winter coats to spring coats...

...and all that in between.

So here in PA we literally went from crazy snow storm where we all had to be cooped up in our homes and it being like 10 degrees outside to 50-60 degrees and sweat shirts... I'm ready for picnics and there is snow on the ground... nuts.

During this lovely cooped up in our home weekend, my hubs had a birthday, which he and I originally planned to go away for the weekend, but thanks to the snow, that didn't happen so we ended up sledding with my sisters and my nephew instead.  Note to self, nephew is not the biggest fan of snow.  He did not enjoy the snow flying up in his face.  I think I'm safe in saying my family is a family of beach people... we like warm weather and sand beneath our toes, and the occasional 70 degree breeze that requires me to wear a light jacket... why we all live in the northern middle east coast of the US baffles me...
BUT! we took baby bear (who is now 2 by the way.  Crazy right? I did a whole entry on my sisters baby shower for him and now he's 2!) sledding and he preferred making snow balls.  Hubs tried to get him to throw a snow ball at me going, "here, I'll make  you a snowball to throw at your Aunt Kelly."   Smarty pants that baby bear is turns to me and goes, "Aunt Kelly, make me a snowball to throw at Uncle Dylan"  love it.  I am severely out of shape and the boots I was wearing were not good for ice.  I ended up having a hard time walking up the hill after sledding down the long hill, then even had a hard time walking up the "baby hill" because it was so packed down from us sledding on it with the baby bear.  One little girl tried walking up a certain spot and baby bear goes, "YOU CAN DO IT!'  to the little girl, lol.  My sister (not his mother) goes sledding down one long hill by herself and he continues to shout at her, "WATCH THE TREES!!! WATCH THE WOODS!!!" from the top of the hill.  When baby bear said, "Mommy, I don't want to walk up this hill anymore" I immediately went, ME TOO! and we all went home.  To prevent him falling on the ice, I was asked to carry him, big mistake.  My slipper boots slipped on the ice and I went tumbling down taking baby bear with me.  Thankfully I like tugged my head down trying to keep my nephew from smacking his head, and we were both ok.  Two like teenage girls shrieked and the one went, 'OMG ARE YOU OKAY!"  My sister immediately said the same thing, whereupon my husband picked up my nephew from me (who appeared unharmed) and went, "more important, are you okay bud?"  He was and is fine by the way.

Got to knit during the cold too.  Nothing is more comfortable than some hot chocolate and a little yarn while you watch the snow fall.  Working on a baby blanket for someone.  Not me, I also apologize again to the friend I showed it to who thought it was my way of going HEY IM PREGNANT!  Little Lohkempers are coming!  Nope, no baby yet!

Change of topic! Hubs and Me are Catholic, so we've been limiting how much meat we are taking in and since its Lent and we can't eat meat on Friday's anyhow we just decided we wouldn't include meat in the grocery list, at least until Lent is over.  We had bacon in the freezer from before Ash Wednesday and knew it was going to go bad, so we cooked that for breakfast on the Thursday snow day thanks to Winter Storm Thor.  This lead to me making soup for dinner that night as I had already cooked the veggies meant to go in it.  I had potatoes I needed to use, so I made loaded potato soup, and just kind of added carrots and broccoli... it was pretty good.  I had the remainder of it for lunch today.  I feel a piece of Italian bread would have gone well with it.  Ironically, my mother made soup tonight, and I ended up with soup as two meals today.  I had to stop there to pick up stuff and she was like, 'take soup!'  I didn't mind, I got to relax for some time before the hubs got home from work so.  yay!

Thats all for now people!  Enjoy the coming spring!
taxikab

knitting is for old ladies...

... is a common thing I hear from people who see me knitting.  BUT! I found an article today that shows that knitting is actually becoming VERY popular in the US, specifically New York, and it is now traveling to other countries in its popularity.  I found this article in a German newspaper (it was on a knitting group on my facebook... I don't randomly search international newspapers for knitting articles...) and was like, "wow... a whole article about how knitting is awesome!

In other news, I finished one of my socks... I don't think i'm getting 12 projects done, and I'm slightly upset at myself, BUT I WILL TRY FOR 12! I'm ALMOST there!  We'll see how it goes.  Updates later.  I just had to share this knitting article with you guys.  If anyone wants to read it, click below!

