Swimming and Knitting

Private swim lessons went great! Cortland kicked his legs and jumped off the side AND he said he's excited to go back next week. Yay!

And The Hungry Caterpillar Blanket is finished.

The Front:

The Back:

Cable Scarf

US9 needle. Sugar bunny in white by Knitpicks

Cast on 51.

Knit one row.

1st Row (WS): K4, P2, K2, P4, K2, P2, K2, P15, K2, P2, K2, P4, K2, P2, K4.

2nd Row (RS): K2, P2, Tw2R, P2, K4, P2, Tw2R, P2, K15, P2, Tw2L, P2, K4, P2, Tw2L, P2, K2.

3rd Row: Same as 1st row.

4th Row: K2, P2, Tw2R, P2, C4B, P2, Tw2R, P2, K5, C10F, P2, Tw2L, P2, C4F, P2, Tw2L, P2, K2.

5th Row: Same as 1st row.

6th Row: Same as 2nd row.

7th Row: Same as 1st row.

8th Row: K2, P2, Tw2R, P2, C4B, P2, Tw2R, P2, K15, P2, Tw2L, P2, C4F, P2, Tw2L, P2, K2.

9th Row: Same as 1st row.

10th Row: Same as 2nd row.

11th Row: Same as 1st row.

12th Row: K2, P2, Tw2R, P2, C4B, P2, Tw2R, P2,, C10B, K5, P2, Tw2L, P2, C4F, P2, Tw2L, P2, K2.

Repeat row 1 - 12 until desired length.

Bind Off. Seriously though, I'm not sure how to ed this thing as I've not gotten there yet. Any suggestions?

What We've Been Up to This Summer

We taught Cortland how to swim in a tube of water.

Or not. Actually it's the Ft Worth Childrens Museum.

Grandma and C on a dinosaur dig

Giant train set

In KS we went swimming at my cousin Sherry's house.

And put together puzzles... sort of...

And played with REAL tractors!

And had a slumber party with four nine year olds and a little boy. The little boy isn't in the picture because he is behind me (the photographer) with a water hose. Bet you can't guess what happened next.

Dane and Cortland ate sunflower seed shells from the ground around the bleachers at a ballgame. *Gack*

Just plain worn out.

We've adopted a lady named Ludy and she is wearing a scarf I knitted.

We painted the kid pink.

No one was more surprised than Cortland when he started getting in his horns.

It's been a great summer!

Pictures

Cortland got into the Aquaphor lotion.

What? Why are you staring at me?

AHHH! Fix it!

Meh. Guess it's not so bad...

Cortland liked the snow when it was less fluffy, less thick, just less. Regardless, it was like pulling teeth to get him back inside.

Cortland playing on the bed.

Smock Coat by Debby Bliss I knitted for Lily.

Cortland and his best friend Lucas. Lucas is 2 months younger than C.

Lilly's baby sweater

Made this one for Carroll's little girl. Of course in TX she may grow out of it before she can wear it!

Chunky Cable Sweater

This is the baby sweater I finished for my Aunt Jeannie. Fun little pattern from the book Adorable Knits for Tots by Zoe Mellor.

Knitted Sweater

I made this sweater for Cortland. All that's left is to put on the buttons and fix the 3 ft long arms... oops!

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

Daily Stuff

Last night I figured out how to knit Entrelac. Yay! Go me!

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Cortland's new slogan is Why Sleep When You Can Stand! He will fall asleep when I feed him, but as soon as I put him in his bed and walk out the door he's standing up crying to be let out. I know his screams translate to say, "It's too much fun to sleep! What if I miss something? Please oh please let's play some more! I wanna walk around the coffee table again!" I wonder what he thinks my screams translate to?

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Years ago I worked in a mens clothing store with a guy that said he was allergic to the formaldehyde in ties. His hands would get tons of tiny blisters in-between his fingers and on the palms of his hands. One day he came to work with little white gloves on - the kind a housekeeper uses to check if her staff is dusting above the door frames. The manager wouldn't let him wear his gloves. He said that it looked like the guy was trying to not get cooties from the customers and it just wasn't seemly.

I have the same reaction to baby powder as glove guy had to ties. Wonder where I can get some of those gloves...

Pictures

CORTLAND SAYS HI!




Cortland is scooting all over the house and, like any new stage, it's taking me a little bit of time to adjust my schedule to his new schedule.

My mom came to visit last weekend and we had lots of fun. We played on the floor and walked around holding baby's hands and ate lots of mushy food. We also got 9 month pictures taken. Cortland's Grandma C will get to see Cortland in biggie boy clothes for the first time ever. He looks so grown up. Those pictures will be ready for pick-up on Aug 10th and I'll be mailig out little hellos after that.

Cortland loves to take baths.


Tanya caught this picture of C with his nose pressed up against the glass.


Practicing walking with his Papa.


Grandma makes the best fruit smoothies! (and p.s., blueberries really do come out the other end blue)


My mom is doing good. At her last appointment the Dr. said she was improving.......

***** There is this ringing I keep hearing on and off. Remember the little camper that came to the elementary schools for hearing tests? It sounds like a tone used to test your hearing. It's sooo annoying! Grace doesn't seem to be bothered by it, though. Wonder if it's in my head?***

....improving on schedule. Her memory is still sometimes a little fuzzy, but not on important things. She doesn't have to put post-it notes on her forehead or anything like that.

Let's see, I've been spending lots of time knitting. I made a few scarves and a stroller blanket so far this summer. Right now I'm trying to learn Entrelac and it's kicking my butt. I'm bound and determined to figure it out. If anyone has any tips please let me know. I'm stuck on square 5.

Fan and Feather pattern with Noro yarn


Stegosaurus Scarf


Pattern is Circles and Stripes Stroller Blanket from itty-bitty nursery by Susan B Anderson