Pumpkin Sunrise

  Good morning! How are you doing today?  Just look at that dogwood tree showing off early signs of fall. I am so ready for fall, for cooler weather, for being able to walk outside and for be cold down to my bones.  It's coming but not soon enough. Also, have you noticed how the light is angled differently and it's getting darker earlier at night? Baby steps to autumn. I've been dealing with salivary gland issues again and ended up going to urgent care yesterday morning and received antibiotics for an infection. The medicine is not acting fast enough, ha ha. I become easily discouraged when I have difficulty eating. I'd rather have any other of my problems happen. In good news I've found an urgent care facility near me who has the nicest people working there. What a treasure, everyone seems to love their job and shows empathy to patients.  While feeling rotten, I tend to do puzzles and read a lot. I find it hard to do much else. I am so grateful I keep track of the ...

  Good morning! How are you doing today? I'm doing quite well. I've been enjoying watching the black cherry trees drop their leaves while I sit on the back patio knitting. I am in a cast on frenzy state of mind. I started another musselburgh hat for my son in law for the holidays. He loves my knitting gifts and I haven't made him anything in a long time. The best part is I wanted super easy tv knitting and this hat is dead simple to be that very project I work on. In other news, I've been plugging away on the tiny sweater ornaments . Yesterday I feared I did not have enough yarn to finish the second sleeve of this sweater and was planning to knit from the body and then stripe the body of the sweater. Imagine my surprise when I did have enough yarn and plenty of it! I love when playing yarn chicken ends up in my favor. And call me crazy but I love that feeling of not knowing if I have enough yarn. Strange but true. I have knit four sweaters so far and would like to kni...

  Good morning! How are you? We have a long weekend here due to Labor Day. So today's Monday feels like Sunday and the whole week will feel weird. Also, our garbage day is one day later as well. I'll have to keep checking the calendar to see which day it is.  As you can see in the above photo, I've been knitting little sweater ornaments . They are definitely fun to knit and I seem to be able to knit one in two days if I am knitting each day. The local grand kids sleep over every weekend now for one night and I tend to not knit the day they arrive and leave. I get so very tired! ha ha. On Saturday afternoon my daughter in law and I drove an hour away for a bible study friend's baby shower. The photo below is the floral arrangement at our table. So beautiful!! We had wonderful table buddies who matched our sense of humor so there was lots and lots of laughing. Sadly I wasn't able to eat most of the food because of all of my limitations, but the salad and bread was ver...

  Hello! How are you? I'm doing pretty good these days! Ta da! I finished the shawl last week and finally blocked it out. I did some garter stitch edging on this shawl as well to use up the remaining yarn on the skein. I liked how it turned out. As I mentioned previously this is a holiday gift and I hope the recipient loves it. (I wish it was mine...). What have you been working on this week? Are you thinking of holiday knitting yet? I have been and have even started more projects!

  Good morning! How are you and your projects coming along? I've been very productive in my knitting. I've been inspired by the cooler weather and started thinking about knitting Christmas gifts. Yes! Christmas! Sadly today the hot weather returns and we are back into the summer heat. First up is my gray shawl that is off the needles this week but I'm waiting to block it, my laundry room had a deep clean and I was sidetracked by the deep clean. Once that project was off the needles I returned to the sock knitting . I made it to the first heel flap and gusset. I'm still thinking about whether or not to make them matching. I did like the freedom of just knitting the socks and not caring about the striping repeats. I guess I'll keep thinking about it, I've got some time. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you? I am so excited to be on the last lace chart of this shawl . Knitting shawls is my potato chip knitting I cannot get enough. I have to set it aside when I'm watching a tv show because I make lace mistakes. However I am pretty good at catching them as I'm about to do them.  The sock I'm knitting that is not in this photo is almost to the heel flap, which I consider the down hill part of a sock.  What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you? I haven't been doing much knitting this past week but last night I was knitting once again. I believe the virus fever is gone (fingers are crossed). I've been enjoying my current knit and love when I get to do the lace portion of the shawl . Before you know it, I'll be near the end! I find knitting shawls to be quick knits.  What are you working on this week?

  Good morning to all of you! How are you doing today? I'm good and I'm excited to show you my completed shawl . This was the third time I've knit this pattern and I already started a fourth one immediately after the day I finished this one. I'm addicted to it's construction.  As you can see, after I finished the lacework I added lots of garter stitching to use up the remaining yarn and I was quite pleased with the results.  I like the gradual changes in the brown tones. This shawl is a holiday gift and so will the next one I have already started. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you doing? Right now it is nearly 6 a.m. and it's still dark outside, the days are getting shorter. I am all in for the approaching fall like weather that is very very far away. As you know I was busy traveling to visit our daughter and her family and I barely knitted a stitch, but I thought I would share with you the beginnings of another shawl  when I did pick up my knitting.  I am doing the same pattern as the last time. I was in the Boston area and we decided to split the super long drive into two days of driving. On the way up we stopped overnight in Beacon, NY and on the way back home we stopped at Ithaca, NY. I went to every independent bookstore I could find that was opened in each town plus the Cambridge area. The above photo is my book and stationary haul from the entire trip. I am excited to dive into some of my books. Two of the books I've read more that 3-6 times which are:   Wuthering Heights and a Tree Grows in Brooklyn. ...

