Random Thoughts

I have evidence that fall is just around the corner :)  Today it might hit ninety degrees but I am at peace with that since I have visual hope that the season is changing.  I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend and thank you so much for the anniversary wishes!

Twenty Five

photo from May 2012 at the beach

Yesterday my husband and I celebrated twenty five years of marriage.  In the spirit of sharing parts of me, I have created a list of why and how we are married twenty five years successfully.

1.    We love each other
2.    We like each other
3.    We love to take aimless rides in the car together
4.    We value education at all levels
5.    If I've read a great classic he has seen the movie version
6.    I am terrible at directions for cities, malls you name it-he knows where to go
7.    I am the person that sits on the beach with the belongings, he is the one to swim with the kids
8.    He is excellent with children's injuries, checking wounds, deciding if stitches are needed
9.    I am very good with stomach bugs (a skill he does not have)
10.  We frequently say the same thing at the same time about weird stuff
11.  We both do not liked to be teased too much
12.  At amusement parks he rides all the up and down ones, I do the spinning ones.
13.  When the kids were in school he did all the late night pickups, I did all the morning drop offs.
14.  We love to save money
15.  I love to talk and he is a willing listener (after coffee of course)
16.  Family is important to both of us
17.  We rarely worry about the same stuff
18.  He likes to be alone but he can be alone with me
19.  He recognizes people but I remember their names and where we met them
20.  We are best friends
21.  He was the good cop I was the bad cop but sometimes we switched it up to keep the kids guessing
22.  We went to all the band/concert performances together for the kids
23.  We joke around a lot and laugh every day
24.  He loves hand knitted socks, I like making them!
25.  We cannot imagine being with anyone else :)

Yarn Along

This beautiful cowl that doesn't have a ravelry page yet is nearly finished.  It is very simple but also the colors of the yarn make it quite striking.  I wish you all could see it in person.  I cannot wait for fall to be here now so I could immediately wear it.  I know, I am pushing the season, I can't help it.  I noticed yesterday while daydreaming and staring outside that there are numerous leaves falling off the trees.  I do believe that is a strong sign of a season change!!

I'm also knitting my pink cardi and posted about it wonderfulness yesterday as well as the pair of socks for my dad.  Each are making progress and I'm enjoying the knitting.  I have been knitting and catching up on all the podcasts that I have been saving over the summer.  When the kids are home I tend to let the podcasts slide.  But never the knitting.

Still reading The Flight of Gemma Hardy and am really enjoying it.  I think you should read it if you do like Jane Erye.  At first I was continually thinking "did this happen in the book" and many many events mirror poor Jane's life.  After a fourth of the way through the book, I was thinking of Gemma as her own individual character and thinking less and less of Jane.  Occasionally there is a scene or event that flirts with the classic book but there is enough original content that this book stands alone.  I will definitely read more books written by Margot Livesey.

What are you knitting and reading?

Joining Ginny

A Sweater in Progress

It has been quiet around here the past two days with both kids gone.  Frodo seems to have quit hunting rabbits OR the rabbits have moved away from the area.  I shall not question but enjoy my little dog in his quiet state.  It is rare for him to not be barking at something!

So I've been enjoying the unlimited knitting time in between my tasks and cooking simple meals.  I have many projects on the needles and each of them serve a purpose.  I love the simple ones for car riding or talking while knitting.  But when I can give undivided attention I love some technical details.

This is my new cardigan on the needles.  The pattern is titled same same but different and I love knitting it.  This pattern is for someone who is familiar with top down construction.  The designer has many details going on at the same time and it is up to the knitter to keep track of them.  The challenge is fun!  I have buttonholes, waist shaping and pleats to keep track of and lucky for me my little stitch marker pins are doing all of the work.

The top photo shows the ruching at the shoulder seam and the second photo features the side pleats.  I have memorized the button band pattern (finally)!!  Although this color is not a fall hue I am so excited to wear it soon.  After it's knitted of course.

Weekends

My weekend was filled with:

-goodbyes-our son is now on campus ready to start a new semester!
-riding in the car ALL day.  I managed to knit and ward off a pending nap-it was a close call!
-packing up all of his "stuff" which seemed like so much into the car
-waiting in the dorm room while the guys hauled the "stuff"  Yep I was spared physical exertion.
-chicken salad smeared over top of avocado over top of lightly toasted bread
(the avocados were mashed with olive oil and a spritz of lime juice and salt)
-an eerie silence upon returning home-the house is so different without the kids
-happiness that the visual clutter is with my two children and not in my family room :)
-noticing the hints that fall is very near (eep! I am so excited to wear woolens)

How was your weekend?

joining Amanda

Thoughts of the Week

I thought it would be nice to show you Frodo and report on his week as well as mine.  He still is pacing the fence looking for the elusive rabbits.  Thankfully almost all of the rabbits are fully grown and cannot get into the fenced in yard (at least that is what I think?).  However I'm thinking that maybe there is a pesky snake or chipmunk that has his little nose poking in the lattice openings.  Every once in a while I see him laying down and relaxing so hunting season must be over.

