New Year - Need to Get Moving

I know, I'm really behind.  I've been posting on my other blog, but this one has been ignored a little.  Christmas and life got in the way.  I'm also really behind on my Etsy shop.  I just haven't had time to make too much new.  I realize I never showed the finished apron I made for my mother for Christmas.  It turned out cute.

I really need to show these aprons on a model or dress form.  Just laying them on the floor doesn't do justice.

Now that the Holidays are over, decorations put away, house  cleaned up and furniture moved back into place, and moving the kids (see other blog) is done --- I am now thinking of what I can make next.  I have the little teacup and notions picked out for my next pincushion.  I'm also knitting some hand warmers and a matching hat from some beautiful Grande Baby Alpaca.  I'm thinking of giving these to my DIL for her birthday at the end of the month.  See, this is my problem with Etsy.  I give a lot away.  Oh well, that's really more satisfying than selling it. 

If you've read my most recent post on my other blog, you know that I've recently found out that I have two more grandchildren due this summer.  You know what that means!  More baby knits and two more baby quilts.  I really need to hibernate for the next three months to get done what I want to get done.  Ohhh, hibernating sounds so nice!!  If that could only happen.

Making Progress

I've put myself on a semi-time schedule and it has helped me stay a little more organized and not feel so overwhelmed.  I actually wrote down a weekly schedule so I have particular things I need to get done each day.  Such as:  Monday is laundry and ironing day.  Tuesday is the day I send out mailers for my husband's business, etc.  Then I have a daily schedule where I give myself so many hours on the computer, so many hours updating my Etsy site, so much blogging time, etc., and I don't allow myself on the computer after 8 pm.  From 8 pm until I get tired I work in my sewing room on my projects while I watch TV.  Of course, this can all vary slightly when grandkids are here, or the phone rings, or someone shows up at the door.  Anyway, it's still helped me a lot. 
I got Riley's pink sweater done Monday night.  It turned out pretty good.

 I haven't seen it on her yet, but I think it will fit now.  Riley and Dee got here Tuesday and it is so nice to see them and to hold that beautiful little granddaughter again.

I listed my first pincushion on Etsy today.  I finished another one that I made out of a little antique china shoe.  It's so cute.  I know it's hard to tell from a picture, but this is only about 2" x 4".

I did make it to the flea market on Saturday and found several tea cups for more pincushions.  I got this little shoe there, too. 

I'm not sure if I'm going to knit tonight or make a tea cup pincushion.  Maybe a little of both.  First I have to look up the TV Guide and then get myself settled in.  My favorite time of the day.  Watch TV, get a snack, and do my thing.

Computer Catch Up Day

Our lives are so computerized now, aren't they?  It's a rainy, cool day in Pennsylvania, My Bob is on the road today, and no grandkids today.  I've been sitting at my desk all day, getting papers organized, and caught up on all my web sites, e-mails, etc. 
I also finally got the quilted Guardian Angel change purse listed on Etsy.  (see previous post) I thought I'd get that done a week ago, but -----.
I finally finished the other green baby booty.  Dee, DIL, and Baby Riley, granddaughter, will be here on Tuesday.  I'm making progress on the pink baby sweater.  I HAVE to have it done by Tuesday, too. 
You would think that was enough to do, but Oh No, I have to always start something new!  I saw this yarn at my yarn store and had to have it.

For all you knitters out there, I'm sure you can relate.  Once I got the yarn home it kept staring at me as I was knitting that booty, so I had to pick it up and start the scarf I wanted to make with it.  This yarn is called Mini Mochi.  It's a thin, washable, wool.  I'm using two strands to mix up the rainbow colors and make it thicker.  It is so soft.  The pattern is a mock cable.  I love this yarn and colors.

You'd think that was enough going on, but Oh No.  I saw this insipiration for pincushions and I just had to make it last night. 

Isn't this adorable.  I'm hooked.  I'm looking through my teacup collection for my next future pincushion.  This particular cup is an antique shaving mug.  You can tell by the base.  It was made in Germany.  I'm going to get pink pearl head pins for in it. 
The last local Flea Market for the year is this weekend and I'm hoping to go tomorrow in search for perfect tea cups/soon to be pincushions.

Can't Stay Caught Up

I know this is becoming a constant theme with me and I'm sorry to keep on about it, but I can't seem to get organized with my blogging and my Etsy shop.  I can't find a good routine and time schedule to get it all done.  I still have my two grandsons 3 days a week, so that isn't helping.  Next week I will only have them for 2 days and then their mother will be done working.  I think then I'll miss having them and will still ask to have them visit a few times a week.  Then week after next my DIL and 4 month old granddaughter, Riley, will be home from Spokane for 2 weeks.  I can't wait to see them.  Anyway, it's all for good reasons that I don't have more time and I won't give any of it up.  The only answer is to not sleep.

I did manage to get some knitted  fingerless gloves finished and listed on Etsy.  I have a matching scarf that I think I'll be listing today.

I also just made a mini quilted change purse.  I call this one "Guardian Angel".  It's about 4" square with a velcro closure on top, and it's lined.  I loved making these little mini squares and then making them into something.

I'll probably get this listed on Etsy tomorrow. 

