National Toasted Marshmallow Day

Today is NTMD. It's a big day. I look forward to this day each year. Seriously.

We have a big marshmallow roast here. Invite our friends to come over. We've had as many as 55 people here. So, if you are reading this, and you live within driving distance ... it starts at 6:30 tonight :)

On the knitting front, here is a picture of the first scarf that Troy has knit. He's working on a blue one for Dan now.

I'm busy for the next few days. Friday, Sat, Sun, Tues and maybe Weds I'm working at Woodlawn Watergardens. (otherwise known as "the pet store") The owners are heading off to a wedding and a bit of a vacation. Weds school starts. Busy times.

Have a good day!!

5:12 am

UGH

Why am I, a relatively normal person, up at this horrible hour???

3:21 there was a massive, huge, loud, scare the pants off of ya clap of thunder. Made hubby go unplug his printer and computer out in the studio. Expected so much more thunder and lightening. Nope. A few flashes, and about an hour of low rumbles. Low rumbles just about done when Troy decides he can't sleep any longer.

Now, anyone who knows this boy knows that when he is up ... he seems to think everyone else should be up too. "I can't sleep" "I can't sleep" over and over and over. So, I had to get up with him before he woke everyone up.

It's gonna be a long day. A long hot muggy day. UGH

Yesterday was my Birthday

I woke up to find the sofa full of balloons. Some had "must pop" written on them. Since it was only 5:45 I was nice and didn't pop them loudly. Katie has made a bunch of gift certificates and put in them. Breakfast in bed, cup of coffee, hug, huge hug, ukulele tuning, batch of gluten free cookies, nail painting.

I think the "breakfast in bed" one is supposed to be used by her ... cause it doesn't happen very often that she is up before me :)

Dan and Troy registered me to go to Dock Street Uke Camp

I made up a little ukulele tune music book for myself. And I helped paint the new photo studio. We went to Yarmouth.

It was a good day.

It was also my sister-in-laws birthday, and her dogs birthday :D

WooHoooo

Todays post is short and sweet.


Troy has ... I think ... finally figured out how to knit. He has known how to cast one for years ... but today he has managed to knit 9 stitches so far. :D YAY!!!

And ... I seem to have figured out the paragraph issue. (but now have a problem where when I type paragraph I want to add a "y" at the end ... photography on the brain?)

Have a good one!!

OK, so I don't like the new way of posting to my blog. UGH! What's been going on here? Hubby has built a "small" building. I call her Cinderella; no real reason ... just because :)

This is what the outside of it looks like. That non sided part - there is going to be series of pop can solar air heaters there. They will have to be made.

This is the first floor. This is where canoes will be built, repaired, restored ... got a canoe that needs work ... contact us!!

And this is the upstairs. Photography studio and print shop. We'll be offering printing services to photographers up and down the south shore. Need something printed?? August 1st is our "grand opening". Coming quickly!!! Electrical inspector is coming tomorrow, and hopefully tomorrow NS Power will be able to run the power from the pole across the road to the pole they had to put in for us, to the building. Then we can move things out of the basement :) The basement ... eventually I'm going to have a rec room down there :) Have a good day!!

A quick update

OK, so I have a friend who has been bugging for an update. So ... here I go. What's new ... nothing exciting. I've knit Troy another pair of orange socks; these ones done using Opal sock yarn. No pictures though. I'm working on a baby jacket; it'll be a gift for a friend who is expecting a baby girl in Sept. School is done. Troy goes into grade 12 next year, Katie into grade 11. YIKES!!! Exhibition is coming quickly ... too quickly. Need to make a shirt or two for Katie between now and Aug 4th. Trying to get my beach glass candy into a few places to be sold - no luck yet :( There you go, this might get back to the routine of posting more often. Maybe I can find where the pictures are hiding on the network so I can add some to my next post??

Happy Easter!!

Two weekends ago the kids and I took part in a series of blues workshops. Well, Katie and I took part, Troy watched. And I took part because I was "forced" to. It was hosted by Shirley Jackson and Her Good Rockin' Daddies.