German Article about knitting!

Also! So happy that Google translated it for me... it was slightly hard to read in English because the DIRECT translation is a little different than actual English... but whatever!

Happy Knitting!
taxikab

Hurricanes and yarn

So due to the fact that I live on the east coast, I was one of those lovely people who got to experience the Frankenstorm, Hurricane Sandy.  Thankfully I live just outside a major city and not in New Jersey... so I was not hit bad, we never lost power and we only had a rain gutter fall, my dad called it a Down Spout... no idea what that is, but I'm sure after Dylan and I have our own home I'll find out...

The wind was CRAZY!  My mother, sister and I were sitting in our living room watching television to pass the time and keep from getting cabin fever.  This worked slightly as we watched just about 3 hours of Long Island Medium.  I was going to bake cookies, but then my whole family informed me there was a high chance I would not have work again TODAY (which I don't! thanks to PennDot closing every major roadway I could possible use to get to work...and Septa shutting down til like noon today....)  So I will bake cookies for work later today, because I have a funny feeling we will have work tomorrow (seeing as we almost didn't close Monday....) and I will have to have these pumpkins ready for my clients... still need icing and ziplock bags...  I'm trusting them to decorate their own "Pumpkin" cookies.  I've been dying for a reason to use my Pumpkin shaped cookie cutter lol.

Yarn! I spent all day knitting while watching television.  I worked on my sock, my blanket and a scarf I forgot I was working on.  The scarf keeps getting tangled and I'm slightly angry at it for doing this.  I will try to work on it when not baking today.  I KNOW I won't have the blanket done by December, no way.  I will have to work on that every day for the next 2 months to do it... not going to happen.  I tried tho!  I may just make something little for my nephew to be the 12th project.  I did make him two blankets... so I'm good on the blanket category, lol.  I did NOT make a sweater for myself, I hate making sweaters, they never turn out right for me... I think I'm going to start a sweater when the Blanket is done and just have that be my 2013 project... see if I can actually do it.  Just a big comfy sweater to wear around my house, maybe brown or black or something.  I'll figure it out.

Was browsing Etsy the other day (I don't do that enough now that I've found Pinterest...) and I found THIS!

ITS A BEAN BAG CHAIR!  Seriously the things people come up with...

Heres the link to buy it if you feel you want to

Bear Bean Bag chair  Seriously, so cool...

I think I'm going to start browsing Etsy again for Wedding stuff.  I'm in love with some of the things people put on there for head pieces and veils.  I really love it.

House hunting... biggest pain in the ass I have every experienced.  No joke.  HGTV lied to me... they make it look fun and interesting, its not... its really not.  My sister told me if we were taking our time finding a house (we=Dylan and Me) then it would be more fun.  I disagree... I really think its annoying looking at house after house and awkward to go in peoples houses... AND! Every freaking house we LIKE! we can't get because its a damn short sale (don't have the time for it with our Grant) or it gets sold... ugh...

In other awesomeness.  As we all know, I'm an Artist type person.  I can't do math... I hate it... I could never be a doctor because I like the awesome parts of science, not the facts part.  I fiance informed me that he believes I am a smart individual.  I was like, 'WELL THANK YOU!'  I know I'm creative... but intellectual not so much...  I was then informed that he enjoys having intellectual conversations with me and if I don't understand something hes talking about, I calmly inform him of this, I don't go, "UGH! DYLAN! I don't know what youre talking about, nor do I care..."  This is totally me tooting my own horn here... because my fiance is a fountain of useless knowledge and very smart, where as I'm next him going, "I knitted you a sweater!  Look, is blue!" (I know the grammar is incorrect, that's the joke...)  Its fun to know my finace loves me for a brain as well as my knitting skills, lol.

