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Showing posts from June, 2011

Cape May

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As promised I have a few more pictures of our vacation at Cape May, New Jersey.  This photo is the view from the porch of where we stayed, Victorian Lace Inn  (one of the condos).  They serve breakfast every morning-double yum! Most of the Victorian houses have a porch and if they are really lucky a wrap around porch.  I have always wanted one!  My husband and I have owned four houses during our marriage (one at a time) and not ONE has had a decent porch. This is Congress Hall , which is even more beautiful in person.  It is now a hotel and you can shop the main floor stores.  The lobby is huge and gorgeous.  The entrance doors are old, and heavy.  It helps to push them open instead of pulling-my daughter loved pointing that out..... This is the Mainstay Inn , again a super gorgeous porch!!  I would love to sit and knit there and watch the world go by, oh and have a cup of green tea :) Every single morning, my daughter and I would walk th

Yarn Along

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Good morning to you!  I am still so happy to be back home that I am giddy.  I love any vacation but I secretly count down the days when I will be back home.  I am a homebody through and through.  I think I get it from my dad since he does not travel anywhere. This week I have finished the composition shawl  while at the beach.  I just unpinned it this morning, so I do not have pictures of it on Ravelry yet.  I am also working on the buttercup yellow scarf , it is mindless and super easy which is perfect for people that are half paying attention ;) For reading I am still on Dirty Life.  I am almost done with it.  It is a pretty good memoir of a farmer's life. I enjoy her fresh honesty and hard work.  I am definitely going to shop at the farmer's market more often this summer because of this book.  We already started a little vegetable garden as well.  As I mentioned before, I do not think I could do any livestock.....that is too intense for me! I am joining Ginny at Small T

Beach Time

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Well as you might have guessed, we were in Cape May NJ for our mini family vacation.  With everyone's busy schedules, not mine, we managed to find a span of time that we could all be together. We left on Thursday and only got back home on Monday.  It was relaxing and wonderful!  The forecast all week leading up to Thursday was thunderstorms and rain.  Would you believe that we had perfect weather the whole time?  Seriously it sprinkled a tiny bit on Thursday afternoon and that was it.  There was a lovely beach breeze everyday except Sunday that was a little hot on the beach and I withered and went back to the apartment unit.   The kids (yes adults) talked about digging a hole and building a castle.  When the hole digging started my daughter kept saying "this isn't as much fun as I thought it would be".  I was thinking the exact same thing when they were planning in the car.  On our last walk through the beach the hole was still there, a little b

Weekends

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This weekend was filled with: -time spent with my husband and two children -sand lots of sun -lots of good food and terrific restaurants -knitting during the quiet time of the morning -knitting during the afternoon on a porch or on the beach -breakfast on the porch -walking, walking, walking everywhere -a sandcastle that survived the incoming tide but not foot traffic. -shopping at bath stores with lots of lovely scents, lotions, and soaps -enjoying people watching especially at the beach, especially little ones ( I will have more pictures tomorrow!) joining Amanda at Habit of Being

A Walk in the Woods

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Our dirt road at the bottom of our hill is a road we do not own.  But it feels like ours, so I guess it is kind of mine....right?  We all took a walk right after dinner and I remembered to bring the camera!  It was fabulous to be out in nature and the only noise was what we were making by talking and laughing.  The last photo is a snail shell that my husband snapped.  Unfortunately his close up shots were very very blurry and could not be included. This was the best one, I swear.  I do not think I will ever get tire of walking in the woods, in the neighborhood, around the yard or at the shore.  There are just so many things to see, smell and hear.  The older I get the more in tune I am with thoroughly enjoying my outings.  It also helps to have family around too.

Book Adoptions

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I am overly excited about the two books I bought at the library sale last week.  Sometimes I just cannot resist a good classic book.  Heidi is a book I read as a teenager.  I really do not remember much except wishing I lived in the Alps.  I think it needs to be re-read to refresh this memory of mine.  This book's copyright is dated 1945!!  How cool is that?? Little Toot is another book I vaguely remember.  I am not sure if I read it from the library as a little girl or I saw someone else read it to me.  Does it matter?  This book has a copyright date of 1939. Both books are in good condition and are placed proudly with all of my "old" book collection.  Now you might have guessed that I am eagerly awaiting the next book sale.  I am always amazed at what books are unwanted, and I am equally amazed at the books that people pick up to buy. The photos were taken outside near the end of the day, the lighting was not the best.

Yarn Along

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What a crazy morning!  Uploading pictures on blogger was just not working!  Thank goodness for the help forum because I think I have figured out how to do it.  Anyways, good morning to all of you.  My knitting this week has been coming along quite nicely.  I am almost done with the Composition Shawl , it should be done today or tomorrow.  Remember this  scarf.  That is what I am going to focus on when my shawl is complete.  I am also seriously considering making the feather weight sweater again with the Madelinetosh lace in colorway wren.  I am definitely going down a needle size and maybe a sweater size.  Still thinking about that. I did finish Mennonite in a Little Black Dress and I loved it!  It is a good read and I recommend the book.  I thought it was a bit slow in the beginning but it picked up and kept me very entertained.  I am also reading Dirty Life.  I started it a while ago and then I set it aside.  So now I have picked it up and want to finish it :)  I like it except I

