After the "Big Day"

I finished the Prairie Shawl from the book, Folk Shawls. I used Rowan Plaid and size 13 needles and I'm really happy with the way it turned out. It's very soft and lofty and the stitches are close without being too open. This will be very toasty and all someone like me (hot blooded) will need when I go out no matter how cold it gets.....that is, if it ever gets cold this winter!


Above are the Opal "Owl" socks I knit for my daughter-in-law and she loved them. They are just her colors and fit her feet perfectly. I knit these using size 1 dpns and wow, were the stitches ever so tiny. They seemed to take a bit longer to complete but were well worth the effort. I'm so glad she was happy with them!

I promised you pictures so here's another one....a scarf for another daughter-in-law knit using Artful Yarns "Jazz" in a buttery soft merino. She was very happy with this also and I was so glad to see her eyes light up when she opened it. I used a basket weave pattern which turned out quite nicely.

I know I've posted this before but this was a Christmas gift for my granddaughter, a poncho with a matching hat (which I forgot to take a picture of) knit using Araucania Nature Wool in a light and dark red. It was a pleasure to knit and she looked so cute in it on Christmas day.

I also knit a hat for my son using Cascade 220 in black as he requested and I really liked working with this yarn. It fit him perfectly and will be warm without being too heavy. I also knit a Rowan Plaid scarf for my sweet daughter which she loved. I knit my mother a pair of leg warmers using Indiecita Baby Alpaca in a deep purple and they came out beautifully, but I neglected to get a picture of those as well. Finally, I crocheted my mom a lap blanket in GGH's Aspen using the ripple stitch, but that was the first Christmas gift I finished back in November, but here's a picture of it anyway.

I hope everyone of my cyber pals had a lovely Christmas surrounded by their loved ones and I want to wish all of you a very happy, healthy, and joyful New Year in 2007!

Christmas Presents

Geez, I havent' posted for quite awhile, but like all of you, I've been busily knitting and crocheting trying to complete my Christmas gifts in time for the big day. I've been doing pretty well, all things considered, and have finished the lap blanket for my mother, the poncho and matching hat for my granddaughter, a lovely shawl for ???? and I'm about 75% finished with my last two items which are a pair of Opal socks for my DIL and a pair of leg warmers using Indiecita Baby Alpaca for my mother. I also whipped up 3 scarves for assorted loved ones and they turned out nicely.

Right now I don't have pictures but I promise to upload them as soon as I complete everything which should be in the next week to 10 days. Today I need to wrap and finish up sending the Christmas cards out and then it's back to knitting. This year I've done so much better with figuring out the time I'd actually need to finish up. In the past I'd be furiously clicking away trying to get done by the eleventh hour and frazzled to the max.

Our weather isn't cooperating to put me in the spirit though, because it's going to be in the 50's and 60's for the next 10 days and even after that, there's no real cold in the forecast......ergo, my snow scene here, LOL. I love it when it's frosty and cold and the fireplace is going and all things are Christmas, at least to me, anyhow.
So, dear readers (especially those who have stuck with me, even in my absence), I wish you a productive, yet joyful upcoming 11 days in which to complete the things you have on your lists. May you have much happiness, joy, and peace in your life as you wait for Christmas day to arrive.


P.S. Since my walking schedule has taken a serious back seat to all my other activities, I'm going to suspend the contest for now, but may bring it back in the New Year.

Christmas Knitting

This is the beginning of a shawl I'm knitting using Rowan Plaid, which alas, is discontinued but I managed to get some 1/2 price at Webs in charcoal color with a light grey heather. I'm using the pattern from Folk Shawls by Nancy Bush....the Prairie shaw. I really like this pattern so that for something that grows this big, I can continue to work on it while watching tv and no mistakes are likely to crop up. Well, okay, hopefully not. I'm knitting a few other Christmas items as well, namely, a pair of Opal (Owl) socks for my DIL,a hat to go with the poncho for my granddaughter, and of course, I'm still working on the Aran blanket, but then, those of you who read my blog with any regularity, know that already! :)


I'm knitting leg warmers for my mother for Christmas using Indiecita Baby Alpaca and talk about soft and warm....she probably won't want to take these off. That's assuming they fit her because I'm basically winging it with this pattern. Anyone have any good basic leg warmer patterns they'd be willing to share, or point me in the direction of a good web site with free leg warmer patterns? I'd like to get some ideas for measurements rather than the actual knitting pattern itself.


Finally, I leave you with what goes on when I'm sitting with my feet up and my 2 kitties are lounging on their favorite blanket while I knit. This time, however, I had my trusty camera handy for a change. Yes, there are 2 of them....the boysy is laying sideways with his head and part of his body right on top of girlsys outstretched body.....talk about the life!

