Bunny's Story

I finished my bunny for the bunny along. I used the pattern from Last –Minute Knitted Gifts. I used Nature Spun sport weight yarn in color Aran for the body, Nature Spun in color Nordic blue for the eyes, & Patons Divine in color Chantilly Rose for the inner ear and nose. I just used polyfill for the stuffing. This pattern was lots of fun to knit. It was cool how it all came together.

After I was finished my husband was curious as to what I was doing with the bunny all over the house. I told him Bunny was doing his photo shoot. He gave me a strange look and then said “That’s nice dear”.


Bunny’s Story

Bunny joined our family in March of 05. He quickly made himself at home. He enjoys spending time in the back yard and has been known to climb a tree here and there.


Rumor has it that bunny has joined a frog band as lead vocalist and might be planning on touring this summer with his new band mates.


Bunny is desperately afraid of Cosmo and his sharp teeth. Bunny tries to stay very still when Cosmo comes near.


Bunny prefers tea over coffee. He says there is nothing that warms him better than a nice hot cup of tea.


Bunny’s best friend is Brandy. They enjoy spending time together and sharing secrets.


We are glad Bunny has joined our family.

Happy Easter

Webshots photo

I love the bunnies and the baby chicks that are always pictured around this time of year. If you remember back to my Aug 22 of 04 post I mentioned the bunny that would hang out in my yard. Here is a picture of him.



At the time I thought he was a loner and was concerned for his safety. Little did I know how true the saying multiplied like rabbits was? There has got to be at least 50 of these cotton tails running around the neighborhood. I see them all the time. Just this morning I left the house at 6:30am and was heading out to grab some breakfast scones and coffee. I spotted two cotton tails in the neighbor’s front yard. I made sure to keep my eye on them and to drive slowly. I smiled to myself and thought about how it was Easter morning and they were doing some last minute hiding of the eggs. Then when I arrived back home with breakfast goodies I spotted another one in my front yard. They are so cute. I planted some ornamental cabbage last fall hoping they might need some food this winter. They did not touch the stuff. Maybe I will plant some real lettuce or carrots this year for them. I can see the headlines now. Farmer Tami invites Peter Rabbit to come eat in her garden.


Orchid for Easter
Hubby picked me up an orchid last time he went to Sam’s Club


I Love It. This Orchid is a Phalaenopsis.
Here is a close-up of the flower.

So cool. I am glad the flowers last a couple of months because I never seem to get them to re-bloom.


Easter Morning
The girls enjoyed playing outback this morning. Looks like it is going to be a gorgeous day. Here is a picture of Brandy scratching her back. She likes to roll onto her back and wiggles her back end in snake like fashion to scratch the back from top to bottom. I usually call her my little piggy when she does things like this. With that spotted big belly and short legs she reminds me of pigs on the farm.


Haley and Brandy had a good old time chasing each other and wrestling in the grass. Here are some action shots.





Bunny A-long


I was hoping to be done by now with my bunny. As you can see he is still in pieces. I tweaked the pattern a bit on the main body section. The pattern called to use two circular needles at the same time. One for the front and one for the back. They would be attached because of how the legs were connected but it would leave a separate front and back piece that you would later need to seem up both sides. I thought this method was a waste of time and decided to move it onto dpns. I still have an opening down between the legs to stuff him with. I think it will be a little more durable with out all the seems. Plus less time involved when I put him all together. That fluffy ball of yarn is Patons “Divine” in color Chantilly Rose. I am using that for the inner ear and the nose. They should have named it cotton candy. It reminds me of those little alien things called Trbbles that were on Star Trek


The Episode was called “The trouble with Tribbles” Tribbles also multiplied like rabbits. 8)



Easter Links

Easter It's Roots & Symbols - very interesting read

Treasures of the World - About Faberge' Eggs

Worlds Largest Egg - Its Big

Egg Trivia - All you need to know about eggs

The Holiday Spot - Something for the kiddies and the whole family

Joined the Land of the Living

Thank You so much for all the comments and e-mails wishing me to ditch the plague that struck our family. It worked and we are all in better health and looking forward to enjoying this weekend.

