My knitting projects

Thought I would show some of what I have been doing while I have not been blogging. This first is called a shawlette, it is smaller than a shawl. Made out of 100% Merino Wool, so soft. Next my first attempt at hand knit socks. The pattern is boot, or ski socks. I will use them as house socks. I had to make socks before I could register for the Christmas Stocking class. I did enjoy making them, made both in 4 days.
This scarf is for my mother for Christmas (she doesn't blog, so she won't see it).
Another scarf, this one is so very, very easy and fast to knit.
Market bag, just throw this one in your purse and pull it out at the register instead of getting their plastic.
A baby jacket

another baby jacket

and yet another baby jacket. The 3rd photo comparing the size of the orange and white baby jacket to the brown one. Not much difference.

Summertime knitting for wintertime pleasure

My first class on making a garment. Naturally I started something for the oldest grandchild.

This sweater is called the Wonderful Wallaby, as you can see on the pattern. At this point I only had the hoodie left to knit. And while waiting for the next class I took a different class, and naturally it was to knit something for the next grandchild. But more about the Wonderful Wallaby, notice this pocket, it is what makes the whole thing so cute.

Mason didn't even care that it is 90 outside, he let us try it on for him. But they do say wool is also cooling. The Wallaby is only 50% wool, so it is machine washable. He is 18 months old, and the wallaby is a size 2. We determined he will be needing the next size well before the winter is over.

The warmth of the wallaby didn't keep Mason from going to his favorite place, the kitchen cabinets. This was his first time at the house in Rockwood and he needed to explore the place.

In the next class I learned to knit the "Surprise Jacket". It is called this because it looks like a mess while knitting, then you lay it out, and sew two short seams at the top of the sleeves and it is done. Just alot of increases and decreases throughout the whole pattern. Next time I make one of these I will photograph as I go so you can see it. The one below is now on Etsy, because it is too small for Noah. We determined it is a newborn through maybe 13 or 14 lbs. Noah weighs around 16 lbs, and it was just a little small. I also made one they said was for a one year old. We will see at what point it does fit Noah.

Just in case none of you have noticed, it is just about "FOOTBALL TIME IN TENNESSEE!!!!", and the radio is blasting it just that way. I have this sweater on my website and on Etsy, here, in hopes of a 'big orange fan' having a newborn in their family that they just have to have it for.

And then not to leave precious Noah out of this post just because his jacket didn't fit him, taken on Thursday, the day the orange and white did NOT fit him. As you can tell, he did not feel slighted in the least because the jacket his Granny knit for him did not fit, he is still beaming at me.

Hand knit baby bags

Mason's sweater is the first sweater I have ever made. I have made shawls in the past, but never those sleeves and attaching. Whew! That is why I am going to class to make this sweater. I have learned so much already, but I am not ready to show Mason's Wallaby Sweater, so I thought I would show you some of my past knitting.

This one is my own design and with all designs there is a story behind it. When we learned we were expecting Mason, as all expectant grandmothers are, I was excited. I bought a little blue lamb with "The Lord is My Shepherd"stitched on the front. I also bought a little bag that said "Peep A Blue". Didn't have a clue what I was going to do with it. The baby showers came and went and I still had the little lamb with the "Peep A Blue" bag. So when the call came that Lindsey was headed to the hospital I took off with my little blue bag in hand. Very early they put the blue lamb in the bed with Mason, and it became part of his bedtime 'have to'. So I decided maybe I should buy a 2nd one. Just in case something happened to the first one, but I couldn't find another one, but I did find him a little blue bear with "Bless This Child" stitched on the front, by the same company, so they look like a match. Oh, and the little blue bag. It also stays in Mason's crib, they use it to keep extra pacifiers in. When he drops one out of his bed he doesn't cry, he just reaches in there and gets himself another pacifier.

About this same time we found out we were expecting Noah, so I had to find Noah's lamb and bear. No blue ones to be found but I did find a beige one of each. Well, if Mason had one of each then Noah was going to have one of each. And to hold down on confusion, beige wasn't a bad idea. I had already made one of Noah's baby blankets in a green variegated, regular yarn. So I just changed a little about the pattern and created a bag for his lamb. So far Noah hasn't taken to a pacifier, but I am sure he will find something to do with his bag. Noah's bag is shown at the top. And I was even able to stuff both the lamb and the bear in his bag when I took it to the hospital.