So, until next time, dear readers, stay safe, be happy, and knit on! Don't forget about my contest which is ongoing, so email me with your guess as to the time and date that I'll reach my 150 miles walking goal. Feel free to guess any date you want to, even if it goes into the New Year...my goal is to reach 150 miles by December 31, 2006 so you can take it from there and view my exercise ticker at the bottom of this page.

"You never can tell when you do an act,
Just what the result will be,
But with every deed you are sowing a seed,
Though the harvest you may not see.

You never can tell what your thought will do
In bringing you hate or love,
For thoughts are things and their airy wings
Are swifter than carrier doves. Ella Wheeler Wilcox

The Completed Poncho

Here's the finished poncho for my sweet little granddaughter! It will certainly keep her warm and toasty and it's oh so soft to the touch as well! I'm not sure if I have enought yarn left to crochet or knit a hat to go with it but I think I'll give it a try and hope for the best. In case some of you didn't read my post about this when I began, I used Araucania Nature Wool in a red light and dark combination hand dyed. I'm not sure if the color is showing up on your screen as it really is, but that's the color I used.

I'm working quite a bit now on the gift for my daughter in law and my mother's leg warmers. Both of these projects are on smaller needles and take alot more knitting time but I will finish them in time for Christmas as long as I don't go off on a "new and just gotta' make" project. I can't believe how quickly the month of October is going, can you? One more week and we're into November so you know that Thanksgiving can't be too far behind.

I also continue to knit away on the Aran baby blanket whenever I can talk myself into knitting cables. I know I'll be very proud of this blanket when it's completed but when that will be eludes me.

In addition to the above I squeeze in the wedding gift for my son and future daughter in law. I think they'll really like the finished product but I've got a long way to go to complete it. At least I have awhile so I'm not too concerned, plus I'm crocheting it so it tends to go a bit quicker, in general.

I know I haven't posted very much in the last couple of weeks, but I've been going to physical therapy for my shoulder twice a week and so many other things on the agenda, which I'm sure all of you know about already. I hope to do better this week and get into some kind of routine with this 2 day diversion cutting into my time.

Monday, Monday

Seems like forever since I've posted but here I am....it's a lovely Monday with the sun shining and the temperature in the 70's (although in truth, I'd rather see it in the 50's but I'm the exception, not the rule). I've been knitting away like a mad person every chance I get and currently working on some Christmas gifts for members of my family. 
I'm also working on a gift for my daughter in law and can't post a picture of it here because she occasionally reads my blog.....isn't she one sweet DIL? Suffice it to say that her gift is on much smaller needles and is therefore, progressing a bit slower but I have no doubts that I'll finish it.

Yes, can you believe that even as I type, the Aran baby blanket is still on my needles but I do work several rows as often as possible so I'm working my way through my last (thank you, Lord) skein of Shelridge Farm merino and then it will be a wrap, both literally and figuratively. That's about it for now and until next time, dear readers, be happy, healthy, and knit on!

Holiday Knitting & Crocheting

I've been happily making Christmas ornaments, some of which I'll give away and some I'll keep.
I've had a busy week and haven't had much time to do my crocheting and knitting which just won't do. The next couple of weeks look even busier so I'll have to fit my needlework in wherever and whenever I possibly can! I'm knitting a gift for my DIL, possibly two gifts, (for Christmas) but can't say what they are because sometimes she reads my blog and I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise. I'd like to begin at least one or two other Christmas gifts but I'll have to see if time allows because it's sure flying by. I can't believe it's almost October, for heaven sakes.
at this gorgeous sky! Big old cottony clouds rolling around in a clear blue sky. This is my 'Saturday Sky' on Friday. It is amazing the way the sky changes so much each hour, day by day. I think though, that the sunset skies are my favorite because they seem to have so many colors of the rainbow in them.

I wish you, dear readers, a peaceful, happy,and safe weekend and may God hold you in the palm of his hand today and always.

"I now am wise, I now am true,
Patient, kind, and loving,too,
All things I am, can do, and be
Through Christ the Truth that is in me."

