Fish Tales

Just a quick entry, it's getting late!! I am excited to have finished Annette and Lee's smocked "fish" outfits.

Check this post for all the details; here are a few quick pictures!

Annette's . . .

Lee's . . .

That fun is done . . . time to get back to knitting!

And I almost forgot . . . the babies had their first boat trip. I heard "a good time was had by all"!

Spring has Sprung

I am enjoying a little time outside today, despite the pollen and gnats! These bourgainvilleas made it through the winter and are already in full  bloom. That is hard to believe, but I am really liking it as they are one of my favorite plants!

I am working on smocked outfits for Annette and Lee. They are "ready-to-smock" products, so I am able to save the time of  sewing the garment . . . and enjoy the fun of smocking. I should mention that Susie's Ready to Smock does a GREAT job if anyone is interested in this idea. Here is the website.

The plate I am using on Lee's outfit is "Gone Fishin'" by Ellen McCarn.

I am going to coordinate it with "Row of Fishes" by Nancy Elliott Miller for Annette's bubble outfit. They will be in coordinating colors - but not matching. I can't locate a copy of that smocking plate on the internet. I will post a picture as soon as that is finished.

Last but not least . . . I had a great weekend in Atlanta at Stitches South and Pediatrics Conference (Children's Healthcare of Atlanta). Sister Cathy was wonderful to put up with my crazy yarn shopping and knitting classes AND downtime while I was a pediatrics seminar. I think she  also found a few items in her shopping bag by the end of the weekend.

One of my purchases at Stitches was this fun Noro Sock Yarn. It feels sort of coarse and I can't imagine having socks made from it. However, we saw a scarf/stole made from it and thought it was pretty unique and colorful. It will be much more uniform after blocking and lose the puffiness you see here. As always, it is so much fun to watch the rainbow of colors unfold.

The pattern is One Skein - A Stole! (English Version) by Katja Jordan . It is available as a free download on Ravelry. I believe it can be accessed through this link. Enjoy!

Up for Stitches South

Apologies for not getting back to the blog sooner! Life is busy and my camera was missing in action for a few days. Much has transpired since my last post. Here's a quick update . . .

We celebrated Easter with Philip's family . . .

and with my family   . . .                                                                                                                               

Ashley and her Dad went to the Masters . . .                                                                                       

                                                                                           

I finished the "Cotswold Vest". More on that later . . .

Started the "Catch the Wave Tee" . . .                                                                                               

And made Annette's first "Lilly" dress . . .                                                                                                  

  

I just can't tell you how proud I was to see her wearing that cute dress!                                                         

So . . . tomorrow morning Sister Cathy and I are headed off to Atlanta for a little work and play.  The work part will be a pediatrics conference on Saturday and Sunday. Cathy will get to do a little shopping at Lenox Square. The play part for me will be a visit to Stitches South where I will get to ooh and ahh over a convention center full of fabulous fiber, take in a few lessons, and "perhaps" make a few purchases. It would be quite an understatement to say that I am a little bit excited.                                                                                                                                    

                                                     

Six Months and Growing

About 3 months

As our  beautiful twin grandbabies turn 6 months old today, it is time to give them the spotlight on the blog . It is amazing to reflect over the last 6 months and see how they have grown and how much joy they have brought to our family. Annette and Lee are changing rapidly each day it seems. When I miss seeing them for just a week or two I can see such big strides.

It is still heart-warming to see how affectionately they watch one another. They can both light up the room with their smiles and bright blue eyes. Lee is getting his head up a little higher every day during tummy time and  Annette has learned to roll over. They are cooing and babbling. She has found some very high pitched squeals which tell us she is SO excited!
They are grabbing rattles and beginning to teethe. . . chewing on their hands other toys.
Lee is the better "eater" of the two. He takes his bottle with gusto and is really liking his baby food. Annette, on the other hand, requires a little more patience to feed. She is a leisurely eater and has to be coaxed into trying the food. She is a petite little elf and he is a cuddly teddy bear.

