Whirlwind Week in Indy

As promised, I have pictures to share from my wonderful week in Indianapolis! My main purpose for going out there was for this:

Benjamin Andrew Hannan - Nephew #5

Benjamin was born right before Thanksgiving and this was my first opportunity to meet him. He's gone through a lot during his first two months, and it was so hard for me to not just hop on a flight right away to be with him and my sister!! Now that he's home, he is making such progress and I wanted to smoosh him all week long. How can you resist a baby who meets you at the airport sporting his Terrapin pride? I won't bore you with all the details of the week, but it chockabock full of smiles, giggles, snuggles, and naps with this one.

"What is this crazy lady doing to my foot?"

Sound asleep....

I love the expression on his face...and the outfit is just too cute!

"Okay lady, you look a lot like my mom, but you're not, and I'm HUNGRY! I'll just suck on my hand for now, but I want my Mom!!!"

He gave BIG smiles the whole time I was there. However, he reserves
the biggest ones for his big brother.

Speaking of his brother, my 4-year old nephew, Noah, is just wonderful with his baby brother. He's always ready to come running with a burp cloth and to find the pacifier that's been missing for 2 days. He dotes on his brother with lots of hugs and kisses all the time. He also likes to...

give piggy-back rides!!!

On one of the days, I was giving Noah a bath while my sister was finishing feeding Benjamin. During that time, Benjamin proceeded to "erp" up a lot of what he had eaten all over himself. So, my sister being the quick thinking mom stripped him down to his diaper and gave him an impromptu bath with his brother. Noah loved it!

I did manage to get a little knitting time in while I was there. I've been working on Benjamin's blanket for about a month now, but it's no where near finished. Some might say it takes away the surprise of the gift to show it to the recipient before it's done, but I couldn't resist. I'm having so much fun with the Renee Baby Blanket that VeryPink designed that I had to bring it with me to show my sister. If you haven't seen this pattern, check it out. There is a great story behind it which makes it even more special!! I'm using Tess' Super Socks and Baby hand-dyed yarn. This is my first experience with hand-dyed yarn, so I was a bit surprised and concerned when the dye starting to come off on my fingers, but after some quick emails to Tess and my fellow knitters, I relaxed. I'm going to have to do some washing to set the color before I block the whole thing. But I think he'll like it...what do you think?

"Aunt Bri - it may only be 1/3 done, but I love it!"

The other highlights of the week included eating lots of yummy food while watching the Giants roll over the Packers. Here you can see Noah all set for the game...

I have always been amazed by my older sister, but this week in Indy just made me admire her even more. She has 2 children that she gives all of her time to, and what little is left over she gives to her husband, and she still manages to maintain her sanity. I was so exhausted at the end of each day and I would just look over at Ann and she looked like she could continue to go for hours more! She is an amazing mom!!! Not to mention, one hell of a sister! How many moms do you know that can do this:

Playing Guitar Hero while feeding your child

That week just makes me want to work that much harder to get done with school and move closer. I miss playing CandyLand and Tractor Tipping (see the Cars movie) with Noah. I miss waking up and having a nice breakfast of Cheerios and milk, just me and Noah. I really miss the snuggles, giggles, and smiles from Benjamin. But most of all...I miss my sister!

It's Here!

After a wonderful week with my sister in Indy, I came home to THIS:

Hello...welcome home from your trip!

I will make all of your stress melt away...jump on!

This is what my husband and I gave to each other for Christmas 2007, Anniversary 2008, and Birthdays 2008. I am going to finish unpacking and hop on!

I promise that I will have pictures of my fun in Indy very soon...two cute nephews that I gushed on for 6 days!

Mildred's Cousins

For my cold feet...and the soft spot in my heart!

Edit: Thanks to my mom for coming up with the perfect names...Louise & Roberta

From Our Family to Yours...

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and are looking forward to a Happy 2008!

Our annual "self" portrait courtesy of Jason's photography skills

We lost our space in the living room for a tree, so we put up these Charlie Brown Christmas trees to highlight our favorite ornaments.

