Huggy Bear - On The Way

Today I sent my Baby off to the pattern checker. Hope I sleep tonight. My Baby is out there alone and being examined row by row by row. I understand that Mary is a kind and gentle person and will be fair.

Guess what----- I can hardly wait to get the feedback. Keep in touch I will be posting the results.

Now I am working on "Hoodie Bear". The plan for Hoodie is a cardigan with a hood and as an alternative, with a collar and a hat. Two patterns in one. Oh yeah! I am still working on one more sample of Huggy Bear and have started a sample of Hoodie. Oh, and I am still knitting socks.

MommaBearKnits on into the night!

Huggy Bear Continues

It's really going to happen. I am going to ship my Huggy Bear off to a pattern checker and then we will go from there. I visited Deb today and took some pictures with a wonderful yarn-in- stock background. I would really like to have a live baby model; we will see how that goes. I have not really decided on the front picture yet. The green one is size Preemie.
Because I am pretty careful about the numbers I usually knit at least three of the sizes just to see if a pattern that works for a Preemie also works for a Toddler. The mauve one is size 12 months. Now I am working on a size 6 months in Cabin Fever Cotton Tweed DK, in Denim Blue of course, my favourite colour.

I also realized that the button layout is a little different so I will include the picture below to help with the layout.


Whoever thought I would be bored with my retirement is sadly mistaken. I am having a ball and my creativety is blossoming. My next project will be a hoodie with a collar option as well. Then I will dive into some multi-directional stuff. Freedom 65 does not suck, it expands your horizon if you let it.

MommaBear will knit forever and a day.

Huggy Bear Will Really Happen! Wow!

"Huggy Bear" will be, will be. I want to thank Deb for her encouragement and of course, Jo-Anne for her comments on my blog. The white Huggy was just a wandering in my mind with my sticks and string. I was just playing around with my "Do the #'s" and I didn't even write it down, just knitted on for pleasure. I have now completed a real one, size Preemie, with the pattern on paper. I, of course, am pretty careful about all the sizes working so now I am knitting a size 12 months to see just how that looks, will it be too babyish for the toddler size 18 months, or will it work even for a little girl, perhaps sizes 2-8 with a little embelishment. I will likely do one more before I actually submit the pattern, hopefully to a pattern checker, if she will have me, and then I will polish up the layout, fix the typos, correct the mistakes and submit it to PatternFish. Wow, what a rush.

Oh, yeah! I finished my hand dyed yarn socks. They were so much fun to do that I knit on into the night. Love them. Cannot wait to get some more hand dyed yarn and try another pattern. This is very unusual for me, I always just knit my socks the way my mom taught me many many moons ago.

Until next time, MommaBearKnits and is really enjoying her Freedom 65. Why would anyone ask me if I am bored at home. I cannot possibly get all my dreams on paper and knitted up. I am also trying to clean out my space. Oh my Gawd, it is not good to live in the same house for over 35 years.

Moving Right Along!

Disappointed that the fabulous colour doesn't stand out in the picture. The pattern is a pretty simple and easy to do without constantly checking the chart. There is a diagonal cross pattern that is worked so that the columns on one sock are knitted with a left leaning stitch while the other sock with a right leaning stitch. Pretty cool eh!

I am also disappointed that the pattern does not stand out better in the picture but it is very pretty with the beautiful colours of the yarn. I am working both socks at the same time as I only have one skein so I want to keep an eye on the amount left to finish the socks.

I am getting back to my pattern designing------ the next project will be the crossed front Huggy Bear. I think it can work for a boy or a girl depending on the trim.

Until I post again, remember, MommaBear is Knitting her heart out!!!!!!

Back on Track!

Beautiful blossom in my retirement bouquet from my BabyBear and Grand Baby Bears.

Went out of the house today. Feeling better. Visited with Deb at Cabin Fever. I said I would stop knitting socks, after all, I don't need any more. After looking at her project with Hand Dyed yarn, I was once again hooked. I went home, wound up the skein of Hand Dyed yarn that I purchased from The Black Lamb at the KW Show, found a pattern (me using a sock pattern!) "Diagonal Cross-Rib Socks" by Ann Budd. And here I go again.

It is beautiful colour (Shades of green and pale purple). The picture does not do it justice. Oh yeah, Chocolate jumped right in to his job of supervisor along with SnowBall, a new bear that I aquired from a former work mate as a retirement gift. Thanks, Kim and Richard. MommaBear is back on track. Still knitting.

I'm Back!!!!

