Well, actually my birthday was yesterday, but who has time to post on their birthday?  I got Season 3 of CSI from DH YEAH!!!! and get this $75.00 worth of gift certificates for Michaels   WHOO HOOO from DH's Family.  SO GENEROUS, and they will be so very well spent.  Tee hee hee

I just wanted to share with you one of the gifts that my very best friend in the whole world got for me.  She so totally knows me, loves me, and just plain GETS me.    I have admired this picture of hers for ages, everytime i go to her house i gush over it, and so for my birthday she had it re-produced and framed.   I LOVE IT

Doesnt he make you feel happy?

This morning in the car on the way to work I was thinking about all my crafty pursuits, and then I got to thinking that what I really have are what people would call "homemaker skills"  Despite that fact that I hold down a very busy, very technical job I still enjoy all the same pursuits that my grandmother would have enoyed (not my mother, she was a bra burner wild child) I'm the traditionalist, sort of.  I would consider the following as home maker type pursuits, including but not limited to:

• Sewing
• Baking
• Knitting
• Crocheting
• Cross Stitching/embroidery
• Cooking

I'm not saying I'm a pro at any of these things, but I enjoy them all.  The point here is that almost nobody I know enjoys ANY of these things.  Everyone I know is into instant cakes, frozen dinners, store bought halloween costumes and gifts.    

Now I dont go all pioneer and do EVERYTHING myself, but I've been known to sew a cosutme,  Bake bread (with and without a breadmaker) cook a roast, knit a sweater etc etc.   And I feel very  Craft Lonely these days.  None of my family or friends are really interested in talking "shop" with me....  But everytime I go to Michaels for supplies the place is packed, so there must be other crafty people out there.... Whoever you are, why dont I know you!!!   Okay, heres my personal ad, all responses in the comments please and I promise to call you back! LOL

I guess folks I LOVE reading blogs, and researching techniqes and patterns online.... but nothing beats a cold drink or  a cuppa tea/coffee and the companionship of someone who shares your interests. 

So I have been a little busy in the evenings working on things, but alas its not knitting.    You see a little while ago I happend to be in the craft section of my local walmart, browsing around. and I saw these cute little kits

Two little care bear cross stitch kits, and I have always wanted to try cross stitch.  And they seemed small and not so intimidating. And they were reduced to like TWO DOLLARS EACH!!!  So How could I not try?  One Carebear for each of my girls.  Love a lot for Rachel the sensitive one, and Funshine bear for Rena the "sunny" active one. 

Well, for two dollars you dont get great instructions and the first attempt looked pitiful.  Ok, it looked like crap.  

It just so happens that a new friend of my had mentioned she knew cross stitch.  I told her of my failed attempt and asked if I brought it to her would she show me what I am doing wrong.  She did me one better.   She brought me a little hoop (who knew?) to hold the fabric while I stitch, and lent me and instruction book and a pattern book to get me going.  AND she brought me some fabric to practice on and replace the stuff I  F**ck*d up the first Care Bear on.   So I followed the instructions in the book for practice and got this...

Turtles!!! So cute!   So I started the carebear again, and now it looks like this...

You can see that according to the picture, I'm not doing that bad at all!!!!

I went to Michaels on the weeked to pick up some yarn (of course) and found this great little plastic box for organizing the colored floss you use for cross stitch, and it was only 1.97!!!!!  can you believe it!!! and I picked up a variety bag of floss for like 5 bucks, so ....

Not an expensive investment at all.... Oh gosh, I smell another hobby, Christ, thats just what I need!!!!  Ah well, it could be worse.  My hobbies could involve illegal substances and pipes so I think I'm doing alright!!!!!!

So um, are there any other Cross Sitchers out there?? 

And a big should out to TAMMY!  If you hadnt have saved me from crappy cross stitch hell I may have put down this great little hobby forever!  instead I am now feindishly keeping my eyes open for floss.......  Hmmmm. I'm going to need some new containers.....

