Buckling Down

Bucking down and getting back to our normal schedule feels so much better than I ever imagined!

Back to school, holidays over, a visit from a cousin whom we love and don’t see nearly enough, a 12th birthday party, recovering from a loss, yet another health crisis averted and finally…  back to blissful, normal life!

Boys are getting back into the roll of school:

Science:

My online photography class:  (a Christmas gift from my Mom and Dad!)

Getting back into gear with chores and responsibilities:

Boys are cooking again! And can I just say, WOO HOO!!!!

Having fun with school too:

Went to the park to identify trees with a field guide!  (and of course there was some playing and picture taking.)

There’s been scrapbooking:

There’s been disappointing knitting:  (when am I going to remember that I have to go up a needle size to match my Mom’s knitting?)  There’s been fun knitting too – I just don’t have a picture yet…

We’ve had friends over and eaten left-over birthday cake!  What could be better?

Now we’re all looking forward to a quiet, family weekend at home, relaxing, playing, sleeping in, knitting, reading, watching the new season of Pioneer Woman that starts tomorrow.  (my two girl puppies love to lie in bed and watch Pioneer Woman with their Mom!)  It’s going to be awesome!

Hope you have a blissful weekend too!

Brought KC Home Today

I’m sad.

Plans

For Valentine’s Day:

Valentine’s Day also marks the one year anniversary of our becoming a home school family!  So I think we’ll take the day off!  LOVE THAT WE CAN DO THAT!!!

And this Valentine’s Day is also my Mom and Dad’s 50th wedding anniversary!!!  They’re having a big party in May, when the weather is more reliably awesome in Colorado!  I can not wait to help celebrate that!!!

Knitting plans:

Finished these: 

and now for these:

Inherited these from my Mom, who hates the Jaywalker pattern so much, that she never wants to see it again.  My best knitting buddy has already unraveled the toe for me and I’ll need to add several inches to this foot and knit the second sock.  I made a pair exactly like this, a few years ago for my cousin, Debbie – I’m so excited to have one for myself.  I loved this yarn (Opal Feelings).

My first time knitting with the famous, Malabrigo yarn!  Going to make another pair of socks.  The pattern is called Katniss.  (It’s a free pattern on www.ravelry.com )  Can’t wait to get started!

I’ll be working on the next one all year!  It’s based on the Sky Scarf, but instead of knitting with different shades of blue/white/gray, representing the color of the sky each day, I’m knitting with a different color representing the high temperature of each day – purple being high temps 10s-20s, light blue is 30s, dark blue is 40s, green multicolor is 50s and so on…  I’m just knitting 4 rows of garter stitch everyday.  It’s already fun, watching it grow.  And I love documenting life – this project fits well with both my favorite hobbies!

I also want to learn how to crochet this year!  Wish me luck!

New year of Project Life!  (this year I’m using the Cherry Edition!) 

Doing 52 of You, an online self portraiture/introspection class that I’m only one week into and I’m already LOVING!!

Goes without saying that I’m doing Ali Edwards’ One Little Word class again this year!  It was fun, creative and therapeutic for me last year.  I absolutely wanted that again!  My word for 2013 is  LOVE !

Here’s my constant reminder to invite love into my everyday:

(got mine at http://www.etsy.com/shop/lizeaton?ref=pr_shop_more )

I’m also making garden plans and vacation plans – it’s just too much fun to NOT think about.  Gardening won’t actually start until May and vacation is in November, when we’ll be going to Vail, Colorado for 2 weeks.  The year will go by so fast, you know it will.  Savor every moment, people!

Knitting in 2012

I knit more this year than I have in the last couple of years.  I’m really enjoying it again.  I had come to prefer scrapbooking again because of it’s almost instant gratification and short time commitment.  But knitting fits the bill when I want to sit in the living room with my honey while he plays Halo 4 on the Xbox.  (hard to carry all my scrapbooking toys into the living room.)

Also the last few years I’ve gotten sucked into reading.  (I know it’s a terrible habit, but someone has to do it.)  So I was choosing to read in the evenings instead of knitting.  But I love the feeling of productivity that knitting gives me.  So now, I knit in the evenings and read for 30 minutes in bed every night.  It takes me that long to get sleepy anyway…  Currently I’m reading The Vampire Academy series.  I borrowed the books from my cousin.  Scott hates that I have to use a reading light in bed and has asked me to never buy paper books again – just kindle.  (first world problem, babe!)  LOL

Will’s rainbow socks are in the collage twice, just because I was short one picture.  He wore those socks to gym day yesterday and was thrilled to be wearing so many colors when the kids played that “pick a color of clothing and run” game!

One of these projects was frogged and two are still in progress, but very close to being done.  I’m casting on today for a weather scarf – coolest idea – you knit two rows every day and the color represents the high temperature that day.  It’s going to be gorgeous!  I’m meeting my knitting buddy to have coffee and cast on in a little while!  Can’t wait!

I got miffed at my children earlier this year when I felt they weren’t treating their hand knits with the care that they should – but after talking to my above-mentioned knitting buddy, she talked some sense into me and reminded me that they ARE after all children.  And they do LOVE hand knit socks.  It’s something special that I can do for them and I have decided that I will continue to do it. 

Knitting socks for my boys isn’t a fun, QUICK project anymore, now that they wear the same size shoe as I do…  but still very rewarding.  They really do love them.  And I had to put away two pairs this week because they were too small – so those need to be replaced soon.  (Guh, if you’re looking for  a new project, just let me know!)

I have decided that I’m done with sweaters.  I’ve knit several and not one of them fits well.  After devoting hours and hours to a project like that and then finding that you don’t like it and won’t wear it?  I’d rather spend 30 bucks and buy my sweaters… 

But I too LOVE beautiful hand knit socks.  That’s the ticket!  You can wear them year round, unlike gloves and mittens and scarves that you only wear half the year…

OK, I’m done.  Boo berry says it’s breakfast time!