Fall in a Box

Today I got "Fall in a Box" from my MIL.  She knows how much I miss fall and the changing colors in Louisiana and so she sent me some fall from Kansas!  How sweet is that!!

My Clapotis (pronounced clap-o-tee.....I think) is coming right along.  It still needs to be a little longer, but it won't be long.  I'm loving the colors!  It goes with everything I wear so I'm calling it a neutral :)

Thank you for all your comments about the mismatched baby bootees!!  A decision has been made!  I'm sewing the buttons on and giving them to a lady at knit night who has a friend with a newborn baby boy who wouldn't mind the mismatchedness of said bootees.  I'm happy they are going to a good home!

Knitting with Mom

Among all of our activities, Mom and I managed to squeeze in some knitting time too!  Mom really starting knitting last May when I was home for a visit. (Handknit socks can be great motivation for making new knitters)  She quickly completed her first pair and is on her second now.  Yes, her first knitted project was socks (now you know where I get it from!)  She came to me with her heel flap all done, but needed help turning the heel....actually she just needed me to speak the directions instead of trying to read the pattern.  Knitting abbreviations are brutal until you break the code!  

We got her past the heel turn in no time and she reported that in the airport going home she completed all her gusset decreases!!! (way to go Mom!)  She is doing a plain vanilla sock using Knitpicks Essential in Ash on US 2 DPNs.

She also made bootees! (buttons still need to be sewn on, but that is it)  Aren't they cute!  They will be a good project for her to make as gifts.  (Mine need one more strap and sewing up)  Here is the link for the pattern!  It was a good project to learn how to make increases and bind off!

A delightful visit!

Yesterday, with tears in my eyes, I put Mom on a plane back to Kansas, but my heart was full of wonderful new memories!  We shopped, knitted, watched a movie, visited with friends, ate out, got our eyebrows waxed, painted toe nails, made creme brulee, and did I mention we shopped! :)  We tried to go to a nearby plantation, but it was closed due to damage from Gustav, so instead we took in an antique store.  It was a super time that ended too quickly!  I miss you Mom!

Mom's birthday is in October, so I got to give her gifts to her early and in person!!  She graciously modeled them!

Mom's swallowtail (see details here...it's a swallowtail in Knit Picks Gloss Lace, color Sterling)  

Lace Merino Socks (details here)

Tomorrow I show you what we were knitting and then on Wednesday I will finish the ML tutorial!

Happy Birthday to...

DH!!!!  Sunday night I made him a Dried Apricot Pie!  You cook the apricots on the stove first to soften them.  He loves it! (I don't like it, so it is all for him)  Early in our marriage we learned that I don't make good cakes (from a box, from scratch, they are all bad) but my pies....they are much better!

We plan to go out to dinner and just relax (maybe go to the new Borders'!)

Now for a Birthday funny.....here is my DH's birth certificate!

but....if you read the fine print.....

....he is dead!  Weird, but true!

....and here are my medals!

Christmas in July

When I got married and joined my DH's family there was concern over my Christmas stocking.  The kids in DH's family had granny square crocheted stockings that were clearly well loved over the years.  My MIL is not a crocheter and so there was serious concern that I wouldn't have a matching stocking (I don't recall who made the originals).  I looked at the stocking and thought...I could make that.  I searched for a pattern and none was found, so I just tried to mimic what I saw.  Anyway, I got my stocking done for the family before the next Christmas (mine isn't faded like the others, but it works)  I also thought it would be nice to make a set for our house!  I started them and hadn't finished them.

Recently, I found the almost finished stockings (just needed some seaming, edging, and weaving in of ends)  Of course that is my favorite part!   (must be why they were left unfinished)  I think they have been sitting undone for 4 years, but now they are finished and ready for Christmas 2008!!!

There are 14 granny squares seamed together and a row of double crochet at the top to neaten things up.  The heel and toe take a little thought to assemble correctly, but once I realized that the heel is made by sewing 2 edges of one square to 1 edge of the other is helped.  The yarn...Red Heart (red, white, and green)

My Story:

What did the Lord teach me during brain surgery? (what didn't He teach me?)

1. He is faithful!

2. He grew my faith and I got to live out my faith in a way I never had before!  I would say I no longer had my parents faith, but my own.