Hannah Kohaus

Summer's Harvest

Rosemary and Thyme.....no Sage, however, only Basil. I did a search for the best way to freeze our herbs for optimum flavor and found a great website with just the info I was looking for.....thanks, KALYN . The jar holds the basil which really reduces itself once you add the olive oil and pulse it in the food processor. The rosemary and thyme just get washed, dryed, and put it the freezer and when completely frozen, I'll take off all the leaves and voila! Herbs all year long fresh from our own garden. It's a good thing, isn't that right, Martha? So, if you're interested in doing the same, check out Kalyns Kitchen blog for all sorts of info and good recipes too.
As for the peppers, I'm going to roast them, drizzle with olive oil, add minced garlic and refrigerate them to enjoy with a nice french bread.....ooooh, I'm getting hungry already.
On the knitting front (well, actually the crocheting front), I finally completed the lap blanket for my Mom for Christmas. It was a labor of love because when I was originally near completion, I found a "hole" (can you believe) which seemed to spring out of nowhere, very close to the beginning. Now, I checked this blanket frequently as I crocheted for any signs of trouble so that I would only have to rip back a minimal amount. I have no idea where the offender came from, but come it did, and I was forced to rip all the way back and trust me, it was a long way, and begin anew. I know my Mom will love this because her legs get cold during the winter and currently she's using a lap robe I crocheted for my dear Grandmother. It was lovely but through wear and tear, it's seen it's day and besides, the new one is a wool blend which will keep her much more toasty on those cold (please, hurry) days. Here is a picture of the completed blanket.

Tonight we're having an Artisan show in our neigborhood and I'll be displaying some of my knitting and crocheting along with others. Some will be selling their hand crafted items but I am just displaying. I don't think there will be any judging for prizes, etc. but if there is, I'll keep you posted. In any event, it's fun to have others see your creations. So, I wish you all, dear readers, a lovely weekend, filled with faith, hope, charity, and of course, YARN. 

"Success is the sum of small efforts,
Repeated day in and day out,
With never a thought of frustration,
With never a moment of doubt,
Whatever your cherished ambition,
Begin now to make it come true,
Through efforts, repeated, untiring,
Plus faith in the thing that you do."

Florence Taylor

Bring On The Cool Weather!

Labor Day is here and that's a sure sign that Fall is right around the corner. I can't tell you how happy that makes me because I detest the hot, humid weather during the summer. Yes, I know I'm way in the minority but it wouldn't be the first time.
I'm making considerable progress on the lap blanket for one of my Mom's Christmas presents. I need to finish at least 3 other projects for others before the big day gets here and only 1 of the 3 is about half finished.....the other 2, I just started so I have alot of knitting to accomplish and I know I would if I could just stop starting other projects! I know darned well I shouldn't start something else but the excitement of the new yarn and pattern always sucks me in! :) However, I'm sure there are many worse things to be guilty of and to be honest, I only feel a very slight twinge of guilt for this one. I have Very Happy Birthday wishes to my sweet daughter and my very sweet granddaughter, both this week! They make my heart fill with joy and happiness and today we get to celebrate with them and my wonderful son-in-law. Hot dogs, hamburgers, homemade tray of mac n' cheese, baked beans, devilled eggs, assorted snacks, and the all important birthday cake. I may even take a small sliver of that.....how can I resist?


I managed to break into double digits with my walking goal and moved the ticker back to the top of my blog so I can keep better track of things at first glance. Wow, I cannot believe that I've walked 54 miles so far.....this is a record for me as far as staying with my exercising, and weight training, but now I have a great addition to my routine for burning calories and here it is, the picture I promised you last week......isn't it a beauty?
My wonderful kids (and that includes my daughters-in- law and soon to be DIL) went in together and bought this for me while I was at the shore. We went to the bike shop there and I got to try out about 4 bikes called cruisers which just have the foot brakes, regular handle bars, and a nice seat. It was pretty comical watching me trying to navigate just getting on the bike at first, and then when I finally got started, my husband and sweet DIL, held onto it until the front wheel was able to right itself after all the shaking, rattling, and rolling I was doing. My son actually took a picture of me wobbling my way down the sidewalk with his cellphone camera which I'm still insisting he delete.

Geez, I remember the good old days when I'd hop onto my bike and ride for hours, nary a wobble in sight. Not only that but WOW, what a major workout for the legs and caboose area (not that there's anything wrong with that). Was it this hard then, because I never noticed it if it was and we went up hills galore. I guess that's just one of the "not so great" perks of getting a bit older....ahh, sweet youth.Having my bike will allow me to add something else into my exercising routine and trade off walking and bike riding on different days. My kids even got me the basket so that I can take my cell phone in the event I have a spill. Oh boy, I can see it now, me lying in the gravel crying like a baby and trying to dial "somebody". I just hope I don't have to say, "help me, I've fallen and I can't get up". Seriously though, I hope that never happens but if you saw me shaking that front wheel, you'd have some reservations, believe me. :)

Well, that's it for now, as I want to get everything all set for my sweetheart's arrival and I wish you all a wonderful holiday and a good week ahead.

"Character is what emerges from all the little things you were too busy to do yesterday, but did anyway." Mignon McLaughlin

Ahh, The Life!