Katie played along with the band in several songs. She did an awesome job! I'm so proud of her. It was nice to see her on stage, with a real band, playing her electric guitar :)

I learned to play along with them in one song on the ukulele. It's an instrument I've been puttering with for about a month or so. That morning I learned that my little ukulele I had picked up at the nu-2-u was not very good. That meant I got to use Shirleys nice one for the day :)

This is me, playing her ukulele, wearing my bonfire shawl. This is the yarn my sister had given me for Christmas.



Now I'm working on knitting a case for the new ukulele that hubby bought for me :) Just the strap left to knit and felt. Then I'll share a picture of that.

Happy Easter!!
Hope the bunny leaves you lots of yummy treats.

Socks

There is a post below this that is new ... it's one I had saved as a draft.When I posted it it posted at the date I first saved it. So, please scroll down to see it. It's about finger puppets :)


We went to Yarmouth one day, and while I was looking at yarn Troy said he wanted socks. And he had picked out the yarn.
OH BOY!!!
Bright orange. BRIGHT orange!
See?



Think he likes them??

Let's Talk about Finger Puppets

Almost 18 years ago my husband and I had our first child, a little boy. Then we found out that he has Opitz FG Syndrome. This begana a journey of doctors visits, specialists, and questions. Lots of time spent at the IWK in Halifax.

One thing we noticed at the IWK was finger puppets. Cute little puppets that seemed to be everywhere. Child had to get blood drawn, they were given a finger puppet to help ease the tears. Going to see a doctor and a bit scared ... they were often given a puppet to help ease their fears. What's that little basket on the information desk? Why, it's finger puppets.

One day I asked about the puppets. Who made them? Where did they come from? I was told at the volunteer office that there are people who knit the puppets for them. I wanted to be part of that group :) They told me that not only are puppets used at the IWK, but when doctors go to overseas countries to do volunteer work, puppets might be used as packing material, and then given to the kids there. The number 3000 sticks in my mind as to how many they were using a month at that time.

I was given a basic pattern; cast on 12 stitches, do one row of k1p1, then knit about 12 rows. K2tog across the next row, purl one row, draw yarn through the stitches and finish it off. Sew up seam, add a face and voila ... a puppet. ** just added ... I use a worstered weight yarn and 3mm needles. If this seems to be too small a puppet to you, add more stitches or more rows. It's not a stamped in stone pattern :)

So, almost 18 years ago I started knitting puppets. Got my mom and sister in on the act. A few years later my MIL joined in as well. Then my mom got a couple of other ladies knitting them. Sadly my Mom and MIL are both gone now. And the other ladies still knit, but not as much. My sister, she still knits them like crazy. On Thursday I'll be making a delivery of puppets that will include the last ones my MIL knit. And most of the rest of them are knit by my sister.

We have her 5 year old helping out now too; she trims off the ends of yarn, and will be helping to count them from now on. We've decided to keep track of how many we make from now on :) 3500 puppets in this delivery ... my husband and I just counted them all ... phew ... big job!!



Over the years we have knit countless puppets. Would have been fun to kind of keep track of how many. There was one time we took 2000 in, they were all in strings of 100 puppets. Looked like a bunch of snakes :) Took a blue bag full in one time. Another time was only a plastic grocery bag full. The amount didn't matter; what mattered was that it was puppets. This next delivery is in a bag that a double sized duvet came in ... and it's stuffed full. We have had friends do deliveries when we've had a bunch to go, getting them to stop at the IWK. Or if someone was going for an appointment, ask them to drop them off. A friends little girl loved carrying the "suitcase of puppets" in with her.

One time I took puppets in, there was about 4000 in the bag. I walked into the volunteer office, and the lady there just beamed. Told me how happy she was to see me. Told me that they were almost out of puppets, and to look in their storage box. I looked in, and there were only 6 lonely puppets at the bottom ... I filled it :)

As you can tell by the pictures, our puppets are simple little guys. Nothing fancy about them ... but we know they are appreciated. Cast on 12 stitches. 1 row of k1p1 then knit/purl for about 12 - 15 rows. K2tog across the next row. Purl one row. K2tog across next row, pulling yarn through the stitche as you go (to bind it off), sew your seam, and put on a face.

