One Year Old This Saturday!

God's New Angel...
These past couple of years, our motorcycle has introduced us to many wonderful people. One very special friend is Steve Meadows, a.k.a. "Brobubba" to our group.

Steve is a husband, father, law-enforcement officer, devout Christian, and a very, very good man. His daughter, Mabel, was born with cystic fibrosis, and fought a hard fight for over eighteen years. A little over a year ago Mabel received a double lung transplant, and on her seventeenth birthday she was able to blow out her birthday candles for the first time in her life.

See this link: http://journals.aol.com/kissy1me/UpdatesonMabel/entries/2007/03/15/happy-1st-birthday/1417

Mabel passed on yesterday afternoon. Here is a link to the journal Steve has been keeping to document their journey: http://journals.aol.com/kissy1me/UpdatesonMabel/

Another friend, "Galute," posted this moving message to our motorcycle forum: http://www.gl1800riders.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=92004

So, go. Read. Weep. Hug your children. Thank God for every blessing. And say a prayer for Steve and his family in the hard days to come.

I'm Still Here...
It's been a busy couple of months, and I've neglected my blog. Sarah reminds me that people worry, so here's an update.
In April, Rich and I went to Falls Creek Falls State Park in Tennessee to meet up with a bunch of our friends from GL1800riders.com. The annual event is called the "Tennessee Lunch Run," and folks come from all over to eat lunch and ride together. We met our friend Ross in southern Indiana and rode the rest of the way with him.
At the park we saw many, many beautiful bikes, and I got to meet several of my chat room friends for the first time. It was good to see our old friends, too. We forgot our camera for the trip, so I don't have many pictures, but here are a few:

Galute, from Arkansas (his name is self-explanatory!)

Polecat, from Ohio, looking a bit like Jack Elam these days, Loren, formerly from Wisconsin, but now living in Arkansas, me, Rich, and 5Ross, from Indiana.


Rich and I at a lovely waterfall somewhere in North Carolina.

The "Tree of Shame" at Deals Gap. This stretch of road is also known as "The Tail of the Dragon" because it has 318 curves in eleven miles, and is a very popular place for motorcyclists of all sorts and skills. The Tree of Shame is bedecked with parts picked up after crashes. We didn't ride the Dragon the day we were there. There were at least three different bike rallies in Tennessee that weekend, and the road was crowded and dangerous. Another time, perhaps! .

And last, but certainly not least, a few pictures of Robby. He grows and changes with every passing minute, and is a great joy to us all!

"Hello Darlin', good to see you, it's been a long time!"
(With apologies to George Jones...) Life has been busy here at Sunnybook Farm, and it's been more than two-and-a-half months since I've posted. I've been derelict in my duties. To make up for it, here's a picture of the cutest little face ever. This is Robby's "I see you have the camera out, so I shall become very serious" face.

My mother gave this little Fisher-Price horse to Robby's daddy on his first birthday. Robby is crawling, pulling himself up, and walking around furniture now, so I figured he was ready for "Horsie." The other day I had to run upstairs to get some wrapping paper for a wedding gift, and I made a quick detour into the attic to dig out our old friend. I scrubbed off twenty-odd years of attic splooge and here it is, somewhat yellowed with age, but still in great shape.

Robby is a little unsure of what he is to do with this thing, exactly, but he loves it! I set him on it, and he broke out in a HUGE grin...not that you'd know it from this picture!

I've finished several socks, but can't show most of them to you, because they're samples of the four patterns I'll have in "Friendly Socks, volume 3" and it's too early for sneak peeks. I'll get pics of the others soon (yeah, right...soon, you say?).

We made a little trip on the BigYellowBike to Tennessee in April, and are getting ready to go to Ohio for the Dan Barr Memorial Golf Outing very soon. Will post pics of that when I get a chance.

Hope all who read this are well. I had a little scare a couple of weeks ago, but the second mammogram came back clear as a bell. Make sure the women you love get squished on a regular basis!

Still Alive!
I am a very bad blogger. Here are a few pictures from the past month or so.
Michelle and Robby
Our friend Michelle has told her two teenaged daughters, "NO babies for a very long time!"
We let her play with Robby to help stave off the anticipation of holding her own grandchildren.

