Lyllie in her sundress

Just wanted to post a few pics of Lyllie in her sundress!! My problem is that they are all so cute, I couldn't decide which ones to post. I won't bore you all with all 25 of them though...here are four pics. Is she just not too cute!!! In the top pic it looks tight on her, but it really isn't-it's just the way Aimee was holding her.

A New Sundress for Lyllie

I just put the finishing touches on this little sundress for Lyllie tonight. It is the Little Maiden Sundress from Crochet Garden. I did it in Bernat Softee Baby. I've decided that my projects for the grandbabies are now going to all be done in acrylic except for very special occassion items.
The cable sweater that I made for Ryder that was done in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK has only been washed one time, and it is pilling really bad. I thought a higher quality yarn, aka more expensive yarn, wouldn't do that.

Anyway--I love how the dress turned out!! I especially love my little flowers on it. I made them with DMC Pearl Cotton. I will be making a hat to go with it as well as a little headband.

As far as the Christening Gown...I had a really good start on it--had the bodice done, and about 10 inches done on the skirt. I was making it in a 6 - 9 month size. Lyllie was still wearing 3 month size clothes about three weeks ago, and then she suddenly had a growth spurt...darn those babies anyway--they just don't stay little, do they!? Anyway--there is no way that gown will fit her in a month or two, so have to restart her gown, and am now looking at a couple other patterns in thread crochet, as I'm worried that yarn will be too hot, even if it is lightweight. So--we'll have to see what I decide about her gown. I'm waiting on a pattern that I ordered to get a better look at one that I am thinking of. Will let you all know what I decide. For now, I'm going to make the hat and headband to go with her little dress.

Face to Face with an Angel...

Some people only get to dream of angels...I have been blessed to meet one face to face...





This is Gary, and he is my real life angel...

I took Ryder down to his Great-Great Aunt Mary and Great-Great Uncle Ken's this weekend. Ryder stayed with them earlier this year for a few weeks, and they were missing him and wanted to spend time with him, so we went for the weekend. I got some work done on Lyllie's Christening Gown while they played with Ryder.
But for me the highlight of my weekend was meeting their son, Gary. Gary began having grand mal seizures when he was around 9 months old, and Ken and Mary were told it was "normal epilepsy" that Gary would outgrow by the age of 12. Well, it wasn't normal epilepsy. He was diagnosed with a syndrome. I don't remember the name of it though. And Gary hit a point as a young child where he lost all of his skills and regressed to about the level of a 9 month old baby. But that is only on the outside...
on the inside, Gary is a very wise angel. When he looks at you, he doesn't see the outside person...I could just feel it when he looked at me...he saw into the very depths of my soul, and when I look into Gary's eyes, I know I am in the presence of an angel. Gary personifies everything that is pure and good and beautiful not only in this world, but also the beauty of heaven. I have been so very blessed to get to meet him and spend time with him this weekend. He is unable to form words with his mouth, but he speaks volumes with his heart!! When one walks into his room, you can't help but to be filled with peace and quietness in your heart. All the pressures of the world just seem to fall away.
Mary and I believe that Gary and Ryder are "kindred souls". Ryder is mezmerized with Gary. I laid Ryder up on Gary's chest, and they just stared into each others eyes. Ryder was very still and very quiet, and he is NEVER still and quiet anymore, except for when he is sleeping. there was a definite feeling of communication between the two of them.
And whenever Ryder was near Gary's room, he just stare intently into the room and look at
Gary. When Gary was out with all of us in the living room, Ryder would watch him intently, and when Ryder would make noise, Gary would lift his head and look around for him. It's hard to put into words--but there is a soul connection between the two of them.
Thank you Ken and Mary for sharing your beautiful boy with me...
and Thank you so much, Gary, for the peace and love you've brought into my heart this weekend!! I Love You Soooooooo Very Much!!!!!!!

Starting a New Project

I am getting ready to start a new project...it is a Christening Gown for Lyllie. Aimee wants to have her Christening later this spring...so I have got to get busy. We looked at knitting patterns, and didn't find anything that I wanted to take on--I mean some of those gowns start with a cast on of over 500 stitches. Poor Lyllie would be 12 years old before I would get that finished!! LOL!!
Then I found this pattern...the dress is called Angel Song from Crochet Garden...and I fell in love with it. I am going to make the skirt longer so that it will be a gown. I am really excited about crocheting this even though I consider myself a knitter...I guess now I am going to be both a knitter and a crocheter...hope my knitting friends will still love me!!! LOL!!
Right now I am waiting for my crochet hook to "bake". I did the Sculpey Clay handle so my hand and wrist won't get sore, so that is in the oven for about another 15 minutes, then I have to wait for it to cool--sigh!!
I am really loving these patterns at Crochet Garden. I am also going to do this
Little Maiden Sundress as well this summer.
I have an afghan pattern as well from there to do for Ryder for his next "special blankie"called Afghan of the Sandman. And hopefully the designer, Lisa, will maybe put out some boy patterns too. Maybe a little short set or something. I do have some sweaters in the back of my mind for Ryder for next fall. I don't want him to feel left out!! But gosh--those little girl patterns are cute, and inspire me to crochet them!!
I will post pics of the Christening Gown as I progress on it!!
I just took Roxy on a long walk...our first long walk of the season, so she should be ready for a good long nap, and I can get lots done on the gown this afternoon :o)