I cannot wait until fall.  There I said it and I know I am pushing the season but I've had my limit of being hot.  We had cooler temps this past week briefly and it was enough for me to abandon sandals and capris.  It is jean weather now in my mind.  It helps that I have air conditioning and can hibernate while blissfully waiting for a frost.

My son has started to pack up his stuff for returning to campus.  I have slowly added to his stuff.  Every time I am in a store I pick up some kind of must have item.  A list has been started which to me is essential.  Yesterday the Nitendo 64 was packed up and put away from the family room and suddenly my shelf looked empty.  I think he is easier to move because he is in a dorm room instead of an apartment like our daughter.  But don't get me wrong he has a TON of stuff to move!

I have been very content this past week working on a cowl even though I have ripped out row upon row of possible stitch patterns because I didn't like them.  I am now knitting a simple garter stitch and rib stitch that shows off the many colors of the yarn perfectly.

Oh and I made some brownies (from an evil box mix) and they are the best brownies ever.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Yarn Along

There has been an explosion of casting on new projects and it's been so enjoyable.  I finished my brown citron shawl and quickly started two more projects.  The green yarn in the photo is a pair of socks and I'm using my pattern lucky for me this will be easy since I've knit it once before. My other project in the photo above is a cowl that I am designing.  It's in the early stages so I haven't a ravelry page as of yet.  I love the yarn!  It's socks that rock in medium weight by Blue Moon Fiber Arts, it was a gift from one of my knitting friends :)

My pink cardigan is making progress and it is not in the photo.  I just separated the sleeves off the needles and have started the body.  Even though it is all stockinette stitch there is no boredom with some pleats to create and a little bit of waist shaping.  Perfect combination.

As you can see by where the bookmark is, I am slowing reading The Flight of Gemma Hardy.  It's quite good-I am a night time reader which means I fall asleep eventually.  I love how it mirrors Jane Eyre but with an updated time period.  Gemma is still at a rotten school and her best friend just died.  The writing is beautiful and I love the comfortableness of a favorite classic.

What are you knitting and reading?

I also wrote a guest post at Mad Passions blog about why I knit.

Joining Ginny

Psst-Over Here

At the beginning of the month Melanie asked me to write a guest post for her blog and today it has been published.  I have known Melanie for a while, she is a fellow knitter and had the best baby ever this past year.  Please head on over to Mad Passions to see why I knit.

Citron Shawl Complete

I finished my citron shawl last week. I boldly went for the seventh tier and quickly realized that I would not have enough yarn to complete it.  So I did some fudging.  I knit the ruching which is the best part of the shawl and then went straight to the edging.  Unfortunately the edging is skimpy.

The yarn is Zitron Filisilk and in the beginning I loved the sheen.  However after knitting and handling it the wool content took over and there was more halo to the yarn.  It is a single ply yarn and for the look of the shawl I think a multi plied yarn would be better.

I am very pleased at how it looks once blocked and as you know I cannot wait until it is fall so to maybe wear it, OR this might be a gift for someone.  I am on the fence and lucky for me I don't have to decide today.

It's crazy but I would knit another citron again.  I love the unthinking part of the project :)

Weekends

My weekend was filled with:

-lots of walks and resuming the dirt road which is now "chipped and oiled" so it's not the same.
-many hours knitting my pink cardigan
-many hours of ripping out row upon row to fix a mistake-I was not in my happy place*
-finally fixing the error and knitting back up all those lost rows to return gleefully to my happy place
-watching the first Lord of the Rings movie and watching my Frodo wake up every time his name was voiced
-cooler temps leading to visions of future knitting projects, so many!!!
-starting a count down to when my son leaves next weekend
-menu planning his favorite meals


*I muttered that I wish someone would fix my mistake for me.  My husband replied "bring me the scissors"-made me laugh and made me realize that I am the most qualified to right the wrong.

How was your weekend?

Joining Amanda

Random Thoughts

This past week was the first week without my daughter since she went back to her campus.  I have been lucky to hear from her once a day and it seems like she is still here at home for the moments we are on the phone.  Thank goodness for cell phone plans.

