Yarn Along with another baby hat and an apron

Knitting:
Still plugging away on the Forever Baby Blanket - this is going to be a familiar statement for weeks to come I'm sure!  Our time at home has been very precious and very little these past few weeks. Concerts, a wedding, and new (unexpected) car purchase has kept me from my needles.  I'm glad the calendar is slowing down a bit now.  In order to keep myself from going nuts over the blanket,  I needed a project that I could finish quickly .  I had started the preemie hat; although cute, I struggled with the lighter weight yarn and small needles and didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped so I rewound the yarn and decided I'd revisit it another time.  So, I picked up my favorite yarn, Cascade 220 Super Wash in Ivory,  and cast on the Tegan Baby Hat.  It didn't come out exactly right as I struggled with the instructions for the top. I knew I wasn't understanding the instructions at the end, but everything was perfect to that point, so I just winged it and came up with what you see here. Still cute, just not exact.

Sewing:
I embarked on a very different project (not yarn along material, but I'm really proud of it and wanted to share).  Years ago when Erika joined our family, I didn't know what to give her for Christmas, so I made an apron for her. Over the years it has delighted me to see that she has used that apron and that it is well loved.  I thought it would be fitting to make a new apron with a little more room in it for her two occupants.  I was very happy with the finished product.  I gave it to her last weekend when we visted them.  She put the apron right to work and made delicious chili and cornbread for us to enjoy while we watched the Patriots.  I've never seen anyone as happy as these two. Waiting 5 years for their miracles would make anyone smile.  They deserve it!  Fingers crossed the babies will cooperate next Monday so I can have a gender reveal on next week's Yarn Along!

Reading:
I've been reading God at the Kitchen Sink.  I'm so very much enjoying having something like this to open up and read while enjoying my first morning coffee.  Warmth from the coffe to soothe my soul and simple words of faith to lift my spirits.  What a great way to start every day.  (Am I the only one that "wiped" at the cover when they first picked it up because it looked dirty?  lol)

Happy Wednesday! ~ ~ Joining Ginny

A wordy Yarn Along with a finished project!

Good morning!

First of all a BIG thank you to those of you who took the time to send encouraging words to me last week regarding my knitting woes; I greatly appreciate it.  This week it has been about finding the time to knit.  I work a full-time job that I love, but let's face it, it cuts into some serious knitting time.  I knit in the evening after supper and  in the morning while I have my first cup of coffee, and spend as much as I can on the weekends - after chores of course (blah).  Oh, and the car.  I love to knit while riding in the car.

This week I thought I would share with you a completed project.  This is a hat from the book I purchased a month or so ago.  Someone on Yarn Along suggested it on their blog. Not only does it have adorable baby hat patterns, it is informative with clear, concise stitch instructions.  It will come in very handy for the future especially for a newbie such as myself.

While visiting my 84 year old mother this past weekend, we talked a lot about knitting.  I told her I had made mistakes with the baby blanket, and she asked "why?" Good question mom!  I love my mom and feel so lucky to have her around and in such good health too; perhaps knitting is the secret to longevity?  Knitting is something she has done since she was a child so the idea of making mistakes and not fixing them is hard concept for her....I get it; and I will work on it.  She was so excited to give me a  book she's had for 30+ years (pictured below).  I remember this book from my teen years.  Any of you have it? I really love the button poncho pattern.  It's HUGE so not something I will plan to start anytime soon with all the baby knits to get done, but maybe someday.  I appreciated her gift and the enthusiasm behind it.  It makes me think she's proud of me for taking up and sticking with knitting.  I wished I had been more patient years ago so she could have taught me.  I actually ended up learning the basics from a co-worker 12 or so years ago.

As a few of you suggested, I cast on the preemie hat.  This is my first time using such fine yarn.  I'm loving the color (the picture doesn't do it justice) Shouldn't take me long to finish it. I hope to share the completed project next Wednesday.

Still reading Echo in the Bone.   --must.find.more.time--

Thank you all for stopping by again :-)  Happy Yarn Along Wednesday!