Thursday Homemaker Signing Off...

 Well... Here's the thing...  I got a new job about 6 weeks ago and am now working five days a week again.  It's crazy weird because I'd gotten so used to working four 10 hour days and having my extra day a week off.  While it kinda sucks that I don't have my "Mommy Day" anymore I really love the shorter shifts and getting to spend more time with my family on a daily basis. 
Since starting me new job I haven't been able to keep this blog up.  I'm still doing a lot of the different things I would post about on here but I just haven't had the time to really, REALLY put my posts together.  And being that I don't have my homemaker day anymore I think it's time to sign off.  If you still want to catch up on what I'm doing and stuff I guess you'll have to check out my other blog.  I plan to post my different projects and stuff on there eventually.  
This is the  Thursday Homemaker... Signing off. 

A Baby Blanket...

 I finished knitting my very first baby blanket last week.  Okay...so it's not the first one I started but it IS the first one I've completed.  I made it in very unisex colors -- pale yellow, light gray, and green -- since the baby it's for doesn't want to cooperate. 

Here's my pattern...

On size 10 needles (I used rounds cuz that's what I like for blankets) cast on 80 stitches.

Knit 12 rows

Knit 5, Purl to last 5, knit last 5
Knit

Repeat these two rows until the blanket is as long as you want it

Knit 12 more rows then cast off.

The thing I like about this pattern is that it leaves a lot of room for creativity in color.  My skeins of yellow and green were fairly small.  (I'm not sure exactly how big they were.  They were just soft and perfect of a baby blanket.)  The yellow on each end is one full skein per end and the green portion in the center is two skeins.

The "knit 5" on either end gives a cool border on the sides as does the 12 rows of knit at the start and finish...

I just love how it turned out and am so proud of myself for finishing.  It's inspired me to go back and finish Simon's blanket.  :)

Christmas Ornaments

I've been such a slacker that I haven't gotten around to posting the awesome Christmas ornaments I made this year. (I made a number of gifts but this may just be the only one I end up sharing.  I was just too busy with the holidays to update or post much of anything.)  These were Simon's gift to everyone this year and I may just make it an annual gift in the future. 
I bought some plain glass balls and a bunch of ribbon when we were out shopping the day after Thanksgiving back in November.  The balls are really cool because you can take the top off them and put just about anything small enough to fit through the hole inside for decorations.  I just took some of the Christmas photos I had taken and edited of Simon and put them on the inside.  (Getting them in and looking good took some doing but once I figured out how to roll and unroll them effectively it got easier.)  Then I added some kind of festive bow around the top with some ribbon.  Really easy and the effect is pretty cool.
We didn't put up a Christmas tree or I would have put them on the tree to take pics...But here they are: