Posts

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

How Does Your Garden Grow?

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This year my husband made two raised beds.  He placed newspaper down after he weedwacked (I think that is a verb!) and then lots and lots of topsoil......yes, we did buy dirt-lots of it!  It has been 10 years since we have had a garden.  At that time, I was the gardener.  I did enjoy it very much but I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (managed perfectly with meds) and gardening is one of those activities that flares my condition.  So I "retired" from gardening.  I have missed fresh vegetables and checking the progress of plants. Lucky for us my husband has become interested.  So with my knowledge and superior supervising skills (ha ha ha) we have started it up again.  Believe me I will have no problem eating the produce.... We went to a local greenhouse and had a fun time picking out what to plant.  I know we will have too many tomatoes and peppers but still it was fun and we can always give away the produce, right? Yes, that is a gnome but in its defense it is

Weekends

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This weekend included: -another performance by our son -graduation from high school -a mass for the high school graduates at our church with a reception~more CAKE! -a graduation picnic at the girlfriend's house~more CAKE! -buying lots of dirt (top soil) for two raised beds (I am hoping that we buy our plants today or tomorrow) -lots of smiling, laughing and socializing -list making for the graduation party we are having for both kids this weekend (eek!) -knitting on the eternal sweater....... Joining Amanda at habit of being

Jelly Jar

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I remember collecting these jelly jars for the kids so we could have two of each four designs. There was one design that was "rare" and we would scour the display hoping to make the set. I think it was 13-14 years ago!  We still use these for juice in the morning or a pretty daisy :)

Beauty Surrounds

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This morning is so beautiful!  It was so nice to get the newspaper and not suffocate from the heat and humidity.  These flowers are all in our front flower bed except the wild rose.  The rose bush is on the hillside and volunteers to beautify the driveway.  My husband just created this bed last summer.  Instead of rototilling (spell checker does not like this word)  or digging up the sod, he laid lots of newspapers and and then inches of mulch.  We could not believe how well this work and we did not use any pesticide.  So if you are in the mood for cutting corners, give it a try!  

Yarn Along

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~sigh~  I am still reading the Help.  I read at night and for some reason I am a slow reader and I frequently fall asleep while reading.  Maybe I should blame my slow reading on my busy life? Or maybe just tiredness? Anyways, this is a very excellent book.  I highly recommend it and I am hoping that my daughter reads it after me.  I am also flipping through the Spring and Summer issues of Interweave Knits and Vogue Knitting.  I think I like the yarn ads as much as the patterns :) As for knitting, I am on the second sleeve (hip hip hooray!) of the Valley Cardigan .  The end is near and I can almost see the sweater now.  I also bought some pretty awesome buttons when visiting my sister in Pittsburgh.  Actually, she picked them out!  Can't wait to sew those buttons on and be done with this project. On another monumental event.......I have packed my very LAST lunch box for my son.  This is the last week of school, and he graduates on Saturday.  He has never bought a lunch at the sch