Tim's 16th Birthday Party and New Pattern

Tim's 16th surprise birthday party was a HUGE success! Not only was he surprised, he was SHOCKED! He actually turned pale when he figured out that the party was for him. All of our closest family and friends were there and, even though it was horribly hot in the playroom, it seemed like everyone had a great time. The little kids all played together and everyone else chatted, ate hot, crispy pizzas and devoured their own ice cream sundae creations (complete with gummy worms, m&ms, sour jelly lifesavers and endless other sweet, gooey toppings)....well, except me. (I was very good and didn't have any yummy treats)

Some show and tell:

Tim and my sister, Kim....after he got over the shock



Tim's "Flame" cake, with very messy red and white frosting




Tim opening his gifts and Ben walking in front of him with his balloon and chips



Tim received some fantastic gifts - mostly gift cards (the BEST gift for a teenager), hilarious cards and money. The Super Mario Brothers sound maker was also a favorite gift - both him and Ben have been going around the house making "mario moves" and playing the sound effects. So funny!

I couldn't have pulled this party off without my Mom & Grandma bringing the snacks and ice cream toppings, Jackie picking up the birthday cake for me and Hilary taking charge of the decorating while I took a shower. Whew! Thank you!!

I can't believe he's getting so old!! My baby boy......

Now...

onto my NEW pattern!!!

The Lacy Recyclibag



It's available for FREE here on my blog (see right sidebar of home page under PATTERNS) or as a FREE download on Ravelry.

Here is the description of the pattern:

"Although I’m sure most of us try our best to forgo plastic bags at stores, there always seems to be a small stash of them hanging around the house, am I right? And usually there’s no good place to put them. I’ve designed this bag to hold all of those excess plastic bags attractively and compactly in your kitchen or pantry. It holds a surprising number of bags and will expand to meet most of your plastic bag storage needs. You could even make a longer one or wider one, if necessary. It’s a fun, quick and economical knit using only one skein of a springy, soft organic wool. Enjoy!"



The pattern uses only 1 skein of the Green Mountain Spinnery "New Mexico Organic" yarn and size US 6 & 7 circulars for Magic Loop or DPNS. It's quick, easy and fun with a little bit of lace to keep you interested and an opportunity for some embroidery at the end if you'd like to add it. You can make it in any of the "New Mexico Organic" colors to match your kitchen, or whatever room you want to put it in.

So...what do you think???

Vermont Knitting Trip

Whew...finally got some time to post about our Vermont knitting weekend. I've had sick kiddies home most of the week and I finally think they're on the mend. Me, on the other hand.....

Anyway, I wanted to share with you all of the beautiful yarn that I bought, the fantastic inn we stayed at and the yarn stores we visited.



First, the Marshfield Inn and Motel - eco-friendly (which I loved!), extremely delicious breakfasts (esp the local eggs and bacon), very friendly hosts (they were very accommodating and friendly!), clean rooms/bathrooms (and hot water!) and a beautiful view. The only things that I wished for were a bigger room for all of us to group together for knitting (we ended up taking turns in each others' rooms) and clocks. Besides those, I would definitely stay there again - what a lovely place!



The first yarn store we visited was just around the corner from the Inn in Plainfield and only sold Vermont (non commercial) yarns, which I thought was a nice idea. The store was big inside (perfect for staying there and knitting) and had some nice yarns....Green Mountain Spinnery, Cherry Tree Hill, This and That Farm, a nice pattern/book selection and cute knitting accessories. The owner was very good to use and gave all of us 10% off our purchases. I think the biggest hit was the "This and That Farm's" Cormo/Tussah Silk 2ply (4 oz and 254 yards of heavy worsted). Sooo soft, soo squishy and nicely spun - I bought 3 skeins. I think almost everyone bought some.

Here is the whole group at the store:


(Back L-R: Christina, Me, Jackie, Lora, Vidhi, Patti, Heather, Julie, Amanda 2.0, Blogless Amanda, Ericka)
(Front L-R: Chris, Brittany, Donna, Gaye, Sarah, Denise, Donna)

After this, some people went to the Cabot Creamery, Ben & Jerry's or to another yarn store further away. Some of us stayed behind to knit - which was relaxing and fun. That's when I started giving out the hourly prizes for the weekend - everyone in the group donated something and was able to get at least one prize in return. That was awesome!

Later that night for dinner, we had reservations for the Main Street Grill in Montpelier and it was FANTASTIC! We paid to have our own room (with the wine bottles and stone walls...very cool) and had a hot, sexy nice-looking waiter to serve us. From salad to dessert, the meal was exquisite and delicious. I think I had the most fun of the weekend that night. I highly recommend this place!

The rest of the night was an orgy of knitting, playing Apples to Apples, drinking (some of us didn't) and some nakedness. I got a lot of knitting done on my sister-in-law's felted bag (pics next post) and laughed a lot.

Sunday was mostly spent packing, knitting and getting ready to go over to The Knitting Studio in Montpelier, VT. We had an appointment for the day - there was even a sign on the door saying that the store was closed for a "private party" and it was thrilling that it meant US! The owner, Brigette, was funny, welcoming, and adorable. I loved the store, the yarns and the whole atmosphere. I hope she visits us here in NH at one of our knitting nights. What a super store she has! (She even baked goodies for us and refreshments!)



Now...onto the luscious yarns I bought!!!



1 & 2. Green Mountain Spinnery's "New Mexico Organic" -2 skeins in white - for socks. Sooo soft and lovely. (shown on bottom) and This and That Farm's "Cormo/Silk" - 3 skeins off white- for a shawl. Again...extremely soft and squishable.



3. Regia 4ply Sock Yarn - 2 skeins for a gift for my grandmother-in-law



4 & 5. Classic Elite "Star"- 4 skeins (on sale 40% off!) in different colors for my sister-in-law's scarves and Classic Elite "Princess" - 1 skein for fingerless mitts for me

Then, I also got these yarns/fibers in the mail for other projects (I'm up to my eyeballs in softness and yarngasmic yarns!...not that I'm complaining....)


1. 4 skeins of Malabrigo in two complementary shades of yellow for a tea cozy (Ravelry Link)


2. 2 skeins of Malabrigo for hats for Ian for the winter


3. 2 bags of London-Wul's polwarth fiber for spinning - one bag will be for making yarn for this beret (Ravelry link).

I'm in Heaven!!!! What do YOU think? LOL