What a great smile!

A month or so ago, I finally finished a baby sweater for a book club friend's baby, Juliana, and I just can't keep her smile to myself. The sweater, just really so so but the baby, priceless! I keep one of these photos on my fridge for continuing inspiration. She's just a little rosebud!

Not a lake.

I had hoped to show you a photo of lovely Lake Harriet in Minneapolis along with a photo of a beaming Ellen and friends emerging victoriously from their race.

Unfortunately, once we arrived at 9 a.m., we found out that race day registrations had closed at about 7 a.m. So, after a little standing around in the light rain, Terry, Pat and I went home. The next day, a friend who did register in time told us that there were openings at the last minute because of no-shows, but alas, by then, I was at home, cleaning.

So, instead of a lake photo, I give you a glimpse of my one real score of the day - 15 on-sale balls of Rowan Yorkshire Tweed dk yarn in Cheer. Oldest daughter decided to knit a shawl andk, in the course of her yarn store visit, I found out that Yorkshire Tweed has been discontinued. So I decided to horde what I could. This is bad. This is not a behavior that your want to model for your children. So I asked Kate to turn around and not tell Dad.

While I am committed to finishing Andy's sweater on time (when that time is, I haven't really said!), I have been sorting through all my yarn catalogues and knitting magazines looking for a more modern type of cardigan with a knitting gauge of 5 stitches to the inch. Recommendations for patterns gratefully accepted.

Good night sweet blue sweater and flights of angels sing thee to your rest!

Every blue sweater needs a nap after a long day of being knitted. And while this might not be the best picture - it is just a top down bulky sweater after all - it is far more likely to be used as a blanket than to be worn when the temperature is 80 degrees F.

Hey baby, want to ride a bike?

Happy Father's Day, Andy!

So this is a day late but . . . we were too busy picnicking and biking and (in my case) swimming on a lovely summer's day to worry about posting.

There actually was a bit of knitting where I ripped apart Andy's aran sweater that I started two years ago and began casting on again. I took an Aran Knitting class at the Yarnery in Saint Paul and started a River Grass Gansey from Jamieson's Shetland Knitting Book #2. I really meant to finish it but - I became distracted by the Brocade Wrap in Soft Shetland and finished that last summer. This time, I plan to use all the tricks I learned at Annie Modesitt's feet last April and get it done in record time. Lots and lots of cabling without a needle!

Really. I mean it. See, now I said it on the Internet so it must be true!

If Annie can do, why can't I?

Okay, knitting here at Chez Daisy are going a little slow. The Big Blue Sweater (I feel like there should be a Muppet 'specially designed to wear this) is done. I will post pictures. Aaah. So good to be done. The Little Green Sock (there also could be a Muppet wearing this - he would be the BBS' buddy and shenanigans would occur) is getting kind of dull. Not enough cables to be truly interesting and not enough plain work to go quickly.

So, following in the steps of Annie Modesitt, I am posting a picture of my cute knitting related mugs. That's right. Coffee Mugs. I know, she's a tea person but we are CAFFEINE ADDICTS. Tea good, Coffee better! So, the mugs - they are lovely - I got one at Yarnover 2006 here in Saint Paul and the other at Shepherd's Harvest 2006. The one with the spindle is my Oldest Daughter's mug - she uses a drop spindle - and the ball of yarn mug is mine. As far as I know, the artist, Jennie Lanners, doesn't have a website yet. She appears to travel throughout western Wisconsin and Minnesota.

On the triathalon front - I had my first outdoor swim of the year with the Minnesota Triathlon Club at Lake Lavon in Burnsville last Tuesday. Lots of weeds and people in skimpy clothing but - I was so glad to see lots of healthy sized people and I was a pretty good open water person. I'm thinking of doing an open water swim in two weeks so that makes me feel much more reassured. Some day I will have a picture of me wearing my trishorts and top but not today!

Rolling, rolling, rolling

Not much knitting has been going on at Chez Belle. The end of the school year, final exams, beautiful weather for biking have all competed with the last darn little bit of Oldest Daughter's Blue Sweater. Just in time for 80 degree F. weather - a beautiful wool sweater!

I have been using my brand new Mother's Day gift of a carding machine but not spinning very much at all.

My husband and I have been exploring the Bruce Vento and Gateway Trails here in Minnesota and they are so cool! I am still brought up short sometime by my fear of falling off the bike but since I'm not working for speed anyway - lazy knitting has corrupted other parts of my life - I figure how bad could be road rash be?

Thunder and rain are interrupting my David Letterman viewing so - off to bed.