Engaged

As most of you know, at least the ones who are my close friends and who even know about this blog, G and I got engaged in August. He proposed to me at the state's largest municipal park in Minnesota that happens to be in the town he currently lives in. It was a beautiful day and we were talking wedding plans, sitting by the water on a very pointy rock. My bum was beginning to ache and I had to stand up before he had the chance to get the words out but once we were back on the trail, he got my attention and asked me if after all the wedding plans were completed and the day was over, would I still choose him? I nearly threw the ring off that I was currently wearing and couldn't get my engagement ring on due to the sweaty palms I had gotten from walking in the woods. What an amazing feeling... what an amazing guy.... we are so lucky.

Noah and his pumpkins

Noah had a difficult time deciding what he was gong to be for Halloween last year... Thomas' Engineer or a pumpkin. Back and forth, back and forth.... I like to think that I helped him along a little when I told his dad, Jamie, my brother, that I could make him a hat for his pumpkin costume. We met at a park in early October to hand it off and Noah was SUPER excited. He did inform me though that he wasn't going to be a pumpkin this year. Two weeks later, the hat was on, the trick-or-treat bags were out and he and Alice, the princess, were off to scavenge the neighborhood.

Mina & Mischa

Check out these cuties... This photo was taken last summer at my family's farm in Wisconsin. Grant and I let Mina and Mischa roam around the large grassy lawn for a bit of exercise and family entertainment. Mischa went wild and ran all over the place but our slow little Mina rambled here and there and didn't go too far from where we originally set her down. Not at all like this morning when I had her out on the couch and she ran from one side to the other, under the lap blanket I had on and across the computer keys, near the edge of the couch before I caught her... I guess she's a morning hedgehog not an early afternoon hedgie.

Look What I learned!

Check out the cool video of the backward knitting technique. Ok, so I learned the technique AND I learned how to add videos from Youtube to my blog. Cool huh?

In May..

Time goes by so quickly... I've been creating many knitted objects and it seems as though they have all been a surprise so it's a bit difficult to share when I'm trying to keep a secret. I'm not that great at keeping gifts a secret to begin with so I find that silence is the best way. But nearly all of the knitted objects have been gifted so I'm finally able to show them off.

My friend Jamie should be giving birth any minute now but back in May, her sister threw a baby shower for her and she received many crafty things for the baby. We all got to design a onesie for the baby during the shower. This was so much fun! It kept us busy for over an hour. Here are the two that I created:

Gift opening finally arrived and the secrets could be shared!

Knitted Pickles for the prego:

A hat for the baby (this kid will be the best outfitted kid ever! She received four knitted ones from grandma, one from me, and several other crafty ones from various relatives):

And Finally, a blanket to keep the little baby gal warm. The yarn for this piece was dyed with Jamie in February. I told her it was for a baby sweater for Alice and that way she self selected the color. Tricky, huh? I taught the pattern at Borealis in April and by May, it was ready to be gifted. 

 

New Addition

A few weeks ago, Grant and I added a new member to our animal family. We are the proud parents of another hedgehog. I wracked my brain for weeks trying to think of a name but was vetoed by Grant every time. Then the day she was to arrive, Grant casually states (after I ask of course) that he thinks he's got a great name: Mina. I agree because I don't really think that Gertrude is all that great for a hedgehog and Bertha was just not cutting it either. This occurs quite often just when I feel like I can't think anymore, Grant pulls a great idea out of thin air and I'm crazy about it. He's a trickster like that and I love it! So now we have Mischa and Mina. It's been great funny getting to know Mina and seeing the differences between the two is interesting. Can you tell which is which?

                              

Mischa is on the left and Mina is on the right....                    

A Mina close-up.....

The Yarn Harlot- Revisited

Stephanie posted pics from her trip to Minneapolis and Ann Arbor. The babies are the cutest part- as I'm sure you can imagine. At any rate, I found the one that shows the Borealis gals and added a special note....