The lambs and bears were hard to find, so I went on line. Ended out with all 3 colors of the lamb and bear. Now what to do with a case of lambs and bears? Make bags for them. When I showed Noah's bag to friends it was suggested I make bags with the lambs or bears to sell. So what you see is the first bag I made to sell. It is so very soft. I started to say awesomely soft, but as Pastor Scott has pointed out to us the only thing in this life that is awesome is our Lord and Savior. I am breaking my habit of using awesome about things around us, but it is ultra soft. I had never used this yarn before, but I will in the future. I bought it to make preemie caps, so it had to be soft.

I joined Etsy about the time I finished this bag, and I found these great labels on Etsy from another crafter. If any of you knitters need labels for your knitting projects please check her out at http://www.rememberwynn.etsy.com/ . I contacted her and she made a sample of 3 different label designs for me and displayed them for me to choose. Can even choose the color of the labels you want. I had them within a week. If you do check her out, please be sure to tell her Leedra sent you. And of course, this bag is available on Etsy at http://www.leedrasheirloomgoods.etsy.com/

The preemie caps are a challenge between our yarn store and a yarn store in Alabama. The challenge ends in October when the University of Tennessee plays the Crimson Tide. Naturally the winner is the yarn store with the most preemie caps. The pattern is extra easy, and I will show them before I turn them in. So far I have only made 5, so I am not in the running for the most made. The caps will then be given to the local hospitals, here and in Alabama.

Baby Cradle for Wendy and Lukas' baby

As I am preparing this post our new grandson has not arrived. Jimmy works with wood and he made a baby cradle for the new grandson.

Jimmy and I took the baby cradle to Wendy and Lukas' house Sunday afternoon.

We wanted to be sure to get it there before he arrives, and we made it.

This is the 2nd cradle Jimmy has made. The first one was for Mason.

Hopefully soon I will be able to show you photos of our new grandson in his cradle.

My interest through the years

I have always had a serious craft (hobby).

I began photography when I was 11 or 12. As a teenager I learned to knit and crochet. Late teens I started ceramics, and did that for about 5 years. During that same time frame I learned to embroidery. Then I moved to x-stitch, doing x-stitch from 1983 to 2005. When Jimmy and I married (February 1996) we both started bird watching from our back screened porch that Jimmy built. Being a photographer I had to try to capture them on film as often as I could. We moved from that house in 2000, and seemed like we doubled our bird population by moving one mile.

Jimmy and I both took a stained glass class in 2005. Something he had always wanted to try. He has not done any stained glass since the class. In 2006 we built a new house (30 miles to the east) and I made lots of stained glass for the house. The largest piece is over the claw foot tub in our master bath. I finally made all I could for myself so I setup http://www.heirloomgoods.com/ at that time. Before the economy did it's nose dive I was selling some stained glass pieces. Maybe I will be able to again someday.

Then my 35mm Canon AE1 saw it's last and I switched to a digital camera in June of 2007. I first bought a Fuji point and shoot, but it could not capture those birds like I was used to with the AE1. About 6 months later I went to the Canon Rebel XTi digital SLR. When I got the D-SLR my macro photography went back to what I had been accustomed to with the Canon AE1. I had done photography all through all the other crafts, but digital opened up photography at a new level. I had always taken lots of photos. A week's vacation could be 6 to 10 rolls of film, easily. With a special trip being up to 20 rolls of film. I filled 4 albums when we went to the Badlands and Yellowstone in 1998. Sometimes I felt like the film developing cost as much as the trip itself. But now there is no restriction on how many photos I can take of that butterfly or bird. It does seem that everything else has been set to the side as I have gone back to my photography full force. I photographed my first 'real' engagement and wedding in 2008. Really had a blast doing it. Also, had some photography assignment work in 2008, with some more coming up soon for the same company.

What you see in my photography is still what I capture with the camera. Photoshop is way above my head, and am not even sure what I feel about it. The old saying 'pictures don't lie' has gone out the window. Now when a person sees a photograph that seems unbelievable it makes us stop and think that it probably is. But not from this photographer, my pictures still do not lie. The enjoyment I feel is the capture from behind the camera, not the computer screen.