Here's the Bunny boy sprawled out in all his glory with that "aren't I adorable" look on his face. Yeah, he's got it rough along with his sister who's pictured below. She just wants to know, "what's for dinner, Ma" and she's a happy camper. These two sweeties are more like dogs with the constant companionship they give us.....the boy is all Mommy's and the girlsy is all Dad's. They follow each of us respectively, from room to room and they never hesitate to let us know just what they want and when they want it. If we've been out, they are right at the door waiting to greet us and yes, okay, I admit it, we spoil them, but what's a Mom and Dad to do, I ask you.

I've been contemplating having a contest in the near future to guess the exact time and day on which I'll reach my walking goal of 150 miles. My exercise ticker is at the bottom of this page. I've entered some other knitting related contests and they've been fun. The prize will be fiber related with a few extra goodies thrown in for good measure. I'm figuring I'll open the contest somewhere around the halfway mark of 75 miles so check back from time to time if you're interested in participating.
Look at this bright blue sky photo with our palm tree, sparse though it may be. The sky is clear as a bell with a brilliant sunshine, but a bit too hot for me. I love the autumn with it's own beauty, all the colors that spring forth and the crisp, cool air. I'm ready to see the end of this heat and humidity so I say, "bring it on". That's all for now, though I'm knitting away, I just don't have anything completed yet to show you so I wish you all a wonderful weekend with much happiness and good knitting, as always.

Fun Days!

Ahh, yes, my big day which always winds up lasting for at least a week and between my family and friends, they manage to see to it that I get a good bit of celebration in before I can officially say the B day is over. We went to dinner last night at a beautiful restaurant and everything was perfect. This morning began with breakfast and a couple of gifts to open, and tonight 2 of my sweet sons are coming over as well. In addition to all this, I am expecting a big gift that my kids went in on to arrive here any day now so when it comes I'll take a picture of it so you can see it too. My wonderful daughter gave me a timely gift certificate that bought me a new keyboard for my computer (don't ask what I spilled on my original one....coffee..ACK!!) and my daughter-in-law who is just the best, hands down, has a gift certificate waiting for me to get a manicure and pedicure.....all I need to do is make the appointment. Wow, I'm so very blessed by having the most wonderful kids ever and a great husband and Mom....even my brother is taking me to dinner next week. I know I'm bragging way too much so forgive my obvious pride here but I wanted to share how lucky I am. It just doesn't get any better than this, I tell you!



On the knitting front I'm knitting away on my "yet to be completed" projects and making some progress which is a good feeling. Everytime I go into the closet where I have my yarn stashed I see another thing I began and left floundering all by itself! The worst of it is I'm longing to try my hand at one of the sweaters from "The Sweater Workshop" by Jackie Fee! What can I be thinking when it's obvious that I'm already drowning in UFO's so there's no need to be inflicting anymore punishment onto myself with yet one more to complete. I did knit the cute little sampler from her book a few years ago which was a good learning tool. Several key techniques are used as you work your way up this creation and I found it a joy all the way. I used Aurora 8 merino yarn in a cool melon color with peach as the second color. I use the sampler now to cover the tin I put my needles in and it looks pretty cute if I do say so myself. I highly recommend this Sweater Workshop because it covers so many things and the author never assumes that you "already know" this or that. To me, that's what a teaching book should do. 

"What progress, you ask, have I made? I have begun to be a friend to myself." Hecato, Greek Philosopher

Surprises! Yea!!

This is the lovely skein of yarn I won from participating in Basil & Abner's Pet Charity Drive. It's a handspun 100% wool from Midnight Sky Fibers. I love the colors in this and can't wait to try my hand at something with it. Thanks so much to Rebekah who is Basil & Abner's Mommy and who gave so generously of her time and effort to collect all the blankets, toys, etc. for the abandoned pets at shelters in her area.

I've been busy knitting all of my UFO's and the new project as well, which cannot be named in the event my son or his fiancee just happen to read my blog.....yes, I know that's a long shot, but I don't want to take any chances. :)
My mission (should I choose to accept it, of course) is to finally finish the Aran baby blanket before Christmas gets here. Heaven knows, I should be able to accomplish that and finally have this completed....geez, it's only taken me roughly 2 years!

Yesterday I was treated to the most delicious birthday lunch at a lovely, scenic restaurant with my best bud, Kay! We had such a great time as always, never at a loss for words, heaven forbid. My birthday isn't until next week but I start celebrating early as all of my friends and family know.....don't you just love birthdays, especially your own.....I know I do! She also gave me this pretty Thomas Kincade mug and some candles to set the mood as I knit and sip my hot tea.....oooh, can't wait till it gets colder because then I can really snug in with some of my larger knit projects and be cool, cool, cool while I sip my tea and knit. Yeah, I know it's a dirty job folks, but somebody's got to do it and I'm volunteering.

