Halloween

Halloween was great. You tell we are really in a depression way less houses offering candy than the years before. the ridley's stopped by. I was amazed they were witches too! Even Mekhi had on a costume he was Mummy's boy! And at first he was not going to go with us but daddy had to work so I bundled him up. The pakn was to get out of the car and walk around but with the house giving out candy so few and far in between i just drove. Now when I was little I would have killed to drive from house to house neighborhood to neighborhood. Any way so Mekhi was bundled up for nothing. He was probrably sweating!

Poor Lela she did all that work only to get in trouble. She still hasn't eaten her Halloween candy!

Voter Rally At A&T

Do ya'll want some of the Jigga man! Jay Z , Russell Simmons and Kevin Liles came to A&T. Each only spoke for a few minutes. I think they were trying to get people to the early voting poll which is the whole point. You can see all three in the picture. Of course Lela was there too miserable as usual! Mekhi slept the whole time Thank you.

Blog Layout

My blog layout was created by Allie Brown( click on the title to go to her page). Cute ain't it! Now that I am reunited with my photoshop. I really missed it. I have tried my hand at creating cellphone wallpaper Even made my own birth announcement. Digital scrapbooking has so much potential!I took the same 4x6 announcement and made a desktop wallpaper just increased the size. I am smokin!

Homecoming was a blast. A&T's and Livingstone's. Livinstone's was the homecoming of the century everybody came back there was at least 11 of 25 of my Line sisiters there. Now last year was our 10yr anniversary and only 7 showed up! but I am thankful for all who did show up. Tashia and May were there we have not seen them in what 5 years. Octavia showed up too. See homecoming of the century. I was like it is going to snow. You know the weather man was calling for frost that monday! Put it this way homecoming was so great i almost brought my children just so i would not miss the game! And I dont bring my children becasue I do not want to be mama at homecoming.

blogging from the phone

I have got this baby spoiled rotten. Nursing is going great now that I have the lanolin. Can you believe he is almost 6 weeks? He will be a month old on the 8th it does not even seem like a month has gone by. With my first the six weeks took its time I was glad to go back (I don't know why) but now I dread it. I undestand what dimples 74 means when she wants to cry because the baby is gowing up so fast. That is part of the reason why I am spoiling him because he is my last baby no moe teeny weeny ones for a long time. I will not miss the early morning feedings but the smallness (if that is a word).

Crafting? I bought the little loafer pattern and made 1 and 1/2 loafer out of the microspun I had left over and some hats for the baby. I felt so shamed I had him out in the hat he came home from the hospital in. other than that that is about it. I saw these knitted ballet flats from coco knits I want to try. Let me know if you have tried them

pics of mekhi's arrival

Leon is a great photographer. I did not know he got a pic right when they pulled him out.

Mekhi is here

http://www.our365.com/newbornportraits/BabyDetail.aspx?birthid=d95a2a4c-6fd2-4dfb-8d38-e95635a8b002&babyid=f6623560-4c1c-4476-b28b-65ed56cf95f8
this the link to his page.

I did not want to have surgery but I had no choice the point is he is here. It took forever but he is oh so cute I just want to hold him all day. I am trying to nurse and it hurts like hell I want to quit. Please anybody with knowledge help me!

He has his days and nights mixed up he sleeps all day and gets up every two hours at night.

I do not like to second guess but....

Now I am not sure whether I want a oversized clutch or not. Right now it looks like a baby messenger bag. But I do know I do not want the orginal bag. Side A and B really do not look all that different.
My thoughts are to carry out the orginal plan and then see if I still like it. Oh and another wrory is that fuzz will get on my coat from this bag. That will not be cute! But that just means I wear it with my leather coat.

Boho bag progress

This will be hot I have decided that I am not going to do the sides I love it just the way it is. What type of embellishments? Not sure yet about the lining either But I have my great interfacing that I get for This and That.

At first I did not have much to say I was actually going to quit. But I had Raena helping me I was like I can't give up. So I actually went out and bought the actual yarn called for in the pattern because at first I was going to use some stash yarn as I said before. But anyway last night I got some yarn and started all over. As you can see it is a real pretty color. I went to the store set on buying tweedle dee in Sagebrush but saw the blue with the purple (blue heather according to the label) and Sagebrush quickly fell to the side. I would love to buy some more but 7.99 a ball (actually came to $5 with a coupon) was not cool. I do have two 50% off coupons. But now I have a baby coming. But so far the bag is coming out nicely. Once I figured out that you do not front post st all the dc on the second row it started coming together I cannot wait until it is done. Even though it is 80 degress outside I am taking Crimson Purl pics with my pea coat and coordinating bag!