Lucy really wants to help get the wood for the fire...

but in the meantime she'll settle for a leaf that she brought in from the deck. Further proof she is a dog at heart

Don't mess with my presents!

Don't mess with my wrapping paper either!

We had a lovely holiday that started on Christmas Eve with the 2nd annual Charlie Brown Dinner. We invited several of Jason's co-workers and our neighbors who didn't have other plans on the evening. We enjoyed an amazing plethora of food and goodies and wine. It's so nice to have friends to share the holidays with when we can't be near our friends...we're so lucky! On Christmas Day, Jason and I just took it easy with a long walk in the sunny afternoon and watched the newest Santa Clause movie and our annual viewing of "Love Actually".

Contrary to what this blog may show, I have been knitting. The problem is that I can't show pictures of it because they're all gifts to give to family and friends who view this blog. The second problem is that since the sun has been so rare in its appearance around here that I haven't gotten any good pictures lately either. For the meantime, I"ll appease you with this...

a lovely cake of delicious yarn that I'm using for something extra special!

Let the Holidays Begin

Yesterday was just another day....

in New York City!!

I have the most wonderful friends in the world! Cassie asked me if I wanted to take a day trip up to NYC to see the Christmas sites of the city and enjoy a show by the Rockettes! Having never been to NYC before, how could I refuse. So, on Saturday morning we woke up bright and early...well it wasn't quite bright yet, but it was early...and headed up to the city. We took a short drive up to Trenton and then hopped on a NJ train into the city.

Our first stop was...

Radio City Music Hall to see the Rockettes! I wish I could have taken pictures of the show because words just cannot describe it. The Rockettes were quite possibly the most talented performers I have ever seen. Such precision, grace, and beauty all wrapped up into an incredible performance! If you EVER have the chance to see them, pay the money. It would be worth every dime to enjoy the most famous Christmas show ever! For now, though, you can check out their site and see some clips! A BIG thanks goes out to Cassie's parents for the tickets!

Cassie's face after the show says it all!

Myself flanked by the Shular Sisters! You may not be able to tell, but we were very cold.

What is a trip to NYC without a stop at...


Rockefeller Plaza! The pictures don't show how beautiful the tree really is. I believe that this was the first year that they added blue lights to the tree. Now, I am very opposed to the majority of displays that I have seen with blue lights. But they really added an amazing dimension to the tree. I will say that I was surprised at how small the skating rink is. I believe that my parent's house would fit inside of it with just a little room to spare. We had no desire to spend the time waiting in line to skate, so off we were to hit several more brief stops. I didn't take many other pictures, but we did hit Saks and Grand Central Station on our way to lunch. I did capture a great picture of...


the Chrysler Building! I was amazed at how much it really does shine amongst all the buildings in the city. After a wonderful lunch at El Rio Grande off Park Avenue (Another BIG thanks to the Holzberg's for lunch) , Cassie and I made a quick stop to...


Time Square. We walked around the block, checked out a few Starbucks where the lines were WAY too long, and then headed back to Penn Station to catch a train home. It was an amazing first trip to NYC and I left with a few impressions:

1) The air in the city REALLY smells like roasted chestnuts

2) You have to be willing to push your way through a bunch of people when no one is moving

3) I can walk dozens of blocks in heeled boots and live to talk about it

4) Incoming trains are posted at the LAST minute meaning that everyone bolts for the same skinny escalator down to the tracks at the same time. You better book it!

5) I can run through a train station in heeled boots and live to talk about it

6) New Jersey is an ugly state

7) I need another trip to NYC to capture the rest of the Christmas spirit that it has to offer! Check back after the 14th as Jason and I head up with some friends to do just that.

In the meantime...enjoy the holiday spirit that is all around!

Welcome to the World, Cameron Grace

Our close friends Ryan and Lindsay welcomed their second child, a daughter named Cameron Grace, into the world two weeks ago. I had really hoped to have the Aran blanket finished before she arrived, but all good plans get delayed. Plus, they didn't need more things to take home from the hospital...their gorgeous daughter was plenty! We were able to enjoy a wonderful dinner with our friends after they returned home, and I gave it to them at that time.


