Hmmm....where to start? I've been so busy that I haven't posted anything in like forever. I will get some new pics of new projects and new pics of the grandkids up really soon.

The girls are growing like little weeds. It's so much fun to watch them and be around them. Nothing better than a sticky fingered hug, is there?

Mandi came home from Turkey but didn't find any satisfying/lucrative work here in Michigan (big surprise there, huh?). So she's back in Istanbul as of January 1. She has a new blog for this, her second adventure. You can find it at istanbulscalling.blogspot.com. If you haven't read her entries from her first trip you should when you get time. That blog can be found at mandi311.blogspot.com. Scroll and look for her Egypt and Romanian adventures.

I'll be back with pictures soon, I promise....

Wow! It's been a long time since I posted anything. I've been so busy, and the new grandbaby has made her arrival. Here are a few pics. She's now 4 weeks old and her sister loves her dearly. Her name is Camryn Morgan Leslie Harless. Morgan and Leslie are both after great grandpa's who've passed away, so that's why she has so many names ;). She's adorable and a very, very good baby. I'll add a few more pics so you can see just how adorable she is, and just how many people she has wrapped around her little, tiny fingers.

Here are some crazy pictures that the kids took about a week before Camryn was born. Chad and Tori fingerpainted Chrystal's belly! Not once, but twice!!!

I've been knitting a lot too, but sadly have no new pics to post. Hopefully I will get some extra time soon and will be able to post some pictures.

Tomorrow we are starting a craftalong day at church. The idea is to simply get together and share some time crafting together. An added bonus will be teaching people to craft or learning new things....whichever works out. I can teach some crafts and we have others who can teach some other crafts. I'm a bit anxious about the turn out (or possible lack thereof ;). But we have some feedback already from people who want to participate but won't be able to come tomorrow. So we've committed to stick with it for a while and see how it goes. We will have light refreshments and offer babysitting if we determine there's a need for it. So if you're in Chelsea, Michigan on Saturday, March 29th from 10 til noon stop by First Assembly of God and join us. Even if you can't make it then, but would like to come another time, just let me know.

I will get some new pictures of projects up soon. I am thinking of starting a KAL at the crafting day to see what kind of interest there is. I will have the sweater I'm working on that I think would be a good first KAL project for the fairly new knitter with me tomorrow. I already know of one person who wants to do it...maybe I can get some pictures up.

Do you belong to ravelry.com? If not, why not? It's awesome!

You know you knit too much when............your granddaughter (who is not quite 3 years old) is sitting on the couch beside you - and of course you're deep in thought and buried in yarn working on one of your many knitting projects. She reaches down to pull off her sock (she's had sock repellant feet since she was born). She pulls the cuff of the sock (store bought socks, not a labor of love), lets it snap back against her little ankle, pauses to think and repeats the procdure...then she looks at you and says, "Mimi, these socks are made of yarn"!!! I kid you not - not yet 3 years old!

Well, "the" sweater has finally arrived in Istanbul and has been photographed on Mandi! I'm so excited! It actually fits and she's happy with it. If you like it, you should check out the free pattern. It's called Arietta and is available on knitty.com (one of the very best web sites for anyone who's a knittin' fool). I recommend the pattern. It's challenging, but worth it.....let me know if you decide to make the sweater....I'd love to follow your process and see pictures along the way!

It's spring there, in Istanbul from what I understand but hopefully it will remain cool enough for Mandi to enjoy wearing it. Here's what it looks like on my beautiful daughter:



The very best thing about knitting for someone that's special to you is the ability to knit love and prayers with each and every stitch.

I took some pictures this evening to post on Ravelry.....so here they are. Two projects in progress (WIP's) and one finished. There are more recently completed projects, but not much time tonight to get pictures and post them.

I'm excited that Mandi's coming home soon (well, relatively soon). She's supposed to be buying her tickets soon and will be home in May sometime.

Tori's still excited about the sister-to-be....but we'll see how she feels once there's some rivalry for her "princess of the mountain" position. She's so funny - she won't be 3 until May and the other day her Aunt Stacey brought her a new pair of pajamas that she'd bought. She told Tori to come see her so she could try them on. Tori reached out and touched them (they are a very nice, soft, fuzzy velour fabric) and then she said "this is icky fabric"!!! Not yet 3 and using words like "fabric".

Stacey's new dog, Shaylie is adjusting to her new surroundings well. Well, except for the fact that she ate a fudgy, peanut butter & chocolate frosted brownie and proceeded to barf everywhere she went for at least a 24 hour period.....and of course, 4 of those times were at her "gradma's house" - aka my house! GRRR.... Good thing the little doggie is sweet and adorable.

I'm becoming way too obsessed with both Ravelry and the knitting podcasts I've been listening to. Oh, and I won 2 pattern books on e-Bay that I've wanted for a very long time!!! I have bid on one of them in 2 previous auctions and lost to some people were willing to spend way too much for them. However, this time I won not one, but 2 Bergere de France books. I had to bid on them from England, but the lady I bought them from is awesome!!! I can't wait to get them.

Oh well, enough rambling.....here are a few pictures. The stocking was, of course finished before Christmas. There was no pattern.....just ramblings of stuff I put together.

The Christening Dress is for soon-to-be-born Camy (Camyrn Morgan) who is due May 1st.

The mosaic sweater is for my daughter, Mandi who is as mentioned before in Turkey. She's been pestering me to finish it before the weather is too warm to wear it ;).

I don't really know why I'm doing this.....I guess because I love to read Mandi's blog and I'd like to keep a little record of my knitting and other aspects of my life. Especially stuff about the grandkids - Tori and her little soon-to-be-born sister, Camryn. I have so many pictures of Tori on photobucket....here's a link: http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y260/haftaknit/Tori2/. Check them out and let me know if you don't agree that's she's adorable!! ;) Of course, I realize that I'm a bit biased.

If you'd like to see my daughter, Amanda's blog go to http://mandi311.blogspot.com/. Mandi is spending an exciting year in Turkey, teaching English. She's had some adventures in other countries as well. I will try to get some pictures of my knitting posted, oh and maybe a few of my cakes as well.

These are some of my cakes, a picture of Tori in the most recent sweater I made her, and a scrap book page from my scrapbook on scrapblog.com......