  Good morning to all of you! I hope you are well and enjoying your summer. We have been having some pretty nice weather this week and soon it will be getting hotter outside. That means I'll be hiding inside. I've managed to walk a few times this week wearing my 'wind' glasses (moisture chamber eyeglasses) and they WORK. I love them more and more and am letting go of how they look on me. There is freedom in this thinking. My knitting has been the same, I continue to work on the socks (not in the photo), I just finished the second sock cuff and started the stockinette portion of the leg, that is bliss. My shawl  is almost done. I am on the last chart and work on it every single day. I love when the shawl gets longer and longer with each knitting row. I am seriously considering knitting another one in gray for another Christmas gift.  What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you doing today!  I'm pretty excited to share with you the current shawl on the needles. I'm having so much fun knitting this! Now the only drawback is knitting with a dark brown in the evening. Where are my youthful sharp seeing eyes when I need them!! If I get motivated enough I hope to knit on the back patio and listen to my birds.  What are you working on this week?

  Good morning to you! How are you doing today? Well would you look at that! I started a sock after months and months of envying every one else's socks on the needles. These will be for my husband, I knit in front of him and he doesn't know they are for him. I'm using my memorized pattern that is from long ago customized to his feet. I do not have to think about anything. Thank you for all the well wishes from the last post about my mini health update. I am so grateful for you and your support. It has been a very difficult year but I am hopeful that I am moving in the right direction. What are you working on this week?

    Good morning! How are you today?  I finished the baby blanket and yes, I did run out of yarn. I was three rows shy of finishing and instead of ripping out to the previous repeat I just ended the blanket. I don't think anyone will know except you and me. What have you been working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you doing today? Well I'm pleased to report that I finished this  shawl a few days ago! My knitting needles are on fire these days. It's been nice to be enthusiastic about my knitting, I think I was in a knitting rut for the end of winter. I changed the pattern so that there were two garter stitch ridges between the eyelet section otherwise I followed the pattern. I enjoyed knitting this shawl overall. I barely had 400 yards of wool so the shawl doesn't quite wrap around and drape. I had to do a loose tie but I think it still works out. This will probably be a gift for someone some holiday. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you? I'm writing this early Sunday morning instead of early Monday morning, since tomorrow is really busy. Since I last posted, I have made significant progress on my shawl and hope to cast off today. Right now the sun is shining brightly which is nice considering they are calling for rain next week. In the above photo, my daughter, son in law and grandson sent me a 'just because' care package. I love it! I was so surprised when it arrived. They are excellent at knowing what I like but my daughter says I'm easy to buy for. Below is a photo of my early Mother's Day gift from my son, daughter in law and grandchildren. I cannot wait to do the puzzle and dive deep into writing answers about my life. How I wish there was something like that for my mom when she was alive. That would be a treasure.  My adult classes have ended before the summer session begins. I like having these breaks to catch up on other stuff that I neglect (dusting!).  What hav...

  Good morning! How are you doing? I have been bitten by the knitting bug this week, I started a baby blanket over the weekend, I cast off on my yoke sweater and now I'm back to working on this pink shawl . I am excited about all of the knitting projects and wish I could knit them all at the same time.  Yesterday I tidied up my knitting bag and put away needles and accessories that I'm not using right at the moment. I've made room for more projects.  What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you doing? How was your week? We've been busy around here. Last week we had landscapers grade and seed the 'old' pool area. When we bought this house a few years ago the previous owner had an in-ground pool that was barely filled with dirt and filled with weeds, tree saplings and tons of stinging nettle.  Finally, my husband can mow the area and eventually we can use the area to play with the kids. The grands slept over Saturday night. Our grandson is four years old and our granddaughter is two years old, because of their energy we were both so very tired. I cannot remember having the energy when my kids were little like that. So many decades ago. However I get to hand them back over to their parents and when I was raising kids, that wasn't an option. My granddaughter woke up at 6:30 am because there was a bird in her room screaming. Ha ha. I found that funny. I told her it was outside singing, she didn't believe me. Oh well.  Over the weeken...

  Well well well, I am making progress on the impulsive shawl I started while still working on my yoke sweater. I am basking in the spring-like color and enjoying how each row gets longer and longer. I might give this as a holiday gift or I might keep it for myself. I'm not sure yet.  I reached the first sleeve cuff on my yoke sweater , a victory! I have about 10 more rows then I can start the second sleeve. My knitting time has been limited. I have more medical tests this week and of course picking up the sweet grands at daycare. A full busy life is a wonderful blessing!! How are you? What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you? The weather is getting warmer and spring is definitely here. It's raining and will be raining off and on for the week. So that will really make the trees and bushes green! Yesterday afternoon on a whim I started a new project that will most likely be a holiday gift. I was just itching to start something else instead of working on my sweater or my hat. I already have the stitch pattern memorized and I did tweak the directions a bit.  What are you working on this week? 

  Good morning! How are you doing today? I've been enjoying the spring time weather (it was a little too warm for me on Saturday, but it was nice enough). Thankfully we are not as warm today and therefore I am not as hot in my house. As you know, I love winter and I love to be cold. I do not like to be hot. My one lonely snowdrop is blooming. I guess when my husband redid the garden bed he disrupted the batch of them. Hopefully this one will multiply over the years. Also the crocuses!! Gah! I am so excited to see them as well. A true sign that spring is heading our way. On Saturday the kids and grandkids came over in the morning to visit and stay for lunch. We were outside sitting on the patio while the grandkids did outside chalk. We all had a really nice time together. On Sunday after church and lunch, my sister invited me to go with her to the local yarn store. I had no plans to buy anything. I came home with a new project bag! I haven't bought a new project bag in over 10 y...