All for now knitters!  Happy knitting!

taxikab

long over due

HI EVERYONE!  Life has been CRAZY since my last post, thus the lack of posting... LET ME UPDATE YOU

First and most important I have 11 projects started, and 8 done!  I have to finish the gloves, the socks and the blanket.  I also have to start either a sweater, or another hat for my nephew.  He enjoys my hats they keep his little adorable head warm.  I made him 2, and the second one ALREADY is too small... so I have promised my sister another one for him.  She then complained he has hoodies to wear, but no sweater, and she wants a little jacket for him without a hood.  I may find a like 12-24 months pattern and make him a sweater so that he can keep wearing it through winter.  Hes only like 2 months old, but hes a big baby already.  He's tall and growing fast, hes not a fat baby though, that has to be specified because I think my sister would be upset if I was telling people she had an overweight child... hes tall, NOT fat lol, tho of course he has little chipmunk cheeks like me :)   So like I said, we will see.  I'll probably make the hat because I need to finish the other 3 and I've only got 2 months left!

Second!  I GOT ENGAGED!  My awesome wonderful and handsome man Dylan proposed to me on September 22 2012, ironically on my friend Bobs birthday so I won't forget!  Love my ring, love my fiance.  I had been waiting for this to happen, because I knew it was coming, lol.  I'll do a picture post to update on everything later because I don't have a picture on my computer of the ring, just my phone.

What else has happened... OH! Dylan and I are trying to buy a house, I'm trying to lose weight for this wedding, and we're also trying to save money to pay for said wedding... going to be an interesting and frugal year 2013...

Been going on Pinterest ALOT again... this has resulted in Dylan telling me I should make the foods I see on pinterest for him... I went, "yea and I'll make it a blog like my knitting blog" and was very sarcastic about it... and he went, 'DO IT! We'll make a video blog! I'll tape you cooking for me, then I'll eat the food" 'and then you'll get fat...'  We'll see what happens.

I have choir soon.  Sister is bringing the baby to church to see the organist, who I love dearly and have known for like 15 years now... and she taught my sister and me piano and she has seen COUNTLESS pictures of the baby, but no actual BABY, lol.  SO my sisters going to try and bring him today.  See how it goes.

Going to knit today!  I need to get my stuff done before the end of the year.

Happy Knitting!!
taxikab

theres a post coming...

I SWEAR!   I haven't been posting because I've been SO busy getting the blanket for my sister done, and then helping my mother with stuff for the shower...  I took TONS of pictures (well not tons...) of the stuff for the shower tonight and will post on Sunday because my big sister can not see any of it before tomorrow!   So excited for her.  Picture post on Sunday!

Yarn and Sand do not mix...

I went to the beach yesterday.  For the first time in FOREVER I did not

A. get horribly badly sunburned (this is a HUGE accomplishment for me...).  This is mainly because I barely was out from the shade of my little purple and pink beach umbrella... and i reapplied my sunscreen like the doctors tell you to.  Dylan was worried I would get sunburned on my ears ears as they were getting really red when we were swimming.

B. I did not hit ANY traffic driving to the beach...  I go to the Jersey Shore, from Philly, and it was a Saturday, and I APPARENTLY went on two major traffic roads and hit no traffic...   I'm kind of bragging here... lol.  Dylan and me were crazy fascinated by this because we have NEVER been fortunate enough to experience the lovely pleasure of driving down the shore, in daylight, in NO traffic.    It was crazy... to us anyway, some of you may be reading this going, "um... that's normal here..."  My dad even said that he heard on the radio there was almost no traffic going down the shore any other way too.  This is me, shocked.

OH! we also! Did NOT pay to park.  We ended up having the walk REALLY far up the boardwalk to get to civilization, BUT we didn't have to pay to park... and no one got mad at us for parking there...

SO! I told Dylan, "I'm blogging about this tomorrow..."  the whole fascination of traffic.  I had intended on bringing the Christening Blanket for my nephew with me to work on in the car, because Dylan was driving, BUT just like my beach cover... (which I was not happy at myself for this one...) I left it on my bed while putting things in the bag.  I told Dylan, "I'm gonna forget something, I just know it..." and I DID.

We met my Aunt and Uncle down there, they have this beautiful house with the beach literally across the street, there's just a row of houses on the other side of the street.  But we just crossed the street, walked up the path and there's the beach!  It was awesome.  I taught Dylan how to body board and how to use a boogie board.  I think he's too tall for boogie boards... I told him we're just going to have to buy him a long one.  The beach wasn't crowded, but apparently the number of people on the beach was crowded for that beach... who knew.