While I was sick last weekend even though I did have my yarn for the bunny-along and the cardi, somewhere in my sickened state I decided to make something for someone else. Secretly I think I was trying to give myself some good carma or good mojo or something. So since Haley was not feeling well I decided to knit her a sweater.



I used the pattern from Stitch-n-bitch Nation titled Casey’s Coat. I used Cheapy Red Heart Worsted weight yarn in colors Light Sage & Rose Pink. I could not believe how large the balls of yarn were, compared to most of the higher end yarns. This was a fun pattern to knit. I just carried the color yarn I was not using along the side and then picked it up when it was time to change the color stripe. This made it easier in the end having less ends to work in. Haley likes her new sweater and feels pretty in it. What girl doesn’t like a new sweater?



Cardi Progress


I swatched for my Rowan Air Cardi using Rowan Calmer in color “Drift”. I was a little tight at the beginning and loosened up as I went on. I came out right on target and will not need to go up or down on needle size. Also I have to say I am in LOOOOOVVVE with this yarn. It is dreamy. So soft and knits up beautifully. This is definitely my favorite yarn at the moment and plan to make more things in it.

Bunny A-Long

I started my bunny last night. I finished two paws and am working on the first leg. I am using the pattern from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. It should come out to look like this.

Since Easter is this Sunday I am going to focus on this little guy and hopefully he will be celebrating with me.

Time to Drool

Ok I was casually surfing the web when I came across a dream knitting vacation. It is a Vogue Knitting Tour of England.

The itinerary is to die for. It is a 12 day tour that runs from October 4-15 of this year. The price of course is high. But it is not that bad considering it includes hotels, dinners, breakfasts, and two lunches. All land travel by private motorcoach, all tour activities, all workshops and presentations with world class designers, all workshop materials, and much more.

There is no way I would be able to go on this vacation any time soon but I am definitely adding it to things I hope to do in my life time. Time to add one of those jars to the counter and label it Money for Dream Knitting Vacation.

Here is the website to find out more about the trip travelingtogether.net

Sock Accomplishment

Yippee, I finally figured out the heel turn and made my first sock. It is more of a sport ankle sock because I did not want to spend to much time on the leg part and wanted to get right to the hard stuff. Here it is.


I used one of those self stripping yarns. That stuff is great. Maybe some day they will have self intarsia yarn. When you knit the pattern the motif will magically appear before your eyes.


Mail Call

I finally received the yarn for my bunny.



I also received the yarn for the cardi



Feeling Under the Weather

We have a house full of sickies this weekend. First Hubby started feeling miserable. Then Haley was dropped off yesterday to get her teeth cleaned. She is feeling miserable and her mouth is sore. Now I am starting to feel yucky. So this weekend there will be lots of blankets all over the house and lots of consumption of juice and liquids. Plus we will be watching lots of bad television shows while each of us moans and groans saying things like I AM GOING TO DIE!

More to post once I start feeling better.
Take Care

Cosmo's Birthday

gift bag from birthdaydirect

Cosmo just turned 2 years old on the 8th of March. He is my pride and joy. I thought I would share some of my favorite photos of Cosmo.


8 weeks old in his tower climber



8 weeks old showing a little Catitude



Playing with big sister Brandy



Hiding in Dad’s shorts



Taking a cat nap



Cosmo spent his birthday over indulging as most of us do on our birthdays.




This I found at Pet Barn. All the writing on the packaging I think is German. They are dried little fish. He can not get enough of them. It is pretty gross. Anything for my special baby boy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY LITTLE JUNIOR MINT.

