Documenting camp

Oh how we would love to have our own camp! It wouldn't be too far away from home, but not too close either. Just far enough to get away from home for the weekend for a change of scenery. My father-in-law rents a camp almost every year. The kids look forward to it all year long.  Even though the camp we rent  is only about 5 miles out of town or 20 minutes away from home, it does not have cable, or wi-fi, or even cell service (I know, we are cruel). However, it doesn't seem to bother the kids that they are out of touch with the rest of the world for a few days. We usually have a grand time playing card games (this year the game of choice was Go Fish) and other games. We picked up Pictionary and grabbed some easel pads and markers and laughed until our stomachs ached.

4 years ago, on the first Friday of hunting camp, I showed up with a surprise, our dog Cookie. She loves camp. I think she enjoys the freedom of running around and all the different smells in the woods. Our cookie girl is very hard to photograph because she is always on the move. This year, we were lucky to capture a few photos of her! I'm not sure how the girls pulled off getting these pictures....if I had to guess, I would bet they bribed her with a stick.

This year was the first year in a while that we did not have snow during hunting camp. The girls and I took advantage of the bare ground and landscape and took some creative pictures. Avry was disappointed by the lack of snow, she must associate camp with snow. I hate it when things are different than what I remember or expect them to be. We are hoping to make it out to camp for one more night before we have to give the keys back, so there is still hope for snow!

No deer yet for our freezer, the boys have the rest of this week to get us one. Fingers Crossed!

A little of this, a little of that

Last week I finished a couple baby knits for a friend. Her sister-in-law is expecting her first child, a little girl!  So, my friend chose some really, really bright colors. I love the way the two colors look together and that they are really different from the soft pinks, yellows, greens, blues you find in the stores. You can't tell from the picture, but the striped thing on the right is a zip up the back hooded sweater (my go-to pattern for babies). Yes, the pink in the picture is pretty true to the actual color.

I cast on a sock for a Christmas present, but have not yet decided if I will keep it for myself or gift it. The maybe Christmas present is gray tweed from Knitpicks that I picked up during one of their recent sales. I was working on turning the heel of this sock while reading the chapter in The Thirteenth Tale that was titled Turning the Heel. It just so happened that she was also knitting a gray sock. That chapter alone made me love the book.

My Grandma (my kids call her Grandma yarn) owns a small needlework/yarn shop. She asked me to stop over on Small Business Saturday to maybe help her put up some Christmas decorations. I really think that was a ploy to get me in there to see some of the wonderful new yarns she recently received. I immediately was drawn to Frolicking Feet sock yarn in the Southwestern Pleasure colorway. So, I had to cast on for yet another pair of socks. I think this is my way of ignoring everything I was planning to knit for Christmas. Just started All the Light We Cannot See. I haven't read many reviews on this, but have seen many of the Yarnalongers reading it. See those colors? The teal is my favorite!!!

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine was filled with family, lots and lots of family. The picture below is not the entire family, just whoever was hanging out in the kitchen at the time of the picture. **of course the little guy was drinking rootbeer out of glass bottles so that they could have a mustache too!** (Left to right: Dad, older sister, me, younger sister, mom, nephew, brother-in-law)

Christmas knitting in full swing

Linking up with Ginny and all of the other crafty, yarn folks.

I posted a picture of the above photo on my Facebook saying it was a super secret project (which it kind of is) and my sister commented with "The Grinch is knitting a Christmas themed item?!?! I traditionally am not a huge fan of Christmas. I do not like how commercialized it has become and all anyone cares about is the amount spent. I am trying, trying, trying really hard to get into the Christmas spirit. I thought I would start out by making kind of matching dog sweaters for the two pups. I MIGHT take it one step further and take a family photo with the dogs in their sweaters.

My step-daughter asked me to make her a pair of Boot Socks. I chose this pattern for her.  They will be a Christmas gift and she does not know they are for her. She thinks I made them for a co-worker. Of course, those are not her skinny, long legs....sadly those are mine, scars and all.

I am reading The Thirteenth Tale and recently finished After You.

Hopefully more pictures next week and more blog posts, more often!

Monkey See, Monkey Do

I recently had to travel to Atlanta for work. This was the first time I had ever been to Atlanta. There really isn't much to do while there. We attended a convention during the day and by the time it closed for the day, everything else was closed too. I live in a very quite town in the middle of nowhere, so it was pretty interesting to watch the big buildings of downtown Atlanta just spring up, it seems, out of nowhere.

I arrived home to more snow. It seems that the train schedule gets busier as spring/summer arrive. I got stuck on a side road the other day as this train traveled towards me. I knew that I was perfectly safe on the road beside the railroad tracks, but as the engine and cars zoomed past my vehicle (just a few feet away) it was a bit nerve wracking. I travel this road quite a few times a month since my step-kids' mom lives just a block or two past where the photo was taken, and this is the first time I have been stuck! Hopefully this won't become normal!

Grace recently purchased a pair of knitting needles and some yarn. She is in the process of making an infinity scarf for herself. She is doing a great job! I have cast on numerous projects for her over the past 3 or 4 years but I don't ever recall her finishing anything. Maybe this time will be different since she used her own money. She has also been picking up my camera and snapping a few pictures when I don't have it in my possession. My little monkey see, monkey do.

I started the book Dark Places this week. It is true to it's title...I had nightmares one evening because of it, but I think this book is one that I will always wonder what happens if I don't finish it. I plan on reading it on and off during the daylight hours so I am not reading it right before bed. The purple hood is the beginning of yet another zip-up-the-back baby sweater. This one was requested by my sister in size 2!!!! (that is the biggest I have knit yet). She also wants a cable pattern down the front, so I am on the hunt for a 24 stitch cable pattern! Joining with Ginny again this week for her Yarn Along!