Ok, you do know what TODAY is right? So all I can say is THANK GOD my husband had to work today, because If he had have seen me pull all this stuff out and start taking pictures he would have forced me into a yarn diet, and I DONT DO DIETS, of any kind MMmmmKay? 

Here we go, get your coffee, hold on tight, and dont hate the player homie, hate the game........

Looks Like an innocent set of Blanket boxes at the foot of my bed right.....

No, sorry, its not. 

A bunch of beautiful mohair for .. I dunno.

A bunch of various red heart/pattons stuff for mittens, scarves and hats for the kiddies (using real wool for hats/mitts for the kids result in felted pieces after the snow and friction had their way with the items so we switched)

Knit picks Lace weight, Cascade 220 in pink, And some Regia & Lanet Sock yarn

Odds and ends, a SWTC bear kit, some Lion Brank Cotton, Some Alpaca....

Some Lambs Pride and other feltable wools...

A basket of green wool for a sweater for DH, Some beautiul Multicoloured Tosca by Lang...

Baby sweater stuff, moebius scarf for mum stuff, lion cotton for kids stuff...

Estelle Watercolours, Ends (for an ends project later)

A cart full of cotton and fuzzy stuff

Rowan Cotton Glace

Phildar Denim

Sirdar Pinks...

Various Toy yarns & Toys in progress

Iceland Lopi Sweater Kit

Afghan Started, but not finished

More Kids sweater yarn, Hat yarn, mitt yarn

One more location!!!!!!!!

Some Moda Dea (waiting to be a wrap for me.....

How bout my "stash" of patterns, books, ball winder...

And still I have Boxes of needles, notions, supplies.  Boxes of Cross stitch stuff, fabric for sewing... Oh gosh this crafty stuff is taking over my home!!!!!!!

Mmmmwaaaaa ha ha ha (devious little chuckle)

ITs all good, wow, this whole post took amost an hour to put together, I gotta run now and make some lunch for the girls.   So, Did you flash your stash?

Well I started thinking about how I was going to present all my stash for Flash your stash, and so I started hunting through the house and peeking at all my spots, and in every spot, nestled in with the Stash was a WIP. 

Hmmmm, so many beautiful projects abandoned.  I am such a yarn ho, moving on to the next gorgeous fiber before my hands have finished creating.  So I put down everything and decided to finish the shawl I started months ago.   I ended up running a little short on yarn so I did without the ruffle on this shawl, but I think it suits my MIL better without the ruffle anyhow.  

Below you can see Rachel modeling it, I had to PRY it out of her hands to give it to my MIL.  She just wouldnt let go, she wanted this one all for herself...

This Shawl really does drape beautifully.  I used three balls of Estelle Watercolours and the ruffle shawl pattern from Karabella.  

I think now I am going to do a little cleaning, and in the process I will round up the wips and take inventory.    Hmmmm. where to start, where to start......

SHOW ME WHAT'CHOO GOT

Friends, I'm still here!!  Just busy doing the mom/work thing.  Spending all my free time knitting and playing with my babes. 

Rachels Sweater you Ask?  Well her birthday has long past, and the sweater is not quite complete. She has seen it, and LOVES it.  Pictures as soon as its done.

My new love.... SOCKS!!  HOLY COW I LOVE SOCKS!!!! I've been so afraid of them, people complain about turning the heel, blah blah blah, I LOVE MAKING THE HEEL!!!  Just look at this perfect heel...

I tried socks before, hated the DPNS, wanted to poke my own eyes out with the dpns.  Socks on Circs?  ROCK. SOCKS ON CIRCS IS THE WAY TO GO MAN!!!

So smooth, so wicked.  But you MUST get good needles.  Me, I invested in Some Addi Natura's.  Skacels wicked smooth join, pliant cord, topped with Bamboo beauties?  Heaven.  Knitters heaven.    I'm a little further along then these pictures but here, have a look at my tree trunk legs while i try on my masterpiece...