That tweedle dee would make a nice neckscarf.

Look at that!

look at what the NCEE girls made for my baby!. Ain't they just the sweetest. Would show you the yarn i bought on the outing as well but could find it at the moment. And how about i was all tuned up to make a neckerchief (sp) but ran out of yarn. Was really only enough in that ball to make a pair of slippers that i had originally planned to do but changed my mind. So now I need another ball so i can make my neckerchief(sp).
my new project a boho bag. I am trying to use stash yarn purple and brown it reminds me of peanut butter and jelly. I am trying to coordinate with my purple pea coat. I know it is early. But me , left the pattern at work and tryng to do by memory did it all wrong. So it is back to the drawing board. I don't have much yarn either so i am doing it in the round until I run out of yarn fold it over and call it a clutch. Viola Boho Clutch.
Now i went back to this pooh blanket but noticed that his foot is a bit squished(sp) because i am using a cross stitch chart on a knit blanket. They do not mix. So i made a new chart knit landscape a big one something like that . but now i look at the blanket like I hate to take all of that down. So that is where I am on that.

Another one down

I have finished my quilt. now on to or should i say back to my crossstitch pooh afghan. I plan on putting the baby's initals and b day on there as well but one step at a time. my personal ravelympics not going so well all i have are two pant legs. no sweater socks or blanket. Just been working on portable projects so far. The mojo will come back. Thinking about going to SAFF but it is the same month as homecoming and that drive was a beast the baby will be very small. Maybe I could leave one baby here and take the other to SAFF I don't know but SAFF was fun. But the thought of pushing a big stroller does not seem fun and there were so many people there anyway. I could do a snuggli. Again we will see.

Not sure what to say

Well at first I finished my granny square. Which was easy a good round trip and it was done. I was so proud that I finshed something I was inspired to finish somethingelse. My baby babette. I only had four squares to go. Well now I only have three squares to go. One eight round, the 16 round and the big daddy the 20 round.

GO USA!!!

I am bit bias being a swimmer but it does my heart good to see black folks swimming.
He is the first African-American to hold or share a world record (4x100 Freestyle Relay) in swimming.[6] He is also the second African-American to make the US Olympic swimming team after Anthony Ervin. Accoring to wikipedia. Anthony Erin In 2000, he became the first swimmer of African American descent to make the US Olympic team.that was at the Sydney Games. 8 whole years. Cullen said this morning on the Today show he would like to get more African American brothers in the pool! I was like what can I do Cullen. Just like a black woman yelling at the TV! Cullen practices right here in Charlotte, NC.

this is why i do it

This is why I swapped. Response for one of my partners:
Thank you so much! They are so cute and they fit his feet perfectly!

My own Ravelympics

17 days is a challenge in itsself. So really do not want to join. I know if you say you cannot then you cannot. So I am saying that I can I just do not want to join the group, hence the title. really I am on the fence I have three days to decide. It took me a minute to decide what I wanted to make.
I want to make a layette

Afghan
Pullover
Hat
Socks

They will be made on the machine and finished by hand.

I plan to use the above burberry pattern. I have it already charted and everything.

This will fall into the baby dressage, afghan, designer discus groups.

Took a while but now i finally....

finished and mailed my swaps!I am ashamed do not get me wrong. I am now on the bad swappers list so i guess that pretty much seals the swap deal for me. But I am glad i was able to finish and ease some tense minds. I did not even take pics of the packages I sent.


Project wise i am still working on my shopper clutch, casting off at the moment. made about 5 pairs of slippers and still working on my granny blanket.

The granny blanket was the granny star now it is the granny square. I am debating on whether i should make some matching slippers. Not sure yet.

I am having a good time making these slippers kinda like making ballband washcloths. I keep making slippers out of different yarn to see what size i get. I have a microspun, cottonease, acrylic, cotton and a sock yarn pair. i am working those 2's to the bone. i want to make another pair of sock yarn. Leon says look at you making a whole bunch of booties like you did last time. When I was pregnant for I made a bunch of hats and booties thinking she was going to be like 6 lbs she was 8lb 1oz. I gave them all the the nursery. I know he will not be able to fit all pairs when he comes out but those sock yarn ones look pretty small. if I do like Crimson purl did (weave the elastic thread through the top) they should actually stay on. i have had the energy to knit any hats for him just slippers. I want to try and find him matching onesies but he has enough white ones that will work he may need some more.