I am also trying to finish up a pink baby sweater for Riley to have ready when they get here.  And Dee (DIL) asked me if I had the second green booty finished to match the sweater set I made before she was born.  The answer was, "No".  I have to finish this within the next week and a half, too, because Dee wants to get Riley's picture taken in this outfit I made while she's here.  I'm so flattered by that so that needs to get done.

See what I mean, one booty.  O.K. so I'm overwhelming myself by writing this all down. 

If I could just hole up for the next several days with no one bothering me, no cooking, cleaning, etc. I think I could do it.  Realistically that's not going to ever happen. 

Gotta get busy with all this.  Right now, though, I have to go blow the leaves off the driveway. 

Works In Progress

I've got some new projects going. It seems I always have more ideas than time, but I like to keep them going in stages. I'm getting started on a project that I've always had in mind that I wanted to do and that is make vintage inspired and embellished aprons. I bought the material the other day for my first one. That's as far as I've gotten, but next free evening or weekend I'm going to make it. The main body of the apron will be this black background with the pink scrolls fabric. Then I think I'll put on a pocket or two with the pink striped. I also got some pink organza ribbon to add somewhere. Once I get started, ideas will come to me. I may sell these, we'll see how it goes.

This knitting project is going to be a pink baby sweater. The other baby clothes I've knitted had to be neutral, non gender colors because I had started them while my daughter in law was pregnant and they didn't want to know the sex ahead of time. Well now that we have our beautiful little baby girl, Riley, I went right out and bought pink yarn. I love pink anyway, can you tell? And now to have a girl is so much fun. I have started the back of the sweater and up to the back yoke. This yarn is so pretty. It's called "Cotton Kisses" by Plymouth Yarn. I'm making the 6-9 mos. size.

This project is almost finished. About another hour or so and I'll be done. You may remember the baby quilt I made from another post. The color scheme for the new nursery is beiges, tans, and off whites. I've had the quilt done for a while. Well, they'll be moving into their new apartment in Spokane in a couple of weeks and I wanted to make a window valance to match the quilt and other bedding.

So I went back to the quilt store and bought more of the same fabrics and made this valance.

Here's a close-up view to see the fabrics used. Notice the first border fabric. It's a white on white print, but the print is a baby motif. Probably no one will ever notice this as you have to look pretty close, but Dee (DIL) and I know it's there.

I would love to go up to my sewing room right now and work on these projects for the rest of the evening (it's 4:00 pm), but it's Friday and I try to reserve Friday nights for My Bob. We have dinner reservations at 6:30. Hopefully this weekend will provide some time if the grandsons don't come over and stay too long. I love for them to come visit, just not stay too long.

Out Comes the Pink

My new grandbaby was born May 30 and now we know it's a girl! Riley Loren. So I wanted to add the pink flowers I had already made ahead of time to the green sweater set. I crocheted a bunch of pink flowers to have on hand so I could sew them onto anything that needed to be "girlied" up a little.

I finished this little green set and posted it on April 30. You can see the difference a little bit of pink makes. I crocheted pink trim around the sweater, added a pink flower to the hat, and replaced the yellow pom-pom with a pink flower on the bootie. I still need to make the 2nd bootie. This set is a size 3-6 month, so I still have time.

I also finally finished the booties that are attached with buttons to this onesie that I originally posted on June 8. This is supposed to be a 0-3 month, but it looks bigger than that. Riley is only 3 weeks old and is growing fast, so it's possible by 3 months it will fit.

I just started knitting a pink baby sweater. I can actually go with all out pink now. Love it! So far this little girl has so many clothes she can wear a different outfit every day. Baby girl clothes are so much fun. It's like playing with a real life baby doll. I also made a baby quilt posted on May 4, and I have more of the same fabrics to make a valance for her nursery window. They'll be moving into their new apartment in Spokane on July 26, so I'll have it ready by then.

Baby's Here and Onesie is Done

Baby Riley was born last Saturday, May 30, at 3:30 p.m. And I think it was two days later that I finished knitting this onesie I've been working on. It's a size 0-3 months, but I think it will be closer to the 3 month age before it will fit her.

I used "Peter Pan" double knit yarn, soft blend. It's part nylon and part acrylic and feels so nice. I used a size 3 needle and since I don't knit that fast it took a little while.

I've started little booties that will match and then they will button onto the cuffs so that they don't fall off.

I hope it fits eventually. If not, I'll frame it just because it's so cute.

Check out the baby pictures on my other site.

Almost Baby

I've been knitting this little baby onesie for a couple of months now. My new blogging habit has taken up some of my knitting time. Today I finished all the sections, now I'm ready to trim, block, sew the seams and embellish. This pattern is from an absolutely darling pattern book by Debby Ware called "Too Cute!" and they are.

Since my daughter-in-law, Diana, and my son, Brandon, don't want to know ahead of time whether it's a boy or girl, this has blue, pink and green in it. I got it covered. The baby is due on June 8, but we think and hope it will be a little early.

I'm making size 3 months, so it will be perfect for fall. I'm getting so excited! This will be my 3rd grandchild. I already have 2 boys, but I really don't care if this is a boy or girl. I'll keep you updated on the onesie and the baby.