I do not like sewing seams. So I knit mine on 4 needles. Yup, 12 stitches on 4 needles. I AM that crazy :) My MIL would knit hers on 4 needles ... and then use 2 washers to make a little pompom to put on top of them. I'm not that crazy :) See, here's a picture of some of hers; see those pompoms?



I couldn't tell you the last time yarn was bought to make them. Friends who knit will save me their scraps. Other people will pass on yarn from inherited stashes. I have so much yarn in my craft room that is for puppets that I could supply many knitters for quite some time. I also pass on bigger balls of yarn to a friend who knits vests, socks, mitts, etc for her churchs mission work; and she saves me her small balls for puppets.

So, if you are looking for a simple way to make a big difference ... I recommend knitting puppets for the IWK. Or your local hospital (we give them to our hosptial here, when they ask for them) There are lots of fancier puppet patterns you can find online; knit them as plain or as fancy as you want.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/69515-mom-finds-handy-way-help-sick-kids-recover-spirit

Playing around

Ever get an idea in your head ... and it just won't leave?
That happened to me yesterday. But then it spread to hubby. OH DEAR!!!

I was telling him about square knitting needles. Showed him some pictures. Looked at a youtube video about turning 2.75mm knitting needles (hoping that would encourage him to turn me some needles ... it didn't)

Then we went to the basement (where his workshop is). About an hour later I had a set of 3mm square double ended needles. Have about 2" of a sock knit on them already.

We also made some 3.75mm ones; going to get some knitting friends to test them for me; give me their opinion on them.

Have pictures, they are on the camera ... hope to get them off tonight.

And the winner is ....

Barbara. :)

Only two entries. So I took a pair of dice and rolled them. Barbara was evens and Lexa was odds. I rolled snake eyes (maybe I should take up a career as a craps player???). So, total of two dice was 2 ... an even number ... so Barbara won.

Your pattern will be gifted to you by Joy (the designer) since the coupon code refuses to work for me.

Happy Knitting!

In my knitting front, I have made a Barbie poncho and a Barbie skirt ... that's it. Knitting mojo is hibernating :(

Actually, I hurt my pinky a couple of weeks ago, and after knitting for any length of time it hurts. Haven't been able to start the test knit of the vest I was supposed to be doing. Can't do chunky yarn yet.

A Contest :)

An easy one to enter as well :)

Go to this Ravelry Store and pick out your favorite pattern.
Leave me a comment with the name of which one you would like to have "gifted" to you on Ravelry.
On Sunday I'll do a random draw to choose a winner, and will gift the pattern that evening.
Easy Peasy :)

Special Olympics Scarf

Next month Alberta will be hosting some very special people ... the Special Olympics are happening there.

A call went out for people to knit scarves to be handed out to the Canadian Athletes. The colors were white and light blue, with a splash of red thrown in.

I wasn't going to do any, because it would involve mailing them to somehwere; and we all know how horribly expensive it is to mail stuff with-in Canada.

Then one day at knitting group one of the ladies mentioned that her grandson was going to compete in the games. This lady is recovering from a stroke, and is not afraid of trying new stuff. She has been working on socks, hats, a curtain for her window, and mittens. She is such an encouragement. If she makes a mistake, she takes it out and re-starts. So, an idea was born. I said I would knit him a scarf. Then another lady offered to knit him a pair of mittens. (she's doing a pair for him mom as well) She was so happy we would do this for him. Heck, of course we would - he's an awesome boy!!

Andrews Scarf

Happy New Year!! (picture added)

They say in a new year you should set goals and make resolutions. So, I'm trying.

I'm going to an exercise class on Monday nights, and as long as Friday night classes remain free I'll go to them as well. I plan to start walking more.

I also decided that this was the year to do some "test knitting" for people. I've done the Sylvan Cowl, it's bocking now, and pictures will be posted here and on my Ravelry project page ... hopefully later today.





I'm working on a pair of fingerless mitts as another test knit. But can't share pictures of that. Going to be published in a book, so details are secret.

And I'm on a holding pattern right now for test knitting a vest.

All this on top of my regular knitting.

Must get Katie busy with the camera!!