A newly-finished pair of socks, of my own design. I call it "No-Count Cables" because you don't have to count the rounds between the cable twists. The yarn is Meilenweit.

Dude and Grandpa
The kids bought Robby some sunglasses, and he loves to wear them. He is very cool and serious when he has them on, and doesn't play with them at all.
"What are YOU lookin' at?"


Lots going on this past month. I am finally back to work full-time, after being laid off and working three part-time jobs since November.

I've finished three designs for Friendly Socks, Book III, and just need to finish writing up the patterns so I can send them off to Laura.

I tested some needles and yarn for Crystal Palace ...mmmmm....bambooooo....
We're planning a short trip in a few days to meet up with some of our motorcycle forum friends in Tennessee.

Yesterday at work I had a wonderful visit from Sheila Winney of Ohio, who will complete a one-year odyssey this week. She has been attempting to break the record for most miles ridden by one woman on one motorcycle in one year. Two major wrecks, a lot of foul weather, and 125,000+ miles later, she will be done on Thursday, April 19th, after which she and her husband will celebrate with a much-deserved vacation and cruise. Sheila and I have been chatting on-line for over a year, but this was the first time we've met in person. It was a great pleasure to finally meet her. She is a lovely, strong, and impressive woman of great humor and she nearly twinkles when she speaks. She took some pictures, and I will post them here when I get them.

Robby's newest picture

They just don't get any cuter than this! This was at about five months of age.

Shhhhhhhhh!

Robby spent the night with us again last night. He has a little cold and was up with a fever in the wee hours of the morning, but is cheerful in spite of feeling icky. I love this picture!


These are my first finished socks for the SocksForSoldiers Yahoo group. The yarn is Meilenweitt and the pattern is a basic rib. They're waiting for another pair to be finished before I mail them off.

I've joined another Yahoo group called DeathBySocks. Everyone in the group knits a pair of socks for someone else. If the person who is knitting for you finishes your socks and mails them off to you, you've been 'assassinated' and must mail the socks you're working on to them to be finished and mailed to their intended recipient. The last one to remain 'alive' is the winner, and will receive a bountiful basket of goodies. I am donating a copy of our book, Friendly Socks, Volume 1 to be awarded to the winner. You can visit Laura's blog, Sirius Knitting, to find out how to order your copies of Friendly Socks, Volumes 1 and 2. Volume 3 is in the works!
Edit later that same day...Sarah says "no way you'll be assassinated..." I guess I forgot to say these socks ARE my assassination socks. They were delivered yesterday, so I have been assassinated, LOL! They are just lovely, knitted from Austermann Step with jojoba and aloe. They are very soft, warm, and beautiful, and were started for me by Marti and finished by SheriO.

These are the socks I knitted for my 'victim'. They've been mailed off and should be arriving any day. I had a little kitten incident just before they were finished...one of our kitties stole the ball of yarn from the knitting bag at my feet and ran off with it. By the time I caught him, he had the yarn horribly tangled. This was what I had after two hours of picking out the knots. There was another giant tangle just below the bottom of the picture. This yarn was either Fortissima or Meilenweitt...can't find the ball band just now.
Another edit, later that same day... this yarn is Opal, don't remember the collection or color numbers.
And last but not least, a pair of thumbless mittens for Wee Robby. Here's a rough pattern to fit a 3-6 month old infant:

Thumbless Mittens
I knitted both of these mittens at one time on two circular size 2 needles.
Cast on 24 stitches in DK weight yarn. Join in a round, being careful not to twist the stitches!
Work in K1 P1 rib for about an inch and a half.
Work in stockinet stitch until the mittens reach the tip of the baby's pinkie finger.
Decrease rounds:
Round 1: Beginning at one edge of the mitten, K1, SSK, knit across to three stitches from the other side, K2 tog, k1. 2 stitches decreased.
Repeat for the other side of the mitten. Round 1 complete.
Round 2: Knit all stitches.
Repeat these rounds until only 8 stitches remain on either side of the mitten (16 stitches total).
Work Round 1 every round until only 4 stitches remain on each side. (8 stitches total). Graft the remaining stitches together, and work in the loose ends. Repeat for the second mitten. Finished, and ready to warm those precious wee fingers!

