Sizing Up The Top Down Hoodie

Sizing Up The Top Down Hoodie
Originally uploaded by wenjomatic.

This morning Abi tried on her Artyarns Little Hooded Top Down Sweater in Supermerio #127 for the first time. It seems like the perfect fit, in size 4, for outerwear this fall. Weee! I'm so happy with it.

I'm working on the trim on the bottom now, splitting off into front and back to make the side vents and garter finishing. Then I'll pick up the sleeves on dpns and knit them down. That should go fairly quickly since they only have about 7 inches left for each. Then its seaming the hood (THAT'S THE ONLY SEAMING... I love this pattern!!!) and weaving in ends.

Family

The Could Be Siblings
Originally uploaded by wenjomatic.

We had a lovely visit with family last week. Don's sister came for a visit from Ohio, staying with their parents. Me and the kids had a nice day catching up and enjoyed lunch with them while Don was working. Then they came over for a visit at our house for a short while, then we all went out for dinner at Willow Valley Family Restaurant. Its a nice smorgasboard here in our area.

The kids really enjoyed the visit. Andrew is drawn to our neice, Grace, and completely dotes on her. It makes my heart swell. And the just look SO much alike to me, they could be siblings instead of cousins. I wish he had a chance to see them more often. Travel is so hard... for everyone really.

Abi really had a great time getting to know her Aunt Linda. They shared some sweet moments together, including this time drawing for each other on the magnadoodle. Super fun.

Etsy Love for Knittin' Pretty

My SnB girlfriend, Heather, has been only been spinning since May-ish and has really found her gift. She has been working on some lovely yarns and just opened her Etsy store, Knittin' Pretty.

I'm just so proud of her! When the woman decides to try something new, she does it with a passion. I plan on asking Santa for something exquisite from her very own hands. IF I can be lucky enough to time it right... something tells me her yarns are going to be flying out of her Etsy shop.

Congrats and good luck, Heather! Your yarns are just lucious!


Heather at Maryland Sheep & Wool 2007
with some of her first fiber purchases.

A Day At Overlook

CLICK TO SEE SLIDESHOW
Originally uploaded by wenjomatic.

We found a fantastic new park, less than 5 miles from home. Its brand spanking new, not even landscaped yet for the most park, and its PEFECT for Andrew's age at the moment. We'll be frequenting it over and over. There are 2 play areas and this huge rope mountain maze you see above, as well as rocks and rock walls to climb. Ultra nifty and every 4 year old's dream!!!

Don chased Abi around a good bit while she enjoyed the play and I sat and knit a bit in the beautiful sunshine and cool breeze. I love family Saturdays. Heck, I just love my family.

Click the picture to see a slideshow of our day there.

Monkey Cracked Canyon

Monkey Cracked Canyon
Originally uploaded by wenjomatic.

Socks That Rock got 7 votes, and Cracked Canyon got 4 votes specifically... plus it is Andrew's fave.

So Cracked Canyon it is... I cast on (size 2 dpns) the Monkey sock by Cookie from knitty.com. I've been eyeing it up for a long while and decided to give it a go. I'm 2 repeats of the lace detail into the leg and LOVING IT. Here is the WIP resting atop my hand wound center pull cake. This lace pattern that seemed very intimidating is WAY easier that I'd guessed, and I'm very pleased at how its knitting up in this autumn colored yarn.

I originally started this sock on size 0s Friday evening while watching The Weatherman with Nicholas Cage (most depressing movie I've ever seen, don't bother). On Saturday some of my SnB girlfriends and I spent the day at the Mannings in East Berlin, PA... the closest thing to a yarn mecca I've ever seen.

We sat out in the cool breeze, with the heat wave FINALLY breaking, under the pines and knit, seriously, all day long. With fun conversations, yummy snacks and serious yarn shopping at hand it was simply a slice of heaven. I knit on this sock, along with Abi's hoodie, through the day, only to find out that the darn thing was too small. So a frogging I went and ripped it all out this morning with the kids in my lap and coffee in hand. I bumped up to size 2 dpns (just what the pattern called for... yeah, smack me on the head) and its been smooth sailing all day. The stitches are much easier to get into on 2s, so its moving super fast now. And I'm loving it!!

September IS around the corner... they will be done just in time for hayrides and pumpkin patches. Ahhh, I can already smell the season coming.

Ahh... to be a squirrel

The Squirrels Will Be Happy
Originally uploaded by wenjomatic.

We were at Don's parents over the weekend and out playing with the children... I happened to notice how large the acorns are this summer. Astounding really, because its been a pretty dry for several months now.

The trees are really laden with nuts... a good year to be a squirrel I suppose. They should be fat and happy all winter. I think the old wives tail says this means a lot of snow.

Snow would be great right now. The heat index today was over 100 degrees farenheit. (faint)

Sock Stash... HELP ME!!

Sock Stash... HELP ME!!
Originally uploaded by wenjomatic.

Help me decide which socks will be next! I want to do them all NOW!!! but I must choose.

Which would you reach for FIRST?? L to R:

Vesper in Afterglo
Regia in Rio Red, self striping
Cherry Tree Hill (cake) color unknown
Lorna's Laces in Vera
STR in Farmhouse
STR in Flourite
STR in Cracked Canyon

Little Hooded Top Down Sweater WIP

Little Hooded Top Down Sweater WIP
Originally uploaded by wenjomatic.

I cast on for a fall/spring lightweight hoodie for Abi this week.

My girlfriend knit this adorable hooded sweater for he son in the spring and I was so smitten with the deliciousness of Artyarns SuperMerino she was using I quickly found some things to sell on Ebay so I could generate some paypal. LOL

I snagged this gorgeous yarn from Sarah's Yarns (gotta love Sarah's deals), color #127 in muted pinks and limes so I could make the same sweater for my Abigayle. I'm about 5 inches into the hood, knitting the size 4 so she can wear it as a top outer layer, and I just can't get enough of it!

I can't wait to see my girly sporting this sweater once the weather cools down.

Regia and Pumpkins

Regia and Pumpkins
Originally uploaded by wenjomatic.

I'm all done with my consolation socks, after loosing a zipper bag containing my Peaks and Valleys socks between a playdate and home (don't ask... maybe they fell out of my purse?).

I cast on these Regia sport weight 6fadig Crazy Color #5264 Lettuce in a simple 56 stitch, double ribbed socks just 2 weeks ago. I wasn't so sure when I started how I'd like the sport weight sock, but they are so yummy and delicious and promise to keep my tootsies warm around the house when the cold sets in in the late fall. Hopefully I'll be wearing them when these pumpkins are ready to pick and decorate my front porch in October.

Andrew's fall pumpkin, which he decided not to carve, from last year gave us a back garden nook full of vines and the bees are super busy pollenating the blooms. COME ON GUYS... grow us some lucious pumpkins!!!