My son has one more week at home, we have yet to start gathering his things and packing them up. Even though school does not start until the end of August, I am acting and thinking like the school year has begun.  My husband is a professor and will be back to his academic schedule the same time as my son. Having a schedule encourages me to be more productive.  I do love the summer and the carefree lifestyle we all adopt, but it's time.  It's time for fall and it's time to get stuff done around here.

I've resumed walking with Frodo in the early evening and I've realized that maybe I need to take ALL of my medicines for full physical function.  (I have mixed connective tissue disease-a cross between rheumatoid arthritis and lupus).  So even though I am a little tiny bit disappointed, I am really looking forward to seeing if I feel better and stronger to be fit.  We will see.

I still need to clean up the kitchen, do some loads of laundry and tidy up the counters this morning and I really want to knit!

 I hope you all have a wonderful lovely weekend filled with peace :)

Garden Goodness {august break}

basil from my garden

Yarn Along

At the beginning of the month when I was visiting my dad he said to me "I wear the socks that you made me last Christmas all the time".  As a knitter I heard "Please please please make me another pair!!" So that green yarn up there in the photo is the yarn that I will use and yes you read correctly I am officially starting my Christmas knitting.  I was thrilled to know he wears the socks.  My dad has become "knit worthy", not many people make it to that level for me.  To be knit worthy you have to express your love of the hand knit I made and then wear it.  So simple and yet people fail the criteria.

Oh and my citron shawl is nearly complete.  I started the seventh tier with the best intentions of knitting all of the rows but I had a sinking feeling that I might not have enough yarn. I ended up doing half of the tier and am now on the ruffle edge and it will be done by the end of today.  My pink cardigan has not been touched in a week so no news on that lovely project.

I finished When God was a Rabbit and overall it was nice.  I preferred the beginning of the book and the set up and introduction of characters.  The second half of the book just did not seem to go with the story for me.  The book that I started last night, The Flight of Gemma Hardy is a rewrite of Jane Eyre. I have my fingers crossed that I love it.  This novel is set in the 1960's in Scotland.  I will admit that this book was hand picked by me based solely on the cover art and the texture of the cover!!  After reading the back snippet I had to buy it.  I hope it does not disappoint me.

What are you reading and knitting?

Joining Ginny

Growing High {august break}

At my sister's house under her porch swing, this positive thinking sunflower is growing and nothing is stopping it!

Weekends

my stepmother grew these!

My Weekend was filled with:

-dinner out with the four of us the last time until a school break
-donuts (why oh why are they an evil but necessary food???)
-packing packing packing up my daughter
-starting my sentences with "do you have this?"  "do you want this?"
-shopping the cupboards-to stock up her apartment until she can get to the store
-changing all the bedclothes and beginning the laundry
-seeing my end table without any clutter!
-driving on Saturday to move her stuff in followed by lunch out
-seeing my knitting friends today and laughing

Live Is Good.

How was your weekend?

Joining Amanda

Random Reflections

These past days have been planning days.  Making lists kind of days.  This weekend our daughter goes back to her apartment to start a new law school year.  In another two weeks we take our son to his dorm room and then--poof--it's just the two of us again.

I have been adding and subtracting money to budget paying for schools, supplies and last minute items.  I've also been writing out a menu plan for three people instead of four people for the next two weeks.  Don't tell anyone but I'm working on the two people one as well.  Nothing wrong with looking ahead.

One of my silly goals is to eat through this over stuffed pantry of ours.  I have a bad habit of impulse buying when the kids are home.  Even worse, I forget why I bought it and it lingers in the cupboards.  I'll start in September.  Also there is the freezer.  God knows what is in it, but I will inventory it and menu plan away.

Summer is fun without having schedules, menus or budgets.  But when the school year starts, it's back to reality and for some serious budget and menu planning.

Any tips?

Along Came a Spider {august break}

Based on my quick search, this is a black and yellow garden spider but I could be wrong, I am not checking his underbelly to see if it is white to confirm the identification process.  I only observe!

I love how he looks like he has only four legs instead of eight.  Is he possibly loving some new yoga pose?
I love his messy web, every speck, dot or line is of his own doing.

Yarn Along

My second citron shawl is coming along nicely.  I am on the fifth tier and have my fingers crossed that I can get at least two more tiers out of my skein.  Three would be ideal but who knows!!  I enjoy this pattern so much and already think of more I would love to make.  Maybe gifts?  Well, I'll finish this one first then daydream about the future ones later.  That lovely pink yarn is turning into a cardigan.  It is not my usual color to knit with but I am trying to branch out of my usual color scheme.  This cardigan pattern has interesting construction.  It's top down but instead of a raglan sleeve or a rounded yoke, the designer has incorporated a set in sleeve!!  Yep. I find this very exciting.  So far my only problem has been the button bands-I just cannot wrap my brain around the slip stitches and when they occur.  Maybe by the time the body is done I will conquer them.

