Because I needed a break

I am very close to finishing Madeline's sweater, but I got a little burned out. She wants 3/4 sleeves, which takes longer than the short sleeves I made for myself.....

so anyway I took a break to think of all the projects I wanted to make during Malabrigo March, and to make a little turtle with scraps from the pair of mitts I made for the sample I sent to Knit picks.

I also started a Baby Surprise jacket, one of those things I said I would never make....

Ironically it's a February Lady Sweater

I started a February Lady Sweater for Madeline a while ago, but then decided I wanted to order special buttons for it, so waited to knit on it, as the buttons might not fit the holes, and I would have to go back and remake them. Glad I did, because Madeline outgrew the one I started, and I only started it back in September.

so I jumped up two sizes, and started over.

her is my progress. I might actually get it done before the end of the month.

a swap for broke folk

It was proposed that we could have a fun swap with others in the Fingerless Glove Fanatic-Off topic group on Ravelry. We wanted to have the opportunity to swap on a postal budget, as well as providing contents for the swap that were either handmade or inexpensive.

I sent to my swapee a skein of yarn I was not planning to use any time soon, a pair of mitts that were a color that I probably wouldn't wear and a box bag that wasn't selling too well in Utah (it had pictures of cocktails etc, fabric I received from a custom order for someone else). I was barely able to squeeze all that into the smallest flat rate box, and mail it off for less than $5.

The person who had me was HappyNancy from Ireland. She actually gave away the surprise early on, that she had me, because she was concerned that I might not like what she had to send. But she did an amazing job, thinking not only of me, but my family. Here are the pictures.


I got the most amazing package from [HappyNancy](/people/HappyNancy).

When I found out I got the package with irish chocolate I knew everyone would be jealous, then I saw the other stuff and I was amazed!

here were a bunch of little packages individually wrapped!



some were labled for me but there were also some labled for the girls and even one for Hal!

so I opened all of them to make sure they deserved what was inside. LOL



there is a cute little gift for each of the girls, as well as a cute little bag of chocolate for each girl, then even a bag of chocolate for Hal, and FOUR pieces of chocolate for me. I also got the coolest necklace with skulls on it, and matching earrings, and a dragonfly hair clip, and hand made cards that are fantastic! a bookmark that says I should be knitting, and Irish recipes! Oh my gosh! and a cool hand made in Ireland cross thing that I know nothing about and may have to research.

Now for each of us enjoying some of our good fortune!




and I thought Nancy might like to see what each girl chose.


LOOK a MINOR MINION, I am so jealous! I am trying to figure out a way to steal it from her. Yvette actually chose it first, and Madeline chose a necklace that ended up being too small for her so they gladly traded.

look at that cute little necklace!

and sabrina has this cute grey bunny! she loves bunnies!



this is an Irish post card and actual shamrock. Madeline tried to trade the necklace with her, but she wasn't having anything to do with it.


adorable little beaded necklace, she has outifts planned for it already.



I am not sure if one of the toys was intended for Charlotte, but she really really wanted this hello kitty pin.


Hal wasn't going to let anyone eat those chocolates, so he ate them right away, and even let me take a picture. LOL

Knitting myself a valentine

I generally don't knit for my husband unless he asks for something, but I knit something for myself. they citron shawl/scarf. It is a very small shawl, I like to wear it as a scarf.


The scarf picture is a little dark, but I am including it anyway.