Catching Up...

I finally finished Andi's birthday present. I made her the yellow cable computer bag with leather straps. It turned out really great! Look how cute Andi is!!!!!


Instead of a cake, I bought a dozen world-famous Sprinkles cupcakes (my second favorite...since Saint Cupcake is only in Portland, Oregon) for Andi's big day. We stuffed ourselves with too many yummy cakes and had some pretty great pub food (baked mashed potatoes!) at the 3rd Stop on 3rd street in Beverly Hills.



The next morning, bright and way-too early, we headed up to Malibu for Maggie's baby shower. It was a windy but beautiful day and the party was great. So many fun people, some very creative gifts and delicious food.
Here is Maggie opening presents with her son, Charlie

Knitted presents from me

We decorated onesies with fabric crayons for the new baby. They turned out really cute!

Our Malibu view. Spectacular!

Me and Maggie


I have made a new addition to the Knitting Oasis. I took some embroidery hoops and stretched bits of my favorite fabrics. Then I hung these on the wall up the stairs. I saw this on someone's blog and loved the idea. The hoops were $1 each at Michael Levine downtown and I used fabric that I already had. What makes this so special is that I get to see fabric from past projects that are long gone. It is sort of like making a quilt, but with almost no effort.



This is a new addition to my classroom. I saw it when I took my students to Catalina in February. It is an outline of a sea lion and one of a surfer, as seen from below by a shark. I made these out of black felt. Sharks are not the smartest animals out there, so they are easily confused by these similar shapes. Humans are mistaken for sea lions (a big source of food for great white sharks) and occasionally sharks take a bite of the wrong food. I will hang these two outlines on the ceiling of my classroom with some basic facts about sharks. Swim at your own risk!


The latest project to fall off my needles is another Jess Hutch bunny with really long ears. I jsut took her pattern and added 20 rows to each ear. I used a hand-dyed wool that turned out really awesome. Next up is another Sheldon Turtle from Knitty.com

Spring Break...Portland, Oregon!

I spent the beginning of Spring Break up in Portland, visiting with my great friend Jen, her hubby Jake and their cute baby Ellery. She's 18 months old. Here is Ellery wearing Mr. Potatohead's glasses.


Jen and I drove down to Eugene, the scene of many college exploits. We hadn't been back there together since I graduated in (gulp) 1994, and it was so strange driving around checking out our old haunts. We dined at the Glenwood, home of the famous tomato and cheese soup. We can highly recommend it next time you are in Eugene, Oregon and looking for something to eat. Here is Ellery feeding herself a pear. I think she REALLY likes eating that pear.


then Ellery fed Jen a bite. The people sitting around us at the restaurant clapped when they saw this! So funny!

I got a ton of knitting off the needles while up in the Pacific NW. I made a pair of Jess Hutchison bunnies. I embroidered "e" on each one. "ee" are Ellery's initials.

Here is Ellery test-driving the bunnies on the morning I left. This kid is so much fun to be around. Seriously. She is getting really adventurous with talking and will parrot whatever you say. Sometimes it is right, other times we get a good laugh. Jen kept pointing at me and saying "Karyn...Karyn". Ellery, would think for a second, then clearly say "Donna...Donna". Well, close enough for now, she's only 18 months old. Maybe by my next visit I will get to hear my real name. Or, maybe I'll forever be Donna when up in Portland. No biggie!


The big baby shower is a week away and I am getting ready. I spent most of today finishing up the party favors. I made soy candles scented with jasmine. I poured them into little jars that look like baby food jars, and made a cute label. Then, I tied a baby bootie to each one. I can't believe I made 48 of these! They turned out so cute, I can't wait to hand them out at the party. I'll post pics of that next time.