Addicted to the Needles

Sweetest gift

    I am not really a dog person, but I could hardly resist when my daughter called and offered me this little cutie. 

   Meet Jasper, the newest addition to the Morris Menagerie!!  A Jack Russell terrier and Valentine for my son, Nick.  We already have two cats and the cutest bunny on earth, but when you have a fifteen year old that has been asking for a dog since he was five, whats a mom to do?

Bella liked him.....

then got sick of him.

Happy Valentines Day everyone!!!
p.s.  My blogaversary is here, stay tuned for little giveaway celebration!!!

Cutest Handle Hat

     Isn't this the cutest hat ever!!!  Its from the wonderful Stitch Marker.  I think I have made three of her patterns.  I love them!!  I am a slow knitter, so when I take on a project as a gift it is alot of work.  I am constantly looking for something that will work up fast with the optimum cuteness factor.  The Saartje booties are a good example of that, too.

This hat only took me about three hours, with yarn from the stash on size 4 DPNs.  She did the little loop on the top so cute by finishing it off with the kitchener stitch.  There was a large hole in the top that I seamed together.

I have to make another one exactly the same, as it is for a set of twin boys due any day now.  I am going to make a couple of pairs of the afore mentioned booties to go along with the hats.

Anatomy of a UFO

Picture of pretty scarf.  New knitting enthusiasm.

Try to knit six seven foot i-cords.

Knit, knit, knit.  Put away!

One year later....finally finish.

Lay on floor and weave six, seven foot long i-cords.

Have cat scorn you, then lay on scarf.  Find lint roller.

Finally finished!  Yay

Pretty!

Pretty!

Take picture of grandbaby in scarf.

Specs:  Woven Trellis Scarf
            Vogue Knitting Holiday 2006
            Size 4 and 6 DPNs
            Red Heart Soft Yarn in Wine
            One year and one month in the making.

 

Long Time, No Blog

Well, it's sad to see the old blog has taken a back seat to life.  Working, knitting, Thanksgiving and Christmas preparation has taken all of my time and left me to tired to blog!!  But I do have some finished projects to show.  First up are a couple of new hats for Bella.  This is the wonderful Juniper Bonnet from Stitch Marker.

I love this pattern.  It is nice and big for Bella.

This one is a tiny version for a newborn.  I went down a couple of needle sizes.  I also left the back open on it.  It made the cutest little keyhole, but I forgot to take a picture of it.  This is part of a set I made for a new baby.  It has the Heartbreakingly Cute Kimono, the bonnet and Saartje's bootees in it.

Of course Bella has to have a Christmas hat.  I got this pattern from Knitting on the Net.  It is a roll brim hat with really easy holly leaves and berries.

I was very blessed to be part of a brunch for my daughter Rachael and some of her friends from high school.  I coached their cheerleading squad for a couple of years and they were wonderful girls that have become even more wonderful women.

Rachael, Cheryl, Christina, and Beth
It was wonderful to see them and catch up on their lives.  They have great husbands and kids and are doing a wonderful job with their families.  Each one has had to overcome their own adversities- sickness, death, financial, and family problems.  Yet they are all a shining example of God's grace and goodness.  They are wonderful!!!  Did I say that already??  And they are all great moms.  We had seven children under three!  YIKES!!  But it was not the mass chaos that you would think.  It was calm and peaceful and we all sat down and ate a wonderful meal-TOGETHER!! 

New best friends!!

Beautiful smiles!

Cutie, patootie!!

Awww!!
Thanks so much for letting me tag along, girls.  I love you all!!!

Happy Halloween!!

Tinkerbella

    

     Bella is Tinkerbell for Halloween, of course, we called her Tinkerbella all day!  We have a wonderful zoo here in Toledo, and they do an annual thing for the kiddies called Little Boo at the Zoo.  She had to have a hat to wear in the 50 degree-100 mile an hour breeze, so I knitted her up a little punkin hat.  She is also wearing three layers of clothing!

     Yeah, this is fun!!!

     I used Plymouth Dreambaby doubled and it is so soft.  It almost feels like velvet or velour when you double it.  I can't believe how soft it is.  Just right for a little punkin head!

Specs: Billi-Jean's Pumpkin Hat (free pattern)
          Plymouth Dreambaby in Orange and Green
          Size 6 dpns
       I added a purl stitch every 10 stitches to make the pumpkin ridges and I didn't increase to 85 stitches.  I love the i-cord top!!!  So cute!

All bundled up from the cold.

     I also made another Montego Bay Scarf.  I had so much trouble with the first one, I was determined to start another so I could get in more practice.  I am happy to say that I finally got the concept of the pattern and could do it with my eyes shut.  It only took me a scarf and a half, but I finally got it!! (I'm a little dense sometimes!)