Dedicated to the Ones I Love

I glanced at my calendar and realized I almost forgot a very special day. For two people that mean a lot to myself and my husband. On this day last year this special couple vowed to spend the rest of their lives together. On this special day I would like to share my absolute favorite poem. You both mean so much to me and I hope that you will enjoy this poem as much as I do. Hugs & Kisses.


"The Invitation"
By Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.

I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare

to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know

if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dreams,

for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon.

I want to know if you have touched the center of your own

sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have

become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own,

without moving to hide or fade it or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine your own:

if you can dance with the wildness and let the ecstasy

fill you to the finger and toes without cautioning us

to be careful, be realistic, or to remember the limitations

of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true.

I want to know if you can disappoint others to be true to

yourself: if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and

not betray your own soul.

I want to know if you can be faithful

and therefore be trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see the beauty even when it

is not pretty every day, and if you can source your life

from Its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure,

yours and mine, and still stand on the edge

of the lake and shout to the silver

of the full moon, "Yes!"

It doesn't interest me to know where you live,

or how much money you have. I want to know

if you can get up after the night of grief and

despair, weary and bruised to the bone,

and do what needs to be done for the children.

It doesn't interest me who you are,

or how you came to be here,

I want to know if you will stand in

the center of the fire with me and not

shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or

what or with whom you have studied. I want to know

what sustains you from the inside when

all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself,
and if you truly like the company you keep

in the empty moments.

Patiently Waiting

I am still waiting for my yarn I ordered for the bunny-along. It has been over a week and I have not heard anything. Hopefully I will hear something this week.

I did receive my mags I ordered from The Knitting Garden.


I ordered some older ones because none of the new ones really caught my eye. I got Rowan #33, Rowan the Calmer collection, Rowan the Cork collection, and Vogue Knitting spring/summer of 04.

I have looked through these at least 100 times and have finally decided on my next big project. I chose this Cardi.



This Cardi pattern is called Air and it is in The Rowan Calmer collection. I like almost every pattern in the collection. Plus from what I have heard the yarn is wonderful to work with. I went ahead and ordered the yarn for the project. I ordered the same color as the photo, yarn in color “Drift”. I tend to wear a lot of pastels or bright colors in the Spring and Summer so I figured that color would go good over tanks and tees.

So I am patiently waiting for yarn to arrive so I can get started on the bunny & the cardigan. In the mean time I could not help myself (MUST KNIT, MUST KNIT). I cast on for another pair of socks. I found a simple pattern off the internet I am working on. Don’t want to show anything until I actually feel confident that it is going to turn into a sock. If it doesn’t this will be the last you hear of that attempt. I can not believe this sock thing is kicking my butt. I won’t give up. Failure is not an option. 8)


Took Kids to the Park

Today we took the kids to the park. Of course I forgot the camera. It is hard to make sure you have everything once the dogs have seen their leashes it is a frantic mess until all dogs are accounted for and loaded in the car. This is the first time we took them to this park. It is pretty nice it has grass and trees, and also a mote that has water in it. It looks like a little lake. This water was a first for Haley. Living in the dessert she does not encounter water on the ground ever. She was pretty funny she walked right into it. If hubby did not have the leash she probably would have kept going and started swimming. Hopefully one day we will be able to take her to the ocean, she has never seen it. I think she would have a blast running around on the beach. They had a great time at the park reading all the doggie messages left behind on all the trees and benches. They each left a couple of messages themselves. We are good pet owners and always bring several bags to clean up after them.

Here are some pictures of the girls relaxing at home after a fun time at the park.

Hump Day Hooky

Webshots Photo

Yes, today I am staying home from work playing a little hooky. Nothing brings me more zest for life then staying home on a work day. This is my first day staying home since we opened the new office last December.

This morning I told Hubby to take a good look around because the house will be spotless when he comes home tonight and he might not recognize it.

