valentine's day

here is a pic of our valentine's day breakfast. if you look closely, you can see the heart-shaped biscuits that 10yo dd made. 8yo ds bought me a heart-shaped box of lindt truffles. yum! dh gave me the lovely bouquet that graces the table.

look out the window. that's our ice storm. not a day to venture forth! ah, but homeschoolers never get the day off, much to their chagrin. :-)

may i say a word in praise of my babylock coverstitch only machine? yes, i may, 'cause it's my blog. i love that machine! it's so easy to use, adds a professional touch to my work. i am so glad i took debbie cook's ( http://stitchesandseams.blogspot.com/ ) advice and bought the c/s only machine. thanks, debbie!

cross over shirt

it's a goofy picture, i know. 10yodd took it. this was made from ks3307. the pattern is actually a dress and designed for wovens, but i wanted to try it in a knit. i used a size smaller than i'd normally use and did a muslin out of an old tshirt before cutting one out of this fabric. i only had to do a couple of small alterations to the muslin, and off i went! it's a good feeling to be cutting out your pattern knowing that it will basically fit when you're done. :-)

i got the fabric when visiting my friend michele. it's very soft and stretchy and of unknown fibers. i enjoyed putting the foe on the neckline. it's a little low; i may have to add a piece there, but mostly i'm happy with it. i really like paisley.

now all i have to do is hem the shirt and sleeves.

first socks of the year

these are for my friend d, who is going hiking next month in the west.

they were done on sz 7 needles and went very fast. i love self-striping yarns. this one is called "big mexico" by staller and stahl. it's a superwash. very fun to make.