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Showing posts from August, 2016

Currently on the Needles

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I bought both of these books over the weekend and I started both as well.  This is unusual since I take some time to get around to starting books (I have quite the "to read" pile in my bedroom).  I'm reading The Lake House in the evening and while I'm cooking dinner I read a few pages of The Once and Future King .  I'm excited about both reads but have no opinions as of yet. My Leaf Cowl is almost done!  What a delightful pattern that knits up quickly and is pretty.  I just might cast on another one for the gift pile.  Also I started Silverleaf shawl  to join in a lovely Knitalong started my the wonderful Tracey at Clover blog .  Care to join?  Please do.  Also we are keeping up with our projects on Instagram. If you missed the post, I finished my Antarktis Shawl and posted here What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

Antarktis Shawl Complete

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As I showed you on Friday's post of the mere six inches left of this pretty skein, I completed my shawl and only sacrificed ONE row of the pattern.  I could easily knit his pattern again and again.  If you haven't knit Antarktis , well maybe you should! I enjoyed the design of starting a shawl at one end and then creating the triangle tip to tip.  Also, this shawl can use one skein of fingering weight yarn of 430 ish yards.  I had 399 yards so of course I was thinking of how to finish the shawl with what I had. Details are here on my ravelry page

Weekends

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Weekends are for memory making,  relaxing and enjoying quiet moments of our days.   If you would like, please share your weekend moments  in the comments section of the blog. Another weekend has come and gone - amazing how I collect weekend after weekend and sometimes they seem the same and at other times well, they are different.  Even though summer is clinging onto by a thread there are signs of fall.  A stray leaf here and there from my maples.  The days are shorter and the mornings are darker (I love that the best). This weekend was part of our "staycation" time together. We ate out for lunch on Thursday after shopping for suits for him (yawn...).  Friday we ate out for dinner because we are on vacation.  Yesterday we had homemade pizza outside on the patio because we are on vacation.  So many little actions adding up to a relaxing state of mind.  Where ever we drove, we chose the scenic route taking in the hills and farmlands.  Pennsylvania gets more be

Knitting Truths

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Earlier this week when the weather was somewhat fall-like and I was so happy for the hint of a change in season, I went a little crazy and pulled out some yarns to consider knitting up.  I was and still am motivated and excited about my fall knitting season. I'm ignoring the weather (it's hot once more) and I'm focusing on the upcoming cold weather.  It will come one day.  My oaks are dropping acorns here and there and the squirrels are doing their mad dashes across the road risking their lives.  I cannot count how many times I've looked in the rearview mirror hoping they were alive. So far my driving skills and prayers have saved them. My knitting truths: -I am motivated by the yarn.  I buy before I have an idea of what the yarn will become.  I rarely buy yarn for a specific project and if I do, I change my mind and it's knit up into something else. the speckled yarn is happy feet 100 splash by plymouth yarn co inc -I am inspired by other projects I

Currently on the Needles

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Yesterday I started something new and I have been in knitting heaven!  This sweet cowl caught my eye a while ago and it's been in my Ravelry queue.  I'm a little concerned that the cowl will be too small but for now I'm knitting away and I'll decide on whether I need to adjust the pattern once I have a few inches committed to the project.  I am totally fine with ripping out and starting over.  It's what knitters do! Oh, my reading is the same and it's been quite slow this week.  I am still reading this book and I am still enjoying the story immensely.  My time has been limited this week for reading and when I do read, it's right before bed and I fall asleep. What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

Weekends

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Weekends are for memory making,  relaxing and enjoying quiet moments of our days.   If you would like, please share your weekend moments  in the comments section of the blog. Hello!  Oh did I have a great weekend!  First of all, we have been busy with rejiggering the bedrooms.  We bought a queen bed to replace the last twin bed in our son's room.  We also bought ourselves a new bed and the learning curve has been crazy! My body is sad and missing the old bed!  However, I remember when we bought that bed and I lamented how my body was sore and missed the bed before that.  Each day it gets better, thank God. Because of my RA, I cannot evaluate any furniture buying as "comfortable" because I guess I'm in a state of mild discomfort?  So it's all up to my husband to discern the comfortableness in furniture. Friday we went out to dinner with friends at a neighboring town.  We had a good time and enjoyed some pretzels and dips (yum!).  I had a portabel

Perfect Together

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During this week which is sort of a "stay-cation" kind of week, my husband and I drove to a neighboring town to walk around Knoebels Amusement park .  We spent a total of $20 dollars on eating some food and riding the train.  Of course, we walked around and people watched.  Ever since we've been married, we've been people watchers. We saw lots of families and summer camp children walking about.  The weather was in the low eighties but the humidity was high (still).  This blog will not become a weather complaining blog so I'll keep the comments of what I thought of that high humidity to myself. We are married 29 years near the end of the month and we are perfect together in that: -he rides roller coasters but becomes nauseous on spinning rides -I'm all for a big spin and leave me off of the roller coasters!! unrelated but: -he can take care of any bleeding injury and triage assess whether we need to go to ER when the kids (our son) did