Composing a Shawl

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As promised I have some new photos of the Composition Shawl .  I am on the first chart doing a fourth repeat.  I am going to make it as big as possible without running out of yarn.  The best part about this pattern  is how easy it is to remember the lace design.  I love just picking it up and doing however many stitches or rows and then putting it down.  Nice!   I am still ignoring my mind that wants to start another sweater.  I have a few in mind but for now I am savoring the process of thinking and planning.   Today is a rainy dreary day, we need the rain in our little vegetable garden so "yay"!.  Summer is here but it has felt like it has been here for quite a while.  My goal this summer is to knit as much as humanly possible, read many books (if I can stay awake) and just enjoy the season.  Summer is my least favorite season (I know I am not going to be popular when I say that!). While I could go on and on about the seasons that I love, I will stop and just be in the

Weekends

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This weekend was: -so very relaxing, I deliberately planned big chunks of time sitting and either reading or knitting. -all about being outside enjoying the beautiful sunny weather -having a nice father's day with my husband and my kids -grilled chicken with roasted vegetables, one of my favorite meals (lemon juice is the key ingredient) -achieving the goal of slowing down time, just for a bit -making progress on my composition shawl  (pictures tomorrow, maybe!) -daydreaming about other new knitting projects to start -sliced strawberries with a tiny sprinkle of sugar -a whole watermelon!!! (almost gone) joining Amanda at Habit of Being

Time Passages

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My husband and I were talking about how fast June is flying by.  I wish it would slow down just a tiny bit.  Before you know it August will be here and school will start up again.  Have a wonderful, peaceful, restful weekend :D

Frisbee Time

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Frodo was lucky enough to inherit this frisbee from the pool box during the graduation party this past weekend.  One of the little kiddie guests found it and he absolutely loves it.  Now he typically will play fetch for as long as we are willing to throw a tennis ball, but the frisbee is off limits for the fetching game.  If you even try to pick it up, he takes it and runs like a crazy dog all over the back yard.  Sometimes the wind blows the frisbee up in his face and it's a miracle he stays upright. What a character! His other game is to take the tennis ball and drop it into the pool and wait for one of us to scoop it out for him. Maybe miniature schnauzers are into group participation. So far, he hasn't taken the plunge......thank goodness!

Yarn Along

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This week I am reading Mennonite in a Little Black Dress.  For some reason I thought I could breeze through this book and that is not the case.  I am enjoying it overall but I am only at the beginning so maybe next week I will have more of a fixed opinion to share with you. My knitting is the Composition Shawl  which I am loving!  I really like this pattern and the yarn is Madelinetosh.......my all time FAVORITE yarn brand.  My progress is slow and steady, I am completely enjoying the slow progress. Oh!  In case you were wondering about the beautiful patriotic bag in the photo.  That is a fantastic present that my sister made for little old me! I am so very lucky to have such a nice sister, who knits and sews!!! I only knit so I feel like I am getting the better part of the bargain in the gift receiving department. I think it is for a sock project but my shawl project fits, so let's say it is for small yarn projects-how cool is that :D If you are interested in seeing what every

Shawl and Scarf Progress

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Progress on the Composition Shawl is minimal.  I think I will blame it on the visiting family over the weekend!  I am more than over half way on the first part of the the shawl pattern.  I have already knit this pattern before so I am enjoying the process and I know the lace pattern is where all the excitement is. The Buttercup Yellow Scarf I have been picking up every now and then and doing a row here and there.  I love this yarn and I really like that this scarf is a pattern of my own creation.  I do not need the directions because they are in my head! (the perfect place right?)   I am still itching to start another cardigan but it will have to wait at least a week or two.  If I start another project I know that these two projects will be in the basket neglected.  Now that would not be nice!

Weekends

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This weekend contained: -family and friends -lots of picnic food -two graduation cakes (I might be tired of cake now!) for the graduation parties -swimming and laughing in the pool -a scared turtle that Frodo was barking at -five loads of laundry consisting of sheets and towels from 10 family members staying overnight  -sister time together at the LYS  -sister help at the party -not one single photo of the party because I was too busy talking and eating :D -good weather even though there were thunderstorms in the morning and at night -more tomato plants from my father! (everyone said you can never have too many tomatoes.....) -fresh lettuce from my dad's garden~yum. -tired sleep-deprived hosts linking up with Amanda at Habit of Being

Lilies after Rain

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After the rain last night we were graced with these beautiful lilies this morning!  Happy Friday to all of you! We have a very busy weekend with family visiting and celebrating graduations :)

Valley Cardigan

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Please oh please ignore the orange pants.....Yes I am officially done with this cardigan .  It is in the laundry room drying right now.  The photos were taken last night before blocking.  I was quite pleased with the sweater until I soaked it.  My goodness, you would not believe the amount of dye that washed out of that sweater.  That is a concern and I am hoping that when I wear it shirts or tanks do not become red.  My other concern was the fiber that fluffed off of it when I was wringing (probably a no-no for cashmere).  So I must remember to handle it gently.  I think the next time I wash it I will spin it in the washer instead of wringing to get the water out.  So maybe there will be more photos, maybe not.   Once it is dry I will put it on my sweater shelf and will have something new to wear in the fall.  How cool is that?

Yarn Along

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Can you believe it????  I am on a new book and a new knitting project!  I feel so accomplished right now.  But before you completely believe me look at the next picture.....I have some assembling and burying of threads to attend to before I can say it is done.  I am hoping tomorrow will be the magical day for posting a completed project.  The coffee mug is my absolute favorite and I can't remember who gave it to me :/  I know it is quite old (like over 20 years?)  I finished The Help and I loved it!  I thought it was one of the best books that I have read in a long time.  The characters were likable and believable and the storyline was interesting until the very end.  I also like the ending.  Sometimes endings are rushed or sometimes I think there is a better way to end.  If you haven't read The Help, I highly suggest giving it a read. The new project is the Traveling Woman Shawl  that I did make once before as blogged about here .  I really enjoyed the pattern and wanted to