Busy, Busy

The wedding is over but things have not slowed down. I had a few semi-official photography sessions and I'm starting to get phone calls from prospective new clients. So exciting!!

I did finally knit something (a baby cocoon) for my newborn session and a baby hat that havn't photographed yet.

Really like how it turned out:
My aunt from Poland gave me the yarn and it was perfect for the project, have more of it and will be making another one for my friend Nong.

My next session will be a lady and her black lab, I can't wait. Sounds like a blast, hope Baci isn't get jealous thought ;o)

In running news, I'm signed up for the St. Pete Nike Womens Half Marathon on Nov. 22. Totally scared, only started running this week since my injury. It's been 8 weeks and honestly my foot still feels a little weird, I'm just hoping it'll go away and I can at least run most of the half marathon, I'm ok with not doing well i just want my medal. I only have 4 medals this year all for half marathons ;((, totally pathetic. I got 8 last year and 10 in 2007. Maybe 2009 will be my comeback year in running. ;o)

Stuff

Dress No. 1 got the most votes, but I'm still not convinced. Maybe I should take the dress i have to a seamstress and see if anything can be done to make it work. I'll keep you posted of the progress but a part of me wants to order one of those dresses even just to see how close to the picture it would end up. They can all be made in 3 weeks for $150-200, not a bad deal even if they don't end up exactly like the picture.

In other news, I participated in a Secret Pal on this Polish website. What great fun, my package came on friday from a girl in Lodz, Poland and these were the contents:

Two skeins of beautiful blue colored yarn, 2 of my favorite chocolates, other candies (yum!), wonderful rasberry tea, knitting magazine and little lady bug clothes pins. So cute!!

The package I sent went to a really nice girl in Gdansk, Poland and I think she was happy with what i got her:

Also the wedding shawl and V's wedding socks are completed. Satisfied with both and glad they are finished!

Next on the horizon is this little beauty:

As for running, I'm planning on a 12 miler on saturday. Marathon training is in full swing!

V's socks

One week, one sock completed (first one ever)! Now if i can only make the other one. My thoughts: knitting socks is way too labor intensive for something so small that is mostly covered up by pants!! But it is interesting to see how it works. I do enjoy figuring out how things come together, but that's no surprise after the last sweater. I started these on 4 double pointed needles but thought i would poke my eyes out and switched to two circulars (much easier).

On Saturday night, now one is finished!

New Sweater Finished!

Well it's done! I can't believe that it's done! but it is and I love the color!
First 0f all this was quite a difficult and interesting pattern and the mere fact that I finished it, sewed it together, and weaved in ALL the ends is an absolute miracle. Secondly, it turned out a little smaller because i don't know how to read gauge, and I'm not exactly flat chested like the model in the pattern, (which for some reason i didn't even think about). So I had to add two extra rows of the crochet border for it to even come close to fitting and only 2 buttons instead of the 4. But you live and learn right?? So it's done and at times does look like I'm "busting out of it" (Vince's Comment) but I'm happy. Now onto finishing the wedding shawl and some socks for V.

Memorial Weekend

Had a great time on my knitting weekend!! Went for a great 5 mile run on the nicest golf course (Peek'n Peak) that was quite hilly, but fantastic with awesome views. Knitted at the pool and ate some fabulous food. Even got a tan, Yay!

Love this view!!

On the knitting front, made great progress on the wedding shawl and the asymmetrical (muti-shape) top is almost completed. If I didn't continue to screw it up it would have been done by now, but it's a learning experience.

Wedding shawl at the pool

The Girls!

Asymmetrical Cardi

Picked up the new Vogue Knitting on Friday and am totally in love with this cardi!! I know what you're thinking, but YES would totally wear a shirt with it. Anyway already started it and so far have one sleeve and one circular part for one side. Really hope i can pull this one off cause it's so dang different and asymmetrical. Mine will be teal, pictures to come.

Baby Cocoon!

I knit this baby cocoon thing (a photography prop for a friend) as a test and put baby Grace in it. Well it's more of a new born size not 6 week old baby size but i think it's still kind of cute. Back to the drawing board, will try another one in a different color and a lot bigger, have to hurry before Gracie grows more.

Stuff

So I've been working on my shawl, 400 + stitches on the ruffle part and 9 rows into it i realized that I've been doing it wrong. what!!! so i think i have to rip it out, that's probably like 4 hours of my time gone down the drain, I'm so disappointed and frustrated that i might have to put it away for a little while.
I did start another project a baby sweater. Actually all the pieces are knitted, all I have to do is sew it together which is quite difficult. Hope to have it done soon so i can post some pictures.
And I'm getting ready to leave for the Indy Mini Marathon on Friday. I'm really excited although i still hurt after my 10 mile run on Saturday which was really hard. Not to mention I had this brilliant idea to try out some new shoes. What?? on a 10 mile run, very bad idea, toward the end i had to totally loosen the laces on the right one just so i could continue running not to mention it was 80 degrees out (which is great except it was 40 a couple days prior) and the body just can't take that kind of difference. But I made it and will go for a couple short runs this week and head to Indianapolis on Friday, run on Saturday and drive home. Should be fun plus my friend is coming with me and we always have a good time on these running trips.

Happy Easter!

Hope everyone had a nice Easter!

We colored Eggs and put Peeps in the microwave which is just hilarious.

The blue one on the end is my favorite.