So, that's about it for now and I wish all of you dear readers a good week filled with all your favorite things and may you find kindness as you go.

Gazing Heavenward

I guess you might say that I'm a few (?) days late with my Saturday sky, so here's a Thursday sky fresh from this morning for you. Our deck lends a perfect view of the sky and the changes are amazing sometimes.

I've been keeping myself busy with working on a new schedule of sorts. I'm getting up about an hour earlier and having my coffee, knitting and/or crocheting, having breakfast, then walking on the treadmill and doing some reps with my DH's 5 lb. weights. I'm doing those mainly for my arms which need some toning, to say the least! By the time I'm finished exercising, I'm dripping wet and need to cool down before I get my shower. Then, it's time for lunch and either errands or cleaning, wash, ,projects, etc.

This is quite a bit different from my normal routing in terms of timing. I would get up an hour later, put on the coffee, and log onto the computer. Ahhhhh, there's where my trouble began. I would be so into checking out my favorite sites, email, and blogging that I could and sometimes did lose track of time. It would fly by which is why it always amazes me that some bloggers can post every day. Geez, I'm impressed, but I can't seem to spend that much time even though I'd love to. After I drug myself away from the computer, I would finally eat my breakfast, which was sometimes 11:00 a.m. and that's way too late. Then I'd do my exercising and shower so we're talking near 1:00 p.m. till I could begin anything else. It also created a late lunch and then a late dinner.....not a good way to go when trying to lose a significant amount of weight.

I'm pretty physched about this new turn around and what I've realized is that I need to put myself and what I need to do before the rest of the days activities. It's so easy to forget that if we don't take care of ourselves, who else will?
I've been logging onto FlyLady'ssite and I've gotta' say, it can be very inspirational in the sense of her message which is "Finally Loving Yourself" (FLYing) and this is something that we gals don't seem to remember. How can we fully love someone else until we start loving ourselves first. It's the same premise as "don't hide your light under a bushel". Don't keep the love you have for yourself stuffed so far down inside that you can just about find it. I was pleasantly surprised that many of the things she tells her members to do, I've always done as a matter of course, which was a nice feeling, let me tell you. However, I could use help in the perfectionist in me and in finally loving myself. Just some thoughts for you to think about too.

"Are you in earnest? Seize this very minute!
What you can do, or dream you can, BEGIN it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.
Only engage, and then the mind grows heated;
BEGIN, and then the work will be completed."
Goethe

Sweltering August

Ahh, yes the frigid blast of cold, clear, clean air is like nothing else for pure invigoration.....the winters put the swing back in my step and I love winters best of all. There's pretty much nothing I don't like about cold weather.... snuggling in next to a roaring fire with a pot of hot tea and my knitting, the wind howling outside, the darkness setting in around 5:30 p.m., the beauty of a winter white blanket of snow at night with the full moon shining on it, it's all good, but I digress!
I need to snap myself back to the present reality of heat indexes of 105 and up, low energy (both my own and the local electricity providers), food gone bad way too soon, can't even consider going anywhere that doesn't have air conditioning, and feeling very sad for those who cannot afford it and are literally unable to tolerate this intense heat and humidity. What can you do to cool off when you're feeling like a piece of bacon on a griddle? It's so much easier to warm up than it is to cool down and I heard on the news a few days ago that more people die from the heat than from the cold, so to me, (which I'm sure you've already noticed), it's not my thing....end of rant as I climb down off my "weather" related soapbox. Bernie kindly stepped in and pointed me to a very helpful site, Thur's. If you need any help this site is a great place to start. Bernie also gave me extra hand holding while I plodded my way through to what you see thus far, but all in all, I think it looks pretty good, what about you?

As for my knitting content, I don't really have all that much but my continuing work on the Aran baby blanket, the Opal socks, and the lap blanket. I need to finish one of those before I pick up yet, another unfinished object (UFO) of mine languishing in a lovely yarn basket in one of my closets. So, this is about it for now and I wish all of you a long cool drink in the a/c with a good book or a great knitting project clicking away on your needles.


"Fame never comes to the loafers and sitters,
Life's full of knots in a shifting disguise;
Fate only picks on the cowards and quitters,
So give 'em both barrels---and aim for the eyes.
Grantland Rice

Still Saturday Sky Watching

It's a lovely Sat. sky today, isn't it? It's a hot one too and it's going to get even warmer as we go through the weekend, which is the type of heat and humidity I detest. However, we're oh so thankful for air conditioning.....what a blessing it is!

I'll keep it short today other than to share this picture with a view of last night's sunset as seen from our deck. I love the sky around dusk all year round but my favorite skies are in the winter time just when the sun starts to go down. It's a myriad of colors and shapes which always fascinates me and I can lose myself in a sky like this more easily than sitting by the oceanside.
I'll leave you with this lovely sky to get lost in.