Lyllie's Poncho Set

Just wanted to share some pics of Lyllie's poncho and hat set that I made. It is crocheted...gasp!!! yes--I said crocheted!! I hope my knitting needles don't find out I've been cheating on them. Sometimes I just like to meander off the knitting path--but not for long. I do enjoy crocheting at times, but not as much as I do knitting.




It's pretty, gramma, but how does it taste?

My Crochet Hooks

I'm just posting a couple pics here for friends and family who have asked me about my crochet hooks. My right wrist and hand used to get very sore crocheting, and I have tried various ergonomic hooks, but they weren't comfortable, didn't feel right, and I just didn't enjoy using them...they alsodid not seem to help much with the pain and numbness I would get in my hand and fingers. So.... I made my own handles out of Sculpey Polymer Clay that you bake in the oven.
I squish the clay to get it warmed up and softened, then wrap around a metal crochet hook. Then I hold it the way that I do when I'm crocheting, and crochet a few stitches. This molds the clay to a perfect impression of my hand. Pop it in the oven at 275 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes, and I have a crochet hook handle that is custom made for me!!! With a very comfortable thumbrest.
They may not be the prettiest crochet hooks, but they are very comfortable and allow me to crochet all evening without pain.

This is a pic from the top. My thumb rests in that notch on the side. I hold my hooks like a pencil.



and this is the back side. You can see the notch in the top where my index finger rests...

Where was this thing...

when my kids were babies??!! Look how much fun Ryder is having in this thing!! His Gramma Jackie got this for him, and we all love it!! I am off this weekend to get one for Lyllie too.



and now check out this video...
he was 6 weeks old in this one. I can't believe how fast the year has flown by!!!

I know it's been awhile...

As I sit writing this today, my little Ryder is sitting in his jump-a-roo playing and singing and laughing. He is such a happy baby. I have him for the entire weekend!! Three weeks ago he, I and my shih tzu, Roxy drove to Illinois to visit my family. Ryder got to meet his great PawPaw for the first time...




Big Cousin Rylie, PawPaw and Ryder
&
PawPaw and Lyllie


PawPaw isn't doing well, his health has really taken a bad turn, so it was very important to all of us to get Ryder down there to meet him. My daughter Aimee had flown down a few weeks earlier with Lyllie so PawPaw could meet her...so now he has been able to see both of his great grandbabies. Also--if he knew I posted these pics of him, he would ring my neck...so shhhhhhh!!! Nobody tell PawPaw!!!! These are very precious pictures to all of us. We all really love our PawPaw, and wish he was doing better...we don't want him to go...

When Aimee and Lyllie flew down, my mom had no idea they were coming, so she was really surprised. It did my mom a world of good to have them there as this has been very hard on her. My grandma, her mom, just passed away a year ago in September, and then three weeks later, PawPaw was diagnosed with a brain tumor and lung cancer.

Here is my mom when Aimee came walking in with the Lyllie...


What a wonderful surprise...great grandma meets Lyllie for the
first time...



Great Grandma, my niece, Rylie and Lyllie




Second cousins Rylie and Lyllie



I must say, Ryder did very well on the long car ride. We left just before nap time both ways, so I got half the drive in while he was sleeping both on the way down and on the way home. Then when he was awake, we stopped every two hours so he could get out and play and Roxy could go potty. It's normally an 8 hour drive, and this stretched it out into 10 hours, but overall it went very well. Was I ever nervous though driving that far with a baby!!

We were there over Easter, so Ryder got to go on his first Easter Egg hunt while we were there as well...

Ryder and Great Auntie Kari found an egg!!


Ryder's first Easter Egg

On the crafting front--I have been doing more crocheting than knitting. I am working on a log cabin afghan for me...done in squares to be crocheted together rather than one big square, and it is going to be huge...I want it to cover my whole bed and hang over the sides.

And I made this adorable hat for Ryder...

Ryder and his Daddy...my son, Zak...
two very handsome dudes!!! Just my opinion!

I also have made a super cute hat for Lyllie, and am just putting the finishing touches on a poncho, so will post pics of the outfit this evening, and will HOPEFULLY have pics of her wearing it to post after this weekend.

So I guess that is all for now. I just wanted to get caught up here, and am going to try to be better about posting again...life just gets away from us sometimes!!

Great Grandma, Ryder and Great PawPaw