Baci inspecting the finished product, he approved.


Also we spent some fun time at the park.

My two favorite guys!

Baci trying out some acrobatics!

and Vince's adorable nephews all dressed up for Easter!

As for knitting, since I finished the Forecast sweater, the next thing that I'm working on is a shawl (ravelry link) for my wedding in September. You will have to wait until September to see pictures if in fact it turns out. It's quite tedious work because the mohair yarn that I'm using is really thin and hard to work with so I'm taking a little break from it.

So in the mean time (this past weekend), I made this chocolate bunny for Vince's nephews(pictured above):
and some baby booties:
And lastly about running, my training has been going pretty good, I've ran between 8.5 to 10 the last 4 Saturdays and will be running a half marathon this Sunday. Actually in the next six weekends I'm running 3 half marathons (is that too much?, i don't think so). I'm really looking forward to it. Especially since one of them is in Indianapolis (and we get to run on the race track) and I've never been there before. The great thing about the run this Sunday is that it starts at 1 pm, I've never ran a half marathon that late in the day, will be interesting for sure. Wish me luck!

Forecast Done

It's finished!! Yee Pee!! Actually I can't believe that i finished it. Overall I'm happy with the end result, especially since it was my first top down sweater. It could be a little bigger and a little longer but it's cool and i love the color. After all that work I'm not taking it off until it gets a lot warmer out.

Blanket in Action!

OMG!!!! If that is not the cutest thing you've ever seen, i don't know what is?? Grace Elizabeth born 3-7-09, 6 lb. 15 ounces sporting the blankie that Aunt Margaret made her. Love this!!!!

V-day Weekend

After way too many revisions the hat that matches those booties in the previous post got finished and mailed on Friday. Now i have to wait to see if the recipient of these gifts approves, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Sadly i didn't have a baby close by to model the finished product so this is the best i could do:


Now that the hat is finished I can go back to working on the forecast sweater. This is how much i have so far. It's going pretty slow but it will end up being a really thick warm sweater, i only hope that i can finish it before it gets warm out. The picture doesn't give the color justice though it's more of a deep sea shade.


Lastly, Valentine's Day was great! At 7:30 am I got an awesome 7 mile run in (thanks to Elaine and Krissy), it was the farthest I ran since October. I felt pretty good even though it was a rolling hill route. Later I made another attempt on making something from my favorite website. And unfortunately it didn't turn out (not even worth being photographed), but we ate it anyway. Sometimes i want to give up and admit that I'm not a baker but NO i will keep trying. This is what i have in mind for this coming weekend (of course i pick the most complicated recipes i can find). Also, I got a nice card and gift card to Joann Fabric (so i can buy more yarn ;0). Saturday night ended at Outback for a nice steak dinner with a sweet potato and a Pineapple Chipotle Margarita (Yum-O).

Ladybug Booties

This weekend instead of getting a bunch of stuff done at my house or even working on my Forecast sweater I decided to try some baby booties. My first pair turned out pretty good but it took forever and I had to rip them out about 5-6 times.

I had to borrow my friend's baby (Rowan) for the photo shoot the booties just weren't right without feet in them. Now I'm working on a matching hat, I already ripped that out twice so if i don't get a hang of this ladybug stuff quick it might end here. But I do love the ladybug, it's so pretty and happy! I even have a collection of ladybug stuff that I'm probably too old for but can't part with (at least not yet).

New Hats!

Baci hat! I ran out of black yarn so decided for finish the top with off white yarn and i kind of like it. I knitted the dog part separate on size 1 needles and sewed it on top after the hat was done. It's a little crazy but makes me really happy!

And here is Baci himself sporting Vince's new hat (it's flipped out).

Baby Blanket!

My good friend is having a baby girl in March and since I found out that she was pregnant i was planning on making her a blanket. Of course I procrastinated and kept on thinking i had so much time until a shower invitation showed up in the mail. One week before the shower I started and had hopes of finishing it but it didn't quite happen. So it was pretty embarrassing when i showed up at the shower with a 3/4 finished blanket, only the G embroidered, still on the circular needles and had to take it back to finish. I finished couple days later and gave it to her. I think she liked. Thank you to Marie from my knitting group for suggesting the dog paw print, my friend and her husband own three large dogs (2 golden retrievers and a husky) so they are huge dog people and it's very appropriate. I can't wait to meet Grace!

Mamma to be with blankie in the baby's room. So cute!!

SnB

Wednesday was 5 year anniversary of my Stitch n' Bitch group. I have only been a member since August of 2008 but i do really enjoy it. It's a great group of women and i have learned so much from them. They are all very talented and make really extraordinary things. Thanks guys!

Knitting Recap

Things, mainly hats, that i made in the past month:
First is this little Debbie Bliss beret which didn't turn out as loose and droopy as the pattern but i still like it and it's really warm.

On the flight back from Florida i was busy making this hat for Vince. This guy next to me kept on looking over at me like i was crazy but by the end of the flight he said that he was impressed with my knitting and surprised that people still do that. Anywho i think it turned out too cute and is perfect for shoveling snow. Apparently those are his colors.
For Christmas my aunt from poland sent me this lovely yarn and last week when i was home sick I decided to make the Falicity hat with it. I added a flower from this pattern to make it a little more fancy. Pretty happy with the result.


Lastly are my two new cases one for my ipod touch and the other for my camera.