Of all the things I have made so far, this has been the most enjoyable! The pattern is quite easy once you get into it. It looks so much more complicated than it is. It's just 2 types of cables, seed stitching, and a double moss stitch. Since there are several panels that repeat, the stitches change frequently, so I never got bored with it. I also love how it looks like an heirloom piece, making it something that they may be able to pass down or possibly pass off as being passed down to them!!

Here's a closeup of the panels so you can get an idea of the detail. The picture isn't that great because the lighting was low. I had forgotten to take pictures before I wrapped it, so I had to wait until our friends opened it.
All in all, I will keep this pattern very handy for any future babies that come into this world!!

Now on the needles: A Cardigan for Arwen. I haven't gotten a lot more done since my last post, but I am making progess on the back, which is just 25 inches of stockinette stitching. This basic stitching made it the perfect project for Wednesday as my students took their first exam. I had a full 75 minutes of knitting while I kept an eye out for possible cheating! (none to report!)

PhDKnitter is going full steam ahead on her Arwen and making notes where slight alterations or attention needs to be paid. The front is knit in 2 separate pieces and then those are stitched together to the back to create the final piece. My guru came up with the brilliant idea to knit the two pieces at the same time. This allows us to make sure that both pieces are the same length and will hopefully help when starting the sleeves so that they are even across the chest. Don't want a sweater with one sleeve lower than the other!!! If you want a better idea of this process, check out her page because she has started the front panels already.

So, even though I have a LONG WAY to go on Arwen, it's time to get the next project going. My nephew, who I have lovingly named Seamus Hannan for now, is due on Nov 19th. However, with the way things go with my sisters, there is a strong chance that he'll grace us with his presence early. Us Trame girls never like to follow the rules!

All that long diatribe being said, I need to just pick a damn pattern for him!! I have so many to choose from, but I can't decide. I mean, it's my nephew...the pattern has to be just perfect! I have given myself a deadline of Friday the 12th as that is the day that PhDKnitter and I are heading to Stitches East in Baltimore! I am ready to be overwhelmed by all the possibilities and dive into a full convention center of yarn and assundries!!! With my pattern in hand for my new nephew, I know I'll be able to find the perfect yarn. Unfortunately, I won't be able to tell you any more than this as the rest will have to be a surprise for the whole Hannan family!!!

Been a long time comin'

Contrary to what our blog might suggest, we are open for business at Casa de Fred! We closed for a bit while we enjoyed a great vakay to Minnesota for a lot of family and a ton more more. Upon returning, I went through a whirlwind of writing new papers, revising old ones, and preparing for my first day of teaching. Now that the semester is well under way, I feel like I have a little more time to think and post.

Here are just a few pics from our lovely visit to Duluth and Brainerd! Wish I could post them all.










































Yup...you read that correctly...Bri is teaching!!! One of the best features of my graduate program is that they provide us the opportunity to teach our own course. So, I am responsible for molding and educating the young minds of 40 UMD students as we delve into understanding development across the lifespan. It's a lot more work than I ever thought it would be, but it's also invigorating. In the three lectures I have done thus far I have learned just a few things:

1) The same student will ALWAYS be 5 minutes late to class
2) Wearing heels is just a bad idea
3) I can teach a whole lot in 75 minutes, but not as much as I would like

Amongst all the prepping and practicing of my lectures, I have found a bit of time to work on my knitting projects. I still have my Aran blanket to finish. I managed to get a ton completed on it as flew to Minnesota and drove all around the state. It's to the point now that I have to just decide when to stop knitting...but when is a blanket big enough for a baby? I keep dreaming that it would be great if he/she would also be able to use it as a toddler blanket, so I keep on knitting. What do you think??
I have also started my very first sweater!! My knitting guru and I are both delving into A Cardigan for Arwen. It's a whole lot of stockinette stitch, which can be mind-numbingly boring, but it is so exciting to know that soon I'll have my very own hand-knitted cardigan! Plus, the yarn I bought for it...I have decided to call it my "butta yarn" because it knits up as soft and smooth as butter.

Stay tuned for additional photos as I learn about short rows for sleeves, backwards cast-on method, and so much more.