sponge.  They would be cute also as hot plates and you could put christmasy stuff or thanksgivingish stuff on them.  I am def trying these.

Just saw this on flickr and a friend of mine wanted me to try and make it and it turns out she has a mini pattern!  It was super easy!!  And its actually from ravelry.com!


and then I made one in navy for aly.

It looks blue here, but its actually super dark navy.  oh well, you can see the stitches better with this alternate coloring...
I am also working on a few stockings for Jennifer.  I hope they turn out good!


Here are just the tops of two of them so far...
oh, and I made the smores thing from pinterest and it was so good.  I highly recommend it if you are in the mood for smores.

Ok, I guess that is all I have so far...
Hope you guys are having a great tuesday!