Tomatoes Aplenty :)

This is one of two pots of tomatoes which my husband planted and they are coming in by the bucket load, LOL. One is the cherry tomato variety and the other is an elongated grape like variety. The latter has skin that's a bit tough and we can't figure out why. The cherry tomatoes are luscious with tender skin and sweet enough to taste like candy. There's nothing like a home grown ripe tomato in the summer time, in my humble opinion. I can remember my grandfather loving tomatoes so much that he would eat them like an apple and he didn't worry about the juices running down his chin either! :) One memory of him doing just that stands out in my mind....it was a September day but a very hot one and we had stopped at a park type rest spot on our drive. He took a tomato from our bag and stood by the trash can eating it while it seemed as though every bee in that place circled around him. Did he mind.....not in the least! He just merrily ate away till he could eat no more, threw the rest in the trash and away we went. Funny, how I can remember it plainly in my mind's eye to this day.



I am still working on the lap blanket for my Mom for Christmas. I can write that here because she doesn't have access to a computer so she won't know what I'm working on unless I tell her personally. I finished the pair of socks (pictured in my last post) for her and forgot to mention that the reason the toes are a different color is because I ran out of yarn and couldn't for the life of me, find the remaining skeins which I know I have but just don't know where they went to. I'm fairly organized so this is still a dilemma which to date has not been solved.


Also working on the Aran baby blanket which grows slower than I lost weight and let me tell you that's mighty slow. My sweet daughter announced to us that she and her husband are expecting again the end of February so I WILL complete this blanket for our new grandbaby which I'm predicting will be another girl although I'd love a grandson. I think my daughter would love having a boy and seeing all the differences in raising boys......I know I did. :)

So it goes and I'm still plugging away with my walking regimen and my low sugar, healthier way of eating. I feel thinner but hesitate to weigh myself for fear of sabotaging my efforts with a slight or "horror of horrors", no weight loss. I think I'll wait till my regular check up in Sept. as you see below to actually find out my current weight and thus the immense loss..........okay, how about the moderate loss?

Till next time dear knitters, be safe, be happy, and knit on!

Hazy Days

Here they are in all their completed glory, toes intact. I know my Mom will love these come Christmas time because they are very warm and will keep her nice and comfy.

The dog days of summer are here and has it ever been steaming hot outside. I thank God everyday that we have air conditioning and I often wonder how our grandparents and parents survived without it, especially the poor women who slaved over hot stoves, washed with wringer washing machines, plus, didn't have the ease of microwaves and frozen food. All this and when they reached menopause it must have been sheer hell on earth trying in vain to stay cool. Personally, I think they all deserve a gold medal for surviving and continuing to do for their husbands and children no matter how awful they were feeling at the time. Here's to you Mom and to my much missed Grandmother who even managed to bake occasionally in the summer time. :)

I'm still working on the lap blanket and using up stash yarn like it's water! I read somewhere that crocheting takes up to 30% more yarn than knitting for a project depending on how loose or tightly you work. All I can say is AMEN to that because I feel great finally using this yarn that I've had for at least 4 years now. Yes, Martha, it's a good thing! :)

Also, you'll notice I put a note under my weight loss ticker that I won't be updating how much I've lost until September when I go for my regular check up with my doctor. I figured I'd let her weigh me on the professional scale even though her scale always weighs me 3 to 4 pounds heavier than mine does. The reason being is that I don't want to get discouraged if I weigh myself and either there is no loss or there's only a pound or so off. I know how I get and I'd be saying to myself, "you mean to say that I'm killing myself watching my food intake and exercising till I drop and this is IT?" S0, to spare myself any possible disappointment which would only spell "giving up the ship" for me, I'll give myself 2 months (well, okay, just a bit shy) and see what the story is then.....................and by gads, it better be good! :)

"Of all sad words of tongue or pen, so wails the poet in his pain,
The saddest are, "It might have been," and world-wide runs the dull refrain.
The saddest? Yes, but in the jar, this thought brings to me with its curse,
I sometimes think the gladest are,
It might have been a blamed sight worse!"
Grantland Rice

Sock It To Me

I was sailing along on moonlight bay, oh wait, no, that's words to a song.....I digress! Feeling rather confident about finally getting the hang (pun intended) of knitting 2 socks at the same time on 2 circulars, I was sailing along on the toe decreases and feeling pretty smug about the whole thing, LOL. I decided to count the stitches on my needles after about 8 rounds or so and wait a minute....what's this? 20 on one and 18 on the other! Hey, how'd that happen when I was paying what I thought was close attention, even though I was secretly catching up on Friday's episode of General Hospital on Soap Net while I was knitting. What can I say other than that Sonny mesmerizes me so I guess that's where I lost count and missed a decrease!