I am back on track. I will get started right away with ideas and finishing my most current UFO's. Last night I finished my socks in progress and went to bed. I am also going to try to clear up the clutter both in my house, on my blog and most of all in my head. The camera is back in focus, I am redoing my book list and calling it my library. It is soooo large that it certainly could qualify as a library. It has been such a long time since I updated the list that I just deleted it and will start from scratch. Hopefully I will find space to store all the books in one place. I will finish off a few more UFO projects. Most of them just need the ends worked in and the buttons sewn on. Not my favourite job. I prefer the sticks and string.

Slight Delay

I came home Friday afternoon, happy and looking forward to my new life, without the 9-5 drag. By bedtime, I was coughing, sneezing and sick. I don't know why I had to bring that home from the office but things just happen. Today is Tuesday, I have made a promise to myself that I will not lay down all day and go to bed at the right time. For the past 3 days, all I have done is moved from the couch to the bed and back to the couch. I am hurting from laying down too much, last night I had a hot toddy, meds, and went to bed at 8:00 and got up at 8:00 this morning. That has got to change. My body hurts, but I am on the mend. By tomorrow I will be back on track. Hope no one else gets it, I must admit that thoughts about knitting and designing have been darting in and out of my dreams. They look good when you are drugged, sleeping, hurting, but when they reach the light of day, Who Knows. Freedom 65 may be slightly delayed, but not forgotton. MommaBearKnits

The Count is Done! Life begins again!

I am home, the weather is terrible, treacheous drive but I am home and the job is done. Now the next phase will begin as soon as the snow and blowing stops. Looking forward to my Freedom 65.

MommaBearKnits, still

Counting the Hours!!!!

It is Thursday, January 29, 2009. I am sitting at my "soon to be former" Desk, in my "soon to be former" office, at my "soon to be former" Computer. It is 12:23 p.m. I just have today to finish and, although, I will be here tomorrow, how productive will I be, who knows. There will be some goodbye's and I am going to lunch with my "soon to be former" Boss. I bet the afternoon will be kind of redundent, bet I get out quick. I already removed my Green Glass.

Yahoo!!!!!!!

MommaBearKnits!!!!!

Coming, It's Coming, Freedom 65

I have five working days to go. Then I will be Knitting my face off. The last few days, will be a little weird, after all, I worked straight from graduating high school as a Doctor's Secretary, no college/university, worked until 2 weeks before my firstborn and I was a stay at home mom until my babybear( baby # 3) went to school full time (that was a period of approx 9 yrs). Then worked for 18 years at Sears Canada, accepted a VIP offer (nice way of saying your job is redundant and too many benefits cost too much, so good bye) It was a good offer so I went back to school for a year to upgrade my computer/accounting skills and do some co-op placements and then worked 16 years at the local Chamber of Commerce as the Executive Assistant. Now it is my time to do what I want, when I want, and where I want--kind of anyway, I still have my Cruster Ruster and my life partner of 46 years at my side. Not a lot of money, but who cares, it is my time to shine. I will be posting, designing, knitting, networking, shopping for yarn, and hopefully will design a few items for posterity.
I may be gone but not forgotten. MommaBearKnits

Three Weeks to Go!

Three weeks of work that is.
7 hrs per day; 5 days per week:
That equals (days at work that is)
15 days;
105 hours;
6300 minutes;
378,000 seconds

MommaBearKnits forever and a day.

The Quilter in Me is Begging to Get Out

I was a quilter (mostly the quilt tops, more fun and creative than actually quilting) and my favourite has always been the rag quilt made from scraps of leftover material with random colours. Actually, the lack of colour co-ordination is the beauty of the rag quilt. I also like log cabin squares. Soooooooo, while I was sitting looking at my stash and my leftover sock yarn (cannot throw out even the smallest little ball) I foolishly started to make garter stitch, log cabin squares. Well, one thing led to another and now a huge project is in progress. I will have more time after January 31 but will also keep on with my designs and socks of course (after all, I will need more scraps.) A Lot more scraps, believe me. I have worked out a pattern on a spreadsheet and now I know just how many squares I will need. That may have been a mistake as now I can really see "just how many squares I will need."

46 Squares, and 8 half squares are required and then a finished edge, that will be decided later. Right now I have 16 centre squares, 3 with the second row completed, 2 with the third row completed, and 2 finished squares. They will need some blocking before I display them.

I cut out the pattern to see how the cardigan will look. Then I went back and coloured the squares for a better look.

I will keep the posts coming and also will count down to Freedom 65.

I have 4 weeks to go;

140 Hours;

8400 minutes;

504,000 seconds.

Keep on Knitting, MommaBear will.