kleenex please

I'm not sure I have ever gone through as many kleenex as I have this week. With Sophia starting out with a cough last Thursday I sure am glad I bought the kleenex with lotion. There is no worse feeling than a chapped and runny nose. Luckily for me the worst part of Sophia's cold was on the weekend, not so lucky for Steve as his weekend was spent entertaining a sick daughter as we tried to keep her away from Layla. Try keeping the huggy, kissy Sophia away from anyone...quite a chore. So we shouldn't have been surprised when Layla woke up 2 days ago with a runny nose. I thought Sophia looked sick but I hadn't ever seen a 5 month old with a cold.

"Nurse Sophia" has been quite a help these last couple of days, I just hope that Layla gets better soon.

Really makes me think I should make the girls some new blankets to tuck them in and make them feel better.

A Place for Everything

I think I try to live by the "a place for everything, and everything in its place" motto. A little while ago Steve suggested that I make a knitting bag to hold all of my yarn and needles, and the other day, while I should have been napping with the girls, I created the pattern for this bag.

I must say that when I first found this Lantern Bloom fabric by Laura Gunn, I immediately knew that I had to have it. It has been sitting in my pile of fabric just waiting for the perfect use and I think I found it. I will now be able to look at this fabric every time I bring out my knitting bag. The problem is, I'm not sure which side of the bag I like more, the inside or the outside.

I quilted the outside of the bag and created pockets inside for needles, hooks, pens and even a spot for patterns or paper, to write down ideas or new patterns. I am so thrilled with how this

bag turned out. It is an "fGd" original design and one that I hope to make again.

Seeing Double

Well the only way that this "pair" of slippers will magically appear before your eyes is if you do in fact see double. I was so thrilled when I found this pattern, a cozy pair of slippers, easy enough for a beginner and could be completed with only one skein of yarn! Could it get any more perfect?!?

As you can see there is only one slipper completed in this picture and while I wish that was because of a lack of time alas it is due to a lack of yarn. I followed this pattern perfectly, twice, I made a slipper and realized that I had the wrong size needles, after correcting this mistake I pulled it all apart and knitted a second slipper...much to my disbelief I realized that this pattern requires more than I skein of yarn. Now this might not seem like a major problem but I must have purchased the last skein of "Cape Cod Multi 9333", apparently in the entire Region of Durham. I drove to not 1, not 2, but 5 stores yesterday looking for another to match my project, and while I was definitely not seeing double I was seeing green last night.

I have manipulated a fair number of patterns in my life so I will be attemtping to alter this pattern so that it can indeed be made with 1 skein of yarn...I'm just hoping I get it right on my first try.

I think I might unpack my sewing machine for a little break from those slippers, I can't have one foot getting jealous of the other : )

What's in a name?

"That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet"

I might be a little biased but I don't think any other Rose could be as sweet. Our darling little girl is now 5 months old and bringing as much love and joy into our lives as that first day she was born. Just look at that smile. I just couldn't resist adding this picture from the wedding, the photographer just loved Layla, who wouldn't in that dress!

I know I have ventured off my "fabric girl design" threads but now that the sewing machine is back from the shop I will be starting new projects next week...that should give me enough time to finish my latest knitting project. I hope to have images up this weekend.

Pat-a-cake

Pat-a-cake, Pat-a-cake

travelling fam'

to a birthday and Christmas and then home again.

playing and eating and spending time with the girls

doesn't leave much time for the knitting and purls : )

the inspiration for this blog is the picture of Sophia teaching Layla how to play "pat-a-cake"...it doesn't get much better than that!

the knitting and sewing can wait until tomorrow.

White Wedding

Although the wedding was a couple weeks ago I wanted to show everyone my gorgeous family. Even though I didn't make anything for the wedding, besides a few alterations to the dresses, I thought this photo was picture perfect. It's not everyday that the family gets dressed up, I'm not known for cooking dinner in heels and pearls, so when the opportunity presented itself I knew I needed a picture.

We wish Aimee and Martin all the best for their marriage and future life together!

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

...the fire is so delightful and so is this new blanket that I knit for Sophia's doll. With my sewing machine in the shop I had to find something to fill my time, since apparently looking after a 2 year old and a 4 1/2 month old just isn't filling my days. I realized a short while ago that starting to knit would allow me more time with Steve, as the sewing machine is a little to large to keep on my lap, and a little too loud for watching television. Little did I know that counting my knit/purl combinations required a little more concentration than casually wrapping yarn around a needle.

This past week has truly been eye opening to me and while I have been thinking of new sewing projects in my head I have also added in a few more crafty knitting projects, and who knows what the new year might bring, Steve is still waiting for me to make him a blanket. How would a beautiful crocheted afghan look on his lap this winter, hmmm.

Fashionista-In-Training

One might have assumed that my first blog back in the New Year would have something to do with the wedding or New Year's resolutions, but after the morning I have had I must pay tribute to my daughter. I absolutely love staying home with my two girls and this synopsis of our morning really shows you why.

Sophia found her way into the hall closet and I must say she picked out my favorite pair of shoes! And I'm sure that taking pictures of her in my shoes is actually encouraging this behaviour.

Now who doesn't love this face, with the sunglasses on her head and her necklace on, she really is starting to gain her own sense of style. And of course her grandma is encouraging this behaviour with the dress-up doll stickers in her birthday sticker book collection.

I just wish there were more girls for her to dress-up, we ran out of the pant stickers this morning. Hmm, that gives me an idea if only there was a way that I could create her own reusable dress-up dolls.

Stay tuned!