Granny Star

This may or may not be my next afghan. it has already started to ripple and so i miht take it down if i get a concensus form the granny along group that it is unsalvageable by blocking. I was suposed to make a hexagon but left out one point hence the name granny star. I was supposed to make my self a ballet tee with this yarn but thought nah. I am inspired to make something. Niki knits has finished her not a bobble sweater and started on a pretty lace one. i am going to get that type of patience some day.

You make the call

Meathead hat or pointy hat? is there a difference. I used this pattern:
Meathead
conference installation version
Materials: about 3 ounces of Webs’ natural “1/1 roving” yarn (enclosed)
Needles: US Size 19 (if you can’t find 19s, use 17s, but try to stay loose ;-) ).
Note: The whole hat is made with the yarn doubled. I’ve tried to wind it up that way, or to include two balls so this is easy.

INSTRUCTIONS
Holding the yarn doubled, cast on 36 stitches.
Work in knit 2 purl 2 rib for 6 rows.
Work in stockinette stitch for 2 rows.
Begin decrease rows.
Row 1: *K10, k2tog*, repeat * * to end
Row 2 (and all even rows): Purl all stitches
Row 3: *K9, k2tog*, repeat * * to end
Row 5: *K8, k2tog*, repeat * * to end
Row 7: *K7, k2tog*, repeat * * to end
Row 9: *K6, k2tog*, repeat * * to end
Row 11: *K5, k2tog*, repeat * * to end
Row 13: *K4, k2tog*, repeat * * to end
Row 15: *K3, k2tog*, repeat * * to end
Row 17: *K2, k2tog*, repeat * * to end
Row 19: *K1, k2tog*, repeat * * to end
Row 21: K2tog three times.
Next Row: Bind off purlwise, 3 sts.
Finishing by folding hat so seams meet and stitching up. Weave ends in & fold hem up.
© Larissa Brown, 2004


But if you can tell i also crocheted it. I follow the pattern verbatim just did single crochet instead of st st. need to make it bigger if my baby is going to wear one. Again you make the call if you can see the pic. I took the pic with my camera phone.

Scattered

I feel so scattered brained! I have been crafting for the last eight months and have yet to complete anything. So to try and shake the scattered brain feeling I started another project thinking yes this will go real quick.

Machine Knit Pooh Blanket

Cast on 100 ndls. Knit 125 rows.

Create your picture on Knit Pro. I did a big picture 96w x 120h.

At the moment I am cross stitching the pic onto the blanket.

But I guess I have too much on my mind because I cannot seem to stay on course with the chart I have had to start over once already and really do not want to do it again.

Keep in mind this is the third blanket I have started for my baby that I have yet to finish hence the scattered brain feeling.

We went to the Farmers Market for Berry Day. They were serving freshly made blueberry pancakes. Four pancakes for $5. The line was super long and I was watching them sell the peaches thinking that there will be some when we get over there. Of course they we sold out only thing left were the bruised really ripe peaches. The man was selling them, for $2 a cup. I bought four cups. I was just going to cut off the bad pieces and go from there but a man buying his $2 a cup bruised peaches said we can make some jam. The light went off I do have some jam mix in the cupboard I will do the same.

Everyone in the house loves it. I woke up this morning to an empty container and the baby threw a fit when she saw I was taking three cups to work.

My trip to Vegas

I found a really easy slide show maker and so here are most of the pics taken in Vegas. look at the love birds!

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to my Fiance!

Last week we went to Las Vegas. And of course i was knitting there and the way back. I took the 4 1/2 hour flight to start my shopper clutch. But with thin yarn and small needles it is going to take a bit longer. Well that and naps.

I hang my head in shame

My swap is not finished and I have poeple waiting on me there is no excuse i had at least a month to do this. See this why I don't do swaps. Any way this is the great package I got from my great swap partner.

One more thing the cat is out of the bag Leon slipped and told me I was having a boy. So I am got my surprise a bt earlier than Sept. What am I supposed to do with a boy!

I told Lela that Daddy spilled the beans. She said mommy where are the beans? I love that baby!

I am about finished

I want a few rows of black around the sleeves to bring it all together. It was not a hard sweater to make I really enjoyed making it. Why did I get the surge to finish it all of a sudden? I wanted my 10.5's to work on another project. I will not do stripes again that was not fun.

