Pumpkin Sunrise

  Good morning! How are you doing? We are in the deep freeze and it's so cold that schools are closed which includes the daycare our grandchildren go to each day. We have been babysitting while the parents go to work.  I have been busy knitting many projects. First off is the mystery hat above. My son started knitting this over 10 years ago and never finished it (he had two inches done). When they moved here, he gave me the unfinished hat. I am not making a Ravelry page since I cannot remember the yarn (I think it is old Malabrigo...). However Simple Moss Stitch Hat is the pattern! Of course I gave him back the finished hat. Oh and yes, we have the same knitting gauge, it's genetic! Next up is a cowl started for me! My sister gave me this mini skein set for my birthday and I'm have fun knitting a simple cowl while watching TV. Last but not least, I started another musselburgh hat for me. I love this pattern and how warm the hat is during extreme cold temperatures. Also on...

  Good morning from a very snowy place! I love it so much, I know I am the odd one out but it's always a fun day when there's a snow day. Of course, it's fun as long as I have utilities. The whole town and near-by city shut down yesterday while the snow fell. Today I think there's one more inch to arrive then they will be clearing all the main and side roads. I did my laundry and chores yesterday then sat and started two knitting projects, a cowl and as hat both for me. The cowl yarn is a birthday gift from my sister back in November. The hat was an impulse yarn buy this weekend (why not!). My son asked me how much yarn do I have in my closet...um... a lot. This week is my last week off for winter break and my adult classes start up again next Monday. I am excited to get back into seeing my friends and of course learning new things.  How was your weekend? Did you get any snow? I hope all you all are safe and warm in your houses. 

  Good morning! How are you? My health is improving (no fever, less pain) but I still have symptoms of the sinus infection and am doubtful I'll be cured, sigh. This is week four of the never-ending illness, wish me luck! I honestly didn't start knitting until Sunday or Monday night, and when I did knit I didn't knit for long. However, I am less than five rows to finishing the colorwork of the yoke. After that it is stockinette stitching which to me is wonderful! I can zip along knitting, watch TV or read my kindle.  In my mind, I'd like to start another project but my energy levels are too low. I just think about it instead. I have in mind a cowl with the yarn my sister gave me for my birthday in November. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you? Are you in the deep freeze like me? Today the temps will feel like 15 degrees below zero by the end of the day. That is quite cold! I like winter and I love snow but I am not a fan of extreme cold. Since posting last Wednesday, my symptoms yet again got worse and I ran a very high fever on Friday. I went to urgent care and was finally given antibiotics which I felt should have been given to me a week ago. Health care is completely nuts these days. However the nurse practitioner was wonderful. After 48 hours of modern medicine I am fever free and  I am starting to feel much better. My whole weekend was lying around wallowing in self pity (I always have enough energy for self pity). My cousins and Aunt gave me flowers which Holly wants to eat so badly. During the day they are on the mantle and at night they go into the stationary tub in the laundry room with the door closed. I don't think she can jump to the mantle but I know cats and they do crazy ...

  Good morning to you! How are you doing? I hope you are staying healthy! I have been thoroughly enjoying my sweater knitting , since all I do is sit around and recover from my illness. I am thankful I am well enough to knit. I am so close to finishing the color work of the yoke and then the knitting will really go fast. Endless stockinette knitting is perfect for TV knitting or reading my kindle. I am already thinking of how I might change the neckline design. I might pick up and knit a tiny bit of ribbing to neaten it up. But it's early days, I can decide later. I am feeling better and as you can guess it's not fast enough for me which is another sign I am feeling better. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you? I have had quite the week. I am battling RSV and it's quite nasty. So I've been sitting around and staring at this view most of my days coughing my head off. I've been reading a ton and knitting just as much. Sometimes I nap and that is nice. I've been to the doctor's twice and not much can be done, sigh. So stay safe and don't catch it!!