Unfortunately I have a lot to do today at home and it won’t be all fun and knitting. But I am hoping to get a move on it and maybe if I work fast I can get everything done early enough to still have a little time of leisure before DH gets home. I also plan to make a real meal tonight. How nice will that be to have a home cooked meal for dinner on a week night. You would have thought I won the lottery or something I am so excited about my day. Instead I won a day of cleaning & cooking. Domestic Bliss.


SP4
My Secret Pal Rocks! Monday when I got home from work I found a package from my Secret Pal in the mail box.


I got a cute little zipper bag w/endless possibilities to use it for. I also got a cute little note with a sheep stamped on the envelope. The gift also came with a quick fix kit which has 12 adorable little emery boards to-go. They are wrapped like a book of matches. Perfect size for your purse or for travel. Also included was a yummy packet of Vanilla Chai. On the package it says “Drink Chai, Embrace Life…” You bet your sweet knitting needles I am embracing it. Finally (drum roll please) two hanks of classic Elite “Believe” it is a cotton/rayon blend. It is gorgeous. Perfect color and my secret Pal must be reading my mind because I am really into the cotton blends at the moment. It must be a wish for summer or something, but cotton is my bag baby!

I plan to stitch up a swatch to play with it a little and decide what to make out of it. Thank you so much Secret Pal. You done good girl, I love everything.

Posts to come:
Cosmo’s Birthday
The Knitting Garden delivery

Bunny A Long

I could not resist. I signed up for the Bunny A Long. My yarn has been ordered and should be on its way. I plan to make the pattern from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. I ordered the yarn from Patternworks. I also found this cool pattern book.


A year in Mittens. I first saw one of these mittens knitted on the blog Knitting in Color. Nanette posted last November her Turkey mittens that she had made a year ago using this pattern book. At that time I had checked for the pattern book but it was not in stock. So when I spotted it was in stock now I snapped it up along with some yarn for my knitted bunny.


Easter Finds





Both of these I found at The Baker's Catalogue. They always have cool and fun things for the holidays if you want to get creative in the kitchen.

How About a Little Sun

Haley enjoys a sun bath with brother Cosmo.
Haley prefers full sun and no sun screen. Cosmo likes a little sun with available shade.




Mitten Progress



Finished my first mitten and now starting it’s clone. When I cast on for the second mitten I started to have thoughts of myself as an old lady. I think that when I am an old lady I plan to just make one of any pattern of mittens and socks, therefore I will be the crazy old lady down the street whom only wears unmatched socks and mittens. I look forward to that future of course the thoughts continued and I added in a pair of old dogs and a handful of cats. What crazy old lady does not have lots of pets?



Bunny a Long

I spotted a new knit-along. It is the Bunny-a-long. Just in time for Easter. You can make anything rabbit related before Easter. I am tempted to join, although I am scared of the deadline. There are plenty of free bunny patterns listed on the site and also a few to purchase. I found this one in my book “Last Minute Knitted Gifts” by Joelle Hoverson.



You can find out more about the bunny along here.



Easter Time

Around this time of year I get excited about one thing. That is


Cadbury Crème Eggs

Oh Yea baby! I don’t care which came first the chicken or the egg. All I care is that the egg keeps coming back every year. 8)

If you would like to learn more about the Cadbury egg go here.
If you would like to go straight to The Land of Cadbury , first a warning there is sound linked to this site. There are a couple of cute stories and some games and crafts for the kids.
The Land of Cadbury.


A Look into My Garden


My Irises are starting to pop up through out my yard. I picked up several different kinds a couple of years ago at an Iris Society showing in the local mall. Each one was priced around a dollar or two. Every one of them has bloomed for me and they keep coming back. If you are interested in a certain plant it is always a good idea to check to see if there is a local society for that specific plant and attend one of their functions or meetings. All of the different ones I have been to always had plants for sale at very low prices.


My dwarf peach trees are starting to bloom. One of my favorite parts of fruit trees is the beautiful blooms they put out in the spring.