I cant wait to show you the finished sock.  Its so wicked.  I love socks.  I will be making many many more for sure.  The perfect little portable project.   

Have I done anything else?  Yep, A weekend quick pair of mitts for Rena, she fell on the sidewalk and ripped the palm right out of the mitts I made her at the begining of winter.  So a new pair were in order. . .

Rena is my biggest knitting fan.  She slept with those mitts on the night I made them.  My heart couldnt have been any bigger that night :)

HELLO OUT THERE!!!  ITs good to be back. 

Let me get you up to speed. 

Are you in the general vicinity of Toronto? Yes? than you know that EVERYBODY is sick right now, and although I am sick I am functioning just fine, but the kids, Ewwwww.  The flu has hit hard, with it comes lots of fevers, headaches and vomitting.  NO FUN.  I stayed home with them today to help nurse them back to better strength.  Most of my office, and friends are sick also.  Blah. Take your vitamins people and get lots of rest.

Onward...

The problem with this sweater for Rachel is that Its a surprise, and I cant work on it when she is around.  So here I am

Just finishing the back panel.  But I still have faith.  Lots of time left. 7 days is plenty. (*ahem, shifts nervously in seat)  No worries. 

In all fairness I lost most of last week because I was knitting this

Its a wrap for my mom.  I couldnt post about it until I gave it to her.  And I was knitting madly to get it done for her for yesterday, She had some surgery done on her knee, and I really wanted her to be able to have this wrap to keep her cozy when she got home. Its 100% baby Alpaca and its so soft its sinful.  I really wanted to keep this, but we do amazing things for love.

Oh, so do you notice who is modeling that wrap.  Yep, thats me, whats with the hair???  Yes friends, I am no longer blonde.  I wanted to try something different, something classic and feminine but easy to take care of ....

Wow, It still doesnt look like me.  But I am in love with the cut and colour,. Better pictures in the near future.

So, to sum things up.  I am still knitting more than ever, and still being the most productive I have been in ages, but still having doubts about my deadline.

Oh and Karyn, guess what, I started a pair of socks today when I was home with the girls!!!! YEP SOCKS!! I couldnt work on my secret knitting so I took out "socks soar on two circular needles" and got going. Heres what I managed in between cooking dinner and filling up little orange juice cups for my patients.

Licorice the cat is helping me show you this sock, and wouldnt get out of the picture.

Well, off to knit the sweater now that the girls are tucked into bed. 

click, clack, click, clack, click, clack............... To be continued.

Ok, got my materials together last night, put them in a basket (I always gather everything I need and put it in a basket or bag so its ready to go when I have 10 minutes or more...then I save myself wasting time hunting for tape measures, scissors etc.)   Cast on, and got going

I can SOOOOOOO do this !!!

So I've been sucked in before.  I've been an ambitious knitter and started some project as a gift WAYYYYYYYY tooooooooo late and foolishly thought I could finish it on time for the event.   And I have failed.  Miserably most times.   HOWEVER, big big but here, This is my daughter we are talking about.  No mother wants to be responsible for disappointing her daughter

Rachels Birthday is fast approaching, and you may remember this sweater I made for her little sister Renas Birthday...

Well, I know that Rachel really wants the same sweater, but in a dark blue.   And I think I can do it.  I may have been too busy to start this sooner but look at it!!!  Very little shaping, It does require seaming but its like 4 pieces of solid stocking stitch!!  How hard can it be? 

Ladies, I commit myself to lunacy once again, But Sandra has many times advised me to just brew a pot of coffee and get going.  So, here I go.  I think if I can actually pull this off, I should make something for myself for once.  I always say that, but maybe this could be incentive

I , Shannon Elizabeth Bell, Do solemnly swear, that If I can finish this sweater in time to present it to Rachel for her Birthday on March 7th, 2006, I can drop all other projects and make something fabulous for me.

Ha, We'll see.