My reading this week is the same as last week.  When God was a Rabbit has been my night time reading.  I'm about half way through and so far it is okay. An Everlasting Meal:  Cooking with Economy and Grace is my day time reading and it is FULL of information.  I read an entire chapter on eggs and wanted to go back and re-read and take notes.  I wish I was the type to high light a book.  But it would make me sad to mark up a book.  If you like to cook you might like this book by Tamar Alder.

I have added the sock pattern as a pdf file on my pattern page above OR you can access it on your Ravelry account as a download.  It is free!!!

What are you knitting and reading this week?

Joining Ginny

Yarn Crawl

My sister was very excited for this past weekend.  You see, I was griping a lot on the phone (who me?).  You know the stuff that happens in life that can be a tiny drain on a peaceful existence.  I never complain on my blog-it is my haven and refuge.  Plus I save it all for my sister and my husband, lucky them.  Anyways, she planned a day trip to cheer me up.  And it did!  Anything to do with yarn shopping is a very happy moment.

We drove to Ligonier, PA and spent a lovely few hours in a quaint little town that has two yarn shops.  First we went to Kathy's Kreations and then proceeded to Bo Peep Fine Yarns.  Both yarn stores were lovely and oh so friendly.  Yes, that is my sister, "hi sis!" and see that little bag-that one is mine.  And that big old bag is hers-retail therapy does wonders!

We had lunch here.  Below are my spoils.  Starting from the left (at least I think it's my left)  Dream in Color Smooshy, Dale of Norwary Ull, Socka 50 and Madeline tosh sock yarn.  The two middle yarns are orphans-I just had to adopt them from the clearance bin :)

Sock Pattern Update

I finished my socks over the weekend and felt so very liberated!!

My son was nice enough to donate his feet for the photo shoot.  It did not take very long and it is the middle of summer.  I did not want any unnecessary suffering to occur, you know, being to hot with wool socks!  There is never any suffering with wearing hand knits!!

Best of all, I wrote up the pattern as a pdf download that you can find here. Or you can click on the patterns page above and find it there.  Or you can download it on Ravelry.  It is FREE.  Have fun knitting away-maybe a holiday gift for someone special??

It's Hot {august break}

These are so gosh darn hot and we have no idea what to do with them.......

Weekends

Weekends with

-my side of the family for a two day getaway to Pittsburgh
-macaroni salad, roasted sweet potatoes, grilled chicken
-peanut butter cookies and cinnamon muffins with walnuts and apples(?)
-hot "oh so, I am tired of it" hot hot humid weather
-yarn crawl to different yarn stores (more on that later) with my sister
-more food:  gluten free pizza**with homegrown tomatoes, basil, oregano and mozzarella cheese (phew spell checker did not like how I was spelling that cheese-geez)
-car knitting, project finishing, book reading
-talking talking talking with family-laughing, smiling and reminiscing childhood days
-outdoor deck sitting, cold drinks in hand, enjoying a summer early evening before goodbyes
-easy peasy car ride home, opening the house, reading the mail and starting the lists for the week


** Gluten Free pizza crust recipe can be found in Easy Gluten Free Baking by Elizabeth Barbone.
How was your weekend?

Joining Amanda

Random Reflections

This little bird is fresh out of a nest, free and yet still staying close to his home.  This was as close as I could get and then he hopped away into the very tall weeds.  He made me smile.  Wasn't he so loving to stay exactly where he was while I ran inside, grabbed the camera and captured this moment of happiness?

Have a wonderful weekend!!

{august break} Shredded

I am participating in August Break.  However I love to talk (or is it type?) so my words will still be here.  I will be posting more photos and fewer words on some days.

Care to join in?  Click the link above and check it out :)

Yarn Along

I have been thoroughly enjoying my second citron shawl this past week.  It is slowly growing as each day passes.  The yarn is lovely to hold and it has the tiniest fuzzy halo that I am enjoying so much!  The only other project on the needles are the socks.  I am near the heel flap of the second sock.  Last week I finished the hat and the finished photos are in yesterday's post.  I have some ideas of what I would like to start knitting next but for now they are only ideas.

I finished The Language of Flowers and it was oh so good!  It is a great book filled with different kinds of love, defining motherhood, wishing for hope and embracing disappointment.  The book is perfectly balanced with sadness and happiness.  My new book is When God was a Rabbit and I only just started it a few days ago.  So far it is interesting.  I am still reading An Everlasting Meal which I find filled with bits of knowledge.  Just the first chapter had me believing that my cooking could be revolutionized.

What are you knitting and reading?

Joining Ginny