  Good morning! How are you doing today? I finished my sister's birthday mitts ! Overall I liked the way they turned out. She picked the colors and I enjoyed knitting them for her. The mitts ended up being a tiny bit smaller than usual because I accidentally bought sport weight wool instead of DK weight wool. Hopefully they will keep her fingers toasty! What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you doing? I'm good, all of our plans changed for the weekend and we had a ton of free time. I am not complaining at all. I have been knitting up a storm and doodling in journals. I love the lull of January. And even though you are supposed to leave all the Christmas decorations up until the Epiphany, I put everything away on New Year's Eve so I could wake up on January 1st with a tidy looking house.  I finished the Christmas Scarf and have tucked that away for next year. Also I started a sweater for myself! It is in fingering weight wool which is just crazy. I'm sure it will take forever to knit but for now I am thoroughly enjoying the project. And it's for me!

  Good morning! How are you doing on this last day of the year? I hope 2026 is wonderful for you!  My knitting has been almost exclusively knitting these mitts . I am on the lining of the first mitt and I'm enjoying how fast the knitting is now that it isn't color-work knitting and chart reading. So far I am on target to finish them by mid January for my sister's birthday. What are you working on this week?

  Hello! Merry Christmas and soon to be Happy New Year! How have you been? I have been thoroughly enjoying the in between days and having absolutely nowhere to go unless I choose to go somewhere. I'm also enjoying my adult learning classes break. It's nice to be relaxed. My daughter in law and son gifted me the gilmore girls mug, I love it. I watch it when I want a comforting show and I can knit while it's on.  I've been feverishly knitting my sister's mitts and I started a sweater for me. Of course yesterday, I un-knit as much as I knitted. I don't know what is up with that. I did get frustrated though and set everything aside. I'm hoping today is a better knitting day. Today the temperatures are dropping quickly and the wind is howling outside. The weather has been crazy. I switched back to exercising inside two weeks ago because even though I can tolerate cold weather, my eyes and mouth get dried out and cause me problems (thanks autoimmune disease!). I h...

  Good morning! Happy Christmas Eve to all who celebrate! This past week I have been focusing on my sister's birthday mitts ! I am already on the outside second mitt and hope that will be finished in two days. I have yet to knit the thumbs and of course the lining of each mitt. I am enjoying this project and have hit my rhythm of knowing what to knit on each row of the chart at a glance. The palm pattern (not in photo) is easy and repetitive. What are you working on this week? 

  Good morning from a very busy house! How are you? I'm doing pretty good.  My weekend had two sleepovers. Friday night our grandson slept over for the first time and we had so much fun. Then last night both local grandchildren slept over. We watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Frosty the Snowman. Great great fun.  Can you believe it's Christmas week already? Where does the time go? I think I am ready but who knows, I frequently forget stuff so maybe I'll remember something along the way.  The above photo is the Christmas scarf that will not be done by Christmas day but hopefully by New Year's Day. I cannot knit when the kids are here. I wonder why?  If you celebrate Christmas are you ready? 

Hello! How are you? Well now, I finally finished a pair of socks for my husband to tuck into his Christmas stocking just in time. I started these socks in July! I have taken my time but I enjoyed the time knitting them.  The other projects that are not in the photo are: a Christmas scarf for me and a pair of mitts for my sister's birthday in January. I am enjoying both projects and yet dream of starting a sweater for myself on Christmas day! What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! We have snow and it is beautiful but very very cold outside. I love it!! How are you doing? I am okay, I had another salivary gland infection over the weekend and am now slowly recovering with the help of modern medicine. I sure do hope 2026 is a healthier year for me. This year has been a difficult year all due to Sjogren's Disease, the gift that keeps on giving. I have a few new doctors and more treatments so I am hopeful I will be healthier. In the spring, my son and daughter in law gave me a Gilmore Girls themed jigsaw puzzle. I put it together in about four days with the help of my son and my husband. I do love a jigsaw puzzle but I don't like how obsessed I become to get it done and the hunched over stance I keep while doing it. I started a pair of mittens for my sister for her birthday in January. I've knit the pattern before so it's an oldie but a goodie. I love to knit the same things repeatedly. How was your weekend? Are you ready for the holid...

