The Giving Flower

One last post before we leave. Well, one last post before the last post. I’m taking the kids to my parents’ in the States and I’m going to fill my 3 1/2 empty suitcases with all sorts of good things. I’ll let you know when we return what we’ve succumbed to buying. Oh what fun! We might even hit the beach. I can’t wait to see my family. I may have time to post, but that’s not really likely, so I will see you all, or better said you will see me, in 3 weeks. Emily will be taking care of this place, the cats and my husband, who can’t come with us this time.
Before I sign off, I’d like to show you what I worked on all day yesterday. Can you guess what this is?

Ok, I’ll post tomorrow with the answer. (hint: more gifts)

I’d like to let you in on a little secret of mine. You may have asked yourself, how could I sew, knit, cook, bake, play with the kids, take care of the cats, take care of my husband (that counts double) and still stay sane? Do you really think I could do it all myself? Well, I just couldn’t keep lying to everyone, I have to get this secret off my chest and tell you, I’ve been deceiving you too long.

Her name is Emily. Emily is the one that does it all; I just take credit for it. I just knit and sew while Emily does the rest. I can’t cook or bake, was that a cup of salt I just put in that meatloaf? I don’t play with the kids-they think I’m a big sister in town for a visit who doesn’t want to be bothered. You can usually find me on the couch with my knitting on my lap watching a good movie. I sometimes even eat chocolate while watching, it soothes those stressed nerves.

Let me tell you the story from the beginning. Emily came to us about 2 years ago. I was wandering around the Christmas market when I saw her sitting at a stand with all her orphaned brothers and sisters.
Those big warm eyes and amusing smile just called to me and even the sweet smell of roasted nuts and cotton candy couldn’t turn me away, I just had to talk to her. After finding out that she was without a family and very sad, I decided to take her home. We went home, warmed up our hands, started talking and getting to know each other. She’s been with us ever since and the kids just adore her. She’s integrated very nicely into our little family and began working almost from the start. I couldn’t imagine a day without her. I’ve taken some pictures of her working around the house; yes, I got up from my knitting to take these pictures. (Remember click on a picture to make it bigger)

Here is Emily cleaning the bathroom. She’s holding her nose but she really does enjoy working in here.

Here she is cooking dinner for all of us. Every morning she asks what we’d like and then heads to the grocery store to buy the ingredients. She, of course, empties the dishwasher happily.

She never complains about ironing Martin’s shirts. She likes him to look well pressed for work. Of course, she’s washed and dried them first.

The cats always sit still while she brushes them, which they don’t do for me. She feeds the kids, too!

Of course, when she’s finished with the windows, I let her relax a bit with my knitting magazines, and she usually has great ideas for new sweater for me to knit.

Without her computer genius I would never have been able to change my template for my blog to look just the way I want it.
So, now you know my little family secret and I’m sure the better for it. Just don’t tell anyone or they’ll be at my door asking to borrow Emily for the weekend, and then the week, and then the month, oh it would never end!!

I’ve been chugging along in Harry Potty and the Order of the Phoenix; I’m on page 320! I know that might not sound like much, but for me it sure is and I’m now to the point where I don’t want to put it down. Did you know that there is a bit of knitting in this one?? Hermione is knitting for the house elves. She is too cool. In every good book or movie someone is always knitting, it was just meant to be.
Anyway, now to some sewing news. This weekend, not only did I finish my Moths-stay-away-from-my-hand-knit-wool-sweater pillows, but I also finished this little flowered tank that I’ve wanted to work on since the beginning of the summer.
Can you tell I like flowers? I used a stretch cotton and wasn’t sure how it would be to sew. Contrary to my worries, it sewed up super, which could have also been contributed to my great machine. I also made major alterations so that it would fit better, which in the end turned out well, but to be perfectly honest the reason I put it off so long was because I wasn’t too willing to try it. I made the neck smaller and the shoulders thinner. I could have made the whole thing a bit more fitted, which would have looked better, but I like to have a bit of play in shirts so they are comfortable and I can wear them all the time, even with the kids and I don’t feel ‘trapped’. I ask myself on this one, why use a pattern?

I’ve been knitting too. I’ve started my black minisweater and I think I’m going to make major alterations on that one, too. I bought lots of yarn so I can make it longer and maybe even lengthen the sleeves. It won’t be a minisweater anymore at this rate, but it should look good. I don’t like knitting with black, but because it is such a practical color, I thought I’d knit it anyway. We’ll see how it turns out. Black is slimming, which is a very good characteristic for me!
I have a question for you. I saw these great minisweaters by Tami and I love what she did. You have to scroll down a bit to see her purple one. She used different patterns to lengthen them. I don’t know if I should knit stockinette stitch, lace or something else? I hate these kinds of decisions and need your advice. Ugh. Now it’s your turn, what do you think? Thanks in advance.

All you hungry wool-eating moths out there, you have found your match!! It’s the Moths-stay-away-from-my-hand-knit-wool-sweater pillows that I’ve made to keep you at bay. Here they are ready to be filled with dried lavender, which is what I’ve heard to be a big no-no in the moth community.
My family has sweaters and they are woolly, that’s why I’ve decided they need these Moths-stay-away-from-my-hand-knit-wool-sweater pillows as gifts. Unfortunately it doesn’t show in my picture, but when the pillow is stuffed with lavender you can see it through the lace.
Let me know what you think of these and I’ll try to make a pattern and tutorial and put it in the sidebar. But only if you sign my guestbook! I know this is childish but I have to resert to these things. Now, be good and sign the guestbook and let me know what you think of me, this blog, or anything that tickles your undersides. Did I say that? Could be.