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?