  Good morning! How are you doing today? I finished the cowl!!! I loved this project and I really love how it blocked out. I like seeing the little butterflies. The bottom photo is the true color of the cowl, I have no idea what happened in the above photo, I'll blame it on winter lighting. I'm going to wear this cowl today! Thanks for the healthy well wishes in my last post. I had a video call with my ENT and I'm going to have a procedure (outpatient in hospital) on my salivary glands to dilate the ducts to hopefully improve the salivary flow and she will remove any stones along the way sometime in January. Today I see the eye doctor about the one contact lens clouding up, I believe it's a fitting issue but I'm not the expert. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you doing?  I have been doing okay. I have autoimmune symptoms that I'm battling yet again but it could be worse. Now it's dry eye and dry mouth instead of breathing issues. I am suspecting my outside walking is making my symptoms flare up, sigh. I'm staying inside this week to see if it helps me out.  My adult learning classes ended over a week ago except for one more Tai Chi class this week. I have thoroughly been enjoying the break! My knitting has blossomed. I'm trying to finish the pair of socks for my husband this week. While also spontaneously starting a Christmas scarf out of wool I received from one of my knitting pals where I used to live. The mail I get from the three of them is wonderful!!  I have a mighty to do list from here on out until the holidays. I finished wrapping all the gifts now I'm down to some selfish knitting and some last minute knitting. I love it! How was your week? How are your holiday plans?

  How are you doing? I am speedily knitting my cowl trying to finish it this week. I have less than 10 rows to go!! I hope the blocking shows the 'butterfly stitch'. I also hope I like the length and width when I am wearing it. I usually knit with fingering weight wool for around my neck. I believe this is dk weight (I can't remember!).  Also on the needles is the languishing pair of socks for my husband. I really want to put these in his Christmas stocking. I love that I can knit socks for him, in front of him and he hasn't a clue they are for him. Oblivious. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you doing? How was your week? I am knee deep in holiday preparations. I have a daily list that I refer to so I can get things done without feeling stressed out at the last minute. My memory isn't that great so I love that I write down what is on my mind, because I frequently forget! My sister and I went yarn shopping on Saturday for my belated birthday outing. It was so much fun!! I can't show you most of what I bought because Santa has already whisked it away and wrapped it up for Christmas day. I have high hopes of casting on a sweater December 25th. Above are the yarns my sister picked out for another pair of lined mittens for her birthday in January. I have a few projects to finish before I start them but I did enjoy balling up the yarn! Can you believe it's December?

  Good morning! How are you doing? I did it! I finished the two hats for the local grands and have completed my Holiday knitting (except for socks for my husband but that doesn't count). Because the hats were knit on size seven needles, I knit these up quite speedily. I have a feeling they might be a bit too big but I'd rather have that than too small. Children do grow! What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you? I celebrated another birthday and it was nice! Above is a photo of all the stuff I bought while in Boston at various bookstores. These are all for me, I didn't photo the gifts I bought for others. Whenever I'm in an independent bookstore I try my best to buy something in appreciation for the existence. Part of my birthday celebrations was to decorate the house. After 27 years we replaced one of the two Christmas trees we put up. Now I have an easy tree, it's three sections and then BOOM it's up. What a game changer for me. My only complaint about the new tree is that the branches are droopy and floppy so ornaments slide right off unless you precariously place and balance them. These are the 'hefty' ornaments. One of the neighborhood boys was selling homemade wreaths for the fundraiser for some sport, sadly my husband knows and I do not remember. However, the wreath is beautiful!! It's been two weeks since I started the second inh...