They both enjoy bath time and kicking in the water. I can't wait to see them swimming this summer. A car ride is a good sedative for them both. They will fall asleep very dependably once the car starts moving.

Another big milestone is that they are both sleeping through the night. THIS IS A BIG MILESTONE!! WOW!! Everyone is really excited about this. Lee edged out Annette on the sleeping routine event . . . he has been a night sleeper for about a month. Annette finally turned the corner about a week ago. WHEW!  No more 3 a.m. bottles.

Although we try to limit TV time, I would be remiss not to mention that they are mesmerized by BABY EINSTEIN videos. If nothing else can calm them and a frenzy is in the making - a few minutes of those bright colors, soothing music and motion puts them back in their usual happy state.

They truly are the sweetest creatures imaginable and I am so lucky to be "grandma" to these special little ones. It is hard to believe we have been from NICU isolettes to "exer-saucers" in these six months. I am enjoying every minute and loving what they have brought to our lives! This has been a wonderful blessing and I am  thankful during this Easter season for all our many blessings!!


Now let the heavens be joyful,
Let earth her song begin:
Let the round world keep triumph,
And all that is therein;
Invisible and visible,
Their notes let all things blend,
For Christ the Lord is risen
Our joy that hath no end.

Saint John of Damascus

Camellia Time

The cold, rainy winter weather has finally given way to glimpses of springtime. Our camellias still have much growing to do, but Philip's hard work on these plants is beginning to pay off.  That being said, it is time to do grafting . . . here's the proof!

Here's one of my favorite blooms. This was planted last spring . . . Harold Paige. This is a very large bloom with very ruffled flower.

Below is Kick-Off . . .

And here is Royal Velvet . . .

Here is a large bloom that we watched in anticipation for days . . . this was a bloom off an un-named plant grafted last spring. It should be really beautiful next year!

. . . worth waiting for!!!

I can't wait to get the yard cleaned up and replant some herbs and annuals . . . I am already thinking of fresh basil on fat red tomatoes and dill on new potatoes. This must be the best time of year!!

Old News - Snow in the Lowcountry

"Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow."

Robert Frost

We rarely get to glimpse this white stuff here in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Last weekend Mother Nature treated us to a brief encounter with a little snow.

Here are a few sites spotted out and about the river. We haven't had a "ground covering" snow in this area since 1989. Our local squirrel pack seemed totally shocked and disoriented.

The recent cold rainy weather here has not been ideal for the beautiful camellias. Here are a few that haven't been too damaged.  They are dusted with a little frosty stuff!

The river looks like glass. There's a dusting of snow on the dock. Pretty tranquil . . . not like tropical storms that rip through here from time to time.

A little farther inland near Grays, the accumulation is a little thicker. This is near the pond at Baybottom.

Cold pines!!

There is a little knitting going on with "Olympics' watching" and staying warm by the fire.

My most active project at the moment is a vest from Oat Couture - Cotswold Vest. I am using some beautiful yarn that I purchased at Stitches South last spring. It is multicolored shepherd worsted by Lorna's Laces. It is hard to believe that wool could be SOOooooo Soft! Hope to post pictures of finished best before too long. Here's a preview. . .

This pattern uses slipped stitches to break up the color runs. I am enjoying learning as I go!

"The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?"

J. B. Priestley

First Felting Phenomenon

I am very excited to report on my very first felting project! This was a great patt!ern to learn a little about felting. Pretty simple, quick, and pleased with the end result! Can't ask for more!

This is "Vintage Bubble Bag" by Eva Weichmann.

Knitting begins in the round . . .

I used Cascade 220 (974 Delphinium) and Noro Silk Garden (273A). The pattern calls for 2 skeins of each.  The result is a bulky looking bag - before felting. I made the handles longer than specified in the pattern so that it could be used as a shoulder bag. My handles were approximately 40 inches long.

Hanging on the stair-rail - you can see how "oversized" the bag is . . .

After agitating in the washing machine for 10 minutes (and adding some extra hot water),  I could tell the bag was shrinking and the individual stitches were disappearing. 

Bubble bag is still drying out, but I am already pleased with the results!