I did not swatch for gauge, and don't have the mittens here to tell you what my gauge was, so you're on your own there! Feel free to contact me if you have problems with this pattern.

Bath Time at Grandma's!

Robby spent the day with me today, and I took a few pictures of him. Here are two. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

Here's the latest picture of Robby. I had him for the day a couple of weeks ago, and we snuck away to have his picture taken. Isn't he gorgeous! No, I didn't knit his sweater.

He is eleven weeks old now, and changing every day.

Still nothing permanent on the job front, but I am enjoying working part time and being home more, especially at this time of year.

I have joined a new online group. SocksForSoldiers is a group of knitters who are donating their time and yarn to provide hand-knit socks for our troops. I've set a goal for myself of two pair of leisure socks by January 1. For more information, go here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SOCKFORSOLDIERS/

Happy Thanksgiving!
We are very fortunate. We have a wonderful son, daughter-in-law, and grandson (shown here at the recent wedding of one of Nick's childhood friends), are healthy, happy, and strong. We have wonderful friends and loving family members. Who could ask for more?

Happy Thanksgiving Day to you and yours, and best wishes for a healthy and prosperous year.

As Promised...


New Pictures of Robby


Halloween was a great excuse to dress up the baby while he's still too little to protest! Here's our little stinker:


I made his skunk costume, using parts of two patterns and a little ingenuity. Isn't he adorable? He'll hate me for this one day, I'm sure...
I sewed most of his dad's clothes when he was little, and had almost forgotten how much I enjoy sewing. Yes, he's sleeping again!

Then I happened onto a post-Halloween sale, and found this little bee suit at 75% off...well, for $2.67 I couldn't resist. Look! His eyes DO open!

Grandpa and I got to keep Robby overnight last weekend and then took him to visit some friends who live about an hour and a half away. Uncle 5Ross and Auntie Joyce enjoyed meeting him, and he was SUCH a good boy. There's sure a lot of preparation and paraphernalia involved in keeping and transporting a baby. We had a wonderful time, and look forward to having him stay with us again soon.

Friendly Socks volume 2!
Here are my patterns from the upcoming Friendly Socks book 2:

Taxi!

Crocodile Rock




Wee Robby

To learn more about our new book, visit the Sirius Knitting link to the right ------->
The book is due out very soon, and there will be a special deal for anyone ordering both book 1 and book 2 at the same time.
Coming soon: New pics of Robby!

Hello!
I'm still here, and have been knitting and stuff. Will have more time for that for a little while, as I was just laid off work yesterday...the new-job hunt starts soon.

Yes, Sarah, there are newer pictures of Robby, and I'll be posting them soon, now that I have some time. Check back!

Some New Pictures of Robby
There's been knitting. Here's Robby in his new hat from Grandma, made from leftover self-striping sock yarn.

And here are Wee Robby Socks, one of my original patterns in Friendly Socks, Volume 2. See the Sirius Knitting link at right for more information on the Friendly Socks books.

My brother and his family came from Canada for a visit. He and his girlfriend brought his son and her four sons. You can see how excited Robby was to meet them all!

Here's Robby and Great-Uncle Greg


Darlene and all the cousins in my very messy living room.

The boys took turns holding Robby.



...and here's the very sleepy baby. Isn't he gorgeous!

More Robby!

I hope these pictures will look better on the blog than they do on the edit screen. If not, I'm pretty sure they'll be clearer if you click on them.

Here he is, just a few hours old, and already sound asleep!


Every Sunday evening we have dinner with the same group of friends, usually in a local Applebee's restaurant. This is our friend, Mike, holding Robby. We have known Mike since we were all just kids.

And here are Tom and the sleepy baby. Tom was my boss in 1978-79, when I worked in the paint department at Montgomery Wards. He has been my best friend ever since, and was the first to get a smile from Robby's daddy, Nick, when he was a baby. That's Bruce behind them, another friend from many years back.

You can see that Robby is not quite so chubby as when he was born. He lost a whole pound in his first few days, but has regained 6 ounces.

