Grapelicious

A little fruity grape hat for my little girly...

This is the first knitted project that I finished that required me to really follow the pattern. I was so proud of myself when I finished it. This little hat is well...quite little...yet it took forever (it seemed) to complete. Perhaps it was the very fine yarn and itsy needles. However, I did learn quite a few new skills while making this hat...knitting with both circular needles and then double point needles at the end, increasing and decreasing! I can't wait to see it on her little head.

Also, nursery furniture arrived late Monday night. Actually, I should say early Tuesday morning because they carried it in around 12:30am. The delivery man of the furniture store where we purchased it wanted to come down a day in advance because of a snow storm predicted in his area on the original date of delivery. He asked if we would mind a late delivery. Of course not! It was odd to have furniture delivered in the middle of the night but honestly we didn't mind! DH and my father-in-law put the furniture together last night and DH washed some of the bedding. We plan to put things together tonight! I will have pictures soon. I do have to say though...I love this furniture even more than I remembered and I am so glad we bought it regardless of the price!

Now, off to start a veggie hat for my little boy...

Don't you love it when...

...you have had a really long day taking an exam (yes, I had to sit for 8 hours and take a standardized test in all my pregnant glory - hence my absence this week due to studying - ANYWAY...) and you come home to a big Priority Mail box stuffed with goodies like this????

Needless to say, I was more than excited. It was like Christmas in January at my house this evening!

Fellow pregnant blogger Stefanie of Artsy Momma sent me this care package full of goodies. She is 38 weeks this week yet found the time to put together this package for me! She is just too sweet! I cannot wait to get started with all of this stuff. I already have lots of projects lined out in my mind.

Wanna hear more about the goodies in my box from Stefanie???

ADORABLE his and her matching hat and booties sets and some super cute iron ons...I can't wait to put this on some little onesies. It will make an adorable complete outfit for each of them!

Yarn! Yarn! Yarn! All super soft! Can't wait to use it all! Also included in the box but not pictured are a couple skeins of Cotton Ease in a lovely taupe and blue...those are already being wound on the yarn winder...I didn't even wait long enough to take a picture of them before I started using them!

All supplies necessary for hand embroidery! 72 colors of embroidery thread, oh my! I'm in heaven. DH is going to have to wash some onesies because this super cute pattern will make some adorable baby clothes!

Also, I have been meaning to photograph and share my other bed rest gift from bloggy friend Jennifer of JCasa Handmade (if you haven't seen her blog...you must go check out her handy work. Bee-u-tee-ful!). She sent me this skein of lovely 100% merino wool vesper sock yarn and a pattern for footies she has recently made/posted on her blog.

Since seeing her footies I have been obsessed with wanting to knit socks. I have purchased 2 books on knitting socks as well as 2 general knitting books. I have been practicing and practicing with my ultimate goal being to gain the skills necessary to knit these socks! I cannot wait to use this yarn...I'm getting a lot closer to feeling confident enough to give it a try!

I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Since my announcement about my bed rest (which was posted while I was actually an inpatient at the hospital- thank goodness for wireless patient internet!) I have received nothing but well wishes and support from all of you, my blog-y friends. I never realized how much starting this blog would enrich my life...I know it sounds corny...but you all are awesome. You have become my "friends" though we have never met...your comments make my day and I have appreciated all of your kind thoughts and prayers throughout all of this. I cannot say thank you enough!

For my Dad...

I am so proud of this project for many reasons. I made it for my Dad. When I was visiting them last weekend he watched me working on another scarf and was quite interested. With the recent cold snap we have been having here we decided he needed a nice woolly warm scarf. So, a couple of nights later when I cast off the other scarf I had some free needles and a desire for a new project for Dad. This scarf actually was completed in one sitting. Two movies later and Dad had a brand new scarf made of some handsome burnt red and brown woolly yarn. I still can't believe I can actually knit.

This is actually completed knitting project #4 - where is #3? Well, that one is a scarf similar to this one but is mega long...so I need to model it for a good picture. Maybe DH will be available to help with that over the weekend.

Some exciting news: The nursery furniture will be delivered on Tuesday!!! Also, you have to sneak a peek at this. I am soooo excited!

Have a great weekend everyone!

So pleased.

(photo from JCPenny)

The bedding for the nursery arrived! I was so incredibly pleased with the quality of this bedding set. Plus, it is even more beautiful in person! I have been struggling with the baby bedding situation for quite some time. I didn't know if I wanted to have their cribs outfitted in coordinating but not exactly the same sets (like chocolate and brown polka dots for him and chocolate and pink for her) or if I wanted something neutral. Ultimately, I decided I wanted to use the colors chocolate, khaki and sage - nice and neutral for both. I searched high and low and could not find a set I liked.

Then, I found this one at Pottery Barn. I loved it. I wanted it. However, I could not justify spending $592 (not counting shipping) for 2 sets of the bedding. I just couldn't spend that much.

Then, thanks to some help from my sister I found the above set at JCPenny.com. It is very similar and I ended up getting 2 sets of the bedding and 2 valences for half the price! ($300 with a coupon) It is a super soft, 100% cotton and the stitching detail is excellent.

Very pleased indeed.

I can't wait until our nursery furniture arrives. I think this will look beautiful against the fruitwood stained oak. Plus, there are so many possibilities to add the colors I want (in additional quilts as wall hangings, art, different crib sheets, etc). I love it.

Knitting Project #2 Complete

Yeah! I finished my 2nd ever "real needles" knitting project! I used this pattern to make this dish/wash cloth and 100% cotton yarn Lily Sugar'n Cream yarn. The photo really does not do this one justice! The colors are so much prettier in person! This was so easy to work up (and I read a pattern!!!) and really quick. I will definitely be making more of these with this pattern.

So, with all my new found pattern reading wisdom, I have already cast on my next project. I am attempting circular knitting (all of my projects have a purpose - I need to learn circular knitting so I can ultimately make these socks!) using a pattern kit from my local yarn shop. It is the most adorable hat for baby girl. Don't worry...I have an equally adorable one for baby boy that will be knit as soon as the one for baby girl is completed. I'll keep the details of the hats a secret for now but they will be posted here as soon as they are off the needles!

All wound up and ready to go...

In an attempt to practice my knitting pattern reading skills while not wasting/ruining expensive beautiful yarn, I have decided my next little knitting project will be to use up more of my cute 100% cotton yarn from my stash. I'm going to attempt this pattern. Yeah, another dish/wash cloth... Wish me luck...off to cast on tonight!

Happy, Happy 28 weeks!

28 weeks!!!

Yesterday was a huge milestone! Babies born after 28 weeks do much better than those born before 28 weeks (95% intact survival rate at our hospital over the last 7 years). The perinatologist at our hospital always says the month of 24 weeks - 28 weeks is the biggest month in a babies life. My babies made that mark! Now, we have our eyes set on the next prize milestone - 34 weeks here we come!

Both babies are doing very well. We had a growth ultrasound this morning and both babies are measuring appropriately. Baby Girl is now weighing in at 2 lbs. 8 oz. and Baby Boy is 2 lbs. 11 oz! They are so beautiful (we have some nice 4D images of their cute little faces!) and we are so excited about them.

I finished my first ever knitted project - a washcloth! This one will be added to the stack for the babies since it is kinda small. I used only knit stitches in this project for practice...now I'm ready to purl! I have plenty more 100% cotton yarn for more washcloths but mama really wants a scarf for herself. I need to practice reading a knitting pattern because I am dying to make some of these socks with the beautiful yarn that JCasa (she has posted some beautiful socks lately!)sent to me...I must take a picture of that yarn to share with you all (add to the to-do list)!