Surprisingly the water wasn't FREEZING.  It was at first, but then I got some guts and just dove in and after that it was like, "oh... this is warm..." WE COULD FEEL OUR FEET unlike other times where I've come out freezing and its like 90 degrees outside and I'm wrapped in a towel shivering...

Can't go to the Jersey Shore without getting Johnson's Popcorn.  And they'll refill your tub for you too

So I didn't get the knit on the way home, but Dylan and I went pregnant lady watching on the boardwalk after we saw about 4 of them in a row... and weren't even half way down the boardwalk.  Its CRAZY  Everyone I know is pregnant!  And majority of those pregnant people are due about the same time as my big sister... its nuts.

Went to Church today, I had to be slightly disrespectful and whip my phone out for this picture... 

it was the verses for the responsorial psalm at church.  I went, "God knits too... nice"  It also made the "WIP" pregnancy shirt on Ravelry seem even more awesome than it was before.

Happy Fathers Day!

Happy Fathers Day to all the Daddy's out there!  Rather than wake up and begin knitting, I helped my Daddy with the garden in the front yard.  What did you do?

Speaking of Fathers, for brother in law, who's soon to be a father himself, I show you a picture of Baby Bears Christening blanket.  Cables that intertwine.  I tried to take a decent picture but it was difficult.  I gave you one yesterday of it though.  Yes I am aware that there is less footage on this picture than the one yesterday, I took this picture a bit ago and had to go out and couldn't finish the post, so I'm using it now, because it was a pain to get the picture, lol

My mom keeps reminding me this baby is coming and the baby shower is soon and I need to knit faster, lol. She's even gotten into the habit of sewing only when I'm knitting, and if she's sewing I should be sitting in the room as well knitting, lol.  HOWEVER if she doesn't like what I have put onto the television, she goes in the other room an sews... and watches a different station... thanks mom...
             


Fixed the ears on baby bears hat!  The one is kind of square... but looks better in my eyes than the
pointy ears looked, lol.

There was a general consensus at work that this hat is more adorable than before, so yay!

So I have another post where I show you things that aren't "knit" but I find interesting...

I personally am not a big floral print person... BUT! I love giant sewn flowers and knit flowers, and love them as headbands, however, I work in a place where we need to be not so flashy with my head bands... so I make them and put them on my clients at work, and everyone ooo's and ahh's at how adorable the headbands are.  I'm satisfied with that.  My clients need to look adorable too!

Anyway!  So I'm always looking for crafty things for making flowers and such.  Heres one I found and was like, "LOVE IT!"

http://news.holidash.com//2010/04/23/mothers-day-corsage/

The website says that its a "Mothers Day Corsage" thus the babies picture on the back.  My mom would need one picture of all of us... or just her grandchildren (when Baby bear gets here!).

I truly am fascinated by the things people can come up with.  I mean seriously, how creative are some people that they can make all this stuff!   I think I'll quote my mother on this one 

"It's just how your mind works" - My Mommy

I tried explaining cables to her yesterday and how simple they are once you do them a few times, and its really just putting some stitches on a needle to hold, knitting the next ones not being held, and then knitting the ones being held.  She told me that's too complicated, and when I said it was easy she said it was just how my mind worked, that I can see that as simple and figure it out, where as she can't, and other people can't.  Frankly I think if you work hard and put your mind to it, you can do almost anything.  I've been knitting 7 years, so if I can't do cables by NOW I never will.   Now if I could only learn how to make socks!

Happy Knitting!

taxikab

babies babies everywhere!!!

So either there's something in the water in PA.... OR its age, I don't know which... probably age, BUT! my facebook wall is COVERED with baby announcements, and pregnancy announcements and new baby pictures and ultra sound pictures.  Majority of the women I know are pregnant, or just recently had a baby, ITS NUTS.  So on that note, I FINALLY figured out what I am doing with my sisters christening blanket for baby bear.  I love cables, they're simple to do if you focus and they look hard when they're not... so its a blanket full of interlocking cables.  When i get to a point where they start twisting into each other, then I will take pictures and post here.