As I sat pondering (much like Brain of Pinky & the Brain), I decided that I could slip this sock off the circs, rip back to the offending row and be well on my way to sock perfection once again. Boy, was I wrong!!! After several attempts to figure out why one sock was on a decrease row and one was on a straight row, I wisely called it a night. This morning I took a picture of the socks closely watched by my trusty, mini sheep!

I'm probably going to put the offending sock on a piece of yarn and finish up the well behaved one and then attempt to fix this and jump for joy when I am finished and have TWO socks and no need of knitting another one. In retrospect I don't know why I didn't just leave it alone and make an extra decrease and go merrily on my way.....it's in the toe area after all, so who would be the wiser? A lesson learned!

Here's another picture of today's, Saturday sky...pretty, isn't it? I'll have to snap a couple of pictures of the sun setting since we have a great view of that each and every night. I think that the winter sunsets are by far, the prettiest of all because the sky has so many colors and shapes as the sun goes down.



These beauties are out front and they get prettier with each bloom. I wish you all a wonderful weekend with much joy, and good knitting!

"Some things have to be believed to be seen." Ralph Hodgson

On A Mission!

Yes, I'm on a mission......a healthy eating and exercising plan. I've been watching what I eat for some time now since I had a scare with my blood sugar going up, so to avoid the dreaded "diabetes", I got serious about cutting the sugar way down and watching what I eat and cook. I began last August so it's almost a year now with just 10 pounds lost and they were lost in the first 2 months! Since then my weight has been STUCK in neutral.....not going up, but more importantly to me, not going down either. The 5 pounds I put on the ticker I've finally dropped just this week, which is a good indication that maybe consistent weight loss is in my future?

On that note, I've decided to take my Mom's advice (because she's always right anyhow, and that's the truth) and I've started walking on my treadmill every day for at least a mile or more. This should jar some of this flab loose one way or the other, shouldn't it? Say yes, please!!! :) Once autumn rolls around, I can get outside and walk but the temperature here is just too hot and humid for outdoor walking. I do feel better and have more energy throughout the day and this, in just 2 weeks.

I hope that those of you who can commiserate will let me know of any tips you might have to improve either the exercising or the food part of this "now" way of life for me. I would love to hear from any and all with advice or just plain comments. Ahh, come on now, I'm counting on you! :))

On that note, I'll leave you with one of my favorite, most appropriate quotes, although I don't know who said it originally,

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".

Summertime

Our petunias are in their glory and keep getting more blooms every day! We have other flowers on the deck doing equally well so I'll take more photos later today. I don't know about you but I love looking at bright, beautiful flowers with such lovely colors. These may not show up as a buttercup yellow color but that's just what they are.

On the knitting front, I'm just about to the toe area of the Rowan socks but I can't find my extra skeins of yarn anywhere....ACK.....so, I'm going to have to substitute another color and brand to finish up each toe! I don't know where the skeins could have gone other than walking away on their own steam. I had 10 skeins of this yarn and began the socks with 2 thinking I was home free if I needed another 2 to complete them but I guess the jokes on me! I should finish them sometime this week so I'll post a picture of my 2 tone socks (well, actually, my Mom's 2 toned socks....hope she likes them).



Another project I've begun (like I need another) is a pet blankie for our own sweeties! However, I'm crocheting this rather than knitting it because I've noticed that not only can I get finished much faster, but I can use up enormous amounts of stash yarn for these projects, which is a very good thing in my case! :) The kitties can share this one and it's turning out quite cushy, so I know they'll love lounging on it. I have loads of the Aspen yarn and have no idea what I was thinking when I bought 2 entire bags of it, but crocheting this type of project would use up most, if not all of it. I would definitely feel good about that because I've sworn to use stash yarn for any future projects and not buy NEW! This, of course, to the dismay of my LYS owner but needs must, after all.

It's not like I don't have lovely, top quality yarns to use from stash because I do so this isn't some sort of punishment but lately, I've felt as though, it's time to simplify my life in many ways and this is just one of them. I don't need new yarn and it's time to 'fess up and admit that to myself......and now, to you, too, LOL. The time has come for me and mine to say, "do we REALLY need this" and most of the time, the honest answer is NO.

So, enjoying everything we already possess and being contented with the many blessings we've received will be more than enough. So, until next time, dear readers, be well, be safe, be contented, and knit on!

"One's philosophy is not best expressed in words. It is expressed in the choices one makes. And the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility." Eleanor Roosevelt

Saturday Sky

Here is the Saturday sky in my little corner of the world this morning and it doesn't get much bluer than this......not a cloud to be seen! From the sound of the weather reports this will be the best day, weather wise, of the 4 day holiday weekend.

