Pumpkin Sunrise

My knitting has returned to shawl making, which as you know, I adore.  I find it soothing to focus on the soft rows and easy charts.  I'm in my happy place!! My reading is super quick and easy.  My son recommended the book above as a "must read" and I love it.  It's middle school?  age and I love the fast simple sentences and the condensed chapters. What are you knitting and reading this week? Projects:   Hey Now Shawl and Dandelion Daze Shawl Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

Hello!  This is going to be a short and quick post.  I am thoroughly enjoying my book immensely, I cannot put it down :)  I shudder at the thought that I was contemplating on giving up the read when I first started.  Crazy right? My socks are slowly making progress, I am nearing the heel flap of the second sock and soon I'll have a pair of woolen socks for the fall weather. What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

Good morning!!  Another Wednesday's upon us, so quickly too, well at least for me.  So on my needles this week are projects I've shared with you before.  The block scarf is finished, I just need to bury the ends and block the daylights out of it.  I need length (and I bet I'll get it!). My simple simon socks will be focused on now that I'm down to three projects.  I want these to be finished in a week as well.  Let's see if I make that arbitrary goal :) My reading has been fantastic.  I finally started a book that has sat on my "to read" shelf forever at least it feels forever!   I Know This Much Is True  by Wally Lamb is a detailed account of identical twin brothers, one suffers from schizophrenia and the other brother's burden to live with his brother and his mental illness.  Oh my.  I almost gave up on the book because of "sexy talk" (I had my FILL from Housefrau).   But in the end, I was being a little premature in my judgement a

This past week I've been rotating between all of my projects on the needles.  The pincha shawl  is coming along nicely and is nearly done.  I am going until I run out of yarn!  I love that this pattern allows you to use up as much as you can.  My other project, a scarf for my husband, is the project I've been working on during the evenings while we watch tv together. Hausfrau has been a compelling read for me.  I have to warn you, it is explicit and against all of my moral values.  The main character is incredibly flawed, unhappy and self destructive in her extra marital affairs (some are in detail).  I am drawn again and again to figure out why and that is why the novel is good.  I want to read it. However, my next novel will be a palate cleanser - devoid of risky behavior! What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

My knitting this past week has been about the same.  I'm enjoying the pincha shawl pattern .  I have the pattern completely memorized and STILL it's a full concentration knit because of the counting for short rows.  I've managed to listen to a few audio podcasts while knitting but it's a challenge for me.  I love the emerging colors as I add a feather each day. My simple sock  is crawling along.  I'm not thrilled with the single ply yarn however the colors are delightful.  Because it's single ply they wool tends to be splitty.  Oh well.  More concentration!! I started a new book, Hausfrau   which was a Christmas gift from my son.  So far, the premise is good. However, I do not like the potty language (remember I'm a prude...).  For some reason, that bothers me more the older I become.  I've read a few chapters so I cannot fully opine about the plot.  Stay tuned! What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier dreams

While toodling around on Ravelry, I came across this pattern - the Pincha Shawl  and loved how the design showcased a variegated yarn.  So what's a knitter to do but dig into the stash, unearth a lovely skein of Mountain Girl Yarn by the lovely Camilla and cast on !  The pattern is the kind you have to pay attention to every single row...so it's definitely not tv knitting! I have unknitted quite a few rows because of my brash confidence. I'm nearly finished reading Stephen King's book On Writing.   I am loving every single word. His conversational style of writing is captivating and I stay awake reading past my bedtime.  A true sign of a great book. Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

My reading this past week was packed with goodness.  First off, I finally finished reading Baker Towers  and thoroughly enjoyed the novel.  You should read it, seriously.  The book is well written, and the plot centers on a mining town near Pittsburgh (yay! my home town) and how over the years the mining town changes with the times.  You follow the changes of the town through a family and their struggles as they grow up and become adults. The next book I read, was a quick read.   A Man without a Country  by Kurt Vonnegut is funny and closely resembles a memoir of sorts.  The chapters are written in an essay format and I must say the 1 1/2 hours that I sat and read the book were happy and had me laughing out loud.  This book I picked up from the library. The photo above is a slow going read because it is FILLED with information on healthy eating.  I love how she writes and how the diet is not strict but on a continuum of what fits into your life style.  We could all eat more frui

