Amazing!

I'm knitting this sock...
It's my first sock! The yarn is Berroco Sox, a self-patterning yarn. It so amazes me how the pattern evolves! How in the world did they dye it to do this? The sock pattern I picked is very simple and perfect for a newbie knitter. The yarn pattern is what keeps my attention. I love seeing what emerges as I knit.

I was so proud of finishing my first sock that I texted a pic of it to a bunch of my friends! The most popular response: Now you have to make another one. Seriously - almost everyone said that!

I was very pleased to see the mate to my first sock had the same red band at the top. I really, really love that red band and was hoping it would happen that way. Little did I know the same exact pattern would continue as well!! Does this always happen or is it beginner's luck? So cool!!!

Jeremiah!

Well, this is no bullfrog....but I'll consider him a friend of mine!

If you look very closely near the flowers, under the leaves there is a frog. I named him Jeremiah. He's living in the planter on our front porch!! I'm not sure if he's there to stay or just visiting. I'm pretty sure his original home is the nearby pond, but he's welcome to stay as long as he'd like!

I love living in the country!

Rescue Plant Mission

Look at this poor thing....


I so feel like calling and reporting this to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Plants! The only thing stopping me is I know it was not intentional. This little sad sop was given to my mother-in-law as a party favor thank you for attending a baby shower. It was in a beautiful decorative tea pot. I'm sure it was nestled tightly in a box amongst a million other African Violets (yes, it really is an African Violet) on their way to a loving home. I could tell from the leaves it's been crushed, maybe sitting in a cold car overnight or watered improperly. Somehow abused!! So sad!

If you've ever been to my house, you know how much I love plants and African Violets are a favorite. I have 5 of them - had 6, but gave one up to my daughter when she moved to her own apartment. I also have a leaf. This lonely guy has been just a leaf for about a year now.



You can actually grow new African Violets by taking a leaf, placing it in water until roots form and then plant it. I've done this before very successfully. I'm not sure what happened here. I keep seeing leaves trying to come up in the soil, but then they go away. Maybe I scare them because I usually get excited and shout, "I see leaves!!! Leaves are coming!!"

So when my mother-in-law saw the condition of her party favor, she passed it on to me thinking I could nurse it back to health. We'll see if I can get it to look like this...

Meet Lily

This precious angel was born May 6, 2009. I got to meet her this past weekend! It's been a really long time since I held a 3-day old tiny, tiny baby - she weighed in at only 5 lbs., 5 oz. Lily was born over 3 weeks early (due May 31). She was excited to make her way into the world and into my heart. I got to hold her almost all day on Saturday while at my gram's 90 year-old birthday party. It was so hard to give her back to her mommy (my cousin). I was trying to figure out a way to sneak her into my purse and bring her home with me. I need to get a bigger purse!! It always amazes me how much noise a newborn could sleep through. We were in a houseful of people and Lily barely opened her eyes. And even then, I think she was dreaming. What in the world could she be dreaming about??? They say babies don't really smile until they are much older, but I saw Lily smile! It was when I told her I love her!!

Finally!!!

I know it's because I live much farther north than where I work (DC), but for weeks now, everyday on my way home I have been so jealous of all the flower gardens I see bursting with beautiful flowers while my garden remained dormant of color except for green (not that I don't love green)!! Finally!!! Things are coming alive! The rain of the last week or so has finally awoken my sleeping beauties!! Ok...well, there were also daffodils a week or two ago and I loved them, but most of them are gone now. I love my garden and always look forward to keeping it beautiful. I especially love deadheading!!! That's my favorite part! The best thing about my garden is it's set up so that once one flower is saying goodbye for the season, another is saying hello!!

Heel Turned!!!

I wasn't sure I'd be able to do this on my own. As I was knitting the heel flap, I was at my in-laws for the weekend and for some reason, knittinghelp.com was not available. So, I googled "heel flap" and found some other sites that were helpful. I also came across some stitches that were new to me, so this entire section was a challenge ~one that I loved, I must say!!! Turning the heel was so fun and exciting! Once I finished I was so excited, I ran to my husband while exclaiming, "Look! Look! I have a heel!!!" Yeah ~ he's used to my weirdness. I tried it on to get the full effect!! Ahhh...I'm so proud!!! Now for the gusset..............

Addicted Already!

I learned how to knit years ago, but I set it aside because I didn't really know what I wanted to make. It wasn't until recently, when a friend introduced me to Ravely that I decided to pick it up again and discovered a whole new world out there!!! I crocheted forever and thought I was the only fiber lover in existence. I've crocheted a few things, but mostly afghans and all made with acrylic yarn!!!! UGH!! Little did I know what I was missing all these years!! Afghans and crocheting were just the tip of the iceberg!!! And, OMG, the yarn I've been missing out on!!! Malabrigo is to die for!!!

My latest (most addicting) knitting project right now is a pair of socks. I love watching the colors change and it's really going much quicker than I thought it would! I can't wait for lunch and after work, getting on the Metro so I could do nothing else but knit my time away!! Oh so relaxing and calming!

Anyway, here is the start of my first pair of socks...