3.  We all have a testimony.  It may not always be dramatic in our eyes, but becoming one of His is huge in God's eyes.  We all can and should share how God has worked in our lives.

Recovery went well.  I went back to college after 3 weeks to start the fall semester (not sure how my mom let me go)  I felt fine, but looking back it took about 6 months for me to have energy and really be myself again.  I slept lots. (my body just needed to heal)  My grades suffered at first because I just couldn't remember things, but by the end of the semester my grades were up to their normal standards.  Who would have thought that after brain surgery I could go on to get a Phd?  God is so good.  His plans are perfect!   

So in all this, my boyfriend (of 2.5 years) saw more of the recovery than anyone else (he was at school with me).  From what I hear my personality was affected for awhile...I think a lot of that stemmed from being so tired.  I had always wondered how I could be sure who I was to marry.  It seemed such a daunting decision.  But he stuck through all the hard times and never left me!  He could have, there was no reason to stay.  We knew we loved each other, but....well.... many relationships don't last.....ours did.....now he is my Dear Husband (DH).

4.  I got confirmation about who to marry!   

5.  and so much more!

Mom's first pair completed!

Here are Mom's thoughts on her first sock knitting experience:

Dear Leah,

Here's the proof (even if I had the wrong date on my camera!!!!) that they are completed!! Yeh!!! They are very warm and thick which I will enjoy immensely come winter. Learning to knit again was a very enjoyable experience due in large part to your teaching abilities and extreme patience with me. Thank you for helping out in all my ooopppps on that first sock and then holding my hand via the phone on the second. While I doubt I will develop the passion that you have for knitting I do look forward to a second pair. Who knows I may even try a pattern sometime- I like the thought of no purls. And a big thank you to all your blogging friends for their encouragement. Every facet of this experience has stretched me in good ways and I'm glad I let you talk me into giving it a try! I love you kiddo and thank you again for all your help. (Don't let anyone tell you that you can't teach an "old dog" new tricks)

Love,
Mom

I'm so proud of you Mom!  Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us!  [Technical details: Needles US 1.5, yarn: Knitpicks Gloss in Dolphin, basic sock with 2 x 2 ribbing at the top]  I also got her Ann Bud's "Getting Started Knitting Socks."  While I really enjoyed the book and it does have super pics of all the stages of sock making, I thought the written sock patterns were hard to read for a beginner.  There are tons of abbreviations and knitting lingo, so if you aren't super familiar with knitting patterns it is challenging.  Often just reading the pattern aloud made the meaning clear to Mom, but written out the meaning was hard to understand. ] Mom has a second pair planned, so this won't be the last we hear from Mom! :)  (Thanks Dad for taking the pic!)

Celebration

Yesterday while most people celebrated Father's Day (we did call and let our dads know we were thinking of them, but being far away, that was all the celebrating we could do with them) DH and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary!!

We went out to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse!  It was excellent and a nice treat!  I had a salad, filet, baked potato (with lots of toppings).  DH had filet, baked potato and spinach and we split a creme brulee (which was garnished with fresh fruit)!  We had never eaten here before, and we weren't disappointed.  The claim their beef is Midwestern corn fed beef and we would agree.  Growing up in Kansas we got spoiled with lots of good beef.  Since moving to Louisiana we  have been disappointed with the quality of beef we can get, but we have been thrilled with the seafood!  What an enjoyable evening and great way to celebrate!

Oh about the math puzzle....Michelle from myboringblog (which isn't boring) got it right (you can read her solution in the comments)  Way to go Michelle!

Catching up!

Who knew that when you leave town for 10 days there is so much catching up to do. Things to fill you all in on and so many blogs to read...not to mention math to do.

Here the SIL graduated from DH and my alma mater! We are both so proud of her and her hard work! She is such a super lady! As an added bonus, we got to say hi to a lot of professors that have made such a difference in our lives!

On to knitting news....here is my mom posing with her lovely sock. (This was her progress when I left to return to BR) I think she is doing super! She has since reported that her foot is now 5 inches long! I think the hardest part for her is learning how to fix the mistakes she makes (especially now that I'm not there to help) But I'm confident she can do it. It just takes practice and patience! Way to go mom! She will be finished with the first sock in no time! She has promised to keep us updated with pics! Coming attractions.....update on my socks and some giraffe news!