Good morning!  How are all of you?  Thanks for the sweet comments about my sweater yesterday .  If you are thinking about knitting that cardigan,  I have to say, "do it!" Anyways, my knitting is progressing nicely with the shawl .  I will definitely be knitting this pattern again and again :) I have super secret knitting with the pink yarn, I'm sure you might know who the super secret knitting is for....and that yellow yarn, well I'm still trying to decide what I'm knitting.  I'm getting close to a decision. My reading is still Baker Towers  and it is still really really good.  I'm quite happy with this choice! What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

Hello!  I am nearing the completion of my cardigan .  So so so very close to being finished.  I'm on the buttonband and all that is left is the buttonhole band and buttons.  I cannot wait for this knit to be off the needles and done. My pebble shawl  continues to make slow and steady progress.  Since I'm focusing on the cardigan, my time with this shawl is limited, however that limited time is pure bliss. I'm thoroughly enjoying Baker Towers.   I love that the setting is in Pennsylvania and there are references to Polish food (I'm Polish!).  So far the novel is a captivating read.  Phew!  I think I picked this book up in Cambridge, Massachusetts when we were visiting our son last fall. What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

New book and new knitting, both quite exciting if you ask me.  I started reading  Barker Towers last night and it's way too early to opine.  I also started reading Stephen King's book On Writing.   My daughter has read it several times and highly recommends the memoir. My adult children and nephew are doing a reading competition, I think I am participating and I think I'm losing, but hey, it's only the beginning of March. My knitting, sigh, it is heavenly!  Since many of you gave such wonderful suggestions on this post  on what to knit with my "ginny yarn" and repeatedly the Pebble Beach shawl was mentioned.  So I cast on and am blissfully knitting a shawl for ME.  It's been a while and I'm happy to be engrossed in an indulgent knit. So far I am beyond impressed with how the yarn feels and knits up.  I adore how the wool silk blend takes the dye differently and adds a beautiful depth to the fibers. Oh, I started and finished a sweet little bo

I am on a sleeve!!  Oh the bliss of knowing I am getting close to the end of the sweater knitting.  Some people dislike sleeve knitting but I don't mind at all.  I find it fast and fun.  How about you?  Are you a sleeve lover or hater?  Just wondering. Oh and I finished the baby sweater and posted yesterday all about it.  I love the red buttons too! I wound up my " Ginny yarn " yesterday but have yet to cast on a shawl.  I'm still contemplating which pattern to use.  I've narrowed my selection down to three....I think.  But I just might do one more search on ravelry.  I want crescent top down shaping, no cabling and well, something that looks like fun. I am STILL reading the same two books as last week.  Both are kind of long so I'll blame the books and not my slow reading skills.   Carry On is chugging along with an interesting plot line overall.  I have no idea what is going to happen.  I haven't read reviews or a plot summary and so far I haven

Well well well.  I am back to my cardigan approaching quickly to the garter stitch edging.  I'm thrilled to be finished with the baby blanket and posted about it yesterday .  Soon, very very soon, I will be making something for me.  But first I want to finish knitting the baby sweater I started earlier this week.  Oh babies, they are speedy projects to knit for :) My reading is the same (and I think I said that last week.....).  I'm slowly sinking into a fast paced novel, Carry On.   I have The Song of the Lark on my kindle but haven't read much this week so far. What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

Good morning!  Isn't this a fine Wednesday, Ash Wednesday?  I have lots to tell.  First off, my cardigan is making steady progress, I'm nearing to the edging.  Quite exciting, because the sleeves will be a breeze and then, boom, I'll have a sweater!  The baby blanket is growing and hopefully will be finished in two weeks, fingers crossed. I finished Blue Asylum  and it was "okay".  It wasn't the worst book I've read and it wasn't the best book I've read.  The writing style was lovely and that is what kept me reading along, I think.  The plot got weird in the middle then it unweirded itself.  So, if you like weird southern Gothic themed books give it a read. My son bought me the above book, Carry On  for Christmas.  I started this last night and really cannot say much so far.  I do like her writing and I've read some of her other books.  So I hope this is a good one!!  I am still reading Song of the Lark and adore the restful reading it