I also have been searching and searching for a pattern for baby bear (who's coming in about 2 more months! ah! so excited) for booties.  He's going to be born in August, and I love these little booties I made for a coworker, BUT! Baby bear is going to be a little boy... so he can't have ruby slipper booties... because his mommy and daddy would not approve, he needs golf shoes... and blue slippers.  SO i thought I was the only person having this issue with either really generic booties OR really girly ones... and I don't want him to be a little girly man right out of the womb... if he wants to cross dress later thats a different story.  ANYWAY!  I can never find boots or booties online that aren't adorable and frilly or meant for little girls... that aren't like 5 dollars for a pattern... I'm a cheapo, what can I say?

THEN! I was on pinterest! (yes I have that too, same name as everything else... taxikab87) and found these little booties

with a link to the ravelry page

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/eleganteconomy/winter-baby-boots

For some reason I can see it without being logged in... that NEVER happens for me.  Then I realized I can make almost any booties without ruffles and stuff and have them be for baby bear.  But I am not good at following patterns... so we will see how that goes...

Working on a new head warmer for another client at work.  Again I am doing cables.  I love them....

Its almost done, I have about four inches to go and then I'm finished so, yay.  May adorn with a big ol' flower once I can figure out how to make them... lol.  Enjoy guys

Happy Knitting!

taxikab

One Handed knitting

TOTALLY made a tool to assist in one handed knitting.  Got Dylan to go to the store with me, bought bunch of stuff, made the people at the store thing we were stealing stuff because we were putting it inside one another to test sizes... this made him get real into our project

Man: so whats your project? (totally thought we were stealing stuff, but we weren't)
Me: we're trying to make something for my client at work who wants to knit but only has one hand.
Man: oh... wow, well uhm.. you should try *insert thing that I have no idea what he was talking about* instead of the stuff you have there.  Same price, but might work better.

Loved it.  Dylan and me spent like an hour in the store trying to figure out different stuff to use the build this tool. I can now proudly say I have made one and I am not telling anyone how I did it or post pictures until I get a patent because I am not having anyone steal the idea.  I am just so excited that I got it to work (it needs tweaking) and now know what I have to do to make it perfect.  YAY!!

The glove is almost done, didn't knit tonight because I was working on this tool.  So excited.  Gloves will be done tomorrow.  I have to knit more, and stop getting distracted by awesome projects.
All for now.  Happy Knitting!

It doesn't look like a glove...

I am quoting one of my swimmers at the meet yesterday. Apparently the knitting was entertaining the small children not only on MY team but on the team sharing my swimmers benches.
Little girl: excuse me... What are you doing?
Me: I'm knitting a glove
Little girl: oh

One of my swimmers then asked where the fingers were and stated it didn't look like a glove but was crazy excited to put her hand in it lol

Didn't go out partying for st party's day. Sat home. Knitting and watching tv with my family. Great saturday night huh? My mom made that new crystal light cocktails drinks (without alcohol because we're not Hugh drinkers in my house and my mom didn't know what to put in it). She inadvertently made the appletini and like a half hour later realized she made a drink drink on st party's day.

Driving to the meet yesterday I saw this billboard that I wish I had gotten a better picture of. It was a billboard about divorce made easy and literally said "no spouse signature needed. No lawyer required" and I went "wow... You can get a divorce in Jersey without your spouses consent...wow" and took a bad picture of it. Because I was at the light and it changed

So you WOULD see below the picture of the gloves as they are currently, but wrote this from my phone and the photo didn't work... I'm gonna try and finish at least this one today and hopefully have pictures up on Tuesday or wednesday at the latest. When I get a chance to type up a pattern I'll post that too and I'll post it on ravelry for everyone

Boyfriend has promised to finance the one handed knitting project prototype since he has a gift card to a store I can buy the stuff at he won't use. So tempted to make this project part of my 2012 projects lol

All for now. Happy knitting.

St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all of you Irish or Irish for a day people!!!
Swim meet today, maybe get some knitting done while I'm there.  Possible going out tonight so no knitting then. lol

Enjoy the day! Be a little green today!
(Of course I'm like more than 50% Irish and will be wearing red today for the swim meet... long as it isn't orange I guess)