At the ninth hour

I decide to work on my swap which is due (like in the mail) June 15. But I am so proud of myself. I did like niki said, find a pattern you like and a stitch pattern that fits within that pattern and go to work (of course i am paraphrasing). So I took my favorite bootie pattern, garter stitch slik slippers and a stitch pattern that is worked over an odd number of stitches (the current one is mock rib but I have like five patterns) and Viola! I so love it when I do a niki knits design. I wanted to make a tank top the same way but I am too lazy to swatch.

I am all about the fabric now

So now that my machine working I have a made a blanket and now two dresses. They are bit big but still cute. Mine can be big I need room to grow but the baby's I am going to tighten hers up. Hers is a dress and mine is a shirt. Not bad two items for 17 and some change. Now I am all about fabric now that my machine is working.

A Change in Pace

I made a blanket for my own baby!. I am trying to recover my high chair and looking for neutral fabric for that i came across a Winnie the Pooh panel. I bought that and some cute yellow fabric to back it. i completed it last night in about an hour. It needs to be quilted. I need some easy quilting suggestions. I already want to make another one! Hancocks had a cute Duck panel too. Plus it was 30% off. I am actually up to two blankets for the baby.

Ok

I did not cry but i was about to thanks so much for everyone suggestions and believeme i was going to call. But I was like I will be damned if I let this pattern beat me! I got thinking about it and i felt so stupid why didi I not cast on magic loop way. Crimson Purl told me like magic loop. So I tried agin it didi not work stitches were too tight on the 15's. I said ok try the 5's the yarn calls for 4-5 i just want to cast on inthe round without twisting. and would you believe it worked! now mind you it is way small but cute. I am or should say may make it out of the white cotton /acrylic I got from WS. it looks big enough to fit QueenBW lillte girl. I thought it was going to fit mine but I was quickly mistaken. So i went to the oringal plan. Still thinking that Iwas going to make a sweater for me. I went to AC Moore bought longer 15's 3 balls of microspun (all with 50% coupon I am not rich) Came home and got to it. Still did not work. I refuse to buy the metal 15's ( I will next time) I think I cast on to tight. I swear it is the needles. ANyway I casted on with my 10's they are metal and I am now about halfway though a cute striped sweater for Lela. Now I casted on for a size 14-18 but since i casted on with 10's it fits lela better than me go figure the top is a bit big but it will work but she doesn't really have anything to wera with it but that is neither here nor there. I am just glad I hung in there I did not let this pattern beat me. AC Moore has 6 colors of microspun i need to find a new source. What i do about my too tight cast on for the 15's so that I can make a sweater for me? Thanks again everybody for all your help!

I have reached frustration

I am about to tears. I am up to row 9 and my tee is till twisted! what do I do!!!! is it becasue i do not have a 24" circular needle? ok i have eaten a few cookies and calmed down. This is not the first project I had to rip back serveral times before i got it right now i blame the hormones. I called my LYS and she said it is probably the acrylic in the cotton that is making it twist but to also pullout a long strand of yarn before joining my round. This is truly frustrating! And I call myself creative!

Fine Line?

Is there a fine line between creativity and frustration? I am trying my best to make this ballet tee. One I have yet to knit in the round. I played that off with once I did not knit. I casted on 68 sts and began knitting in the round (thank you Crimson Purl) and got to about row 6 when I realized that my sts were twisted. I took it down and did it again I think I am at row three and through both rows just a praying please don’t be twisted. I thought I was going to do seed stitch for those first two rows. Fooled me I need to concentrate on not twisting my stitches. Maybe I will pickup and knit a decorative border on the top and bottom but for now let me just get the sweater done. I could not wait till Sat to get the yarn I am actually supposed use (microspun) so I started with the white cotton acrylic I bought from WS and that is a really pretty bright white. I am doubling it and it is looking kind of thick but I am afraid to do single because I think it may be too loose. I don’t know. But I worked so hard on the pattern which is going like a charm (thank you Noelle Noodle) the actual one I want to do is a Fibonacci striped tee in the colors green white and yellow. The one I am working on now I will keep going till I run out of yarn.

Status

This is the lining for the bag. I am at 3 1/2" of 12". I may use this button on the outside. I thought the button was so pretty i just had to buy it. The bag is moving slowly it might be becasue i am moving slowly. I do about two to three rows a day. I only need 14 repeats and I am at like 5 or 6. I got the fabric at a yard sale for free. and I actually have enough for my bag. I thought i was going to have to add some to the sides but i am good!. I don't even care that it is pink and green (cuz you know they don't match (a little delta humor))I am debating between this button and the little plastic elephants i had made a while back i have not used yet.