I went to the fall knitting retreat at The Fifth Stitch in Defiance, Ohio on Saturday. There was Stash Enhancement! On the way home, I stopped at the Carter Baby Outlet in Fremont, Indiana and did further damage to my personal finances...but then, what's a new grandma to do! Robby's socks and a little cap are finished. He's wearing the socks in the dinner photos, but you can't see them. I've started a dishcloth blanket for him in Lion Brand Homespun, and another little cap for Rebeckah, another friend's new baby daughter.

Meet Robby!

He was born at 12:59 this afternoon, weighing in at 9 pounds, 4 ounces and measuring 22 inches long. Nici did beautifully, and she and the baby are doing very well, indeed. Daddy Nick was a little tired...

And Grandpa is very happy.
I am awed by the strength my son and his wife showed throughout the labor and delivery, and by the love they have for one another and this new miracle they brought into all our lives. There are no words.

It won't be long now!
We got The Big Call last evening. Nici is in labor.
Here's a picture of a very calm Grandpa driving us to the hospital.
Here's the happy mommy, walking to help speed things along. She and her twin sister spent the day at the county fair with their little brother, and she got a little sunburnt. Rich and I made a run to Taco Bell for food for Nick, and when we got back to the hospital, the kids were out walking laps around the parking lot. Nick needs to wash his coat!

Here are the happy and very excited Mom and Dad, waiting,
waiting,
waiting. . .

Watch this space for more news later today.

I'm still here...
Things have been busy. The computer is still not fully fixed, but works off and on. There has been knitting. I've been working on a couple of new sock designs for Friendly Socks v.2, due out this winter. See the Sirius Knitting link to the right for more information on the Friendly Socks pattern books.
One of the new patterns will be a baby sock named "Wee Robby" in honor of our impending grandson. He is due any minute, and we're all anxiously awaiting his arrival. I have a sweater on the needles for him, too.
We haven't done a lot of riding this summer. Have been busy working and trying to keep up with the lawn mowing. Here it is September, and the riding season is nearly over. Well, maybe next year!
Nici and Nick say I never have pictures of them on my blog, so here's one:

This is Nici's Fourth of July cake. She was very proud of it, and it was delicious.

More another day.

Computer Troubles...
My computer is having difficulties, so it might be a little while before another update. I'll be back with you as soon as I get it fixed.

Summertime...and the livin' is easy
Almost the end of July, and it's been weeks since I've posted. Here are a few pics of what's been happening down on the farm.

{ I finished a pair of socks and mailed them off as a gift. Meilenweitt yarn on size 0 needles, two socks on two circs, Eye of Partridge heel, 4x2 rib continuing down the instep.

{ The old farm saying is "Knee-high by the Fourth of July" and the corn around our house was certainly that!

{ We had a cookout with friends, and watched the fireworks across the field from our house

My brother was here from Canada for several days. He and his girlfriend and their five sons stayed with us. The boys all slept in a tent in our front yard. They had a wonderful time chasing and catching fireflies, which are much more plentiful here in farm country than in the city where they live. Very early Tuesday morning we had a big storm with lots of rain, wind, and a wonderful light show. I had to go out, wake the boys, and rescue them from the collapsing tent. My brother came out to help. Just as we pulled the last peg, the power went out, and all was black for a couple of hours. A great adventure for those city kids!

We went to our family reunion and had a wonderful time.

{ My cousin, his son-in-law, and grandson grilled the hot dogs.

{ My son, brother, and brother's girlfriend at the reunion.
Had a baby shower for daughter-in-law, and she got lots of sweet baby loot. She says she'll have to change the baby four times a day to use all the little clothes. No pics, sorry!
The weather has been normal for July. We've had some very hot days, but that's to be expected. Have had more rain than usual, but that's ok. Normally by this time the grass is getting a little crispy, and it's good to see it green instead of brown. Today is a perfect summer's day: clear, sunny sky and a nice cool breeze. We'll probably go out for a ride on the BigYellowBike in a little while.
The seed-corn workers have been in the fields detasseling the female corn, and the crops look very good everywhere around us.
We'll be off for a few days next weekend. We're riding the BYB to Marysville, Ohio for the Honda Homecoming and the Dan Barr Memorial Golf Outing in Hubbard, Ohio. The kids will be here to take care of the dog and cats while we're gone.
Enjoy your day!