Currently on the Needles

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Hello! My knitting this week has had slow but steady progress.  Last week, we moved our son from Boston to State College PA and my knitting time was minimal.  I was too busy bemoaning the hot and humid weather and no air conditioning at either apartment.  Sigh, it's a personality flaw of mine, to complain about something I am unable to change. This week is different, I'm in my home and I've been diligently working on both of the above projects.  My socks should be done this week and so will my antarktis shawl .  The big question is, what will I cast on next?  Ah, the possibilities. My reading is the same as well.  I am loving this novel and the way it mingles truth with fantasy as a child navigates through the loss of her grandmother.  It's not a sad book at all.  Can't wait to see what happens! What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

Weekends

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Weekends are for memory making,  relaxing and enjoying quiet moments of our days.   If you would like, please share your weekend moments  in the comment section with a link to your blog. My weekend was awesome and it's mainly because after a grueling day of unpacking our son in his new non-air conditioned apartment in State College all day Friday, I'm blissfully in air-conditioning now that I am home sweet cool home.  I cannot remember a time where I've been so miserable because of the heat and humidity. However, his new place does have a "breeze" and so when it's a tad cooler that will be delightful.  My RA held up beautifully and I suffered no set backs (phew!).  Saturday after I ran a few morning errands, I did nothing except visit all of your blogs that I missed during my busy week.  I also resumed knitting and reading.  Ah, back to my boring life that I do so love.  Today, my husband made a curry dinner while I was knitting

Knitting and Moving

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As you read this post, I'll be helping my son move into his new apartment in State College along with my husband.  There will be no air conditioning and it's on the third floor.  Goodness gracious!!  Keep me in your cooling thoughts that the move goes swiftly and safely.  So far, I've had tiny hiccups with U-haul as well. We packed up his Boston apartment and traveled back to PA yesterday. I thought you'd like to see my knitting in progress.  My dandelion daze shawl is making steady progress.  I'm going until I run out of yarn!  What I love most about this pattern is that it's a nice chart to follow and I haven't made too many mistakes as of yet.  Phew!! My antarktis shawl which I shared on Wednesday is again in the photo.  I love this yarn!!  The color is dreamy and squishy.  What more could a knitter want? This is Frodo ignoring me.  He hates when I try to take his photo :)  I love when he ignores me, he is irresistible! packed?!

Currently on the Needles

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My antarktis shawl is making some progress and boy oh boy am I loving this knit so very much.  You should knit this, wait....most of you have or you currently are!  My notes are here I finished my book last week Lost and Found and I really didn't care for it at all.  The story started off so promising but I felt the plot was crazy weird and the characters acted out of character.  I frequently did some eye rolling as well.  Oh well, this is the first book of the year that I wasn't thrilled with the read.  So I'm okay with a so so book. My current book is pretty good!  I am enjoying the story as it slowly unfolds.  I read his other book A Man Called Ove  and thoroughly enjoyed that book.  A great story and the translation read smoothly.  So far this one might be a winner, stay tuned. Joining Ginny

Weekends

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Weekends are for memory making,  relaxing and enjoying quiet moments of our days.   If you would like, please share your weekend moments  in the comment section with a link to your blog. I'm still in boycotting summer mode these days...I have such a LONG way until Autumn.  One day I wore jeans just to make a statement.  Thankfully I have air conditioning. How are you?  How was your weekend? My weekend was pretty good.  I knit quite a lot and finished a book (yay!).  I also made one s'more over the stove for my dessert.  S'mores are the perfect dessert - crunchy, gooey, and full of chocolate. Who needs a campfire?! And who needs outside? I didn't walk much because the hot weather bothers my arthritis.  I did quick little mini walks around the yard and pretended it was a power walk.  Frodo likes the little walks and if he could talk he would say "mom, I don't like summer much either". Oh and I made some serious progress on my sock

Goal Setting

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I'm lucky to have phone calls from my kids almost daily.  Our son is in Boston (soon to move back to PA at Penn State University) and our daughter is in Santa Barbara a few years as her husband completes a post doc.  So many transitions! During one conversation with my daughter, she mentioned some personal goals she created for herself.  Well you know me all too well, I had to think and create some goals.  The usual ones are:  eat healthy, walk daily, do yoga daily and pray daily.  Simple, doable and quite refreshing for the mind. While contemplating detailed goals, I've compiled an addendum list to add to the goals I achieve each and every day. So here it goes: -use the good camera daily.  (seriously dead simple) -create ONE new recipe once a week -plan out my stay-cation with day trips, and fun events like going to the local amusement park to walk around, visit new to us restaurants, a LYS crawl (!) etc.... -learn to identify the trees I admire on a walk and

Currently on the Needles

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I love when I'm sitting and then the light shifts just so, sending beams across my coffee table, hinting ever so slightly of fall.  I know, I know, it's full summer but still, that moment in time - beautiful! My knitting is new!  I started Antarktis shawl  because one too many of you have showcased this pattern in your posts.  I just had to knit it.  So far, I am loving the knitting and the zen feeling that garter stitch gifts me. The yarn is hedgehog fibres twist sock and all I can say is it's wonderful!! I started a young adult novel that I bought at a second hand book store while in Ottawa visiting my in laws.  I bought the book solely on the cover art, which is a slippery slope on judging a novel.  It's kind of a weird story but easy reading.  I'm half way through the book and it's good. What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams