A Gorgeous Day

I know I posted once today already--but some beautiful Fall weather has finally come to Minnesota, so Roxy and I went for a long walk today with the camera, and I wanted to share some of the pics with friends and family. Roxy loves walking in the leaves...she also loves to do nosedives and roll in them--she definitely is a kid at heart:)

NOSEDIVE!!!!!


And a good nosedive deserves a good roll in the leaves as well!!


coming up for air





Where's the Shih Tzu covered in leaves, mom? I don't
see any Tzu covered in leaves...what are you talking about?


A very satisfied Roxy


Just added this one cuz I thought it was cute!! don't ya' just want to pick her up and cuddle her!?


Now I'm off to do some knitting while one tired Tzu takes a nap on my lap. Later this evening it will be bathtime for her, and that takes a good three hours from start to finish!!

She Finally Gets It!!!!!

For many years, I have listened to my daughter, Aimee, laugh at me for all the yarn I buy,and all the knitting I do. Before I became a grandma, and when she was younger, she would call me "Ole Granny KnitKnit"!

On Thursday we were at her dr. appointment, and I was knitting on Ryders Cable Sweater. She kept watcing me knit, and she finally said to me...
"You know, it is really amazing to think that you are making that out of a piece of string."

DUH!!!!!!!! That is what I have been trying to explain to her for years about why I love to knit!!!!! I'm thinking it must be the pregnancy hormones that have helped her to FINALLY understand!! LOL!!

Victorian Swag sock

Now that I've gotten a bit done on my Victorian Swag sock-I wanted to post a pic. I love this pattern--it is busy enough to not be boring, but not so intricate that I can't relax and enjoy a good movie while I am knitting on it. It is Monica's pattern, and is available from The Loopy Ewe. I am knitting it in Trekking XXL colorway 124. I also have another skein in a different colorway earmarked for this pattern as well :)

I've also ordered a set of sock blockers from Chappy's Fiber Arts & Crafts on EBAY. They designed a Shih Tzu pair for me. I can't wait to get them and display my socks on them!

A Day for Surprises!!

As I sit here writing this evening, I am sipping and enjoying a warm cup of "Tame Cherry Tea" from Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor, MI. It is one of the lovely gifts I received from my Harvest Sock Swap pal, Becky. My package arrived today, and was a nice surprise!! It was filled with goodies!!



There was my beautiful Snicket Sock--which I love!! I am so happy that I am the lucky recipient of Becky's Snicket Sock!! Then the Tame cherry Tea--which I am loving!! A pumpkin pie candle that smells so much like the real thing, that I think I may just bake pies this weekend! LOL! There were some delectable Michigan chocolates. And I don't have a husband--so I don't have to share!! There is some beautiful stationary hand done by a Michigan artist that is very pretty. Then she sent me two balls of Crystal Palace Maizy yarn that is 85% corn fiber. It is so soft--who would have thought you could knit with corn? I already have a pattern picked out for it!! And last but certainly not least...bless her heart...she even thought of my dog, Roxy, and sent a wool felted dog bone toy for her...and she loves it!! Thank you so much for everything, Becky!! I love it all. It was so thoughtfully all put together! And like I said-I love the Snicket Sock!! It is sooooo soft. I can't wait to get the other one done so I can wear them. Oh--and Becky--I can read your writing on the pattern perfectly fine--remember--I am a nurse, so I have to decipher doctor penmanship all the time :) Big Hugzzzzzz to you and your precious little man, Becky!!



This was Roxy when I brought the package in...whenever we get a package-she gets all excited thinking it is for her, because she gets lots of presents from some of her Dogster Friends.


Is that a package for me, Mom? Huh, is it, is it!?




Roxy says a big Thank You and Tzu Kisses for you Becky!!




Thank you, Becky!! I love my new bone!!!







Then, my daughter stopped over when she got off work and brought me my birthday present--a bit late...my birthday was October 11, but we were soooo busy with her baby shower, that my birthday kind of fell by the wayside. That's ok though--this is Aimee's special time, and I count it a blessing to be sharing this time with her...but-she didn't totally forget my birthday, and she brought me this great craft tote that I have been wanting badly. It is full of pockets, and it has a zipper pocket on the bottom that holds this drawer in it, and it has a detachable metal carousel base. I love this thing--it will be perfect for my socks and smaller baby projects to take when I am on the go!!



And so I will sign off for tonight basking in the warm glow of family, love and friendship. I am looking forward to getting to know Becky better through here and through Ravelry, and also getting to hear all about her sweet baby boy!!



P.S. Don't look at the mess on my computer desk--LOL!! It is an organized mess!!

I MADE IT!!!!!!!!!

Got home from work tonight and found my invitation to Ravelry!!!!!!! Yeah!!!!!!! My name is grammaknits02. I haven't done much there yet, and have to now open a Flickr photo account so I can start adding pictures. It's been a long busy day at work though, so won't do it tonight. Roxy is begging for my undivided attention. Sure-she slept all day, so now she is full of it and wanting to play. She has brought me three toys already!! LOL!!

Also got my approval for Purling Puppies webring--so now I am finally linked up there too!! What a big day!! It sure doesn't take much to make me happy--LOL!!

Ryder says, "I Love My NaNa"

Along with the pics in the post below--I wanted to share these great videos of Ryder playing and laughing...these make me smile!

In this first video I am sure he is saying "I love my NaNa". It's definitely the right number of syllables! Listen close, and you will hear it...



I'm sure my precious Grandma in heaven must have taught him to say that!! We know she was with us the evening before he was born, because we looked outside and saw a beautiful rainbow in the sky, and I knew at that moment that Grandma was with us and that Ryder would make a safe entrance into the world. And I know that she knows that I want to be as wonderful a grandma to my grandbabies as what she was to me. That means more to me than anything, for my grandbabies to know how very much they are loved by their grandma--just as I knew how very much my grandma loved me. I was so blessed to have had her for 43 years of my life and I want to follow in the footsteps she left for me...

This is the rainbow we saw from the hospital window the evening before Ryder was born...Grandma was shining down on all of us and watching out for our little boy to help bring him safely into the big wide world...



and here he was minutes after he was born...safe and sound, just as Grandma's rainbow promised...



Sorry for the long trip down memory lane--I guess all the grandma hormones are hitting me tonight! Especially after hearing my grandson say, "I love my NaNa"! :)

Anyway...in this second video-he is just having fun playing and laughing...




OH!!!! And in other news...there are now only 150 people in front of me on Ravelry!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!! Not much longer!!!! I need you all to help me come up with a good Ravelry name!!

and... I know that just a couple of posts ago I said I wasn't going to start any new socks until I had all the other pairs finished...but...I just couldn't help myself...I started my Victorian Swag pair--they are one of Monica's patterns, which will soon be available from The Loopy Ewe again. (right now they are sold out, but getting more in) The way I see it--I would not be a very good sock knitter if I had only ONE sock on needles...so...since my #1 DPN's were just sitting there all lonely and empty--I just had to get a sock going on them. Now that I have two socks going, as well as Ryder's cable sweater on needles--I feel like a much more whole and complete knitter :) With all that said--I am off to bed!!

It is Amazing...

It is amazing what we will do to get a baby to smile!! If my neighbors could have heard the noises I was making to get these smiles out of Ryder they probably would have come running with straight jackets. He smiles alot now, and laughs--he was laughing alot at all of this grandma's funny noises--I just couldn't snap the picture fast enough to catch them--finally got these two pics after about 20 pictures. I still look at this precious baby and can't believe that I have been blessed with being his grandma!!! He is the greatest, and I really enjoy every precious minute that I get to spend with him!!