This week, I'm reading the same two books.  On the Kindle I'm reading The Song of the Lark and it's a soothing read, nothing stressful and it's quite relaxing to read.  My other book, Blue Asylum  started off with a great beginning but the story line is getting quite weird, and it's weird not in a good way I guess for me.  I will finish it because I want to see what will happen, the writing is perfectly fine. I've been working on the baby blanket these days and I am seeing much progress.  I love big projects that are mindless and I can read my Kindle while knitting this blanket, double the pleasure!! What are you knitting and reading? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

Ha!  New book and not so new knitting this week.  I started Blue Asylum  a couple days ago and I'm enjoying the story.  It is "gothic" and I do love that angst that is captured in a gothic novel.  I also started reading The Song of the Lark  by Willa Cather on my Kindle, also a great novel that I'm enjoying. I have made more progress on my sweater .  I've separated the sleeves off and I'm working on the body.  Underneath the book is my scarf that I'm knitting for my husband.  That project is slow going but I've placed a marker whenever I pick it up so I can see the few inches I've had to motivate me more. What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

Hello! I've been knitting fast and furious this past week.  All good, and all fun.  First off is the top down cardigan that is speeding along.  I've separated the sleeves off a day ago and now I'm onto the body.  So much knitting fun.  On the left is a cowl that I cast on a few days ago.  The yarn was a gift from my sister.  I hope to have this finished by the weekend. I'm still reading Life as We Knew It, and I'm nearly half way through.  It's okay, the novel is written in diary format and the narrator is 15-16 years old.  I have a feeling nothing is going to get better with the moon closer to the earth, but you never know!! What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

Last week, I started a sweater for myself.  I loved this cardigan so much I'm knitting another one !  I love Quince and Co yarn and I'm delighted to be knitting with it once again.  Santa was nice enough to give me some during the Christmas season :) Are you surprised I'm not reading Station Eleven ? Well I finished it and over all I liked the book.  The ending was sort of "meh" for me but I still recommend the book.  So in the spirit of reading out of my comfort zone, I started Life as We Knew It .  My son read it over the holidays and recommended it.  Instead of an epidemic wiping out most of the civilization, the moon has been hit by an asteroid and has shifted closer to Earth.  For some reason an epidemic is more believable than the moon shifting but I'm enjoying the chaos and the panic. Who knew I would enjoy apocalypse stuff!! What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

I am nearly finished with Station Eleven and I've been enjoying the novel.  My reading time has been slim since my son has still been around since last Wednesday.  However, he is heading to the train station as I write this and I know I'll finish this book today.  Promise.  I know a few of you out there enjoyed this book, do you have other books similar to this one that you would recommend?  Just wondering. My knitting has been all about hats.  I finished two and posted yesterday .  I quickly started another fair isle hat  using the left over red for the blue as the main color.  I boldly thought that I had plenty of the white and during the afternoon of knitting I came to the realization that I was delusional in that bold thought process. So as any knitter would do, I went to my LYS and bought another skein (the ONLY one left....).  I said it was an emergency yarn purchase.  The knitting group there chuckled and the owner said "it's good the emergency department

I'm reading two books and they are both the same.  They are both slow going as well, partly because of me and partly because of the full house.  I am not finding much time to read!!    Station Eleven  is coming along and I love the writing style.  My other book is One Thousand Gifts  and that is inching along. My knitting has been here and there as well.  I've been leaning towards quick projects.  The hat on the right is finished and came out a wee bit small.  I'm hoping a severe blocking session will make it bigger.  The wool is super wash and that tends to grow for me.  The hat on the left is making me quite happy to knit as well!!  Lovely pattern :) The origami butterfly was made by my son, who has been making all sorts of paper creatures scattered around the house.  I'm thinking of hanging them all on the tree. What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

This week I've been knitting two projects.  The first is the scarf for my husband on size three, what was I thinking?  It is not a Christmas gift, phew.  But the purple is dark and hard to see for me so I keep making little mistakes...so daylight is the only time I work on it.  My next project is a hat for me?  or for whoever?  I loved this pattern when it was first out and have been itching to cast on!! I'm reading two books, first one is on the kindle-- One Thousand Gifts and my second book is Station Eleven .  I cannot really comment on either since both are in the early stages of reading. What are you reading and knitting this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams