Christmas at the Gunns

He looks more like a little boy than a baby.


Put me down! I wanna play!





After Christmas nap




The ladies in my life


It gets COLD up here! Even Alan is wearing a coat.

Christmas Knitting

I'm typing out the blanket pattern at the bottom, but
DO NOT START THE ENTRELAC PATTERN UNTIL I CAN TRY IT AND MAKE SURE I DIDN'T MISTYPE IT! Something doesn't look right and I can't figure out what until I've had a chance to actually stitch the thing.

I'm excited to be able to post the pictures of the blankets I've been working on for the past few months.

This is the one I made my mom for Christmas. It's made out of Noro Silk Garden and the squares are 16 x 16 stitches wide on a US9 needle. It's lined on the back with satin.



This is the one I made Kiwi for her baby shower. It's more a Mommy Blanket than a Baby Blanket!
It's made out of I Love This Yarn from Hobby Lobby and the squares are 20 x 20 stitches wide on a US6 needle.


I made this cable scarf for my Mother-in-Law


ENTRELAC PATTERN FOR BLANKET

Pass 1, Starting Triangles

Cast on 24 stitches - any way you like. We’re going to do a swatch comprised of three blocks - each of which is 8 stitches wide. To begin:

Row 1: Purl 2, turn
Row 2: Knit 2, turn
Row 3: P3, turn
Row 4: K3, turn

Continue, adding a stitch with each row until you have P8 and K8. Then start the next triangle with Row 1 - 4. Do this 3 times.

The triangles are going to look very funny on the cable. Don't worry about it. They will straighten up on the next pass.

Pass 2 - Side Triangles and blocks
This pass will have a triangle on each end with two blocks in the middle.

Pass 2 - 1st Triangle
Attach your second color.
Row 1: K2, turn
Row 2: P2, turn
Row 3: K in the front and back of first stitch (Kfb), SSK, turn
Row 4: P3, turn
Row 5: Kfb, K1, SSK, turn
Row 6: P4, turn
Row 7: Kfb, K2, SSK, turn
Row 8: P5, turn
Row 9: Kfb, K3, SSK, turn
Row 10: P6, turn
Row 11: Kfb, K4, SSK, turn
Row 12: P7, turn
Row 13: Kfb, K5, SSK, turn
Do not turn and purl back!

Pass 2 - 1st Square
Now it's time to make our 1st square. Pick up 8 stitches on your LEFT needle from here:
PHOTO COMING SOON!!!

Row 1: *(K7, SSK) *repeat 7 more times

Pass 2 - Second Square
Pick up 8 stitches and knit just like the 1st square.

Pass 2 - 2nd Triangle
Pick up 8 stitches on LEFT needle.
Row 1: P2tog, P7
Row 2: K8
Row 3: P2tog, P6
Row 4: K7
Row 5: P2tog, P5
Row 6: K6
Row 7: P2tog, P4
Row 8: K5
Row 9: P2tog, P3
Row 10: K4
Row 11: P2tog, P2
Row 12: K3
Row 13:P2tog, P1
Row 14: K2
Row 15: P2tog
Row 16: K1
You will end with 1 little stitch on the RIGHT needle.

Pass 3 - Blocks Only

Pass 3 - 1st Square
Pick up 7 stitches on LEFT needle.
Row 1: P6, P2tog
Row 2: K8
Row 3: P7, P2tog
Row 4: K8
Rows 5 - ??? repeat rows 3 - 4 until all of the stitches from the square in pass 2 are eaten up.

Pass 3 - 2nd and 3rd Square
Pick up 8 stitches on LEFT needle
Repeat rows 3 - 4 of pattern for Pass 3 - 1st Square above.

Pass 4 - Side Triangles and Blocks
Repeat instructions for Pass 2.

Last Pass - Just Triangles

Pass 4 - 1st Triangle
You should have one little stitch on the RIGHT needle after finishing Pass 4.
Pick up 7 stitches on LEFT needle.

Row 1: K7
Row 2: P2tog, K5, P2tog
Row 3:K6
Row 4:P2tog, K4, P2tog
Row 5:K6
Row 6:P2tog, K3, P2tog
Row 7:K5
Row 8:P2tog, K2, P2tog
Row 9:K4
Row 10:P2tog, K1, P2tog
Row 11: K3
Row 12: P2tog, P2tog
Row 13: K2
Row 14: P3tog

Pass 4 - 2nd and 3rd Triangles
Repeat instructions for Pass 4 - 1st Triangle

Christensen Christmas

Merry Christmas on the run!



Is this one mine?


More toys?


Grandma would show C how things worked while Daddy would unbox the next toy.


Grandma Marla and Kayla.


Daddy takes a second to smile at me, then back to work putting in more batteries.


Grandpa talking. For some reason in all of his pictures he's talking.


That toy said, "Hi, I'm Chuck the Dumptruck" before I put tape over the speaker. Now it says, "Miff, Miff, muff, fumphh, humfphhhh, mumphhhhmumphhh."


Uncle Rodney helping C with his new remote control car


Preston, Kayla, Elvis and Grace

Dear Santa, please bring me Xanax

This time of year is wonderful and hard at the same time. It's like clockwork, December roles around and I feel like I need an extra boost of drugs just to get through.

Cortland has entered the I Want To Do It MYSELF stage. Heaven help anyone who takes the remote or a cord or the phone or the million other dangerous or breakable items from that little angel. He turns into a siren. WHAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

I have found that filling up the bath and laying in it with my head under water helps. It's not Xanax, but you do what you can with what you have.

Cortland pictures and videos

Baby Bears Chair


But I don't wanna be a lion!


Bathtime with Kayla


Alan and Grace


Bri giving C his bedtime snack


Elvis under the tree

Return of the Yodeling Pickle

Dustin and Kristin got this for Cortland for his birthday. As God is my witness, if/when they have kids this pickle will be shipped right back to them. It's as bad as the crazy doll my aunt and uncle got me when I was little that laughed and cried and drove my parents absolutely bonkers.

I would "lose" the batteries, but then it's just my son playing with a rather questionably shaped green, uhhhh, you know... uhhh.....

But as with all toys, the more annoying to the parents, the more the kid loooooves it and carries around everywhere. So for that, thank you Dustin and K. He loves his pickle.

PS - Tanya please don't kill me for posting you yodeling. heh. You do a very good job of it.

More Cortland Pics

Hello!


What do you need? I'm on the phone...


Helping mommy change the locks.



Yummy belt!

Scrubs

Remember when Mrs. Garrett and all of the girls moved to Peakesville and ran a candy store? That's how this new season of Scrubs feels.