Specs:  Montego Bay Scarf from Interweave Knits
           Sock yarn from The Sheep and Wool Co.
           Size 8 circs
     I added four rows of garter stitch to each end and four knit stitches to both sides.

            

Tale of Two Little Bags

  Hi to all in Blogland.  Wow, I can't believe its been over a month since I last posted!  Things have been in an uproar here at the Morris household and there has been a serious lack of knitting and finished projects.  But, I am happy to say that things are getting back to normal and there are a few things to show you.
First up is the Little Grab and Go Purse.

  This is the cutest little purse and very quick and easy, and best of all, it's a free pattern.  I made this one for my daughter Rachael's birthday and I made another one for Kelly.  This is my first felted project, and I really enjoyed it.  I used Plymouth Galway for this one, and Cascade 220 for Kelly's.  I think the Galway felted much better than the Cascade, its much smoother and tighter.

     Looky how smooth!!
Specs: Little Grab Purse from All tied up in stitches
          Galway Highland Heather in color 732
          Size 11 circs
          Pewter button from Four Feathers Pewter

     I also made a pair of Fetchings.

   Exactly as pattern except I had to go down to a size 5 needles after completely knitting them and running out of yarn.
     And finally here is the other little bag and the reason things have been a little non-productive.

     This is a clear bag I am required to have at my new job.  I went to work full time at Dillards Department store.  I have never worked full time, that is, full time out of the home.  Being a mother and homemaker is more than a full time job!  I had be doing some babysitting and lost all the kids, so I decided to get a job instead of more kids.  (I didn't actually LOSE the kids, you know what I mean!)
     We also went on a wonderful Florida vacation for a week.  Fourteen of us went!  We had a great time except for the sting-ray my son stepped on.  Yep, it stung him.  More on that later.  Here is how tan Bella got.  Tanner than me, and she was never without 50 spf!!

         

Fall

     I love fall!  Oh, I know it isn't here yet, but it is coming and that makes me happy.  I love the colors and smells and memories of fall.  I met and starting dating my husband in the fall.  Our first date was a church hayride.  My dad knowing how excited I was for this first date and probably thinking that this guy was the one, bought me a brand new white coat with a white fur collar.  It was so pretty and very white.  Well, it rained on the hayride and we all threw lots of hay on the hayride and my new coat was completely ruined.  I mean, never worn again, ruined and my dad never said a word.  My first baby was born in the fall.  A beautiful, sweet little girl that changed my life forever and made me realize my highest calling was to be a good mother.    We go to apple butter festivals and harvest festivals, pick apples and make apple pie.  We go all out for Halloween and have our annual Morris family party.  We are busy every weekend and actually slow down at Christmas time.  This fall will be really fun with the addition of Bella and a family vacation with Kelly  and her family to Florida the second week of October.  Fun, fun!!!! 
     Every once in awhile I get in the mood to make ceramics and usually make holiday decorations.  I thought I would put pictures of a few up occasionally. 

     This is one of my favorite fall decorations, a hay stalk candy dish surrounded by pumpkins.  It is also one of the hardest things I have made.  The inside is glazed black.

     I love this little squirrel nut box.  His name is Charlie.  I have fallen in love with acorns lately, and started a small collection.  Here is my mantle with my acorns and other decorations.

     Have a happy Labor Day weekend everyone!!!

Dishcloth Fun

     I have been having lots of fun here lately receiving boxes of dishcloths.  First up is my Dog Days of Summer Dishcloth Exchange.  Jill over at Two sticks and Yarn sent me lots of lovely goodies.

She sent two pretty dishcloths she knitted, stitch markers, a great dishcloth pattern book filled with ten patterns of heart cloths, a pen and paper set, hand-made soap, a candle and candy.  Thank you so much for everything, Jill. 
     Next up is my Dishrag tag box.  This is a fun little race I signed up for that involves ten different people passing along a box that you fill with a dishcloth and yarn and some goodies.  You cant knit the dishcloth until you receive the box and you must use the yarn in the box.  Here is what Julie over at  Woolgathering sent me.

     Thanks so much, Julie.  The little knitted cards are just too cute.  So I spent today knitting my dishcloth to send to the next person in line.  Good thing I had a brand new book from Jill.  I used the red yarn and made this.

In and out in one day, pretty good, I am shocked I was able to pull it off as I am a really slow knitter.  I am glad I had already purchased everything to go in the box when it arrived.  It is now winging its way to Linda at Infiknitty.

   Bella says its a good thing Gramma is getting all these dishcloths because eating peas makes a Big mess!!!

Bella says......

Stay Cool!!!