Spring Crafts

 

I finally finished the knitted blanket I started way back in January/Feb.  Honestly, 3 months isn't too bad for a throw sized blanket.  It photographs a little crazy, but it was really an interesting pattern to knit.  I enjoyed it and it knitted up to be a very dense, very warm blanket in the end.

The pattern called for 7 skeins of each color yarn and I'd only just started the 6th skeins when the pattern came to an end and I cast off.  I was so surprised to find out I was done, because expected nearly 2 more skeins of knitting ahead.  Next time, I'd order only 6 of each color.

Turns out I finished it just in time to gift it to my manager, Peggy who just went out on short term disability leave for breast cancer.  She'll be out for 6 ish weeks and then will go through radiation after that.  It's a long road ahead for her and I hope this warm blanket can bring her comfort along the way.  

This spring I also shipped off three quilts to be quilted.  They are all throw sized and in this same pattern.  I have this one in the bright colorway and then I did two pastels - the same as the baby blanket I just gifted to baby Aubrey - though hers was baby blanket sized.  I should have these three back in a few months so I'll post the finished products of all three once I get them bound and completed.  

Up next are hats and a knitted moose for Hazel.  Those smaller projects should be quicker and easier than the blankets I've been working through.  I'll have a summer round up on projects later this year!

Mother's Day

 

We spent Mother's Day weekend at the lake and it was so wonderfully low key.  It ended up being just the 6 of us and it was a great way to spend the holiday.

We got the pontoon in and did a few small projects around the house - well, by "we" I mean Ryan and Dan....Erin and I just hung out, managed the kids/dog and made food for the weekend.  Division of labor!

With gimlets...of couse!

The big lake weekends are always fun, but these low key ones are so refreshing.  We're headed back there for Memorial Day and I can't wait!  We're so close to summer!  Just a few more weeks of lunches/bus schedules and end of school year activities.  I am so ready for the summer season!

Spring Camping - The Shakedown Trip

 

Early May usually means we're pulling the camper out to do our spring shakedown as Ryan calls it.  Or rather "figure out what's broken that we need to get fixed before camper season starts".  We've been pretty lucky the last few years - but as with all things, there's an average and that means there is likely also not so lucky years.  LOL!  We aren't sure if a mouse house, or maybe a mysterious water issue, or maybe the cleaner spill last summer contributed to an electrical issue that means a few core things aren't working - mostly the water. 

We were lucky to have 3 other functioning campers to help support us - mostly with dishes!  Outside of our own camper issues though, we had a great weekend!!  We camped at a new (to us) spot - Mirror Lake.  It's in the Dells/Devils Lake area and the lake is the home of Ishnala - voted the best Old Fashioned in the state.  We visited the restaurant last year (or the year before?) and realized there was a campground closeby.  We booked for last October but it conflicted with the Chris Stapleton concert so we rebooked for this spring and we love it there!

The campgroung is small and likely fills out quickly in the summer months, but this might be a good spring/fall campground for us going forward.  We had a great double site (130/131) that was right along the lake (though a steep hike down the hill to get to the water).  It was a huge site and we were pretty far away from other campsites.  We'll rebook there for sure.

We hiked, we geo-cached, we kayaked...we ate, we s'more'd, we cocktailed etc.  It was cool and rainy on Saturday which was a little bit of a bummer but it didn't stop us from doing any of the activities we had planned.  Well, maybe the kayak to the Ishnala part, we decided we were too wet and it was too chilly (and that we could make our own cheaper and better - I know I know...Ryan hates it when I go down that path).  

We hauled the 'yaks along with us for this trip partly because we were right on the lake (and why not?!) and partly because we wanted to try our the new rack Ryan made to carry them when we're pulling the camper.  Another "shakedown" item off the list.

I was a reluctant kayaker - but it really was quite fun!  The last time I kayaked with on Lake Superior with Abby and it was HARDDDD.  This was so much more fun - plus I had my own boat so I wasn't hauling along any extra weight (thanks Ryan!).

We also got back on the geo-cache train!  We tried to locate 3 different cache's but were only successful with one.  The kids are always so excited to open up the boxes and see what they can trade for.  This year we've vowed to plant our own cache somewhere local so that we can see fellow treasure hunters find OUR box.

Last but not least - how can I skip this little collage of photos?  They crack me up.  I love a good "give me a silly face" photo opportunity.

Thanks for being a good sport Jamie!

1 Family x 12 (May)

 

Our first camping trip of the season is officially in the books and that means we're about to be on the move a LOT over the next few months.  The girls have about 3 weeks left of school and we can already smell the freedom of summer in the air.  We're still in the wild throws of spring weather, 50 and rain one day, 85 and turning on the AC the next, and then back to cold and rain the following day.  But, the temps are on the rise and I just finished cleaning out the kids dressers and setting them up for summer weather.