On the knitting front, I finished the little animal blanket for the charity drive I mentioned in one of my posts below. It's still not too late to donate something if you would be interested. I feel so strongly about anything to do with animals who are in need of adoption and love. I wish I could take at least 2 cats and 2 dogs but I already have my own. I think the work that the ASPCA does along with the Humane Society is exceptional!

Well, I must run and get busy for the activities of the day, so until next time, dear knitters, knit on!

Update

The rain has stopped and the sun came out...YEA!!! I decided to do some baking today and here is the result.
This is a recipe I got from Farmgirl's site and gave it a try. I had to tweak a few ingredients though but it still came out yummy (thanks Susan). I didn't have enough blueberries so I used strawberries as well. The recipe calls for a tsp. of almond extract and when I opened mine it was evaporated.....guess I don't use almond extract too often, huh? In it's place I used a tsp. of lemon extract and that did the trick. I also used steel cut oatmeal rather than old fashioned, but I figured the steel cut was plenty old fashioned enough. They taste delicious, neither too sweet nor too lacking in sweetness because after all, if it's a dessert type bar, I want it to taste like a dessert or what's the use, I ask you.

I had lots of strawberries to use up so I also made some preserves to use on bread and possibly even put over ice cream....peach, that is! Yum, yum, although I can only have a very small amount of any and all desserts but I do look forward to each bite and savor each one completely. Gee, ya'think I like sweets just a little bit?

Rain, Rain, and More Rain

It has been raining pretty much non stop for 5 days now here and things are getting a bit dicey, to say the least. Many people are having flooding and now there's talk of possible evacuations for those living near water in our area! I hope it doesn't come to that for those of you who are in the above situation and at this point, I'm praying for sunshine to come back again.





Here we have the Bunny Boy in all his relaxed glory insisting that the cat toys he laying on are HIS, HIS, ALL HIS. Sorry, B-Boy, but you're already spoiled along with your sibling, Trixie, so these are going to some kitties who don't have it so good. Let's not be so selfish Mr. B and let's try to remember to help out those poor, sometimes forgotten pets that are waiting for someone to take them home and love them. Rebekah is the sweet person who is organizing a critter charity drive here and I think she is so special for doing so. I'm crocheting a little snuggle blanket for a pet and hoping I will get it to her in time for the cut off date, which is July 15th. If you'd like to participate in this worthy cause, there's still time so check it out.


I continue to work on my UFO's but there's not much "growing" going on. A little bit here and a little bit there so I just need to enjoy the process and not be overly concerned about the finishing date. Isn't that what our wonderful knitting craft is all about....the pleasure is in the process. :)


Oh, and one more thing.......I've been remiss in thanking the kind Yvonne for making my button with the yarn and needles.....I love it, Yvonne and bless your heart. Right now she's not taking any more requests, but if that changes in the future, I'll let you know.


Until next time dear knitters, be safe, be happy, and knit on!

Sock Yarns

I'm into the sock yarns in a big way right now for some reason. Maybe it's because it's summer time and hot as blazes and these babies don't make me hotter while knitting them, or maybe it's just because there are so many fabulous sock yarns out there to choose from. I must confess that I'm not doing my yarn stash any justice because I bought 2 skeins of new sock yarn which I needed like a hole in the head but what can I say.....only fellow knitters can empathize. The yarn pictured above is from Fleece Artist and it's a merino sock yarn which is so lovely to fondle that I know it will make comfy socks. I think the colors will be pretty neat as the sock starts to take shape.

Here is the other skein which is alot like the Opal "Owl" colors and since I love those colors I figured I couldn't go wrong with this especially since I got it on sale! Yes, there's a sale on certain Regia sock yarn and Opal as well here. The sale price is good and since one skein of each makes a pair of socks, it's a win win situation!



I wound up sending the Opal "Owl" sock to the frog pond because there was something odd going on with the cast on edge which I kept fiddling with and knew I wouldn't be happy in the end, so I ripped it out and will begin anew. As soon as there is enough progress to report on, I'll post some pics.

Other than that, it's a birthday today for someone I love very much.....my oldest son! So, "drum roll please"...........

Happy Birthday, J. and many more xoxoxo

Of course, my kids think I'm going crazy with a knitting blog but since they don't knit, they don't understand. Now, if we were talking golf or basketball, that would be another matter, I'm sure. I always ask them if they've checked out my blog and they give me that look that says, "are you serious". The only exception is my darling daughter who checks it out from time to time and only has nice things to say! I guess it's a girl versus boy thing, who knows.

So, I will bid you adieu for now and until next time, dear knitters (sons and daughters too), be happy, be safe, and knit on!