Cabin Fever has taken control!

I'm definitely getting more comfortable with my camera. I enjoy taking pictures of things I wouldn't normally take pictures of (the window at a local gas station/restaurant). I like how it turned out, though it is not a picture I will treasure forever. Those silly girls up there...the pictures taken on that evening are pictures I will treasure forever. Where do they even come up with this stuff? Maybe it's the really bad cabin fever we all have that we are making up silly activities to pass the time. 

I traveled to Atlanta, GA recently for a work trip. I was excited to hit the "warm" weather. I think it was warmer at home (in Pennsylvania) than it was in Georgia! A day or two before my trip, I cast on Citron using Cascade Forest Hills.  When I saw this yarn I'm pretty sure I yelled "What beautiful color!!" I though this pattern would be an easy travel pattern, and it is, but I only worked 4 rows while traveling. I'm about 3/4 of the way through Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. This was also purchased with my trip in mind hoping it would be a quick read and one I didn't have to think too hard to read. Joining Ginny again for the yarn along this week!

Not really anything new, really

The blanket from last week (Tree of life baby afghan) has finished blocking and is placed in a basket so that it will be ready to be packed up as soon as it is time for the shower. I started and *almost* finished the yellowish - tanish sweater (2nd in from the left). It has a super cool cable detail down the front. 

I made homemade granola bars this week for the family. I have made them once before and I just had a craving for them this week. The last time I made them, I just drizzled chocolate on the top; this time I covered the top with chocolate. If I wouldn't have been home on Sunday, the family would have scarfed them all down. Today is Thursday and there are none left....I actually don't think there were any left yesterday! For the most part, I followed THIS recipe.

Last Saturday was another day spent at a cheer competition.  Every single one of our teams brought home the 1st place trophy! I was such a proud cheer mom! They did sooooo great! Our organization also won best choreography and A's team won Grand Champion for the entire competition!  We had a blizzard/snow squall move through our area right as the competition was over and thankfully everyone made it home safely!  Right now we are dealing with frigid temperatures and school closings! The kids are definitely enjoying random days off school.

Trees (real and knit)

I think my youngest has caught the "photography bug". Every time my camera is out of the case it winds up in her hands...somehow. She takes pictures of random things....pictures we have hanging in our house, the floor, the table, I think she is teaching herself the ins and outs of the camera. Those pictures of trees up there (the real ones) are taken by her. We were on our way to the next town over to do a little shopping and she snapped a couple pictures while I was driving. After we got home and I went through the pictures, I found a picture of a road sign and the side of a truck....she must not have been paying attention to what we were passing.

Our community puts on a father daughter dance every year. It is a pretty big deal in our house...complete with curled hair (which takes HOURS), flowers, and new dresses. This year we added a fun little mini-photo shoot. The two oldest kids have braces on and are learning how to smile with the added hardware in their mouths. A, the oldest girl and middle child, smiles a "Miss America" smile as I call it.  It is very hard to get a real smile out of her. I have to try to be sneaky and catch her mid-laugh or try to pretend I am not taking the picture. It's difficult, but eventually I find a picture that shows her real, beautiful smile.

I just finished the Tree of Life baby afghan. I have made this blanket 2 or 3 times now. After I finish making it, I always say "I'm NEVER EVER making that again". (I always end up making it again!) I have never made the flowers in the middle (I just can't get the hang of bobbles) and none of the blankets that I have made are the same. This blanket is going to a little guy who is expected to make his debut in April. His parents are doing a woodland theme in the nursery and I'm sure this blanket will fit right in.

I am still trudging through "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt. For some reason it is slow going and I am going to have to borrow it again from the library.....after 3 weeks, I am about half way.  Joining with Ginny this week for her yarn along.

If I knew then....

Those mittens at the top there are probably about 4-5 years old. They were my first cable pattern. I bust them out when the weather gets really cold (right now it is 5°) or when it snows A LOT and I have to shovel (a week ago). Every year when I get them out, I remember making them, the frustration and the pride! I thought I was THE BEST because I figured cables out on my first project! I wore them to work this morning....my fingers were sweating when I got to work. I LOVE LOVE LOVE that since I am usually cold!

I have known how to knit for about 15 years. My first year of college (my first semester, I think) we had to learn how to do something new and present it to the class. I choose knitting and I made a scarf. It was not a very good scarf, but it matched my coat, didn't take too long, and was knit, every. single. row.  I didn't knit for about 8 or 9 years. Probably about 4 or 5 years ago I picked my needles up again and really haven't put them down since. I always have 5-8 projects on needles.....always!

When I started knitting again, I would buy yarn because I liked what it looked like.  I had no idea what the weight of yarn mixed with different needle sizes would do. I didn't care about what the yarn was made of and I definitely did not have a project in mind for all of the different yarns that I purchased. I finally decided to sit down last night and sort through every single last skein of yarn to try to figure out what the heck I am going to do with it all. What was I thinking when I purchased some of these?!!?!?! Hind sight is 20/20.

I am attempting to work my way through my stash this year. (UGH!!!) I know it is going to be next to impossible to not buy new yarn, but I am going to find a project for every last skein of yarn I currently have! So, I sat down with one of my binders, a couple of knitting books, and a list of the yarns I currently own and started to form a plan.  Of course, I found yarn I forgot I had and cast on for a new project for one of the kids.  Please tell me that other knitters, crocheters, crafters do this too! Or is it just me?