Mini Tea Leaf Cardi Sweater...

Oh how I enjoyed knitting this sweater during January!  Oh how I love that Blossom wore it and let me take pictures!

 

 I had to have just the right shirt to go with the sweater and I found it here at City Threads.  Another "made in the USA" company.

 You can see other pictures of this cardigan by clicking here.

And knitting withdraw is a real thing.  I've have a stack of knitting books from the library as I try to figure out my next knit. 

September Starts...

Three weeks without a post - usually means I've thrown another ball into the air and I'm working on keeping it up with all the others.  
This ball was fall activities starting.  Football, Cub Scouts and Speech Club. 

 Cubs in a race.

First football game of the season.

Each one has it's own logistical challenges which are magnified with a little one in tow.  And then I picked up knitting again because the weather is turning cooler.  Fall always makes me want to knit.   Which is crazy because I have plenty to do getting ready for school and sitting down doesn't help me do that. 

 Knitting for Blossom

 So, I took a break from knitting for a few days while Josh was out of town on business and I completely reworked the school shelves.  Out with the old and in with the new.  We are ready! 
The 2014-2015 Homeschool year officially starts next Monday in the Johnson house.

Yes, I'm worried about the bottom shelves and the little one.

 

 Blossom Updates -

• She's almost 9 months old  
• Been with us 2 months 
• Identifies us as "her" people
• Has the pincher grasp down and can feed herself a Gerber Puff.
• Scoots backwards on the floor during tummy time
• Can now roll over easily from back to front and does this everyday in her crib. This creates the challenge of the diaper leaking.  I have to figure that one out.
• She zooms around the "Around We Go."
• Starting to say the beginning sounds of book and dog when referring to these. Starting to say the ending sound of water.  Starting to figure out the signs for more and finished.  Understands soooo much more when we talk to her.  
• I'm starting to baby proof the floor level in my home.  Oh, what a job!
• I just realized the other day that we will be the ones to teach her "no."  :- /
• And thanks to some borrowed, some hand-me-downs and some bought used.... we are cloth diapering 90% of the day but not at night.  Pretty good!

Just trying to give her the best and stay on budget.  She brings us so much joy!

Happy Valentine's Day . . .

I've mentioned before that I enjoy knitting.  These last few weeks I've really enjoyed knitting little wool hearts that I stuffed and washed in hot water to shrink and felt up. 

These 3 are finished and have been washed at least 4 times.  The following picture is a collection of hearts in the felting process. 

They start to look cute after the 3rd washing.

One heart, not pictured here, turned out lop sided.  I cut it open, salvaged the stuffing and threw the rest out.  Four of these hearts passed inspection and were shipped out to friends.  It's so much fun to send some happiness in the mail.  Happy Valentine's Day!

Our Learning Space . . .

Have you ever wondered what our learning space is like?  What it looks like?  What room it is? Like many homeschoolers, it's our dining room. 

What you can't see is just off to the right is a large book case full of learning materials.  The little table is still set up in the back because it gives the Scientist a place to do some independent (that usually lasts 90 seconds) work and places him in a good position for handwriting. 

I'm posting this picture because we just got this new (to us) table.  It's a hand-me-down from my mom and can be expanded with two leaves.  Now we can easily sit 10 people for a meal.  This pleases me to no end!  I was a bit nervous that this table, being 4 inches wider on each side would take up too much room but it doesn't.  We still have plenty of room to walk around and that pleases me too.  Really people, it's cheep thrills around here.  Don't even get me started on new toothpaste and tooth brushes.

I recently purchased new seat cushions, place mats and curtains.  As you can see, I need to hem the ones on the right.  Ya, lets see how long it takes me to do that. Not on the top of my to-do list.   

Doing a mini room make over has really lifted my winter spirits.  You know the ones that come with long days of dreary rain and cold weather.

The following picture is a teaser on my current knitting project.  I'm almost finished!

Left Over Yarn . . .

I thoroughly enjoy knitting just for the fun of it.  I really don't need to create anything useful although I do have 3 new knit wash clothes.  After I finished knitting the monsters I still had plenty of yarn I wanted to use up.  I Googled a couple sweater ideas and settled on this one.

FRONT

BACK

I chose the smallest size to knit and even chose to use smaller needles.  My goal was to make something that would fit on a teddy bear.

I got to search through the button box.

It fits!

Cute Little Monsters . . .

I think I started this knit monster project in early November.  I gave myself plenty of time before Christmas to finish, unfortunately, I got hung up on some knitting lingo and it stalled me for months.

Then lo and behold I went on a weekend retreat with some knitting friends a couple weeks ago and as if through osmosis I figured out what was troubling me the day after I got home.

 A week later I was finished.

From the "Big Book of Knitted Monsters."